I am spoilt when it comes to eating. Taste of London is a familiar experience for me and I
have been lucky enough to be in several cities worldwide where this amazing
festival was taking place, but this is the first time Durban has hosted it and
it really was something. Fresh off the plane from London I had eaten in
Koffmann’s at the Berkeley on Friday lunchtime having braved the Olympic crowds
and it was a sublime meal. Pierre Koffmann’s pistachio soufflé was still
lingering on my palate as I landed, so I set off for Suncoast with my
expectations set high. Wandering around I was suddenly very hungry
again. Jackie Cameron from Hartford House was cooking up a storm and to
get back into Durban mode, I went straight for her Spicy Lamb bunny chow with
sour cream, tomato bredie and fresh coriander. In cornbread as light as a
feather, it was superb. I tasted my way through the afternoon, and
thought it was as well organised as anything I have seen in Europe and on a
smaller scale, which I loved, as the London affair can be overwhelming.
My favourite dishes? Everything from 9th Avenue Bistro.
They really never put a foot wrong, the Pressed Lamb Shank, smoked garlic
aioli, pea and radish salad and lamb jus won the best dish at the show, and the
white chocolate and Amarula cheesecake with my friend Nigella’s ubiquitous
salted caramel and candied pecan nuts, shows how on trend they are with food
fashions. We are so lucky to have chefs like Jackie Cameron, Graham
Nielson and Marcelle Roberts here in Natal, and how wonderful to see them
showcased like this in an internationally recognised food occasion.
