7-Course Dinner + Wine Tasting at Lilayi Lodge

Dining area in Lilayi Lodge

Earlier this month nine friends and I indulged in a 7-course dinner and wine tasting, here in Lusaka, at Lilayi Lodge.  The food and the wine were absolutely divine! 

This event is quite popular with varying wine farms hosting each event.  The event is usually every 6-8 weeks and you must absolutely keep your eye open on all social media sites as the event becomes full fast!  The cost per person was K500 or approximately $48.

This particular event was held on a Saturday.  The featured wine farm was Paul Culver (http://www.cluver.com/).  The wine farm is actually located approximately 70km outside of Cape Town in Elgin.  Elgin boasts of cool temperatures which are actually perfect for growing apples.  It is no wonder that upon entering Lilayi we were warmly greeted with a glass of crisp apple cider – Cluver & Jack Apple Cider.  The cider is 5% alcohol and is really light and easy to drink. 

After enjoying the cider we were seated at our table.  I glanced over the menu and immediately my taste buds were intrigued!  I can tell you I was not disappointed by the end of this event – with the food, or the wine!  It was by far one of the best tastings I have experienced!  My only disappointment was that there were no bottles immediately ready for sale.  Otherwise, my friends and I were sure to buy cases of wine upon our departure.

I hope my descriptions and photos accurately portray this delicious experience!

Course one:  Organic greens with seared calamari and fresh salmon, served on a beet root puree.  Paired with:  Paul Cluver – Sauvignon Blanc 2015.  Comment:  I was NOT a fan of the salad.  I have a thing where I do not like my seafood to taste “fishy” and the salmon left a “fishy” after taste which I did not like.  The wine, however, made up for it.  My pallet was rinsed nicely and this says a lot since I actually do not prefer white wines.

Course two:  Homemade gnocci with a creamy seafood and dill sauce.  Paired with:  Paul Cluver – Chardonnay 2015.  Comment:  By FAR one of my favorite pairings!  The gnocci was perfect and the sauce was amazing!  No “fishy” after taste and the perfect amount of dill.  Also, the wine was delicious!  Again, I am not a fan of white wines, generally, but this Chardonnay may change my mind!

Course three:  Grilled Nile perch in a duglere sauce.  Paired with:  Paul Cluver – Dry Encounter Riesling 2014.  Comment:  Unfortunately, my fish was overcooked and even a little charred at the bottom.  My friend, Carrie, allowed me to taste her fish and it was flaky and really nice as it was cooked perfectly.  The wine was also too sweet for me and one of the reasons I am not a huge fan of Rieslings … so I thought …

Course four:  Chicken satay skewer with an Asian green papaya and mango salad.  Paired with:  Paul Cluver – Gewurtztraminer 2015.  Comment:  Surprisingly one of my favorites as well!  I am actually not a fan of chicken satay as I do not like sauces made with peanuts.  However, this was really nice.  The peanut taste was in the ‘background’ and the other spices provided a really nice balance to the sauce.   Also, the Asian green papaya and mango salad was really nice!  There was an interesting balance of tart, sweet and salty from the fruit and dressing combination.  I almost did not want this course to end!  The wine … one of my favorites!  I am a huge fan of Gewurtztraminer – one of two white wines I try to keep on hand!  The combination of both the food and the wine was perfect! 

Course five:  Venison medallions with parmesan mashed potato topped with stroganoff sauce.  Paired with: Paul Cluver – Estate Pinot Noir 2014.  Comment:  This dish was almost perfect except the venison was over-cooked and a bit tough.  Unfortunate!  However, the meat was flavored well with the stroganoff sauce and the mashed potato was very nice.  I am not really a fan of Pinot Noir – I like my red wine to be bodied!  I wish they paired this dish with a fuller bodied wine.  But again, a delightful course.

Course six: Shredded duck in phyllo pastry with berry sauce.  Paired with:  Paul Cluver – Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2013.  Comment:  Ladies and gents, my favorite pairing of the night!  I thought the berry sauce was going to make the dish sweet but it was actually a really good combination of flavors.  The shredded duck was tender and seasoned well; the phyllo pastry was flaky and crispy.  Above I mentioned I am not a fan of Pinot Noir.  Well the Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2013 changed my mind!  It was perfect and had the perfect amount of body to stand against the shredded duck.  I could have easily eaten two portions and enjoyed another full pour of this wine!

Course seven:  Passion fruit crème brulee served with chocolate biscuit straw.  Paired with:  Paul Cluver – Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2014.  Comment:  Crème brulee is one of my favorite desserts … if prepared correctly.  This was not.  It was lumpy and the texture immediately turned me off!  However, I wanted to sip on the Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2014 so I enjoyed the chocolate biscuit straw with the wine.  The wine was sweet but appropriately so.  It reminded me of a port wine and I actually surprised myself and enjoyed it!  I even finished off my friend’s glass!

Overall it was, again, a really enjoyable evening.  I would absolutely recommend this event.  And to those vegetarians, do not fret – the chef will accommodate!  Two of the guests at my table were vegetarians.  Though they enjoyed the seafood dishes, any other meat was substituted with main courses made with mushroom, eggplant, rich cheeses, spices and potatoes.  They also enjoyed their meal and we appreciate that the chef accommodated their diet.  If you are traveling around or living in Lusaka, I would highly recommend gathering friends and family together for a very lovely evening at Lilayi Lodge (http://www.lilayi.com/) for their 7-course dinner and wine tasting.  

In four short days I am en route to Cape Town for a lovely Easter weekend.  Now, if only I could some how fit a visit to the Paul Culver farm hmmm ...