Tapas? Yep, I’m in. It didn’t take much for me to be convinced to check out Urbanologi. Urbanologi is a tapas style restaurant located in the Fox Precinct in the heart of Johannesburg, South Africa in a large industrial space with high ceilings. It turns out, they share the space with Mad Giant Brewery, where they brew their beer in house. The two work alongside each other testing new ideas, flavors, ingredients and processes.
The space itself is large, with long tables to accommodate large parties or booths if you prefer something smaller or more intimate. The decor is trendy and chic with a large open kitchen where you can watch the chef’s prepare your meal.
Upon arriving, I was seated as our waiter went over the menu. He was EXTREMELY knowledgeable about literally everything on the menu. For the lush in me, he was also very knowledgeable about what paired well what we ordered. I was then greeted by the head Chef, Jack Coetzee, who was as down to earth as they come. With that said, the we watched the mad scientist go to work on his masterpieces!
Chef Jack and Geron
Food
The menu is separated into categories, defined by the methods used to prepare them. They are raw, cured, fried, wood fried kushiyaki, steamed, and dessert. If you want to experience a well rounded meal, I would recommend selecting something from each category. They also offer Vegetarian and Vegan options as well.
We began with the steamed brioche and mushroom spring rolls. The brioche is injected with truffle catalan and topped with beetroot salt. The truffles used to make the catalan (a sauce) are shipped in from Italy. The brioche itself was very soft and, as Chef Jack informed me, there was no water used in the yeast to make the dough (I’m still baffled by this). The mushrooms used in the spring roll are grown in the urban garden on the roof from spores imported from China. Fancy! Both were very tasty.
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- Steamed Brioche
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- Mushroom Spring Rolls
At the recommendation of our waiter, these two dishes were paired with Yardstick Pinot Noir, a wine that hails from the Western Cape. This wine paired well and was simply delicious. Also, as I later learned, this wine contains fewer sulfates which cause hangovers. A glass of this wine will cost R152, or about $10, and the R380 or about $26.00.
Next we decided to try to the Herb Seared Venison and the Duck Pancake. The Venison used to make this dish is the Kudu, a horned antelope that can be found in South Africa. The only reason I know this is because I saw one earlier in the day while on Safari in Pilanesburg. This dish is made from the loin of the Kudu, seared and then served with cucumber salsa, sriracha mayo with Ponzu sprinkled on top. This dish is still served raw, so keep that mind if that’s not your thing. It was, however, very tasty and tender. The cucumber salsa was delicious with just the right amount of vinegar.
Herb Seared Venison
The duck pancake is a confit duck leg, horseradish and mayo, wrapped in a pancake. Duck can easily be overcooked but the duck in this dish was cooked to perfection. A must have when you stop by. These two dishes were paired with the Boschendal Chardonnay, which also hails from the Western Cape. I’m not usually a Chardonnay fan but this wine paired wonderfully with both dishes and complimented the horseradish in the duck pancakes. A glass of this will cost R110, or $7.60 , while a bottle will cost R320, or $22.10.
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- Duck Pancakes
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- Duck Pancakes
Next up were the micro turnips, chicken thighs, and Teriyaki Poached Sweet Potato . The micro turnips are sourced locally and are between 14 – 15 days old. They are steamed for three minutes and paired with a whipped horseradish mousse. You can taste subtle hints of berries in the background. The chicken thighs were very tender and served in a delicious glaze made from sugar, green tea, beer, and a whiskey base. This was one of my favorite dishes I had here.
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- Micro Turnips
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- Chicken Thighs
The sweet potatoes are charred and then boiled for 14 hours! They then take the leftover lemons from the brewery, char them on the grill, blend the remains and sprinkle them over the sweet potatoes. It’s then served with a yogurt goat mousse over honeycomb. Truly a work of art!
Sweet Potatoes
These were paired with The Simonsig Gewürztraminer, a semi sweet wine that goes well with dishes with mild to spicy flavor. I can only describe this in the words of my friend who tasted this wine as well, “This is a good f****** wine!” This wine sells for R96 for a glass, or $6.63 and R260, or $17.95 for a bottle.
For dessert, we went with Peach and Thyme. This is a peach mousse, lemon thyme sponge and thyme oil. There intent is to use the entire peach, letting nothing go to waste, and get as much flavor as possible from the peach. The base of the dish is a peach mousse with fresh chunks of peach. The cakes are a dehydrated lemon thyme sponge. The top, a rosewater cloud. Though there are many different textures to this dish, you still have the same flavors all throughout.
Peach and Thyme
If you thought the food/drink pairings were over, you guessed wrong. Our wonderful waiter recommended an Expresso Martini. This was a shot of khalua, vodka, double expresso and gomme syrup, all mixed together into a cup of heaven. The perfect end to a fantastic dining experience.
Expresso Martini – Urbanologi Johannesburg
Service
The staff at Urbanologi were fast, attentive, and knowledgeable. Their personalities definitely matched the trendy and hip tone that the restaurant exudes. Most importantly, the waiters ensure the drinks keep coming with each dish that was served.
Drinks
Urbanologi has an extensive list of wines and cocktails to choose from. Did we mention that it shares a space with Mad Giant Brewery!? This means that there are plenty of craft beers and house craft ales to select from. Also, you can partake in beer flights and sample the available beers, as well as, tour the brewery.
Final Thoughts
The flavor combinations for the dishes are well thought out and fun to explore. You can enjoy them a la carte or, as we did, order multiple plates and share them with a group to have the opportunity to experience bites from several plates. The restaurant can easily hosts small parties or large groups. Stop by and check them out today!
HOURS
Monday to Saturday 12pm to 10pm
Sunday 12pm to 5pm
LOCATION
1 Fox Street, Ferreirasdorp, Johannesburg
info@urbanologi.co.za
Instagram: @urbanologi
Geron is an avid traveler, entreprenuer and mens style aficionado. He love’s mac and cheese, getting discounts, his momma, and a good whiskey, not particularly in that order. It’s alleged he lives in Miami, but no one really knows anymore.
Follow him on instagram at @geronp
