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Editorial Review

Reviewed in the Aug/Sept '07 issue of Ciao!

The heart of any good restaurant is the kitchen. At LuLu’s, it beats loudly with a passion for south-of-the-equator inspired cuisine and health conscious ingredients with loving preparation stirred into every dish.

The restaurant’s owners, Chef Louise (LuLu) and her South African husband Faiz deBeer are living their dream. They have created an intimate space that combines the mementos and cuisine hand-picked from their exotic travels. The soulful hum of Cuban music provides a cheery fork-tapping beat, while colourful wall hangings, wind chimes and woven baskets decorate the dining room. This provides visual accompaniment to the culturally diverse tastes on the menu. The patio is sheltered from any noise pollution travelling on St. Mary’s Road by a glass partition and is sweetly aromatized by potted savoury herbs. Comfy booths line one wall, covered in pillows sewn by LuLu herself.

The menu is small, but exciting, as it features enticing dishes from hot countries like Mexico and Malaysia with some prevalent South African flavours.

A simple amuse bouche of saltflecked pretzels and tangy mayonnaise gets the juices flowing and pairs well with a few gulps of the award-winning South African Castle Lager. To start, the mushroom pâté is deliciously woodsy, crowned with whole almonds that balance out its moist texture with a satisfying crunch. The tuna frikkadels (fried patties) are a must, delicately spiced with masala and joined by colourful sauces such as tamarind and sweet chile.

The signature main calls on the chef’s prairie roots for its inspiration, using hearty bison short ribs, but its vibrancy comes from afar, with a cool cilantro yogurt raita and a generous pile of saffron rice. The slow-roasted lamb shank is served on a bed of brown basmati rice with coleslaw and steamed cauliflower. With the lightest nudge of a fork the succulent meat wastes no time slumping off the bone in tender pieces. Although combinations of flavour are delectable, spicing can be on the tame side. Don’t hesitate to ask for a little extra punch on your plate if you like things to sizzle.

Presentation is clean and simple, with shaped white dishware showcasing the bright, tropical colours of each entrée. Giant sea-coloured water glasses and frosty beer mugs are a nice touch, especially on dehydrating summer days.

When the deBeers were looking for a spot to set up shop, LuLu insisted that they find a building with room to live upstairs so she could sneak down to the kitchen and have a midnight baking session if she desired. The couple moved into this location above the restaurant, and the dessert case attests to LuLu’s late night confections. Cheesecake infused with creamy South African Amarula liqueur is one to consider.

Service is friendly, knowledgeable and more than gracious in this familial atmosphere. One leaves feeling like they have experienced exotic flavours and learned something new about the cuisine. Customers have been known to enter the restaurant saying they need a “hug of food from LuLu"; and most certainly, LuLu comes through sending patrons home with a full belly and heart.

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