Kermadec Restaurant Review

It has been a while since I last ventured down to the viaduct to fine dine. It has been far too long, to be exact. I last visited Kermadec restaurant some 5 years ago. Well it’s that time of year when the tourists have gone home and too early in the week and night to witness the RTD crowd. So tonight is perfect. The weather is fine, no wind and the lights glisten off the harbour.

The Viaduct Harbour has seen its fair share of changes, it almost looks tired. Difficult to compete against neighbouring Wynyard Quarter and Britomart. Challenges lay ahead for the area. If it were not for the Summer and mainstayers Kermadec and Soul Bar, this place would have been dead a long time ago.

Devoid of Bankers and empty suits, they’ve all gone to Britomart and Fort Lane,

Tourists are what keep the viaduct alive. The revelers that compete on states of intoxication are intoxicating. Drunken egocentric pre-loaded beer drinking revelers. It’s hard to compete against that. Compete is what Kermadec does though. Coupled with Sould Bar, Kermadec raises the bar. With its premium view, across the harbour to the bridge, and new rejigged menu, Kermadec comes alive.

Kermadec Ocean Fresh Restaurant, name needs changing to just Kermadec, simply smells of why you want to eat here rather than home. The kitchen aromas let you in for what treats are ahead. The service does also.

Kermadec is a grownups restaurant. The decor is very staid, the art is in the view and the food. There simply is no point competing with either. Kermadec ain’t cheap, nor is the view, and the ingredients they chose to use. Quality comes at a cost, but the cost is no greater than most fine dining restaurants in Auckland these days.

The menu reads like two halves. The first half is all about the sea, weighted heavily in favour of seafood, as the name of the restaurant would suggest. The second half of the menu takes you in land. Gone are the days when the whole menu kept you in saline. The new menu is a deliberate attempt to balance and please the seafood diners whilst attracting those of us that like to eat land based creatures.

Entrée
Fromage blanc beignet, persimmon, yuzu Marcona almond & foam

The new menu is the creation of head chef Anton Leyland. With plenty of years experience as chef in various highly prized establishments such as Tetsuya in Sydney.

There are definite influences from his previous posts. The Asian influence is most notable, as is the use of pure ingredients. The subtle textures, colours and aromas make each dish a visual feast.

I liked the sound of the scallops, fresh from the Atlantic as they are larger and more sustainable than anything Pacific. When they arrive they look like they’ve seen more steroids than Lance Armstrong. They’re huge, but cooked perfectly with duck ham, crackling, eggplant, Smoked yoghurt, blackcurrant, foie gras, that all bases were covered.

All of the flavour profiles merged seemlessly. It’s hard to ever imagine cooking that at home. That’s exactly the reason why one would eat at Kermadec. There’s nothing on the menu that you would cook at home, and if you tried it wouldn’t taste nearly as nice.

Southland Lamb loin, sheeps milk, sorrel, malt, Cranberries, earth baked Urenika

Mains were an easier choice. I went for something from the land. Something so Kiwi. Something that intrigued me. Something that included the word dirt in its explanation of the dish. It was a must have. And so I did.

The Lamb, and Southland lamb at that, was accompanied with earth baked urenika. I had no idea what it was, so given my inquisitive nature I had to have it. It turns out they are Maori potatoes.

Once again everything on the plate complemented one another, like the dinner guests on arrival. The sorrel and cranberries added some flavour to an earthy delight.

Next up was dessert. Who could resist the Riesling foam, any wine lovers sense would be over loaded at this point. The foam accompanied the Coconut Velvet of biscuit au potiron, basil & coconut cream, Kaffir lime jelly, lime & ginger caviar, banana ice cream.

Coconut Velvet
Biscuit au potiron, basil & coconut cream,
Kaffir lime jelly, lime & ginger caviar, banana ice cream

Riesling has a hold over many wine professionals, me excluded, so I had to try it out. The chocolate zig zag on the plate was slightly unnecessary but complimented. The dish just worked.

