Shrewd Food, Durban (2026)

11/06/2026

Seven Seeds Coffee Shop, which is tucked on one side of Bargain Basket in Pinetown, is under new management. When I last posted about the venue in February it had morphed into a much classier and spacious venue after an extensive and impressive makeover Now, not only is there the interior section, but there's also a much enlarged terrace space set alongside a small plant nursery. So, yes, there are a lot of plastic flowers and greenery lifting the terrace space, but I've begun to warm to plastic, and it didn't detract at all for me. And just think, no watering, just dusting.
I understood there was to be a new menu but, alas, it has not yet been introduced. In the meantime the kitchen is offering daily specials to supplement the existing menu which includes seafood options like hake, calamari and prawns. I opted for grilled hake and calamari served with a generous salad (chips are an alternative as well as veggies).
Look at the picture below and see what a generously portioned meal it was - and all for R135. The salad was fresh, the hake was nice and the calamari was great. My friend J opted for chocolate cheesecake, R60, which was excellent. Seeds offers a variety of daily cakes - at least six - which is a win.
It appears that the new menu, double the size of the existing one, will be launched in a few weeks. Watch this space.

Find at 151 Josiah Gumede Road, Pinetown
** Call 031 701 2939

08/06/2026

FRUIT GUMMIES WITH A DIFFERENCE. I’m awed by the ability of the youngest generation - like my grandkids - to navigate the weird, and occasionally wonderful, world wide web; to have enough suss to make sense of it and to understand in some subliminal way that it can be entertaining, informative but also misleading.
Take this conversation with Lilly, nine. She asked me to buy her more packets of sweets she had recently discovered. I’d never heard of them. How did you find out about them, I asked. On YouTube she replied. I rolled my eyes. Not everything on YouTube is a lie, she retorted. Ho Hum. In this case she was onto something.
The sweets are fruit gummies called Peelerz, produced by Amos Sweets. They are made of concentrated fruit juice. This claim has been made before and they do also contain stuff like acidity regulators. So not a health product, per se.
But what’s interesting about them - apart from their very appealing flavour and chewy texture - is that they are designed to mimic the experience of eating real fruit, with a peelable outer layer and a chewy, juicy centre. My grandkids love them, your kids will love them - and I love them. In fact I can’t stop eating them. They come in a variety of fruit flavours like litchi, mango, orange, peach and banana.
I bought several packets from Oxford Freshmarket Waterfall (142 Inanda Rd, Waterfall). The funny thing is that no-one at Oxford appeared to have heard of them, either. Not the packers at the sweet section, nor the ladies at the information booth. I rang the daughter and she said they are on a shelf near the tills - not in the sweet section. Eventually a manager-type turned up, thought for a bit and then discovered them on a shelf near the tills. Haha.
Also just discovered you can also buy online through Checkers 60 for R34.99 for 80g. Oxford sells them for R31.99! Still not cheap, I know, but somehow these are sweets you don’t feel guilty eating.

06/06/2026

CELEBRATING THE CULINARY BOUNTY OF KZN.
This sounds a winning combo. "Tijn", Constantijn Hahndiek, who honed his craft in leading kitchens across Europe before earning acclaim at Hartford House, and Mathew Armbruster, one of my favourite chefs, who heads the Chefs' Table kitchen in Umhlanga, are combining their talents to take diners on a culinary journey through KwaZulu Natal.
The Province on a Plate is its name and the event is a five-course tasting menu taking place on Wednesday, June 10, at the Chefs's Table. A one night only dinner.
According to the press release, "Inspired by the landscapes, producers and ingredients that define our province; from the abundant seafood of our coastline to the rich agricultural heartland of the Midlands, the evening will celebrate the flavours, people and places that make KZN one of South Africa's most exciting food destinations."
What's not to like here. The promise of good food and reasonable priced as well, all at a great venue.

Event at a glance:
5 Course Tasting Menu
R750 per person
Bookings from 5:30pm
Excludes additional drinks and gratuity
Venue: The Chefs' Table, Umhlanga

Seats are limited and reservations are essential. To reserve your table, please email [email protected] or call 031 001 0200.

