Meet Durban foodie, 8
Foodie, 8, has a Facebook profile that’s getting noticed
DURBAN restaurants had better up their game and buff their silverware. There is a new food critic in town and he pulls no punches. With the simple candour of an eight-year-old, Clifton Preparatory School Grade 3 pupil Dhiyarv Govender writes for the growing Facebook foodie page: Yummy or Yucky at the Kids Table Through the Eyes of a Kid.
SIPHILISELWE
MAKHANYA spoke to the youngster, whose culinary musings have so far notched up more than 330 likes and reached more than 10 000 views from fans as far afield as India, New Zealand, the UK and US. If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The pasta from Olive & Oil. It’s creamy, it’s tasty, it has chicken in it and it makes my tummy go yumyum. What’s the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?
Snails. It was at a restaurant in Florida Road. The first one I didn’t like, but when I tried it again I liked it. It did not taste nice at first but then it tasted amazing. I had it with hot sauce.
Is there anything you would never eat? If so, why not?
Sheep’s head, because of the brains. Is there any food that you always thought you wouldn’t like but tried and found yourself liking?
Sushi. I thought it would be disgusting and slimy in my mouth and that it would tickle my throat when it went down. But I loved it. It was California rolls and salmon roses.
Have you eaten in restaurants in other countries besides South Africa? What was it like?
In Mauritius, I tried chicken and a sauce and chips. I did like the chicken but it was too small — the size of my hand. While in Mauritius, my mom and dad renewed their vows. They gave us supper and we had prawns and crayfish and a lot of sea stuff. You gave a poor review to a meal you had at KFC in Overport, Durban. Is that one of the worst meals you’ve had at a restaurant?
I did not like it, not one little bit, because the chicken was hard and it tasted stale. What would you tell someone to do if they wanted to make their restaurant more attractive to children?
I would tell them to have games like PlayStation, or any type of game. When I go into a restaurant I see if the chairs are spaced out, if there’s enough air — like if
there’s enough of a breeze. Also if the waiter’s friendly. What are your top three favourite restaurants?
Spiga d’Oro: I like the penne Romanoff there.
Ocean Basket: The family combo. It has fish, crayfish, calamari and mussels.
Olive & Oil: I like the creamy chicken pasta there.
Can you cook?
No. But I can make toast. One thing I do is help mom to bake. We make red velvet cupcakes. Mom is the best cook in the world. I read on your page that your gran makes the best fish. Is she also one of your favourite cooks?
Yes, she makes the best fish and the best crab curry. One of my favourite foods is also crab curry. Are there any other people who cook whom you admire?
Benny (Masekwameng) from MasterChef. I’m hoping I can get an interview with him. My mom said we’re going to try to do it after I get 1 000 likes. He’s a great judge. I always agree with what he says about the food. It was just once that I did not agree — when a lady made a red velvet cupcake.