.....over Reuben Riffel
| Reuben Riffel Thirty year old South African sensation Reuben Riffel started his career in the town in which he was born – Franschhoek – known in South Africa and increasingly, across the globe, as a prime food and wine destination. Reuben’s first opportunity to run his own kitchen came when he was in his early twenties. From there, he worked and established the Monneaux restaurant as one of the Top 10 restaurants in South Africa. The young star chef spent three years in total honing his skills at Monneaux before making a move to Cambridge, England. Once there, he joined up with some friends to open Bruno’s Brasserie, which saw the young chef add another host of rave reviews to his growing following. Most recently, he decided to move back to South Africa to start his own restaurant (suitably named Reuben’s!) with partners. Only 6 months into this new venture, Reuben recently scooped top honours at the 2004 Eat Out Johnnie Walker Restaurant Awards, winning both Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year. The restaurant has inspired return visits from locals and visitors alike and is quickly becoming a Franschhoek fixture. Reuben’s cuisine is eclectic with a concentration and focus given to the best local and seasonal produce available. Chef Reuben feels the restaurant owes its success to the emphasis on simplicity, value for money and the modern yet classic décor. Reuben’s philosophy on food is to keep things simple by bringing out the natural flavours of the produce and when combining flavours, to strive for perfect balance. Eat Out Johnnie Walker Restaurant & Chef of the Year 2004/2005 Eat Out Johnnie Walker Top Ten 2005/2006 Eat Out Johnnie Walker Top Ten 2006/2007 2007 Unilever Chef of the year (by invitation only) |
