“Taste buds” at the ready as Pick n Pay Taste of Joburg Releases Restaurant Menus for 2014!

Johannesburg, 17^th September 2014: With just 8 days to go until this year’s Pick n Pay Taste of Joburg, the all-important and highly anticipated restaurant menus have been announced.

“It doesn’t get much better than this,” says Taste Festivals Director, Justine Drake. “Every year we seek out the best restaurants in Joburg and ask them to create a menu that best represents their establishment. The result is a diverse and delicious range of dishes that will appeal to everyone’s palate.”

The South African Gold Coin Exchange is this year’s official sponsor of the festival currency, Scoins. Festival visitors use these Scoins to purchase dishes and drinks from the restaurants and exhibitors. Each Taste of Joburg Scoin is worth R5.

The 2014 Pick n Pay Taste of Joburg Menu is as follows, (V) designating Vegetarian options:

Beluga - Executive Chef Nici Bruchhausen

·         Spicy peanut calamari                                                                                    6 Scoins

                                                                                    With Blonde bubbly              8 Scoins

·         Deboned beef rib with chips & minted cream cheese                               6 Scoins

                                                                                     With Blonde Bubbly             8 Scoins

·         Corn & feta wontons with sweet chilli sauce (V)                                        4 Scoins

                                                                                     With Blonde Bubbly             6 Scoins

The Blackanese Sushi Bar - Executive Chef Vusi Kunene

·         Assorted Sushi

o   Salmon rainbow, prawn nigiri, veg tear drop                                6 Scoins
Vegetarian option:  Veg teardrop (V)                                             3 Scoins

·         Dim Sum

o   Spinach & cream cheese,  beef & ginger                                        4  Scoins

o   Vegetarian option:  Spinach & cream cheese (V)                          3  Scoins

·         Chilli & coriander marinated prawns, grilled and served with Thai rice 8 Scoins

Gwefey - Head Chef Xiang Hongliang

• Shanghai Barbecue Pork Ribs                                                                     7 Scoins

o   Marinated pork ribs, wok fried with aged dark vinegar, soy & palm sugar

• Hong Kong Sweet Chicken Pies                                                                   4 Scoins
• Hong Kong pastry stuffed with chicken in char siu sauce          

• Chicken Noodle Salad in Chilli Sauce                                                          7 Scoins
• Famous Szechuan cold noodle salad with shredded chicken & cucumber in chilli sauce                                                                                                   

Le Sel @ The Cradle Restaurant – Chef-Patron Coco Reinarhz

• Lamb Tagine
• Rolled in aubergine served with babaganoush                             8 Scoins

• Rolled Tilapia                                                                                                7 Scoins
• Stuffed with smoked salmon trout mousse on mashed sweet potato

                                                                                                                       

• Chai tea infused crème brûlée                                                                     4 Scoins

Licorish Bistro & The Green Peppercorn Bistro – Chef- Patron Jacques Fourie

• Chilli Salt Squid with cardamom mayo & tomato atchar                          4 Scoins

• Nkomazi Chicken Curry Bunny Chow  with butternut atchar & brinjal chutney

                                                                                                                                    8 Scoins

• Pina Colada Cheesecake with passion fruit jelly & coconut crust           7 Scoins

                                                                                                                      

That’s Amore Ristobar - Chef Shaughan Lacey

• Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina                                                                                               

o   Gnocchi, cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano  (V)

                                                                                                                                    8 Scoins

• Pasta Fagiole Cozze                                                                                           

o   Ditali pasta, neapolitan sauce, cannellini beans, fresh mussels         6 Scoins

• Babba` Alla Cream Pasticcera   

o   Neapolitan sponge cake soaked in rum syrup, served with homemade Italian custard    

                                                                                                                  4 Scoins                                                                                                   

Prosopa – Chef – Patron Dino Fagas                                                                                         

• Spiced Greek Lamb Slider with tzatziki                                                      8 Scoins
• Anise-Rubbed Pulled Pork in Pita with Ranch dressing                           7 Scoins
• Semolina Cake with orange & clove syrup and fragrant mascarpone    4 Scoins

roots@Forum Homini – Executive Chef Adriaan Maree

• Oyster with MCC jelly, marron caviar & grape                                          6 Scoins
• Roots Lamb

o   Lamb neck & belly, white & black aubergine puree, avocado, dried tomato, olive & pickled cucumber            

