The Grill Room at The Oyster Box gets a modern menu redesign, celebrating local produce amidst global influence and cuisine with flair.
There's a certain spell cast by the balmy evening air on the East Coast, especially when you’re dressed up for dinner. With my billowing jacket draped over my shoulders, sweeping doors were opened for me and a crisp white napkin was placed on my lap after being seated. The Grill Room at the Oyster Box Hotel had me charmed.
The Grill Room is a pearl on SA’s lushest coast, offering some of the best that luxe travel and dining have to offer. For those new to the province, The Oyster Box Hotel is a classically styled historical building on the sea side of Umhlanga, north of Durban on the coast of KwaZulu Natal. The monumental white pillars, marble statues, Persian carpets and royal treatment did wonders to feed my fairy tale fantasy. Amidst my escapism, I was confidently ushered to the fore of South African contemporary fine dining. At the end of the hotel lobby, the ambient dining room is filled with inviting warmth — encompassed with wooden panelling, leather-upholstered seats and calm sophistication. Nautical blue and white accents are reflected in the crystal chandeliers that glisten overhead.
Dinner guests comfortably seated, executive chef Daniel Payne and his team took us on a culinary journey with their tantalising brand-new menu. In an offering abreast with contemporary taste and ethics, the menu draws on the region’s abundant produce and tradition befitting the revered hotel. The crayfish salad starter gave me flashbacks to summer holidays — crayfish, a ‘seaside dining classic’, was served with a mango salsa verde, lime, fresh coriander and crunchy zucchini noodles, a surprising, fresh composition. Umami Asian flavours made a noteworthy appearance in the Shaoxing pork belly, and the Malay braaied tofu flaunted local Cape flavours in a plant-based entrèe.
Chef Payne’s considered cuisine reflects the emphasis he places on principles of good relationships with local suppliers, quality ingredients, sustainable practices and cooking alongside the seasons. These come together in a menu rendering flavours of home in a worldly palette that boasts surprising combinations, elegant plating and expert wine pairings by the sommelier.
Between beach views of the iconic red-and-white lighthouse and flourishes of culinary theatre experienced in the tableside platings, I glimpsed a waiter greeting a returning guest with a friendly embrace. This combination of excellence and warmth is The Oyster Box’s secret ingredient and is what leads me to believe that a piece of dreamland has made its way into our reality.
Text by Philippa Crooks
