East City Grill & Yakiniku: A Grillroom Destination on Harrington Street

The world’s tallest hemp-made building now has another claim to fame! The cutting-edge structure on Cape Town’s Harrington Street, which made headlines for its sustainable building materials and design, is home to two fiery new dining concepts. Sharing the same space but divided by elegant Japanese screens, East City Grill and Yakiniku offer guests two different ways to feast on fire-kissed steaks: a traditional South African flame-led grill with a touch of Asian influence; or an immersive Japanese-style yakiniku experience where you become both chef and diner, cooking strips of wagyu at the table grill in front of you.

As you’d expect from owner Duncan Parker (founder of Hemporium, whose flagship store is just downstairs), the design of the space is simple, pared down and focussed on using sustainable building materials, with moody lighting glowing from paper globes. A superb soundtrack keeps the mood flowing, from Ukrainian electro to downtempo Latin electronica with dub/reggae/tango influences.

Master of flame, chef Jaycee Ferreira, transforms classics into expressive dishes that speak of heritage and craft. And the wagyu for both menus comes from Elandsberg Farms in the Swartland (also owned by the Parker family), where ethically raised cattle roam freely and a large swathe of the land is given over to a nature reserve.

South African fire-cooking with Asian flair

The traditional South African steakhouse gets a new twist at East City Grill. Yes, there are flames, and beautifully fire-kissed prime cuts of rib eye, sirloin and wagyu, hand-cut chips and char-grilled vegetables. But you’ll also find inspired Asian twists: pumpkin fitters with miso caramel, triple-fried crispy potatoes with miso butter and smoked bonito furikake. Among the starters, a nostalgic wagyu boerewors with a braaibroodjie sits alongside a beef fillet tataki and tempura calamari, so you can be as exotic or as old-school as you like. Desserts blossom with creativity, from sesame panna cotta to miso chocolate mousse and Hokkaido cheesecake.
Cost À la carte

Interactive Japanese dining

A deep red velvet entranceway welcomes you to the Yakiniku experience, which begins in the comfortable lounge decorated with Japanese-inspired artworks (by local Cape Town artisans). We were greeted with a glass of bubbly and a nigiri canapé, before moving to our custom-designed table centred around a small charcoal grill. Before we tried our hands at cooking though, Jaycee’s take on a towered bento box arrived as our starter: a delicious selection of sashimi and dumplings.

Now things get sizzling… strips of sirloin, rump and wagyu come to your table, the grill is lit and wielding chopsticks you turn your meat on the grid, then dunk it in smoky-sweet tare sauce and  pop it onto Japanese Koshihikari rice layered on a lettuce leaf. Next you top with kimchi and pickled cucumber, before wrapping it and tucking into a smoky-delicious feast. And there’s a grand dessert finale… our brownie with a beautiful pear ice cream, dehydrated pear flake and stewed pear was an absolute winner.
Cost R895 (four courses + glass of bubbly)

Two flame-cooked feasts that are sure to set the town on fire!

Good to know Lift access is available for guests requiring assistance (request when booking)
Opening times Tuesday –  Saturday, 12pm – 4pm, 6pm – 9.30pm
Contact 021 518 3366, [email protected]
Where to find it 1st Floor, 84 Harrington Street, East City, Cape Town
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