Afro’s Chicken on the Durban beachfront

‘Durbs by the sea’ is packed with fond teenage memories for me. Every time I visit, these recollections flood back. My grandparents retired on the South Coast and I spent every school holiday there. One year I planned a surprise trip to see them, on which I embarked from Johannesburg on the train with my bestie. I had warned my grandfather of the visit, but not my gran, and once we had trudged over the sand with our bags – dressed a bit like 80s Madonna lookalikes – I found my gran basking in the sun in her pruned coastal garden. I will never forget that look of delight and surprise on her face!

I travel to Durban quite often and even though I have so many heart-warming memories, it also makes me a little sad each time. I miss my grandparents so much, even though it’s been almost 20 years since they passed away.

The Greedy Buddha. Photograph courtesy of the restaurant

So, I have to make it a happy place to visit. As you know by now, food makes me happy, so as a dedication to both of them, I make sure that I never leave Durban without eating a curry. That, and swimming in the warm sea, which was one of the reasons they decided to retire there. Somehow it helps to ease that longing to see them just once more.

Last week I had a super time in Durban. The first thing I did after picking up the rental was to drive to the city centre for a curry. This time I popped into the Spice Emporium, which is a huge Indian supermarket where you can pick up anything from curried suurvygies to a tandoori oven. On the side is a great little vegetarian café, where I ate cubes of homemade paneer in spicy gravy and squares of spongy turmeric bread made with Enos, which is traditionally eaten as street food in Mumbai.

Before real work (this was all kind of work) started, I quickly had my ritual dip in the sea and walked a bit of the beachfront, which has had such a makeover. These days it’s packed with locals and visitors having a run, walk, cycle or skateboard.

My next stop was Afro’s Chicken, a buzzy beachfront shack that sells succulent chicken peri-peri burgers, crispy hand-cut chips and chunky coleslaw. It’s situated just in front of Hotel Tropicana, where I spent many a New Year’s Eve in my youth.

Then, a trip up Florida Road to see what’s new. Turns out not much, except for the best-looking KFC. Whilst walking along, however, I found a great ice cream bar called Il Gusto, and I fell in love with my scoop of salted caramel ice cream – and the pistachio one, too. I left with the idea that I would go back for another one, but I didn’t quite make it.

At the top of Florida is a relatively new charcuterie called Chuck & Bobs, as well the store of my favourite designer, Colleen Eitzen. So I nibbled on a plate of charcuterie whilst dreaming of some retail therapy.

Graham Nielsen, chef of 9th Avenue Bistro

The owner of 9th Avenue Bistro, Gina Nielson (wife of chef Graham), then picked me up and took me to a site inspection of their new snazzy venture at the old Lion match factory. (They will be opening a lunchtime eatery called The Boiler Room in a few weeks.)

That night’s dinner was at 9th Avenue too, with Jackie Cameron excitably chatting about her new chefs’ school in Hilton, which will open in January next year. Before heading out to Enaleni Farm, the winner of our Heritage Award at the 2012 Eat Out Produce Awards, I managed to get a lamb curry on the bone from the Spar in Avondale Road. It’s my best-kept secret, but, honestly, it’s very very good. Full of bay leaves and black cardamom.

And, at last, I had dinner at The Greedy Buddha, which I’ve been dying to try for ages. The chef, Nardia Adams, was there to take me through all the dishes. All were perfectly cooked and so tasty, from little bowls of yellow coconut curry made from scratch to thin slices of authentic crispy pork that reminded me instantly of Chinatown as the smells wafted to the table. Not to mention the delightful mouthfuls of dim sum and lip-smacking sticky ribs.

Once again I left Durban inspired and – as always – full of good food memories.

Abigail