Blown away… by the food, view and wind
Elangeni Panorama Pool Deck 63 Snell Parade, Durban Hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 9am to 10pm; Weekends and public holidays: 9am to 11pm WE WERE literally blown away when we stopped at the Panorama Bar at the Elangeni’s pool deck for a light Sunday lunch.
The sun was out and glorious and, when my sister J and I arrived, the breeze was fresh but provided some relief from the hot summer day.
However, it quite quickly picked up to what seemed like hurricane force.
By the time our food arrived, it was so strong we couldn’t let go of anything on the table long enough to gather it all together and move inside.
Thankfully, our waitress, Sibongile, had a terrific sense of humour and dealt with flying condiment bottles and knives (really, the glass salt and pepper containers and stainless steel knives were like feathers) and we stuck it out. Even unoccupied chairs were upended.
We ordered a No 1 salad (R60) to share; J chose the chicken burger (R75) and I went for a chicken prego roll (R75).
I lost the top half of my bun to the wind, but the rest was lovely – the sauce spicy but not taste bud-numbing, and the chicken just right.
J’s burger was topped with grilled cheese, and the relish was perfect – not so much that everything dripped down your hands (we inelegantly had to use our fingers to keep parts from leaving the plate).
The chips went down well, and a pigeon that got the blown-away bits kept us entertained.
The salad, though, was the winner. Often the “interesting bits” offered in salads are a rumour, but this one served plentiful supplies of feta, olives (black and green) and deliciously chewy sundried tomatoes, with an interesting selection of crispy fresh lettuce and rocket. The wind won out on this one, and after picking at it we asked to take it away so the lettuce didn’t end up in the moat.
We finished with a helping of delicious and still-warm chocolate brownies with cream (R60) and a vanilla cheesecake with berries (R60).
As is to be expected from a cocktail pool deck, the menu is not extensive, but what we were offered was fresh and well presented. There are also sandwiches, curries and bunnies, and no shortage of exotic cocktails.
The view of the Indian Ocean, even with a howling wind, is wonderful and hits the spot for a relaxed outdoor meal.
I’ll be back for another refreshing interlude, but will keep a close eye on the weather forecast.