Actually all the dishes that I tasted that night worked. There wasn’t a highlight, the whole dining experience was like a highlight reel. I could’ve, and probably did, eat most of the menu. I left sated of good food and company.

After all the excellent service, surrounds, and most definitely food, I still came away feeling that it was a bit last year in style. But given the quality of all of these components to a great night out, it ranks as one of the better dining experiences I’ve had in Auckland.

09-304 0454

Roxy Restaurant Review Auckland City

Ah Roxy, reminds me of a lame English 70s band, and i don’t have the fondest memories. Fortunately tonight I will remember for a long time, and all for the right reasons. Roxy is an area of Auckland, formerly the red light district, that reminds me of Meatpacking district of New York City. With its brick buildings and hustle and bustle late night feel, the loud punters and drunk but social revelers crowding the street.

Roxy is one of Auckland’s smart new restaurants that has made itself at home in Fort Lane, along with its sister, but more casual, restaurant Everybody’s. With the Al Capone’s doorman standing guard of the elevator asking patrons whether they’d booked in that Italian American slur and dressed in black, it makes you wonder what sort of den of iniquity you’re about to enter. Tonight though I must have had the correct password, and greeted him with the correct shake, for I was allowed in.

Up to the second level in the elevator, no wonder we have a high obesity rate, the doors open to reveal a dark but charismatic, but quiet high ceilinged building. We’re asked for our coats and jackets, very formal for Auckland. I guess then that this must be downtowns fine dining. No longer do you have to go to the burbs to find it!

We sit. We casually wait for our table guests. Menus are handed out. White linen serviettes are a nice touch. Chairs far too comfortable to hold conversations without having to lean forward, almost uncomfortably so! Guests arrive.

We are greeted by our waitperson for this evening. Robin of Nottingham distributed his wealth of knowledge of the menu in precise detail. Every dish was deconstructed, actually there was an awful lot of deconstruction at Roxy.

Slow poached egg, Jamon Iberico de Bellota, polenta, manchego, green tomato

The whole evening was conducted by Robin, he’ll have a hard time going back to Nottingham after his stint at Roxy. Confidence was backed up by his thorough knowledge of the menu, and when we asked a question that he didn’t know the answer to he said as much. He talked and recommended dishes for the whole table, he talked about matching wine, a job that I always give to someone other than myself.

We were brought a fine selection of entrées with no double ups. I chose  ’Slow poached egg, Jamon Iberico de Bellota, polenta, manchego, green tomato’ the egg just cooked enough for my liking, the runny yolk oozed across the plate and doused the other ingredients with its love.

I did get menu envy though, and wished I’d tried “The Whole Duck ”, by description it’s not an entré. Whole duck is pieces of meat from every part of the duck as an entrée really appealed and looked magnificent. I always get menu envy though, I also envied all of the other main courses and desserts on the table.

What really impressed me about Roxy is the concise menu. All interesting dishes, all can be made well, and it also cuts out the choice for the patrons. I try to avoid restaurants with menus as thick as bibles. Wine lists needn’t be tomes, just make sure that all bases are covered.

For my main course I chose the ‘Aged beef, pressed oxtail, spinach, maxim potato, bone marrow, red wine sauce’. The maxim potato was mm perfect and cooked beautifully. The beef simply melt in the mouth succulent and delicious.

Don’t get me started on desserts. I always try to avoid them. I usually ride the cliché of judging a restaurant by its creme Brulée. This time I’m seduced by the figs, not just any old figs, but ‘Adriatic figs, candied pain d’ epice, fromage blanc, salted walnuts, fig water’. As it turns out I made the right choice. Still I had menu envy as the look of the brulée was majestic.

All in all Roxy is the type of place you take people to impress and maybe indulge in a little after dinner action close by. It’s within easy walking distance from all of the nightlife that Auckland has to offer, but you can just relax and have a roadie there. And when I say relax, I mean it’s hard not to relax in their comfy chairs at the end of the evening.

