Matterhorn
Where? Matterhorn (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Saturday January 23, 2016
Who? My parents
Food Style? Contemporary European
We're back at Matterhorn for dad's birthday. I'm constantly impressed by their rotating menu, capturing seasonal, local produce.
Entree
Trevally, Israeli couscous, tamarind, coconut, citrus, chilli
An interesting combination of flavours. Really summery with lots of fresh fruit flavours on the plate - blood orange, apricot, mandarin, strawberry and coconut. The trevally doesn't taste fishy at all, and it's smooth and appetising. Great way to start the meal.
Mains
Wagyu Beef flank, sweet corn, corn brioche, picked onion
Really good. The beef is well respected and definitely the hero of the dish, with the accompaniments highlighting the savoury and sweetness elements on the plate. Again, great summer feel with the corn and picked onions. Everything has been thought about carefully and works well together. The meat is perhaps a smidgen dry, but the juiciness of the corn and the excellent wine match, a pinot noir, more than makes up for this.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:00am on Monday November 28, 2016 :: 0 comments :: 
WOAP2015: Matterhorn
Where? Matterhorn (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Friday August 21, 2015
Food Style? Contemporary European
I've previously raved about how good Matterhorn was, so my parents were eager to try out the Wellington version of the restaurant. I was supposed to be joined by Rob, Jill and Juliann, but all three bailed on the day for various reasons, so I'm here with just my parents in the classically smokey and dimly-lit interior of Matterhorn. For Wellington on a Plate, they've served a four course meal.
Entree: Waikanae crab served in various consistencies and textures
Crab salad, crab gel, crab roe ice cream and crumbed crab ball
Starting from the left, the crab salad had a lovely coconut aroma and delicious. Good acidity and whatever that crispy thing was, it was delicious. The crab gel was an odd texture but full of flavour. I found it unusual because it was cold. The crab ice cream had a strong and rich roe flavour, but the fact it was cold and creamy really confused me. My brain just could not process savoury ice cream and I was not enjoying this. My dad thought it was really good though, so you can take his word for it. Finally, the crumbed crab ball had some great spices and plenty of crunch, my favourite of the four textures.
Mains: Wharekauhau Texel lamb rump
With smooth Jerusalem artichoke, confit dates, lentils and Lot Eight olive oil refined sauce
Beautifully pink and tender, the natural meatiness of the lamb is well respected. The gravy (so I'm told) is emulsified with olive oil to give it a much smoother texture. Combined with the savouriness of the lentils that have soaked up the sauce and the sweetness of the artichoke, the dish has a lot of depth and complexity beyond what you can see in the photo. Each element plays a significant and purposeful part to the dish, and for me it's the best dish I've had so far.
Savoury Dessert: Zany Zeus savoury cheesecake
With candied quince
Interesting but confusing set of flavours. The cheesecake is salty and peppery like pâté. There's an apricot sorbet with fennel on the top and a tomatoey jam on the base with candied walnuts. It's sweet and savoury and the combination is thought-provoking, but I'm not a fan.
Dessert: Yoghurt panna cotta
With Flight coffee ice-cream, Matterhorn rooftop honeycomb and chocolate rocks
Not normally a fan of coffee, but the honey granola took the edge off the bitterness, so it was quite nice. The pannacotta was smooth and nicely done, but as a whole, the dessert wasn't as mind-blowing as the mains.
Overall, not a bad meal but their menu last year definitely felt stronger. I think their desserts let them down (even if I don't really like coffee), but the entree and mains were excellent.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:09am on Monday August 31, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
Matterhorn
Where? Matterhorn (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Wednesday June 17, 2015
Who? Dale and the PikPok Crew
Food Style? Contemporary European
The Matterhorn has been an iconic Wellington institution since 1963, when it was opened as a coffee shop. 52 years later, and after various changes of owner, style and menus, Matterhorn is under the guidance of Mark Keddell and executive chef Sean Marshall. They've recently opened up a branch in Freemans Bay Auckland, by Victoria Park Market, but let's face it - the standard in Wellington will always be better!
The interior is dimly lit, but cosy, and quite smokey - expect to come out smelling delicious after your meal! I'm here for Dale's birthday with a bunch of colleagues, both current and ex-employees. I was very impressed by their Wellington on a Plate menu last year - they presented a three course meal with conflicting and complementary flavours that really challenged my perceptions of flavour combinations, so I was expecting good things tonight. Since there was such a large group of us, they had to split us over two tables and offer us a reduced menu. I went for a full three courses, with a few sides for the table to share.
Entree: Tuna Sashimi
With wasabi, hijiki, radish and yuzu
Fantastic texture with a strong taste of freshness and a lovely hint of wasabi to really open the nostrils. There was a good balance between the natural saltiness of the tuna and the bittersweet citrus flavours of the yuzu. The seaweed had crunch and the fish had bite, but was still silky smooth as you'd expect fine sashimi to be. Great start to the night, and loved the elegant artistic brush of squid ink on the plate.
Mains: Grain-fed Beef Rump
With glazed cheek, arugula, red wine onions, potato fondant and garlic caramel
So good that all fourteen of us ordered it! Masterfully cooked - you can see how perfectly pink the beef slices are in the photo. The gravy was deliciously rich with just the right amount of saltiness to really enhance the flavour of the meat. I loved the smoothness of the potato fondant and the sharpness of the pickled onions, and the crispy deep-fried rosette of butter sitting atop the meal was just divine.
Side: Smashed Potatoes
With preserved lemon and smoked garlic
The potatoes were light and fluffy yet had a crispy skin. The seasoning was super tasty, and the preserved lemon was quite noticeable.
Side: Green Beans
With sun-dried tomato, lemon, garlic and sauce choron
The beans were wonderful and crunchy with a deliciously rich and creamy sauce that had quite an intense tomato flavour that complemented the greens.
Dessert: Caramelised Pear
With apple sorbet, calvados custard and croustillant
Beautifully smooth like a brulee. The flavours were so light and refreshing that I could have easily had three of these. The nuts provided some great crunch and it's not overly sweet, just the way I like it.
A thoroughly enjoyable dinner that definitely lived up to expectation! The food here exudes elegance and style, with top quality ingredients and an emphasis on local and seasonal. It's no wonder that the place is so popular for its food and drink, and I'm looking forward to trying their Wellington on a Plate menu for this year.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:26am on Thursday July 2, 2015 :: 0 comments ::