{"id":80072,"date":"2016-08-16T00:27:58","date_gmt":"2016-08-15T22:27:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=80072"},"modified":"2016-08-28T13:31:05","modified_gmt":"2016-08-28T11:31:05","slug":"chef-david-higgs-marble-live-fire-restaurant-finally-ready-to-polish-its-marbles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/chef-david-higgs-marble-live-fire-restaurant-finally-ready-to-polish-its-marbles\/","title":{"rendered":"Chef David Higgs’ Marble live-fire restaurant finally ready to polish its marbles!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MarbleAfter a number of promised opening dates, delayed due to construction hiccups, Chef David Higgs finally opens his Marble restaurant in Rosebank in Johannesburg today.<\/p>\n

The eagerly awaited opening of the Johannesburg-based Marble Restaurant,\u00a0a joint venture between Chef David\"Marble Higgs and investor and property developer Gary Kyriacou, was delayed three times. Today the dream of the two partners finally comes true.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chef David said in a media statement a few months ago: \u2018It\u2019s been an amazing journey so far, and we have been overwhelmed by the support from everyone’.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marble is located in Rosebank, in the Trumpet building on the corner of Jellicoe and Keyes Avenues, within the Rosebank Art Mile. \u00a0Marble is unusual in its use of live-fire cooking, and a special \u2018beast of a piece of equipment, the Rolls Royce<\/em>\u2018 was imported from the USA (main photograph). \u00a0Chefs David and Werner as well as Kyriacou traveled to New York last October, and checked out the cocktail and open-fire cooking scene in that city, being inspired by Union Square Caf\u00e9 in particular. The Marble restaurant pay-off line is \u00a0\u2018Meat & Flame Enthusiasts\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Chef David explained the fiery restaurant concept as follows: \u00a0\u2018Marble will embody South African\u2019s love of cooking with fire, a quality that makes our food culture different from the rest of the world. I\u2019ve long been fascinated by what makes South African fare unique, and I believe it\u2019s down to us being meat and flame enthusiasts \u2013 the timeworn ritual of cooking on wood fires, and gathering with friends. That\u2019s what Marble will celebrate \u2013 and not just meat, but all types of ingredients cooked on coals \u2013 including fish, poultry, vegetables and breads<\/em>\u2018.<\/p>\n

The restaurant describes itself as follows on its Facebook page: \u2018A space purely dedicated to precision and passion. Where the tradition of meeting and eating around an open flame is elevated to an art form<\/em>. \u00a0Joburg is hungry for something different, and we look forward to providing this in May 2016\u2032<\/em>, punned Chef David, referring to one of the earlier target opening dates.<\/p>\n

Marble also offers a roof-top terrace, with a view over Johannesburg towards Magaliesburg. In addition, it will have a butchery downstairs, selling the cuts of meat from the Marble menu.<\/p>\n

What we know about Marble restaurant to date, not having yet received the media release about the restaurant opening, is the following:<\/p>\n

# \u00a0 Chef Werner Sp\u00f6hr (ex The Saxon) will head up the kitchen with Chef David<\/p>\n

\"Marble<\/p>\n

# \u00a0 The menu will include \u2018easy eating<\/em>\u2018 and \u2018comfort food<\/em>\u2018, as well as \u2018well-executed cocktails<\/em>\u2018.<\/p>\n

# \u00a0 It will be far \u2018more affordable<\/em>\u2018 than Chef David\u2019s previous five hundred restaurant, which was the most expensive restaurant in the country, \u2018appealing to a wider audience<\/em>\u2018.<\/p>\n

# \u00a0 It will be welcoming to women in particular, and will offer an escape from the busy Johannesburg lifestyle. It will be more Johannesburgian than South African.<\/p>\n

