Restaurant reviewing and the blogosphere

By JPR | Published: May 25, 2010

Quite unexpectedly, a recent blog review posted on this site has opened a vigorous to-and-fro. While important issues were raised, much of the initial conversation was based on a mis-understanding of how Rossouw’s Restaurants works. As stated in the introduction above, the website that you are reading complements the printed Rossouw’s guide. For both the printed guide and all reviews here, restaurant visits are conducted anonymously; and all meals are paid for. As for this website, and its blogs, all content is written by myself, the editor, and opinions expressed are my own. If this is ever not the case it will be clearly noted.

The printed guide in book form encompasses research from over South Africa and more than 500 restaurants per year, and here a team of  inspectors is utilised. These reviewers all follow the same guidelines to strive for independent and informative assessments. The use of a team of selected reviewers is in line with practise the world over. It would be a physical impossibility for one person, as editor, to visit every restaurant, every year. My inspectors also add the value of giving a second and sometimes third opinion on a restaurant to balance and improve reviews. This approach has always been clearly explained in the printed guide – which preceded the website and its blog by four years.

Much was recently raised over the value and role of the blogosphere in reviewing restaurants, and this debate is important. These are some of my thoughts:

1. It is my opinion that blog reviews and/or comments should carry the person’s real name (for responsibility) and that reasons (i.e. facts or examples) should be given to back up all opinions expressed. In this way, other readers – and indeed the restaurateur – can see how conclusions are reached and people can in turn debate issues constructively.

2. Reviews should also be paid for by the reviewer and not be based on a “freebie” or an invitation. Reviews written from an experience that was a “soft opening” or any hosted event should be introduced as such, so that the reader realises this may not be a typical experience.

3. It is also true that restaurants should ideally not be “reviewed” within days of opening – what the ideal post-opening ”grace” period is is a matter for discussion; but on the other hand a restaurant that is open and taking your real money is immediately accountable. Having said that, early reviews can again explain to the reader that they are such, and some latitude should be allowed for.

4. The web is a great place to read all kinds of opinions – and this is also its danger – you don’t always know whose opinion it is or much about the person making it. A distinction should be drawn between professional restaurant reviews (i.e. where people make a living from it) and those that are written by non-professionals. Simply because there is more invested when you owe your livelihood to it. One could (hopefully should) also expect a higher level of expertise and experience as well as more considered engagement.

5. It’s self-evident, but worth noting again, that a blog review is bound to a certain point in time. That is why a post on this blog is never the “last word” on a restaurant but an impression of its offering at this point in time. A printed review in a yearly guide is an impression that means to capture data over a longer period and is also based on multiple visits, over the course of many years – for restaurants, consistency and longevity are true signs of both quality, value and (therefore) success.

Posted in Posts, Talking Restaurants | Tagged restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa | 18 Comments

So Yum, Hyde Park

By JPR | Published: May 24, 2010

How brave is this: an Asian restaurant that does not serve sushi! So Yum is a “yum cha” (tea) house in very sexy modern blacks and dark wood. Straddled over the walkway of the shopping mall, one side is a dramatic, dark backlit bar, then tables that straddle the pedestrian walkway, and then over to a more conventional restaurant space with tables in wood and very uncomfortable banquettes along the wall, Chinese tea paraphernalia on the shelves. Trendy music imbues, in fact it’s all pretty trendy, though on close inspection the quality of the fittings is not the highest, giving it a “franchise” feel. At the same time, I hear that the kitchen is “fitted” with skilled Asian chefs. The floor is less skilled, and easily over-whelmed.

Drinks menu includes teas and cocktails in the main, plus a small generic wine selection. The menu leads with dim sum (the heart of the yum cha experience), also noodles, spring rolls, stirfries, salads, and a few curries. Mains are around R90, and there are great set menus that allow diverse sampling of the wide-ranging menu. On the day, the quality was average to good, with rather thick har gau dumpling wrapping; while the duck in the ramen was well roasted and came alive in the broth only only once the additions of chilli and fish sauce from the side bowls were made. Portions are very generous, and the pleasing range of flavours and textures of the menu make this a welcome alternative to the usual.

