Jeera
Where: Suncoast Towers, 20 Battery Beach Road
Open: Daily 6-10.30am, 1-5pm, 6-10pm
Call: 031 314 7878
JEERA in the Suncoast Towers prides itself on giving an authentic taste of Durban, rather than traditional north or south Indian cuisine. We felt like a good curry.
It’s a smart venue that felt a shade lonely with only two tables dining that night. We enjoyed our beers out on the deck which is a fabulous setting for a party ‒ band playing on the platform above the pool, teams of waiters carrying around tasty treats, bars flowing and lots of laughter ‒ but sadly desolate in the dreary days of Covid.
Possibly even more desolate when the three businessmen at the nearby table went outside to strike a deal, leaving one’s partner on her lonesome nursing a glass of wine.
The menu has been pared down substantially. Basically a page of Indian inspired starters, including a platter containing most of them, a page of curries and a page of international hotel staples that includes a steak, linefish, lamb cutlets, chicken supreme and a seafood platter. It feels a little bit like a room service menu, but there is enough to interest us.
Starters are probably the most exciting with the likes of a spice quinoa, pea and paneer salad, a grilled chicken and mango salad, and spicy lamb koftas served with a pineapple and mint relish on coriander and garlic naan. The less said about trendy quinoa, the better. We opted for the puri patha (R55), a basic street food you rarely see on Durban’s menus, and a trio of samoosas (R55).
The puri patha were enjoyable, the chapatis super freshly cooked and crisp. Ditto the samoosas, being more than happy that I got the cheese and corn variety ‒ it’s surprisingly one of my favourites ‒ while my friend enjoyed the chicken and mince. They were served in silly bowls with a little indent for a dipping sauce, which didn’t really work because when you dip anything into the sauce, it sloshes over the side, and they weren’t deep enough to dip anything into. Obviously some designer's idea of clever.
Curries include a fish version with chilli and tamarind, a crab curry that the menu boasts is the signature dish, prawn curry, butter chicken, which we all know has very little to do with Indian cooking, and chicken tikka masala with roti and masala chips. This sounds like we should be at a corner takeaway somewhere. There’s also a sugar beans and potato curry, and all curries can be had as bunny chows, our waiter tells us.
We opted for the authentic lamb curry (R105) served on the bone with potatoes, which was enjoyable, rich and plentiful without being particularly Durban. I’m sure many a Chatsworth mom would give the chef a run for their money. We also tucked into a spinach and lentil korma with paneer (R120), which again was pleasant, with the paneer being decidedly chewy, and the dish needing salt.
Desserts were of the room service variety with a cardamom-infused crème brûlée, chocolate mousse and good old ice cream and chocolate sauce. We tried the signature soji, which at R65 is expensive for what is essentially a spiced porridge.
It was enjoyable enough, with nice hints of cardamom ‒ you can put cardamom in anything and I’ll eat it ‒ but hardly signature. I was left dreaming of a friend’s mom’s signature version served in her vegetarian home in Mountain Rise back in the ’80s.
We enjoyed our coffees out on the deck on a balmy evening, and were home safely in time for curfew. But, sadly, the band didn’t play on.
Food: 3
Service: 2 ½
Ambience: 3
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