As usual the Western Cape hogged the annual Eat Out Awards this week. There is clearly something in the water there that induces great food. To find out, I spoke to Gregory Czarnecki, head chef at The Restaurant at Waterkloof in Somerset West, who won Chef of the Year and the Rising Star Award; and the head chef at Maboneng's Urbanologi, Angelo Scirocco, about what's cooking in Johannesburg:GREGORY CZARNECKI Why does the Western Cape consistently outperform when it comes to food?The fine dining restaurant scene is more appropriate to the lifestyle of the winelands and Cape Town in general, therefore the possibility for a successful fine dining restaurant is probably much greater here. There are however excellent restaurants all over the country.How do you keep your kitchen from becoming a slave to culinary trends?I don't really follow trends - from the beginning I have done what I enjoy to cook and create dishes without considering the trends from overseas that might not fit into our environment.What tips would you give someone cooking Christmas lunch this year?Make it as easy as possible. Prep ahead and plan well so you can just enjoy the day with family and friends. You don't want to be stuck behind the stove and spend the whole of a special day cooking.What would you cook for Donald Trump?Oh that's an easy one. I would start with a deconstructed taco with corn sorbet followed by my 36-hour version of chili con carne served with corn waffle, and for dessert a mojito cremeux with lime and tequila sorbet.ANGELO SCIROCCO What is "urban garde"?It's a way of looking into our urban space and manipulating without harming the cultural elements, instead thriving on them naturally. In other words we take street food as the urban culture and bend it gastronomically by changing the way we perceive street food. This is how we apply avant garde to urbanisation. Urban garde isn't a modern movement, but a look from afar and asking "what if?"What dish wouldn't you cook on principle?Microwavable popcorn, I wouldn't touch a microwave with the back of a wooden spoon.What tips would you give uninitiated foodies coming to your restaurant for the first time?Try items on the menu you would never typically eat. They are there for a purpose and I would never put anything on a menu that not everyone can enjoy.Where do you see Johannesburg food trends heading in the next few years?Away from big plates of bulky food with cream covering the plate, and more people moving towards smaller dishes. Johannesburg foodies are starting to take note of all the smaller restaurants creating big bolder flavours with limited menu choices. This is great to create a culinary infrastructure as more artisans move in.What are you cooking for Christmas lunch?I am cooking in Durban for my girlfriend's family, apparently. This will give me a lot of insight into more unexplored territories.AND THE WINNERS ARE:TOP 5 RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AFRICA1. The Test Kitchen (Woodstock, Cape Town)2. La Colombe (Constantia, Cape Town)3. The Restaurant at Waterkloof (Somerset West)4. The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français (Franschhoek)5. Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient (Elandsfontein, Pretoria)WINNERS IN OTHER CATEGORIESService Excellence Award: La ColombeNew Restaurant of the Year: FoxcroftWine Service Award: Tinashe Nyamudoka of The Test KitchenLifetime Achievement Award: Peter VeldsmanStyle Award: MarbleAward for Outstanding Contribution to Service: Jennifer Hugé of La ColombeSustainability Award: The Table at De Meye..