Oh and the toilets look war ravaged in a trendy way!

Total bill for 4 was about $180/head: 5 beers, two bottles of wine, a glass of dessert wine, glass of calvados, 4 entrées, mains and desserts.

5 stars

09 929 2701

Botswana Butchery Auckland City

Botswana Butchery

Cin Cin on Quay (as it was once known) was something of an institution. A fine establishment in its day, but a little tired in the end – though the bar there was a decent place to have a glass of what-you-fancy while waiting for the ferry. Indeed the vaulted space in the ferry building was home to a wonderful establishment in the early 80’s that I remember fondly – the Fishpot Café. It was an unassuming little hole-in-the-wall – but their mussel chowder was sublime.

Botswana Butchery is the new occupant in the space. But my memory of this joint is something I wish I could delete. I was intrigued to visit – it is just across the street from my apartment and I had walked past several times on the way to work in the viaduct as its fit-out progressed. Thought the cleavers as door handles were either an amusing touch or twee bad taste.

So – first impression not so good, but I heard from friends that there is a similarly named restaurant in Queenstown and that it is well regarded. The second impression is that the décor is akin to a hotel dining room. It is plush and well padded. Fine if you like that sort of thing. I don’t. With so many new dining establishments strewn along from Wynyard Quarter to the edge of Britomart – many of then slick and contemporary, the Butchery seems flabby and self-satisfied.

Our server was pleasant enough. But knew nothing about the food on the menu. It was her first day, she explained. It is unforgivable to send waitstaff onto the floor of a restaurant where the prices for a main course are $35 plus (and there are plenty that will test your means). When quizzed the waitress wasn’t able to answer a single question about the dishes.

I ordered a half-dozen bluff oysters to begin, with a balsamic dressing on the side. A dozen arrived. When remedied there was no apology for the mistake.

As a main I decided to opt for a steak – why not go with what seemed to be the specialty of the house. My companion had confit of duck. My eye fillet steak was miniscule and – though properly cooked – it was tasteless, as was the anchovy butter that I ordered to accompany it, served in a dish on the side and at an extra charge. No garnish, no jus no nothing. The duck was served with a very poor risotto. Duck with muck. A grey, grim gruel.

The icing on the cake came when the server poured still tap water into our glasses of sparkling, pricey mineral water.

We chose to skip desert and decamped to Soul in the Viaduct, which was, predictably excellent.

I don’t think I will return to Botswana Butchery. It seems to be the kind of establishment designed to fleece cruise ship passengers and others who are passing through – the kind of place one visits once.

Botswana Butchery
99 Quay St
(Auckland Ferry Building)
Auckland City

09-307 6966

Review by :

David MacGregor

Pressed Freedom Farm pork belly, pork scratchings, peppercorn squid, green paw paw salad, peanut foam

Cibo Restaurant Review Parnell, Auckland City.

Restaurant food reviews are somewhat pointless and clinical. What really matters are the people that you share food memories with. The idea of eating alone and dissecting the food for technical merit defeats the social aspect of food, after all it’s supposed to be a means to an ends. Anyway back to the review.

The last time I ate at Cibo I witnessed something from a French slapstick movie. A table of 10 not too far from mine was in full swing. Coming to the end of their meal and regaling stories of meals past, one woman was gesticulating, her arms were waving, and when the waiter appeared at the table and said in a loud voice ” Excuse me” her arms dropped to the table.

Just for one moment the waiter thought his chance had come to deliver coffee to the table. The woman couldn’t wait to finish the story. Her arms went up in the air like a flock of seagulls. She waved like a windmill and the waiter hadn’t a chance.

The foam of the latte that he was carrying, and just about to put on to the table, flew, in slow motion, and landed on her head. A lopsided Princess Laia appeared at the table. The foam then gradually slid down the side of her head. She was quiet, as was the rest of the restaurant, for a minute. The Maitre d’ rushed to rescue the situation.

