A taste of what to expect from the American Express Dining Awards
23 Sep 2019
If you've never been to the perfectly named Isola restaurant at the One and Only Hotel, you're in for a surprise as it's not in the main hotel but a true island of its own, along a wooden pathway that feels like you're in a tropical resort, with flowing water features, inviting wooden pool loungers and an impressive pool at your feet. That's where the 72 candidates for the 21st American Express Dining Awards were revealed.
Images supplied.
Cape Town’s finest media foodies mingled before the 2019 American Express Dining Awards media launch on Friday, 13 September.
Tiny mugs of cold, spicy tomato soup, flutes of bubbly and mini melba toast rounds – some topped with beef, others with cream cheese and strawberry slices – were just delicious and kept us going until we could take our seats indoors, out of the chilly wind.
Introducing the American Express Dining Awards, reimagined
Warmed by heaters and a view of that gorgeous pool through the wall of windows, MC Steve Steinfeld, founder and content creator of The Joburg Foodie, explained that he was one of the judges on the panel, along with food-loving youth-focused media channel creator Greg Maloka and Clive Aaron, who trained at the first independent chef training school in South Africa and managed the launch of the farm-to-fork eatery, La Tête.
And what a meaty task they had, in selecting the 72 finalists for the awards. The main entry criteria? Restaurants need to be ‘Amex accepting’, and while last year’s final event features all the winners, this year is anyone’s guess who actually made the cut from the wooden chopping block.
The judges confirmed that they don’t order from any special menus when they go through, as it doesn’t give them a full idea of what the chef is capable of.
So while many of the restaurants featured last year have certainly retained their quality, categories have since been reshaped and refined as Chris Wood, head of American Express South Africa explained that Amex is a relationship brand.
This means the Amex Dining Awards effectively serve as a vehicle to build secure and enhancing those relationships with customers, merchants and partners alike, especially in today’s pressured environment where quality entertainment, lifestyle and business experiences are top-of-mind when it comes to where customers will swipe their cards.
Wood added that food tastes have changed dramatically over the past two decades of the awards, as has best practice in the restaurant industry – not to mention the influence of ambience and social media, which is integral to the overall dining experience today.
But I digress. The main menu for the afternoon at Isola included a starter of Norwegian salmon with crispy onions, fine herb salad, cauliflower purée, bruschetta and jalapeño dressing or cold, spicy tomato ratatouille as the vegetarian option, complete with various leaves and onion rings.
Top tastes on the cards
This was followed by mains of Karoo lamb loin, confit garlic, pommes fondant, aubergine caviar, spicy tomato ratatouille, cauliflower purée, olive and caper jus, or a vegetarian curry and rice topped with a big popadum cap.
This was a delicious plate of caramel pannacotta with coffee sponge, roasted nut crumble, vanilla cremeaux and pear sorbet – photographed by almost everyone before we dug in, and paired with perfectly frothy cappuccinos, of course.
Images supplied.
Fitting with the overall experience, the wine options were just as delicious, with flutes of Methode Cap Classique NV One & Only Brut from Stellenbosch served on arrival, followed by a choice of 2016 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc from Stellenbosch or 2018 De Wetshof Chardonnay Unoaked Limestone Hill, the 2018 Haute Cabriere Pinot Noir Unwooded from Franschhoek, the 2016 Backsberg Merlot from Paarl, 2015 Hidden Valley Pinotage from Stellenbosch, or 2014 Noble Hill Estate Red Blend.
Gin and tonics and non-alcoholic options were also on offer.
Images supplied.
Tickets to attend the main awards were included in attendees’ goodie bags, along with wooden chopping boards from Laidback. Crossing fingers and tongues for this year’s finalists! Click through for the full list below...
In search of foodie heaven
OnPoint PR 18 Sep 2019
The American Express Dining Awards 2020 winners for Gauteng will be announced on 14 October, and for the Western Cape on 21 October 2019. For more information, follow the #AmexExperience and #DoAmexSA hashtags.
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
