Wine, Music, And Ambiance
Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
Cuisine Style: Cape Malay, Contemporary African
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 5/5
Dined in: November 2013
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Owner:
Desmond Mabuza
The Signature Restaurant was the last meal on the final evening that I spent in Johannesburg before moving on, and what a great way to end that last night. The day was exhausting, spent visiting The Cradle of Humankind, and then over Soweto to see Mandela’s House and the Hector Pieterson Memorial. Nelson Mandela had died a few days earlier, so going to see his home was a madhouse of thousands of people gathered. At first, I was met with degrading looks as to why I was there. When after I spoke they saw that I was an American, I was welcomed with open arms and given VIP treatment by the locals.
I came across the Signature restaurant through the hotel concierge who highly recommended it. The restaurant has two locations, the closest to me being in Morningside, an unincorporated town next to Sandton just north of Johannesburg, and the second being in the capital of Pretoria. From the many restaurants I visited from Cape Town to here, they prided themselves on the wonderful selections of South African wine, as they should. One thing I did see all as having in common was that the wine list only had South African selections with maybe a few big names French wines or Champaign. Signature’s wine list was the best I had seen covering several areas from the old world to new world. Granted some of the wines they had were very mainstream, but at least they offered them.
Menu:
- Starters
- Sushi
- Salads and Soups
- High Seas
- Shellfish
- Signature Dishes
- Meat and Poultry
- Vegetarian
- Desserts
The ambiance is top notch with floor to ceiling windows showing a panoramic view of the city and a view of marvelous sunsets, live music, and piano, with a great bar scene. The chef’s take pride in using the local game, ingredients, and seasoning, showing that talent is strong in the front, and back of house equally. It also shows by some of the awards that they have been given to include:
Platinum Diners Club Wine List Award 2009 and 2010
Diamond Diners Club Wine List Award 2011 - 2014
Best of Joburg, best New Restaurant 2009
Signature is located inside of a shopping center or a mall. In the United States that can be a scary sign, because most of the restaurant in US malls are cheap imitation chain restaurants, with basic to miserable food and mediocre service. Thank god South Africa is not the same way. The décor was fantastic, very upscale in appearance with nice wood etchings, brown colored walls that brought out the wood, The tables were professionally set with water and wine glass, silver setting and folded linen. My vision of the US mall restaurant vanished, and an upscale bistro scene popped in its place.
After being seated and ordering some still water, I looked over the menu to see what struck my curiosity for the evening. There were a large number of servers on the floor, with the restaurant half empty, but then it was still early since the jazz band was also just starting to set up as well. The servers worked and communicated in a two-partner system of Captain and back server. I also noticed from where I was sitting, being in direct view of the kitchen doors. Above them, there was a red light that kept going off every once in a while. I realized that it was the expeditor from the kitchen calling servers from the dining room to come and run food, without yelling “runner” like you hear in some restaurants. It became amusing, and every time I saw the red light, I would check to see how many servers would go to the kitchen versus stay in the dining room ignoring the light. I would say about 70% of the time, the servers would go. I ordered a 2011 Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir from Walker Bay, which according to the tasting notes from the vineyard is a black fruit driven Pinot noir boasting flavors of mulberries, plums, and violets. A bold wine with rich fruity expression, packed with a medley of dark berry and plum flavors. Open-textured, velvety and appealing for covert enjoyment from a lingering and expressive finish. The Wine Regulatory covering South Africa is SAWIS.
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| The bar - picture courtesy of Signature Restaurant |
I wasn’t feeling very well, most likely from the long traveling I had been doing the past few days so I bypassed the sushi menu and salads, settling on the roasted tomato and pepper soup for my first course. The tomatoes were oven roasted then blended with peppers and served with garlic croutons and a sour cream swirl, for an excellent presentation and wonderful taste. The soup was delivered in the bowl, and not added or poured while being presented.
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| Tomato and pepper soup |
For my second course, I had the Phyllo Parcels starter dish, which was two soft French cheese puffs filled with garlic and herbs wrapped in phyllo pastry served with steamed baby spinach and blackberry port syrup. The flavor was rich, and the puff pastry was crisp and buttery adding a sweet texture to boot with the port syrup flavor balancing it all together with the spinach which offset the strong tart flavor of the cheese. Be warned though, it is hot, so cut it with your knife and let it sit for a short period before eating. I learned that hard way.
