Press Club
Where: Salta Sibaya Estate, uMdloti
Open: Tuesday to Saturday 8am to 8pm. Sunday 8am to 4pm.
Call: 031 007 0189
Sometimes you just feel like a traditional Sunday roast, something similar to what gran used to make when we were growing up - complete with roast potatoes and vegetables and Yorkshire pud and all that. And naturally swimming in good home-made gravy.
It’s just what I felt like on Sunday, and so The Glass Guy and I headed out to uMdloti to try out the Press Club’s new home on the Salta estate. I had memories of roast pork with piles of crispy crackling at their previous venue in uMhlanga.
The restaurant is a modern open plan set up with large glass windows offering views of the sea. There’s a bar, an outside back terrace along with kiddies play area and swimming pool. On the side is a room which would make a good functions venue. It’s simple in style but has way more ambience than the previous premises in the back of a fairly dingy shopping mall.
And many of the same friendly staff are still there. We soon have a beer in hand and are watching the crowd as it fills up fast for lunch.
The roast today is lamb with mint sauce and all the trimmings. We both go this route.
The menu hasn’t changed much with many of the famed dishes still very much in evidence. Yes you can still get a toasted prawn sandwich, butter chicken and liver and bacon on mash. Breakfasts still include the likes of kippers, a selection of Benedicts, a hash of sauteed potatoes, bacon and onions with eggs, and a new addition Durban eggs, served with chips and curry gravy.
There are sandwiches, wraps and salads, along with pastas, pizzas and burgers. Light bites may include crispy calamari, Korean chicken wings or a samosa bowl. And for mains their famed fish and chips is still on the menu, along with a 300g rump topped with cowboy butter and crispy onion rings, and southern style brisket.
And then there are a selection of Durban-style curries. They have regular curry buffet nights which are good value for the hearty diner.
I liked the look of a tomato tart on puff pastry with feta, basil pesto and wild rocket, but we were hungry and decided to dive into our roast.
The roast (R160) was a generous portion with roast leg of lamb, a good creamed spinach, roast potatoes, roast butternut and Yorkshire pudding. There was a little mint sauce on the side. The gravy too was decent, although some on the side would have gone down well. It’s something you can never quite have enough of. The Yorkshire puddings were nice and crisp and had definitely been cooked in the meat fats. We were happy. And felt there was good value too.
For dessert there’s a selection of cakes of the day or chocolate brownies. The espresso creme brulee appealed. I opted for the roasted apple and cinnamon bread and butter pudding with salted caramel drizzle and vanilla ice-cream (R75). Lovely but enormous. While the glass guy enjoyed the cheese blintzes (R75).
The coffees at Press Club haven’t changed. We enjoyed a decent espresso before the trip home.
Food: 3 ½
Service: 3 ½
Ambience: 3 ½