After many years of driving into Knysna and looking longingly across the lagoon to the red cottage that houses Firefly, wishing for a visit like a kid wishes for Christmas, I finally got my wish.

Fairy lights dance at the entrance of the establishment which honestly looks a little rundown from the outside, but is vibrant and warm thanks to the splash of fiery red paint that the proprietors (mother and daughter, Dell and Sanchia Hadlow) have given it.

Walking into Firefly Eating House is like climbing through the closet and coming out in Narnia, a fanciful world of colour and possibility...

Now, the reason why I have so wanted to try Firefly, besides its reputation of course, is that all their dishes have one thing in common — spice.

'Enchanted by the flavours...'

A hodgepodge of Indian, Malay, Thai and African, it's right up my alley — being a lover of anything mildly spicy or hot.

I'm simply enchanted by the flavours of these exotic countries, and visiting Firefly is like a taste journey to all of them.

Our rather knowledgeable waitress, Claire, seemed to know the intricacies of every dish.

To warm our palates — a bowl of roasted yam with crystallized salt.

My partner Richard tried one of the concoctions, I mean, cocktails of the evening — a Sherry cocktail with nutmeg, which was potently pleasing. I decided on the Porcupine Ridge Viognier/Grenache Blanc 2007 (R85 per bottle) which is a rich floral wine with bold character — exactly what I needed to face the spicy food head on.

Firefly's wine list is extensive but different (some insightful choices) and very reasonable — a refreshing quality in a restaurant.

'....seducing my tastebuds...'

We were comfortably nestled in one of the inter-leading rooms of the house (the main dining room or the patio being your other seating options), opposite a wall hanging displaying Madagascan butterflies.

Claire noticed our intrigue and explained that the painting had been acquired by the owners because they loved Madagascar but mostly Madagascan vanilla — one of the spices they use liberally.

The starters menu is traditionally South African with an Asian twist. The Cape Malay Bobotie spring rolls with mint chutney (R42) took top honours — the soft spiced mince seducing my tastebuds. The Karoo ostrich Samoosas with sultana chutney (R42) came in a close second, although the chutney was sensational.

Other options to start included a prawn salad with olives, red onion, feta and fresh fruit (R42), lemongrass and coriander fish cookies served with sweet chilli dipping sauce (R38), cheese and mielie spring rolls with clove mustard (R38), pickled Cape Malay fish served with greens (R42) and sweet ginger chicken skewers served with spicy peanut and chilli sauce (R38).

What's your heat factor?

Luckily for Richard, my polar opposite on the curry scale, all curries are rated by heat factor from one to 10, starting with 'aromatic' and 'fragrant' and ending with 'hot'.

For mains there were a few specials, which we had to ask Claire to explain a number of times. We finally chose the milder Chang Mai chicken with coconut — a good alternative to Thai green curry with some remnants of a Kung Pow Chicken I once had at a hole-in-the-wall establishment while travelling the East — and a North African beef dish with 23 spices. The spice barometer on the latter was a little higher and the flavours rather difficult to distinguish, but excellent nonetheless.

To go with our mains Richard tried the Kleine Zalze Gamay Noir 2008, a light-bodied wine with sweet banana flavours (R85 per bottle), while I stuck to the more familiar Porcupine Ridge Merlot — was great with the beef.

Other innovative main options that are bound to get your tastebuds 'happy' include: Goan fish kari (R64), fragrant mild prawn curry (R72), Sichuan pepper and five-spice chicken (R68), Delli-Lama chicken kari (R68).

Chai for the road

Being a Chai bar, Claire recommended some teas to finish off, along with some ice creams with interesting flavours, some of which sound more like Stay Soft options (lavender and liquorice) than dessert, but worth the risk.

Teas include white tea with jasmine, green tea, pure peppermint or ginger, masala chai, a loose-leaf black tea and pu'er (large leaf tea from China).

Dell and Sanchia Hadlow's enthusiasm is displayed in all the little details that make up the Firefly experience, from the silver trays decorated with bright pink Bougainvillea flowers, to the rare combination of spices magically woven together to make a one-of-a-kind dish.

An evening at Firefly isn't just a romantic experience but a rare taste journey into a world imagined by this brilliant mother-daughter team. If fusion is your thing, then try Firefly for a completely different experience.

152a Old Cape Road, Knysna. Tel +27 44 382 1490. Open Tues-Sat for dinner, Sun in season for dinner (booking essential). Credit cards not accepted. BYO is R25 but discouraged. Visit www.fireflyeatinghouse.co.za for more info.