# \u00a0 the restaurant is a 250-seater<\/p>\n

# \u00a0 Marble could go multinational, with possible future outlets in New York, Dubai, and\/or London.<\/p>\n

# \u00a0 The Bar counter is 8,8 meters long, with furniture designed by local designers, serving tapas, cocktails, and beers. Bars which the Marble team visited in New York were\u00a0Marta, Gotham Bar and Grill, April Bloomfield, Nomad, Union Square Cafe, King Cole Bar, Empire, Gramercy Tavern, Maison Premiere, and Tertulia.<\/p>\n

# \u00a0 the blue tiles in the kitchen were handmade and handfired by Cape Town ceramicist Mervyn Gers.<\/p>\n

# \u00a0 Marble\u00a0will offer food and wine pairing, which will not be prescriptive<\/p>\n

Given the emphasis on meat prepared on an open flame, Marble is an excellent name for Chef David\u2019s new venture, \"Marbleand its logo reflects the meat link too.<\/i>\u00a0 The media statement announced: \u2018Higgs will be bringing the international trend of live fire cooking to Johannesburg\u2019s dining scene for the first time. Marble, a celebration of quintessential South African fare and cooking on fire, will open its doors in the Rosebank Art Mile (Roam) in May 2016<\/em>\u2018 (an earlier planned opening date). His business partner is Gary Kyriacou, who has owned Spar outlets, and was involved in the hospitality program for the infamous FIFA World Cup Soccer in 2010. He is described as a \u2018serial entrepreneur<\/em>\u2018. \u2018I have wanted to open something like Marble for a long time. However, I needed someone with a real passion for food to bring it to life. Once David was on board that the idea really started to take shape\u2019<\/em>, said Kyriacou.<\/p>\n

The Cocktail bar is an important part of the restaurant, with a roof-top terrace with a beautiful view over Johannesburg. A downstairs butchery will sell meat which diners will have enjoyed in the restaurant, to take home. Diners in the city look for more than just a fine-dining eating experience, wanting sophistication, affordability, and a welcoming atmosphere, especially for females, and they will find this at Marble.<\/p>\n

Chef David left five hundred restaurant at The Saxon Hotel & Spa in December, after setting up the restaurant in 2012. He left a restaurant which has been ranked in the Eat Out<\/strong> Top 10 Restaurant list in the past two years, and the honour of being rated as our county\u2019s Best Chef in 2014, the best ever performance for a Johannesburg-based restaurant! He took Rust en Vrede restaurant to the number one slot in 2010, and decided to make his way to Johannesburg. He expressed his frustration about the clientele he was serving at five hundred at the Eat Out\u00a0<\/strong>Awards in November, and expressed his desire to see patrons understanding and enjoying his dishes<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

At the Eat Out Restaurant Awards<\/a><\/strong> last year, Chef David said a strange thing \u2013 that he is looking forward to cooking again when he opens his new restaurant. In an interview he referred to the five hundred clientele, saying that half of the 30 patrons eating there \u2018have no clue what they\u2019re eating<\/em>\u2018.<\/p>\n

\"EatOutDaaid\"<\/a>On average the patrons spend R1600 per head (it is the <\/span>most expensive restaurant in the country<\/a><\/strong> based on a per course price), <\/span>\u2018but half the people don\u2019t get it, and half of those who don\u2019t get it don\u2019t want to get it\u2019<\/em>! His frustration in not seeing his patrons enjoying fine dining at five hundred led him to resign and to plan the creation of his own restaurant. \u00a0He handed over the five hundred restaurant reins\u00a0to his able head chef Candice Philip, who has worked at the Saxon for more than ten years.<\/span><\/p>\n

We wish Chef David all the best with his new venture, look forward to receiving more details about his fiery new restaurant, and to trying it out soon.<\/p>\n

Marble Restaurant<\/strong>, corner Keyes Street and Jan Smuts Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg. Tel (010) 594-5550 www.marble.restaurant<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Twitter: @Marble_SA<\/h4>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog:\u00a0www.whalecottage.com\/blog<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 Tel+27\u00a0082 55 11 323 Twitter:@WhaleCottage \u00a0<\/strong>Facebook: \u00a0<\/strong>click here<\/a>\u00a0Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

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