04/06/2026

A mixed culinary experience at the FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar in the Radisson Blu, a 4-star hotel which opened at Oceans Mall in Umhlanga Rocks in 2022. The restaurant is on the 6th floor, along with a coffee lounge and an outdoor pool bar and pool, where most of the action was taking place and which has spectacular and unhindered views of our coastline
The restaurant has the same sweeping view. Its decor is contemporary and comfortable with muted colours and generic artwork. Utterly bland in other words. Happily there are the views from the expansive floor to ceiling windows to compensate.
The menu is described as serving “North American open flame-style cuisine”. According to AI, it’s rooted in the region's grilling heritage, smoky flavors, and al-fresco cooking techniques. Braaiing in other words. In fact, the menu is far more wide ranging than that.
It includes small plates (oysters, mussels, arancini, panko prawns and short ribs), salads, pasta (butternut ravioli and seafood puttanesca), a wood oven and grill section (steaks, lamb chops and shisanyama platters) a fish and seafood section (from herb-crusted hake to Cajun king prawns); big plates (oxtail, beef ribs, chicken burger, chicken or beef prego, lamb shank and Durban-style lamb curry), and finally pizzas. So a very embracing menu to meet most needs.
Frank Chemaly and I had been meaning to visit since its opening and were, finally, able to tick it off our list.
We started by sharing palak pakora (crispy, deep-fried Indian fritters made from fresh spinach) served with mint chutney and chilli oil, R129 for three; a lobster salad with champagne-saffron aioli, cucumber ribbons, roasted corn, cherry tomatoes and pea shoots, R265, and a seafood platter for one for R499. This promised grilled sole, 12 prawns, 10 mussels, calamari, rustic fries, savoury rice, lemon butter and tartar sauces. Sufficient for two in fact.
The verdict: Although the palak pakoras were nicely crisp, they were so dense we both refused the third one.
For the lobster salad, lobster chunks had been mixed in a mayonnaise-style sauce and replaced in the shell. That, along with fresh and crispy salad ingredients, made for a delightful salad
As far as the seafood platter was concerned, in reality we got six prawns but they were large in size so we had no issues. This was a great price deal and all the seafood was well prepared with good flavours. The two sauces were a bit weird, though. Not lemon butter or tartar sauce. Instead something that looked like tomato sauce and a sweet mushroom sauce (eish!) and the rice was overcooked, but still nicely spiced. Would order this dish again, though.
We enjoyed dessert; vanilla yoghurt mousse with ginger crumble and strawberry sorbet. R135. This was delicious although the mousse could have been defrosted more before serving as it was more a semifreddo.
To sum up. Relaxing venue with top notch and friendly service. While the food didn't blow my palate, the quality of the ingredients was impressive. A real black mark was serving us the seafood platter while we were still eating starters. This meant our main had cooled by the time we got to it. Frank also complained that the prices were high, especially the cost of R195 for a margherita pizza. I was more philosophic. Perhaps FireLake is aimed more at free-spending tourists.
** Call 031 575 8500. Open daily for breakfast lunch and dinner.

27/05/2026

I’ve never been so enchanted by the garnish on a restaurant meal that I took it home. Well, not only me to be honest; Nicki Pienaar did as well. It happened when Nicki, my brother Pierre and Nicki’s husband Max were lunching at the Taste of Thai at the Hilton Quarry one recent Sunday. There they served roses carved out of carrots (I think) and used it to garnish most of their meals. They were so exquisite we couldn't resist “kidnapping” them, so to say.
But that’s not the only appeal of this authentic Thai eatery; their decor was so outrageously over the top it couldn't help but charm. This was thanks to the liberal use of satin wallpaper, the kaleidoscope of colour, huge pictures and mirrors with gilded frames, glittering chandeliers, luxurious candles, exotic serving dishes and table decor - and more fake flowers than I’ve ever seen in one space. In fact we ate under a huge spray of "cherry blossoms". We loved it.
And their food was pretty good too. Their menu of Thai food is seriously extensive. It's separated into categories like Vegan, Appetizers, Stir fries, Signature dishes, Salads and soups, Thai curries, Noodle dishes, Speciality dishes, Traditional rice dishes and set menus. Whew - that's some choice. To get the full feel of their menu click onto tasteofthaisa.co.za
To be honest I’m not a fundi on Thai food as it’s not my favorite Asian cuisine, preferring Japanese, Korean or Asian fusion. But I appreciated Taste of Thai's flavours and attention to detail.
We started by sharing three starters:
Satay chicken served with peanut sauce and an Asiatic salad, R92;
Steamed Thai dumplings filled with prawns and pork and topped with coriander, R94;
Green Papaya salad, a crunchy peanut salad described on the menu as “one of the most delicious salads in the world”. Apart from being beautiful to look at, it was a delicious blend of sour, salty, spicy and sweet flavours, R99.
For mains we opted for Veg Thai curry, R122;
Duck Bejarong, crispy duck, which combined delicious Chinese and Thai flavours served with rice, R229;
Chu chee duck; crispy duck served in a red curry sauce and coconut milk along with onions, coriander and tamarind, R229;
Seafood salad called Sam Yum Kob with prawns, calamari, cashew nuts, tomato, onion, cucumber and coriander with a tamarind sauce R189;
Thai Chicken Fried Rice with chicken, eggs, tomato and garlic, R134.
I would say the food more than lived up to our expectations. Nicki and Max had lunched before and were keen to share their “find” with us. The food had pretty good flavours, and everything was really well presented. Although the green papaya salad was great I wouldn’t describe it as the best salad in the world - although, probably the prettiest. And perhaps the duck in Duck Bejarong was a little chewy, but it didn’t distract from the flavours.
I think this is a good place for dining with friends or family as the meals cry out to be shared.
And there is a separate Thai massage and spa studio where you can enjoy couples massages - perhaps an anniversary or make-up treat? All in all, a warm, friendly experience with great service.
** Address: Lower Quarry Shopping Center, Pin Oak Ave, Hilton.
** Phone: 033 343 1234
** Menu: tasteofthaisa.co.za

