Tag Archives: PCC

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 7 August

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*  Few companies have made changes to their travel policy in the light of the terror attack threat warning issued by the USA for August.  Travel to countries in which  embassies have closed temporarily has been put on hold however.

*  Nobu at the One&Only Cape Town has launched a new ‘Nobu Lite Lounge’  menu of light tapas-style tasters, available daily from 18h00 – 20h00. The menu features culinary offerings for the lighter-diner, three Lite offerings, served family style forNobu Lite Lounge Y66A8079_082923 four people to share, including  a meat lite option with Beef Kushiyaki, Chicken Anticucho, Pork Belly, and Beef New Style. The Pescetarian Lite option features Salmon & Tuna Tacos, Hot Miso Chips, Tuna Tataki with Ponzu, Tuna Tempura Roll, and Salmon Anticucho Skewers. The Vegetarian option includes Broccoli Chili Salsa and Shojin Tempura. Guests can create their own platters or to select dishes individually. Six-piece sushi rolls as well as a selection of other innovations reflecting Nobu’s unique Japanese and Peruvian mix are also available. (via Manley Communications)

*   Über controversial Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant 2012 international judge Bruce Palling Continue reading →

Changes made to Eat Out Restaurant Awards to improve credibility!

New Media Publishing has released the results of its qualitative and quantitative research conducted amongst top chefs and restaurant diners, respectively, in guiding the 2014 Eat Out Top 10 Awards this year.  The proposed changes are likely to improve the image of the Eat Out Restaurant Awards, which reached an all-time low in the past two years.

To recap: Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly lost credibility for offering (undisclosed) menu consulting services to the newly established Makaron restaurant at Majeka House two years ago, a restaurant which was awarded the Boschendal Style Award in that year, personally chosen by Mrs Donnelly!  Even worse for her reputation was the appointment of herself as the sole Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards judge in that year, having fired her co-judges (MasterChef SA judge) Pete Goffe-Wood, Anna Trapido (author of the book on Nelson Mandela’s eating and drinking habits), and Chef (and MasterChef SA Culinary Manager) Arnold Tanzer.  To fix the dissatisfaction following this fiasco, Mrs Donnelly chose to appoint an unknown British food blogger and occasional online Wall Street Journal newsletter writer Bruce Palling, who proved to be a disaster, with no scruples in divulging his judgement of our top restaurants six months after evaluating them, trashing all but four restaurants, and refusing to return for the Eat Out Top 10 Awards gala dinner because he was not offered a Business Class ticket by New Media Publishing.  Not only did we criticise the choice of appalling Mr Palling as a judge, but Top 10 Chef George Jardine Continue reading →

Eat Out statement regarding Bruce Palling’s top restaurant bashing disappoints industry!

New Media Publishing has just sent its statement regarding the shocking slating of its Eat Out Top 20 Restaurant shortlistby its 2012 international judge Bruce Palling, standing by him regarding his role as judge, and not taking responsibility for his restaurant bashing since 1 February.  It does not contain one word of regret about Palling’s appalling behaviour, nor any signal to the restaurant industry that the action by Palling is inappropriate or unprofessional, and is condoning the action by writing that Palling is free to write what he wants to.  The media statement does not even share that prior to Palling’s postings they had realised that there is a problem with the Eat Out Awards, and that they have embarked on a strategy to make the awards better.

The statement we received follows:

‘Recent online media coverage related to the 2012 Eat Out Restaurant Awards has prompted us to issue a clarifying statement:

The Eat Out Restaurant Awards is a highly credible annual event that honours and celebrates the best restaurants and top chefs in South Africa, with almost a year of preparation Continue reading →

Is Bruce Palling’s Eat Out 2012 Top 20 Restaurant humiliation the death knell for Eat Out?

Poor New Media Publishing.  They are bravely trying to fix the image of what was once their prestigious restaurant awards, given the radical decision two years ago to cut the committee which helped editor Abigail Donnelly judge our top restaurants, and has commendably embarked on a journey to engage with the industry to hear its feedback and suggestions.  Now its judge for the 2012 Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant awards, the UK blogger Bruce Palling, is posting a blow by blow review of each restaurant he was sent to by Mrs Donnelly, for evaluation as a Top 20 restaurant. Not even Mrs Donnelly has sat with the Eat Out Top 20 Restaurant Awards shortlist chefs, to pass on feedback to them.

To save face from the judging debacle of 2011, when Mrs Donnelly chose to fire her judging committee of many years, and appoint herself as the sole judge, New Media Publishing decided that they needed an international judge to give the publication credibility for the 2012 awards.  Whoever at New Media Publishing chose to appoint Bruce Palling should be fired, for his vindictive and unprofessional utterings whilst he was in our country as their guest, and currently, seeming to take great joy in slating almost everything about our restaurant and wine industry after having been in our country for a Continue reading →