It’s been a great year for Durban dining. And the city officially has the country’s best restaurant in the LivingRoom in Cowies Hill.
Chef Johannes and Johanna Richter have broken through that Cape Town ceiling in a move that has the potential to uplift and inspire many of Durban’s other restaurants. It shows it can be done. The city doesn’t have to be just beers, burgers and coffee.
And speaking to the couple soon after their win, they were humble, and continuing to strive to give loyal patrons the array of interesting flavours from locally sourced and sustainable ingredients.
Before the announcement, I had enjoyed a superb lunch there, the highlight being the chicken velouté. Chicken is often a boring bird, but not in the hands of Chef Johannes. Served with green bananas, it was succulent, the skin crisp and the depth of flavour in the velouté magnificent.
In another interesting “win” this year, Durban burger joint Smokin’ Joe’s was voted no 12 in the world. Yunis Bassa’s simple eatery has come a long way from operating out of a caravan at the Musgrave night market.
It was while tasting his burgers ‒ they’re great ‒ that food writer Ingrid Shevlin and I were debating a top 10 for KZN. I felt it would be a struggle to make up 10 that really stood out, and seven to 10 might simply be making up the numbers. We disagreed on some, so she will have her own list, but I also thought it would be better to mention the delicious diners, or decadent dives, or hidden gems, whatever you might want to call them, because what they do, they do well and they offer great value. They're never going to be fine dining or win awards, but they are at the heart of their neighbourhoods.
My five would include the LivingRoom, and Mundo Vida in uMdloti. Joni Wilkinson’s simple but elegant restaurant with its wonderful sea views rarely disappoints. It specialises in fresh fish and seafood, the Asian-style mussels bringing back memories.
Soon after April’s horrid floods, I visited the village that suffered so much and went restaurant hopping, largely to let readers know the village was open and ready to serve. I was impressed at everything I ate. From the local coffee shop, to the local pub, to a pizza joint, the service was consistently good, and the food was always above average. There’s some real heart in the village.
While on the subject of uMdloti, Ingrid and I enjoyed the new fish restaurant called Tightline in the recently opened Salta Mall. The whole-baked cob was a costly but thoroughly enjoyable feast.
Further out in Salt Rock, Ray’s Kitchen is another contender for the list. Last year, it was the tuna lollipops, and this year, it was an oxtail from the gods.
This year, Kayla-Ann Osborne returned to Durban to run the kitchen at 9th Ave Waterside. I enjoyed a fabulous wine dinner there, complete with fresh sardines marinated Spanish anchovy style, a delightful bisque with langoustines, labneh and her signature curry leaves and a glorious dessert called BoKaap Crack ‒ a deconstructed koeksister, if you will.
Then there is the simple country cooking of Jane Smorthwaite at Abingdon wine farm in the Midlands. There was a cheesy gnocchi that was ambrosial, and a citrus tart that was heavenly.
Others knocking at the door include Cafè Monroe which opened in the old Cafè 1999 spot midyear, and the Black Rabbit in Hillcrest, the latest offering from Jason Black. Here you simply have to try the garlic bread which also has a gutsy garlic butter poured over it at the table. I also enjoyed the food at the newly opened Kali in uMhlanga, but thought it was expensive.
On the other hand, many of the new openings in Florida Road this year disappointed: some have already changed names or become pizza joints.
The one shining example of what I’d call a good neighbourhood local though is Sofra Istanbul, with its authentic Turkish offerings ‒ I enjoy its falafels and mezze platter ‒ and generous hospitality. It also gets the nod for Durban’s best halaal restaurant. The Chill and Grill in Glenwood aptly fills this category, with the best fish and chips in town. Then there’s what’s simply known as Maria’s Prawns. Maria Teranes at Delfi on Lilian Ngoyi Road produces the authentic dishes of her native Greece, but it’s the prawns grilled in her home-made, garlic-heavy peri-peri that are famous far and wide. And they come with excellent chips, which I’m sure are cooked in olive oil. I know of people who order kilogrammes of prawns and take them all the way to friends who have moved to Salt Rock, because they love them so much.
Abbiocco, in Umhlali, is another lovely local, part deli, part simple Italian eatery. Its mezze platter is a treat piled with the likes of vitello tonnato and croquettes. Likewise, here in Morningside Col’Tempo is a hidden delight, with a simple beef ragu on tagliatelle or minestrone soup being the perfect pick-me-up. Plus you can buy a hunk of real Gorgonzola cheese.
Durban has a lot to offer, so don’t knock it. With Covid finally kicked into touch, we can only hope 2023 will continue to improve.
The one area where Durban restaurants could tart themselves up is desserts. Everywhere seems to offer the same boring holy trinity of chocolate brownies, some sort of cheese cake or crème brûleé. Or maybe you could add ice cream and chocolate sauce to make it a colourless quartet. Surely someone has some imagination? And they don’t have to be complex, just offer variety. PS: carrot cake is not a dessert.
The one spot where the Glass Guy and I had a great dessert this year was at the Roma Revolving. There to celebrate its 50-year milestone, Gino Leopardi whipped us up a zabaglione at the table. It’s a simple boozy custard mopped up with finger biscuits. A treat. And you can’t get more retro than the Roma.
The Independent on Saturday