Roast Café and The Comedy Club have closed to make way for two sensational new restaurants. Tony Raciti, the owner of Roast Café and The Comedy Club, explains the change. “Roast Café and The Comedy Club opened their doors three and a half years ago. While Roast Café was a success from day one, The Comedy Club never really found its feet and it was not financially viable to keep a large space like that open for just two shows a week, on a Friday and Saturday night. I decided to move on from The Comedy Club to start something new and exciting at Melrose Arch.”

Raciti has teamed up with brothers José and Tony da Costa to open Rodizio Brazilian Grill and Tapas, where every meal will be a fiesta. Seafood, shellfish, steak, chicken and even pasta have been tweaked to add a Brazilian flavour to the dish. In most areas of the world outside of Brazil, a rodízio restaurant refers to a Brazilian-style steakhouse restaurant, where customers pay apreço fixo (fixed price) and waiters bring samples of food to customers several times throughout the meal, until the customers signal that they have had enough. At Melrose Arch’s Rodizio Brazilian Grill and Tapas, the restaurant’s signature dish, the meat Rodizio, will be a carnivore’s dream come true, as diners can feast as much as they like on various cuts of slow-roasted prime beef, tender chicken, traditional chouriço, succulent pork or a leg of lamb. Meat carvers slice and serve the meat off large skewers at your table, directly on to your plate in true Brazilian style, until you indicate you’ve had enough. The Rodizio is served with savoury rice, potato chips and fresh seasonal vegetables. With its authentic cuisine and brightly coloured décor, which will incorporate vibrant murals and mosaics, an eclectic mix of furniture and plenty of lush foliage, Rodizio Brazilian Grill and Tapas looks forward to bringing a taste of Brazil to Melrose Arch.

The space previously occupied by Roast Café will become home to Café Rio, which, Raciti says, will boast Brazilian-inspired dishes that will make your taste buds believe you’ve been transported straight to a South American boulevard. However, Roast Café fans will be pleased to hear that certain favourites on the menu will still be available at Café Rio, such as Roast Café’s delectable cakes, its oft-talked-about breakfasts and several other popular items.

Rodizio Brazilian Grill and Tapas and Café Rio are open from beginning of July.

Also adding spice to the High Street are Tiger’s Milk and JB’s Corner. Tiger’s Milk, for the uninitiated, is “dude food made real good”. Breakfasts, pizza, Tex-Mex, burgers and steaks, enjoyed with an ice-cold draught, beer, cider or wine of your choice, take casual dining to another level. In addition to outstanding food (including plenty of vegan and vegetarian options), music, happy hour specials, plenty of craft beer, an extensive cocktail menu and hip locations have made Tiger’s Milk the coolest spots in Joburg to gather for a great time with friends.

JB’s Corner, long a favourite restaurant at Melrose Arch, is undergoing major refurbishment and rebranding and will reappear on the High Street at the end of June with a fresh, new look and some menu changes but the same friendly faces and high-quality food for which the restaurant is known.

Ono Poké Eatery, which was situated in Illovo, has moved to Melrose Arch’s High Street, offering Hawaiian-style poké bowls to the health conscious and those with a taste for delicious, fresh, fast food. Start the day right with a simple yoghurt and fruit breakfast bowl, smashed avo toast or an A&E Breakfast Pot (avo, eggs and tomato salsa) or go for something more complex like an Amazonia Acai or Matcha + Mint smoothie bowl. The Ponzu, Yuzu and Sriracha are favourite house bowls but if you’re in the mood for something different, you can build your own. Ingredients include salmon, tuna, chicken, tofu, chickpea, prawn, edamame beans and a selection of fresh vegetables, served with a white or brown rice, quinoa, black rice or naked slaw base.

“Ono means ‘delicious’ in Hawaiian and that’s exactly what we’re bringing to Melrose Arch – delicious, healthy options with international flair,” says owner Anthony Theodosiou. “Poké is a traditional Hawaiian meal comprising raw fish on a rice base. It has been embraced around the world as the latest way of clean eating due to how healthy, fresh and simple the bowls are. Although poké is still fairly new to South Africa, I have no doubt that it is not a fad; it is here to stay. When sushi first made an appearance, people were sceptical but it’s now firmly entrenched in the South African diet.”

Joburg’s balmy winter days mean people can still enjoy pokébowls for lunch without feeling deprived for not having stodgy comfort food, but Theodosiou plans to introduce cooked meals for those who want a warm meal in chilly weather. Grilled salmon, chicken or tofu with grilled veggies will be the perfect clean option for those who want to stick to their healthy eating plans, knowing that summer bodies are made in winter!

Ono Poké Eatery is open from 8am to 8pm weekdays and 10am to 4pm on weekends and public holidays.

And there’s more on the boil at Joburg’s favourite lifestyle destination. Melrose Arch, home to the first, and to date only, Jamie’s Italian and Paul restaurants in South Africa, will also welcome Hello Tomato and Senhor Peri Peri in Crescent Drive mid-year.

For more information, please contact the Melrose Arch Marketing Department on (011) 684-0002 or visit www.melrosearch.co.za.

Café Rio: (010) 020-3678

JB’s Corner: (011) 684-2999

Ono PokéEatery:078 893 1786; www.onoeatery.co.za

Rodizio Brazilian Grill and Tapas:(010) 020-3678; www.rodizio.co.za

Tiger’s Milk: melrosearch@tigersmilk.co.za; www.tigersmilk.co.za

In your comments, please refrain from using offensive language and unnecessary criticism. If you have to be critical, remember – it must be constructive.