Daruma

"The name Daruma comes from the traditional Tumble Doll, on which a face is depicted, represents the “Will to persevere”, – if knocked down seven times it will stand up eight times. When a person has identified a particular goal to strive for, one of the pupils may be inked in. Only on achievement may the second pupil be added to the doll." Daruma Japanese Restaurant

Eat Out magazine says:

Cuisine: Sushi, Continental, Japanese
Ambience: Authentic Culture
The elegant restaurant’s walls are adorned with wooden panels and Japanese artworks, and chairs curl around three teppanyaki stations. Plush carpets and tables screened off from one another allow for discreet dining."

Last night we visited Daruma restaurant on the Durban beachfront. There is also one in Pretoria. It was undoubtedly such a great experience. Real authentic Japanese food, fresh sushi and the amazing experience of having it cooked Teppanyaki- " for those not in the know this mean right infront of your eyes!" The Chef used natural flavours right throughout the night. There were no hidden sauces/ bottled sauces added to the dish, simple ingredients such as garlic, chillies, lemon juice and of course soya sauce were used to create what was a delicious healthy meal.


The enetertainment aspect is that the Chef is right in front of you and you can chat to him ask him what he feels like making and what he thinks the best meals are. Depending on whether you're a table of 2 or 20 he will accomodate you.

We started with a Meerlust Pinotage which is quite a deep red wine rich and flavourful
Starters was 4 piece salmon california roll, 4 piece prawn california roll and 2 piece octopus sashimi. This is my language. The fish was fresh and the sushi made by a Japanese man which made it the real thing. The rice was perfect not too sweet as it is at non-sushi specialty restaurants and the fish inside was a generous amount.
As a mains the Chef consulted us as to what we felt like, my boyfriend opted for steak and i opted for fish, we shared one portion of egg fried rice which was more than enough along with stir fried vegetables which were prefectly crisp. The fish was nice and fresh with a delicious sauce which he made on the grill containing soya sauce, chilli, sugar, and garlic. Also served with a fresh Japanese tartare sauce. The steak was so tender and soft and served with a sweet soya sauce also made on the grill from fresh ingredients.
The mains portions were so large we could hardly finish and dessert was out of the question.

Whats nice about this menu is that there is a whole array of appetizers: tofu, chicken, beef, salmon served in a variety of ways. Then they have tempura veggies, chicken, beef, fish and a whole lot of sushi platters and a la carte! They also have teppanyaki set menus from R185 per person which have starter mains and dessert, and a seafood platter which looks delicious as well. So delicious it was hard to decide and it is definately a restaurant worth going back to again and again to try something new! And if you're courageous try the saki warm, it'll give you the knock but round off the experience in true fabulous Japanese style.

Dish restaurant at the Royal Palm Hotel, Gateway Durban

Eat out magazine says: ""Classic Elegance"
Cuisine: Contemporary

Last night I went out for a friends birthday dinner/ Oudemeester premium Brand tasting evening. We arrived and I ordered a double Oudemeester with tonic water. Not bad but definitely not my drink of choice.


The restaurant is stunning. It is a certain type of dining which I've seen before at Jam restaurant as well, the modern, chic, elegant dining experience. The decor was lovely and I appreciated the fact that the main bar was at the front of the restaurant by the entrance practically in the middle of the room. It was definitely a point of focus and all tables kind of set around the bar. We were a table of four near the kitchen. I secretly loved the fact that I was facing away from the kitchen but there was a huge mirror allowing me to see into the kitchen. Nothing better than watching chef's in their element!


The menu has a variety, starters, meat dishes, fish dishes, chicken dishes, curries. The commonality was that everything sounded delicious and simple. Not too many flavours on one plate which is something I look for in a good restaurant. The dishes range from about R80 - R120 of course with prawns as SQ.
I ordered the lamb chops which is not something I would usually order but I was feeling adventurous. I must say I expected the typical lamb chop and mint sauce but these lamb chops had a sweet-ish marinade which made it different. The four lamb chops were of course made to perfection and served on a bed of mash potatoes, which were nothing to write home about and lacking flavour. There were also bowls of roasted vegetable for the table to share drenched in oil and garlic... naughty but delicious!


