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Culinary Stars 2016

The winners of the first-ever Gourmet Restaurant Awards were announced last night

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By Lisa Wallace | December 7, 2016 | Recipes

Gourmet in association with Valpré is proud to present the winners of the first-ever Gourmet Restaurant Awards, announced at an exclusive event held at Klein Constantia Wine Estate.

BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT

LDR x THE SAXON HOTEL, Johannesburg

Hotel dining abroad has always been of the highest order and Luke Dale-Roberts has just upped the ante in Johannesburg. The menu, under the expert guidance of head chef Candice Philip, is as innovative as one would expect from Luke Dale-Roberts. Expect the likes of duck ‘ham’ with Jerusalem-artichoke sponge and coffee dressing or quail teriyaki with hazelnut dukkah and labneh yoghurt. Interiors are elegant and unaffected with a focus on the open kitchen. The best part is that the restaurant’s location in one of Johannesburg’s most prestigious hotels means that if you overindulge, you have the option of staying over.

Runner-Up

Greenhouse, The Cellars-Hohenort

READERS’ CHOICE

DW ELEVEN-13, Johannesburg

Jozi locals flock here for chef Marthinus Ferreira’s modern menus, so it’s no surprise that this culinary gem, as picked by Gourmet readers, was crowned the winner. On the à la carte menu diners will find Wagyu beef cheeks with bone marrow and brisket croquettes; generous vegetarian options such as potato dumplings with deep-fried feta and charred aubergine; and spiced-grape crumble with crème anglaise and vanilla frozen yoghurt. A degustation menu, which changes daily, is also on offer with or without a wine pairing. The wine list is carefully selected without being intimidating.

Runner-Up

Boiler Room Cafe, Durban

BEST TASTING MENU

RESTAURANT MOSAIC, The Orient, Pretoria

Executive chef Chantel Dartnall’s eight-course Grande Degustation menu and most recently the Spring Celebrations menu, take the diner on a sensory journey. Showcasing strong botanical themes, on the menu you’ll find dishes with playful titles like ‘Birds of a Feather’, slow-cooked guinea fowl and quail tortellini, and the renowned dessert ‘Driftwood on Brook’s Bank’, a delicate branch made from the skin of a pear with a scoop of chocolate and a sprouting hazelnut enrobed in toffee. Chantel describes each dish to every table and such is her attention to detail that when she’s travelling or out of the kitchen, the restaurant is

closed.

Runner-Up

Fermier Restaurant, Pretoria

GOLD AWARD FOR CONSISTENCY AND CHEF EXCELLENCE

GEORGE JARDINE, The Restaurant at Jordan, Stellenbosch

When selecting the winner for this award, one of the factors which was carefully considered was consistency, and particularly from a chef who has stood the test of time. Going back to his days at Jardine on Bree Street (before anybody knew where Bree Street was) and now to The Restaurant at Jordan as well as, more recently, Jardine Restaurant in Stellenbosch, George Jardine has certainly ticked all the boxes for for this award. His signature style of elegantly plated fresh, seasonal produce is always of the highest quality and exceeds expectations.

Runner-Up

Scot Kirton, La Colombe

HIDDEN GEM

BLUEBERRY CAFE, KZN Midlands

Situated on Nottingham Road on the Midlands Meander, visitors will find on-trend interiors by Andrea Kleinloog of Anatomy Design in Johannesburg and food that lives up to its looks. The beef medallions, served with rich chocolate jus, and an apple-and-Brie salad, is melt-in-the-mouth delicious and the baked blueberry cheesecake is an all-time favourite drawing visitors from near and far.

Runner-Up

Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse, Drakensberg

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

THE SHORTMARKET CLUB, Cape Town

Headed up by chef Wesley Randles and manager Simon Widdison under the watchful eye of Luke Dale-Roberts, The Shortmarket Club brings a new slant on dining to the City Bowl. Here, interiors are as important as the food. Plates bearing the likes of crispy octopus with green-mango atchar and sesame-tamarind dressing arrive from the kitchen through large Argentinian sliding doors that date back to the early 20th century. The wine list has something for everyone and a cheese ‘board’ arrives on a trolley reminiscent of a vintage bicycle.

Runner-Up

Marble, Rosebank, Johannesburg

DECOR AND DESIGN

INDOCHINE, Delaire Graff, Stellenbosch

Honouring the work of the late David Collins, interiors at Indochine are a study in understated luxe, where rich blue leather and wood contrast with accents of copper and bold fabrics. The hero of the room is the chandelier, a whimsical art installation titled Swallows in Flight, imagined by Lionel Smit and created by Andre Stead, where over 1 300 Perspex swallows become part of the incredible views that stretch across to Table Mountain. Clever design ensures not to detract from the sweeping views over vineyards to the ocean beyond (on a good day).

Runner-Up

The Shortmarket Club, Cape Town

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