Labour Weekend and Tatsumi

Saturday December 8, 2012

I've been meaning to write this up for some time but immediately after Labour Weekend, it was just full on work to get DreamWorks Dash n Drop out on the App Store. And we did it, and it was great, yaaay. More on this in another blog post...maybe.

I had a good Labour Weekend. I finally got to visit my friend Deanna's famous Moustache Milk and Cookie Bar, and I came away with four delicious cookies to share with my family. I met up with the old Grammar gang in Mt Eden for a nice lunch. I even got to play some badminton with Julia and Steven! Of course I got to catch up with family - my adorable nephew had just started walking and was even saying a few words! So cute.

I also had a mind-blowing culinary experience at a restaurant called Tatsumi. My parents had been raving about how good this place is ever since they had a 10 course degustation there. I just had to try it. I said I'd take them there for a meal over Labour Weekend and my stepmum gleefully made all the necessary arrangements. Tatsumi is on Davis Crescent, just near the intersection of Khyber Pass and Broadway. Originally from Christchurch, their premises were struck by the earthquake and condemned, forcing them to relocate to Auckland. They describe themselves as "European-inspired Japanese fusion style" and you'll certainly see how the food at Tatsumi has been so masterfully crafted to bring together these two cuisines to create something rich and absolutely delicious.

Since my parents had already sampled the degustation, they decided to go a la carte. I, on the other hand, was ready for a 10 course meal.

10 Course Degustation

• Tempura Oyster
• Chef's Choice of Assorted Appetisers
• Variety of Sashimi
• Tempura Soft Shelled Crab Salad
• Crispy Skin Salmon Teriyaki
• Braised Pork Belly
• Scampi Miso Soup
• Assorted Nigiri Sushi
• Passionfruit Sorbet
• Green Tea Fondant

Tempura Oyster: Light and crispy, like all good Japanese tempura. Also pictured are the appetisers that my parents were given, but I can't remember what they are.
Chef's Choice of Assorted Appetisers: clockwise from top is the fresh oyster, salmon sashimi with camembert (yum!), beef tataki, fish croquette with tartare, crispy lotus root, beans with sesame oil drizzling and in the center, pan fried salmon.
Variety of Sashimi: only the freshest tuna, salmon and snapper sashimi is served.
Tempura Soft Shelled Crab Salad: incredibly delicious, again with the light and crispy batter of the tempura, but with an added crunch from the soft shelled crab. Decorated with salmon roe and a generous portion of creamy Japanese mayonnaise.
Crispy Skin Salmon Teriyaki: simple and satisfying, comes with two onion rings, wasabi mashed potatoes, and portobello and blue cheese tortellini which I was happy to offload to my parents.
Braised Pork Belly: I remember this being a little too salty for my tastes, but I was very impressed by the ornate candied ginger apple slice sitting between the potato croquettes and the skinless plums.
Scampi Miso Soup and Assorted Nigiri Sushi: the scampi miso soup was divine; the scampi provides such an intense and tasty seafood flavour that truly brought out the best of miso soup. Unfortunately the shell was too hard for me to really dig into the scampi.
Passionfruit Sorbet: refreshing and fruity; of course, this is merely the appetiser of the desserts...
Green Tea Fondant: served here with a candied orange slice and raspberry ice cream, the green tea fondant is sublime; the interior is an intense green filling with an amazingly smooth and viscous texture.

Posted by Jeremy at 10:46pm on Saturday December 8, 2012 :: 0 comments ::

When? labour weekend | What? pikpok, badminton, japanese