Turn the clock back to pre-pandemic Cape Town, and one of the hottest tables in town came courtesy of chef Ash Heeger, whose inner-city eateries turned out some of the most exciting food in the city, at a time when there was no shortage of chefs creating a stir.
First there was ASH Restaurant, with a focus on flaming live-fire cooking, which in 2018 evolved into the more refined Riverine Rabbit. Less rock 'n roll, perhaps, but no less thrilling on the plate.
But just before Covid hit, Heeger made the call to close her restaurant and join her partner in the United Kingdom. Cape Town's loss was Birmingham's gain.
Riverine Rabbit in Birmingham began life as a series of pop-ups, before opening – chef Ash in the kitchen, and her wife Erin front of house – as a fully-fledged restaurant in early-2024. And it's safe to say that the pair has shot the lights out. On a road brimming with good eateries, coveted seats at Riverine Rabbit are booked up three months in advance, with savvy foodies flocking for a taste of chef Ash's signature blend of South African inspiration, British produce and Asian flavour.
Her culinary talents have now been recognized by that most respected of brands, the Michelin Guide. After receiving a Bib Gourmand – often a stepping stone to a sought-after star – in this year's Guide, Valenzuela-Heeger was identified by the anonymous Michelin inspectors as a talent to watch, and was this week unveiled as the winner of the Young Chef Award for 2025.
Calling the Birmingham outpost of Riverine Rabbit 'inventive and invigorating', the inspectors highlighted that 'her original cooking is big on flavor and draws on influences from her native South Africa to across Asia'.
On her menu of small plates, you'll find everything from West Mersea wild oysters in a nam jim dressing, to raw salmon with green apple and jalapeno. Crab toast? Yes, please...
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