Kisa
Where? Kisa (Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Monday January 27, 2025
Who? Me
Food Style? Turkish
I was supposed to come here with Jordan but he had some emergencies to deal with last minute, so I decided to keep with the plan and go by myself. The restaurant sits diagonally opposite Wellington icons Logan Brown and Ombra on Cuba St and Vivian St, and is in fact part of the Ombra group. The tables are booked out even at 5pm but there’s room at the bar where I can watch the inner workings of the kitchen, and this excites me. Already there are slabs of meat on the charcoal grill, and because of the glass window between me and the kitchen, I can only imagine how aromatic and appetising they must smell. 
The menu has a lot of items and words that I do not understand, but the wait staff recommend some of the dips and spreads, then one or two mezze plates depending on my appetite. I’ve gone for a good selection of carb, greens and protein, so I’m hopeful for a great experience and some interesting flavours. They’ve started me off with complimentary sparkling water, and I’m already impressed.
Appetiser
Hummus and pita bread
The pita bread is warm to the touch and has some flavour from sitting on the charcoal fire for a few seconds. The hummus is definitely homemade and I love the fried chickpeas on top that give it some crunch and texture.
As more people pour into the restaurant, more proteins get slapped onto the grill and the fire starts to come alive from all the drippings. There’s a beautiful array of meats resting above, and a dozen plates of hummus ready to go on the bench opposite, with what looks to be about a hundred slices of orange. Further into the kitchen, the pita bread dough is being prepared and rolled out. I love how orderly and mechanical the kitchen is, and it really is such a joy to observe.
Salad
Turşu pickle salad, frisee, walnut and pomegranate dressing, hazelnut dukkah
It's colourful and vibrant, and my first mouthful is spicy and tangy with some great crunch. That chilli is super delicious, and the sweetness helps to balance the acidity of the pickle perfectly, while the spiciness opens up the tastebuds to fully appreciate the flavours on the plate.
Mains
Lamb pirzola, loin chops, çemen butter, grilled pear
Oh my god that fat is rendered perfectly, and that wonderful smokiness from the grill comes through beautifully. The lamb is flawless and I would happily consume another one. The pear doesn’t really do much for me but that butter really helps accentuate the flavour of the meat, keeping it moist and juicy. I am definitely going to grab the bone with my hands and savagely rip all the meat off until it’s clean. Phenomenal.
Dessert
Candied pumpkin ice cream sandwich, pistachio sesame biscuit, saffron white chocolate
This is surprisingly large, but the flavour is great, though the saffron in the white chocolate is very subtle. It’s not too sweet, but the pumpkin taste is wonderfully strong, as it should be.
I'm so full but thanks to the long summer days, I've decided I'll walk up Mt Vic to catch the sunset and work off that meal.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:34pm on Thursday October 23, 2025 :: 0 comments :: 
Rasa
Where? Rasa (Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Sunday January 26, 2025
Who? Me
Food Style? Malaysian
Rasa is nestled next to two of Wellington’s most iconic eateries, Argentinian churrascaria El Matador and Wellington staple Logan Brown. Though it’s not as high profile as Little Penang, they have been around for longer and their focus is more on the Indian side of Malaysian cuisine - curries, biriyani, rendang and roti. It’s a Sunday night and I’m not really wanting to spend too much money on food (I know the rest of the week is going to be expensive!) so a sub$20 price for a nasi lemak with lamb rendang is pretty attractive. They’re a short walk - 10 minutes - from my Airbnb, and I’m all for eating as much Malaysian food as I can before I go back to Toronto.
Mains
Nasi lemak: steamed coconut rice served with a boiled egg, peanuts, anchovies, tomato sambal and lamb rendang
I do have to admit I’m a little disappointed with the portion, but the lamb is beautifully soft and tasty. I think my rendang is better - my secret is toasting some desiccated coconut and stirring that in to give it that wonderful fragrance - and I always have a ton of ikan bilis and roasted peanut on the side. Lamb in Canada is primarily from New Zealand so I usually make mine with beef, so I guess it's kind of a treat to have lamb rendang. However, I’m still hungry, but dessert staples Duck Island and Kaffee Eis are not too far away. I do appreciate not having to tip and also not having to wait for the staff to bring over my bill. I can just waltz up to the counter and pay whenever I’m ready. At least there's that? Good job, New Zealand. Please stay that way.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:10pm on Thursday October 23, 2025 :: 0 comments ::
Rita
Where? Rita (Aro Valley, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Thursday January 19, 2023
Who? James, Navi, Rob, Jill, Jordan
Food Style? Contemporary New Zealand
I'm back in my home city, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, where I've been working from my Airbnb for the past two weeks with one of my colleagues. It's been four years since I was last here, and while the city doesn't appear to have changed much physically, many restaurants have been lost to the pandemic. In their place, though, new restaurants have opened up and have started to gain popularity as Wellingtonians flock back to the CBD. One of them is Rita, nestled between the Garage Project Taproom and Te Aro Fish Supplies on Aro Street, Aro Valley. The restaurant is small and narrow, and only sits a few tables, so bookings are essential. The owners are the same as Nikau Café's, a popular spot on the culinary scene in the capital, so I know the food here is going to be excellent.
Rita exemplifies everything I love about Wellington fine dining - heavy emphasis on celebrating local, seasonal produce, elevated food with interesting flavours, and beautiful, artistic presentation. At Rita, there is no menu for you to choose from. Instead, it's omakase style; the restaurant serves whatever they've decided for the day and you sit and enjoy with a drink in hand. Today, there's six of us, we've ordered a dinner each and will be sharing the sides.
Amuse Bouche
Proscuitto and nectarine
An interesting combination of salty and sweet to start the meal. It's simple, but it's nectarine season and they've purposefully chosen this as a reflection of their local, seasonal philosophy.
Sides #1
Zucchini fries and saffron aioli
Chopped into large sticks and fried with a tempura batter, these zucchini fries are beautifully seasoned and that distinctive saffron taste comes through nicely in the rich, creamy aioli.
Sides #2
Mozzarella, figs, basil and hazelnut
The mozzarella is home made, pairing nicely with the fragrant basil oil, the sweet fig and the earthy, nutty toasted hazelnuts.
Entree
Smoked trevally and pea sauce
It's been an excellent start so far. The fish is deliciously meaty, soft and juicy with a non-overpowering smokey essence. The pea sauce is fresh and tasty, and the dollop of mayonnaise on the side helped to bring both of the elements together.
Mains
Grilled lamb leg and white beans
The lamb is cooked perfectly, juicy with a slight pink center. The jus is incredibly appetising, but there were some slightly strange-tasting herbs with the white bean that reminded both me and Navi of toilet cleaner. Nevertheless, I was glad to have that slice of home-baked bread to mop up all that sauce.
Dessert
Angel Food Cake with Nectarine Sorbet
The cake was soft and fluffy, and served with a very subtle nectarine sorbet. Sprinkled with pistachio for that extra crunch and another nice summer throwback with some fresh raspberries on the side to add that tartness. This had a great summery feel and it was nice to circle back to the nectarine from the amuse bouche.
The whole meal took around 2.5 hours but I was reasonably full afterwards. It was a lovely night with excellent company and delicious food.
Posted by Jeremy at 2:50am on Sunday October 29, 2023 :: 0 comments ::
Little Penang
Where? Little Penang (Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Saturday January 14, 2023
Who? Me
Food Style? Malaysian
LP is one of my favourite places in Wellington. They’ve established themselves as one of the city’s top casual eateries, serving home style Malaysian fare. Uncle Keith and Auntie Tee have been at this for over 11 years; I remember their small little stall on Manners St where they first opened, and now, they've got a larger restaurant. The pandemic has really been difficult for them, with staff shortages and closures that have been prevalent throughout the hospitality industry. Still, when I came to visit, the place was busy and full of people wanting to taste the delicious food, and I was genuinely touched when Uncle Keith recognised me in the queue and came over to give me a hug. Today, I’m by myself and I’ve ordered my favourite dish, the char kuay teow.
Mains
Char Kuay Teow: Flat rice noodles fried with prawns, Chinese pork sausage, chives and beansprouts
It arrives quickly. Spicy, peppery and with generous servings of Chinese sausage to give it that extra smokiness, this is just how I remember it. It’s been long enough since I was in Malaysia that I’m craving good Malaysian food again, so this has definitely hit the spot.
To be honest, I love a lot of their menu items. You don't often see otak-otak on Malaysian menus in New Zealand, and here it's served with beautiful aromatics like lemongrass and ginger in a banana leaf pouch. I love Auntie Tee's claypot rice and hokkien char as well. And when I'm feeling particularly in the mood for sweets, the pandan cakes really hit the spot too. I genuinely wish them all the success in the world because they deserve it. Their food is some of the best Malaysian I’ve had outside of Malaysia and I’ve always raved about to anyone that will listen.
