At East City Grill upmarket steakhouse or its grill-yourself neighbour Yakiniku, superior meats are upping the ante.
New dining energy is luring discerning palates to the East City, the glow being on wagyu, and on refined flavours created over open fire. Sister restaurants on food-focused Harrington Street share a roof, access to premium farm-reared wagyu beef, and a Japanese aesthetic.
“It’s Japanese BBQ there, and South African BBQ in this space,” is how general manager Wilmo van Zyl directs diners to Yakiniku and East City Grill respectively. Although separate reservations are required, they operate as two dining concepts in one connected space.
Y IS FOR YAKINIKU
Creative Japanese-inspired cocktails welcome Yakiniku guests seated in the calming Asian lounge, before they’re led down a red-curtained passage to begin a dinner grill experience. Black lacquer-like tables and red woven chairs harmonise neatly with unstained pine floorboards, screens and cabinetry.
Bento boxes arrive containing the Yakiniku bite-size starters. Then you’re invited to cook your dinner on a sleek grill under each table, using the provided raw materials: three beautifully marbled wagyu cuts in fork-friendly formats, vegetables and Japanese rice. For extra flavouring, four salts (matcha green tea to togarashi), and a soy, mirin and sake “Yakiniku” sauce.
Also on hand is tonkatsu brown sauce, kimchi, uncooked broccoli and mushrooms, plus lettuce for wrapping the wagyu and koshihikari rice in. The idea being: grill it, dip it, layer, top and wrap it. It’s interactive, fun and a very clean way of eating, with wagyu fat used only to grease the grid initially. Do dress accordingly, as those fired grills heat up the intimate space.
E IS FOR EAST CITY GRILL
If it’s a premium plated South African steakhouse experience you’re after, East City Grill happily delivers while you sit back. Expect a smattering of Asian elements, and creativity in the menu combinations.
Felted wool pendant lights by Cathy Coates provide moody tactile elements in a dining space where timber slats merge with smart banquettes, walls clad in copper, and the visual drama of glossy black marble-like tables alongside organic notes in wooden ones. It’s a decorative tribute to fire and flames, care of Wolf + Wolf Architects. Ceramic red bull heads by Shirley Fintz provide an eye-catching visual along one wall. A sleek granite bar with blackened carbon steel panels dispenses cocktails, spirits and Japanese sake.
As executive chef of both restaurants, Jaycee Ferreira has access to superior wagyu from the owner’s Elandsberg farm near Riebeek Kasteel – it’s why you’ll find wagyu biltong, droëwors and tartare, and even a katsu sandwich on the East City Grill menu. But this steakhouse also offers standard sirloin, fillet, rump and ribeye with very competitive pricing, and hollandaise to chimichurri butter as optional extras.
The Grill’s starter menu punts creative salads or dishes grouped as small plates. We took the opportunity to order non-meat items and were glad we did. Charred prawns – carrying a bit of heat – made for a solid start, partnering grilled corn, pickled fennel, and creamy dollops of avo and corn. Don’t miss the signature Parmesan mushroom toast. An inspired partnership featuring golden homemade brioche, it oozes umami creativity in assorted exotic mushrooms, crisp Parmesan elements, and creamy potato garlic puree.
S IS FOR SOMMELIER
Operations director (and international sommelier) Marc Botes deserves special mention for a wine list that is creative and diner-friendly without being intimidating. Wines are grouped under palate weight and style, not grape varieties.
They include sought-after labels and interesting lower-priced bottles. So, paging through, you’ll find a crisp Sauvignon or lighter white blend, under a heading “Clean and Precise”. In reds grouped as “Refined and Restrained”, there’s a Copper Pot Pinot, while an Overgaauw Merlot falls under “Generous and Framed”.
It’s a great approach for diners who may find wine lists intimidating, or alternatively, who just want what they want. Says Botes: “We thought we’d try something else, with a stylistic approach to our list that gives diners confidence and freedom to move within styles and play around with wines off the beaten track. But of course, there is a sommelier on hand if you want to chat.”
As with the wine list, a single dessert menu tempts diners at both Yakiniku and East City Grill. Asian elements find their way into sweet treats such as miso chocolate mousse, or a sesame panna cotta. A creamy Hokkaido baked cheesecake is perfect for sharing, dusted with matcha powder, and served with creamy, toasted rice ice cream, ginger curd, and crunchy rice puffs creating a happy snap, crackle, pop vibe. Providing a perky, fitting finish with two strong cortados.
East City Grill |84 Harrington St (first floor) | 021-518-3366 | Tuesday to Saturday 12h00-16h00; 18h00-21h30 | @eastcitygrillct | www.eastcitygrill.co.za
Yakiniku | 84 Harrington St (first floor) | 021-518-3366 | Tuesday to Saturday 12h00-16h00; 18h00-21h30 | eastcitygrill.co.za
Yakiniku Experience Menu: Bento box starter, a yakiniku grill of three wagyu cuts, rice and vegetables, plus dessert for R995 pp.
Yakiniku Express Menu (lunchtime): Yakiniku grill of two wagyu cuts, rice and vegetables for R595 pp.
IMAGES: Dale Herbst, Ben Reisner
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