My boyfriend had the rump steak, medium, which came on a skewer filled with moderate sized steaks and I must say I was a bit worried when I saw nothing but meat on the plate but this was delicious! Also similar sweet marinade used different from the lamb chops but equally good. He had a side plate of crisp french fries which were also perfectly cooked. In my opinion his order was the best at the table!


My friend ate the chicken and prawn tomato curry which I was not as impressed with. The sauce was exactly that tomato and I didn't get where the curry came in. The prawns were a bit on the dry side and I don't get why you'd completely de-shell prawns you're putting in a curry. The most delicious (and entertaining) part of it is de-shelling and sucking the curry off the shell!

The only one to have dessert was my boyfriend who ordered a creme brulee! Same as he ordered the night before at Czar. The two were very different, the brulee was slightly on the burnt side but the cream inside deliciously flavoured!

What I also loved about the restaurant was the lovely courtyard with couches outside where we could finish off our drinks. Great service, great people, great food! Can't wait to stay at the hotel and try their breakfast too!

Czar Restaurant, Florida Road, Morningside

CZAR: (The old society)
Eat out magazine says "Contemporary Cool, Hip & Happening"
Cuisine: Tapas, Sushi, Asian

Note: Parking is a nightmare on Florida Road!

We sat outside on the patio, it was a moderately warm evening. Pre-booked table for 4, with an extra guest and I was extremely excited to try out the half price sushi that everyone has bragged about! We had a cocktail which was rather disappointing while waiting for our guests to arrive and pre ordered a bottle of wine The Haute Cabrière Pinot Noir 2006 which chilled on ice.

We ordered two platters: Set menus consisting of a selection of prawn, tuna, salmon, seared beef and calamari in the form of Cali rolls, Colourful rolls, Sashimi, Maki, Nigiri and some cucumber rolls. The fish was fresh which made it delicious. The two platters were enough to feed a table of 5.
The wine complimented the sushi and it was definately a 'dancing partner', as the waiter said it would be for the sushi.

My only two complaints were the fact that it was busy and we had to wait for our drinks for quite a while (note to self: Don't order a cocktail unless you're willing to wait for it) and secondly when the bill arrived and we discovered the set menus were not half price which hadnt been communicated to us by the waiter nor was it mentioned on the bill. Regardless it was well worth it. We spent about R300 per platter and R130 on the wine. An evening well spent. The wine gets a 4/5 for me due to its light, fruity yet dry taste which complimented the seafood choice for the evening! The sushi gets a 8/10 and has proven to be one of the better sushi restaurants in Durban for me! 

Dessert was a light cremem brulee which was nice and hard on the outside and soft and gently creamy on the inside! Delicious!

Jam Restaurant Durban

Eat Out magazine says "Contemporary Cool"

Cuisine: Continental

Jam Restaurant has to be one of the best restaurants in Durban. Situated at the Quartez hotel in Morningside. I first went there with a table of about 20 - 25 people and the waiters managed us and all the other tables just fine. It's small and intimate and the design modern and fresh. My favourtie part of this restaurant is the fact that after your meal you can go out on the veranda and sit on the couches and have some whiskey or cocktails after your meal!

We ate: Boneless chicken thighs which were sweet and succulent, and the lamb shank which was delicious and soft off the bone. The vegetables were fresh and crisp. We paired it with a bottle of red Zewenwaght Pinotage which surprising went done very well! The portions are a decent size to fill you up.Jam is now one of my favourite places to dine in Durban! I cant wait to try more food on the menu!

Fish & Chips @ The Fish Plaice in Musgrave

I think I got my love for Fish & Chips from Cape Town!!!!
So last night I didnt feel like cooking and decided to go try out a Fish & Chips restaurant in Durban. I went to The Fish PLaice in Musgrave. To my pleasant surprise it was actually really good. I thought I was in for some greasy, oil soaked newspaper fish and chips but it was far from it.

The meal:
We ordered Grilled Kingklip and chips and the Triple special: grilled hake, fried calamari rings and about 5 prawns. The portions are excellent size to fill you up. The tartare sauce is great it’s a nice meal for when you crave something from the Ocean! They have a big sign in the shop that says “We only cook to order” and that lets you know that what youll be eating is fresh! Expect a 10 – 15 minute wait for your food! Theres also one in Glenashley!