Simple fare has staying power

Evaporated milk and canned fruit cocktail. These are hardly ingredients for the gods. But mixed together in a cake (actually, the milk is heated with sugar to make a syrup and poured over the cake after it’s baked), the result is nothing short of, well … heaven.

Even the name is rudimentary: Di’s Delight, the kind of nomenclature usually reserved for the delicacies found on the menu at a truck stop. The name, like the dessert, is short and sweet —- and it gets the job done.

10 Degrees South owner Justin Anthony gets the name from his mother, Diane, who is, of course, the baker involved (Anthony’s father, Derek, is also an owner). And while the menu at this South African restaurant offers an exploration into a cuisine peppered with Portuguese, Dutch and German influences, it’s one of the few restaurants around where the maxim “eat dessert first” could truly be adhered to with no regrets whatsoever.

But let’s just say we’re interested in some savory before sweet: Hmmm … how about a crock of chopped chicken livers sauteed in piri piri sauce served with slices of very white French bread for dipping? I’d love this dish even more if the kitchen showed some interest in providing bread that didn’t seem as if it arrived from the shelves of a QuikTrip, but, really, that’s just my critic’s nose in the air.

What’s important is the melding of spice —- more like a curry than the hot red heat of a true Portuguese piri piri —- at times it’s almost sweet and relish-like. But whatever your thoughts on chicken livers (and mine are muddled), this dish will change them for the better.

Basic quality throughout

Burrowed into the hive of activity on Roswell Road north of Piedmont, the restaurant’s exterior (transformed from a bungalow a few years back) looks like a furniture showroom. Inside, the stylish decor, highlighted by African masks, woven baskets and candles, is soothing, even if it does look a little too much like a Pottery Barn showroom.

Other restaurants, such as SAGA, have opened serving South African cuisine, but 10 Degrees South is the only one left standing after opening a decade ago.

A favorite South African delicacy is boerewors, a type of Dutch sausage, served here with a sweet tomato-and-onion relish that very much resembles an old-fashioned Southern chowchow (or perhaps that’s the other way around).

There’s a basic quality to this cuisine that rings throughout its many varied dishes —- even flourishes such as giant prawns in a spicy tomato sauce with rice (a staple that accompanies almost every main dish) seem elementary. And the kitchen has lost a bit of its fresh pizazz over the past 10 years.

But classics such as bobotie, here served more as a ground beef curry than as a meat loaf (as is often the case) are well worth exploring. 10 Degrees South’s version is made similar to a shepherd’s pie, with custard baked on top of the savory curried meat, laced with sweet spices (the dish is often served with an egg baked on top of the meat). It’s a ramped-up interpretation with a delicious payoff, served with yellow rice and sambals derived from the country’s many Indian influences.

Sample the small plates

I’d rather explore small plates here than anything else, though —- especially since the wine list boasts very good selections of South African Pinotage and chardonnay. The latter lacks the off-putting oakiness of most California chardonnays, and acts on the nose and palate a little more like a sweeter, effervescent pinot grigio.

It’s the perfect wine for sipping and tasting small bites such as grilled calamari tossed simply with lemon and butter —- and highlighted by the salty flavor of capers. Or a mouthful of Caesar salad topped with thin slices of biltong, a kind of beef jerky brought to South Africa by the Dutch.

The menu also offers kingclip, a weird, eel-like fish similar to whiting and hake, but tasting a lot like skate. It’s considered a South African delicacy, but here it’s hard to see why: The fish loses its texture underneath a lemon butter sauce until it’s too mushy to enjoy.

And then, of course, there’s Di’s Delight. Imagine a fruit cocktail upside-down cake marrying a slice of tres leches —- buttery tasting, rich, moist beyond reason. Want to really blow your calorie count? Order a “Don Pedro” —- an after-dinner drink classically served with coffee liqueur, whisky and cream, but turned on its ear when made here with Amarula, the South African cream liqueur that tastes like caramel and vanilla had a baby.

Ten years is a long time for any business to survive, but it marks a real achievement for a restaurant. Especially since —- or perhaps because —- it’s the only one of its kind in the city.

KEY TO AJC RATINGS

***** Outstanding: Sets the standard for fine dining in the region.

**** Excellent: One of the best in the Atlanta area.

*** Very good: Merits a drive if you’re looking for this kind of dining.

** Good: A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit and miss.

* Fair: Food is more miss than hit.

Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated Poor.

RECOMMENDED CAKE

South African is hard to come by in Atlanta, but great cake, such as Di’s Delight, isn’t. If you’ve got a sweet tooth for all things made with batter, baked and iced, here are three spots to check out:

> Watershed: You may be tempted to order the classic slice of “very good” chocolate cake —- and you wouldn’t be disappointed. But venture beyond the obvious allure of chocolate and try a slice of the caramel-glazed fresh apple cake (with a dollop of fresh-whipped cream), and you’ll need reminding that sharing is polite. 406 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, 404-378-4900, www.watershedrestaurant.com

> Rexall Grill: There’s so much good, old-fashioned baking going on here that it’s hard to choose. But call ahead to see if it’s a peanut butter cake day: three golden layers spread generously with a peanut-butter fudge frosting so sweet and buttery it will make your teeth hurt. 3165 Buford Highway, Duluth, 770-623-8569, www.rexallgrill.com

> Tierra: Owner Ticha Krinsky’s tres leches is the best because .. 1: it’s sturdy enough to hold the sweet milk it’s drenched in without falling apart or becoming cloyingly sweet. 2: cloud-like meringue, which is like biting sweet, sticky fluff. 1425 Piedmont Ave., 404-874-5951, www.tierrarestaurant.com.

10 DEGREES SOUTH

Overall rating: ***

Food: South African

Service: The servers are so friendly that things can quickly get a little too familiar, but on the whole the staff is helpful and knowledgeable about the cuisine, as well as prompt and courteous.

Price range: $$-$$$

Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover

Hours of operation: Open for dinner Mondays-Saturdays, 5:30-10:30 p.m.

Best dishes: Boerewors, bobotie, chicken livers in piri piri, grilled calamari

Vegetarian selections: Salads, vegetable curry

Children: Why not?

Parking: Complimentary valet

Reservations: Yes

Wheelchair access: Yes

Smoking: Outside patio only

Noise level: Low, except in the bar, where there is live music

Patio: Yes (it’s enclosed in the winter)

Takeout: Yes

Address, telephone: 4183 Roswell Road N.E., 404-705-8870,

Web site: www.10degreessouth.com

Pricing code: $$$$$ means more than $75; $$$$ means $75 and less; $$$ means $50 and less; $$ means $25 and less; $ means $15 and less. The price code represents a typical full-course meal for one excluding drinks.