Posted by Jeremy at 2:36am on Sunday October 29, 2023 :: 0 comments ::
Grill Meats Beer
Where? Grill Meats Beer (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Saturday December 22, 2018
Who? Me
Food Style? Meat
Eating at GMB always puts a smile on my face. They’re my go to for most things meat - for everything else meat, there’s El Matador just down the road. I actually wanted to try Lucky Burger tonight, I had heard so many good things from several different people, but unfortunately they were closed due to a power outage. No problem, I jumped at the chance to try a little bit of Burger Wellington, which I have missed dearly, by getting GMB’s finalist entry, the Piggy McPigface.
Burger
Piggy McPigface: Beef, candied bacon, bacon marmalade, bacon aioli, pork crackling, feta whip and rocket
Wow. Just wow. Full of flavour, juicy, smokey, salty, creamy, balanced with that little bit of rocket and radish. The pork crackling makes me grin with delight, and I express my heartfelt appreciation of this masterpiece to the waitress. The yogurt is a smart addition, helping to bind all the strong bacon and pork flavours. It’s messy to eat but I do not care how uncouth I look because this is simply delicious.
Posted by Jeremy at 4:22am on Wednesday December 25, 2019 :: 0 comments ::
Topor Bistro and Bar
Where? Topor (Porirua, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Monday January 16, 2017
Who? Jordan, Rob, Jill
Food Style? Polish
Rob has been harping on about Topor, right down the road from his place in Whitby, for a very long time. As New Zealand's only Polish restaurant, Topor is also known by the locals as "that Polish place", and in true Polish fashion, your meals come with not a wine pairing, but a vodka pairing. Take a train to Plimmerton if you want to indulge, or get a sober driver. Like me. It took me leaving the country to convince Jordan to finally get out here, because the commute is not trivial.
Pierogi
Traditional Polish recipe of potato and goat's feta pasta dumpling with sautéed onions and bacon and horseradish aioli
Smooth and silky, the dumplings are filled with fluffy potatoes on the inside. They're garnished generously with plenty of green salads, but the bacon is the hero of the dish, adding some much needed saltiness. The sauce that comes with the pierogi accentuates the richness of the cheese and potato.
Duck Breast
With new potatoes, honey roasted beets, seasonal greens, caramelized red cabbage and a beetroot reduction
Amazing texture, crispy skin and succulent meat, full of flavour. The vegetables are so tasty as well, seasoned perfectly. The beetroot, roasted with a hint of honey adds that nice sweetness that doesn't overpower the dish. I'm also impressed by the fluffiness of the potatoes.
Chocolate Bomb
With mixed berry compote, whipped cream and brandy custard
It's hard to pass by a dessert with a name like this, and sure enough, the bomb was a rich and decadent dessert that hit all expectations. Fantastically gooey and oozing with chocolate, it felt very much like a self-saucing pudding++. The brandy custard is spot on, and the flavour of the alcohol is prominent. I'm so full, but this was fantastic.
Well worth the time and effort to get out here! Topor also regularly participates in Wellington on a Plate, so be sure to keep an eye out for them this year.
Posted by Jeremy at 7:24pm on Friday February 24, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Hippopotamus
Where? Hippopotamus (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Saturday December 3, 2016
Who? Jordan, James, Navi, Rob, Joe, Damon
Food Style? French Fine Dining
Hippopotamus has always been one of those places that I've wanted to go to, but never got the chance because it is quite fancy, and to go often requires some kind of special occasion. Here we are celebrating the final Fine Dining Club event with me, and also a toast to the recent departures from PikPok for Jordan, Navi, Rob and myself. We've opted for the six course degustation, and a half wine match for myself, because I am bad at alcohol.
Amuse Bouche
Salmon cerviche, cauliflower puree, blueberry apple refresher
A light way to start the meal, as all good amuse bouches should do.
First Course
Seared wakame scallop: with Asian Salad, coriander, bacon foam, capsicum puree
Perfectly cooked scallops, interesting inclusion of the caramelised sugar. The greens add some freshness and the capsicum puree gives it a nice smokey edge. Very enjoyable.
Second Course
Beetroot Seven Ways
A crazy plate of incredibly weird but interesting textures and flavours. There's a mozzarella mousse, sorbet, gel, meringue and dried flake, among others I can't quite discern. It's odd but it's quite the experience. It's salty, sweet and savoury at the same time, and quite challenging for me.
Third Course
Yellowfin Tuna: with capsicum risotto, braised cabbage, asparagus
I love how meaty the tuna is - wow! It's like eating a beef steak. The creamy risotto and cabbage really adds some nice crunch to the dish.
Palette Cleanser
Earl grey sorbet with blackberry foam
It is what it is! The tea comes through quite nicely with some bitter notes in the aftertaste.
Fourth Course
Silver Farm Venison: with white bean coulis, berry reduction, broccoli, pikopiko
The meat is incredibly tender. I love the sweetness of the sauce, it's not too sickly, but it is rich and goes superbly with this course's wine match. The crunch of the broccoli and pikopiko (a native New Zealand fern) is really good - even the mushroom tastes good in this dish.
Fifth Course
Goat's Cheese: with aged red wine jelly, pickled cucumber, walnut, rock salt bread
The cheese and jelly counterbalance each other perfectly. That combination with the pickled onion and cucumber is absolutely divine - I love that savoury sour pairing. I wish there was more of the bread!
Sixth Course
Deconstructed Black Forest Cake: dark chocolate crumble and sponge, mixed berry ice cream, cherry gel, cherry crumble in whiskey
Beautiful dark and rich chocolate, with the presence of the whiskey coming through just nicely. The dessert has lots of different textures, but it has cohesion, which is important in a deconstructed dish. The dessert wine pairing is spot on for this one.
We're all pretty stuffed by the end of the meal, but we've had a very good time, and most importantly, I'm not smashed off my face from alcohol. I'll miss this gang of people!
Posted by Jeremy at 4:34pm on Friday February 24, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Little Penang
Where? Little Penang (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Saturday October 15, 2016
Who? Juliann
Food Style? Authentic Malaysian, Penang-style
Little Penang is by far my favourite Malaysian restaurant outside of Malaysia. The owners, whom I affectionately call Uncle Keith and Auntie Tee, started off their humble little shop on Dixon Street about five years ago, but moved to a larger premises next door after demand became high. And it's no wonder, because their food is the most authentic I've had in New Zealand. There's a tendency to cater to European tastes when in New Zealand, but as the country becomes more cosmopolitan, people become more adventurous and are willing to try those authentic Malaysian flavours - spicy sambal, rich coconut, lemongrass, coriander, mango. There's a lovely story in the window of the shop about a lady who came to eat at Little Penang, and was moved to tears at how good the food was - "it's just like how my mother used to make it". European and Malaysian alike, we can all agree that the food at LP is top notch.
I go there so often with my workmates that the owners know me by name. Another of my workmates, Juliann, and I were privileged enough to be invited to their exclusive Fifth Birthday Celebration. Such a momentous occasion! The restaurant is packed with friends and family and VIPs, and there's a long central table, very traditional, stacked with the most amazing looking display of Malaysia's finest food. 
The entrance has the roti man twirling and flipping the roti on a hot plate, and really the only thing missing from Malaysia is the heat and humidity. It truly feels like home right now.
Auntie Tee's eldest sister has flown down specifically for this and has made her signature sambal prawns. I can see the vibrant red and orange colours of the sauce from where I'm sitting and I know it's going to be popular. Each dish on the table represents a part of Malaysian cuisine: there's Nyonya, Hainanese, Cantonese, Malay, Indian and Hokkien, and it's one of those things that hits it home that there's truly something special and unifying about Malaysian food.
I want one of everything but I can't fit it all on my plate. I guess I'll be going back for seconds...
Posted by Jeremy at 12:26am on Wednesday January 25, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Floriditas
Where? Floriditas (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Saturday January 23, 2016
Who? My parents
Food Style? Contemporary New Zealand
Following dinner at Matterhorn, we relocated to Floriditas just up Cuba Street for dessert.
Dessert
Tangelo, raspberry and and raspicello trifle
I loooove trifle. There's always a lot going on in this dessert, and a good trifle will expose all the deliciousness in a single vertical slice. Again, great to see their menu taking advantage of the best produce in season - the fresh fruit and custard give that wonderful summer vibe. Even the dash of raspicello (raspberry-cello, much like limoncello) did not go unnoticed, and had even added a slight effervescence that the sponge base had soaked up. Yum!
Posted by Jeremy at 10:07am on Monday November 28, 2016 :: 0 comments ::
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 ::
Cosa Nostra Italian Trattoria
Where? Cosa Nostra Italian Trattoria (Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Friday January 22, 2016
Who? My parents
Food Style? Italian
Nothing to do with the Sicilian Mafia! This cosy Italian restaurant on Tinakori Road is a hit with the locals, serving hearty, rustic pasta, pizza and larger dishes too. I'm here with my parents, who are visiting from Auckland.
