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RESTAURANTS. Where the lions feed(Financial Mail Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) RESTAURANTS Where the lions feed Ever wondered where the heavy hitters refuel? Find out below A good lunch or dinner can be good business and good politics. A meal removes associates from stressful situations and allows communication to flow, even if it's for an hour and over a limited menu and mineral water. And though today's power players are just as likely to strike their deals at any other place over a cappuccino in a hotel lounge, or over Johnnie Walker Black Label in a cigar bar to be seen in restaurants that buzz and serve great food can be a significant status booster. So where do today's lions of the Johannesburg and Cape Town corporate jungles dine? And where do those who also pride themselves on being gourmets go? Read on: Wendy Luhabe, businesswoman and first lady of Gauteng The regal but unfailingly warm Luhabe chairs the Industrial Development Corp and is a nonexecutive director of the JSE, among other things. She says that, with or without her husband, Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, she fancies the following Johannesburg restaurants: Auberge Michel, (011) 883-7013, the smart French restaurant in Sandton, where she enjoys fish and lamb dishes; Assaggi, (011) 268-1370, the buzzy Italian deli-diner in Illovo; The Service Station (011) 726-1701, in Melville's Bamboo Centre, which has a wonderful midday buffet of vegetarian dishes; Mastrantonio, (011) 268-6754, the other buzzy Italian deli-diner in Illovo, where she usually chooses salmon; and Willoughby's, (011) 325-5107, in Hyde Park shopping centre for sushi. Michael Katz, tax guru and chairman of Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs The man who, it's claimed, barely sleeps he is so busy advising clients and government on tax affairs he is chairman of the Tax Advisory Committee to the minister of finance, among other lofty roles clearly does manage to squeeze in the odd meal at a restaurant. His favourites include: Harbour House Cafe, (021) 788-4133, in Kalk Bay outside Cape Town: The scenery is gorgeous and the fish is always fresh; Baia, (021) 421-0935, on the Cape Town Waterfront: Good food that's value for money; Tortellino d'Oro, (011) 483-1249, the Italian deli-diner in the Oaklands shopping centre, Jo'burg: A favourite, with delicious food priced right; and Assaggi: an Italian restaurant that's the real deal. It's good, honest food. Peter Vundla, former chairman of HerdBuoys McCann-Erickson, deputy executive chairman of AMB Capital and BEE champion The nattily dressed, charming chairman of the Black Business Executive Circle certainly knows where to see and be seen. His choice: Auberge Michel: You get to meet interesting people, and the food and music are good; Pigalle, (011) 884-8899, in Michelangelo Towers, Sandton: Great venue, hospitality and food; Linger Longer, (011) 884-0465, in Sandton: You get to see and talk to the chef [warm, gracious bear of a man Walter Ulz]! Lots of style; Fishmonger, (011) 268-0068, the original one in Illovo, which is the favourite seafood eatery of many Jo'burgers: Warm welcome, very informal and consistently good food for good value; and Butcher Shop & Grill, (011) 784-8676, the meat palace on Nelson Mandela Square: What can one say about Alan [Pick] and his men? Tom Boardman, CEO of Nedbank The dashing banker selects a Cape Town (his former home) and a Johannesburg restaurant: Constantia Uitsig, (021) 794-4480, on the beautiful wine estate of the same name. The food is consistently good, says Boardman, adding that he especially fancies the beef carpaccio; and Assaggi: He says he has had a variety of meals there and all have been outstanding. Sello Moloko, nonexecutive chairman of Alexander Forbes, former president of the Association of Black Securities & Investment Professionals and head of investment holding company Thesele Moloko is based in Cape Town and eats out regularly. His favourites include: Pigalle (021) 421-4848 in Green Point. It has great seafood platters and paella, and if you go with a crowd you can enjoy the music, he says. It's far more relaxed and vibey