EARS TO THE BEST BUNNIES IN DURBAN
REVIEWS AND PICTURES: ROBZ MILLAR
Asked to recommend a few places to get a good bunny, our bunny boffin, Robz Millar, visited six of Durban’s best bunny joints. She shares her thoughts and observations.
Because many of the restaurants she visited were not doing sit-downs due to Covid, she decided to make these all take outs, phoning and then rating the service on collections.
Canecutters Restaurant (53 – 55 Helen Joseph Road, Bulwer, Berea)
Eat in/Take out? Canecutters offers both eat in and take out.
I really enjoyed the vibe at Canecutters. It felt very trendy and welcoming. There is both an inside and outside eating area. Unfortunately, when I visited, the inside area was closed due to Covid19. The outside seating area looked like the perfect spot to meet up with friends and enjoy a good bunny. There was plenty of roadside parking.
There’s an astonishing 12 different bunnies from which to choose, yet again making it difficult to select. They have two categories – standard bunnies and speciality bunnies which include deluxe mutton, butter chicken, kebab and chicken and prawn. I chose the ¼ butter chicken bunny
The prices at Canecutters are amazing with every price making sense when compared to the bunny chow. My ¼ butter chicken bunny chow cost me R69.90 (R139.90 for a ½ bunny). What I was most impressed by was the price of their deluxe mutton (prime cuts, boneless and extra meat) at R149.90 for a ½.
The curry used in my bunny was out of this world. It was by far the best butter chicken I have ever tasted! The curry was very mild, which is forgivable because butter chicken isn’t meant to be very spicy.
The chicken was very tender which is always a huge bonus when ordering anything with chicken. There was so much gravy that if I squeezed the bunny it started oozing out, I think for most curries that would be a little bit excessive, but I can’t think of anything better than lots of gravy when having butter chicken. The meat to bread ratio was also fantastic.
I will be visiting Canecutters more than I’d be happy to admit. This was the first bunny chow I’ve ever had from them and I have to go and try their other options. This will most definitely be my number one recommendation for anyone wanting a good bunny.
There is absolutely nothing I can fault about Canecutters’ bunny or their establishment and would happily rate them a 10/10.
Service – Unfortunately we couldn’t get through to them on the phone because their lines were down, so I headed over and ordered in the restaurant. The ladies at the front were extremely friendly and helpful and eight minutes after ordering, I was heading back home with my bunny chow. I rate their service 10/10.
Hotel Britannia (1299 Umgeni Road, Stamford Hill)
Eat in/Take out? – Hotel Britannia offers both eat in and takeaway.
I was quite blown away walking into Hotel Britannia. They have ample eat in space with both inside and outside seating. Quite elegant inside and a very pub-like vibe outside. They have a parking area just off the main road with plenty of parking and a very friendly man watching over the cars and helping you re-join the busy main road.
The number of bunny chows (at 14) on their menu is exceptional. I was especially intrigued by the “Exotic Bunny” section on their menu, each bunny sounding more exciting than the last. Some interesting standouts were trotters and the tripe and chops cunny chows. I chose the ¼ Prawn Bunny.
Prices for their bunnies are very reasonable with standard ¼ bunnies ranging from R37 (sugar bean) to R78 (mutton)Exotic bunnies range from R86 (trotters, tripe) to R165 (prawn). The R165for my prawn bunny was 100% worth it as I counted 13 good sized prawns!
The curry in this bunny was absolutely delicious! It was definitely on the milder side, but the addition of the chillies in the carrot salad (sambals) made for a bit more of a kick. The prawns in my bunny chow were cooked to absolute perfection. The amount of gravy was also just right.
The meat to bread ratio is what really took me by surprise. I’m used to never getting enough prawns when ordering any kind of prawn meal. It was so great to lift that piece of bread off the top and just see prawns.
I can see myself going back to Hotel Britannia quite often. I was truly blown away by their prawn bunny and can’t wait to try their other options. This will definitely be high on my recommendation list to anyone looking for a great bunny.
This bunny may be on the pricier side but, in my opinion, it’s well worth paying the extra cash. Overall I’d rate this bunny a 9/10.
Service – I was told that the bunny would take 45 minutes. I arrived a little before the 45 minutes were up and my bunny was already there waiting for me. The service was nothing short of friendly and professional. The lady who attended to me was extremely helpful, answering all of my questions with a smile on her face. I would rate their service an easy 9/10.
They offer two different types of delivery. Firstly through Dryvar Foods and secondly through their own delivery service which is free to a 15km radius. More info on www.hotelbrits.co.za
Gounden’s Restaurant & Take Away (520 Umbilo Road & Deodar Avenue, Glenwood, Durban)
Eat in/Take out? Gounden’s offers both eat in and take away but eat in was not available when I visited.
Gounden’s had an extremely simple, yet authentic feel to it. It is most definitely a place where I would love to sit down and enjoy my bunny chow. It’s not the safest area and only busy, roadside parking is available, but once inside, I felt safe and comfortable.
Gounden’s has an array of options which was very exciting. I really had trouble picking which bunny chow I wanted and eventually settled for a ¼ beef bunny chow. The other bunny’s that really caught my attention were the cabbage and mutton bunny and the chip chow. I was impressed at how affordable Gounden’s is with their most expensive ½ bunnies being R150 (mutton, chicken, beef and mince). Their cheapest ½ bunny is their Chip Chow at only R40! My ¼ beef bunny chow came in at R75 (R150 for a ½).
