Asoka the Great

"To do good is difficult. One who does good first does something hard to do. I have done many good deeds, and, if my sons, grandsons and their descendants up to the end of the world act in like manner, they too will do much good. But whoever amongst them neglects this, they will do evil.Truly, it is easy to do evil." - Asoka the Great*

Asoka the Great was an ancient Indian emperor, known for his many good deeds back in the day. He is believed to be second after Guatama Buddha in spreading and teaching Buddhism. He believed in and spread the belief of love, truth, tolerance and vegetarianism. 

Asoka, Cape Town, however is a sick bar/lounge, drawing it's  influences from the great emperor. It's located in Kloof street, which by the way, is the new Long (at least that's how I see it).  I have only been there 2 or 3 times, but I likey!

It's an old Victorian house that's been converted in to a dark-walled, mosaiced mirrored, Feng Shuiey-type hotspot. The vibe is chilled out and loungey with couch-lined walls, where the cool kids like to sit and people watch/judge. I think some of the girls are hosting their own version of Gossip Girl on their Blackberries. But it's not a pretentious "I'm so hot" typa place. That's because it's Cape Town, and the peeps don't give a shit about you, cuz their circles of friends are so dramatic and absorbing. I say that in the most loving way - people here love their friends, and don't care about you....

There are 2 bars, the main bar, and at the back of the club, the smaller champagne and cocktail bar.

In the middle of Asoka is the famous olive tree, and it seems as if the building was built around it. The music is awesome, some kinda housey-loungey mix, that I don't know much about. :) And the waitresses are HAWT.  Tattoos and skinny malinks. 

During the week , it's a more jazzy, smokey kinda place, where one can stop for super yummy Tapas and enjoy some really good music. They often have live bands.

Carmy Cool Scale : 8/10 

I would go there for a quiet naughty cocktail during the week, or as a starting point for a night on the town. :)

* Quoted from Wikipedia

I Still Love You, Dearest Blog

Nahoon Beach, East London

I have been a terrible blogger..

Deserted my darling for almost a week and a half. It's been a busy little week.

Had my darling friend, Alez, visit me all the way from Slumtown, East London to all you geographical-slang ignoramuses :) East London is known for it's beautiful beaches, the girl/boy ratio being 12:1, and not much else.

We did some research for my blog, testing the burgers at Rafiki's, (read - testing our alcohol levels), stopping for really bad espressos at the Mexican Kitchen, more on that later, and basically just being girly girls! Alie did plenty of shopping too. I mean it is the Mother (of all shopping) City!

We went to Rafiki's on Wednesday.. Two burgers for R89.95... The burgers were huge, aptly named Mountain Burger, or something like that. Lots of guacamole and salad. Good deal, but I wasn't in love with the patties. I still am gonna praise Narona with their amazing burgers, start drooling just thinking about their cheeseburger! The vibe is awesome, though. Feels like you're back in the early 90's, but in the best way, because of the way the people are dressed and the bar decor. IT"S OLD SKOOL!  The peeps are chilled out, just there to pass some time, drink some beer and hang out with their friends.

There are few things I love more than good mexican food, and good coffee. Combining the two makes for a very content Carmie. So this is what I ordered when Alie, her James Dean lookalike and I went to the Mexican Kitchen in Bloem street. I ordered a small portion of the Nachos, I love how they use coriander in the mix,  it was delish as usual.. The espresso... not so much. I was handed a small cup half-filled with watery filter coffee. It had obviously been standing a while, because it was cold, and there was no crema at all... :( I was sad. We also ordered a jug of the yummy frozen margheritha they are known so well for. R70- R85, enough for 3 people to have 2 glasses - BARGAIN! The thing about the Mexican Kitchen is, their food and margeritha pitchers are always awesome, and quick, but the service is not always so great, I think the waiters have giant stoner sessions in the back of the restaurant, they seem to forget that you are there... But I will keep going back, as long as the food is so good. Mexican is in my top two favourite food list.

More tomorrow about this yummy new Doner Kebap place in Long street - it's totally authentic Turkish yummyness! And also do yourselves a favour and have susho @ Tong Luk... I'll post my pics of their amazing fishy creations tomorrow as well.

Lola's Stole My Heart

Lately I have been on the hunt to find the perfect milkshake. In my search I found a gem, something screaming “Cape Town” at me as I walked past. Sure, I had heard of Lola’s, I had even recommended them to friends for breakfast, based on what I’d heard. But when I went there myself, I knew... It was love.

Lola’s has been around for a long time, about 14 years, and has a really good name.. Their thing is vegetarian, really yummy vegetarian, and definitely not just for vegetarians. It's a great alternative for your average vegetarian, used to bland cheese and tomato sarmies, or vegetable lasagnes..

Try the curry - it's awesome! Comes with old fashioned sambals, sour cream, banana and chutney.

Lola’s fits right into Long Street. It’s kind of bohemian, definitely eclectic. It’s bright red and yellow 50's style interior gives it a sunshiny feel. On the day I was there, it was cold and drab outside, but not inside!

The service is good too. That always makes a restaurant for me. If a place has bad service I won’t go back, no matter how amazing the food is.

The crowd that hangs out at Lola’s reflects the restaurant’s happy vibes. They have got the "I sit in cafes sipping on my espresso all day" thing down pat. Everyone looks at ease, as if they have the whole day to lounge in the sun outside, or lately, huddle together deep in conversation in the cold that Cape Town is known for.

It's fun to pretend that you can spend your entire day in a cafe, but nobody really has that kind of time, which is why, for me, Lola’s gives off some special sparkly cafe charm, giving us some quiet time in these hectic times :)