than the Jozi Pigalle, which is rather formal; Emily's (021) 421-1133 on the V& A Waterfront: It always has something different to offer. I like the creativity around the menu, and the unconventional dishes; Cafe Zanne (021) 421-6516 in the CBD, where Moloko is often spotted lunching, has, he says, an airy ambience and an interesting mix of African and Mediterranean dishes on the buffet; and Reuben's (021) 876-3772 in Franschhoek and award-winning Bosman's (021) 863-5100 at the Grand Roche Hotel in Paarl: Both world-class restaurants where the food is great. Renee Silverstone, CEO of The Jupiter Drawing Room and Businesswoman of the Year (entrepreneurial category) The best restaurant undoubtedly has to be my home, says Silverstone, who is a serious foodie a svelte one at that. I love the experience and creativity of cooking sumptuous dishes. However, if I am in the mood for dining out, some of my favourite restaurants are: Yamato Japanese Restaurant (011) 268-0511 in Illovo, Jo'burg: Undoubtedly the best Japanese restaurant in town. Its sushi, teriyaki, dumplings and so on are of the finest quality and truly authentic. The fact that you are surrounded by Japanese people speaks volumes; Cite (011) 341-0663 in Dunkeld West shopping centre: A lovely, laid-back, yet sophisticated ambience. One of my favourite dishes is the caramelised onion and goat's cheese tart!; Corner Cafe Bistro (011) 341-0663 in Craighall Park, Jo'burg: If you are looking for a casual breakfast, cake and coffee or some light lunch dishes, Corner Cafe is a must. My dish of choice is chicken breasts done in parmesan sauce with tomato and basil, accompanied by delicious chips.; and Fishmonger (Illovo): Undoubtedly the best seafood in Jo'burg.. Moeletsi Mbeki, political commentator, academic and businessman This mover and shaker's favourites include: Byzance (011) 465-5735 in the new north of Jo'burg's Lonehill shopping centre, which serves designer Greek food out of theme-park-large premises. My partner's and my local, says Mbeki; Saxon (011) 292-6000, the boutique hotel in Sandhurst: Great food, great ambience; Lai Lai Garden (011) 268-0219 in Illovo, Jo'burg: I love Chinese food; and Blues (021) 438-2040 in Camps Bay, Cape Town: Great seafood and views. GT Ferreira, chairman of FirstRand and wine farmer Ferreira's wine estate, Tokara, makes a bold statement on Stellenbosch's Helshoogte Pass. It has an all-stainless steel winery with an ancient oak tree protected in a concrete cylinder through several floors. What's more, it has a cutting-edge restaurant overseen by iconic Cape chef Etienne Bonthuys. So you can't blame the affable banker for choosing the restaurant he funded among his favourites: Tokara (021) 808-5959: This may be called nepotism; however, it is really hard to beat Etienne's consistently good food; Decameron (021) 883-3331 in Stellenbosch: The food is always good and it has a congenial atmosphere. With apologies to the TV series Cheers, I have to say there's 'always somebody there who knows my name'. [Decameron is known to be the headquarters of the Stellenbosch Mafia, business heavyweights mainly Afrikaans, of course who've made the town their base]; Reuben's: I've never had a disappointment there and I love the town; and Butcher Shop & Grill: When you feel like having a steak, you really want a good one and this is the place to go. It has a nice atmosphere and a reasonably nice owner. Pity about the wine list no Tokara. Brian Bruce, CEO of Murray & Roberts Bruce, who is a widower, says he generally prepares his own food light, simple and wholesome and based on what he finds, mainly at Woolworths. I have more meals in airplanes than I do in restaurants. Bruce's favourite restaurants are those that offer exceptional sushi. My daughter and I will generally 'do' sushi in Cape Town. For business, he prefers restaurants he knows well, such as: Linger Longer: An excellent choice; Dino's (011) 622-3007 in Bedford Centre, Bedfordview: It's convenient I live and work close by; and Riboville Restaurant & Cellar (near Mandela Rhodes Square, (021) 426-0324: This is a favourite Cape Town haunt and I particularly like The Cellar for a private and exquisitely prepared and served meal among SA's