Long gone are the days of stuffy button-up shirts and bland menus of country clubs of old because thanks to Charlene Davids, the Langebaan Country Estate’s (LCE) kitchen gives you bang for your buck.
Charlene has been head chef at LCE for just over two years and believes she’s now found what West Coast diners really want.
“Variety is the key. We offer something familiar but with an exotic taste,” she explains.
Originally from Cape Town, Charlene has made her way to the LCE kitchen via an old Langebaan pizzeria, a hotel in the V&A Waterfront and a turn in Switzerland. She also managed her own business.
Charlene has more than two decades of cooking experience under her belt. It seems it’s been her pure passion for food and love for a good, hearty meal that has helped the Estate’s kitchen become one of the best on the West Coast.
Never backing down from a challenge, or an opportunity, has worked out well for the chef. Her go-getter attitude has led to the ever popular afval and sheep’s head monthly dinners. Charlene says it took a few tries, but now she has a knack for sheep’s head and afvalrecipes. The evening is hosted by the local Skaapkop guild on the last Thursday of each month.
Aside from the more exotic local meals, Charlene and her team dish up various specials throughout the week. And all at prices that won’t break the bank.
Tuesdays it’s the waffle special, Wednesdays bring the dinner special, Thursdays it’s steak-night, Friday there is yummy pizza and snack baskets and Sunday’s menu is a traditional roast as part of a buffet. Not to forget the à la carte menu from Tuesdays to Sundays and breakfast served over weekends.
All the week’s specials are under R100 and with a great kiddies menu, there is something for every taste. The adjoining Blaze Bar offers competitive prices, specials throughout the year and the best spot to watch the sun set over the lagoon.
New diners and regulars can be sure each visit to the Horizon Restaurant and the Breeze Cafe will be a feast as Charlene regularly updates the dishes. “Creating a menu comes naturally to me. I wouldn’t serve anything I wouldn’t enjoy myself and with a twist on a well-known dish or an additional spice here or there the possibilities are endless.”
This never-ending passion for food is also what led Charlene and the LCE team to a second consecutive win at the recent annual Langebaan Yacht Club’s potjiekos competition. And from the only ALL ladies team in the competition!
The beef and afval-potjie was delicious but it was the team’s presentation of a sheep’s head, a traditional South African dish, that caught the judges’ attention.
The restaurant and adjoining bar are open to all and with no formal dress code or membership requirements. Everyone can enjoy the beautiful view and mouth-watering food at the LCE Clubhouse.
Be sure to stop by Charlene’s LCE-kitchen and treat yourself to the tastiest menu in town.
