There are many things to do in Cape Town, but no visit is complete without ascending to the top of Table Mountain. This mountain, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, along with Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head dominate the city, rising 3562 feet above the city. It is part of Table Mountain National Park which creates a wilderness with significant bio-diversity in the middle of an urban area of over 3.5 million people.

The mountain get its name from the seemingly 2 mile level plateau at its top.

While it appears level from the ground, trust me it is not.

There 5 well marked trails on the mountain top and many viewing platforms from where you can see Cape Town, Camps Bay, and much of the Cape Peninsula.

There are numerous routes to hike up Table Mountain, none of them easy. We took the Cable Car, which been in operation since 1929. It ceases operations when the winds are too strong. Michelle and her friends had previously hiked up the mountain. She was kind enough to ride the cable car with us when we visited.

One of the other fascinating things about Table Mountain is it’s biodiversity. It has over 2,200 types of plants that are unique to Table Mountain. The Cape Floral Region is one of 6 recognized Floral Kingdoms and contains many unique plants, found nowhere else.

There is also much history surrounding the mountain. Including the original inhabitants who grazed their cattle on it’s slopes and the first European to climb Table Mountain (Jan van Riebeeck). Even bungee jumpers, para gliders and base jumpers have used Table Mountain. Needless to say, we took the cable car back down.

Those of you who know me well would never accuse me of being a “foodie”. While it is true that I am a complete “coffee snob”, many times I would prefer a slice of Pizza at Costco over a gourmet meal. Not that I do not like to eat. Those of you who know me are well aware of my weight struggles and my working with the people at Beaumont Hospital’s Weight Control Center. Needless to say, imagine my surprise at finding myself at Cape Town’s famous The Test Kitchen run by Chef Luke Dale Roberts. Last year The Test Kitchen was ranked the 61st best restaurant in the world.

My wife Gail and I are spending several weeks in Cape Town, South Africa visiting our daughter Michelle who is studying at the University of Cape Town (UCT) for a semester. Students tend to eat cheaply and quickly. Michelle has found several wonderful Farmers Markets to buy fresh ingredients to cook at home. One of them is located at The Old Biscuit Mill, in Woodstock. Also located there is The Test Kitchen.

The Test Kitchen offers a 3 course, 5 course or a la carte menu, as well as a vegetarian 3 course and a la carte menu. Gail ordered the Grilled Scallops which came with asparagus, tofu miso suke, braised scallop dressing, miso on toast, braised shitake, raw shitake. Michelle had a vegetarian tofu with 3 types of red cabbage. We all three shared a dessert. The presentation was as beautiful as the food was delicious. Here are some photos.

Should you ever find yourself in Cape Town South Africa, I recommend highly that you try to get a reservation at The Test Kitchen. Here is a tip, while dinner reservations are booked several months in advance, you can often get a lunch reservation only a few weeks ahead of time.