The Secret Diner
Grimaldi’s
Where: The Pearls, 6 Lagoon Drive, uMhlanga
Open: Monday to Saturday noon to 10pm, Sunday noon to 9pm
Call: 087 822 2375
Grimaldi’s opened in the Pearls complex late last year, just before Covid’s second wave put a giant damper on things.
I’d heard good reports and had been wanting to try it, so on a balmy summer’s evening, it seemed like the perfect spot and worth a drive out to the village.
A large, clean-lined, modern restaurant, it has wonderful views of the ocean. We sat on the terrace so we could see the lights of the ships out at sea. The staff were friendly and inviting, the Covid checks professional without being burdensome.
The menu is basically Italian inspired ‒ and the two large pizza ovens take pride of place at the back of the restaurant.
Starters include the likes of chicken livers, calamari, either tentacles with dill mayo or tubes with lemon and garlic, snails with either garlic or gorgonzola, mussels either in cream or white wine, or cheesy prawns out of the pizza oven. There are also a couple of unusual options like a crab soup, or deep fried halloumi with home-made kiwi fruit jam, or a very tempting baby marrow carpaccio ‒ slices of baby marrow brushed with chilli olive oil, dusted with feta and Parmesan and gratinated in the pizza oven.
My friend opted for a simple garlic focaccia (R45) which was lovely and crisp and great to dip in olive oil. It suggests the pizzas here will be good too. I fancied a starter special called the “wild thing” (R95). This was like a mille feuille, with beef fillet, springbok carpaccio and goats cheese layered between shards of crisp pastry coated in black sesame seeds. It was delicious, and I can see why our waiter said it was so popular.
Grills include steaks like fillet and rump ‒ the special was a ribeye on the bone marinated in Jack Daniels and honey ‒ or lamb chops or shanks. Spring chickens are cooked in the pizza oven while line fish gets the olive oil, garlic herbs and wine treatment, or there’s a thermidor option. And, obviously being Italian inspired, there’s a good selection of pizzas and pastas.
From a seafood-laden frutti di mare or prawn picante to a humble Bolognese or Alfredo, there’s something for everyone. My friend really enjoyed the Carbonara (R109) ‒ the so-called bacon and egg pasta ‒ on linguine. It was all the better for the flavours of a good quality smokey bacon coming through.
I really enjoyed the rolled pork belly (R190) which had been stuffed with whole grain mustard and fresh garlic, before the crackling was crisped in the pizza oven. It was glazed in an orange juice, honey and cinnamon reduction, and garnished with caramelized apple. It might have been slightly sweet, but was absolutely delicious ‒ the meat meltingly soft, the crackling crisp. It came with a very good Parmesan mash. This was good cooking.
By this point well stuffed, I humoured our waiter by contemplating the dessert half-heartedly. But when I learnt that their tiramisu (R68) was homemade ‒ in fact, he assured us, that everything, even the mayonnaise was made in house ‒ I relented. It was light, not too sweet and delicious ‒ a great pick me up. It was washed down with a top notch double espresso with a beautiful head of crema.
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambience: 4
The Independent on Saturday