Pizza Bianca
Pizza bread brushed with garlic, rosemary and parmesan
The pizza bread is simple but full of that wonderful garlic and olive oil flavour. That nice sprinkle of rosemary really gives it a freshness that lifts it from ordinary to delightful.
Stinco D'Agnello
Slow cooked lamb shank in a red wine jus, served with mashed potatoes and seasonal greens
The sauce is fantastic - rich, delicious, flavoursome. The meat isn't as soft as it could be, but still enjoyable. I loved how the potatoes had absorbed all the goodness of the jus. This was an excellent dish.
Chocolate Lava Cake
Wow. This hit the spot. It was gorgeously molten and thick and rich, so decadent. It was maybe even too much, a coulis or some fruit to cut through would have been nice. Nevertheless, I had a great time with this.
Posted by Jeremy at 9:50am on Monday November 28, 2016 :: 0 comments ::
Crab Shack
Where? Crab Shack (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Thursday August 20, 2015
Who? My parents
Food Style? Seafood
The Crab Shack is one of my favourite places to eat in Wellington. It's casual and reasonably priced, and the food is fantastic. Though they do have an Auckland branch, the original Wellington one is slightly cheaper and of course, closer to the home of the Nelson Paddle Crab. Bookings are not accepted, but you're invited to have a drink and some snacks at Shed 5 while you wait - the tab transfers seamlessly to the Crab Shack when your table is ready.
My parents were down for Wellington on a Plate 2015, and though the Crab Shack doesn't participate in WOAP (unfortunately!), I was keen for them to come here and try out the best seafood in Wellington.
Entree
Moroccan Spiced Calamari, Cloudy Bay Clams in Indian Curry Sauce and Tempura Soft-Shell Crab
The calamari was crunchy and silky on the inside, the texture was perfect and not rubbery at all. It was the smoothest squid I had ever had, and what a great flavour it came with. Notes of aniseed, turmeric, parsley, salt and lemon really gave it that Moroccan feel. The clams were sweet and juicy, a great flavour balance. It had all the things I love about seafood - the natural sweetness and saltiness of the clams were kept intact and well respected. Finally, the soft-shell crab was rich and creamy, perfect texture - soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. It's spiced slightly but enough to give it some kick. The entrees were fantastic and truly appetising.
Mains
1kg Blue Swimmer Crab
Unfortunately the Nelson Paddle Crab was unavailable, so we settled for the Blue Swimmer Crab instead. The crab is soft and silky, meaning it's been cooked perfectly. The broth is absolutely the star of the dish, with chilli, garlic and onion all prominent flavours. Best served with hot bread buns to soak up the sauce, because it is absolutely divine and I totally want to devour every drop of that stuff. My parents are pretty impressed, so you know it must be good. I can't get over how sensational the broth is, it's just so good. I'm licking my fingers and constantly exclaiming what a good time I'm having. At the end, I'm totally satisfied and I'm spooning the sauce directly into my greedy mouth.
There you have it. The Crab Shack serves up some pretty awesome seafood, but it's a pity the Nelson Paddle Crab wasn't in stock. Highly recommended if you do find it there though!
Posted by Jeremy at 10:45am on Wednesday March 30, 2016 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Pan de Muerto
Where? Pan de Muerto Mystic Mexican Cuisine (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Sunday August 30, 2015
Who? Tim, Juliann, Sarah, Leo
Food Style? Mexican
I remember the days when Pan de Muerto used to be on the corner of Kent Terrace and Marjoribanks Street, serving simple but good Mexican food like beef nachos, quesadillas and tacos, and, of course, margaritas to wash it all down. These days, they're a bit more high class, serving some real Mexican delicacies with plenty of flavour and character. I rated their burger very highly last year, and several recommendations from the Internet led me to choose Pan de Muerto as my final Wellington on a Plate stop for 2015.
Burger: Burger Mexicana
Corn and cinnamon-crusted chicken breast with char-grilled Anaheim chilli pineapple and guacamole in a housemade bun, with Mexican street corn and corn chips
A delicious, tangy salsa, corn chips, sweet corn bursting with flavour (damn good but not as good as Tequila Joe's) - and those were only the sides. The burger was sensational, the crispiest, most succulent chicken, sweetness in the pineapple and fantastic sauce to tie it all together. Would have easily eaten another one right on the spot, except no one else was keen and I would have looked like a glutton.
An absolutely fantastic way to finish Wellington on a Plate 2015. For that, I give them a nine out of ten.
Posted by Jeremy at 8:21am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: The Grill at the Amora
Where? The Grill at the Amora (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Friday August 28, 2015
Who? Juliann, Jordan, Dwayne, Tim
Food Style? Contemporary European
The Grill at the Amora Hotel (formerly the Duxton) hosts several food events during the year, most notably the Chocolate Buffet which was held just last weekend. They boast a large dining area and catering facilities, perfect for business functions and private parties. Of course, we're not interested in that at all, we're here for their Burger Wellington entry - though, in typical Asian fashion, Juliann and I split a three course meal and the burger for maximum variety. Last year's burger was a double patty Sunday Roast - one patty made with lamb, the other made with roasted vegetables.
Entree: Coriander-infused pumpkin broth
With Wellington Trawling Co. tarakihi, fresh chilli and lime olive oil
A great pumpkin flavour to start off the meal, but not as thick or rich as a traditional pumpkin soup. Still, the spice was subtle but noticeable, and the tarakihi was excellent - sweet and fresh - and it accompanied the pumpkin very well. Love that they served it on top of two lemon slices - this ensures that lovely fresh and zesty juice doesn't disappear from the fish.
Mains: Slow-cooked Randwick Meats pork belly
With pear, fig chutney and prune jus
Not bad, but definitely nothing to rave about. Though the meat was soft and tender, there was no crackling (you can't give me pork belly and not have crispy, crunchy crackling :(!) The sauce was nice, quite fruity with the influence from the pear and figs, but nothing mind-blowing.
Burger: Wairarapa Game Burger
Char-grilled venison and chorizo patty with guacamole, nacho chips, salsa and coleslaw in a Pandoro burger bun, with kūmara chips
A very large burger that was difficult to split between Juliann and myself. Having half was probably the right amount - others at the table had a tough time eating the whole thing. It was okay, the predominant flavour was the sour cream in the burger which made it taste like a plate of nachos, but without any spice or excitement - the chorizo was not noticeable at all. The kumara fries were a bit soggy and felt like cardboard - Burgerfuel does better kumara chips! - but the salsa and guacamole I thought were pretty good. On the whole, a bit disappointing but not an awful experience - would have probably been worse if I had to eat the whole burger. I gave them a six out of ten.
Dessert: Limoncello crème brûlée
With feijoa ice cream
Individually, the creme brulee and the ice cream were excellent, but together they tasted odd. The biscotti had pistachio and cherry, and worked well with the brulee. The ice cream was refreshing and the feijoa came through quite nicely. Not a bad way to finish the meal.
Pretty good meal overall, but others at the table who had simply too much food were a bit disappointed. Subsequent comparisons with other peoples' experiences led me to believe that some restaurants have had some serious consistency problems with their burgers, and that's what it looked like here.
Posted by Jeremy at 8:09am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Lux Festival and Gelissimo Gelateria
Where? Gelissimo Gelateria (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Thursday August 27, 2015
Food Style? Gelato
The Lux Festival runs annually around the same time as Wellington on a Plate, treating viewers to an array of light and sound installments dotted along a route from Hannah Laneway Courtyard to the TSB Bank Arena. It's a showcase of light, art, technology and design, and what better way to complement your smell and taste experience from Wellington on a Plate. This year, Gelissimo Gelateria and Powershop have partnered together to show off their Glow in the Dark Gelato and Pavlova!
Gelissimo are next to Mac's Brewery, in the NZ Stock Exchange building. Their walls are adorned with several gelato and sorbet awards, and rightly so, because they've got some fantastic flavours you won't find anywhere else. My favourite? Durian, of course! For Lux and Wellington on a Plate, they're open until 11pm and have set up a black light inside and outside to showcase their contribution.
Naturally, the first question that comes to mind is "what makes it glow?". Rest assured, the answer is simple, edible and natural: vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B12 additives to the gelato cause it to fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Go science!
Oh, and their glow in the dark pavlova was delicious.
Posted by Jeremy at 6:07am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Basque
Where? Basque (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Thursday August 27, 2015
Who? Tim, Damon, Jordan, Thomas, Jimmy, Reagan, Joe
Food Style? Northern Spanish
We're sometimes at Basque on a Thirsty Thursday because they have some of the best sangria in Wellington. They've got a pretty swanky rooftop bar as well, right in the midst of Courtenay Place's nightclub and bar area. I find their tapas food a bit pricey (like most tapas), and haven't tried their paella or pizza, but their Burger Wellington entry sounded good, so we scheduled a Thirsty Thursday there.
