Welcome to Megaplex's monthly newsletter alerting the up-market shopper to the new and interesting in northern Sandton and Bryanston. Please feel free to support our advertisers! To subscribe, see our subscription page.
Shopping Centre NewsWe have added another Bryanston shopping centre to the Megaplex site: the "Naturally Yours" Wellness Centre at 453 Main Road, corner Culross Road, Bryanston. The centre has a focus on what they call "natural health" and has practitioners ranging from mainstream medical professionals through pseudoscience, like Homeopathy and Iridology, to the absurd (dowsing, anybody?). An old riddle: What do they call Natural Medicine that works? Answer: "Medicine". Still, it is said that Acupuncture is a jab well done. The major tenant –indeed the reason the centre exists– is Weleda Pharmacy, which will give you both real and quack medicines to your heart's content. There are also a hairdresser and two restaurants. One of the restaurants is Chez Girard, which was our favourite in its wanderings from the Falstaff Hotel to the Garden Court Morningside to West Road South, and now to "Naturally Yours". There have been big changes in little Rivonia Junction, the shopping centre at the southern end of the Rivonia shopping strip, corner of Rivonia Road and Mutual Road (the road that joins 7th and 8th Avenues), entrance in Rivonia Boulevard. The 24-hour Seven-11 supermarket has gone, perhaps a victim of the Spar at 90 Degrees moving to 24x7 operation. It has been replaced by Vasili's Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant, moved from The Wedge, Morningside, last month, and which we review below. The Burgerville hamburger bar has gone, replaced by an expansion of Saigon Vietnamese restaurant upstairs, which has now branched out into massage as "Saigon Massage" too. Drawing on this resource, the restaurant now offers a shoulder and neck massage along with your sundowners on the terrace. A "Jimmy's Killer Fish and Chips" (Halaal, but Killer prawns too!) adds to what is now overwhelmingly a restaurant complex. Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre hosts an Oyster and Bubbly festival in the exhibition courts, 16-20 October. Traders will exhibit and sell products of champagne, oysters, and cheeses.
Funny Language, English...Painting: When you paint a room, you apply paint to the walls and ceiling. If you paint an elephant, you are well advised to put the paint on canvas instead.
New on the Block Back to top
Odd JobsHave you noticed? Doctors are much more wary about sitting on stools than the rest of us are.
Restaurant Reviews by Judith Back to top* A Strange Experience - Vasili's at Rivonia Junction, Rivonia Boulevard and Mutual RoadThe volatile Vasili and his restaurant have moved from the Morningside Wedge to Rivonia Junction. We visited on Saturday and found the squid heads good, however I perhaps foolishly decided to go back on Sunday. The restaurant comes over as far more relaxed and Greek than at the Wedge. The waiters are great and enthusiastic. I ordered Lamb Schawarma. Well they don't do Schawarma –no pita! Instead a wrap and, I suspect, fresh fried with LOTS of salt lamb. Sent it back and had (you guessed) beautiful squid heads with thyme and lemon. Then I got too confident and ordered Galaktoboureko and coffee. It is the first time I have EVER had a salty dessert! It was totally disastrous and any true Greek confectioner should be hunting down the person who has destroyed one of the most exquisite Greek desserts. The coffee was wonderful, as was the service. Pity about the food. Contact Details for Vasili's Restaurant. *** Pane e Vino at Morningside Wedge, Rivonia Road opposite Alon RoadWe are not opposed to second tries, so we revisited here to check out another reviewer's experience. Service is way better and the pizzas have also improved - still (in my humble opinion) way below Polpetta, who are hard to beat. It is good to report on improvements! Contact Details for Piza e Vino.
Gone to Meet Their Maker... Back to top
Popular WisdomJulius says, it's as easy as pi, that is, as easy as 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105... Green TipSomething huge just happened. Two thousand top scientists just ended the debate on climate change by agreeing on one groundbreaking report –we’re now as sure that carbon pollution burns the planet as we are that smoking kills. The debate Is over, but Big Oil-funded think tanks and the right-wing media are spreading lies, feeding doubts, and trying to discredit and downplay this moment. Add your voice here on Avaaz. Public Interest: Back to topFriday 27 Sept was World Rabies Day. Did you remember to bite someone? It's not too late... October is Mulberry Month! Come walking with us along the Sandspruit and return with a red mouth! More details here. Frustrated with what passes for driving in South Africa? Get your own back in a small way by reporting road hogs and other bad driving at www.roadhogs.co.za. The SA Guide Dogs Association for the Blind will have a stand at Hobby-X: 3-6 October at Gallagher Estate, Midrand. 2013 South African Humanist Conference: Sponsored by the International Humanist and Ethical Union, the Free Society Institute (a body representing Humanist Activism in South Africa) has organised an awesome conference in Joburg for Sunday 1 December –you'll find plenty of stimulating ideas, and like-minded people, at the 2013 FSI Conference, "Thinking Things Through". Speakers: Cecilia Haak (Square Kilometre Array), David Spurrett (UKZN), Eusebius McKaiser (PowerFM 98.7), Sarah Wild (Mail & Guardian), Gareth Cliff (5FM), and Jacques Rousseau (FSI). Panel discussion host: Barry Bateman (702 Eyewitness News). Overheard at the Checkout: Back to top"Excuse me, veh do you keep ze pepper?" |
Your name in print! Would you like to contribute a shop- or restaurant review, a better joke than ours, an event, or something else for this Newsletter? Please e-mail us. You will get full credit (unless you want anonymity). Reach 5165 shoppers and shop-owners: Advertise in this newsletter! Editor: Rick Raubenheimer.