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| French cheese puffs |
The entrée section was broken down by the menu’s signature dishes, two seafood areas, and meat + poultry section. I chose the trio of venison dish from the signature portion of the menu. This wonderfully presented dish contained slow braised springbok shank, a grilled kudu fillet with a dip of béarnaise sauce, and a gemsbok slider burger with plum tomato, cucumber, micro herb salad and tomato preserve. All three venison selections were the local game here in South Africa, and since the start of my visit, I had tried many animals that I thought I never would. The entrée came with a small portion of each meat, just enough to have you begging for more. The gemsbok had the best flavor in my opinion, but on the slider, I felt it was missing something. The tomato jam was a little overpowering for the meat itself, and I personally would have added a cheese spread of some kind to taper the tomato, possibly a brie, but that’s just me being picky.
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| Trio of venison |
Dessert:
I did not have room for dessert, though their trio of crème brûlée, American-style New York cheesecake, and the local pear malva pudding with Kahlúa butterscotch and vanilla pod ice-cream all looked very appetizing. Alas, I was full, and it was time to get back to the hotel and pack since I was traveling the next morning. I did, however, pay a visit to the chefs before leaving to thank them for the meal.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy African and Cape Malay Articles & Restaurants:
Aubergine Restaurant Innovative East meets West in Cape Town, South Africa
Boma, A Place Of Eating Taste of tribal Zimbabwe cuisine with a buffet in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Dunes Beach Restaurant & Bar Eclectic Cape Malay cuisine w/sushi in Hout Bay, South Africa
Fugitives Drift Lodge and Zulu Battlefields African Cuisine Buffet, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
La Colombe Country-style local ingredients w/French flair in Cape Town, South Africa
Leopard Hills Lodge Safari’s with contemporary African cuisine in Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa
Signal Restaurant Contemporary Cape Malay Cuisine at the Cape Grace Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa
Terroir Seasonal South African cuisine bistro in Stellenbosch, South Africa
The Five Flies Cape Malay cuisine in Cape Town, South Africa
The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français African-French tasting menu in Franschhoek, SA
The Test Kitchen Modern eclectic and Nouvelle Latin cuisine in Cape Town, South Africa
Tradewinds Restaurant Local and International cuisine in Sandton, South Africa
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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9.5
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9.5
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0
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Food quality
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10
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9.5
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0.5
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Plate presentation
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8.5
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7.5
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1
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Customer service
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8.5
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6
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2.5
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Alcohol and other beverages
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10
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9.5
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0.5
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Total regular points awarded
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46.5
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42
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4.5
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.903225806451613
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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3
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0645161290322581
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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0.967741935483871
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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5
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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5 of 5 Stars:
97% Rating with a 3 point “wow” bonus
An Extraordinary Dining Experience
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Wine rating:
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8 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Hungary
New World selections:
Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, California, South Africa
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Corkage fee’s:
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South African standard is R80.00 - 150.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Conservative dining
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Cuisine style:
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African, Cape Malay
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten Free, Grass Fed, Local, Low Carb, Organic, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegan Options, Vegetarian
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Business casual or Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Trendy, Lounge, Business parties, Hotspot, Great bar, Beautiful décor, Intimate, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Valet and Public Lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium to Loud
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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South African Rand (ZAR)
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RR
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United States Dollar (USD)
|
$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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Other costs for alcoholic beverages:
R120.00
Signature Restaurant:
U13, Morningside Shopping Centre
Outspan Rd
Morningside, Johannesburg
2196, South Africa
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+27 87 940 3880
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Online reservations
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Website Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC +2:00)
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Mon-Sat
12:00 pm - 12:00 am
Sunday:
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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French-American Fine Dining
Yountville, California, USA
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Elegant Modern Australian with Molecular Gastronomic
Melbourne, Australia
|
Acclaimed high-concept inspired Farm to Table tavern
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Other Pictures:
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| Jazz band |
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| The lounge - picture courtesy of Signature Restaurant |
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| Dining table setting |
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| Food picture courtesy of Signature Restaurant |
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| Food picture courtesy of Signature Restaurant |
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| A picture with the chef's |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
