5FC weekend in Cape Town

As you may remember, this weekend was the annual 5ForChange black tie ball in Cape Town: I blogged about the event a few weeks ago, and how excited I was to (finally) attend the party. Despite the fact that winter has well and truly arrived in the Cape, it was a fantastic event – and overall a great weekend getaway.

My younger sister, Savanna, studies at UCT so the weekend gave me a chance to catch up with her, my brother (a co-founder of the event) and sister-in-law, over the best meal of the year on Friday evening. Cheyne’s, in Hout Bay, was our host for the evening – a gem of a restaurant in the “Republic”. I loved the prints of the London street art hanging from the walls (I did a street-art walking tour in London last year, resulting in this appreciation), the crackling fire and warm ambience of the place. But the food was the star of the show. Heavy in Pacific Rim influences the restaurant serves up modern, creative, well-plated tapas-style dishes.

I need to talk about the Deep Fried Milk for a second: WOW! Easily, the most original dish I have ever tried, the coconut milk accented with green chilli was a hit at the table (along with every other dish, to be honest). The user reviews on Zomato are all basically 5.0’s (except the one guy with the lame 3.5 bringing down the average), which goes to illustrate the caliber of the restaurant. Make sure you put this one on your list!

5FC was held at the Cape Town City Hall, providing a classy backdrop to the evening – the lighting and set-up made the most of the grandiose proportions of the hall. Upon entering the doorway, each of the five beneficiaries had a small stand, enabling guests to engage with the founders of these incredible organizations and understand what each of the charities do for the communities in which they operate.

The auction items raised over R150, 000, all of which will be donated to this year’s beneficiaries. While I did not have twenty-odd-thousand to throw around for a surf lesson with Jordy Smith, I love that I can do my own small bit to give back to the charities after chatting with them on the evening.

There were plenty of glamorous gals on the night, although I have to hand it to the boys: overall they were a touch more impressive! I choose a black wrap-style dress; which I picked up in Paris last month…. At H&M 😉 paired with a cute bow-tie broach on the back of the dress.

Dress: H&M, Shoes: Mimco, Broach: Lulu Belle, Bracelet: Witchery, Earrings: Mimco, Clutch: Mulberry

After the auction and prize giveaways, the entertainment started along with a steady flow of champagne and Patron tequila. The sign of a good night is how sore my feet are the next day (cripple-level) – I could not even contemplate the after-party, which might have been a good thing in hindsight!

I am so pleased I met Leigh from Lipgloss Is My Life

The event was a resounding success – the organizers’ small touches went a long way in keeping the guests entertained and engaged, and wanting more next year! Next year, both Spruce girls will be representing and hopefully, Jo’burg will play host to its own event in the near future