After attending the 'Shall We Dance' performance featuring The Poet and Vivek and the Neighbours, which was described as very inspiring and spectacular, the group decided to visit Grimaldi’s Cucina to try the famous Sunday roast beef.
The restaurant is located in Durban Country Club at 101 Isaiah Ntshangase Road in Durban. It operates from Monday to Saturday from noon until 10:00 PM, and on Sundays from noon until 5:00 PM.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, visitors found that a full buffet was offered, including sushi options, all for a reasonable price of R295. Although à la carte ordering was available, the group opted for the buffet option.
The author notes that neither he nor Vivek are fans of buffets, as the food often gets cold or is overcooked. In Vivek's case, the issue is related to his tendency to eat a lot.
For the first course, a serving of freshly prepared sushi was served, including excellent tuna sandwiches, shrimp California rolls, and salmon sashimi, which everyone enjoyed.
Next followed the hot appetizers. The Poet tried a young pea soup, which had a pleasant fresh taste but was not hot enough. It was accompanied by a piece of toasted bread, which the author felt was an attempt to replace a crouton, which she disliked. The Neighbours enjoyed the chicken curry with vegetables, approving of both dishes; it turned out that the vegetable curry had a strong flavor.
Although curry is generally not a preferred choice for a buffet, the author and Vivek found a good piece of fried fish. It was accompanied by a tartar sauce that resembled a '1000 Islands' sauce with cucumber pieces. Among the salads were a decent green salad, a good potato salad, and beetroot. Small spring rolls and mini quiches were also presented, which were tasteless and unmemorable, likely made from frozen packages.
The menu also included pasta: a traditional spicy tomato pasta in Sicilian style and a creamy mushroom option. The roast beef was beef and served very rare; The Neighbours asked for their pieces to be cooked longer, but they returned from the kitchen grayer than brown, suggesting a microwave. However, the author and Vivek were satisfied with the beef in that state.
The beef was served with Yorkshire pudding, which was quite dense. The author noted that this dish should come straight from the oven. Instead of french fries, roasted potatoes were offered, and mixed vegetables (button, sweet potato, carrots, eggplant, etc.) were covered in cheese sauce, which was pleasant. There were no green vegetables.
The gravy was unusual as it contained pieces of spaghetti. In terms of taste, the author speculated that it might have been leftover beef and vegetable soup that someone took out of the freezer, mistaking it for gravy. Carrots were distinctly noticeable in it. Furthermore, mustard or horseradish was not served with the beef.
The Poet chose roast chicken, which could be with lemon and herbs or peri-peri. She chose the lemon option and complained about the lack of flavor, ultimately focusing on the salads. The dessert station offered cupcakes (chocolate, vanilla, and carrot) and small mini tarts, which were pleasant, although slightly overloaded with vanilla extract. Mini eclairs were also good. The author chose chocolate mousse, which was ruined by chocolate chips, as the goal of chocolate mousse is a smooth texture.
The Neighbours enjoyed the Malva pudding, which floated in a thick custard sauce. The coffee was good.
Overall, the author feels it was a pity, as addressing several minor shortcomings would significantly improve the meal, making it as impressive as the show they had just watched.