                                                                                                                  8 Scoins                                       

• Lemon Tart almond ice cream, verbena & dehydrated citrus                4 Scoins

Spiceburg - Executive Chef Jithender Datt Saklani

• Chicken Reshmi Kebab tandoor-cooked chicken kebab with a rich creamy sauce served with Naan           

                                                                                                                        6 Scoins                                                                                 

• Masala Dosa crispy rice & lentil pancake filled with mild potato curry (V)   

                                                                                                                        4 Scoins

• Mutton Biryani                                                   

o   Mutton layered with coconut milk, saffron rice & warm spices        8 Scoins

                                                                                            

Sprout360 Urban Food – Executive Chef Martin Scheffer

• Leek & Spring Onion Risotto Balls coriander pesto, black olive sand (V)

4 Scoins 

• Crispy Pork Belly apple and rocket salad, smoked pear chutney           7 Scoins                
• White chocolate & chamomile tart with lemon & ginger curd                 6 Scoins

                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

2 thai 4 – Chef Oya

• Vegetable Spring Roll with Sweet Chilli Sauce (V)                                    4 Scoins
• Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce                                                                4 Scoins
• Thai Crispy Beef with Vegetables                                                               8 Scoins

Vivace at The Radisson Blu, Sandton – Executive Chef Vonique Van Zyl and Senior Sous Chef Jacques Venter

·         Braised pork shank wrapped in Black Forest ham with tomato & bean stew        

7 Scoins

·         Chicken saltimbocca with creamy parmesan polenta & wilted greens         5 Scoins

·         Stuffed calamari with herbed fish & shrimp, lemon-infused potato puree & bisque cream

                                                                                                                              6 Scoins                                                                                                               

Making a return to this year’s festival is the aptly named, “Taste Bites”, with its bite-sized gastronomic street food offerings:

Vivace at The Radisson Blu, Sandton – Executive Chef Vonique Van Zyl and Senior Sous Chef Jacques Fourie

• Mini vetkoek filled with curried lamb mince & peach mint chutney       6 Scoins

Woodview ™ - The Caviar of Beef – Megan Angus

• Wagyu Beef Slider                                                                                        6 Scoins

Braeside Pop-Up Grill – Caroline McCann

• Banting-style slow braised grass-fed beef short rib with

beetroot crisps or courgette noodles                                                         6 Scoins

Food Ink – Stephanie van Vuuren

• Traditional crepes with organic strawberries & Mooberry cream         6 Scoins

OR vanilla sugar & organic lemon                                                              5 Scoins

The Best Dish Award also returns in 2014, proudly supported by Zomato. While visitors indulge their taste buds, in the Taste of Joburg experience, they should be on the lookout for the “folks in red” to vote for their favourite restaurant dish. Woodview ™ Gourmet Foods and Braeside Butchery will also be selling their world-class Wagyu Beef and certified free range and grass-fed products for visitors wanting to take meat home.

San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are also back this year as the official water sponsors of Taste Festivals. Known globally as “the fine dining waters” due to their velvety and exceedingly smooth taste, they will be bringing Italian-style refinement to the world of haute cuisine.

The Taste of Joburg Kids’ Area is always a high of activity and this year will be no exception. Artjamming are the brains behind this year’s area and will provide canvases, acrylic paints on tap, and tools for those under the age of 12 to freely express themselves. There will be fun foam activities and face painting to enhance the experience!

And finally, musical entertainment will be provided courtesy of the Cape Town Angels on the Call to Action Stage. The amazing line-up of kind-hearted Joburg artists will donate their time and challenge locals to make a lasting difference in the lives of others in the form of time, skills and monetary donations.

“The stage and theatres are definitely set for an incredible festival this year. The menus are a magnificent milestone in the build up to the show and we can’t wait for our visitors to be part of this year’s event,” concludes Drake.