If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen!
Thank you Joop for an awesome evening and yet another top quality SA steak: pan-fried pepper steak medium-rare with chips and a bottle of Stellenbosch Vineyards Zonnebloem.
Eat Out Dining-OUT Joop’s Place #joops #steak #durbanfood #durbandining
I’ve reviewed Spur and Butcher Block Florida Road recently, but after last night’s dining experience (third time in a year) I came to the realization that I was a bit too kind and eager in respect of Butcher Block.
Spur will always be Spur wherever you go but the likes of Butcher Block, Butcher Boys, 9th Avenue Bistro, Havana Grill, Grill Jichana and a few others place themselves in premium cost range and their food should then match. Perhaps not the food only but the EXPERIENCE.
Enter JOOP’S PLACE!
The kitchen is visible from the restaurant via a glass sliding window. I sat there for a while watching passion in motion. The motivation promoted by Robin Sharma was staring me in the face as I watched the owner come chef Joop fry about six steaks at once in separate pans on a gas stove.
That was nothing because when we got chatting (while he cooked) I found him to be friendly and accommodating (I was taking mobile phone photos, surely affecting his concentration). His business acumen shone through like a bright light as he unintentionally gave me a lecture on “Make your business special and grow it from the heart 101”.
After this I sat down for a really tender sirloin cooked exactly as I asked. My wife had the lamb shank with mash – the meat was falling off the bone.
Joop did give me some food for thought on the rump he offered when I was blabbing on about Spur’s good prices.
Joop said: I will give you a rump that comes with a sauce for X Rand. Spur will give you the same rump cheaper but you will pay them extra for a sauce, this taking the Spur price level with mine. Phew! I must look into this because if it’s true then I’m never going to have a steak at Spur again.
Address: Shop 14, Avonmore Centre, 9th Avenue, Durban, 4001
Phone: 031 312 9135
Go meet Joop and his waiters, one of whom brought us an iced water with lemon (for free) in an amazing 30 seconds!
A quality venue indeed.
We started fasting yesterday and wanted a tasty value for money vegetarian lunch today to celebrate Radha’s birthday.
Despite being a meat-eater, I get very annoyed when restaurants / takeaways take advantage of the veg-eaters (like the one in Sparks Rd Overport where I walked in, saw the enormous rip-off prices and then walked straight out in disgust).
I mean really Bhai, how can a soya curry cost the same as a mutton curry?
Spice Emporium, where we have been many times, turned out once again to be an excellent choice.
The food was well-priced, super tasty and the little restaurant a really nice place to relax after buying all our spices and soya products in the nearby isles for the upcoming month.
It’s also a haven for husbands to sit, relax and read a book or the newspaper while the wife (domestic boss) and daughter’s scour the shop for the many to be had good deals.
Radha loved the Elachi tea to bits, so much so that she forced me to make her a 2nd cup as soon as we got home.
Irene had the Aloo Paratha with dhal. Super!
I had the paneer toasted sandwich. Super!
The prices of the dried bean, lentils, herbs, spices are very keen as well.
Give this spot a try; you won’t regret it.
The bottom line!
Read a previous post here.
Over the past year or so my local supermarket has been stocking up more on coffee capsules (the cheapest being R 4.00 each) and less on plain old ground filter coffee.
If that wasn’t enough, my ground coffee machine gave up on me for the 2nd time this year and had to be retired.
I felt I was being forced into buying expensive capsules although the capsule machine makes a wonderful cuppa.
I stood at the retailer staring at the well-priced capsule machine and detesting the fact I might soon have to pay dearly.
Along came Google to the rescue and I found light at the end of the tunnel a seen in these photos.
The photos are mine and I can confirm the re-manufactured capsule works just as well as the original.
Heavy or light tin foil can be used.
The capsules can be re-used many times each.
Here is a price comparison:
That’s one thing my mom and I never got to do – High Tea at The Beverly Hills on Mother’s Day coming to you this Sunday (that’s tomorrow!). A lovely venue with well-mannered staff and delectable treats!
Trust me, it might cost a little more but you can eat your money’s worth. Have savoury treats for lunch, rest, drink tea, all different types, listen to the violin, go for a stroll, and when ready…. fill up with all the sweet cakes :).
Canon South Africa 6D from Orms, 24-105L, 1/50 sec, F11, ISO 640
Tues 5 May 2015 at 06:38 of Beverly Hills Hotel Umhlanga Rocks
#sunrise #landscape #seascape #beverlyhills I Love Durban 5 Star Durban Celebrate Durban! I Like DurbanShow Me Durban
Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal Umhlanga Pier
— at Umhlanga Beach.
