Last week I had the wonderful pleasure of joining best mate Andrew Flavell and his parents along with Andrew’s girlfriend Carrie to the Umami restaurant, situated in the lovely Dunkirk Estate in Salt rock up the north coast of KZN. You could say I was the third wheel or in this case the fifth wheel. But not to worry the hospitality and generosity of the whole family made me feel right at home, come to think about it, I had had my fair share of whiskeys so hadn’t even thought about it until now.
Umami was an absolutely awesome experience and is one of fine dining and a taste of modern fusion cuisine. The restaurant is a brother and sister team who clearly have their heart and soul embedded into the place. The fine detail and presentation of the food to the wallpaper is exquisite. The open design of the restaurant is perfect for the Natal summer heat and allows you to walk around onto the veranda to catch a small breeze or bask in the dense humidity. And thus we started off the night with a bottle of Graham Beck bubbly…mmmmknaaaa!
The menu was vibrant and exploding with new food combinations but still maintained a simple yet sophisticated touch.
For starters I had the Prawn and Watermelon with a nuoc cham dressing (Vietnamese dressing-lime, fish sauce, sugar, water and chilli I think this one had). The texture of the prawn and the cool succulence of the watermelon matched with dressing was unreal!
Others had Mascarpone and Gorgonzola tart, ostrich carpaccio and tempura prawns.
Most at the table had the Duck Confit served on a ginger mash of sorts along with wontons, which I gather is their signature main and it lives up to its reputation. Succulent, wholesome and not to heavy at all.
The whole night was just perfect: great service, great food, great drink, great friends.
If you are in, or around the Salt Rock area, I would highly recommend it. Book in advance, also note however it is a place suited for taking someone on a date rather than taking young kids. I sound like such a snob, what the hell bring the kids and the dog!
Happy Holidays!
Food for thought: Umami is the fifth basic taste, others being salty, sweet, bitter and sour. Good luck trying to pick it up!
Shawza Life 