Casa do Tony

Published Dec 14, 2006

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Where: Shop 6B, Coronation Walk, Purity Lane, Malvern

Hours: Tues-Sun lunch and dinner (close Sun night and Mondays)

Tel: 031-464-4127

Corkage: R12

I've heard about and visited restaurants that are tucked away down little lanes or |behind garages (or even under a petrol station in the case of the old Le Troquet), but to get to Casa do Tony, perhaps phone first for instructions.

"Take the Malvern/Queensburgh turn-off and then go down the road behind the Engen Garage," said owner Tony Botha when I telephoned to make a |booking.

Well, it is easy to find when you know how but I am pleased to report that this slightly off the beaten track restaurant shows all the signs of doing very well, thanks to its laid-back family type ambiance, reasonable prices and good, wholesome food.

Tony will be remembered by many folk as Julio Duarte's right-hand man at the restaurant in Davenport Road but now he and his wife have recently bought here.

It has the kind of menu that has something for everyone and for the sake of this review we tried several dishes on the menu.

I enjoyed the deep fried calamari while my companion tucked into the snails and then the chourico, that wonderful, spicy Portuguese sausage .

Other starters include the trinchado (strips of steak in peri peri sauce) and prawns in a creamy garlic sauce with parmesan cheese, which was delicious. Starters range from R20 to R28.

Under the heading "light meals" one can opt for hake with chips, prawn rissoles, prego roll and chips and burgers, with prices from R20 to R35, which is for half a baby chicken.

Under the fish section, there is Kingklip, calamari, line fish, Sole and prawns with half a kilo costing R70. My companion munched them down with relish.

Tony also serves three pasta dishes but you get the real stuff under the mains. I went for the fillet steak, with chips for R60, which is not a bad price these days, while the traditional Portuguese steak with red wine and topped with a fried egg is R58.

Chicken and port schnitzel are two favourites while the Lamb Shank (R65) is something I will try next time.

There is also Eisbein for R55 for those into pork, sauerkraut and mash.

Since I visited Tony tells me that he has introduced ostrich steak (R55) and sole thermidore (R90), a real blast from the past.

Casa do Tony also has the kind of combos I enjoy, including chicken and prawn (R58), a chicken and prawn curry (R55), vegetarian dishes plus a kiddies corner where the little ones can chomp on chicken nuggets and chips for R18, or get a burger, chips and coke for R23. Good idea that and ideal for family outings.

Desserts are the run-of-the mill stuff with chocolate mousse at R17 and Dom Pedro for R20.

Tony has a good wine list but if you want to bring your own it is only R12 corkage.

Casa Do Tony is an ideal suburban restaurant where residents of Malvern, Escombe and Queensburgh, and others naturally, know they are going to get value for money.

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