Special smells of childhood
Buddy Govender and Ishaan Blunden administer the Casbah and Surroundings Facebook site and produce an e-newspaper
that is read around the world. The pair now take POST readers on a walk down memory lane through a regular column focusing on extraordinary times with extraordinary people from a oncethriving Durban community. This time Govender writes about the iconic cafés,
restaurants and shops that became landmarks within this historic precinct.
If you have any photographs, historic documents or just want to share memories,
e-mail buddy@eastcoast.co.za
HOW often do you get a smell of something familiar or hear a certain song or name that immediately takes you back to the beautiful days in the Casbah?
The fragrance from the various spice and prayer goods shops in Prince Edward Street still lingers in my mind and soul no matter where in the world I may be.
A walk from Queen Street through to Victoria Street or Beatrice Street on a Saturday morning back in the day was an incredible journey that included numerous stops to chat to friends and family along the way and also knowing exactly which shop you were passing without actually looking in.
This was based on the consistent aroma that emitted from it: for example, Hansa’s on the corner of Prince Edward and Grey Streets; AH Grocers in Prince Edward Street; Victory Lounge in Victoria and Grey Streets; or Avalon T-Room on the corner of Albert and Victoria etc.
“Town” was dotted with iconic cafés, restaurants and shops that spanned decades and became landmarks within this historic precinct.
Most from out of town would often arrange to meet with their friends on Saturday morning either at Hansa’s corner, Tasty Eats, Manjara’s or at Victory corner or at… well, you must remember your favourite meeting spot!
Restaurateurs become nationally famous as the faces of their establishments.
The larger-than-life and immaculate Pompie Naidoo’s Goodwill Lounge was well known throughout the country.
Attracting world-renowned and local jazz musicians, political fugitives, South African Soccer League teams from around the country and the elite of the Durban social scene.
It was the place to be seen on a Saturday evening in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
As a boy, I have fond memories of frequenting the Goodwill Lounge with my parents and family for lunches, dinners or just to relax and have a cuppa.
Being lifted up and carried by ‘Uncle Pompie’ and then told to go to the front and take any sweet of my fancy was indeed the highlight of my visits.
But then again such was the hands-on approach by our Casbah businessmen – everybody was family.
Manjra’s in Cathedral Road was an institution. Serving hoards of people who traversed that area on their way from Warwick Avenue to the city and back.
Right across from the Emmanuel Cathedral, they were also famous for preparing meals for functions and weddings.
I am sure that many of you had your wedding meals prepared by Manjra’s.
I used to love walking down the passage into the shop at the back.
It felt like walking into a shop in Morocco as it had the feel and smell of being in another country.
Patel’s Vegetarian Restaurant in Victoria Street has often been attributed with being the father of the ‘bunny chow’ – whether that is true or not is another article all together.
However, it is still famous for serving the tastiest and most affordable meal south of the Nile River!
Going into the shop had always elicited you to buy more stuff than what you originally went in to get; for example, freshly made potato bhajia, dripping sweet jalebi and delish goolgoola.
Serving the richest to the poor, Patel’s has certainly endured over the decades and continues to “dish it out” as it was back in the heady days of the Casbah.
Victory Lounge was another landmark within the Casbah and was located on the corner of Victoria and Grey Street.
It was the meeting place for many over the decades and a certain stop-over after work to buy your bag of sieve and nuts or jalebi to take home to the waiting family.
I am sure you must have experienced this sometime in your childhood.
Today, it is still owned by the Moodley family but has re-located the entire business off the street level onto the first floor above.
Kanagee and her husband, Billy Moodley, strive, albeit under trying circumstances, to continue keeping these beautiful memories alive and still produce many of the famous and delicious treats that made Victory Lounge famous countrywide.
Their sweetmeat gift boxes were a must amongst visitors to Durban.
Back in the day they had an exclusive ‘Milk Bar’ that served the most delicious milkshakes.
Sitting there quite often with my Uncle Farouk Abdie, the seating arrangements and service made us boys feel as if we were sitting in a Milk Bar in New York – wonderful memories indeed.
Every Sunday morning my dad, George, would stroll across to Victory Lounge from our flat at Goodhope Centre to get the Sunday papers, sold on the pavement and, of course, our delicious and tasty ‘Victory Cakes’.
Remember them? There was a variety of about four different shapes. They were awesome!
