Culinary newcomer Reuben Riffel of Reuben's restaurant in Franschhoek outside Cape Town has scooped top honours at the 2004 Eat Out Johnnie Walker Restaurant Awards, winning both Restaurant and Chef of the Year - an unprecedented win.
Heralded as the Oscars of the South African restaurant industry, over 200 food fans and gourmets from throughout South Africa attended the black tie awards ceremony at Beluga's in Cape Town on November 21.
One of the most prestigious events on the gastronomic calendar, the glittering occasion also marked the launch of the 2005 edition of Eat Out The Restaurant Guide of South Africa. According to Eat Out Editor Sam Woulidge, the biggest change to Eat Out has been to the selection process of the 2004 Eat Out Johnnie Walker Restaurant Awards.
"This year we asked three highly respected members of the industry to judge the best restaurants which were drawn from a shortlist submitted by 30 national contributors," said Woulidge. "Garth Stroebel, Hilary Biller and Phillippa Cheifitz visited each nominated restaurant unannounced and evaluated the ability of chefs and restaurants to create that special experience that gives added pleasure to diners. This year's list of Eat Out Johnnie Walker restaurant winners is something people will certainly talk about and which affirms industry standards and reflects the needs of the restaurant-going public."
95 Keerom, Cape Town - Chef: Carl Penn
Auberge Michel, Sandton - Chef: Frederic Leloup
Bosman's, Paarl - Chef: Frank Zlomke
Ginga, Cape Town - Chef: Michael Bassett
Jemima's, Oudtshoorn - Chef: Annette le Roux
Linger Longer, Sandton - Chefs: Walter Ulz and Keith Larsen
Lynton Hall, Pennington - Chef: Richard Carstens
one.waterfront, Cape Town - Chef: Bruce Robertson
Sides, Dunkeld West - Chef: Freddie Monaghan
Yum, Johannesburg - Chef: Dario de Angeli
Of winning chef Reuben Riffel, Eat Out Editor Sam Woulidge was generous in her praise; "Reuben has no formal training and has quickly established himself as a familiar name on the lips of foodies in the Cape. Reuben moves skilfully from the best of the familiar to innovative, new-style dishes and bold unfussy presentations to show off his delicious food. His subtle touch and inspired expertise, makes this new kid on the block a most worthy winner."
A newcomer on the restaurant scene, winning chef Reuben opened his signature restaurant mid-2004 and has rapidly become one of the new hot spots on the South African culinary scene. Born and bred in Franschhoek, Reuben started working in the restaurant industry at age 21 when he was employed as a waiter at Chamonix. Before long he was in the kitchen of Chamonix and he swiftly moved up the ranks both here and at Monneaux, the second Franschhoek restaurant he worked at. This was followed by a recent working stint in Cambridge, which added to his culinary experience. Now Reuben is back in his hometown and the casually elegant restaurant that bears his name is causing quite a stir.
Each year Eat Out honours a wide spectrum of establishments, from icons of fine dining to purveyors of country cooking and casual bistro fare. This year's Lifetime Award went to Topsi Venter, for her passion for good food and innovative, yet honest cooking, which has made her an inspiration to food-lovers. Mariana's Home Deli & Bistro in Stanford and Vergelegen guesthouse and restaurant in the Northern Cape won the newly introduced Eat Out Johnnie Walker Top Country Kitchens Awards. "South Africa is a foodie nation," says Woulidge. "Comfort food. Padkos. Haute cuisine. And jammerlappiekos. We have it all."
John Psillos from New Media, the publishers responsible for VISI, Eat In, Time Out and TASTE, says Eat Out has evolved over the past seven years into a comprehensive 228-page restaurant directory with over 800 national restaurant listings. While, according to Psillos, the look and layout for the 2005 issue has changed to incorporate 11 regional subsections for easy reference purposes, the integrity of the guide remains undisputed. "Eat Out neither charges restaurants to be listed, nor expects them to pick up the tab for our meals, which makes Eat Out most certainly the most objective and definitive restaurant guide in South Africa."
For the second consecutive year the 2005 Eat Out Restaurant Guide also features the "People's Choice" booklet, which lists the favourite restaurants of local celebrities. Ready-Steady Cook television presenter Fezile Mpele, interior designer Christian Barnard and television personality Michelle Garforth are a few of the personalities who reveal their favourite cafés, late night hangouts and venues for a romantic rendezvous. Furthermore, the booklet will also feature the FAB 15 restaurants in the country, as voted by the South African public on the Eat Out website www.eatout.co.za.
The 2005 Eat Out The Restaurant Guide of South Africa, will be available at selected Woolworths, Exclusive Books, C.N.A and Spar stores for R34.95.