Burger: Chuck the Conquistador
Preston's beef with white wine cheese, burnt onion sour cream and semi-dried tomatoes in a Clareville Bakery bun, with baked potato and remoulade
A good, flavoursome burger with bits of jalapeno to add some spice and some great cheesiness and smokiness prominent through the burger. It was weird that the bun was so oily, but apart from that, it was pretty solid and enjoyable. I thought the baked potato was a nice addition in lieu of fries.
Would definitely eat again over most of their menu. I gave them eight out of ten.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:41am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: The Bresolin
Where? The Bresolin (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Thursday August 27, 2015
Who? Nic, Jordan, Tim
Food Style? Contemporary European
The Bresolin opened late last year after their owners, Leonardo and Lorenzo Bresolin, decided to close Crazy Horse Steak House and begin a new venture at the Edwardian Villa near where Willis Street meets the Northbound Motorway. Complete with rotisserie outside and stocked with beer on the inside, the Bresolin offers shared plates and woodfire meats, but also on the last Sunday of the month, you can see the smoke billowing out of the chimney there, signalling that a whole roast pig is currently being cooked.
Following on from our disappointment on Wednesday night, we resolved to get there early at Thursday lunchtime to guarantee our burgers. They've been recommended by Lizzie and her crew, so we're keen to give it a go as well.
Burger: Game Changer
Double beef patties with cheese, streaky bacon and The Bresolin BBQ sauce in a wagyu fat brioche bun, with fries
Not for the weak-hearted, you might feel a bit of chest pain after this one. Full of flavour, juicy and cheesy, definitely loaded with a lot of meaty goodness. Didn't particularly notice anything special about the bun, but overall, a pretty good burger. If Dukes did McDonalds, then the Bresolin have done Burger King.
I gave them eight out of ten for their burger.
Posted by Jeremy at 1:42am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Tequila Joe's
Where? Tequila Joe's (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Wednesday August 26, 2015
Who? Jordan, Damon, Tim
Food Style? Mexican
We actually tried to go the Bresolin for their burger on Wednesday night, but they were so packed that they pretty much snubbed us and told us the wait time would be two hours. We left.
Tequila Joe's has never really been on my radar, but something about them piqued my interest. Dale and Christine have mentioned that they're quite fond of their chicken wings, and they weren't too far away, so the four of us headed there for a feed. The restaurant is filled to capacity, but we squeeze in at the end of the bar, awkwardly in the thoroughfare between the kitchen and the dining area. Fortunately, another group leaves so we relocate to a less busy spot.
Even though it's Wellington on a Plate, many of the patrons are here for the All You Can Eat Wings Wednesday. They also do Taco Tuesdays and Every Third Food Item Free Thursdays! We're here for their burger, but it's also on their Dine menu, so we opt for that instead.
Entree: Grilled Mexican sweet corn
With cumin-limegarlic mayonnaise and Zany Zeus chilli feta
Wow. It had that classic streetfood vibe to it - simple but bursting with amazing flavours, the first bite was full of sweetness, it was juicy and tangy and delicious. After I had devoured the corn, I was scooping up the bits of feta that had escaped my mouth the first time. It was so good. Probably the best entree I've had in this year's Wellington on a Plate. I was so surprised and impressed, excellent start!
Burger: Rancho Chicken Dipper
Pillow battered 4S chicken with Zany Zeus ricotta, peach mayonnaise and tomato in an Acme & Co oil roll, with ranch tortilla chips
By itself, the burger seemed to lack something. Though the chicken was succulent and juicy with a wonderful crispy and tasty batter, there was not much else to it. However, this is the "Rancho Chicken Dipper" burger, so following those instructions and dipping the burger into the sauce really brought everything together quite nicely. Not sure where the tortilla chips went though. And I still don't know what 4S chicken is. Nevertheless, pleasantly surprised! I gave them an eight out of ten.
Dessert: Mexican custard flan
With agave caramel sauce and whipped cream
I love flan. The first time I had flan was in San Francisco 2011, when I was helping to set up a project with Crowdstar. They got catered lunches every day, and for Cinqo de Mayo, they served a stunning buffet of Mexican food, with flan for dessert. It was amazing. This flan hit the spot too. It was pretty solid but magnificently smooth, and it felt like melting caramel butter in your mouth. The orange took the edge off the sweetness ever so slightly, which suited me perfectly. A fantastic dessert.
Very impressed by the food at Tequila Joe's. It's nice to be surprised like this - the sweetcorn was so memorable and full of classic Mexican flavours. I must try their Wednesday Wings sometime.
Posted by Jeremy at 1:04am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Duke Carvell's
Where? Duke Carvell's Swan Lane Emporium (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Wednesday August 26, 2015
Who? Juliann, Tim, Sarah
Food Style? Classic Wellington Cafe-Style
Dukes is owned by the Bresolin brothers, who are well established in the food industry in Wellington. They also own Italian-themed Scopa on Cuba St and the eponymous beer and eatery Bresolin at the end of Willis St, and owned Crazy Horse Steak House when that was around. Dukes is more classic Wellington Cafe, and on a typical Wellington day, the glorious sunlight streams into the interior, making the place welcoming and cosy.
Burger: Smokey and the Bandit
Smoked brisket patty with secret sauce with smoked Kāpiti cream cheese, Island Bay Butchery bacon and wild onion in a Duke's housebaked triple deck steamed bun
If Duke's were emulating KFC with their Double Down last year, it felt like this year they did McDonald's. Weirdly enough, both Juliann and the table next to me made the same "this tastes like a Big Mac" comment, probably because of the secret sauce and the pickles. Nevertheless, it was a good burger with quality ingredients, just not outstanding or memorable; perhaps if the bacon was crispier, it would have been a bit more enjoyable.
I definitely enjoyed last year's more (it was a Double Down! How could you not?!) The similarity to McDonald's would have put some people off, especially the texture of the bun, but it wasn't bad. I gave them a seven out of ten.
Posted by Jeremy at 12:13am on Tuesday September 8, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Egmont St Eatery
Where? Egmont St Eatery (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Tuesday August 25, 2015
Who? Juliann, Navi, Mana, Jade
Food Style? High Class Tapas
Newcomers to the food scene, Egmont St Eatery sits unassumingly around the corner from Four Kings/Five Stags on the tiny little street that runs behind the Soho Apartments. I find them a bit overpriced for what they serve, but at least the food is good quality. I didn't originally schedule these guys into my plan, but several recommendations from others meant I couldn't pass this opportunity up. We went in instead of our regularly scheduled Spicy Food Tuesday restaurant.
Burger: Cheese, Beets and Meat
PrimeStar aged beef patty with housemade smoked beetroot relish, fried pickled onions and Jack cheese blend, in a fresh steamed bun
A good solid burger with plenty of well-balanced flavours - sweetness from the beets, savouriness from the onion, saltiness from the beef - and just that extra richness from the cheese. Though the buns look a bit black and burned, they were more caramelised to accentuate the smokiness and give it more crunch.
An impressive burger that hit the spot. I gave them eight out of ten.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:39am on Thursday September 3, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Ti Kouka Cafe
Where? Ti Kouka Cafe (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Monday August 24, 2015
Who? Juliann, Nic, Jordan, Sam, Andrew, Julia, Tim, Lizzie, Rob, My parents
Food Style? Contemporary European
Winners of the 2013 Burger Wellington competition, Ti Kouka have always been frontrunners with a classic Wellington stance on food - local, sustainable and organic. They're always super packed at lunchtimes, so really the only times I seem to go there are for Wellington on a Plate. They are literally across the road from the PikPok offices, so we had quite the crowd keen to try out this year's burger entry. My parents were a bit burgered-out, so they opted to share the Dine Wellington menu and a burger each.
Burger: Aporkalypse Now
Slow roasted bourbon glazed Longbush Pork shoulder with ginger ale bacon, apple and smoked BBQ mayonnaise in a Leeds Street Bakery grilled bun, with hot sauce, crackling and pickles
First bite, and I knew this was a winner. Everything was amazing, the pork was full of flavour, the chilli sauce had a really good kick to it that really lifted the mood. The salad was great and though the apple was subtle, it was noticeable enough to bring some sweetness to the burger. I thought the buns were perhaps a bit too oily, and it was a little messy to eat, but otherwise, I'd rate this as the best burger I've had so far in Wellington on a Plate.
Mains: Yellow Brick Road fish
With crayfish bisque, Greytown Gold saffron and seaweed
Not too bad. Instructions were to pour the bisque over the dish to warm up the greens. As a whole, everything worked well and it was tasty, just not outstanding. I've clearly had a great time with the burger and everything else pales in comparison.
