Cafe Monroe
Where: Silvervause Centre, Silverton Road, Berea
Open: Tuesday 3pm-9pm, Wednesday to Saturday noon-9pm, Sunday noon-3pm.
Call: 031 110 0428
The duck is delicious. Food writer Ingrid Shevlin is practically making soft quacking noises with every mouthful. I steal a piece. And another.
The duck breast (R225) is succulent and perfectly cooked ‒ an expert medium rare. The five spice orange jus is also perfectly judged. The spicing comes through nicely, but doesn’t overpower, the orange is not too sweet, it’s balanced, and compliments the meat. And those beautiful squeaky fresh vegetables added nice crisp relief. I was impressed.
And, yes, we both had finger marks on the plate wiping up that “gravy” ‒ a terrible admission I know.
We had popped into Cafe Monroe on Durban’s Berea for a quick midweek bite and to see what the little corner bistro was doing a year after opening. It’s a smart yet very comfortable and individual restaurant. The old classics from the 50s are played on vinyl. There’s Marilyn and Sammy Davis Junior and Sinatra on the walls. There are books on the movie stars of yesteryear. It’s comfy. And cosy. And we know half of our fellow dinners.
Owners Craig and Margot are not only affable hosts but together serve us in the restaurant seamlessly.
Keeping with the duck theme, starters might include duck wontons which were excellent on my last visit. There’s a trio of snails in blue cheese, garlic and lemon, and chilli, and a trio of samoosas, all vegetarian. Mushroom croquettes feature. And there’s phyllo prawns (R115) on an avocado risotto with tomato and onion salsa.
The Fat Frog lady, who berated us gently for not inviting her, was busy enjoying these as we arrived. She sung the dish’s praises.
There was a special of fish cakes (R155). Ingrid quickly said ho hum to the humble fish cake, but Craig insisted they were made in-house with salmon and fresh kingklip, and were not your ordinary boring creature. We would try them. These were very good, and actually tasted of fish yet were soft and moist at the same time. The colourful Asian-inspired slaw that went with them was a bonus. Even the cynic had to admit they were good.
For starters Ingrid opted for the trio of salmon (R110), a generous portion of salmon mousse on crostini garnished with spring onion and radish, a salmon tartare with onion and capers, and grilled salmon with sesame seeds and garlic Hollandaise. All good.
I tried the seafood soup with home-made bread roll topped with a soft fried egg (R90). It was enjoyable: the broth was perhaps a shade heavy on the coconut milk, but the egg was a nice touch.
For mains there’s dishes of beef and ostrich fillet, lamb chops and Mozambican chicken. Their beef medallions on pasta is still on the menu ‒ it was a dish I enjoyed last time with a lovely lemongrass and chilli twist to the pasta giving it quite spicy Asian flavours. Parsley chicken calamari is a new offering with the calamari stuffed with chicken and parsley on a creamy garlic sauce served on a rosti. Ingrid and I weren’t quite sure, but then we rarely order calamari ‒ especially for mains.
I’d seen the word rosti and asked if my beef short rib (R185) could be served on it instead of chips. No problem. I enjoyed the hearty, succulent slow roasted beef in a rich gravy and the rosti was a good addition, along with more of that beautiful veg selection. A very good dish, it just paled a shade when compared with the duck.
We thought we could squeeze in a shared portion of their deconstructed crème brûlée (R85). It arrived as the Fat Frog lady and her friend came to say goodbye. They saw it and decided to stay and try it. We pulled up another table. The crème brûlée was lovely ‒ a simple and beautiful baked custard topped with spun sugar and home-made ice-cream. It was washed down with a good espresso.
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambience: 4
The Bill: R999.