Daily lunch and dinner. Hyde Park Corner. (011) 325-4360. No reservations taken though.

Posted in Restaurants Gauteng | Tagged johannesburg, restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa | Leave a comment

La Mouette, Sea Point

By JPR | Published: May 21, 2010

Housed in a rambling old Victorian incongruously on the main road of commercial Sea Point, “The Seagull” is distinctly graceful by comparison to its surrounds. A courtyard with fountain and plenty of alfresco seats leads into a hallway from which dining rooms grow – a bar through the room to the left, a private dining room through the room on the right; also an upstairs section, which is not yet in use. It all has a reassuring old world “clubhouse” feeling aided by fireplaces and comfortable chairs. There’s lots of space to host diverse groups of diners.

And host they do, with keen manager presence and very attentive, well turned-out staff: there’s a sense that they care, which is welcome and marks it as a restaurant that’s aiming to stand out from the norm. It’s not stiff though, and not a “fine diner” by any means, but the setting and experience is likely to strike many as upscale.

While the menu is well priced, on the face of it (i.e. before assessing the plates), the wine list is rather over-priced, with the interesting stuff only starting north of R200, and many whites marked well over what one expects to pay.

A tapenade foccacia arrives, home-made and tasty, if greasy. We then sampled a dish from the “tapas” menu – a small assortment of bites that are good for drinks at the bar: a sweet onion tart, with olive, thyme and marinated anchovy that was made in the Provençal style, flat, thin and pizza-like, and was in its turn also overly oily. From the pleasingly small selection of dishes; a starter of “mushrooms on toast” with vanilla-roasted fig and a hazelnut salad (though I think walnuts were present) was presented on a melba-style crisp and was tasty enough and fair value for R35; another starter, prawn and ginger ravioli, was one large pocket of well-cooked pasta, with subtly gingered seafood, a success and also R35.

A main of decently cooked hake was presented on crushed potatoes and sauce vierge and ate well enough, though “crushed” potatoes as cubes of fried were pretty “home-style” and lacking in finesse and the plate would have done well to have more zing from the vierge. Similarly plain sautéed potatoes made it under the well prepared confit duck which was also served with red cabbage for a “German” twist. These mains at R80 were reasonable value, though portions here would encourage the large of appetite into dessert and – notably – the food is “café”-style in execution (adding to the dressed-up casual tone of the place) and too often oily.

Desserts were at once fun and very flawed: fun was the signature “gin and tonic”; tonic jelly, gin syrup and lime ice-cream; while a chocolate tart was let down by its plasticene texture and simple, uninteresting sweetness and lack of chocolate flavour.

All in all, the space is certainly welcoming – and it has a distinct sense of character. The food is, on the whole, fair but quite far from memorable, in mitigation I was not expecting the menu to be as well priced as it is. I do get the feeling they believe they are aiming for greater heights though, so time will tell if they can raise the game. At this point, The Seagull is destined to become a happy local for the denizens of Sea Point, and we all need welcoming locals.

78 Regent Road. 021 433 0856 Lunch Tuesday to Sunday; Dinner Tuesday to Saturday

Posted in Restaurants Cape | Tagged Cape Town, restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa | 38 Comments

The Bistro at the Peech Hotel, Melrose

By JPR | Published: May 19, 2010

It’s generally accepted that Joburg struggles for bucolic venues – unless you get into the car and drive to the countryside. The Peech Hotel offers a singularly pleasant alternative to parking lot views (as does 10 Bompas Hotel, though here their formerly fine restaurant has recently morphed into a chain steakhouse). At Peech, the bistro is very small indeed, plain tables and a fireplace, with tables that spill out into a garden courtyard – all in a likable modern African style.

The wine list sets moderate prices with an interesting selection, and an eye for eco-friendly wineries, which is a good touch. Offered that day: light meals like pasta and salads; then thai chicken livers, grilled prawns with tequila mayo, sundried tomato, asparagus and fennel risotto; chicken breast stuffed with for cheeses, five spice duck, salmon on lemon mash; coffee panacotta, watermelon with lemon sorbet. Starters around R60, mains R100. The quality is fair but not fantastic, though I can see this being a useful place to bring a group, or simply to escape the malls.

