Exhibit is hidden amongst trees behind the UKZN Howard College Campus in Dale Road. It is quirky. An old bath and shower have been turned into a water feature in the courtyard. Number plates from the USA are up on one wall. Definitely quirky.
I've been here twice. The first time I decided to have breakfast and a milkshake. How healthy. Being a very small cafe the service is great as it should be. If they missed me, that would've been nothing short of shocking.
A small but reasonable menu is available for diners. I ordered the omelette which was light and delectable. Perfectly cooked with a generous amount of filling, it was a good start to the day. The highlight though was the milkshake. It was made with frozen bananas and the chocolate option I chose complimented the fruit and gave me a healthier and somehow tastier milkshake than the full fat alternative. It was worth every cent and I was well pleased (as the British would say).
Whilst driving past there recently I decided to stop it again, lured by the memory of that milkshake. How disappointed I was. This one was made with regular store bought ice-cream - with icicles included - and ended up being an odd grey concoction (are all chocolate milkshakes grey?). Seriously lacking in flavour, this beverage shattered my chocolate milkshake dreams Exhibit had provided me with. I left without ordering anything to eat.
Verdict
Small cafe with a good value for money menu. Two very different experiences, and I hope they improve and go back to their original ideas.
Aside
If you want a good chocolate milkshake get one from Cacao in Gateway. It's R35 but I'd pay even more for it. Watch this space for a review...
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
Jumeli Cafe
If you drive too fast or take corners like Michael Schumacher, you might miss this. So slow down when you're close to the Clark Road and Bulwer Road corner, this is almost at that intersection on the Clark Road side. I suppose many would describe it as quaint. I'm not sure if it should be labelled as that.
As a small cafe, they have a small kitchen and a small number of tables available. The outside is good for fresh air but exposes you to the noise of the nearby traffic. As inside was cooler and quieter I preferred sitting in. Interesting works of art adorn the walls and magazines and newspapers are available to read.
The waitrons are pleasant and accommodating. The cakes, cupcakes and meat options available for the day are written on a chalkboard and make things easy to choose or tempt. The menu is small as they do breakfast and lunch only, however, they cater for a variety of tastes. Besides, its always pleasing to see a lamb sandwich option on a menu. My friend and I had a salad version of a sandwich. Yes they do that - pick a sandwich and they can make that into a salad option if you like. The salads were just the right size with moist chicken, fresh avocado and a rather good honey and mustard dressing on the side.
The cakes were tempting and it took a lot of self restraint to decline them, even as our friendly waitress tried to persuade us. The cake on that day was hummingbird cake. This is the only place I know of so far that serves it. If you haven't tried it or don't know what it is - it's like carrot cake but with bananas instead of carrots. Same great cream cheese icing, and this one was a triple layer. Interesting cupcake flavours like Rolo and red velvet were also available. My tummy was saying yes but my love handles politely stepped away. I think it was the right decision.
Verdict
Simple, excellent food at great prices that won't break the bank. The 2 salads and 2 drinks came to about R85. Well worth it. Definitely on my "repeat visit" list.
As a small cafe, they have a small kitchen and a small number of tables available. The outside is good for fresh air but exposes you to the noise of the nearby traffic. As inside was cooler and quieter I preferred sitting in. Interesting works of art adorn the walls and magazines and newspapers are available to read.
The waitrons are pleasant and accommodating. The cakes, cupcakes and meat options available for the day are written on a chalkboard and make things easy to choose or tempt. The menu is small as they do breakfast and lunch only, however, they cater for a variety of tastes. Besides, its always pleasing to see a lamb sandwich option on a menu. My friend and I had a salad version of a sandwich. Yes they do that - pick a sandwich and they can make that into a salad option if you like. The salads were just the right size with moist chicken, fresh avocado and a rather good honey and mustard dressing on the side.
The cakes were tempting and it took a lot of self restraint to decline them, even as our friendly waitress tried to persuade us. The cake on that day was hummingbird cake. This is the only place I know of so far that serves it. If you haven't tried it or don't know what it is - it's like carrot cake but with bananas instead of carrots. Same great cream cheese icing, and this one was a triple layer. Interesting cupcake flavours like Rolo and red velvet were also available. My tummy was saying yes but my love handles politely stepped away. I think it was the right decision.
Verdict
Simple, excellent food at great prices that won't break the bank. The 2 salads and 2 drinks came to about R85. Well worth it. Definitely on my "repeat visit" list.
Havana Grill
My friends and I recently went to Havana Grill (again) at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World. They had revamped the place since my last visit and it still looks clean and sleek. The waitrons were friendly and efficient and knew what was on the menu. That is always a plus and can be pretty rare nowadays. The views from the "outside section" are great, you're basically in the ocean. We started with cocktails which didn't disappoint. Flavoured mojitos and martinis are a nice variation from the norm and why not live dangerously?
For starters we had the jalapeno poppers, nachos and deconstructed prawn samoosas. All three were excellent and the prawns were plentiful. The jalapeno poppers are arguably the best in Durban and at around R45 were well worth the price.
Mains were also amazing. Luscious mash with slow cooked lamb shank where the meat fell off the bone was heavenly. The vegetable accompaniment was good enough to have any carnivore down some green beans also. The portion was sizable enough to have fed two people and allowed Nigella a midnight snack also. We also tried the ostrich and the springbok. No complaints there either. Cooked just right, the meat was done medium and melted in the mouth. Could you ask for anything more?
After gorging ourselves on starters and mains, we shared a dessert. It doesn't help our weight loss plan this year anyway. The vanilla pannacotta with berry coulis was served with a touille biscuit and had just the right amount of wobble to it. A perfect end to a great meal.
Verdict
A bit pricy compared to other restaurants but well worth it to spoil yourself. Excellent service and good food doesn't come cheap.
Aside
The sister branch, Little Havana, in Umhlanga is just as good as the original and just as snazzy to dine in. Review of that soon!
For starters we had the jalapeno poppers, nachos and deconstructed prawn samoosas. All three were excellent and the prawns were plentiful. The jalapeno poppers are arguably the best in Durban and at around R45 were well worth the price.
Mains were also amazing. Luscious mash with slow cooked lamb shank where the meat fell off the bone was heavenly. The vegetable accompaniment was good enough to have any carnivore down some green beans also. The portion was sizable enough to have fed two people and allowed Nigella a midnight snack also. We also tried the ostrich and the springbok. No complaints there either. Cooked just right, the meat was done medium and melted in the mouth. Could you ask for anything more?
After gorging ourselves on starters and mains, we shared a dessert. It doesn't help our weight loss plan this year anyway. The vanilla pannacotta with berry coulis was served with a touille biscuit and had just the right amount of wobble to it. A perfect end to a great meal.
Verdict
A bit pricy compared to other restaurants but well worth it to spoil yourself. Excellent service and good food doesn't come cheap.
Aside
The sister branch, Little Havana, in Umhlanga is just as good as the original and just as snazzy to dine in. Review of that soon!
Welcome
So this is it... the first post of hopefully a useful blog. For me and for you. Living in Durban it is difficult to find good places to eat and people tend to get stuck into a routine. It's human nature. Most lunches or dinners are chosen by convenience or recommendation by word of mouth. Let's hope this blog will help you by giving some insight into my dining experiences in and around Durban. There will be restaurant reviews of Durban as well as reviews on fast food chains, bakeries, markets etc. This is 100% my opinion and of course completely bias. You don't have to follow what I say, just read my thoughts and may they inspire you or help you stay away from a potentially disastrous meal. Either way I get to rant and rave about food in Durban and how cool is that!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)