26/05/2026

I grew up playing tennis, winning my first tournament at the age of five. Now it's all about Padel and Pickleball and tennis courts and clubhouses languish, unused, with grass growing between the cracks. Sad to witness an end of an era.
But it makes sense then, to repurpose them and the transformation of the clubhouse at Mitchell Park Tennis Club into a coffee shop is a great success.
First the space was occupied by Barn Owl and now, as from March this year, it has been the Now Coffee Clubhouse, the third in the Now Coffee group. The original "Coffee Lab", Big Daddy, is a sit-down store, roastery and drive-through at 36 Newport Avenue, Glenashley, which was judged to be one of the three best coffee venues in the 2025 Battle of the Beans competition in the Durban North/Glenashley/La Lucia areas. The second sibling, a sit down, is at 11 Park Avenue in Umhlanga.
So, the new kid on the coffee block is a bright, viby sit-down venue overlooking tennis courts and Durban’s prettiest park. It's an oasis of calm serving great coffee and light cafe-style food amid the bustle of Morningside. And the staff are super friendly.
They are serious about coffee, too, offering a choice of blended coffee sourced from different estates/countries or single estate coffee. If you enjoy a cappuccino there are two options for a "regular" cappuccino, the 150/180ml cup with a third each of espresso, milk and foam, or a 250 ml with two shots of espresso. This is a treat considering many coffee shops try to get away with adding extra milk instead of espresso when it comes to topping up the 250ml cup. It’s what I ordered and what I enjoyed.
My friend Megan, who prefers Nescafe (true story), ordered from their range of fruit juices.
To eat I opted for Shakshuka; two eggs baked in a cumin-spiced tomato relish with red onion, coriander and feta which had lovely, bold flavours. Megan very much enjoyed her Turkish eggs served with double-cream, garlic-infused yoghurt with chilli butter and toast.
Lunch options include smashed burger and chicken quesadilla plus toasties and wraps. Now is halaal friendly.
Obviously a full range of coffees, both conventional plus the likes of mushroom coffee; a dual extracted medicinal mushroom extract with organic Honduras coffee.
** Open from 6am tol 4pm (Mon-Sat) and 7am to 4pm on Sundays

25/05/2026

What keeps you going back to the same coffee shop?
It’s not just the coffee - although a great cup makes your day much better - It’s also the friendly greeting, the familiar faces, the baristas who take pride in their craft and know your name, and the feeling that you belong.
As someone who is one of organisers of the Battle of the Beans coffee competition, we see firsthand how much passion goes into creating these experiences across KwaZulu-Natal. This annual competition celebrates the coffee shops that consistently deliver excellence and heart.
To read further go to https://battleofthebeans.co.za/.../why-we-always-go-back.../
☕ Otherwise we'd love to hear from you:
What makes your favourite coffee shop special? Tell us in the comments and help us celebrate KZN’s rich coffee culture.

