The Marshall

1 Reviews on “The Marshall”

• JoziStyle

  The Marshall, situated in the Faircity Mapungubwe Hotel combines retro, cosmopolitan glamour with the funkiness of a downtown gastropub. It’s chic and funky diner-style restaurant with a few luxurious finishes. I think is worth a trip just to enjoy some seriously good food in the Jozi CBD.We couldn’t decide between starters, and I really wanted to take as many pictures as possible, so I had Tempura Prawns with a Miso Mayonnaise. It was a generous portion of prawns coated in decidedly crispy batter. My husband ordered the Calamari with a Lemon & Lime Mayonnaise. Interestingly, I found the Miso Mayonnaise too salty for my palate, but it did develop in complexity with a subtle paprika undertone. My husband loved it. I, on the other hand, loved his Lemon & Lime Mayonnaise, so we happily swopped dipping sauces.The Lemon & Lime Mayonnaise just hit all the spots for me. So, I made a point of introducing myself to Chef Deon Anderson, who happily shared his food recipes with me. I have often tried to create a lemon mayonnaise dipping, with unimpressive results, but Chef Deon advised me that it was the limes that gave the sauce the flavour that I was after. Lemons amp acidity while limes create flavour. The limes also add a touch of sweetness to create a radiant flavour profile that complements fish perfectly. It truly is a match made in heaven.We also ordered a third starter of Jalapeno Poppers to share. They were easily the hottest Jalapeno Poppers I’ve ever had, but were tempered with a generous filling of three different cheeses to subdue the heat, and deep-fried in a crispy batter. Jalapeno Poppers are a culinary curiosity for me because I don’t enjoy spicy food, but I do that textual contrast between melted cheese, crispy batter, and the texture of the deep-fried chilli.For mains, my husband ordered the prawns and chips while I opted for the rack of lamb. The rack of lamb, and I don’t want to oversell it like a fine-dining experience, but it was the best lamb that I’ve ever had. It was slightly charred and caramelized on the outside, but the meat was deliciously pink on the inside – and I know how my radio listeners know how squeamish I get about blood on my plate, but the lamb was so well rested it was a beautiful healthy shade of pink in the middle, with a slightly charred and caramelized crust on the outside. It was just a marriage of the best of both worlds. And, I think that when I return to The Marshall, I’ll even order it medium rare. Really delicious.Portions are generous – and ordering a third starter really nipped my appetite, so I could barely steal a chip or a prawn off my husband’s plate. He said they rivaled the best prawns he’s every had. That was sufficient praise for me.I was never going to manage dessert after eating so much food, but I really wanted to try their Swiss Carrot Cake and the Chocolate Mousse Cake. I we ordered them as takeaways to enjoy in our hotel room later that evening. The Swiss carrot cake was more luxurious than the traditional carrot cake as it had a lot more nuts and they used mascarpone cream instead of cream cheese. The chocolate mousse cake was a decadent treat that made the perfect midnight snack. I’m glad I decided to do doggie bag the desserts because they were delish!I really wanted to pop downstairs to The Vault to enjoy a cocktail. I don’t know how much we had to drink that night, but it was quite substantial and I was feeling a bit guilty, but we weren’t driving, and The Vault was waiting downstairs. We bolted downstairs to grab a cocktail each in in the name of journalistic integrity, and also so that we could photograph them. I ordered a very zesty Mojito (my favourite), a very colourful Cosmpolitan with a kick to match, while my husband opted for a whiskey and sours.The Marshall proves that it is time for people to venture into the Johannesburg CBD for some seriously good food!

  April 23, 2017, 2:35 am

  Log in to Reply