I cannot recall the rest of the event, nor the food, for laughing too much so thought I’d eat here tonight.

The setting for Cibo is juxtaposed modern concrete courtyard within the old school Axis building, and the food had the same feel. The modern take on European classic cuisine also sits comfortably within these four walls. Let’s start with the entrée, I mean where else would you start! Pressed Freedom Farm pork belly, pork scratchings, peppercorn squid, green paw paw salad, peanut foam. Everything other than the paw paw and peanut foam sits well together. Pork belly has to be one of my all time favourites. Adding the foam and salad gives this dish another dimension. It takes you to another place. It transcends normal and you feel ok about paying the extra few dollars for it.

The main I chose was ‘Char-grilled angus pure eye fillet, cauliflower and oxtail ‘risotto’, chickpea chip’. I mean, who doesn’t go for the eye fillet when out? Well I do do and a fair few red blooded males also followed suit. The eye fillet literally melted in the mouth. The rest of the meal complimented the quality of the meat.

There’s little point having great meat with crap, over cooked and inferior quality, vegetables.

The easiest part of the evening was the wine. I had a choice of Desert Heart Pinot Noir from Central Otago and Soho Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. Obviously I had both and they enjoyed me as much as I enjoyed them, and also dinner.

Cibo is not the easiest of places to find for new comers, but given that it’s been around for a while and we’ve nearly all got google maps to direct the way, is well worth seeking out. It’s an institution amongst Auckland restaurants and is worthy of praise.

Cibo Restaurant
91 St. Georges Bay Road
Parnell, Auckland
+64 9 303 9660

Vancouver, similar to Auckland, sits on a beautiful harbour, only made more magnificent by the backdrop of some snow covered mountains.
I’m here in February for a short holiday en route to New Zealand after a month in the UK.  The UK seems to have lost its way and is now littered with fast food wrappers in every corner of the country. It has become acceptable to throw rubbish from the car, train, or any form of transport. The locals just add to the problem by not picking it up and it’s always someone elses job to pick it up.

New Zealand and Canada are very similar in many ways, not just the fact that its citizens place their own rubbish in bins provided, but also they have a chip on their shoulder about their next door neighbour. They are also more kind, softer people, with better track records looking after their indigenous population.

These were just a few observations I made over the last 20 years or so. It’s not the observations that I’m here for though, as I’m here for the Ice Hockey and also the mountains. It was over 15 years since I last managed to attend an NHL hockey game, and just so happens that my favourite team are in town tonight.

It’s 4.30 and the game starts at 7. I hustle and bustle my way from the airport. The gods looked down fondly on me and guided me through customs and passport control within 15 minutes. I decide to opt for a taxi over public transport only to find that there has been a crash on the main bridge into the city (very similar to Auckland, minus the public transport) as I watch what would have been my train racing past me.

I eventually get to the hotel. I check in and fortunately they have my reservation, given that I only booked the day before I’m pretty amazed. the service staff are superb. Up to the room we go. I say my goodbyes to my wife and daughter within 5 minutes of being there and am off. Down the stairs I fly to ask someone at reception the directions to the Rogers Arena.

The hotel I have chosen happens to be  only 10 minutes walk away from the arena. With a hop, skip, and a jump I’m off. I just had to follow the crowds really. The game tonight is between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Vancouver Canucks. The rivalry is fierce and I’m just glad I’m here to see it.

Enough about the game. Chicago lost in overtime!

I race back to the hotel and grab my family and head down to a restaurant that has been recommended. It’s a swanky Italian in the heart of Yaletown. The streets are safe and it’s only a couple of blocks to walk on this drizzly night. We arrive at what seems a slightly misplaced villa, also not too disimilar to Auckland. It’s completely in contrast to the other architecture that surrounds.