great selection of wines. Adrian Gore, CEO of Discovery Surprisingly, for such a health nut, Gore is addicted to coffee shops: Seattle and Europa. But we do eat out a lot and go through different phases of likes and dislikes. Perennial favourites, though, are: Benkei (011) 268-6254 in Illovo: For sushi; and Fishmonger (Illovo): For a good, wholesome family meal. Nazmeera Moola, head of macro strategy at Macquarie First South and FM contributor (writer of Economic Viewpoint) This Cape Town-based economist is a serious foodie. Among her favourites are: Olympia Cafe (021) 788-6396 in Kalk Bay: The food's great, the atmosphere's lovely and great for casual dinners for anything from two to 10 people; Caveau Newlands, (021) 685-5140: More suited to lunches with clients, it has a superb wine list and the food is excellent creative without being complicated. It's located by a stream and so it's beautiful on summer evenings. Only drawback: no bookings for fewer than eight people; Salt (021) 439-7258 at the Ambassador Hotel, Bantry Bay: Spectacular view from its setting on the edge of the cliff. Very good wine list you can order by the glass from any bottle. It's reasonably priced; and Auberge Michel: Good for formal, work-related dinners. The tables are nicely spaced and the staff are unobtrusive, so you can talk to clients. Martin and Pulane Kingston, dealmakers (Martin is ex-Deutsche Bank and now executive chairman of Rothschild SA, Pulane is cofounder and executive director of Sphere Holdings, the BEE partner of Ethos Private Equity) A glamour couple, if ever there was one, the Kingstons choose: Nice Books (011) 447-7287 in Parkhurst. We go there for light, delicious weekend grub with our children, says Pulane. It's where we all relax and browse through the interesting books that cater for all our literary tastes; Mastrantonio: This is a favourite for business lunches, not least because it's close to both our offices; and Yum Nostalgia (011) 234-0877 in Rivonia Boulevard. This is where I enjoy entertaining friends and family, says Pulane, adding: Martin maintains that the food from Cucina di Pulane is still the best a hint that I need to spend more time in the kitchen, perhaps. Mark Kretschmer, chairman of Stephan Welz & Co (in association with Sotheby's) and chairman of gourmet group Chaine des R'tisseurs Kretschmer, along with his friend and fellow-semiretired professional manager Jack Rosewitz, bought the auction house from its namesake and is a gourmet of note. And he certainly gets around to the off-the-beaten-track gems. His favourites: Mosaic (012) 371-1190 at the Orient Hotel near Elandsfontein, close to Pelindaba: This is my favourite SA restaurant, says Kretschmer. The ambiance is terrific a new Oriental-style hotel with antiques and paintings. And a superb culinary experience. In addition to a limited a la carte menu, a tasting menu, either with or without wines, is true pleasure; Roots (011) 668 7000 in the Forum Homini Hotel, Cradle of Humankind: Chef-owner Philippe Wagenfuhrer offers a marvellous experience, either over lunch or in the evening. His food is tasty and unusual, and he uses only the freshest of produce. Roots also has a superb wine cellar; Cleopatra (033) 267-7243 in the Drakensberg, KwaZulu Natal: A must for anyone who enjoys good food. Of course, it's not a place to go for a quick evening meal; it requires at least a night's stay. Chef-owner Richard Poynton reminds me of Merlin the magician at work in his kitchen; Pomodora (011) 803-6554 in Rivonia, Sandton: For a more leisurely but still out-of-the-ordinary Italian meal. Stefano Mas and his chef are dedicated to providing a wonderful experience; and Westcliff Hotel (La Belle Terrasse and Loggia, (011) 481-6000, Westcliff, Johannesburg: Stefano Strafella, the executive chef will provide you with a marvellous meal. Linda Stafford and FM staff Linger Longer One of the top-three, along with Assaggi and Fishmonger (Illovo) Bold Name rest here Bold Name rest here Michael Katz Luciana Righi The magnificent Mamma behind Assaggi's success Fishmonger The best seafood in the northern suburbs Bold Name rest here Bold Name rest here Copyright 2007 Johnnic Communications, Source: The Financial Times Limited |