Dessert: Red Rabbit coffee curd
With Wellington Chocolate Factory cocoa nib mascarpone and Leeds Street Bakery salted caramel crunch
The fruit on the mascarpone is rhubarb, and combined with the saffron, the flavours on the right side of the plate were well balanced and worked a treat as a whole. However, the coffee curd (which very much reminded me of dau fu fa - sweet beancurd jelly) didn't really fit with the rest of the dessert.
I think everyone on the table agreed that this was a fantastic burger. They have been very popular, with reports of them running out during the day several times, so we're lucky to be one of the ones to try it! I gave this nine out of ten.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:30am on Thursday September 3, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: El Matador
Where? El Matador (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Sunday August 23, 2015
Who? Reuben, Shereen, Sam, Julia, Andrew
Food Style? Argentinian Asador Grill
One of Reuben's requests for Wellington was to go somewhere that served steak. Naturally, the first place that came to mind was El Matador, with its mountains of meat on platters that will feed even the hungriest of meat eaters. Their burger this year was a vegetarian one, so I wasn't too keen on that, but their Dine Wellington menu sounded good. The others ordered off the regular menu but had struggles eating everything!
Entree: Sweetcorn croquetas
With Cuba St Fruit Mart lime and chipotle aioli
Fantastic start to the meal. The sauce is spicy and zesty, the lime bringing a wonderful acidity. The corn croquettes are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, and they're warm and hearty to eat. Three is a pretty generous serving, they're quite filling (especially since the mains are massive)
Mains: Wood-fired Harringtons pork loin
With chilli apple, crumbed cauliflower fleurons, warm lentils and walnuts
You really can't go wrong with pork and apple. Succulent and juicy, full of flavour, though the lentils felt a bit out of place and didn't fit - it was though it was added just to bulk out the meal. The salad should have been dressed, but the cauliflower was very well done. Very enjoyable, and this was a lot of food - even for me!
Dessert: Panqueques
With dulce de leche, Carello del Gelato ice cream and praline
The dulce de leche here has never disappointed me, and today they're as good as ever. The pancakes are pretty standard and this dessert delivered exactly what I expected. Good way to end the meal - and boy was I stuffed after all of that!
Though the dishes themselves were not tremendously strong, I thought El Matador had the best overall dining experience so far. Always a good time here.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:15am on Thursday September 3, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: The Larder
Where? The Larder (Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Sunday August 23, 2015
Who? Reuben, Shereen, Sam, Andrew, Julia, Linda, Campbell, My parents
Food Style? Contemporary European
It's a little out of the way, but the Larder is still an insanely popular place, probably because it's right in the middle of Weta territory, and they don't have many good food restaurants there. So because it's in Miramar, us city folk had to wait until the weekend to try out their Moreton Bay Bug burger - which, thanks to watching several episodes of My Kitchen Rules, I know is a type of lobster.
I heard a few horror stories about their unpreparedness for Wellington on a Plate (seems to be trend with a few restaurants this year); the substitute burger was composed of fish and prawn instead of the bug, so I had to call up well in advance and request a table for ten - they don't normally take bookings but because the party was so large, they were happy to accommodate.
Burger: The Bug Burger
Moreton Bay Bug with fermented chilli, cucumber, capers and iceburg lettuce, with shoe string fries and lemon salt
First bite was to check to see if this was fish and prawn, or bug. Definitely bug. The bun, though it was soft and buttery, was just too much compared to the amount of meat we got. I ended up eating all around the sides of the burger getting not much except bun and salad, so the last three bites of the burger I had were magnificent. The chilli was barely noticeable.
A bit disappointing, perhaps I was setting my expectations too high - I was hoping for something like the Hummingbird crayfish burger I had in 2013, which was a perfect 10/10 for me. The Larder's previous burgers have been pretty good, and this one was just okay. I rate it seven out of ten.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:15am on Thursday September 3, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Muse on Allen
Where? Muse on Allen (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Saturday August 22, 2015
Who? Juliann, James, Navi, Reuben, Shereen, Sam, Andrew, Julia, Thomas, Astrid, Rob, Jill, My parents
Food Style? European Fine Dining
Muse on Allen won last year's Best Dish award for Wellington on a Plate 2014, with their Textures of Mandarin - a skillful and artistic dessert that tantalised your sense of taste and feel. I had their Wellington on a Plate menu last year, and was quite impressed, so I was back again this year with a big party. This year, they've served a three course meal with two options for each course; I'm greedy and I've partnered with Andrew to cover the whole menu for maximum variety.
Amuse-bouche: Spiced pumpkin soup with toasted pinenuts
Wonderful and warming with some nice richness from the coconut. A great way to start the night.
Entree #1: Kāpiti paddle crab tortellini
With Wairarapa lemon bubbles and crab bisque
This wonderful seafoody aroma wafted down the table when it was first served. It was rich but not as thick as I imagined it to be. I think the champagne was subtle but added some nice acidity. It wasn't to everyone's liking, apparently, but I thought it was nice.
Entree #2: Capital Produce purple cauliflower textures
With Scotty's Meats bacon and thyme
A skillfully executed dish that was reminiscent of their mandarin dish last year. It delivered exactly what it said. Great use of the cauliflower in so many different ways, and the bacon gave the dish some additional texture and flavour. The moral of the story is that bacon goes well with almost anything.
Mains #1: Preston's lamb rump
With lamb shoulder with Parkvale mushroom jus
Nicely cooked, but I would have liked the fat to be rendered a bit more to make it soft. The pea puree worked well and the potato top having more meat on the inside was a nice surprise.
Mains #2: Stephan’s Cook Strait Butterfish
With Te Horo parsnips and red pepper textures
Good buttery flavour with plenty of bite to the fish, and nicely charred on the outside to give it that crispiness. The unexpected winner was the pieces of sweet and intensely-flavoured capsicum that really brought some life and freshness to the dish.
Dessert #1: Ōtaki Carrot Cake My Way
A deconstructed carrot cake with none of the textures that you would expect. Full of delicate flavours that worked very well together. I think this was the stronger dessert of the two.
Dessert #2: Capital Produce poached pear, almond and raisin crumble
With Whittaker's White Chocolate sorbet
Would have been nicer with a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg to spice the pear. It could have used a bit more poaching too. The crumb wasn't too bad either.
Cocktail: Espresso Martini with Dessert Donut Burger
L'afarre espresso martini, vodka, butterscotch and Whittaker's chocolate snow. Accompanied by Dessert Donut Burger: Clareville Bakery doughnut bun with Whittaker's chocolate marquise, rhubarb jelly and housemade Zany Zeus custard.
Extremely clever use of the ingredients to create a dessert that looks exactly like a burger. Masterfully executed. Cocktail on the other hand... should have had it before the dessert. >_>
A few of us had ordered some sides as well - last year's brussel sprouts with bacon were quite memorable so Thomas and Astrid were keen to get those again. Unfortunately, the sprouts were inconsistently cooked, some being completely raw and inedible. It felt like a few things had been rushed to cater for so many people, and those at the other end of the table had quite a bad experience with their food. Furthermore, their unpreparedness showed further when they tried to charge us for an extra meal, exacerbating what was a rather disappointing night. Their menu was definitely stronger last year, and the whole payment debacle left quite a bitter taste in my mouth.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:48am on Monday August 31, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Mishmosh
Where? Mishmosh (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Saturday August 22, 2015
Who? Tim, Jordan, Dianne, Sam, Andrew, Reuben, Shereen, My parents
Food Style? Casual Quick Eats and Tapas
Situated right in the heart of the upbeat area of Courtenay Place, Mishmosh is trying to make itself known for its food by offering some pretty solid $10 burgers every night until 10pm. Their menu also boasts some cheap pizzas and fried chicken, and not to mention, a fully operational bar. If you're in the mood for some cheap eats, Mishmosh is pretty accommodation up until 10pm, when it starts getting a bit sleazy and the drunk crowd swarms the dance floor.
Entree: Black Dog battered bluff oyster sliders
With shallot vinegar and greens
I'm normally not a fan of battered oysters - I prefer them au naturel - but these were excellent and full of flavour, and the lightly dressed greens served as a great accompaniment that didn't take the focus away from the protein.
Burger: The Helmsman
Ocean Direct snapper and crayfish burger with chunky Elaia Gourmet Olive tartare, caramelised onions and Kingsmeade Grasslands Gouda
Pretty good. The crayfish was small in comparison to the amount of snapper that was served, but it was evident when I was eating which bites had crayfish and which bites had no crayfish. To be perfectly honest, I prefer their $10 burgers over this - they're juicier and far better value for money.