Vancouver, it appears, has gone through, and probably used the same architects, what Auckland has gone through over the last 10 years. The Vancouver skyline is dogged by some very unattractive blocks of apartments. I should imagine it was quite a beautiful city just 10 years ago, the same as Auckland!

Back to the review. Lupo Restaurant, named after Villa du Lupo where the two owners first met, is on the upper side of Italian cooking and prices. The staff are not over friendly, but you get that in cities (once you get out of Canadian cities the people are amazing).  There’s a relaxed charm about this place where the other guests smile and interact with the other tables.

On one of the other tables it appears that two girlfriends are just about to break up. The tense, nervous disposition of the one doing the breakup mirrors their choice in wine. A little cheeky Rosé that has great acidity, is dry and tense. The other guests are just quite happy looking at the out of towners. We must of had something written on our foreheads, or maybe it was just the accent.

For the young one we order the Italian Staple. A trip to an Italian restaurant with a six year old with jetlag isn’t complete without Pizza. It arrives promptly, allowing us to decide on wine and main course. The wine, Burrowing owl Chardonnay 2009 from British Columbia, was an easy choice, but the food all sounded, and looked, judging by the other tables dinners, great.

I chose Sablefish on bean salad. I’d never heard of sablefish before and thought its got to be worth a crack. I’m glad I went with gut instinct. The fish was perfectly cooked. Soft white flesh that fell apart and was seasoned to perfection. The oiliness of the fish match the slightly spiced bean salad like hand in glove.

I must congratulate Lupo Restaurant being able to offer insanely well cooked in the heart of the city and for not very much money. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in town. A little Italy in downtown Vancouver. Was also great to see Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, on the wine list!

Wine I tasted:
Burrowing owl Chardonnay 2009 from British Columbia Brilliant. straw colour. Fresh hay, toffee, lemon rind. Intensity that belies the delicate nose. Hot finish. 87 points

Lupo Restaurant
869 Hamilton Street
Yaletown
Vancouver
V6B @R7

(604) 569-2535
http://www.luporestaurant.ca

I don’t go looking for a bad restaurant experience, indeed I am rather picky about where I eat based on ambience, number of customers, menu, recommendations and even the way the staff greet me or otherwise.   So when I find myself sitting down to write a less than good review, I know something has gone wrong.

Merchants of Venice is a new restaurant in the Wynyard Quarter.  They have been open two weeks and I am afraid this shows.  We had just finished a function at the Viaduct Events Centre and were looking for somewhere to eat.  A preferred favourite was busy and so we wandered along looking at what else was on offer.  Several pass bys later, we were in front of Merchants of Venice.

After a moments hesitation, we were greeted by the Maitre d’, who did warn us they were new.  Credit, where credit is due I guess.  We were warned.  No pizzas yet, as they were still tempering the wood fired oven, again, I was impressed as he was up front.  We were quickly seated, there was only  a few people in the place, and our seating was nice.  Merchants has an open kitchen, and we were in front of it.  I always like being able to see what is going on in the kitchen a bit.

Our waitress came over quickly and got us some water. She then proceeded to tell us that the pasta which contained slipper crabs was not available because it was so good and they had run out.  Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be told I cannot have the best thing on the menu.  I want to hear what they don’t have, followed by what is good and maybe what fish is good today (although I will never order it).  The wine list was forgotten and it was not until the waitress came to take our food order that she realised we did not have wine.  It was apparent at this time that we were dealing with a very inexperienced waitress.  Still the wine was ordered, as was the food.  The waitress did also manage to look away mid way through one of my colleagues order and have a conversation with a staff member.  How long would the meals take was our parting question?  It was only pasta, so not long, came the confident(ish) reply.

And so to wait….. and wait…..and wait…..and wait…..  Well over 30 mins later, in a not at all crowded restaurant, after one question of how much longer, our meals arrived.  The meal arrival was quickly followed by the Maitre d’ apologising and offering free coffee and tea at the end.  It was also followed, slightly confusingly, by another staff member apologising for the delay and saying something about the fact that we were in front of the owner.  What did that even mean?  We had no idea….

