Athos Euripidou, aka the unofficial mayor of Durban, is probably the most tuned-in person you'll meet in the city. This proudly local native is best known as the owner of some of Durban's most popular establishments, such as Society on Florida Road, King Club, Zulu Jazz Lounge and Czar. Having recently left this glamorous and demanding world for new challenges and a simpler life, the self-proclaimed executive beach bum now surfs as much as he can while making sure Fortunes is on everyone's radar.
Although he says he has "dropped out", it is clear that he loves to stay connected. "I love feeding people by nature. It must be the Cypriot in me," Athos confesses. On Sundays, you'll find him making souvlaki at The Morning Trade market on Station Drive and during the week, next door at his newly opened Fortunes.
Earliest memories of food? My parents have always grown their own vegetables and fruit, so I've grown up knowing the difference in taste between something out of the garden and something that was bought. We grew up in fruit trees. After school, we would be like monkeys in the trees picking fruit. When I lived in Cyprus in my early twenties I was obsessed with souvlaki and making them at the market is always fun.
What is your style of food at Fortunes? Greek with a Middle Eastern twist. I'm enjoying my legume salads at the moment.
COOKED IN SOUTH AFRICA
Athos Euripidou at Fortunes Cafe
The 'unofficial mayor of Durban' shares his earliest memories of food and delicious souvlaki
Image: Naashon Zalk
Athos Euripidou, aka the unofficial mayor of Durban, is probably the most tuned-in person you'll meet in the city. This proudly local native is best known as the owner of some of Durban's most popular establishments, such as Society on Florida Road, King Club, Zulu Jazz Lounge and Czar. Having recently left this glamorous and demanding world for new challenges and a simpler life, the self-proclaimed executive beach bum now surfs as much as he can while making sure Fortunes is on everyone's radar.
Although he says he has "dropped out", it is clear that he loves to stay connected. "I love feeding people by nature. It must be the Cypriot in me," Athos confesses. On Sundays, you'll find him making souvlaki at The Morning Trade market on Station Drive and during the week, next door at his newly opened Fortunes.
Earliest memories of food? My parents have always grown their own vegetables and fruit, so I've grown up knowing the difference in taste between something out of the garden and something that was bought. We grew up in fruit trees. After school, we would be like monkeys in the trees picking fruit. When I lived in Cyprus in my early twenties I was obsessed with souvlaki and making them at the market is always fun.
What is your style of food at Fortunes? Greek with a Middle Eastern twist. I'm enjoying my legume salads at the moment.
Image: Naashon Zalk
LAMB SOUVLAKI WITH TZATZIKI
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 leg of lamb, cubed
1 tbsp Greek origanum
1 tsp salt
20 skewers
8 pita breads
Tzatziki:
1l double-thick Greek yoghurt
A pinch of dried mint
1 garlic clove
1 tsp olive oil
1 cucumber, grated and strained
A pinch of salt
Salad:
2 bunches of parsley, finely chopped
2 red onions, sliced
3 whole tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
Juice from 2 lemons
A pinch of sea salt
METHOD:
Cut lamb into 5cm cubes and marinate with origanum and salt for an hour. Slide onto skewers and cook over coals.
To make the tzatziki, mix all ingredients in a bowl. Separately, do the same with the salad ingredients.
Toast pita bread over coals for one minute and add lamb, tzatziki and salad.
This is an extract from ‘Cooked in South Africa', an initiative of Wish Upon A Star, a non-profit fund-raising charity (Reg. No 2013/038478/08). Cooked in South Africa is about memories and journeys around food and will be on sale in leading bookstores from mid-November with all profits from the sales going to children living with disability. Photographs courtesy of Naashon Zalk and Cooked in South Africa.