Right across the road from Victory was another iconic eatery, Kapitan’s, and at one time known as Kapitan’s Balcony Hotel.
Owned and run by the Kapitan family on that same corner since the late 1880s.
In my time, I only remember the ground floor being a shop similar to Victory Lounge but, prior to that, the restaurant was on the ground and first floor, with dining also available on the balcony – hence the name, Kapitan’s Balcony Hotel.
The Ranchod family took over the operations in the ‘50s but sadly the business closed in 1977.
However, there was another Kapitan’s Restaurant further down Grey Street just across from the Grey Street Mosque and right ne
GC Kapitan Vegetarian Restaurant was favoured for its veg meals and sweetmeats as well as for its sought-after broad beans bunny.
Serving the masses for over 80 years, it ceased business in the early ‘90s.
The Delhi at the bottom end of Grey Street, just before it meets with West Street, was another extremely popular venue.
In its heyday it was known as Peter’s Lounge and was the venue for various sporting clubs’ year-end functions, beauty queen contests and the like.
It was also the first ‘nonwhite’ sleep-over hotel and was famous for serving meals with the finest cutlery and tableware.
From the late ‘70s, sadly, the service and quality of The Delhi per se severely plummeted and it was not frequented by the socialites of the city anymore.
Bhagat’s in Grey Street was another popular eating place for many.
Serving up affordable and scrumptious vegetarian meals made it a popular stop for those a bit short on cash.
I remember the windows at Bhagat’s, Victory and Patel’s displaying trays of the most vibrantly coloured sweetmeats that certainly enticed many to walk in and buy some for them to nibble on as well as to take home to the family.
This was indeed a tradition passing through the Casbah.
In Queen Street there was Rajput’s right across from the mosque.
I remember it had a lot of tables and at the back wall a bank of cold drink fridges. I am not sure, but I think it closed in the late ‘70s.
As I have outlined above, Victoria Street was quite well populated with some fine eating establishments and, apart from those I have mentioned, we cannot forget about Simon’s Café which also served something a “little stronger” than a Coke on the side.
I may have been about 7 or 8 years old and was taken there on Sunday morning by my grandfather, Bud Gengan, for a Coke and saw for myself that his “Coke” was much different from mine.
In Victoria Arcade, Pravina’s Café served some of the best masala hot chips and was well supported by many who came into the Casbah on Saturday mornings.
Plates of the stuff would constantly go between the kitchen and the dining tables.
In the mid- to late-’70s I used to buy my Karate and Kung Fu magazines from a shop directly across from Pravina’ s and the aroma was “to die for”.
In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s a number of a new brand of eating spots popped up around the Casbah.
Hansa’s Chicken Nest on the corner of Grey and Prince Edward Streets became a popular after-movie hang-out amongst many.
The burgers, sausages, samoosas, masala chicken legs and milkshakes were second to none in the Casbah.
In Albert Street, Burger Ranch started producing the most amazing toasted sandwiches amongst other favourites.
Situated across the road from Avalon-Albert Cinema, it too attracted a lot of aftermovie patrons.
Living at Goodhope Centre, my parents’ flat was right next door to the late Mr Shishupal Rambharos (Aryan Benevolent Home).
As a boy, I was often asked by his daughter, Reshma, to run across and buy her a toasted cheese sandwich.
It was an errand that I didn’t particularly like to do but on my way back the smell of the toasted sarmie was well worth the trip.
Couldn’t afford one myself and the “smell of it” was as close as I got to that sandwich!
In the Shiraz Arcade between Queen Street and Victoria, Tasty Eats did a riproaring trade amongst the thousands that walked through this arcade daily.
Their famous “special burger” was something else. Not sure what made it “special” but for 60c as opposed to the normal burger for 40c it was a special treat.
Upstairs was The Khyber Restaurant for the most discerning dinner or if you had a girl that you wanted to impress.
Classy in décor and service, but it came with an added cost as your burger was served on a plate instead of in a greaseproof packet
I am sure I may have left out some of the other familiar eateries in the Casbah but these are what stands out for me growing up in Queen Street.
Again, as in the previous articles, these are my memories.
If there are any errors or omissions then they are mine alone and not made intentionally.
Please do visit our Facebook pages Grey Street Casbah & Surrounds, Grey Street Recipes, Grey Street Sounds and The History of NonRacial Football in SA.You can contact me on buddy@eastcoast. co.za if you want to point out any discrepancies or just to communicate with me.