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  Platter's sibling guide launches 2015 edition

03 Nov 2014

Topics: Anna Trapido, Diners Club, Jean-Pierre Rossouw, Platter's Guide, Rossouw’s by Diners Club South African Restaurant Guide

Platter's sibling publication in the Diners Club portfolio, Rossouw’s South African Restaurant Guide 2015, was launched at Steyn City Golf Club in Johannesburg today.

Twenty establishments - 13 in the Western Cape, six in Gauteng and one in KwaZulu-Natal - are awarded five-star status in the new edition.

Publisher Jean-Pierre Rossouw says the book has been introduced under the stewardship of Diners Club. “Diners Club has restaurants in its DNA,” he says, “and I’m really happy with this alignment.”

Fans of the guide will see it now has a new format, to echo its new status as Platter’s sibling, but keeps to its tradition of rating like with like when it comes to restaurants. Therefore casual places are compared with other casual places, and not with finer dining establishments. There are four categories: Luxury, Smart Casual, Casual and On the Edge.

Commenting on the tough rating system, Rossouw adds: “Rossouw’s remains the guide that truly tells it like it is, as reviewers visit every restaurant anonymously and pay for the meal, for ultimate independence and integrity. We review restaurants according to their type – casual to casual, upmarket to upmarket – in order to be fair to the establishments. Achieving five stars in the guide is a real feat – only 20 awards have been given, out of more than 300 restaurants reviewed.”

Anna Trapido, renowned food critic and editor of Rossouw’s, believes the guide reflects South Africa’s dynamic and diverse culinary culture. “We are increasingly enjoying flavour repertoires that reflect our glorious terroir. We are blessed with a great mix of iconic chefs of long standing, and superb young talent. Our award winners reflect this deliciously inviting combination.”

A number of chefs were recognised during the launch event, with the following special awards being presented:

Consistent Culinary Artistry Award

For a senior chef in order to recognise a long track record of abiding epicurean excellence: Jean Mauvis at Ile Maurice, Umhlanga

Unsung Culinary Excellence Award

For a long-serving, seldom recognised but skilled and creative stalwart of a kitchen brigade: Leah Tsonye at The Leopard, Johannesburg

Most Promising Young Chef Award

Lehlohonolo Mogadime at Indochine, Stellenbosch

Superior Service Award

Abou Bakar Fofana at La Madeleine, Pretoria

Culinary Patriotism Award

Jeera Restaurant at Suncoast Towers Hotel in Durban, for having the courage to take Durban Indian Diaspora flavours out of the ghetto and into the posh-nosh mainstream

In Memoriam

In Memory of Chef Lunga Maqwelane of the Savoy Cabbage, Cape Town, who was gunned down in January 2014 as he left his child’s crèche, to go to work

The five-star winners are:

Western Cape

• Aubergine, Cape Town (Luxury)

• Bread & Wine, Franschhoek (Casual)

• Carne SA, Cape Town (Smart Casual)

• Chefs Warehouse & Canteen, Cape Town (Casual)

• The Greenhouse, Constantia (Luxury)

• Île de Païn, Knysna (Casual)

• Jordan Restaurant, Stellenbosch (Smart Casual)

• Kyoto Garden Sushi, Tamboerskloof (Smart Casual)

• Overture, Stellenbosch (Smart Casual)

• The Pot Luck Club, Woodstock (Smart Casual)

• The Restaurant at Waterkloof, Somerset West (Smart Casual)

• Terroir, Stellenbosch (Smart Casual)

• The Test Kitchen, Woodstock (Smart Casual)

Gauteng

• five hundred, Sandhurst (Luxury)

• Japa, Rivonia (Casual)

• The Local Grill, Parktown North (Smart Casual)

• Restaurant Mosaic, Elandsfontein, Pretoria (Luxury)

• Qunu Grill, Sandhurst (Luxury)

• Ritrovo, Waterkloof Heights, Pretoria (Smart Casual)

KwaZulu-Natal

• The Snack Bar at Spice Emporium, Durban (On the Edge)


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