Shrewd Food

Fanning the flames of 21st century township eating

Here are the five finalists for this year’s Shisa Nyama Awards, a competition which aims to find the best in shisa nyama eating. Meet the judges and the finalists.

I love that DStv ad. The one where the soccer supporter sits in front of his TV patiently waiting for his friends to join him in watching a game. Instead Tiny and Bumba drag him off to a shisa nyama where they partake of  huge quantities of champagne and endless platters of meat – and leave him to pay the humungous bill. Officially, shisa nyama eating has come of age. No longer confined to townships or township residents, the shisa nyama style of  hospitality is now enjoyed by all communities. It’s all about the meat, the braaiing, the expensive booze, the live music, the vibe and the warm welcome.
To acknowledge the significant role shisa nyama venues are playing in the hospitality and tourist industries, Michelle Lewis, owner of Have Your Say, a marketing and public relations company, set up the Shisa Nyama Awards™ in 2016.
Her aim was to find Durban’s best shisa nyama venues and publicly acknowledge them. Another aim was to offer the public a list of such eating venues in Durban. In doing this she was sailing in unchartered waters. Up to this point there was no list of venues available and no previous awards for excellence.
The winner of last year‘s award was won by Café Skyzer, with One and Only coming in at second and Sbu’s Lounge coming third. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Max’s Lifestyle VIP Lounge and the People’s Choice Award was won by Eyadini.
The finalists for this years awards are:

Crusted venison, one of chef Dylan Smith’s works of art

Chocolate and orange duck breast

The Cellar
Honeywood, 32 Abelia Crescent, Sea Park
Call: 039 695 1036
Open: Tuesday to Saturday lunch and dinner

Dylan Smith is creating fabulous flavours at The Cellar. Frank Chemaly is impressed.

A good friend and I decided we needed to get away from it all. And so we went on a little road trip and spent a few days down the South Coast… exploring, relaxing and, yes obviously, eating. We were far away from truculent teens, demanding parents, creaking plumbing and rotting balustrades that seem to fill everyday life.
I had wanted to go back to The Cellar. I was impressed the last time I ate there and another friend fed me with recent good reports.
Chef Dylan Smith is certainly a talented man and his restaurant is one of the few fine dining experiences on the South Coast.

Succulent chickens sizzling in the rotisserie

Delicious mussels

PINTXADA
16 Chartwell Drive, Granada Square, Umhlanga
Call: 082 688 1310
Open: Noon-10pm daily. Cocktail hour 4pm-6pm weekdays

Frank Chemaly and a friend reminiscence over tapas and more at Pintxada. This review first appeared in the Independent on Saturday

A foodie friend wanted to tell me about her holiday to Spain and all the delicious tapas options she’d had there. So we decided to meet at Umhlanga’s very own tapas bar for lunch. To get us in the mood.
Pintxada is a stylish restaurant with distinct dining areas. You enter past the rotisserie with the cooking birds making a tempting statement. The front tables spill out onto the piazza, very European in style, while the bar is a meeting place for many locals. Cocktail hour in the late afternoons is always a hit in the village. In the back, the dining is more formal and intimate, but you can still be part of the vibe and scene.