Restaurant Review: A little bit of all sorts

27 May 2015 - 02:20 By Kim Maxwell

Hout Bay locals are familiar with Spiro's and Ragafellows restaurants, operated by Spiro Ragavelas, his brother, and Spiro's wife, Julie. Riverway Cafe is Julie Ragavelas's personal venture, with feminine decor showing in vintage plates decorating the walls, old-fashioned cabinets and scarves draped over wrought-iron chairs.The location is one of its best assets, outside a shopping centre on the Baviaanskloof River. Glass walls and a terrace let in spirit-lifting sunlight.The menu offers all sorts: breakfasts, substantial salads and even high teas. But I found it lacking in starter-type dishes for nibbling on during a lazy lunch.Pulled-pork jalapeno bacon poppers didn't entice. Mushroom and brie soup did, but wasn't very shareable.We settled on a salt and pepper squid main dish for two. Calamari rings and tentacles, plus tempura vegetables, were tasty but oily, suggesting a kitchen not understanding batter-friendly temperatures.A vinegar overdose made the Asian dipping sauce inedible.There were no complaints from the child at our table, who was delighted to have a spice-free squid half portion after a request to the management. But then children enjoy most things arriving with fries and tomato sauce, and viennas were the only protein alternative on the children's menu.For adults, a grilled citrus tuna steak was topped with sliced avocado on wilted spinach. Its soy and coriander-leaf fish marinade was garlicky, but made for a tasty combination with sweet, zesty lemon curd.Baked cheesecake and chocolate cake from the display were homemade and sweet; coffees perkily strong. But the dish we'll remember was the bunny chow. This was Durban street food lifted to cafe-style glamour: a soft loaf replaced government-issue bread, and whole spices infusing a chicken and potato curry to just beyond Cape Malay heat...

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