During this Mandela Day weekend, the family and I were supposed to have driven to White River, Mpumalanga to visit family and tour the Kruger National Park. There was a change in plan and we had to cancel that trip due to our family in White River having some other commitments that needed to be attended to.
Since the wife and I had already set aside this weekend for a holiday, we had to make a choice of some other place to visit. Our favourite places in KZN are the central Drakensberg and the Midlands Meander. We finally opted for the Midlands because it was closer to home and the fact that our kids hate long trips.
We booked at this self catering home called Caversham Mill Cottage in Lidgetton. I had seen the pics on their website and the home and property looked like a piece of heaven. Another great thing about Caversham Mill , is that they have a restaurant with Indian cuisine on the menu.
When we got to Caversham, it was about lunch time and we were all eager to have lunch. Their menu was jam packed with all our favourites including Bunny Chow. I had to order the bunny , as I had read and heard some good things about it.
I went ahead and ordered , and within 10 minutes , the chow had arrived on my table. Steaming hot - freshly cooked.
I am lost for words trying to describe the appearance of this bunny. See the pics on this post and you will know why.
The bunny was massive , much larger than the usual spots I visit in Durban. It was filled to the brim with meat and gravy and was served with the proper salad and sambal that we all love.
The colour of the gravy was nice and red , proper Durban Style. The bread was on another level - I didn't get a chance to ask the waiter or owners , but I think this was baked on site or possibly bought fresh from a nearby bakery. The bread was soft and fresh and crispy on the outside. Yes, that same bread we love to eat with butter.
Let's get to the taste of the curry. As mentioned earlier , the curry was steaming hot so I used the virgin to scoop all the lovely gravy that had already cooled on the plate. The taste was proper Durban flavour home cooked. I had to give a piece to my wife and son and they confirmed this as well.
I started to unravel the bunny and at first bite, I knew this was a winner. Flavour flowing in all directions. I had to pause for a while for my brain to process this wonderful bunny that was in front of me. Going at it slowly because I wanted this wonderful feeling to last.
As I'm chowing this bunny, I kept thinking to myself that we are in the middle of a picturesque rural area so far away from Durban, but this chow is tasting like I am sitting right here at one of my favourite Indian joints in Durban.
So here is my verdict out of 10:
Service : 10/10. The waiters were so well trained and spoken. Happy smiles from them all the time.
Quality of Ingredients: 9/10. Everything is sourced locally from the farms in the area ( except for the Masala which is a proper Durban mix) so you can expect the best meat, soft cooking potatoes and herbs.
Taste : 8.5 / 10. I didn't expected the curry to taste this good. The meat was so soft and tasty. Potato was soaked with gravy.
Size of Bunny : 10/10 . This bunny was too big for me. I struggled to finish it but I couldn't let it go to waste.
Final verdict: 9/10
This is officially the best best bunny I have eaten out of Durban. The humble owners of this establishment are ex-Durbanites and they have brought the soul of Durban cooking to the midlands. The restaurant is always packed , and for good reasons. There is warmth and a sense of comfort about this place that will attract you to it when you visit there as well - felt like I was visiting long lost family. For sure I am counting the days to revisit Caversham - and I will order the bunny again.
PS. I also had their Prawn Bunny as well. That's another good story for another day .
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