Lisa is my running partner, bootcamp wingman, bridesmaid and basically a sister and every so often she lets me cook in her kitchen! Everyone say Hi! Having recently been to Johannesburg on business and visiting a fabulous sounding new restaurant called Red Rabbit, agreed to do a guest post restaurant review on the new French Grill. Hope everyone had a super Mother's Day Weekend!
The disclaimer attached to this piece is that I am by no means a qualified
restaurant reviewer. I am however a regular restaurant patron at good and
not-so-good establishments in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, giving me much
fodder to write about. The opinion that follows is gathered from a recent
evening at the newly opened Red Rabbit French Grill in the Nicolway Centre on
William Nicol in Bryanston.
The Red Rabbit is the second restaurant from well-known restaurateur Thomas
Barker of the wildly popular Thomas Maxwell Bistro in Parkmore, Johannesburg. The Bistro has been open for as long as I can
remember and is fully booked most of the time. A good option for a cosy Winter
night out I might add.
Red Rabbit, Nicolway Centre
If you are in to celeb spotting, the Nicolway Centre is the place to be
at the moment. With most of these newly opened centres, specifically those that
feature Sandton’s favourite brunch spot, Tasha’s, you are bound to spot an SA
schleb or two. In my case we were graced by the lovely Kerry McGregor at the
table next to us. Many an embarrassing moment ensued when various buffed up
Morningside-gym goers approached the table to greet the beauty whom they
assumed would remember them from that fleeting introduction at a cocktail party
6 months back. Alas not, to our immense satisfaction.
The setting of the restaurant is good, but if you are looking for a quiet
slow environment, then this is not for you. The restaurant is split in two by a
walkway and as a result, there is constant pedestrian traffic. You will need to
book to get into the Red Rabbit, and I would recommend asking for a table
either well within the ‘indoor’ part of the restaurant, or up against the glass
of the ‘patio’ side.
Another must-know is that the Red Rabbit is not yet licensed to serve
alcohol. Once we were past the horrified gasps at hearing this news, the waiter
quickly reminded us that the Woolworths in the centre is open until 8pm. I am
sure it won’t be long until this is sorted, but in the interim, remember to
take a bottle or 5 with you.
Some little nibbles!
Wine in hand and voyeurism under control, we studied the menu. At first
look it is relatively limiting, but the
options are in line with what you might expect at a French Grill. I opted for a
Salmon Tartare for my starter. The plate arrived and it was beautiful. The raw Salmon was neatly stacked into a cup
shaped pile on the one side of the oblong plate with what appeared to be a
crème fraiche and caviar topping. Accompanying the dish was a dollop of
mayonnaise and another round of black caviar. Excuse my caviar ignorance! The
dish was lovely – the finely chopped red onion rolled into the Salmon stack
added a bite to the smooth deliciousness of the Salmon and the accompanying
melba toast was put to good use in mopping up stray caviar, mayonnaise and Salmon.
A great option and I think fairly priced at R75 given the sizable portion of
salmon on the plate.
Salmon Tartare Starter
For mains I went with a bowl of Chilli and Napolitana Mussels with crispy
fries on the side. I have to confess that I almost lived at the Belgian restaurant
Belgo’s in Convent Garden during my time in London, so I had high standards for
these mussels, and while very different, they didn’t disappoint. The Chilli was
mild, and given the sometimes blandness of mussels, I reckon they could ramp up
the Chilli in the dish. I emptied small portions of the crunchy chips into the Napolitana sauce and then scooped them up with a mussel for a taste bud ménage
a trois.
Chilli and Napolitana Mussels with Crispy Fries
I was disappointed when it came to choosing a desert. The options
included strawberry ice cream, more ice cream options, a chocolate fondant and
a cheeseboard. Obviously the chocolate fondant won. We were informed that there
would be a 15-20 minute wait for the fondant, which lucky for the waiter suited
our wine appreciation schedule. The plate arrived looking spectacular. The
fondant itself was slightly hardened on the outside with a soft and juicy
interior. This chocolaty goodness was accompanied by ice cream and a sliced
strawberry as well as a few drops of what seemed to be a berry mixture. It might
be the only chocolate option on the menu, but it is a winner.
Chocolate Fondant
Overall, we had a great night out and the service was good. Go and try it
and post your experience below!
To get in touch with Red Rabbit:
http://www.redrabbitfrenchgrill.com
or call (011) 706 1731
P.S All Images by Lisa
To get in touch with Red Rabbit:
http://www.
or call (011) 706 1731
P.S All Images by Lisa
Thank you Lisa, enjoyed the visit!!! I was 'right there' with you in the Red Rabbit. Very descriptive, just wish the blog had a few buttons that one could push that allowed for 'smelling and tasting' too. Next?.......
ReplyDeleteI do realise I am going to have to say...Hellooooo, it's meee....Pinkie Wilson, because my only option to post in the comment block is via the Anonymous Profile selection!!!
DeleteGosh what a different experience I had at this new venue. So filled with potential and a wonderful sounding menu - however a terribly disappointing dinner. Starter duck livers overcooked is really poor attention to detail. The mussels were really tiny and not acceptable when such great seafood is easily available (change suppliers quickly) and lastly the duck pie was a grey mess under a wet blanket of pastry. I hope this is a teething problem as it’s hard to recommend when a meal is such a disaster.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments Kevin. I have taken steps to address your concerns. We hope to see you again soon.
DeleteRegards
Thomas Barker
Thomas, what a treat to have you respond here. Thanks for taking the time. Kevin - thanks for your comments, and sorry to hear your experience was so different to mine. Lisa
ReplyDelete