19/05/2026

Loren wants to know the best place for chocolate cake in Durban. As I told her I don't really know as I seldom eat chocolate cake. But any recommendations?

19/05/2026

Many Berea diners will remember Chef Roger Sirvanjanakul and his Green Mango Restaurant but, as Frank Chemaly says: "You can’t keep a good chef out of the kitchen for long". Happily Frank recently discovered his new outlet at Lemongrass Asian Cuisine in La Lucia Ridge. Here is his review.

We’re both a little greyer but it’s still the same jovial face that greets me as we walk in the door.
The Ilala Centre is a chaotic centre to find parking in until I eventually found a back parking lot with impossibly narrow parking spaces - not ideal for any big SUVs. The centre itself spans numerous levels and entrances but eventually I find it on the first floor next to the Ocean Basket. It’s a simple but comfortable space.
The Advocate joins me.
The menu’s morphed a little bit from Roger’s traditional Thai fare served back at the Green Mango. Instead, he’s included a number of Asian fusion dishes which add excitement to events. Starters might include lamb satay or crispy pork dumplings. He also has crispy Korean chicken wings (R98), which excited The Advocate. These had a beautifully crisp crust dusted in dry chili powder, and were delicious. Also on the menu are a range of tempura prawns and veg, and his beef garden salad, which has always been a delight. This is known for its crispy spinach, which is so light and so crisp, and then a lovely selection of spicy seafood.
Being a cold night, I decided to go for the prawn tom yum soup (R90). It’s a flavour I’ve been craving for a while, and I haven’t had anyone who does a nice tom yum, so I thought I’d give that a whirl. It was a good deep broth - and very spicy - but I enjoyed it immensely.
Mains include a selection of traditional Thai curries both red and green and angry. And, believe me, his angry curries are angry. I particularly enjoyed the duck version on a previous visit many years ago. He also has a range of classic Thai stir fries, particularly with chili and basil and another with sweet and sour.
And then he does a number of fried rice dishes in the Chinese style like chop suey and chow mein. But it is his house specialities that are the real pick. Standing out is his crispy fish which I've had a number of times on the old menu and loved every time. He also does a good Singapore chilli crab. There’s Asian lamb shanks and Malaysian lamb chops, all priced considerably better than many of the steakhouses offering lamb.
The advocate went for a brinjal salad (R128). He felt like something light. This was a surprisingly delicious dish. It was a whole baked brinjal topped with Japanese mayo on a bed of salad ingredients. He’s not a big lettuce fan, but he enjoyed the rest of it.
I opted for the crispy duck (R258). This was beautifully crispy and done in a light honey sauce with just a mild hint of heat, the odd chilli here and there. It was served with noodles which were pleasant, although, and here’s a tip, pancakes and hoisin sauce would lift that duck even more.
Then Chef Roger was intent on offering dessert. He suggested fried banana and ice-cream and looked mortified when I said this was probably the only thing I would not eat. He suggested deep-fried ice-cream (R58) - now that sounded good. It was probably the biggest scoop of ice cream I’ve ever seen, done in a lovely crisp batter, that stayed crisp, finished with syrup and sesame seeds. And the ice-cream stayed firm. Good cooking, Roger.
The bill: R820 for two
Open: Sunday to Thursday noon - 8.30pm, Friday and Saturday noon - 9pm
Find at Shop 2, Saxony Ilala Centre, 2 Ilala Dr, La Lucia
Call: 063 169 2978

17/05/2026

How's this for a bit of a weird story. A few days ago I received this message from a Shrewd Food reader, saying: "I'm looking for Myrna Rosen's recipe for Tuna Roll from her second cookbook please". To be honest I was a bit puzzled by the request, wondering why she was asking me. But I was intrigued enough to google Myrna Rosen as I didn't recall ever hearing her name.
But I was wrong.
What came up was a Shrewd Food post published in 2020 (which I had totally forgotten about). In it Nicki Pienaar of Savior Cafe in Glenwood shared her favourite recipe books. One was, yes, by Myrna Rosen, handed down to Nicki by her mother
So I messaged Nicki, asking if she still had the book and if so if it included the requested recipe. She has and it did.
I sent off the recipe to the reader, but found it so interesting I decided to share it with others. Love the fact that its has two versions.
** Her books go back a bit since she was born in 1941. This from Google: Born Myrna Fine, she became an iconic figure in South African cuisine and was frequently referred to as the "Martha Stewart of South Africa". How about that.

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