“The award-winning Beverly Hills hotel, which is one of Tsogo Sun’s prestigious properties, opened her doors in 1964 and has since been considered one of Durban’s finest accommodation destinations by discerning travellers. Over the past 5 decades, the Beverly Hills hotel has been home to royalty, celebrities and captains of industry; the place where deals have been done and memories have been made. A pioneer in the area in 1964, the Beverly Hills hotel is located in uMhlanga and boasts uninterrupted views of the ocean. The hotel is perfect for romantic escapes, family holidays and business travel and offers an idyllic place for guests to unwind and enjoy the gracious and intuitive service it is so well-known for” ~ Tsogo Sun Hotels
It’s been a while since I took one of my decent cameras to a restaurant and let it loose on the food and interior. I used to do this quite often but lately have been preoccupied with landscape photography.
On Saturday 16 August 2014 we (my family being: yours truly and three fussy ladies) popped into Fego Café at 15 Broadway in Durban North 031-5644837.
We started on the coffees, cappuccinos and milkshakes in a cosy lounge (two double leather couches) overlooking the lower end (nearest the sea) of Broadway. We had sight of our car outside and the pavement (so the ladies could see who was passing by and what they were wearing). Parking was a plenty.
It wasn’t long before we were hooked up onto their free Wi-Fi and sampling the more than adequate menu with some decent choices to make.
I ambled over to the muffin and cake section where I started taking a few photos of the brightly coloured delights. The current newspaper was nearby on a stand but there was no time to read up on who was doing who.
A good selection of whiskey was seen kept on a rack behind the bar, but were there to only have lunch at 12:00 not watch the Boks play a tough game against the Pumas at 17:00.
I went for the Basil Pesto pasta vegetarian dish as I wanted something light. Freshly chopped green chilli, parmesan cheese and garlic were presented in three small bowls and I tossed a fair bit on. We also asked for and received another bottle of chilli (the young ladies have insisted that we get a bottle for home).
I also asked for plain tap water not chilled / nothing added and that’s exactly what I got to my delight (no ice or lemon added as waiters often do).
The ladies had chicken baskets and a hamburger, and they all voiced their enjoyment. This was good as I also enjoyed my meal. I did have to add a little extra salt but rather this than me trying to remove salt from the sauce; I would have been there until after the rugby. A good choice.
Fego was fairly busy but not to the extent that we felt overcrowded. Some more discreet seating was to be found at the rear.
The one owner (Nirrad) and I got chatting (owners of restaurant either hate or love persons taking up close photos of their food).
He told me that he and his wife (Tashya) recently bought the spot and they are both serious about Fego’s success. I believe him because he and his wife are both legal professionals. OK, no lawyer jokes now Andy LOL. No, I believe them because Nirrad actually enjoys coffee shops and free Wi-Fi and this is one reason why they bought the business. Also, I’m sure he would just love to relax after a hard week of battling case law but was hands on inside Fego to ensure its smooth running.
I would hate you to think Fego is 100% perfect. No place that I have been to is.
However, our waitress was very keen to hear a few of my suggestions (I do this when in a good mood and complain to management when angry) and we had a very enjoyable time there.
Nirrad and his wife, if not at Fego, are only a telephone call away to hear your pleasure or displeasure, and rectify it.
Do you know this chap? 😉
Canon zoom lens; photo credit: Morguefiles; Andy Harvard enjoying an ice-cold Hansa in a hotel bar off the coast of Durban (photo source: Andy Harvard).
Welcome to our monthly series “A picture says…”, created to celebrate expats and other global residents for whom photography is a creative outlet. The series host is English expat, blogger, writer, world traveler and photography enthusiast James King, who thinks of a camera as a mirror with memory. If you like what you see here, be sure to check out his blog, Jamoroki.
My guest this month is the 45-year-old South African photographer, traveller and chef Andrew (Andy) Harvard. Most chefs enjoy eating and are by nature creative people. Andy is no exception and his creative talents, ideas and passion spill over into his passion for photography, which he indulges on travels in South Africa and worldwide. He has a blog…
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It is really surprising that many Cape Town residents that I speak to have not tried Eastern Food Bazaar.
One sentence: Fresh, cheap, authentic, tasty, spicy Chinese / Indian / Turkish / food all under one roof!
It’s 19:23, just before sunset, and we are racing down Stadler Road in Blouberg (South Africa) trying to get to the beach for a few last photo shots. As we go past On the Rocks restaurant, a wave of golden light catches my eye. Much to my passenger’s surprise, I suddenly slam brakes, reverse, double park and hastily exit the car without explanation, but with my camera. The setting sun was on the opposite side of the restaurant and glowing through the entire dining area and a simple bicycle was parked outside.
Andrew Harvard Photography 