Peech Hotel. 61 North Street, Melrose. 011 537-9797

Posted in Restaurants Gauteng | Tagged johannesburg, restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa | 1 Comment

Mantra, Parktown North

By JPR | Published: May 17, 2010

This north Indian spot has a haphazard look about it, but that’s not stopping hordes of fans from filling it every night. Just as well, because it needs the people to soften its heavy black and red walls and ceilings and the plain furnishings (window booth seats are a little more plush though). On the night we went, extractor problems also filled the open space with a fog of charcoal smoke – but this was also reassuring: they are grilling with intent.

Another upside to the plain space is that the menu has stayed very competitive in price. Mains rarely stray over R100 (this for platters) and most are R75-85. There’s a big selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes: tandoori, kebabs, curries, briyanis, and a few signature dishes – called “crackling” prawns, fish, paneer etc… which turns out to be accompanied by deep-fried spinach – that’s the “crackle”.

Overall, the quality was fine, not fantastic. Paneer with mint, cooked on charcoal was bland with little mint flavour; lamb boti kebab was fine, and the crackling prawns came with red garlic sauce that was pretty commercial in flavour, more sweet than striking. Prawns had a heavy, sticky batter. The mains also showed a sweet tooth in the kitchen, with the dhal makhani (with white beans also in it?) and the kadai ghosh overtly sweet rather than balanced. The naan was also sweet. The lazeez bhuna chicken was very good, however, spicy and complex. Perhaps the most regrettable was the undercooked basmati rice, complimentary with the mains, but little nuggets of dry, hard grain.

Service is both very personable and good (the owner) and variable and scarce (the rest), but they are all neatly turned out in the Indian waistcoat fashion. No wine list at present. All in all a fun local, and at these prices not hard to try again. Perhaps it was an off night.

4th Ave, Parktown North. 011-023 0632. Lunch and dinner Tues-Sat; Sun lunch and Mon dinner only.

Posted in Restaurants Gauteng | Tagged johannesburg, restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa | 2 Comments

Auberge Michel, Sandton

By JPR | Published: May 14, 2010
Making a telephonic reservation can sometimes leave me feeling less inclined to honour it, surely not the desired response. I sure don’t mind if my local burger joint has no phone skills, but when reserving for a meal that ended up costing me R500 per person, I felt some polish on the telephone line would go a long way.
Inevitably, it also prejudices one’s arrival, but in the case of Auberge Michel, they are far better face-to-face. From the greeting on arrival at parking to the well-dressed waiters’ impeccable manners, the service had a welcome professionalism. It really is a beautiful restaurant too, set on lovely grounds that offer lunches and dinners far removed from the ubiquitous Joburg parking lot views. The interior of the house is neat and modern, well-designed, with rich deluxe touches in the comfortable oversized chairs, linen, single roses and fine stemware. One serious detraction from the otherwise elegant mood was the awful muzak that seeped into the dining room all night long.
The wine list is serious – some of the better French wines available along with great local bottles. Of course, at a price – and I also quickly discovered that wines by the glass were not really a part of the game plan here: two local whites and one red were all they could offer. Apparently these change regularly, but then again it seems their attitude is “who bothers with by the glass”? This is, after all, where politicians famously come to indulge in some high-end conspicuous consumption and deal-making.
Speaking of conspicuous, main courses here easily hit R200, starters bubbling under R100, making this one of SA’s most expensive eateries, including big names like La Colombe, Rust en Vrede and The Tasting Room. Part of my guide’s grading has always been to “compare apples with apples” and in the past I had found Auberge Michel a pretender to the fine dining throne on the plate and for the price, notwithstanding its beautiful environs.
Tonight was to turn out similar. … continue reading
Posted in Restaurants Gauteng | Tagged johannesburg, restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa | Leave a comment

The Grill Room, Franschhoek

By JPR | Published: May 13, 2010

The new eaterie by Matthew Gordon and team is an upscale steakhouse, a very attractive, very neat space that fuses contemporary touches with an “old town”  aesthetic - modern  fittings in an old home: wood look floors, small plain bistro tables, small-tiled red and black kitchen walls, raw brick, wood shuttered windows, bright red hanging lanterns, banquettes, pictures of the old town and farm implements. There are also lovely and generous outside areas, plus courtyard lounge, and one of the more attractive upstairs private dining areas. All very inviting, especially at night.

