Steakhouse: Cairns and Sydney restaurants established by former South African model

He’s the chef who’s fed more than 1 million people at a Cairns steakhouse but he almost never made it out of the airport when he first arrived in Australia.

Waterbar and Grill Steak House head chef Dumi Dlamini works in a heated environment but has always kept his cool to go with the flow.

The former model from South Africa can speak eight different languages but his favourite dialect is spoken through his hands and the masterpieces they create on the grill.

Cool and collected: Waterbar and Grill Steak House chef Dumi Dlamini doesn’t let the heat get to him. PICTURE: ANNA ROGERS

Dumi grew up in two different African countries.

He was born to a South African father and a Zimbabwean mother so he would spend a lot time crossing the border – without a passport.

“One time when we were going from Zimbabwe to South Africa, my uncle was driving and he hit a small impala, which is popular for its meat,” Dumi says.

“So we put it in the van and hid it under a sack. When we got to the border, there were people inspecting the van and the impala woke up, it wasn’t dead. So my brother was struggling with it trying to keep it down and there was so much noise. We could have been arrested but we got away with it.”

Dumi Dlamini remembers crossing the border from Zimbabwe into South Africa with what his family thought was a dead impala. Picture: istock

The 50-year-old learned to cook by doing so for his family and was working as a chef in a Johannesburg restaurant by 15.

“I was quite confident; I knew I was good in the kitchen so I never thought about any other career.”

But another career found Dumi.

“There was a guy at the restaurant and one night he offered me some modelling work. I said ‘why not?’

“I did it all – Coca-Cola ads, beer ads and even education material for AIDS.”

Dumi says he worked both careers at the same time but enjoyed cooking more.

“Everyone eats out a lot in South Africa. It’s a big part of the culture there. Feeding 500 people in one night, in one restaurant was normal there.”

Dumi had worked up quite a reputation as a cook in South Africa, so about 27 years ago, he was lured by a friend to Australia — to open a steakhouse in Sydney.

Waterbar and Grill Steak House chef Dumi Dlamini was a chef and model in South Africa before a friend lured him to Sydney to open a restaurant. PICTURE: ANNA ROGERS

Reluctant at first, he eventually agreed but was ready to return to South Africa before he had even exited Sydney Airport.

His bag was packed by a friend who was an immigration agent.

“It had magazines and about five birth certificates in it,” Dumi says.

“He would help process visas for people and their birth certificates were still in the bag.

“Anyway, Australian immigration asked me so many questions and even put me through X-rays. It was so much that before I had even left the airport, I said to them, ‘you know what, lock me up or send me back, I don’t care, I’ve had enough of the questions’.”

Dumi went on to live in Sydney for about 13 years and helped establish the famous Hurricane’s Bar and Steakhouse.

His work there was noticed by Allan Simpson, who lured the chef to Cairns and together they established Waterbar and Grill Steak House 12 years ago.

Again, Dumi was reluctant to move, this time to the Far North. After having seen what Cyclone Larry had done to the region, he says he was genuinely in fear.

“During Yasi, I was so scared my preparation was drinking a whole bottle of whisky and falling asleep,” he says.

Despite this, Dumi has managed to establish the restaurant as one of the most popular in the city and last year fed his one millionth customer. He’s very particular about the meat and cuts he sources, which he says can make or break a dish.

Originally published as Steakhouse: Cairns and Sydney restaurants established by former South African model