Moyo at Spier Wine Estate.

Seeing as we weren’t really able to do any anniversary activities until this weekend (got paid on Friday!) , so we of course went to ANOTHER wine tasting at Spier (it never gets old). Then, we had diner at Moyo and saw a great musical act- Christian Duo.

Mmm- goat cheese, blue cheese, and some kind of local cheese.

Green fig and kumquat.

Moyo has a great little store with lots of local crafts (I’ll post about them soon). Their dinner service and buffet doesn’t start until 6:00, so plan accordingly. We were greeted warmly and stood by a fire until our table was located. It was right by the stage. We were told that the buffet was R250 each (a little pricey for us, but you only celebrate your anniversary once a year!) and given a drinks menu. They have an extensive drinks menu, and we went for the cheapest bottle of wine they had for R100.

Moyo's main dining area is under a tent! They provide blankets and tall heaters to keep you toasty warm.

They served us wonderful circular bread (a hole cut out middle, like a wheel) with coriander seeds and leaves, a lemon wedge, and some olive oil. Tasty! Then, they brought us a salad with spinach, rocket, pumpkin seeds, butternut squash and feta. I really wish I’d taken pictures! A woman came around with face paint, and we both had some “traditional” Xhosa designs done with white dots.

Then, the buffet was opened. They had different stations for chicken, venison, fish, starches, soup, potjie rices/stews (cast-iron three legged pot), vegetables, and desserts. We tried many of the items and got seconds of what we liked. There was a brief opening act with two dejembes and a large drum.   

Then, the main attraction set up a set of bongo drums and an acoustic Fender guitar. Moyo describes their sound as “A vibrant mix of Central & West African folk music fused with Afro Latin beats.”

Lead singer and guitarist.

Drums and harmonizer.

OMG. They were so good! They sang in many languages- French, Swahili, Portuguese, and English, to name a few. The song’s I recognized were Bob Marley’s Stop the Train and Lionel Richie’s Stuck on You. The lead singer, has a wonderful, slightly raspy tone to his voice, and a lovely smile while he sings and plays his guitar. The bongo player is talented and his vocal harmonies are spot on. I could really see them playing in a backyard party or up on stage for a small event. I don’t have any parties planned, but I guarantee you, you wouldn’t be disappointed if you hired the duo! After their first set, I spoke briefly to the lead singer, Chris, and he told me he is from Congo (that’s why he sings in French) and gave me his contact information. You can reach Chris Bakalanga at 076 657 38 28 or chrisbakalanga@yahoo.fr and he’s on FB here.

I’m pretty sure we’re gonna have to go back- 

I’m sure you all want to see pictures of the food, right? ;)

Again, another wonderful experience at Spier. And no, they don't sponsor any of my posts!

Song of the Post: Stop The Train by Bob Marley and The Wailers. I’d never heard this until last night. Video's a little fuzzy.