Greenside restaurant YUM in Johannesburg scooped the year's most prestigious accolade on the gastronomic calendar, when it was named the Eat Out Johnnie Walker Restaurant of the Year 2005 and Sandton restaurant Auberge Michel also secured a highly sought after Eat Out Johnnie Walker Top 10 Restaurant award. Mariana's Home Deli & Bistro in the Western Cape and La Petite Normandie in KwaZulu-Natal won the Eat Out Johnnie Walker Top Country Kitchens Awards.

Culinary trendsetter Richard Carstens of Lynton Hall restaurant in KwaZulu-Natal, won the Eat Out Johnnie Walker Chef of the Year 2005 title. This year's Lifetime Award was presented to the unstoppable Dr Bill Gallagher, who has devoted his life to the hospitality industry, for his contribution to the SA culinary scene.

Sam Woulidge, the editor of Eat Out was generous in her praise of YUM's winning chef Dario de Angeli. "Since winning his first (at Soho Square Cafe) of five Top 10 awards, Dario de Angeli has emerged as the undisputed trendsetter of his generation, although fame hasn't cost Dario his passion.

The elegant occasion also marked the launch of the 2005 edition of Eat Out - The Restaurant Guide of South Africa. In the new edition tributes are paid to 14 additional achievers.

Heralded as the Oscars of the South African restaurant industry, the names of the Eat Out Johnnie Walker Top 10 restaurants in the country were also unveiled. These are the restaurants who, in the opinion of the judges, highly respected members of the industry Phillippa Cheifitz and Hilary Biller, outshone the rest of a shortlist submitted by 30 national reviewers. The judges visited each nominated restaurant unannounced and evaluated the ability of chefs and restaurants to create that special experience that gives added pleasure to diners.

EAT OUT Johnnie Walker Top Ten

• 95 Keerom, Cape Town - Chef: Giorgio Nava
• 9th Avenue Bistro, Durban - Chef: Carly Goncalves
• Auberge Michel, Johannesburg - Chef: Frederic Leloup
• Bosman's, Cape Town - Chef: Frank Zlomke
• Ginja, Cape Town - Chef: Michael Bassett
• La Colombe, Cape Town - Chef : Franck Dangereux
• Lynton Hall, Durban - Chef: Richard Carstens
• Reuben's, Cape Town - Chef: Reuben Riffel
• Terroir, Cape Town - Chefs: Michael Broughton and Nic van Wyk
• Yum, Johannesburg - Chef: Dario de Angeli

(source: southafrica.info)

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