The well attended tasting at Mundo Vida in Umdloti on Thursday, 7th November can be described as a culinary adventure. A four course meal was created by 29 year old Chef Duke Garratty and complemented by wine from Strandveld. Roasted Prawn Salad kicked off the journey followed by Beef Tataki and Strandveld Sauvignon Blanc. Next on the menu was Grilled Line Fish with Tempura Mussell accompanied by Strandveld The Adamastor. Strawberry Maison formed the grand finale for what was a feast of the senses.
Mundo Vida was started by Joni and Don Wilkinson, with the support of chef Duke Garratty, in 2008. ‘KZN Foodies’ would be familiar with the incredible restaurants which Don created during his time – Razzmattaz, Mamba Grill, Gina’s Restaurant and then Mundo Vida. Don recently lost his battle to Cancer and the restaurant is now in the capable hands of Joni and Duke.
According to Duke, his step-father Don was an incredible mentor to him, and both he and Joni plan to, not only continue Don’s legacy, but to put Mundo Vida on the list of top coastal restaurants in South Africa.
From a very young age, Duke can remember how much he loved helping his grandmother in the kitchen. His first real interest in professional cooking was sparked when he met Don. Duke’s career includes working at The Oyster Box Hotel and The Beverly Hills Hotel before he moved to ‘La Colombe’ in Cape Town. This was the turning point in Duke’s career. His eyes were opened to world class, fine dining – to delicacies he had only ever seen in the media. He worked under the legendry Luke Dale-Roberts who provided him with solid guidance, relevant to the international market. Duke’s love for home-grown, quality, fresh produce was born.
Duke is determined to put his own stamp on the new Mundo Vida. It is a gradual process of creating signature dishes and presenting them in unique ways – on wood, slate and terra cotta. Duke believes that presentation is integral to the dining experience as you eat with your eyes first. Flavour is however, his main goal. He creates big, bold flavours with classical French techniques. He is obsessed with the pursuit of perfection. His style of cooking can accurately be defined as elegant simplicity.
Mundo Vida is a family run restaurant and Joni and Duke enjoy a family kind of relationship with their guests. Although the atmosphere is casual, the attention to detail and level of service is of the highest order. Mundo Vida is the perfect venue for client and staff functions, for conferences, workshops and special events and with the airport only ten minutes away it is perfect for meetings with clients or colleagues coming in from JHB or Cape Town for the day. The venue has been further enhanced by the enclosure of the patio by architect Geoff Hewitt allowing guests to enjoy the Mundo Vida sea view – come rain or shine.