Service is local, friendly, well-presented. The menu features blackboard specials that display international flavours (seafood tagliatelle, beef curry with lentil basil rice) and alternatives to beef like kudu shank with sweet potato mash, while the printed menu sticks close to grillhouse classics: steaks, seafoods, burgers. The steaks arrive on wood boards with a rocket leaf salad, side of julienned vegetables and chips in boats. The meat is accurately cooked, the fries skinny, the sauces good.

It’s all immensely likable, not threatening, and well presented. A good addition to the town’s main strip, albeit undoubtedly mainstream in a town with a “special dining” reputation. Main Rd at Berg, open daily lunch and dinner. 021 876 2548

Posted in Restaurants Cape | Tagged Franschhoek, restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa | 1 Comment

Rust en Vrede, Stellenbosch

By JPR | Published: May 12, 2010

If the most negative comment one can make of a meal is to query the texture and overt presence of salt flakes on a few dishes you know you’re a critic. This was the level of pleasure at a recent dinner at Rust en Vrede, which continues to solidify its standing as one of SA’s best – as indeed it rises in the estimation of the world’s food community. Chef David Higgs was recently invited to cook at Ikarus in Salzburg – one of 12 featured chefs for the year and in superb company with the best from around the world; also, along with La Colombe and The Tasting Room, Rust en Vrede has also risen in the ranks of the San Pellegrino awards, from 98 to 74th position.

Rust en Vrede is likely the most accomplished restaurant in the country for the complete experience: superb wine farm setting, a beautiful and serene cellar as dining room, excellent discreet service (including professional wine service captained by Neil Grant), lovely bespoke table appointments – and this all before the charms of the kitchen are visited upon you.

Select between the four or the six course menu (R440 and R580 respectively, the latter can be wine paired) and then relax into the lovely feeling of knowing that you are in “safe” hands. On this night, we covered most of the dishes on the four course menu. It was a fine experience, and one that actually improved through the courses. The opposite can frequently occur, when starters overshadow the mains, always a pity through expectation deflated.

The salt grain quibble was shared between two of the first courses that were otherwise lovely: truffle and juniper salted gemsbok with smoked chevin, avocado and walnut oil; and confit tuna with apple and sprout salad, truffle poached oyster with pea and mint purée – the crunch, texture and flavour of the salt was too coarse and apparent. A cauliflower and lemon soup with an almond and ciabatta “crunch” and a raclette mousse was delightful.

Of the second courses, the standout was a breast of quail with a quince purée, celery and asparagus salad, also with the quirky (necessary?) addition of snails in a vermouth foam; while the Jerusalem artichoke tortellini with hazelnut, garlic, parmesan and a tarragon beurre noisette could have been more tender in the pasta but was powerful in flavour.

Third courses featured perfectly cooked kingklip with scallop, green and white beans and “chicken of the woods” mushrooms – a rare (on menus) and deliciously meaty mushroom. Sirloin with an oxtail “marmalade”, butternut and mushroom pavé and porcini purée was simply excellent and a fine autumn landscape. Desserts didn’t set a foot wrong, with delightful plating.

If anything, Higgs and his team have increased the technical level of the cooking here, with more depth and diversity on the plates. One of the hallmarks of his previous menus were their lucidity – an element I found perfectly refreshing. It’s certainly not lost, his flavours are clear and there’s a celebration of local and seasonal produce, nevertheless the wire is tighter. A few menu pages is dedicated to explaining his sources and suppliers, moving beyond what is often the “lip service” of local produce to real names and facts, a very welcome addition.