Dessert: Kaffee Eis PB & J gelato
With salted caramel popcorn, waffle lady fingers and Whittaker's sauce
This could have been served as two separate desserts. Neither part really matched or augmented the other, but as individual dishes, they would have been strong enough on their own. The chocolate Whittakers was rich and dark, and waffle fingers were nicely done. However the PBJ gelato and salted caramel popcorn was absolutely amazing, and wasn't overly sweet thanks to the saltiness. If there had been more gelato, it would have been too much. Great end to the meal.
Not a bad Saturday lunch at what I've thought was a sleazy dance club (wow I sound so old saying that). I give them a seven out of ten for their burger. Again, if you're feeling hungry before 10pm and want some cheap food, give them a go.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:24am on Monday August 31, 2015 :: 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 ::
WOAP2015: Louis Sergeant Sweet Couture
Where? Louis Sergeant Sweet Couture (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Friday August 21, 2015
Who? My parents
Food Style? Fine French Dining
Louis Sergeant is known more for their exquisite pâtisseries and aromatic teas than their savouries - a stunning array of reds, greens, yellows, purples and browns adorn the cabinets as you enter the premises. Each dessert has the French touch of elegance - c'est parfait! - and the expertise and finesse is evident.
For Wellington on a Plate, they've offered a two course menu. I'm here with my parents, and we've decided to have two mains and two desserts to share between the three of us.
Mains #1: Petit Sale aux Lentilles
Preston's cured, slow-cooked pork belly with puy lentils and On Trays smoked sausage
The smoked sausage was the best thing on the plate - tasty and meaty without feeling overly fatty or artificial. The pork belly was soft and tender, breaking away nicely as I stuck a fork through it, but would have been better with a bit of crackling (I am a huge sucker for crackling). High quality food, but wished there was more.
Mains #2: Whole baked Le Marché Francais chèvre
With rocket, mulled red wine pear, On Trays smoked bacon and housemade warm bread
That's "whole baked goat's cheese from Le Marché Francais (The French Market)". It's not as crumbly or delicate as feta. It had a more solid texture to it, like a softer version of halloumi, but still had that nice saltiness and cheesiness to it. The bacon and pear were nice, but I thought the rocket was a bit misplaced.
Dessert Selection
Petit Fours (Selection of Louis' handcrafted pâtisserie) and Tarte au Citron (Handcrafted sweet pastry with Capital Produce lemon zest curd and Italian meringue)
The desserts that we were served for Wellington on a Plate are different to what you normally get from the cabinet, but they are of the same extremely high calibre. Not overly sweet, great balance of flavours, rich and delicate. Highlight of the petit fours was the salted caramel choux pastry - yummo!
As can be expected from fine dining institutions, the quality of the food is extremely high, but the portions were quite small and unfulfilling. Their high teas are very highly rated, so if that's your thing, I would give it a go, otherwise I'd stick to the desserts and the tea. Try the L'Intense - it's my favourite of the lot!
Posted by Jeremy at 10:57am on Monday August 31, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Thunderbird Cafe
Where? Thunderbird Cafe (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Wednesday August 19, 2015
Who? Jordan, Nic, Tim, Rob, Sarah
Food Style? Southern American and Tex-Mex
People often draw comparisons between Thunderbird Cafe on Featherston Street and Sweet Mother's Kitchen due to their similar menu styles - hearty, soulful, southern American and Tex-Mex food with staples like burritos, tacos, gumbo and fried chicken. Fortunately for Thunderbird, they're closer to work than Sweet Mother's is, and I was quite impressed by their southern style crayfish burger last year. Their Dine menu did look rather uninspiring though (macaroni and cheese? Really?), so the six of us that went were all happy to contend with their Burger Wellington entry.
Burger: Mothertruckin' Monster
Island Bay Beef patty with bacon and Swiss cheese in a Pandoro bun with house made onion ring and hundred thousand island dressing
The entry on the menu for the burger came with a disclaimer: note this entry differs from what was printed in the guide. For reference, the guide had: "Wagyu beef patty, Randwick Meats bacon, Kāpiti smoked cheddar and Thousand Island dressing in a Pandoro bun, with onion rings and dirty milkshake shot". So essentially the same set of ingredients, maybe not as high quality as Wagyu beef, but unfortunately missing the plural on the onion rings (the burger only had one) and the dirty milkshake shot.
Anyway, thanks to some solid organisation from my part, our burgers arrived literally the moment we sat down. Good start! Onto the verdict.
The bacon was the star of the burger. Crispy and succulent, it lent a lot of character to the dish. The beef patty was okay, and I wish it was wide and thinner - the burger itself had a lot of height and was a bit difficult to eat at times. I wish there were more onion rings, because the one I got was pretty good and added some nice crispiness. Nice job, but a step down from last year's crayfish burger - which is to be expected, really, because crayfish is amazing. It doesn't come with sides, so consider ordering some curly fries or a milkshake to share. I'll give them a seven out of ten - greater attention to the finer details of the burger would have earned them a higher score, but still a quality burger with lots of flavour.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:50am on Thursday August 20, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: The Tasting Room
Where? The Tasting Room (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Monday August 17, 2015
Who? Juliann, Jordan, Dwayne, David, Reagan
Food Style? Contemporary European
The Tasting Room is known first and foremost for their legendary Beef Wellington, which I've never actually had - partially due to the fact it's got mushrooms. I have brunched here previously, and would recommend their roesti. Their entry for Burger Wellington last year was okay, and this year their ingredient list sounded quite interesting - especially the popcorn shrimp bit. It went down on the list and I gathered a crew to try it out.
Burger: Pimpin Shrimpin Beef
Beef burger with popcorn shrimp, smoked Kapiti cheddar, chipotle BBQ sauce and peanut slaw in a Pandoro bun
It was okay, I guess. Nothing in the burger was particularly outstanding, though the popcorn shrimp was quite nice, but it did give the burger a lot of height which made it a little difficult to eat. There wasn't a strong sauce to bind all the flavours together - my first bite sent a deluge of white sauce onto the wooden board, so maybe that's why it was missing something. It was only until I read the description that I realised that there should have been a chipotle BBQ sauce. I thought the bun was very average. The burger was nice, just not very inspiring. It really lacked a wow factor.
I give this one a six out of ten; the burger's saving grace is the popcorn shrimp.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:27am on Tuesday August 18, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: The Arborist
Where? The Arborist (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Monday August 17, 2015
Who? Jordan, Nic, Tim, Juliann, Sarah
Food Style? Contemporary European
Relatively new to the scene, the Arborist took over from Eclipse at the Trinity Hotel and introduced a bunch of quality burgers and good beer, and have recently opened their rooftop bar which boasts the title of Wellington's tallest rooftop venue. It's so close to our work, and we had a free spot, so we decided to pop in for a hastily organised lunch.
Burger: Ba Ba Baaa Ba Ba Bar Lamb
Two Harringtons hickory-smoked lamb patties with pickled cucumber, secret sauce and double cheese in a Pandoro brioche bun, with fries
Despite its relatively small size, it was full of flavour - dominated by the cheese and medium-rare meat. Any bigger and this would have hurt. The brioche bun was impressive, being soft on the top and toasted perfectly on the underside. Solid effort, and a good time if you like cheese and meat.
I score this an eight out of ten.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:21am on Tuesday August 18, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: The Doughnut Popup
Where? Georgia Cafe (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
Food Style? Glorious Doughnuts
There's a coffee shop called Stories on Cuba Street, down the bottom end towards the Michael Fowler Center. It's in a shipment container renovated to be a cosy little cafe that sits a few people but is mostly there to serve the passers-by with some typical Wellington caffeine. The difference is that this place is run by youth organisation Zeal to give young people the chance to get some hands-on hospitality experience by equipping them with industry skills. It's a wonderful idea and a great cause.
The operation has been so successful that they've very recently opened up another shipping container on the corner of Dixon and Victoria Streets. Though the coffee is much the same, Georgia, the cafe, is serving freshly made limited edition doughnuts for the duration of Wellington on a Plate. Each weekday, a variety of doughnuts with interesting and quirky flavours are provided from various local bakeries.
| Monday 17 August Cafe Polo |
Raspberry coated in raspberry dust |
| Tiramisu | |
| Glazed American | |
| Tuesday 18 August HOME |
Coffee creme patisserie with coffee toffee shard |
| Turkish delight with saffron, cardamom and vanilla bean syrup | |
| Wednesday 19 August Leeds St Bakery |
Rhubarb and cream |
| Salted caramel and bacon | |
| Chocolate and hazelnut | |
| Thursday 20 August Floyd's Cafe |
Custard and raspberry coulis |
| Friday 21 August Milk Crate |
The Ginger Kiss |
| Monday 24 August Brezelmania |
Salted caramel |
| Passionfruit cream | |
| Raspberry jam | |
| Tuesday 25 August HOME |
Jelly tip |
| Lemon Meringue | |
| Wednesday 26 August Sweet Release |
Salted caramel |
| Chocolate hazelnut | |
| Thursday 27 August Nikau |
Lime Marmalade and Matcha custard |
| Friday 28 August Coco at the Roxy |
Cardamom and Whittakers Dark Chocolate |
Day two of this and it's already been insanely popular, selling 400 doughnuts within two hours of opening. Make sure you get there early, because there will probably be a big queue of people wanting their morning coffee and sweet treat. I'll be looking out for Nikau's Lime Marmalade and Matcha Custard - sounds amazing!