Anyway, on to the food.  So the food looked great on the plate and in general tasted great.  I had gnocchi with gorgonzola and walnuts (don’t tell my doctor) which was very lovely.  A side of rocket with Parmigiano Reggiano, and olive oil, was great and cut through the richness of my gnocchi beautifully.  Others around the table also were happy with their food.  Z across from my liked her trio of bruschetta a lot. M felt her venison pasta was ok, ok but not great.  It was a bit hard by this point as we were suffering from tiredness and a slight irritability at the delays.

Staff kept popping by during the meal to ask how things were going, our waitress in particular.   I support this as a general concept once, and I support attentiveness to know when we need something and come quickly, but I do not support an almost over eager approach which becomes on the edge of annoying.   I certainly do not appreciate someone saying, sorry to interrupt you, I just need to check everything is ok, because I have to.

Not feeling brave and not having another hour to spare, we opted to skip desert and go straight to our free coffee and teas.  Orders were taken, with more apologies for the delays and we waited.   Now, again, I don’t know about you, but if I was comping coffee and tea for a delay, I would be getting them out quickly.  This place was not me.  We had quite a wait.  An unacceptable wait for the coffee and teas as well.  They eventually came, and they were good.  But really, when it is now nearly 11pm and you are tired, it does not help much.

So, on reflection, the food at Merchants of Venice is pretty good and certainly fine.  However, they do seriously need to quickly sort out their service.  It felt like there was a great degree of disorganisation going on and no one at the place with experience or authority was taking to charge when they can see things going wrong.  Life is tough for a new restaurant and if a few people a night were getting service like we were, they will be in big trouble very quickly as word spreads around the city.  For me a dining experience is just that, and this experience did not deliver what I was hoping for.  I won’t be rushing back to Merchants of Venice, but I will pay them another visit in 6 months to see if they have got their act together (if they are still there).  Service after all can be fixed.

Merchants of Venice gets 2/5

Sometimes wine just needs to be put in context. For example, most wines taste better on holiday than they do when you get them home. Often these wines need the context of their surroundings, yet sometimes they let your imagination go wild and are able to take you back to a certain time and place.

The context for the next four wines needs to be explained. I was taken to this little trendy Italian in Brook Green by my brother and wife. It’s these little gems that make great cities what they are. It’s not the big flash joints with all their glistening lights and big name chefs that most people can’t afford to eat at, but merely the neighbourhood diners that know your name, remember what you like to drink.

I’m in a sombre mood this evening, having just buried my best friend of 30 years. To say I’d brought some bagge to the table is an understatement. What I’ve brought with me this evening is Louis Vuitton.

Tonight I find myself with a little melancolia, but we find ourselves at Pentolina. A chic little Italian with an authentic Italian menu is simple and concise as reading Ernest Hemingway, and a strictly Italian wine list, and albeit fairly small it covered all of the bases. We are shown to our table by one of the very endearing proprietors. With a certain elegance our coats are whisked away and menus brought.

Italian should be about simplicity, great ingredients but not laboured. Pentolina is exactly that. Entrées showed my the simple nature of the kitchen with a beetroot veloutée with pan seared cod. I’m a great believer in beetroot and this dish was cooked to perfection, the cod retained its moistness.

Mains were a different kettle of fish. The elegance and understanding of ingredients in the entrée raised my expectations a little too far. I chose the plain looking and sounding, and it definitely was, . I was slightly underwhelmed with the flavour. The texture was great, the freshness superb, but the blandness was, well, bland.

The evening was not all hit and miss, in fact, the rest of the table thoroughly enjoyed their meals. Although a little whisper in my ear from my brother, who paid the bill by the way, suggested he’d agreed with my assessment. The desserts were devine. I simply enjoyed the venison pappardelle. I say simply because it wasn’t bad, neither was it interesting, it was just simple.

