9th Ave Waterside
Where: 2 Maritime Place, Durban
Open: Tuesday to Sunday noon to 2.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday 6pm to 9pm
Call: 031 940 4628
It’s a truly fabulous setting, sitting out over the water – with sweeping views of the yacht mole and the city in the background.
And the food has always been top notch, with 9th Avenue Waterside winning a plethora of awards including Eat Out’s Best Bistro twice. It has a Diners’ Club platinum award wine list. And service is always polished and impeccable. Although it has a price tag to match.
On a perfect autumn Sunday, our little supper club booked a table. We’d heard much about the new chef and were keen to try it out.
Wesley Aucamp has taken over the reins. He is back in Durban after working abroad for six years, learning new styles and flavours, and working under some inspiring chefs. His take on the menu is noticeably lighter fare, with a greater selection of seafood, although the old 9th Ave classics are still there.
If you can’t get beyond the gorgonzola, pear and candied pecan nut salad, or the famed shellfish orzo, they are still very much on the menu. I’d had the beet and gin cured salmon the last time I was here. It’s as pretty to look at as it is tantalising to the tastebuds. The pepper seared ostrich with charred carrot purée certainly tempted, as did the butternut ravioli in Madeira cream.
As we were deciding what to eat, the chef sent out an amuse bouche of Parma ham and pesto on a black sesame cracker, and another with goats cheese and tomato. All beautiful tasty morsels.
We opted for specials for starters. Mussels were offered in a classic white wine and herb broth or a Thai-inspired coconut broth (both R135). Both were good portions. The Baker enjoyed the classic in a rich buttery sauce, while my Thai style version had good depth of flavour, with the julienne sticks of apple adding to the dish. It needed a slice of good bread to mop up the sauce, which oddly came with the classic but not the Thai version. The Food Writer enjoyed her prawn and calamari salad (R175), although I think she was looking for something with a bit more punch.
Mains take in lamb shoulder with goats cheese mousse and smoky pepper, or beef fillet with potato fondant, wild mushrooms and a brandy green peppercorn sauce. I’d had the prawn-tail and squid ink tagliatelle, with tomato and fennel cream and chilli pesto, previously and it comes highly recommended. There were two linefish options, swordfish and dorado.
The Baker settled on the pork rib-eye chop with carrot and orange purée, apple, pork terrine, barley, and tomato bacon jam (R240) which she enjoyed but couldn't finish. I liked the smoky pork terrine and the tomato bacon jam.
The Food Writer tried the oyster mushroom and artichoke gnocchi with peas, pecorino and truffle (R205), which again she enjoyed while looking for something that gave it that extra punch.
Being lunch, I wanted something light, so opted for the classic fish and chips with mushy peas and home-made tartare sauce (R165). This was enjoyable, a nice crisp batter on the fish, and lovely hand cut chips. The mushy peas were more a pea purée but were all the better for it.
9th Ave does have one of the more interesting dessert menus in Durban. Although small, it is at least challenging and not entirely conventional. You won’t find chocolate lava pudding here, instead think of a vegan chocolate and tahini brownie, with salted macadamia caramel and coconut ice-cream. The ladies couldn’t resist the gin and tonic sorbet, with toasted marshmallow meringue, lemon curd and cucumber gelée (R85). Thumbs up all round. While marshmallow will never be my thing, the sorbet was spot on. I enjoyed a scoop of wild berry sorbet (R40).
It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, made all the more so as we hadn’t met in a while.
Food: 4
Service: 3 ½
Ambience: 4