Dining with the stars in Sun City

The enticing interior of Legends Restaurant in Sun City, South Africa. Photos | Edgar R Batte

What you need to know:

  • To keep my balance, I decided to get on my feet and take a tour of more rooms within Legends that cater to different diners. I am certain of one thing, I must have dreamt in colour.

Travel means many things to different travellers. To me, food is a big catch and a trip to Sun City in South Africa proved awesome because at the Legends Restaurant, the meaty affair was one attraction within a bigger charming experience.

Like the name suggests, the restaurant baits you with décor that is put together with finesse that you savour while you wait for your meat.

You walk into a musically star-studded set-up, with an imposing poster of Sol Kerzner welcoming you with a wide smile, just right to mirror his hospitality legacy of founding the Southern Sun chain of hotels where your writer had more than one comfortable stay, his favourite being Durban which overlooks the pristine coastline. This gem is flattered by waving palm trees above the sight and sound of water waves as they embrace the white sands ashore.

Legends is another of the properties Kerzner put up and invested his soul and love as seen in 36 years of celebration of individuals on the restaurant walls.

Alluring interior
As you take your first step in, you cannot miss a beautiful piano on which you are free to fiddle your fingers. Here, it occurs to you that certain places are not just hangouts but treats and experiences that will draw you in longer than anticipated.

As a photographer who could not have enough of both the enticing meats from the open kitchen set-up as well as the plastered tributes of music icons, stars and celebrities, many of whom have visited and performed in Sun City, South Africa’s premium destination. It is popular for activities such as golfing, gambling, and water sports.
The admiration for the hangout was shared with fellow travel journalists who got a kick out of posing against the beautiful backdrops as well as holding what seemed a monumental guitar, and plucking melodic notes.

Musical moments
Meanwhile, there was a band performing at an adjacent space within Legends. Digestion goes well with a smooth voice over an acoustic back-up in company of mute stars on the walls, notable among many, country legend Kenny Rogers, his musical friend Dolly Parton, Rod Steward, Natalie Cole, the Beach Boys, and Gloria Gaynor.
To that, add some familiar renditions and the night can only get better by the hour as memories flood the mind and tickle the soul into an inner ecstatic experience within  well-lit, cosy spaces.

A few patrons were given a chance on the microphone and boy, oh boy, the frogs could have protested listening to the revellers bellowing out ‘drastically’ off-key notes albeit gleefully.
Anyway, visual- art was put in thought, or thought was put in art. And we got that both in the food presentation as well as setting. Most of the items must have been especially, collected. Somewhere overhead, a big piano hangs and then drums.

I was pretty occupied to ask my hosts, South African Tourism about the prices but I am certain that the bill was nothing short of top dollar range.
Fine dining
The guests there have a knack for fine dining in every sense of the word.

The culinary options were continental. A friend went for Greek salad while I opted for the marinated pork ribs that tasted just as well as the brownie presentation.
You can taste years of experience of chefs as you enjoy a meal. The rich spice content was duly washed down with a glass of wine, from what the waiter described as a special collection.

My pallet was in agreement, all the way to the last contents of the second bottle.
To keep my balance, I decided to get on my feet and take a tour of more rooms within Legends that cater to different diners. I am certain of one thing, I must have dreamt in colour.