The wines were chosen by my brother, he who pays choses! All wines were good, but the two wines of interest were the Broglia Gavi di Gavi “La Meirana” 2010 with its rich and supple peach and crushed mineral character that had tremendous length, and the sweet wine of Maculan Dindarello 2010. The 100% Muscat had an elegance that impressed, not overly sweet and the racy acid accompanied dessert beautifully.

Overall Pentolina impressed, but it was the company that was most impressive and made the evening of food and wine simply devine. On a note, if you do decide to visit make sure you book early.

4 Stars.

Pentolina
71 Blythe Road
London W14 0HP
020 3010 0091

It was Friday night at the end of a long week.  She had just had a bath and posed the question of going out.  I was just in the door and feeling tired.  Fighting the desire to do nothing I suggested something local. She suggested Jai Jalaram Khaman, and I am so glad she did.

Jai Jalaram Khaman is a vegetarian Gujarat restaurant in Sandringham.  Nestled amongst the other restaurants, dairies and food stores, it stands out because of its pinky orange exterior.  However, you could be forgiven for passing it by, as little from the outside indicates the great food inside.  A true suburban corner shop style ethnic restaurant, once inside the diner is greeted by a small space, with formica tables and kitchen chairs.  This place is not about atmosphere, it is about good food.

We chose to have a shared dining experience and order Dahi-Puri, Bhel-Puri, Papdi-Chaat and Dabeli.  The Dabeli arrived first.  The burger on one plate, nicely cut in half at our request, and a plate with the most amazing swirl of sauce and chutney to dip the burger into.  Dabeli is a vegetarian burger filled with mashed potato, spices, peanuts, onion and raisins.  It is great on its own but with the sauce it was amazing.  It is refreshing to be reminded (I so easily forget) of the amazing flavours and taste sensations that traditional cultures have created when dealing with food that does not rely on meat.  This is something I will be having again.

Next the Bhel-Puri arrived at the table.  This is a bowl filled with a mixture of rice bubbles, crackers, sev, onion, peanuts, mashed potato and chutneys.  Rice bubbles I hear you say?  Don’t mock, this is seriously good and was the standout dish of the night.  It is interesting in presentation, mouth sensation and flavour.  I have a suspicion I have just found my healthy fast food!  The crunch, giving way to the softness of the potato and flavours from various chutneys is quite distinctive and amazing.

Finally the Dahi-Puri and Papdi-Chaat arrived together.  If I did not know better I would think someone out in the kitchen was structuring the meal.  If you have never had Puri before, you really do have to try them.   Puri are a small round piece of unleavened bread which is deep fried.  Combine this with amazing flavours and toppings and you really do have a taste sensation.  As one Wikipedia article notes about panipuri, “Traditionally, panipuris are eaten by placing the entire puri into the mouth in one go and biting into it. This releases a barrage of tastes”.  This really does describe what is going on with these two dishes above.  Both dishes provided great sensations and flavours.

By the end of the meal my mouth was just simmering warm but not overpowered by heat.  This may have been helped somewhat by the delightful Mango Lasi, which kept me company during the meal.  Jai Jalaram Khaman is not licensed, but when one has a lovely Lasi, that does not seem to matter.

Jai Jalaram Khaman gets 4/5

Set in some of the most expensive real estate in the UK, possibly the world, Boisdale is a themed Scottish restaurant in Canary Wharf. With its lush velvet drapes, heads of once wild animals, and black and white photos of rock stars. OK the last bit isn’t exactly Scottish, but then neither is Boisdale.

I turn up to meet my brother, a city banker, in what can only be described as the most pathetic choice of attire given the area. I’ve dressed in jeans and a pair of converse all stars. I start to become self aware when everyone comments on my choice of foot ware, but they did match the curtains.

