To many, steakhouses are the closest urban counterpart to the braai: less a meal than a unifying social ritual, they are places to gather, break bread and linger.
East City Grill & Yakiniku is not your typical steakhouse. Housing two distinct concepts under one roof, it forms part of the world’s tallest hemp structure, which spans a hotel, café and boutique. The former blends familiar favourites with Asian inflections, while the latter introduces the ritualised intimacy of Japanese tabletop grilling.
Inside, East City Grill & Yakiniku feels removed from the city. Soft lighting, cherry blossom sculptures and Asian-inspired, 3D-printed trinkets create a spirit of omotenashi (wholehearted hospitality). It feels as if one’s stepped into a carefully curated pocket of Japanese minimalism with a touch of South African warmth.
This sense of being “elsewhere” is no accident. The project has been years in the making. Owner and developer Duncan Parker began exploring hemp construction in 2013, determined to prove its viability in an urban setting. The restaurant came later. Born, fittingly, from steak dinners with friends of Duncan’s that became a more formal standing arrangement.
“The original idea was to have a steakhouse on the first floor and build a yakiniku restaurant on the 11th floor, but the logistics didn’t really work out,” chef Jaycee Ferreira explains. “Then the development team suggested that we combine the steakhouse and the Japanese restaurant in one.”
Inspired by Duncan’s ongoing love affair with Japan, the Yakiniku room introduces Cape Town to downward-extracting grill tables, imported from Japan after two years of local testing. Smoke disappears sideways, while the concept of yakiniku is explained by the chefs or the staff. Grill it, dip it, layer it, top it, wrap it; there’s no wrong way. The chopstick ritual is the point.
Their meat is thinly sliced and ethically sourced from Elansberg Farms in the Riebeek Valley, pioneers of local Wagyu since 2016. On the grill, it’s finished with tangy plum and lightly acidic matcha salts. Brisket is flagged as flavourful but firm, best cooked slowly. Short rib softens over flame, while finer cuts vanish into umami-rich lettuce wraps with rice, kimchi and tare.
The East City Grill menu reads like a conversation between cultures rather than fusion for fusion’s sake. Small plates lean confidently into experimentation without ever feeling pretentious or meagre.
Here, accessibility is as central as sustainability. “That’s always been part of our ethos. We’re not charging an arm and a leg like a lot of other places,” GM Wilmo van Zyl notes. “I think we add quite a lot of value. We want to allow everybody to eat.”
Chef Jaycee, who joined East City Grill & Yakiniku after years in luxury coastal kitchens, is adamant about using the whole animal. Bones become stock; fat becomes tallow; trim becomes boerewors, burgers, meatballs, biltong and droëwors.
My beef fillet tataki plate arrived uncluttered and cooked to perfection, soundtracked by a loungey Japanese playlist and first-rate service. The dish is sharpened by yakiniku sauce, a dash of smoked black garlic mayo and the crunch of paper-thin potato crisps, pairing beautifully with the subtle acidic notes of quality Cinsault.
The preceding mosbolletjies arrived pillowy and light. Parmesan dustings add a lovely savoury depth, while separate Bovril biltong and apricot butter spreads set the tone.
Tempura calamari with togarashi pineapple, followed by charred prawns with grilled corn, pickled fennel and avocado, definitely didn’t falter. The prawns’ rich tanginess was delightfully complemented by Parker’s textured Constantia Sauvignon Blanc, a homespun, premium blend that isn’t commercially available.
On the floor, operator and sommelier Marc Botes moves with quiet precision. Channelling his years of experience as head sommelier for Gordon Ramsay Restaurants in London, he’s compiled a wine list expertly mirroring the space’s elevated but unpretentious philosophy.
The list is arranged stylistically: “clean and precise”, “bright and juicy” and “generous and framed”, inviting instinct rather than expertise. “I wanted to remove that moment of panic where the wine list feels like a test instead of a pleasure,” Marc explains. “The aim is to help guests think beyond what they usually order, without feeling intimidated.”
A small list of Asian-inspired signature cocktails, curated with a Japanese New York-based mixologist, leans towards savoury and fresh, rewarding curiosity.
Ultimately this is a restaurant where fire takes centre stage in familiar ways, but nothing feels predictable. East City Grill & Yakiniku doesn’t chase trends or authenticity as performance. Instead, it honours South African heritage, Japanese influence and the belief that culinary excellence should still be within reach.
With an ever-evolving menu, artisanal cutlery and reasonable pricing, the spark shows no signs of fading. Add an exciting research trip to Japan and additional upcoming live performances after the Boney M and Gipsy Kings shows at the restaurant last year and all I can say is: well done!
