While South Africa has a knack for adopting international series and making them our own, we also know how to do it really well.

The latest adaption came to an end this week, a local chef claiming to top spot.

Top Chef SA saw chefs from around South Africa compete against each other in various challenges, including ‘Quickfire Challenges’, nail-biting ‘Elimination Challenges’ and the dreaded ‘Judges’ Table’.

So who was the winner?

None other than Annemarie Robertson, the Executive Chef at Burrata, Bocca and Open Door.

How cool is that?

Beating 13 other chefs, many of them from critically acclaimed restaurants throughout South Africa, Annemarie walked away with R100 000.

Competing in the final with chef Ayabonga Gope, they were judged by Lesego Semenya, Neill Anthony and Luke-Dale Roberts from the Test Kitchen.

The two chefs were tasked with creating a four-course meal for the judges, with help by fellow contestants. From EatOut:

Annemarie chose Devin Hogan, (Head Chef at SMAK), Martine Christian (Executive Chef at Escondido Tapas) and Linda Mazibuko (co-owner of BlackCurrant Catering) as her sous chefs. In the allocated four hours they created a menu of spinach-and-artichoke tortellini followed by cured Norwegian salmon with avocado-and-basil purée; a main course of sous-vide lamb rack with garlic purée, fried gnocchi, chilli-tomato relish and bone-marrow jus, and a blue-cheese mousse dessert with spiced walnuts, sherry jelly, puffed wild rice and chives.

Just look at the pictures:

The best thing about all this is that you are able to actually go and eat some of Annemarie’s delicious creations, at either Burrata, Bocca and Open Door in Cape Town.

Mainly Italian-inspired dishes with a modern twist, the choices are delicious, exciting and probably unlike anything you have ever tasted before.

And that’s why she won.

[source:eatout]