INLSA
Little Havana co-owners Jose Goncalves, left, and Martin Lombaard.
Anyone who thinks that LITTLE HAVANA, which opened in uMhlanga village a few weeks ago, is just another steakhouse needs only to walk through the front door.
The lush décor is so striking it immediately puts this new venture from partners Martin Lombaard and Jose Goncalves up among the classiest acts in town.
And it is not a predictable offshoot of Havana at Suncoast Casino. As its management has already noted, this is a different clientele with different tastes. They are seeing more holidaymakers, more overseas visitors, and locals who order not just steaks but more exotic items.
And as time goes on, this kitchen team will no doubt develop the range even further.
The menu is already diverse but we avoided old Havana favourites like marrow bones with parsley and caper sauce, the deconstructed prawn samoosa and steak tartare (although that is one of the dishes flying out of the kitchen).
Instead came rosy, sweet, home-cured gravadlax on a fat potato blini with pickled cucumber, dill and mustard; deep-fried crumbed salt and pepper calamari with aioli; and sautéed mixed mushrooms (including porcini) with spinach and Bearnaise sauce on crostini.
All were delicious, the salmon one of the best examples of the curing method I have come across; the calamari crisp but tender and the aioli not overwhelmingly garlicky; the mushrooms a satisying if hefty starter.
Other starter options include Norwegian salmon and shrimp fishcakes with coriander, ginger, chilli and soy; Cuban chicken livers; and a trio of snails given differing treatments of garlic and thyme, smoked paprika and blue cheese.
Now that summer is rapidly disappearing, salads are less tempting, although one with pear, gorgonzola, green beans, toasted pecans and a cider and honey vinaigrette could change that. I also like the sound of parma ham with peaches and pecorino and another salad with sesame prawns, mango, chilli and cucumber.
Among mains you have, obviously, the huge range of quality steaks, which have become synonymous with Havana. By the looks of things, they will continue to be hot sellers in uMhlanga.
But there’s also fish, including a Mauritian seafood curry, roasted linefish with a herb crust and ratatouille, and Norwegian salmon on a Vietnamese-style stirfy with cashews, chilli, lemongrass and soy.
That last dish provoked the only criticism we had of our meal. The fish itself was perfect, but its subtle flavours were overshadowed by the soy sauce-based base. Not a balanced pairing.
There was no fault, though, with a luscious, chunky salmon and prawn fishcake topped with seared scallops, and slow-cooked roast belly of pork, the sort of dish that will warm a winter day.
The meat was falling apart, the skin crisp, and the accompanying roast apple, bacon and thyme and mustard sauce a perfect companion.
I think the kitchen would also do justice to lamb shank with root vegetables and rosemary, and ostrich fillet with a green peppercorn and cognac sauce.
But I would be most interested in items from the wood-fired oven, such as duck with baby beetroot, horseradish and chives, and a brace of quail with grapes, chorizo and spinach. Next time, maybe.
For the vegetarian are a “millionaire’s macaroni” made with four cheeses, porcini and chives; a butternut and sweet potato lasagne with crispy sage and almonds; and a wild mushroom risotto.
Emboldened by the success of our meal, we ventured into dessert territory.
The kitchen wasn’t happy with the quality of the hot chocolate fondant, our sterling waiter told us, but I was delighted by the alternative cappuccino mousse served in a little coffee cup. It was light, punchy and the ideal ending for a lunch.
Prices: Starters R42 to R65; main courses R85 to R265 for grilled crayfish.
Opening hours: Seven days a week.
Telephone: 031 561 7589.
