Seven Oceans
Where: 63 uMhlanga Rocks Drive, Durban North
Open: Daily 11am to 8pm
Call: 031 563 1734
The barbecue pork wasn’t ready yet. The Poet and I had popped in for a very early lunch and it was still being cooked. It would be about an hour, our waitress told us. Ditto with the roast duck.
We’re at the Seven Oceans Chinese restaurant in Durban North. The restaurant is pretty ambienceless, but the food looked good in the colour-drenched pictures on the windows and, what’s better, it smelt good too.
Yes, the large dining room resembles something of a canteen ‒ just rows of dark wood tables with the takeaway counter and fridge down the side. The tables have circular pull-outs, revealing a hot plate which you can use for Chinese barbecues. These would be fun if you have the time.
We soon tuck into a plate of beef with peppers, which are tasty, and really enjoy the crispy salt and pepper prawns. We also ordered a Taiwanese dish of pork belly which came ‒ to our surprise ‒ topped with a fried egg. We weren’t quite sure how to tackle that with chopsticks. But it tasted good.
All the while groups and singles of South Asian origin are popping in, whether for a full meal, or a quick plate of something with noodles. It’s busy, and turnover is fast.
And so we came back. This time Mom and Trevor joined us, and Vivek snuck out from the office for lunch. And it was a little later. Surely the pork would be ready.
The restaurant has a limited range of wines (Mom soon had her glass of red) and some Tsingtao beers, otherwise it’s sodas and ’tisers. I was offered a lemon ice tea which was delicious. It was made with green tea which made it especially refreshing on a sweltering day. I’ve no idea what it’s called as there is no English writing on the 500ml bottle.
The menu is vast. There’s a full sushi menu and dim sum menu. Judging by some of the pictures, the dim sum menu on its own might be worth trying. And then there’s a menu in English, another in Chinese and a third with pictures of the dishes.
We enjoyed some crisp pork dumplings served with a sweet chilli sauce ‒ Trevor soon asking for some hot chilli ‒ before tucking into mains.
The famed barbecue pork was delicious and worth the wait. There were good flavours here, and it went well with a bed of wilted Chinese greens. I could have ordered another plate of it.
The duck was good with lots of crispy skin. It had cooled a little by the time I got to try it (I suppose you should order your dishes in relays) but it went well with the little pancakes and fresh greens and Hoisin sauce that we rolled for ourselves. Yum.
Everyone liked the sizzling beef which had great flavour and a good selection of vegetables with it. It was also a generous portion, yet the five of us soon flattened it. As we did, another plate of those lovely salt and pepper prawns arrived. So crispy you can eat shell and everything.
The only dish that languished at the side like a maiden aunt was the tofu with mushrooms. The Poet wanted to try it. I have never liked tofu, and this sadly just confirmed it. Not only does it have no flavour, it has a kind of slushy texture. The mushrooms were chewy, and there were bits of corn (which helped) but the whole thing tasted a bit like a bowl of MSG really. Stick to the barbecue pork rather.
The restaurant doesn’t offer desserts, so the Poet invited us home for ice cream.
Food: 3½
Service: 3
Ambience: 2½
The Bill: The second time R1 195
Independent on Saturday