I’m not sure whether I’ve become too Kiwi, many would argue both sides, but I had forgotten that the British, especially the west Londoners, dress more smartly than most Kiwi’s. One certainly makes an entrance when dressed as I was. Fortunately Britain is in the grips of a deep cutting recession and money is money in these joints.

Now back to the restaurant itself. The most impressive wall of whisky awaits you as you enter. The whisky wall is reportedly the most comprehensive selection of whiskys in the world under one restaurant roof, and given the size of this restaurant it’s not hard to fathom why. There must be at least 250 whiskys on offer.

The rest of the dining room is dominated by a liberal use of tartan and a stage where once a night live jazz, blues and before you ask, there were no bagpipes!

Dinner started with what every good Scottish meal should start with, a beer. I don’t know about you but I’m not to au fait with Scottish cuisine, fortunately neither it seems is Boisdale. The restaurant caters for those with a carnivorous bent. The ingredients for the dishes may come from Scotland, but that’s where it finishes. What is on offer though is world class cuisine, cuisine to be found in the best restaurants of the world, but it comes at a cost.

After the catch up that my brother and I deserve, for he works too much and I’m jet lagged, we decide what we are to have for dinner. My first choice, actually all of my choices, is a dish rarely seen in New Zealand. I chose the West Coast Scottish Langoustines which are cold poached and served with mayonnaise £17.50. My brother chose the 80s classic prawn cocktail  £10.75.

It’s a great feeling when you know you’ve chosen well on the entré. Both dishes were sublime. The mayonnaise was delicate and the Langoustine weren’t over cooked. They retained the light fleshy white meats delicate flavours. The prawn cocktail looked beautiful and reminded me of why I had made this journey.

After the entré my brother and I fought as to who was to have the quail. My brother won, I opted for the wild hare with black truffles served with puree. When the dishes arrived I had menu envy. My brothers dish looked the part, whereas mine was dark, broody rich food that lacked colour.

The colour that my dish lacked was made up for by taste. The decadent black truffles sweetened the wild hare, and the puree complimented perfectly. The wine chosen did not hold together so well.

Crave Cafe, Morningside

I heard about Crave cafe through a friend who works in community development.  He was keen on it from a social conscience point of view and raved about the coffee.  Crave is owned by a collective of friends who wanted to create an environment they wanted to live in, and give back to the community.  All profits from Crave go to fighting poverty.  We had just moved to Sandringham, we were on leave for a week, and it seemed the perfect place to begin our week off.

Crave is quite understated from the outside and when you walk through the door you get quite an industrial feeling.  The bright orange coffee machine, gives a spark of colour and as you slowly take in the surroundings you realise that orange is a theme colour throughout the place.  Art is everywhere, along with funky furniture and coffee machines.  This place has had some attention to detail put into it, which means it keeps giving visually for sometime.  At the front are typical cafe style seats, while in the back corner is like small lounge with couches and chairs.  Crave meets a range of tastes visually.

The staff we encountered were both friendly and helpful.  The barista engaged in conversation about the fact that the cafe was owned by a collective and the neighborhood in general.  A conversation about house prices later, and we were waiting on our coffee and breakfast.  Coffee arrived super quick and it was very good.  My flat white was both complex and full bodied, it was nutty and very satisfying.  I did not hesitate ordering a second cup.  Kat’s long black was equally as good.  Crave actually prides itself on its coffee, and I can see why.  It would be one of my best coffees in Auckland for some time.

My breakfast of scrambled eggs, with a side of bacon and tomato was generous and tasty.  The eggs were  nicely scrambled, retaining some moisture, without being over wet.  The bacon was nicely smoked and the tomatoes full of flavour.  Kat’s creamy mushrooms on toast was also a generous serving and very tasty.  There is a good range of food on the menu and some counter food.  I got a sense that the same sort of attention to detail that went into the design of the place, goes into ensuring the food is not only good tasting but a good experience. I guess this is probably not surprising from a place owned by a community collective.

I had high expectations of Crave and it did not disappoint. Crave gets 4/5