Remains a must-see for serious food lovers. Dinner Tues-Sat. 021 881 3881

Posted in Restaurants Cape | Tagged restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa, Stellenbosch | 4 Comments

The Tasting Room, Le Quartier Français, Franschhoek

By JPR | Published: May 11, 2010

One of the hallmarks of The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français, and of the formidable team behind it, is an ever-thirsty quest to learn and continually to improve.  Margot Janse recently returned from London, where she received her award for the restaurant’s 31st place in the world. She also go to eat at Noma (a reservation made before this restaurant was voted best in world, and instantly found its servers and phone lines completely swamped by seating requests), and her account of the meal is told with a palpable and untrammelled delight. A large part of her excitement was the experience of tasting the practical results of Redzepi’s belief in the food of Scandinavia. Much has been written of this, and Noma has become famous for celebrating the food of the region with integrity – not just paying lip service to “seasonality” and “local produce” and certainly not flying scallops halfway around the world. As an example, they no longer use olive oil, as this is not a “fat of the land”.

The current tasting menu at The Tasting Room is evidence to Janse’s drive in the same direction, and it’s no ersatz change, but has been developing and becoming stronger over the years. As any chef will tell you, supply of the right produce is vital, and this is based on relationships with the producers – and with a restaurant culture that is in rapid development but also has a preponderance of very commercial outlets, this is naturally an evolution, not an overnight fix.

From a highly accomplished eight course tasting menu, two really stood out for me: A celeriac and buchu risotto; and the Klein Karoo lamb breast. The risotto for its “back to the future” character – the classicism of risotto (perfectly al dente) with the indelibly South African stamp of buchu. An intense herb, her balance in its employment was spot on. The lamb, first and foremost, tasted of Karoo lamb, and furthermore its partners were fascinating; a chakalaka marmalade, lemon basil (in a sorbet form), salted dehydrated grapes and roast garlic. It was particularly the salted grapes that “spoke” of South Africa’s preserves and love for sweet and savoury.

On the night, the cheese courses were masterful and the foie gras plate spectacular. Criticisms were mild – a plate of poached rock lobster came with a clever prawn wafer and a lemon marshmallow that was just too sweet for the seafood and citrus balance; and a chorizo element on the lightly smoked oyster plate was overly-dominant. The oyster itself arrived in a small bell-jar, the smoke mystically and beautifully still swirling inside it.

The Tasting Room has taken noticeable care to improve its wine list. On the night, we chose the wine pairings, and these are still very proudly Franschhoek loyal, in the main. I would have liked a more interesting and diverse alternative line-up, though eight courses with wine for R980 (R700 without wine)  is good value at this level of cooking.

Welcome improvements have also been made on the floor, with more sure management. There’s still room for more of same, which they seem well aware of, at the same time the style of the house is very warm and charming, most unstuffy – as is the room, which is so far more casual than the very sophisticated food that one begins to become one’s own interior decorator, sitting there, but this “unbuttoned” style is also a part of LQF’s fantastic successes as an establishment.

Dinner nightly. 021 876 2151

Posted in Restaurants Cape | Tagged Franschhoek, restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa | 5 Comments

The Cape Colony, Mount Nelson

By JPR | Published: May 10, 2010

On a night when the Planet Bar was full, dinner at the quiet Cape Colony. The menu has been made more concise since my last visit, and later we heard that there are even more changes afoot – not only to the menu but the space as a whole: it sounds like one of Cape Town’s institutions is getting a complete revamp by October this year and that the trend is towards a more informal experience both in space and food.

This information in hand, the Colony will be put “on hold” in the printed guide. I can report that the menu on the night was satisfactory, if better towards the end with desserts, but for mains around R160 fell far short of striking one as fantastic. The service continues to be abundantly evident but rather mis-deployed and pushy in feel, every now and then a completely new member of the team arriving to ask “if everything is to our satisfaction?”. And the wine list has to be one of the most obscure in the Cape – trying to find an interesting bottle at the right price a true test for the anorak in you.

Posted in Restaurants Cape | Tagged Cape Town, restaurant, Rossouw, South Africa | 1 Comment

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