9th Avenue Bistro

Sunday, May 22nd, 2016

Reviewed by Derisha Reddy

If I don't write this review on our visit to 9th Avenue, I'l feel like i'm doing a disservice to the world. I was that impressed, that delighted, and my mouth is watering just thinking of the food. Now Durban is not known for its culinary qualities. It's like the special cousin of Joburg and Cape Town: nice curries, but shame. 9th Avenue Bistro, however, is our claim to fame in the culinary world. The restaurant has an unpretentious feel, but the dishes are truly Masterchef-worthy. The evening started with a polite & unobtrusive waiter explaining the specials, taking drinks orders, and bringing out hot, home-made bread with butter, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We devoured it in minutes. A very good start to the evening's feasting. For starters, we had the crispy calamari with mayo-type dipping sauce, which was as good as crispy calamari can get. It was a rather generous portion and we couldn't finish it between the three of us. We also ordered what turned out to be the showstopper of the night: the Shellfish Orzo. A langoustine sitting pretty on a bed of lango tails & orzo (like pasta rice) swimming in a rich, creamy, buttery sauce. It was decadent. It was delicious. It was like manna from Heaven. I had never tasted anything like it before & I would go back just to relish every morsel again. For mains we ordered the duck, chicken breast and duo of beef. The duck was tender and juicy but the skin was as crispy as it should be (I tasted some). The chicken was surprisingly good - we wondered how they could transform dull old chicken breast into a fine dining dish but it was tender, rich and moreish, paired with a creamy and delicious sauce (yes, I tasted that too). The duo of beef comprised of a few pieces of fillet, cooked medium as requested, served on a pillow of light and buttery mash, with a croquette-type slow-cooked shredded beef part on the side. I must admit, I didn't enjoy it as much as the other two dishes as it had a winey undertone to it, which wasn't to my taste. I don't like my food to taste like alcohol, but it was worth trying in any case as the fillet was cooked beautifully and the mash and veggies were enjoyable. Dessert was creme brulee and their take on a fruity bread-and-butter pud. The creme brulee had the silkiest custard I have ever tasted in any restaurant (yes I tasted it, surprise surprise). It was melt-in-your mouth perfection. The fruity bread-and-butter pud didn't excite my palate at all and was disappointing. The fruit overpowered the delicate custardy taste of the pudding and we weren't wowed by it. The bill was higher than most other restaurants of similar calibre in Durbs, but then again you don't get food like that anywhere else. That was our 9th Avenue experience. I felt like I could triumphantly and smugly glance at the other foodie cities with a Ha! See what we can do in Durbs..