Posted by Jeremy at 11:10am on Tuesday August 18, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Grill Meats Beer
Where? Grill Meats Beer (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Sunday August 16, 2015
Who? Damon, Jordan, Tim, Mana, Reagan
Food Style? Meat. Lots of it.
The name of the restaurant spells it out; this place is known for their meat and beers, serving up ribs, steaks, burgers, grilled things, fried things - it's a carnivore's haven. I've been here several times before and had a great time ripping apart their pork ribs with my bare hands and licking my fingers gleefully. One time I came here, their special was a massive pork hock that was absolutely magnificent - crackling had perfect texture, the meat was falling off the bone. When they announced their Wellington on a Plate burger, I was super keen to give it a try.
Burger: Chook n Swine, Fire n Spice
Char-grilled spice rubbed chicken thigh with bacon aioli, Preston's streaky bacon, gherkins and preserved lemon relish in a Pandoro Turkish roll with chilli fries
The chicken was cooked perfectly, juicy and succulent with that wonderful charred flavour, and nicely spiced that you could feel it tingling your tastebuds but not unpleasantly so. The winner of the burger was the bacon - it was simply sensational. A solid, well-rounded burger that ticked all the boxes - spot on for flavour, texture and presentation; perhaps they could have used more exotic ingredients (like crayfish aioli?!) but thoroughly enjoyable nevertheless.
A well deserved nine out of ten.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:57am on Monday August 17, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Beach Babylon
Where? Beach Babylon (Oriental Bay, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Sunday August 16, 2015
Who? James, Navi, Joe, Dianne
Food Style? Classic Wellington Cafe-Style
I've never dined at Beach Babylon before. We tried to once, but they are insanely popular - not just for their food, but their location is prime real estate. The cafe overlooks Wellington's Oriental Bay and the harbour stretching towards Lower Hutt, and on a sunny day like Sunday, the view was spectacular and the sunshine was extremely welcoming. Unfortunately, that day, they were understaffed and, like Charley Noble, had troubles managing the insane popularity of their Wellington on a Plate menu.
Burger: Oriental Bao - Year of the Pig and Duck
Braised Longbush Pork belly with BBQ duck and Asian slaw in a steamed bun, with sesame-salted Asian street fries and sriracha mayonnaise
Had a good time. Solid chunks of meat, good amount of hoisin sauce - not overpowering or dominating at all, hoisin can tend to be too sweet when overused. The bun was okay, not like a cha siu bao but soft enough to at least give you that impression. The slaw, though it added some good crunch, wasn't particularly "Asian", and thought it could have been better with a bit of coriander or sesame seeds. I would have liked the pork to have some crackling or the duck to have crispy skin (or both!) - I think that would have given it the wow factor. The chips were pretty average and not very "street fry"-like, but the sriracha mayonnaise was definitely a winner.
All in all, eight out of ten, would eat again.
Dessert: Leaf T matcha tea sponge pudding
With mango cream and Carrello del Gelato black sesame gelato
The sponge was soft and warm, and had a clear tea flavour to it, which worked really well with all the other elements on the plate. The cream wasn't particularly mangoey enough for my liking, but nevertheless, it was pretty good as a whole and a nice way to finish the meal.
All in all, service took about two hours. The staff were pretty apologetic about the state of the cafe, and we were totally understanding. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and no one was in any rush, so we were happy to chill and chit chat while we waited for our food.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:08am on Monday August 17, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Hannah Laneway Commons
Where? Hannah Factory Laneway (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Saturday August 15, 2015
Who? Tim, Dewi, Dwayne
Food Style? Innovative Seasonal Tucker
Joining Eva Street and Leeds Street, the Hannah Factory Laneway is home to pizza specialists Pizza Pomodoro, craft brew bar Golding's Free Dive, Wellington Chocolate Factory, Red Rabbit Coffee and Leeds St Bakery. These businesses have teamed up with next door neighbours Egmont Street Eatery to provide a winter canteen in a marquee between Goldings and the Chocolate Factory, and just under the balcony of Pineapples Resort™. This was only available for two days, so I met with Tim, Dwayne and Dewi on Saturday night before Dewi's departure for Japan.
The atmosphere is pretty bustling. We were seated by 6pm - any later and we would have had to wait in a massive queue. The back of the marquee is where all the cooking is happening; patrons are free to visit Goldings for some cold drinks or the Chocolate Factory for some hot drinks. I've opted for the miso braised beef cheeks and wok-fried tuatuas (clams). This is costing me $15 each, and unfortunately on arrival, they amount to no more than a mound of food smaller than the size of my palm. Thankfully, the food is very tasty, and I've stolen some of Tim and Dwayne's garlic pizza bread to scoop up my sauce - it's fantastic. To round it off, I've ordered some of Leed St Bakery's ginger cake with toffee sauce. It's warm and moist and absolutely delectable - definitely the winner on the night.
A pretty cool idea, but way too expensive for what we got. I like the collaborative nature of the setup, and I think it had potential to be more like a night market, but really needed to be at least half the price of what we paid.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:46am on Monday August 17, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Plum
Where? Plum Cafe (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Saturday August 15, 2015
Who? Dwayne
Food Style? Classic Wellington Cafe-Style
Right by the iconic Bucket Fountain on Cuba Street, you'll see the tables and chairs of the outside dining area of Plum in typical Wellington cafe fashion. I was moderately impressed by what they served last year, so when Dwayne was keen to grab a bite after badminton on Saturday, we thought Plum would be a good choice.
Burger: For Richer, For Paua
Moana Pacific paua and PrimeStar pork patty with caramelised pineapple, pickled cucumber in a Zaida's squid ink bun, with salt and vinegar chips and Kiwi onion dip
Care needs to be taken with seafood burgers - it's easy for their flavour to be lost in other ingredients. Unfortunately, that's exactly what had happened - the paua was not prominent at all, and all I could really taste was the pork. The combination of pineapple and pickled cucumber with the patty wasn't bad, and the squid ink bun is really just for the aesthetic, but this was definitely a step down from 2014's entry. I feel like they could have added something else that wasn't paua for texture, like maybe prawns. Paua is a top-tier ingredient and if it's not going to be the focus of the burger, it might as well not be in there.
For this burger, I give it a six out of ten.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:17am on Monday August 17, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
WOAP2015: Charley Noble
Where? Charley Noble Eatery and Bar (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Friday August 14, 2015
Who? Juliann, Tim, Jordan, Nic, Rob
Food Style? Contemporary European Woodfire Grill
Tucked away in the Huddart Parker Building at 1 Post Office Square, through some glass sliding doors and an unassuming entrance, you'll find Charley Noble Eatery and Bar. Charley Noble is the sailors' name for the galley chimney, a nod to the shipping history of the building that they are situated in. The galley chimney is responsible for drawing the heat from the stove and carrying it safely above the ship deck. The woodfire grills are in full force at the back of the restaurant, and you'll see exactly why they've named the restaurant Charley Noble.
Last year they served the "Shooting Charley's" burger: Taylor Prestonʼs beef patty with On Trays Monterey Jack, bacon and pickles, with house cut chips. For their efforts, they were crowned Burger Wellington champions of 2014, and rightly so, in my opinion. The burger was a solid 9.5/10 in my books, so when WOAP came around this year, they were the first to go on my list. However, their choice of burger this year was odd; they're very good with their meats and I've enjoyed my past dining experiences here, so when I saw that they were offering a fish burger (The Ebisu Burger: Moana Pacific fish burger with house chutney and Japanese mayonnaise in a Brezelmania squid ink bun with shoe string fries), I was a bit skeptical. Nevertheless, their Dine menu seemed quite appetising, so I went for that instead. To maximise the variety, I recruited my good friend Juliann and we split the menu and shared.
Starter: Urlar Sauvignon Blanc cured salmon
With Florence salad
The salmon is perfectly smooth and silky, and the salad is nice but could have used a bit more acidity. The snippets of coriander and mint are subtle but enjoyable. I had a similar dish at Matterhorn two months ago, and would rate that better than this.
