I don’t know about you but I like a little show with my dinner.
Charlene blow torching ten pieces of sushi underscored with a little smooth jazz, a little L’Ormarin’s Brut and a lot of style.
It’s the second time, we’re visiting
Hilton Hotel’s D’Vine Sushi and Wine Bar and Charlene is showing off. We stroll in on a Monday even
ing and we feed her the legend of Willemina as a subtle nudge in the right direction and she barely bats an eyelid.
It all started about a month ago when we walked in
just before 22h00 with flaming hunger in our cheapskate bellies and a gift voucher expiring the next day.
It was clear that Willemina had already packed up. Clearer still that her shuttle bus home was leaving in twenty minutes because she told us as much.
She stayed anyway.
Unpacking her knives, fish and even calling in reinforcements, Willemina welcomed us in, missed her bus and accepted our voucher before making us the sushi of dreams.
The Orient Express, the Hiro and a mix of tuna and salmon sashimi which arrived in the most generous chunks I’ve seen in this city.
Her tip was a
s unprecedented as her generous service and we vowed to return.
This time to find Charlene.
A sushi chef who is also studying to become a teacher in-between impressing everyone with her skills with a blow torch.
The metalwork tool turned kitchen appliance is for the Orient Express, 10 pieces of tempura prawn with avo and sweet chili blowtorched
to perfection.
My sister Mon and I fangirl about the flare.
It’s not every day we see black women sushi chefs all about those Beyoncé pyrotechnics so we thank Charlene for letting us live our best lives. We thank Willemina too, again and in abstentia, as we peruse D’Vine’s extensive wine list, the bottles of which are added to the décor under dark blue light.
This, plush high chairs, cotton napkins and naked bulbs add to the ambience as does the perfect volume of lounge music we have to remind the staff to put on.
We want everything perfect you see.
Like last time.
Food pricey but scrumptious, vibe chilled, service impeccable, women wonderful.