Since last year's refurbishment of the Hyatt Regency in Rosebank, in which all its public spaces were redesigned and redecorated at a cost of R80-million, its flagship restaurant, oneNINEone, under the leadership of KwaZulu-Natal-born Chef Shaniel Dinna, has quickly established itself as one of the finest restaurants in Johannesburg.
Rolf Heusing, the hotel's food and beverage director notes that in keeping with international trends, Hyatt Regency is keen to showcase local products and make use of local distributors and suppliers as well as smaller farms and those cultivating organic products. Hence the hotel group's slogan: "Food thoughtfully sourced and carefully served"
The oneNINEone menu is refreshed at least four times a year and its latest incarnation arrived early August. "The menu has been planned with late winter and early spring in mind," says Dinna. "We looked to create an exciting menu that is unique, unpretentious and, above all, flavourful." One such dish is the Crisp pork belly, chorizo popcorn and candied kumquats. "The popcorn has a smoked and spicy flavour that works amazingly well with the belly, and the addition of the sweet-and sour kumquats helps cut the richness of the belly, making it an amazing starter," says Dinna.
One of oneNINEone's most popular introductions was the Business Lunch. These three-dish menus are available from Monday to Friday, between 12 and 3pm; with each dish costing just R100. This menu changes weekly, which ensures business people who eat and at the hotel regularly always have something new to look forward to.
"The business lunches focus on quick meals with flavour and creative flair. There is usually a substantial salad, an Asian-inspired dish, and a local or African-inspired dish - but we occasionally move away from this theme. The Asian dishes are usually inspired by Indonesian, Korean and Chinese cuisine. The African dishes include tagines, bobotie, warm Cape Malay-style pickled fish with flat bread; or something like Nigerian-style meat balls with spicy roasted chilli and tomato."
oneNINEone restaurant has an "open" kitchen - an increasingly popular move in top-end restaurants around the world. "It allows guests to see how their food is being produced," says Dinna. "It also allows chefs to interact with them and explain the menu items in greater detail. We also feel the interaction offers us valuable feed back which helps us improve on and plan our next menu."
oneNINEone will also be running a Thai Week from Thursday 29 August to Saturday 6 September, for dinner only (but not on the Sunday). Two leading chefs from Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok, are coming to South Africa to ensure local diners get a feel for the real flavours of real Thai food, as well as to share their knowledge and skills with Hyatt Regency's chefs. It will be offered as an à la carte menu and will embrace all that is great about genuine Thai cuisine.
Dinna says the Thai Week is extremely exciting as he and his staff will have the opportunity to work with two of the best Thai chefs in the Hyatt Group. "People can expect dishes that are not 'conventional' Thai food, that is, what is served locally as Thai food - but rather dishes that are eaten daily by people in Thailand."
As good as local Thai food is, it is seldom truly authentic, and that is what is promised by the Thai Week at Hyatt Regency. Thai food is known for its freshness, vibrant flavours and colours, as well as its range of textures. Even Thai desserts are lighter and brighter, being more fragrant than fudgy.
"The Thai people take great care with their food," says Dinna. "It's perceived 'lightness' can make it look simple, but it is actually a very complex cuisine. The dishes are not as heavy as western food, but authentic Thai food is no lightweight when it comes to flavours. It is a multi-faceted cuisine that is always strongly aromatic with great attention to detail and the balance of tastes. Variety is of paramount importance in Thai cuisine, even within one dish."
