Bunny chow was created in 1940s Durban, South Africa, as a way for immigrant Indian plantation workers (who were often banned from certain cafes during the apartheid era) to carry their food to the fields. It’s typically a mutton or bean curry crammed into a hollowed-out white loaf. You break off bits of crust and eat them dipped in the spicy stew. The name is said to come from the city’s banyan trees: the snacks were originally sold by vendors sitting in the shade underneath them.
Today, bunny chow is enjoyed all over South Africa by diners looking for a filling, spicy dish that’s perfect with a couple of cold beers.
The best place to try it is in its home city of Durban. I got my first true bunny experience at A Taste of India on Wilson Wharf by the Durban Waterfront, which is reasonably tidy and smart. I was amazed at how many people were eating bunnies at 11am!
The bunnies from the hole-in-the-wall place on the side of the Hollywood Bets casino, on Linze Road out in Durban’s industrial suburbs, have real heat and are very tasty. During lunchtime, it gets packed with people driving in and out.
Capsicum, part of the Britannia Hotel, while not my favourite and in a less-than-ideal location under a flyover in the Morningside suburb, has a glowing reputation among locals.
But Johnny’s (89 Sparks Road), also known as the Sunrise Chip n Ranch, is by far the best and again in a suburban setting. People seem to drive from all over for its amazing curry. Choose from mixed veg, broad beans, sugar beans or dhal bunny chows; you could have a chip-and-cheese roti on the side!
Atholl Milton is owner of Bunnychow, 74 Wardour Street, Soho, London
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