A catch among the pigeons
that this is as good as it gets in a part of Jozi that is still unfairly associated with the city’s wild side. And nothing comes cheaply – especially on the Piazza.
Here restaurants scream entitlement, from the Rich, to the Princi Pastizza and finally Catch, where we found ourselves on Sunday afternoon, escaping afternoon load-shedding in the north. True to its name, Catch may very well be among the better establishments on the Piazza, which in recent times has seen the closure of an upmarket Asian restaurant and the replacement of a Portuguese establishment generally associated with cheap eats and tacky banner advertising.
In its favour, Catch is attractive in both design and menu. Channelling its links to seafaring and all things piscatorial, furnishings are in pale wood, with modern rope chairs, leather banquettes and neutral tones dominating. The sushi conveyer belt kitchen at the centre of the restaurant, though framed by fake greenery, creates a soothing ambiance, which is occasionally marred by its neighbour’s exuberance. This far south, it seems the Greeks have reason to celebrate at Mythos, in spite of the country’s dire financial outlook.
With almost half of Catch’s menu focussed on sushi, which includes the classics as well as “new style” contemporary dishes ranging from soft-shell crab to plain maki rolls and princely platters (R255), this is not an inexpensive outing. By far.
At Catch though, the sauces are homemade, dishes are well executed and the service is competent and friendly. The drinks list though, needs much attention. It’s limited – particularly by the glass – and overpriced. When you’re charging such prices, at least give guests a decent selection so they don’t quite notice the pain in their pocket. The few attractive cocktail options hint at the actual market, although having recently attended a dinner at the Maslow in Sandton, where the barmen experimented with seasonal hot cocktails, there’s room for improvement.
Our food though was nearfaultless: the generous portion of gyu kushi, a lovely rare seared steak starter with shitake mushrooms slathered with homemade spicy teriyaki sauce, was sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and chopped spring onions, a perfect contrast of crunch and acidic tang (R58), while the steamed prawn and shitake dim sum (R46, for four) were pretty and bursting with delicate flavours.
The main course portion of battered fried calamari (R112) was tender, crunchy and so tasty that the wedge of lemon on the plate was almost superfluous. A pity the home-made chips were so oversalted. My deboned baby chicken (R112) screamed for extra peri peri sauce, which was mild and traditionally tempered with milk, but it was faultlessly tender and juicy, and the rice, boosted with red and green peppers, was simply made but a perfect counterpoint to the chicken’s fire. His Peking duck (R148) should have been more pink and definitely needed more pancakes and vegetables.
On the Piazza, where choice is limited, you could do far worse than Catch. While it’s pricey, service is a lot more attuned and genuinely friendly than at some of the competitors. And the cuisine, while not quite of the exalted quality suggested at by the name, is perfectly adequate. Not a bad choice, when options are few.