Mains #1: Middle Earth rotisserie lamb shoulder
With pumpkin and Zany Zeus yoghurt
From the moment this appeared on the plate, you could see how beautiful and richly coloured the pumpkin puree is - absolutely fantastic and wished there was more of it. The sprinkling of pumpkin seeds gave it a wonderful crunch. The lamb itself was cooked perfectly - you can see the pink in the photo - and was juicy and flavoursome. The smoothness of the yoghurt and puree worked well, and the dish as a whole had a nice set of varied textures. There were some great bits of fat on the lamb - rendered perfectly and oh so delicious. Very enjoyable, and my favourite dish of the meal.
Mains #2: Charcoal-roasted Turk's free range chicken breast
With cauliflower and truffle butter
While the first main took 15 minutes to come out, it was more than one hour before this appeared. Despite the unfortunate wait, the chicken was well cooked and full of buttery goodness, with the truffle oil adding that wonderful finesse and decadence to the dish. The meat itself had that nice smokey grill flavour to it, and the accompanying bacon added to that as well. Pretty good, but not worth the wait.
Dessert #1: Spiced, baked Greytown apple
With Eco-Egg custard and candied walnuts
Elegantly presented, with the walnuts being the star of the dish - really nicely candied, sticky and crunchy like hokey pokey. The apple itself is nice, but just doesn't pack a lot of flavour to it - perhaps it would have been nicer if it had been baked a little longer. The custard was good, but wouldn't have minded it being a bit thicker.
Dessert #2: Greytown Gold saffron rice pudding
With rhubarb sorbet and freeze-dried raspberries
Almost two hours after being seated, the final dessert arrived - except it wasn't what I ordered. So they had to take it back and get me the rice pudding, which took another 15 minutes. Anyway, I'm not really a fan of rice pudding in general, but was interested in the saffron combination. Though each element was pleasant - the rhubarb and the raspberries had a lovely tartness and the saffron had its own savoury overtones, it just felt like the dessert as a whole didn't work and didn't really wow me.
All in all, the food was pretty good but the service really let them down that day. They even called me up the day before to ask how long we wanted our lunch to be (I said 90 minutes). They themselves admitted they were unable to cope with the pressure of Wellington on a Plate, and they were very apologetic about the slowness of the dishes coming out. We got some free tea and coffee for our patience, but it was hard to overlook the fact that lunch had taken 2.5 hours. Hopefully they'll improve as the festival goes on.
Posted by Jeremy at 9:59am on Monday August 17, 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 ::
Dai and Dal's LBQ MKR BBQ
Where? Little Beer Quarter (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Saturday December 6, 2014
Who? Mana
Food Style? Laotian
Little Beer Quarter have been hosting teams from New Zealand's version of My Kitchen Rules over the past few weekends, each of them using the barbeque to cook up an extravaganza on Edward Street. This week, Dai and Dal, the two Laotians, were on the roster, so Mana (also of Laotian descent) pulled me along for a squizz. He'd met the two before at a party and knew I'd be interested, so I was super keen to see what the fuss was about and have a chat. Unfortunately, only Dai was there but the quality of the food was still top notch. They partnered with Yeastie Boys to produce a menu full of great South East Asian flavours.
Starter
Grilled Prawns Marinated in Chilli, Garlic, Yeastie Boys White Noise and Lemongrass, served with Mango Salsa
The prawns were succulent and grilled so perfectly, with that lovely aromatic garlic and chilli shining through. I was a bit confused by the mango however; it wasn't the tangy, sour green variety common in Thai Mango Salads, nor did it have that delightfully sweet flavour so characteristic of mangos. It felt like it wasn't quite ripe. The idea, however, was there and I could see potential. I have had some excellent mango salsas before so I wondered if perhaps that particular batch of fruit just wasn't ready for use. I asked Dai about this afterwards - trying not to sound like a dick - and she agreed. Still, a very simple but flavoursome dish that's easy to do at home. I must try this one day.
Mains
Tom Khem - Caramelised Braised Pork Belly with Coconut Rice Balls, Cucumber Salad and Nam Jim
I opted for the smaller portion so I could also enjoy the prawns as well; Mana had the large plate, which came with an extra piece of the pork and more coconut rice balls. The pork was wonderfully soft and melted in your mouth. It was perhaps a little too salty by itself, but balanced out nicely with the cucumber and the coconut rice balls. I was so impressed by the intricate textures of the coconut rice balls; it was just so satisfying crunching the coconut bits in my teeth, and yet its simplicity and plainness fit the rest of the dish so nicely. I'd never had anything like that before, so I asked Dai if it was a Laotian thing. She confirmed that it was, and Mana piped in to say that his mother used to make something similar too. Good stuff!
Me, Dai and Mana at Little Beer Quarter
Dai never stopped smiling while we were there, and she was such a warm and bubbly personality to talk to. More than anything, I think her food is a reflection of what kind of person she is, and I love that food can telegraph personality like that. I had a really good chat to her after the meal and expressed my gratitude, but forgot to ask where Dal was. In any case, Mana and I left quite satisfied with the food, but it's a shame that these MKR teams are only there for a week!
Posted by Jeremy at 10:30am on Sunday December 7, 2014 :: 1 comment ::
Pravda Cafe
Where? Pravda Cafe (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Monday November 24, 2014
Who? Damon, Jordan and Christine
Food Style? European Bistro
Tucked away just opposite the Hare Krishna restaurant in the Old Bank Arcade is Pravda Cafe. The entrance is small and unassuming - the interior, however, boasts a large dining area almost invisible to the street. In our first Fine Dining Club Event since Wellington on a Plate and Damon's return from his magical adventures in Europe, we decided to give this a go, being only a block away from the PikPok offices.
Entree
Pravda Charcuterie Board - a selection of cured meats with condiments
The waitress was unable to point out each of the different meats to us, and I have since forgotten what the full description was on the menu, but I do remember the red meat in the top right corner next to the tomatoes being chorizo. The platter was simple with some toasted bread crisps on the side; I felt like Prefab's Berlin Breakfast did a far superior job with their bread and meat selection. It needed some hummus or cheese to really bring everything together.
Mains
Steak of the Day - Black Angus rib eye sir loin with duck fat fondant potato, creamed spinach and horseradish crème fraiche
To be perfectly honest, I was a bit disappointed with the presentation when this first came out. The plate looked uninspiring and a bit boring, and lacked the personality or flair I would expect from a $38 main meal. The token cherry tomato was a little bit stingy, and the duck fat fondant potato - as amazing as it sounds - didn't really meet expectation at all. It didn't have the wonderful aroma that the ones from Logan Brown have. That being said, the steak was pretty good, but not good enough to invoke passionate superlatives from my food vocabulary, however. The creamed spinach and horseradish creme fraiche were a good combo that augmented the flavour of the meat until the last bite, but otherwise, it was a pretty average experience. If you do decide to go here, I highly recommend the hand-cut fries with truffle oil, truffle mascarpone and parmesan - this was the clear winner on the night.
Posted by Jeremy at 7:59am on Tuesday November 25, 2014 :: 0 comments ::
El Matador
Where? El Matador (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Thursday November 20, 2014
Who? Bobby, Angela and Kenny
Food Style? Argentinian Asador Grill
Bobby and Angela had finally made the trip to Wellington to visit, so Kenny and I took them to El Matador. I always have a good time at El Matador; there's a wonderful smokey aroma from the burning wood just in the corner of the kitchen, visible as you enter the restaurant. It's intoxicatingly good and lingers even as you leave the restaurant. You walk home smelling delicious, so if this doesn't suit you, dress appropriately.
There's no doubt that South Americans are good with steak, and if the smell of the premises isn't an indication of how appetising the food is, the presentation of a huge platter of meat covered in their famous chimichurri is sure to get you salivating. We decided to share their steak plate and some tapas dishes on the side.
Cauliflower, red pepper and egg bake with pecorino and paprika
A good, hearty dish full of flavour. The egg in the description may make it seem like a quiche; it's more like a cheesy oven bake with boiled egg on the inside.
Broad beans with cream, bacon and cos lettuce
Grilled beetroot with watercress and preserved lemon and mint vinaigrette
Probably the healthiest option of the four plates we chose. The beetroot was naturally sweet and the vinaigrette balanced that with the sourness so well. It was a fresh, zesty interlude from the cheese, carbs and meat on the table.
Baby potatoes, olives and baby spinach with salsa verde
Steak plate: parrilla-grilled flank, rump, sirloin and ribeye with chimichurri
We ordered ours medium-rare - perhaps could have asked for medium as the meat is quite thick and wouldn't have minded it being a little bit more cooked. Nevertheless, the meat is incredibly aromatic and succulent, and the chimichurri is simply delicious and accompanies the steak so well. It provides that extra tang when your tastebuds become saturated with the taste of meat. The recommendation is to share between two or three people, but this fed the four of us quite well with all our sides. Well satisfied with the meal, and always a pleasure eating here. Steak just simply makes me happy.
Posted by Jeremy at 7:31am on Tuesday November 25, 2014 :: 0 comments ::