A truly seductive dining experience
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Ché Argentine Grill is a rustic restaurant space, the brainchild of friends Oscar and Bernardo.
Ché, which bagged a highly commended award in the Best Steakhouse category of the 2016 Eat Out awards, is the new kid on the block of the ever-growing, ever-hipster Maboneng Precinct.
The restaurant is sultry and seductive, with grey industrial walls, vintage murals, red curtains, high ceilings with
Edison bulbs, dark wooden tables with candles and mismatched antique chairs.
I am welcomed and shown to my table by Makgabo Ramela, who knows the bar and food menus exceptionally well, and who deals Ché Argentine Grill, 303 Fox Street, Jeppestown, Johannesburg
011 614 0264 with both menus with impressive attention to detail.
The bartender, Thabo Ntamane, walked me through the bar menu, which is made up of a selection of classic cocktails like the Mezcal Margarita, the Cuba Libre, the Negroni and the Campari Julep; beers like Sharpeville Lager, Sol, Jack Black and Butcher Block; and an assortment of imported Argentinian and Chilean wines that change, depending on what’s delicious and available.
The food menu is enticing, with a selection of cured meats, imported cheeses and empanadas as a starter. I ordered a Carne empanada with 100% chopped beef, onion, red peppers and eggs, and a vegetarian empanada called espinaca with spinach, mozzarella and cheese.
The starter is served with their fresh Chimichurri, a sauce traditionally used on grilled meat, containing parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and flakes of chilli pepper.
The main courses are meaty. The beef is grass-fed and sourced from a reputable farm in the Midlands, so you can be assured of its quality.
Bernardo recommended the Asado (Short Ribs), the Ojo de
Bife (Rib Eye), the Ojo de Bife Con Hueso (Prime Rib) and the Aranita Steak (Spider). I couldn’t decide, so I ordered all four. The meat was very tender and tasty with very rich flavours and an addictive crisp.
Overall, the mains were outstanding – the crunchy, citrus-y salad and crisp and fluffy fries proved superb accompaniments for the perfectly cooked and succulent meat options.
Makgabo then convinced me to try their flagship dessert, Flan del rio de la Plata a cream caramel dessert with Dulce de Leche.