Phaidon have brought out a guide to chef’s favoutrite restaurants. And Cape Town scores in the African section.
Billed as ‘A Guide From The Real Experts!’ this plus 600 page door stopper by Phaidon is titled ‘Where Chef’s Eat’. The idea for the book was to find out where Chefs go when they travel looking for inspiration or when they eat out in home territory. Several Cape Town chefs were chosen for this international compedium, making the Mother City the only one to be covered in South Africa.
Cape Verde Islands and Morocco were the other two countries that were covered in Africa.
Selected chefs were sent questionnaires asking them to tell where they go for breakfast, where they eat late at night, where they think is a bargain, and high-end recommendations for a treat. Categories also included local favourites, wish I had opened, and worth the travel. The end result is a very comprehensive guide to chef’s favourite eateries all over the world.
One London Chef – Jose Pizarro, singled out Cape Town’s ‘The Azure’ at the Twelve Apostles as worth the travel. Locally based chefs Luke Dale Roberts of The Test Kitchen, Scot Kirton of La Colombe and Peter Templehoff of The Greenhouse come up with a neat range of choices in and around Cape Town. Quite an honour to be included in a line up of ‘over 400 of the world’s leading chefs’.
Restaurants that got the nod are: Carne – wish I’d opened; The Greenhouse – high end; Melissa’s – breakfast; Colcachio Pizzeria – regular neighbourhood; Mzoli’s – local favourite; Massimo’s – regular neighbourhood; Olympia Cafe – breakfast; Borruso’s – bargain; Bihri – bargain; Pirate’s Steakhouse – late nights; Beleza – bargain; Pot Luck Club and The Test Kitchen – wish I’d opened; Sunrise Chip & Ranch – late night; Overture – regular neighbourhood; and out in Knysna, Ile de Pain – worth the travel.
Hard covered and weighing in at 663 pages, this is hardly the sort of book to lug along on a trip. But it would be useful to refer to for guidance. Published by Phaidon, the book is priced at R264.00
