A Taste of Durban - A Feast for the Senses

 

The Castle Milk Stout Experience was an all-day, all-night chilled experience.

 

Unplugged Entertainment was on hand, creating a relaxed and jovial atmosphere to entice those lounging with an ice cold Castle Milk Stout.

 

Jack Daniels came to the show with a unique experience for visitors. Cards were dealt out to a few visitors at a time, each relating to a different Jack Daniels cocktail. Yes, a Jack Daniels cocktail! Each visitor was given two shots, a shot of Jack Daniels Honey and a shot of the cocktail their card specified. The aim was to allow one to gain an insight into how Jack Daniels Honey is mixed into the cocktail.

 

If there was ever a need to relax your feet for a few minutes, the East Coast Radio tent was the place to do it. Deon Govender made an appearance to provide a few chilled beats to keep the atmosphere mellow and the visitors relaxed.

 

Sevruga Sushi & Sparkling Lounge allowed for sushi-lovers to sit down and enjoy the restaurant’s premier selection of sushi. The lounge also had a wide variety of wine to cater for all preferences. The Sevruga team was nothing short of bubbly and friendly and made the experience even more enjoyable. Ice Tropez featured its 6.5% beautiful blend of rose wine and carbonated water infused with a peachy Fleur de Brugnon; an exceptional blend capable of alluring those who don’t usually enjoy a good rosé.

 

Independent Liquors stood out from the rest with its array of brightly coloured alcoholic drinks, and the team was just as colourful as the shots they served up, with their bright smiles and warm laughter.

 

Another colourful and exciting stand was the Original Cocktails stand. The team served up iced, pre-mixed cocktails in vuvuzela-shaped flutes, which were seen throughout the show. The most common cocktails served were strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas.

 

There were a number of little restaurants serving up their respective specialty dishes in starter-sized portions for visitors to enjoy before moving on. Restaurants included Little Havanna, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Café 1999, Freedom Café, BAR-BA-COA, ASARA, Hatford-House, Palki, and many more. Café 1999’s biggest seller was the Deep-fried Olives (they went through 45 kg of olives and 20 litres of home-made mayo), followed by the Triple Chocolate Brownies.

 

The wine stalls catered for the preferences of all the wine aficionados who visited the show. Wine houses inundated were Waterford Wine Estate, HPF 1855, and Orange River Cellars. There were several beer houses as well, such as Notties Draughts, Robson’s Craft Beer, and the Castle Lounge. Mangum provided something different with their Crème Liqueur in stylish steel bottles, which sold like hot cakes because of the liqueur’s smooth taste. The perfect way to wind down the evening could be achieved at Gloria Jean’s Specialty Coffees, were couples were in abundance and enjoying the last few moments of the evening show while local band Zaffa ended the evening off with some laid back tunes.

 

The ‘Orbit Best Dish’ award, went to Amaravathi Palki Indian Restaurant (Palki), for their Prawn & Chicken 65 with Palki Chilli Garlic Sauce. This was based on visitor votes collected over the weekend.

 

Freedom Café sold 1,000 portions of prawn cakes over the weekend. “It was a fantastic show for my first time out,” enthuses Chef Patron, Lucy Markewicz. “The vibe was phenomenal and I’ll definitely be back next year.” Another newcomer to this year’s show, Palki, used 190 kg of chicken fillets and 80 kg of prawns in total, for their biggest seller, the award-winning Chicken and Prawn 65 dish and the Butter Chicken Curry. Restaurant owner, Colleen Govender says,
“It was an incredible experience. We were so overwhelmed by the numbers that we had to bring in additional help over the weekend.”

 

Durbanites clearly enjoy a good piece of meat, with BAR-BA-COA and Butcher Boys going through a total of 1,080 ribs, 880 Argentinian burgers and 760 Avo Dijon Fillet Rolls, over the three days.

 

Back for a second year, Havana Grill at Suncoast and Little Havana’s Calamari Fritti with Wasabi Aioli, proved a winner with diners - 1,200 portions of the Calamari Fritti (approximately 120 kg) were consumed. A total of 2,720 dishes were sold over the three days, including the popular Pulled Beef Sandwich. Executive Chef, Louse Potgieter, noted the ‘overall enthusiasm and energy of the crowd’, as highlights of the festival. “The vibe was amazing!”

 

This unique collaboration of Durban’s finest eateries, chefs, and producers made the Taste of Durban a must-attend event on Durban’s food and social calendar.

 

The event was a success and provided visitors with the opportunity to interact with master chefs, wine connoisseurs, and other foodies while celebrating their love and passion for fine wine and decadent food in the wonderful, warm and sunny city of Durban.