What's cooking at the Taste of Cape Town?

Joining the pop-up restaurant line-up for a third year is 96 Winery Road with chef Natasha Wray. Other old favourites include The Bakery at Jordan with George Jardine, and Ernie Els Winery Restaurant with Amelia Hanekom.

In addition to the pop-ups, a few top restaurants and their chefs will be there to show festival-goers why they're considered the cream of the crop in and around the Mother City. The restaurants taking part include a few Taste-veterans like Azure Restaurant at The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa with Christo Pretorius, Camissa Brasserie with Jocelyn Myers-Adams and Jason Franco, Cosecha Restaurant at Noble Hill with Riana Robertson and Longridge Restaurant with Bruce von Pressentin. Making their debut at the festival this year are Beluga with sushi master, Alan Huang, Don Armando with Daniel Toledo of Il leone fame, Hemelhuijs with its innovative owner and chef, Jacques Erasmus and Kitima at The Kronendal with Lai Kuan Geo.

Other culinary highlights include:

• Robertsons ultimate burger-making class: Become your family's ultimate burger king by learning how to create the best burgers. Robertsons Herbs & Spices will bring the foodie experts to Taste of Cape Town this year to reveal their secrets to creating the ultimate burger. From preparing the tastiest, juiciest meat patties to adding the perfect combination of spices, participants in the Robertsons ultimate burger-making classes will take burger-making to a new level as they work with meat experts and celebrity chefs to learn this tasty talent.
  This feature, served up by the Spice People, will have meat expert Caroline McCann from Braeside Meats, local culinary expert Justin Bonello, and Season 3 Ultimate Braai Master winners, The Tikka Boys sharing their skills. One participant can win a Jetmaster portable grill. For more information, go to www.robertsons.co.za or visit the Facebook page.

• Amazing Thailand: Visitors can look forward to cooking demonstrations of authentic Thai dishes whilst sipping on imported Singha beer or linger in the beach bar over some exotic cocktails with friends.

• The Bacardi Mixology Theatre and Cocktail Lounge: Enter the exciting world of mixology and experience the magic of craft bartending. In the theatre, the public will have the opportunity to learn about craft cocktail-making. The lounge area offers a relaxing space where visitors can socialise with friends while sipping delicious cocktails. This will be the place to be, with a DJ mixing great tunes while the bartenders do some mixing of their own.

• The Castle Milk Stout Marquee: Come and enjoy a wonderful tasting experience in the Castle Milk Stout marquee with a lounge area and the smooth sounds of a DJ. Savour the full flavours of Castle Milk Stout and learn how it pairs with food.

• Butcher's Block with Two Oceans Wines: We're all strapped for time and the kitchen is the last place you want to be when you have friends over. Head to the Butcher's Block, where Two Oceans Wines will show you how to prepare easy, delicious snacks for effortless and elegant entertaining. All dishes will be paired with fresh and fruity Two Oceans wines for affordable enjoyment without compromising on quality.

• Berättelen om Rekorderlig Cider: Rekorderlig is a premium range of fruit ciders, first created in 1999 in a fourth-generation family brewery in Sweden. It combines quality fruits with pure spring water from Vimmerby, Sweden, where it is still made today. From its humble Swedish roots, Rekorderlig has retained its reputation to become a much-loved cider worldwide. Today, Rekorderlig Cider is a truly global brand sold in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the US, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Come and try the exciting range consisting of flavours like strawberry - lime; wild berry and pear.

• Big Green Egg: Is it a pizza oven, smoker, grill or slow cooker? Celebrity butcher Caroline McCann will demonstrate just how versatile the Big Green Egg is. It is the only outdoor cooker with a lifetime warranty and it is bound to replace all your kitchen and outdoor cooking gadgets. With a global cult following of over 35 years, the Big Green Egg counts award-winning chefs like Reuben Riffel, Bertus Basson and Margot Janse as passionate brand ambassadors in South Africa. So, unleash your inner foodie and enjoy The Ultimate Cooking Experience with the Big Green Egg cooker.

Taste of Cape Town 2015 will operate on an official festival currency known as crowns. Festival-goers use crowns to purchase their pick of sample dishes and drinks from exhibitors and bars. Each Taste of Cape Town crown is worth R5 and prices range from 4 to 8 crowns per dish.

Standard tickets pre-booked cost R80, which includes entrance to the festival and a tasting glass (R100 at the door). Premium tickets pre-booked cost R180 and include entrance to the festival, a tasting glass and R100 worth of crowns (R200 at the door).

The Taste Clubhouse Experience for R750 includes fast track entrance to the festival, a tasting glass, R150 worth of crowns and a complimentary bar service (malt, wine and soft drinks) in a private clubhouse as well as a Taste of Cape Town gift.

Kids under 12: free of charge.

Tickets are available at www.itickets.co.za or phone iTickets on 0861 000 291.

For updates on the festival line-up, news on chefs and their dishes, stay in touch on Facebook www.facebook.com/tasteofcapetown or Twitter: @tasteofCT or visit www.tasteofcapetown.com.