Surf Riders catches new waves
Surf Riders
Where: 17 Erskine Terrace, South Beach
Open: Daily 6.30am to 5pm
Call: 062 747 7037
Food writer Ingrid Shevlin and I were invited to Surf Riders to try their new menu options… and to be let in on a little secret.
Owner Jason Caradas tells us it’s all systems go to open in the Cabanas in Umhlanga in April, in the spot where Bellezar used to be. With all the excitement of an expectant father, he takes us through the artist's drawings of the new space which is having something of a major makeover. New bar, new entrance area, better seating flows, functions room, the works. It certainly will lift the Umhlanga promenade. It’s something to look forward to.
He’s also opening a branch on Umhlanga Ridge later this month on Park Lane where Strada Cucina used to be, near Shoots and Leaves. Kay xxxxxx who many will know from Circus Circus North Beach will be the capable pair of hands behind this outlet. She too joins us for lunch.
And the South Beach shop is still very much open as the team negotiates leasing arrangements with the eThekwini Municipality, with chef Samantha Smallshaw serving up her big-hearted food.
As we’re chatting I notice Surf Riders’ burgers and hot dogs are still flying out the kitchen, piled high with a feast of yummy and delightfully messy toppings. The last time I was here I relished Smallshaw’s prawn curry, a veritable feast with all the trimmings. It’s still on the menu and a firm favourite. As is her creamy chicken peri-peri and chips. Something Ingrid could never get excited about until she tried it. It was the daughter and son-in-law that insisted she did.
New on the menu is the pizza sandwich, which I really enjoyed. Although Smallshaw insists she’s still perfecting it. Now this is pizza dough stretched and folded around the cheese before being baked in the oven. It’s then opened and the sandwich ingredients are added into the melted cheese - in our case chourico, basil and tomato. It gives you all the warm and fuzzy feelings of freshly baked bread, that oozing pleasure of melted cheese yet the uncooked ingredients add a freshness to the mix. Plus it’s not as big as a whole pizza so it’s perfect for a quick bite for lunch. There are other flavour options to choose from.
Another favourite was the slow braised short-rib tacos. Never a fan of tacos I must admit that these impressed. Apart from the fact that they’re messy and often disintegrate when you eat them, they are so often stuffed with cheap melted cheese. Not here. No cheese in sight, just meltingly tender pulled short rib with guacamole and sour cream, and a wonderfully flavourful dipping gravy reduced from the sauce the meat was cooked in. Yum. If only all Mexican dishes were like this.
Then there was an Asian inspired stirfry of chicken and Japanese yakisoba noodles along with shredded veg and topped with a perfectly jammy poached egg. Topped with radish slices and Asian herbs and sesame seeds it was an enjoyable dish. I think knowing Ingrid is not a fan of chilli, Smallshaw toned this down a bit - but just the tip of a teaspoon of their fiery red stuff stirred through the noodles lifted everything. We also enjoyed the panko crumbed calamari served with spicy mayo and on top of their good crisp hand cut chips. An ideal pairing with a glass of wine on a hot day.
Another new dish was Smallshaw’s chicken salad, a pretty arrangement of the salad inside the leaves and strips of cucumber served with chicken schnitzel topped with a rich tomato sauce. Another lovely lunchtime dish.
We finished with great coffee along with extra rations of their little pink and blue surf board biscotti that remind everyone of the iced zoos of their childhood.
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambience: 3 ½