Attending that night were members of the media and entertainment personalities from the Durban music and theatre crowd, plus a number of diners who came to try out the restaurant on the night.
A dry run? You might ask. Easy for the chef and his staff, who’re well prepared for the flock arriving at about 6pm? Well, you might be surprised, as executive chef Tinus Janse van Rensburg, sous chef Adhil Valjee and their crew were placed under considerable pressure as the orders mounted up on a busy night for the restaurant.
On the whole, however, the kitchen staff did well, and our table of six was able to enjoy a very pleasant evening, attended to by friendly staff who gave of their best throughout.
Escape to the wild beauty of Jozini Tiger Lodge
Our dinner choices saw some great successes and a few rather underwhelming efforts . . . the lamb rack, for example, was outstanding, as was the Thai green curry. Among the mains, the beef fillet was a bit of a letdown with one punter moaning that he was rather disappointed with the potato rosti on offer. Oh well, you can’t please them all.
Of the starters we tried, the salad with blue cheese, strawberries and spinach, and the grilled calamari salad, were excellent, while the chicken livers were declared rather ordinary. None of us was brave enough to try the pesto and garlic snails voul-au-vent I’m afraid.
Decadent
Our desserts were decadent and delicious and the meals rounded off with coffees expertly poured by trained barista Luntu Xhaka who is extremely passionate about his trade. A dash of Kahlua? What about some Amaretto? Decaffeinated, no problem. Luntu exudes the kind of passion for his job that is bound to take him a long way.
Overall, a fun evening, in very pleasant surrounds: PL8 will offer yet another dining option for those on the lookout for something a little different.
- Plenty of parking available
- Kids’ food options available
- I would say prices are reasonable
PS: The staff at Hotel 64 on Gordon gave us a look at one of the “Standard” rooms on offer at the hotel (which is an old block of flats, lovingly converted into a 32 room hotel). At R600 a room per night, these are a steal, offering all the amenities and creature comforts a visiting businessman, holidaymaker or a couple could desire. – Garth Johnstone
For info see the Signature Life website www.signaturehotels.co.za; Hotel 64 on Gordon general manager Katrin Kitlas is happy to take bookings direct, call 031 312 8907. E-mail: gm@hotel64ongordon.co.za