Blues on Beachwood
Where: Beachwood Country Club, 9 Beachwood Place, Durban North
Open: Daily, 10am to 10pm
Call: 082 889 2386
MEETING a friend by chance, at a popular Sunday market in Durban North, he suggested lunch at Blues, the restaurant of the Beachwood Country Club – and no, you don’t have to be a member. A few of us – all vaccinated – were happy for the impromptu get together, in these otherwise miserable Covid-19 times.
It was a first for me – also a treat – and it’s a lovely setting. You sit out on the verandah, overlooking the greens and the first tee. And just over the dunes is the sea. On a beautiful afternoon, there could be few more pleasant places to relax over a few GnTs. But while overcast, and with a cold front definitely ready to roll over the province, it was still pleasant to be outdoors, and even more so to see old friends again.
It’s an unusual set up – drinks are served from the bar and food from the restaurant – there are different waiters and different bills, but the system worked well.
The menu is a mix of good old fashioned pub grub staples, but there is also a sushi menu and a dedicated Thai menu.
While sushi styles take in Maki, bamboo, California, and hand rolls, along with the traditional nigiri and some fashion sandwiches and roses – all reasonably priced – it didn’t feel like a sushi sort of day. We wanted something hale and hearty.
While salads might take in calamari, lentil and feta, or marinated brinjal, roast butternut and chickpeas, or even cajun chicken feta and avo, there’s also a number of soft shell tacos with fillings, or nachos with toppings that even include chilli con carne. Portuguese chicken livers on toasted ciabatta, too, sound good. And there’s a pub classic of steak, egg and chips.
My mate’s mum fancied the 250g char-grilled fillet steak (R170), served with a side salad and chips. It came cooked perfectly to order and she enjoyed her “Sunday roast” so to speak. Steaks come with a number of sauce options, including one with chimichurri – the Argentinian parsley and chilli sauce.
The calamari in a creamy lemon sauce (R150) with chips and slaw was good too, and so was my friend’s buttermilk basted crispy chicken strips (R110), with a tangy cheesy sauce. My prego roll was swimming.
I enjoyed my delightfully messy prego roll (R125), a fillet steak swimming in a fiery peri-peri sauce – more of which was brought to the table in a giant bottle – with caramelised onions. The chips were excellent.
I would like to come back soon for the Thai menu if for no other reason other than,the beach waterfall salad that arrived at the next table looked incredible. Options include dim sum, sticky Asian ribs, and calamari goo goo – a new one to me, but its wok fried in sriracha sauce and spring onions. Curries take in green, massaman, and a number of angry options for those who really like it hot. There’s also crispy duck in hoisin sauce, in pancakes.
We didn’t try deserts, but our gins lingered well into the afternoon.
Food: 3 ½
Service: 3 ½
Atmosphere: 3 ½
The Independent on Saturday