HITTA CHOW

I’m Nick Hamman, and after thousands of comments from you guys, it turns out the number one place people told me I needed to visit in beautiful Durban was Hitta Chow in Clare Estate, to try the recommendation of the day: a delicious chicken breyani.

Clare Estate is about 7km northwest of Durban’s city centre, and during apartheid it was part of Durban’s Group Areas Act racial zoning, with Clare Estate proclaimed for Indian ownership and future occupation in 1958.

This is breyani, not biryani, or more accurately, this is Durban-style breyani: South Africa’s Indian take on the biryani family. Even though the terms are often used interchangeably, breyani here usually means fragrant spiced rice layered with meat, lentils and potatoes and cooked together, as opposed to many traditional biryanis, where the meat or gravy and rice are prepared separately before being layered. Both are deliciously different, and both are magic.

Hitta Chow is a warm local spot on Spencer Road, and I was told they run daily specials, so call ahead and ask what’s good.

Among the favourites are their bunny chows, soji and mutton dishes, but today I went for the chicken breyani: fluffy rice, tender chicken, soft potatoes and lentils, all cooked with traditional Durban Indian spices, deep masala flavour, gentle heat and that proper slow-cooked comfort in every bite.

This meal was fantastic and is going to be hard to beat. The energy here was warm and friendly, the service caring and homely, and as I sat and ate, I watched members of the community stop by, some to eat, and some just to say hello.

You need to visit Hitta Chow, so I’ve left the details in the caption. But if this is not the best breyani in South Africa, you need to let me know in the comments where I’m going next.

Read our disclaimer about Halal restaurants here.

Address: Clare Estate, 131 Spencer Rd, Palmiet, Durban, 4091

Phone: 083 805 3846

#chicken #breyani #durban #hittachow #southafrica foodie durbanfood indianfood