The curry was pleasant with quite a decent kick causing a little bit of sweat to build up on my forehead, but not so spicy that it overpowered the tasty curry. It had a great balance of tasty to spicy that made it really enjoyable. The amount of gravy was spot on and there were plenty of beef chunks in my bunny. The meat quality was a little bit confusing with most of the meat being incredibly tender. But there were a couple pieces that were a quite tough.
I was satisfied with my bunny chow, however some of the beef chunks being tough was quite disappointing. Nevertheless, I would rate Gounden’s 8/10 for their beef bunny chow.
I will most definitely be going back to Gounden’s as I would love to sit down and enjoy an authentic bunny in their restaurant. Gounden’s is cash only.
Service – There was no wait time for the bunny chow. I called in to order and was told to come through straight away to collect. It gave me the vision of chefs waking up early to cook big batches of curry which really attributed to the authentic vibe of the restaurant.
The man at the front counter was quick and to the point regarding our order and was very good at managing the many orders made by other patrons walking in and ordering. I would rate their service an 8/10.
Hollywood Bunny Bar, Springfield Park (Springfield Retail Centre, 2 Ilala Ave, Umgeni Business Park, Durban).
Eat in/Take out? – Hollywood offers both eat in and takeaway.
The restaurant has an enjoyable atmosphere enhanced by their iconic purple colour that catches your eye as soon as you walk through the door. It had a very sports bar vibe to it. I think it’s a great place to sit down, enjoy a bunny and watch some sport. Parking was quite chaotic throughout the entire centre, but it was a Saturday.
I was very surprised to see that they only have three bunnies on their menu (lamb, chicken and broad beans/sugar beans). I chose the ¼ Lamb Bunny Chow.
My ¼ Lamb Bunny was R75 (R140 for ½). Their Bunny Chows all come in ½ and ¼ at very reasonable prices with their Lamb Bunny also having a “Mini” option for R50.
The curry they use in their bunnies is very enjoyable. It was about a medium on the heat scale, had a slight kick but didn’t make me run for the tissues. The lamb meat was INCREDIBLY tender, some of the best lamb I’ve ever eaten. It could have used a touch more gravy, but there was still a healthy amount. The amount of meat in the bunny was very pleasing as well, definitely a winner on the meat to bread ratio and not too many potatoes.
I’d definitely go back to Hollywood Bunny Bar to get my bunny fix. I think it’s a place not to be missed if you are wanting to taste some of the many bunnies that Durban has to offer.
Service – I was told my bunny would be ready in 15 minutes, so jumped straight into the car and headed off. There was a little bit of confusion amongst the staff when we got there but, within five minutes, I had my bunny and headed back. Staff were very polite and friendly. I would give them an 8/10 for service.
They do deliver within a 20km radius of Springfield Park.
The value for money on this bunny I think was the biggest plus. Overall, I’d give the Hollywood lamb bunny a 7 ½ /10.
Jalapeno Cove (137 Jan Hofmeyr Road, Westville, Durban)
Eat in/Take out? Jalapeno Cove offers both eat in and take out.
There is not much eat in space, but I enjoyed the vibe which is very relaxed and pub like. I would love to sit at one of their outside tables and eat my bunny. There is limited parking and, during the day, seems to be the best time to go and grab a bunny without too much problems with parking.
They have four different bunny chows on their menu – mutton, butter chicken, kebab and sugar bean. I chose the kebab bunny.
Jalapeno Cove only has ¼ bunnies on their menu. Their prices are extremely affordable with their most expensive bunny at R60 (butter chicken bunny) and their cheapest at R25 for their sugar bean bunny.
Rating the bunny – My kebab bunny was by far the spiciest of them all. However, Jalapeno Cove still managed to maintain the incredible flavour. I really enjoyed the curry that they used. The kebabs were cooked extremely well and tasted great! They also used a decent amount of gravy which I find is always needed with kebabs. Jalapeno Cove uses a different kind of bread to all the other establishments which was a welcome surprise. It has a nice crisp outside and a very soft inner. I had four GIANT kebabs in my bunny.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Jalapeno Cove. I’ve only ever known them as a pub and have never eaten there. I would rate them 7/10 for their kebab bunny chow.
Because friends had recommended that also tried Jalapeno Cove’s butter chicken bunny, I was quite disappointed by this and have chosen not to rate it.
With Jalapeno Cove right around the corner from me, I will 100% be going back for seconds! I will definitely recommend Jalapeno Cove the next time my friends and I want to grab a quick and local bite to eat.
Service – It took 15 minutes to get our bunnies. The staff were very friendly and welcoming.
House of Curries, 275 Florida Road, Durban.
Eat In/ Take Out? – House of Curries does both.
House of Curries has been a bunny stalwart in this entertainment hub since 1999. The somewhat rustic and laid back deck outside is a great spot to meet up with friends and enjoy a good bunny and beer. But it can get noisy so rather take your bunny home if you are looking for peace and quiet!
House of Curries has quite an extensive menu and that includes bunnies. You can order a ½ or a ¼. Choice extends from basics like chicken, beef and lamb and also includes kebab, chicken and bean, prawn and chicken and prawn. This restaurant certainly caters for non- meat eaters with bean, mixed vegetable, mushroom and potato and chip and cheese which comes with a choice of gravies. I ordered chicken and bean. Prices are reasonable at around R70 with the most expensive bunny being the half lamb at R154 for a ¼ and the cheapest the veg option at R50. All are served with carrot and pickled salads and sambals.
I enjoyed my meal although I found the chicken a bit on the dry side. On the whole, it was good value for money. I’d rate them 7/10.
If I was in the neighbourhood, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back. If I was asked to recommend a bunny for a friend or a visitor, I would probably send them to Canecutters or Gounden’s for a more authentic Durban bunny experience.
Service – Welcoming but a little on the slow side.