If it’s a combination of great food and an escape from the stresses of the city you’re seeking, but you don’t want to spend long hours travelling, a visit to Ocean Reef Hotel, just 30 minutes north of Umhlanga, is well worth considering.
Perched on a hill at Zinkwazi Beach, overlooking a rocky beach accessible from the hotel via a short stroll along pathways and wooden stairs snaking through indigenous coastal dunelands and forests, the cosy venue sleeps just six couples.
The hotel has Indonesian and African architecture and is in the centre of 13 similarly designed, self-catering time-share villas which, like the hotel, have distinctive triangular rooftops that make them something of a landmark in the area.
Managed by Signature Hotels since December, the hotel, which is at 17 Magai Drive, offers an infinity pool alongside its terrace and an airy new restaurant, Bamboo, which is the main reason to seriously consider a trip there.
The food is excellent, with an Afro-Indonesian feel inspiring both the décor and menu, with simple, freshly prepared food being the key offering.
The menu covers Mediterranean and Indonesian flavours and is influenced by a diverse mix of cultures and cooking techniques.
Officially known as Bamboo “A Food Workshop”, the venue seats 36 people inside the air-conditioned restaurant and 32 outside, next to the infinity pool.
There are several elements to excite any “foodie”, among them the espatada, a suspended skewer of 200g of meat (beef, chicken or seafood), which originates from Brazil, and a fine starter platter that presents veg spring rolls, seared tuna and plump prawns in little jars filled with dipping sauce.
One can get a taste of Tuscany with a signature pizza topped with prosciutto, beetroot and creamy gorgonzola, while seafood delights include Spanish prawns with mussel and clam paella, or the local linefish catch, baked whole in a wood-fired oven and wrapped with banana leaves.
Smoked chicken with poached pear, rocket, walnut brittle, gorgonzola and lime dressing is an ideal choice if you’re soaking up the sun on the terrace and want something less heavy.
Also worth special mention is the Indonesian Lamb Burger (an Indonesian-spice lamb patty with baked pineapple and coriander yoghurt on grilled chiabata, with rustic potatoes ) and a very tasty Coconut Thai Red Chicken and Prawn Curry.
The restaurant also offers a kids’ menu and a special menu for desserts.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, the restaurant was recently launched by Signature Hotels’ group executive chef Gregory Henderson.
For more information contact 031 3126250 or [email protected]
The phone number for hotel reception and Bamboo bookings is 032 485 3776. - Sunday Independent