Blanko by Kove Collection — Restaurant in Constantia

On Saturday, 24th of February, my partner and I came for dinner at Blanko. A reservation was made for 7:30pm, so we made our way over from Incognito at that time. On arrival, we were told that our table was not yet ready and if we wouldn't mind waiting on the couches where we could order drinks in the mean time.

After what felt like quite a bit of time, I decided to check my watch only to find that we had already been waiting for 30 minutes. My partner then decided to go and speak to the manager, Brighton, as a usual waiting time should really only be 5-15 minutes especially if our reservation was made well in advance. My partner had a terrible encounter with Brighton who didn't once apologize, who was very defensive and said that he was well aware of the issue and proceeded to say that our table was booked under Neil (not my partners name), indicating that he was not in fact aware of anything as he claimed.

Brighton said another couple had also been waiting for 30 minutes, obviously to make us feel better about the situation, but this is in fact a serious management issue. Brighton went on to say that our booking was actually for 8pm which is of course not true and we had an SMS confirmation of our booking for 7:30pm to prove that. He also claimed to have personally said on the phone that there may be a delay due to the weather, again he never told my partner this when he made the reservation.

My partner walked away, very frustrated, after hearing multiple lies and not a single apology. We were eventually seated at our table 45 minutes after our reservation time. Brighton came to check up on us only to continue saying the same thing and not apologizing. The conversation did however take a turn when Brighton told my partner that he was draining his time. My partner asked, "Are you saying that I am wasting your time?" which he of course denied but that is exactly what he meant. Both waiters, who provided great and friendly service, told us that this was an apparent issue at the restaurant and had been happening often.

I think it is a serious issue that 1) we had to wait incredibly long for a table that we had booked, 2) we received no compensation of any sort or even an apology, only apologies from the waiters. We even proceeded to settle our drinks bill and did not storm out as we felt wanted to because of this awful experience. 3) Something needs to be done about management. We were even encouraged to take this complaint further by other staff. No plan was made of any sort and it completely ruined our evening. We are extremely disgusted by this level of service that we received from what is supposed to be a well-established restaurant part of a 5-star hotel. We feel this restaurant does not even...

Poisoned, ignored, discriminated against and finally insulted

On 28 January 2023 four of us visited Blanko Restaurant, Constantia for dinner. After falling violently ill that very night, I consulted a doctor on my return to the UK the next day. Tests confirmed that I had suffered salmonella food poisoning and after further tests and scans I was diagnosed with Brachial Neuritis which my neurologist confirmed can be caused by salmonella. My neurologist prescribed steroids to deal with the residue salmonella but not surgery saying it I had developed Guillain-Barre syndrome in the arm with a danger of further paralysis if it spreads.

My tour guide who shared my chicken also suffered a similar reaction but did not have the funds to pursue various tests. On advising Blanco / Kove Collection their muted response was nothing short of unsympathetic eventually resulting in Allison Thomas (Operations Manager) refusing to accept the video and medical evidence. A meeting with my guide in July was less fruitful in which she referred to me as an Indian ( I am Caucasian), a clear case of racism and questionable racial profiling standards to determine an outcome.

On the anniversary of my poisoning I returned to SA and made an unannounced visit to Kove offices. Allison Thomas was as usual unavailable and a reluctant Mr Kove was forced to face me personally where he could witness the effects of salmonella on my hand and wasted muscle tissue in my left arm. It was shocking to learn that after a year he had only just recently been advised by his Operations Manager of my complaint. Wishing to brush this under the carpet and without genuine concern he preferred to “clear the negative energy” by insulting me further in offering a free meal or one nights accommodation or a donation to a charity in what felt more like a bribe than remorse..

It must be pointed out that at all times I have not sought financial compensation for my pain and suffering but recompense. Ironically their insurance company reached out to us the day before, but we declined to make a claim. However after having been poisoned, ignored for a year and finally insulted I believe a formal apology from Kove Collection and Ms Thomas for their racial profiling and shameless behaviour is in order. Furthermore, my tour guide who suffered financial loss and medical expenses should be adequately compensated with more than just a donation in his name or...

In-depth review: Welcoming, bathing in fall colours, that was my initial impression. We were greeted at the entrance and escorted to our table, with comfortable, plastic chairs and a cushioned couch. The table had some fall leaves on it, whether that is a bad thing is a matter of opinion. The most notable was the waiter's professionalism. He was friendly, he introduced himself, and once everything was settled he was present yet invisible. It was obvious to me that he kept a close eye on our table and whenever he came to clear it, my companions barely heard or noticed him. This is something you don't see that often anymore. Halfway the meal, calm, bouncy live music started to play. For me it was a tat too much but that is again a matter of personal preference, it certainly was a cherry on top of the experience. The meal covered the basics: a bottle for the table and breadsticks to nibble on. The bread came with an olive spread but when requested, they brought some butter. I ordered their carpaccio, it had a simple yet elegant presentation. It was a little smaller than I'm used to, and perhaps a little heavy on the oil. Though portion sizes was nothing to complain about. For the main course I had ordered the chicken, and not only was it well prepared but it was an amount that made it worth the money. Crunchy, tender, with a well blended pine pit sauce, the food was up the standard that they promise. Overall service, presentation and quality/price ratio follow up to the promise the exterior makes and you can tell the place has been polished. It is a little more than your average restaurant, it's the kind of place to stop for a proper, elaborate lunch, the right atmosphere to celebrate a special occasion or to make your day special. I didn't see anything that was worth taking...