Merriment at Miller’s Grill

By The Standard | May. 6, 2012

By Le ConnoisseurIt was one of those “last rainy nights” when we ventured out to Miller’s Grill in Ballantyne Park. The anticipated pleasure was enhanced by the delightful fact that we would not have to fend for ourselves yet again during a power cut. On arrival we were offered a chance to have a drink or two at the bar but being very hungry, we declined. We were escorted to a table by the door leading out to the terrace and we had chosen to be seated in the smoking section.

The restaurant was buzzing, with almost all the tables occupied. We watched as a family group of early diners ate and left at a reasonable hour to get the kids into bed and their table was almost immediately occupied by another family group which comprised grandchildren, parents and grandparents.

We were presented with a multi-page wine list with a vast selection of good wines, ranging from a modest US$9 to US$98 for top-of-the-range. We settled on a Buitenverwachting Blanc de Noir 2009 Rosé for our meal but decided to sample the cocktail menu while we waited. We decided on the Sex on the Beach and a Slow Comfortable Screw! Love the names! Who thought of them and why…? An interesting future topic for a thesis or paper on alcohol! These were delicious and perfect as we perused our surroundings and fellow dinners’ culinary choices. The restaurant is elegantly simple. It’s very clean with uncluttered surfaces. We loved the wine rack in the centre if the dining area. Delicious warm bread was served first and the butter melted into it and was just delicious. Our starters arrived soon after. I chose Esigodini Escargots smothered in garlic butter…what a treat. The aroma alone was enough to have us singing the dish’s praises. The snails melted in the mouth. For her appetiser my partner ordered the Beira Prawn Cocktail which was described as prawns shelled and sautéed in garlic butter tossed with wasabi mayo and served on a bed of avocado and lettuce.

When the dish arrived we were impressed by the beautiful presentation. However, my partner found the dish to be too heavy on the salad and light on the prawns. The salad consists of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, spring onions, avocado and fancy lettuce. The prawns were absolutely delicious and the avocado was very fresh. She had expected the wasabi mayo would be quite hot so was surprised that she couldn’t taste it at all! Overall, though, she enjoyed this starter.

Choosing our main courses from the vast array on offer took a while. On the menu there are appetisers, Millers’ speciality steaks, salads from Millers’ farm, Millers’ catch, side dishes, a little farmers’ menu and desserts sections — pages and pages to choose from with several new items too. After much deliberation we finally chose the Ruorka Oxtail served with mash and rich gravy and lamb chops. We also selected a side bowl of seasonal vegetables to share as the mains don’t come with veg, they were perfectly done and very good. My oxtail was presented still bubbling in a little black three-legged pot and I was able to dish up manageable amounts onto my plate which had a mound of smooth mashed potato on it. It was perfectly seasoned and the oxtail was so tender it fell off the bone. The fruity wine was light, refreshing and “moreish.”

For her main course, my partner ordered Karoo Rack which is a tender rack of lamb, grilled to perfection and served with mash and mint sauce. The menu said this was “a must”. At US$24, she was expecting to fly to the moon in gastronomic ecstasy. When the dish was served, it smelt divine. There were three lamb chops on a bed of mash, mint sauce and a sprig of parsley. The combination of lamb and mint sauce was delicious. But the dim lighting made it hard to see her food and she ended up chewing on charred lamb fat which she found unpleasant. The meat itself tasted good, although it was a little on the chewy side and the mash was lovely but more than she could finish. All in all, she proclaimed it to be “very pleasant” but it didn’t send her over the moon.

For dessert I ordered cheesecake and Amarula Don Pedro. The cheesecake was amazing, a very thin crust with a massive layer of cheesecake; rich and decadent.

I enjoyed it so much I nearly finished the massive slice I was served. The Don Pedro was also very well made and it was a nice conclusion to a pleasant meal.

Our dinner at Miller’s Grill was an enjoyable evening full of merriment and over-indulgence.