JP Rossouw’s Restaurant 3-star list is usually published ahead of the Eat Out Restaurant Awards. and helped to serve as a predictor for the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant list. This year it could not be used, as the Eat Out event is taking place a week earlier, and Rossouw Restaurants’ 2012 3-star list was only announced on Twitter for the first time yesterday, on the eve of the 2011 Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards, taking place at the Rotunda at the Bay Hotel in Camps Bay this evening.
Interesting firstly is that a Platinum Award for best 3-star restaurant has not been awarded by Rossouw, writing on Twitter that “Rossouw’s 2012 Platinum Award for standout 3 Star not awarded this ed. Changes & notable newcomers not yet achieved a track record” . Yet stalwarts like The Tasting Room, Terroir, Overture have been consistent and around for some time.
Comparing Rossouw’s list of 24 3-star restaurants with the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant finalist shortlist of twenty, the following ten exclusions from Rossouw’s 3-star list are evident: Tokara, Pierneef à La Motte, The Restaurant at Grande Provence, Hartford House, Planet Restaurant, Bosman’s, Azure, Roots, Restaurant Maison, and Babel. The ten restaurants that the lists have in common are Greenhouse, Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine, La Colombe, Nobu, Overture, The Roundhouse, The Tasting Room, Terroir, The Test Kitchen, and DW Eleven-13. Bizarre is that Zachary’s at Pezula is included, in that it only operates two nights a week!
The 24 3-star 2012 Rossouw’s Restaurants are the following:
Western Cape: 95 Keerom Street, Aubergine, Bizerca Bistro, The Common Room, Greenhouse, Ile de Pain, Jordan Restaurant, La Colombe, Mariana’s, Nobu, Overture, Roundhouse, Rust en Vrede, The Tasting Room, Terroir, The Test Kitchen, and Zachary’s.
KwaZulu-Natal: 9th Avenue Bistro
Gauteng: Butcher Shop & Grill, Cube, DW Eleven-13, Grillhouse, Ritrivo, and Thomas Maxwell Bistro.
Interesting is that two chefs have told me that recent reviews by Rossouw of their restaurants have appeared to settle old scores, and that what Rossouw writes in his Business Day reviews often contradicts what he posts about the restaurants on his website or publishes in his book. This is unprofessional behaviour from Rossouw, and may be a reason why his ratings and reviews have little significance.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage
20
3070
27k
20
Hi Chris
I’m not sure that you speak for the large number of people who find the JPR guide to be both accurate and helpful. Unsubstantiated off-the-cuff remarks are not a credit to what is generally a helpful blog.
Although I don’t keep a list of such things I have not noticed any divergence between JPR’s BD reviews and what appears in the guide, save for the obvious where the BD review post-dates a dated guide review.
There is also a startling similarity between the JPR 3-star restaurants and last nights Eat Out awards.
My point is simply this – use any guide as a guide and make the ultimate decision your own. On a balance both the Eat Out and JPR “awards” are a fair assessment of the top restaurants in SA, but I’m sure everyone will have their own favourite that is not on the list.
Regards
Jason
Dear Jason
I don’t do ‘unsubstantiated off-the-cuff’ on my blog. Please read the last paragraph of my blogpost again.
Interesting is that the 10 restaurants that the Eat Out Top 20 finalist and JP Rossouw’s 24 3-star restaurant lists had in common were all the Eat Out Top 10 restaurants last night!
Chris
Chris, basing your views on the hearsay of two disgrunteld chefs is hardly balanced journalism!
Dear Jason
‘Hearsay’ would only apply if the chefs had heard this from other chefs. I was told by them directly, which does not make it ‘hearsay’! Both chefs independently have had the same experience with Rossouw, and the one chef did not know that the other had told me.
Chris
There is no question that South Africa needs a better restaurant rating/reviewing system if we want credibility to back up our awards. Our restaurants are reaching international standards and can compete on a global scale however our rating system and food journalism are Mickey Mouse in comparison. How can one judge decide a country full of restaurants? We need a panel of at least 6 judges, at least 3 must visit the “contenders” and not just judges from the Cape but from around the country. This ensures there will be no bias for their favourite local chefs/old friends. However, I don’t feel that you should have restaurants making it in because we need one from each Provence to be fair, but I do feel that we should not exclude restaurants because they are not in the right area either – surely it is the food and service that should be the priority. I think Abigail is being overly criticized for the job she has done but moving forward we do need to get our act together and have a more professional ranking system.
Thank you for your input Nana, and restaurant judging suggestion.
Poor Abigail did not think that her decision to be sole Eat Out judge would unleash such criticism.
Chris
I absolutely agree I don’t think she knew how controversial being the sole judge would be but it makes sense that people would be upset, everyone has their personal favourite. Obviously you need to protect the reputation of the awards by making it less one sided and not so easy to find fault, by having a panel of national judges (even school beauty pageants have a panel of judges) I disagree with seeing all these tweets such as #abifail it makes those people writing them seem like they have sour grapes.
Hi Chris
The statements obviously become hearsay to us, your readers, when you report them on your site.
Not maiking a big issue of this, but i don’t think that you are ever going to find a review/guide that pleases everyone.
Regards
Jason