Freddie Dias is taking the culinary offerings of The Marabi Club, Hallmark House, Rocking the Daisies and In The City to new heights.
Accomplished chef Freddie Dias has signed up to a diverse new portfolio with Steyn Entertainment, owners of South Africa’s leading jazz hangout, The Marabi Club in Joburg, as well as Hallmark House hotel, Rocking the Daisies and In The City cultural festival.
Interesting things are expected from the company’s culinary offering under Dias, who is a veteran of Pot Luck Club Cape Town, Basalt and Séjour.
His first foray into Steyn territory, working under chef Luke Dale Roberts, was the pop-up Pot Luck Club at The Marabi Club in downtown Joburg in 2017, with Steyn Entertainment co-founder and managing director Dale De Ruig and club general manager Sicelo Mayiyane. His latest move is something of a return to his Joburg home – and his old school mates: Dias, De Ruig and Mayiyane were at high school together.
About his venture, Dias says: ‘I’m as passionate about music as I am about food and the chance to bring those two together and make the offering as much about one as it is the other, lets me be in both worlds – which I think is going to be freeing and great for creativity.’
The Marabi Club, recently closed for a two-week reshuffle, has reopened with several new Dias-designed dishes added to the existing menu and some minor changes to the jazz club’s floor plan – the new layout means guests can sit and dine, or simply pop in for a drink.
The menu at Hallmark Hotel’s Thorn restaurant, upstairs from the jazz haunt, has also had something of a shakeup under Dias. And it’s bringing its beloved Sunday Brunches back to the Rooftop.
And so to the festivals: Dias is working on an array of signature dishes for the VIP sections of Rocking the Daisies and In The City. ‘The overarching idea of what I want to do with the food across the Steyn Entertainment spaces is to keep exploring, searching and trying different ideas. Exploration has been a driving force behind my career – I’m very curious and I love to try new recipes, produce and ingredients, which gets me out of my comfort zone,’ says Dias.
Mayiyane is a big picture thinker. ‘Some music venues offer an incredible music experience and then guests are let down by the food. At restaurants, the menu takes centre stage and the music is an afterthought,’ he says.
‘Nobody ever went to a music festival like Rocking the Daisies expecting a truly “wow” experience on the food front – but why shouldn’t they, especially if they’ve paid top dollar to be in the VIP section?’ He’s looking to create something exciting for the senses that makes a visit a totally unique experience.
Dias is not planning anything too radical at the Steyn Entertainment businesses. ‘There’s inevitably going to be some stylistic change as I bring my own experience into the offering, but I also want to go back to the way things were when we started at The Marabi Club – a more sharing-style menu where people can sit and order different plates, mix and match and help the food contribute to the convivial atmosphere which is such a hallmark of the venue.
‘We want a few threads to run through the menu offering, but each property has its own vibe and style and we’ll respect that.’
The Marabi Club at Hallmark House
Thursdays-Saturdays 6:30pm til late
54 Siemert Road, New Doornfontein, Johannesburg.
010 591 2879
ALSO SEE: Must-visit Turkish Restaurants across South Africa
Photos: Supplied
