Market Revisited

With over 300 restaurants to visit in Durban (according to Tripadvisor) I am always excited about where I am going to eat next. My mental top ten list, is constantly updated based on reviews, comments, recommendations and new places opening up (I'm looking at you The Wok Box). With so many places to go, and a limited number of opportunities to eat out, there aren't yet many Durban restaurants that I've visited twice.

One restaurant that I've been to more than twice is Market. There's a lot to like about Market. It's in a beautiful courtyard just off Gladys Mazibuko road, so it's easy to get to. It's next door to Shoppe, which is my favourite place to peruse for gifts and arty objects for the house. The waiters are among the best in Durban: friendly, informed, efficient. And the food is obviously very, very tasty.

So far, we've eaten at Market for breakfast two or three times (This little piggy went to Market) and for lunch on several occasions, and it hasn't let us down yet. I went there for my birthday. I took along my parents AND my parents-in-law. So I was really excited to head over for a day-after-Valentine's dinner and see what their night time fare was like.

As I expected, the place is magical at night. When we arrived, the sound of South African Jazz welcomed us into the courtyard, where the trees were draped in gently glowing fairy lights. Inside, naked bulbs hung from high ceilings and shed a soft glow on the tables below. We were seated on the veranda area and enjoyed the benefit of the breeze outside.

  

Our waiter Simphiwe was great fun, guiding us through the night's specials, guessing (correctly) what we were going to order, and suggesting an excellent bottle of wine which we hadn't tried before - the 2011 'Bamboes Bay' Sauvignon from Fryer's Cove (5* from Platter's: WineSA). Before starters, a simple platter of hot fresh bread was brought to the table and Simphiwe anointed plates with olive oil and balsamic which he poured theatrically from a height, laughing infectiously.

Sadly, the magic didn't last. For starters we had the fish cakes and the ostrich carpaccio - and while both were tasty enough, they lacked the imagination and flair of dishes we had enjoyed in the past off the lunch and breakfast menus. The carpaccio was presented with little thought in a subdued heap and adorned with halved cherry tomatoes and wilting rocket. The fish cakes flavours were overwhelmed by potato filler and the dips (soy and sweet chili), uninspired.

For mains we tried the duck confit with butterbean mash and tomato and bean compote. The duck was quite tasty, the mash was alright, and the compote was either so minimal that it eluded detection, or quite possibly was completely absent. We also ordered the ostrich fillet served on polenta bread and finished with a port and whole-grained mustard sauce. The fillet was tough and underdone, which was a shame, as it was a generously sized portion of three large medallions. The port and whole-grained mustard had, by some mysterious alchemy, turned to green peppercorn sauce, and the polenta 'bread' turned out to be just fried polenta really, which was also kinda disappointing.

Striving to hit at least one high note, we risked ordering two desserts, one - Market's famous chocolate brownie which I had enjoyed twice before, and two - a baked lemon cheesecake. On the previous occasions that I have ordered the brownie, it was served with a delicious homemade vanilla ice-cream. Sadly this portion arrived with what I am 90% sure was Country Fresh Vanilla Flavoured Frozen Dessert* with vegetable fat. The cheesecake was equally bland, I think one of those Woolie's ones in the little plastic container might have been nicer. At least the coffee was great - and served with one of those crystallised sugar stirrers, a nice touch.

The final one-two was the arrival of the bill (expensive) followed soon after by stomach cramps and nausea.

The next day I sent an email to the manager to let him know how disappointed we were with our meal, and its after effects. I got an auto-response informing me that he was on leave. A case of the sous chef blues? Here's hoping our experience was a once off - but I won't be back in a hurry.

This little piggy went to Market

When we arrive at Market for a leisurely brunch they are only just opening up at 9am, but Durban is like that. The place is well hidden, with a narrow pathway beside a fairly nondescript building in Gladys Mazibuko (Marriott) Road leading into a rather lovely courtyard. 

Beneath the trees, the gravel is scattered with fallen leaves. A bulky lady squeezed into a regulation maid’s outfit is attempting to gather them up with a rake. She is assaulting the leaves with relentless strokes, and moving more stone than leaf in the process. The source of her frustration is a ring of graceful Leopard trees surrounding a small stone pond. The pond features a fountain, which is anaemically pulsing tepid water through the moist air down to the koi that circle below. A man in tight fitting yellow pants and a white, v-neck that shows off his tattooed arms, carefully measures out a single scoop of pellets for the pond’s gaping inhabitants. Judging by his proprietary air, he is the owner of the fountain, the trees, and the restaurant that they form part of. 

At the table next to ours, a young couple takes their seats. She wears an orange sheath that complements her obvious fake tan, and the too-thick makeup which covers her face. Despite the breakfast hour, she has obviously spent time preparing her eyelashes, which are too long to be real and must have been meticulously applied with adhesive, like some kind of disguise. Her boyfriend is explaining something obvious to her, in an unconsciously condescending fashion: ‘No you have to go into the bank to change your account limit… No, they won’t let you do it online’. She looks admiringly at him, impressed by his mastery of the self-evident.

‘Are you ready to order?’ Our waitress has taken her style cues from the restaurant owner, or perhaps there is a dress code – like him, she has a collection of tattoos, Cyrillic script on the forearm, a religious symbol near her shoulder, and a fairy that adorns her ankle. We order drinks: freshly squeezed carrot and orange juice with extra ginger, and later, coffee. Both are excellent. 

For brunch we order croissant French toast with lemon curd and crispy bacon, and a potato rosti, salmon, crème fraîche and poached egg combination. The croissant French toast is so good that I have taken to making it at home. The unusual pairing with lemon curd is fun, tasty and different. The rosti is equally good - a fairly regular breakfast arrangement, but the proportions of egg, salmon and crème fraîche are just right, making the medium sized portion sit perfectly - not too heavy, not too light.

As we eat, we watch the couple next to us and attempt to guess at their relationship. Now they are asking each other what type of music they like, what TV shows they watch. Is it a first date? Perhaps she has slept over at his place, and is wearing her makeup from the night before. He outlines for her his plans for workplace success: ‘I just need to score a couple of big deals’, he says, ‘then I’ll be ready for promotion when he retires’. She makes supportive noises, but seems more interested in her breakfast (she has also gone for the rosti with salmon and poached egg).

Before leaving we explore the retail space opposite the restaurant. Called Shoppe, it is full of art, ceramics and furniture from South African designers. They stock Lisa Firer, Sootcookie and many other artists, and the shelves are full of beautiful items that you normally see only in decor magazines. Think of it as dessert.