118 on Fairway
Where: 118 Fairway, Durban North
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 7am to 4.30pm
Call: 031 563 7102
Wow, what a view. It’s a breathtaking sweep of Durban from the Bluff to Mabhida, with the Beachwood golf club and the ships out at sea in the foreground. It’s something one could hardly imagine from the road. And the restaurant spills out onto a terrace taking it all in.
Some photographer should try shooting Durban from this angle. It would make a great publicity shot.
118 on Fairway has only been open a few weeks and already it’s packed with locals, many of whom we know. It’s set up in an upmarket guest house in Beachwood, and takes in the guest house breakfast room, deck and poolside. It feels like you might be relaxing in someone’s beautiful home.
On an ideal day the deck would be perfect, but a chill August wind sent us inside. If for no other reason, I’m not a fan of cold food. But the ambience was still there.
I was soon sipping on a good iced coffee, while food writer Ingrid Shevlin and the Glass Guy nursed their cappuccinos
Naturally breakfasts feature here (before 11am). There’s a health option for the granola brigade, and avo on toast with corn salsa for vegans. There are omelettes and everything from a full English to a one-egg breakfast to a bacon and egg roll. You can add a whole lot to your breakfast as well. And then there’s French toast and savoury mince.
Muffins, cakes or pastries might be more your thing for breakfast, especially washed down with a good wake-me-up espresso. The range of croissants sounds interesting.
The lunch menu focuses on Thai food, not surprising as one of the owners is in the open-plan kitchen serving up the dishes of her native Thailand.
Starts could be spring rolls or Thai-style chicken strips or a Thai beach salad or mixed seafood and chicken in a spicy coconut dressing. We soon had some fried chicken dumplings (R78) arrive at the table along with a spicy soy-based dipping sauce. They were lovely and full of flavour. The pork bao buns (R98) in a teriyaki mayo were an enjoyable if messy affair.
Then there’s sweet and sour chicken, or a vegetable stir fry with crispy tofu or grilled prawns with basil and chilli paste.
Ingrid enjoyed the Pad Thai chicken (R198) topped with sprouts and peanuts and with the chilli on the side. Not being a fan of hot things, this was the perfect arrangement. The Glass Guy also enjoyed the fish and chips (R118), this fish in a nice crisp batter with home made tartare sauce.
My crispy pork (R188) with noodles in a sweet chilli sauce was enjoyable, although a shade sweet for my taste. A good sprinkling of Ingrid’s unused chilli livened it up immensely.
For those not big on Thai dishes there are things like grilled halloumi, peri-peri chicken livers, burger ‒ beef, chicken or veg ‒ and a more South African T-bone with shisanyama spice, or boerewors rolls with chakalaka.
For dessert there was cheesecake and carrot cake and, surprise, a bee sting cake. We would share the latter. Unfortunately the cake came to the table fridge cold and the crispy nut topping had turned soft as a result, but we did enjoy our coffees.
Food: 3
Service: 3
Ambience: 3 ½
The Bill: R969 for three