A Return to Paradise and its People - Durban

HARILALS SPICE EMPORIUM If it’s in an Eastern
recipe book, chances are that you’ll find it here.
Located at the bottom of Monty Naicker Road,
Harilals is truly an emporium of culinary delight,
and a thoroughly affordable one at that. As well as
a huge selection of dry goods, the store also sells
a large variety of kitchenware, Indian cookbooks,
vegetarian products and Indian devotional items.
FIND IT AT: West end of Monty Naicker Road, City Centre
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VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS Due to the presence of Durban’s substantial
Hindu population, vegetarians and vegans find themselves extremely well
catered for in Durban. The clutch of Hare Krishna take-aways scattered
around the city offer not only mild curries but also variations on lasagne,
cottage pie, sausage rolls, hamburgers, pizza and more, and every curry
house will have at least one veg option. But even away from Indian cuisine,
you’ll find the city’s restaurants vegetarian-friendly. That said, avoid steakhouses.
FIND IT AT: Little Gujerat, Dr Goonam Street, City Centre
Dinner in the indian quarter The east end of Dr Goonam (Prince Edward) Street
lights up in the early evening on weekdays, with several Indian and Pakistani
restaurants open until about 9pm, accompanied by paan sellers and DVD vendors.
The Indian quarter known as Grey Street, named after the street
that runs through the area (now renamed to Yusuf Dadoo Street)
has a large concentration of restaurants and takeaways.
Unsurprisingly, curry dominates, with a plethora of vegetarian options
available as well as a broad selection of meat-based meals. If Indian
fare isn’t for you, there are a few Pakistani restaurants, as well as
global chains such as Wimpy and KFC. Eating in Grey Street is very
affordable, and has the advantage of having the ingredients of your
next meal for sale just around the corner, where formal stores and
street vendors sell produce at lower prices than anywhere else.