RESTAURANT REVIEW: Kleinsky’s

Published Nov 23, 2015

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It’s places like this that make me wish I lived in Sea Point. If I did, this would be one of my regular hangouts.

Kleinsky’s is a tiny deli which specialises in Jewish comfort food and would not be out of place in New York City.

You order at the counter from the menu on the wall and find a seat either at the window counter, or a table while you wait for your meal. Breakfasts are served all day and there are brunch and lunch dishes as well as a small selection of daily specials which include salads. Yes, of course there is chicken soup with matzo balls.

There are also blintzes, potato latkes, bagels with schmears and lamb “bacon”, plus lots and lots of pastrami and a classic NY cheesecake.

On the breakfast side you can have latkes Benedict which replaces the traditional English muffin with generous potato cakes and served with pastrami or smoked salmon.

Another option is challah French toast, which uses kitka bread, battered and fried and served with maple syrup, fried banana and seasonal fruit compote.

A breakfast bagel has lamb bacon, fried egg, cheddar cheese and tomato for R42; overall, prices are reasonable.

Diva, who introduced me to this wonderful place, had the pastrami hash and eggs (R60) which is simply that – two fried eggs on top of pastrami and potato hash. It would be the perfect hangover breakfast.

I was torn between bagels with different schmears – plain cream cheese or with roasted garlic and herb, sundried tomato and olive, spring onion and chives, or peppadew – or a traditional smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion and capers.

The California bagel has smoked salmon, cream cheese, avo, with ginger and soy dressing. But it was the sandwich that got me in the end. A hot pastrami on rye with mustard and pickles on the side nearly won the day, but eventually I decided on the Reuben (R70), which was as classic as it could be.

Two chunks of toasted rye bread held together a whole lot of juicy pastrami, Swiss cheese (which stretched longer than my arm when I bit into it), sauerkraut and Russian dressing, which is basically mayo and tomato sauce.

Large sliced pickles were served on the side. It was messy and marvellous. Anything that has pastrami on it has the option of extra pastrami and you can order your bagels as open sandwiches at a slightly higher price for the extra toppings.

To drink there is wine, beer, freshly squeezed juices, soft drinks, teas and coffees.

We both had red (rooibos) cappuccinos with honey. The bill came to R206 without a tip.

There is good free wifi which makes it a great place to catch up with e-mail and social media in between reading a newspaper.

 

KLEINSKY'S

 

Where:95 Regent Road, Sea Point|

Phone:021 433 2871

When: Mondays to Fridays 8am till 5pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8am till 3pm

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