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 ::

Milse

Where? Milse (Britomart, Auckland, New Zealand) Map

When? Wednesday December 30, 2015

Who? My parents

Food Style? Dessert

Honestly this place makes me so happy. The menu changes quarterly to reflect the seasons and whatever fresh fruit is currently available, and that only serves as a bigger incentive to go there multiple times over the course of the year to see what's on offer. Limited time events at its finest. I'm back with my parents, who, despite not being big dessert fans, almost always have a good time here.

My Choice

Apple: Brown butter, prune, toffee
Full of great traditional flavours: spiced apple, brown sugar, dates and great textures and crunch that bring out the main fruit. A really nice and warming dessert that hits the soul.

Dad's Choice

Triple Chocolate: Hazelnut, grapefruit, graham cracker
Decadent and rich, chocolate is well celebrated with a variety of interesting flavour combinations and textures: soft, moist, crunchy, silky, gooey. The chocolate spaghetti was a fun addition on the plate, but in reality it was just chocolate piping. A real work of art and a lot going on here. It was my favourite of the three desserts we ordered.

Khim's Choice

Citrus: Pistachio, elderflower, mascarpone
Well balanced tart and bitter flavours, with some clear citrus notes present only in the second spoonful I had. I thought the meringue added a good amount of sweetness and texture. Quite reminiscent of Muse's Textures of Mandarin dessert that they won from Wellington on a Plate 2014.

Posted by Jeremy at 11:04am on Monday September 26, 2016 :: 0 comments ::

Tatsumi

Where? Tatsumi (Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Tuesday December 29, 2015

Who? My parents

Food Style? Contemporary Japanese Fusion

I'm back at Tatsumi with my parents for their annual Christmas dinner special: an eight course degustation showcasing some of the best Japanese food that Auckland has to offer. I'm never disappointed when I'm here, and I'm looking forward to gorging myself with all kinds of delicious meat and fresh seafood.

First Course

Amuse bouche
A simple smoked salmon pastry that was rich, creamy and crispy. A light way to start the meal and tantalise - or amuse - the taste buds.

Second Course

Treasure Box: Chef's choice of six kinds of appetizers
I love these little samplers that give me variety over quantity. The caramelised lotus root is nice and crispy, and I really like the accompanying sesame flavour here. The oyster in the bottom right is fresh and salty and sweet, and the soy sauce jelly is exquisite and such a great addition. The chickpea tofu to the left of the oyster is interesting, but I prefer the texture of regular tofu - it was a bit grainy. The three fish appetizers - the tuna, the whitefish, and the tempura battered alfonsino fish - are all solid dishes, and very enjoyable.

Third Course

Beef Tataki Carpaccio: seared raw beef, wild rocket, wasabi cream, truffle oil, balsamic soy, walnut, sliced parmesan
Fantastic truffle and cream flavours, with an ever so subtle hint of wasabi to round off a great dish. The nuts and rocket added a nice crunch.

Fourth Course

Variety of sashimi: three kinds of raw fish (salmon, tuna, yellowtail) with fresh wasabi and premium tamari soy sauce
A simple dish transformed into a masterpiece with an amazing set of garnish - lotus root, seaweed, sprouts and microgreens - that was both equally delicious and pretty. The fish is so fresh that it almost isn't like fish at all. I've never had prawns as sashimi before, but it was my favourite of the seafood in front of me.

Fifth Course

Tempura Calamari Salad: squid ink battered calamari, mango salsa, Thai style dressing, spicy miso mayo
I find squid ink a little gimmicky and more often than not, it's purely used for theatrics. The salad itself is light and crunchy and refreshing, a good pause before the heavy mains are served. The squid is okay, and it's not the best I've had (that would have probably been at Wellington's Crab Shack) but it's still appetising. I guess the squid ink makes the batter heavier than usual and I wasn't really a fan.

Sixth Course

Steamed Blue Cod: with prawn, tempura battered stuffed lotus root, Yuzu citrus flavoured shiitake mushroom dashi sauce
The smell was amazing, rich and seafoody. The rice crisps are so good, and the fish is fresh and has a great bite to it. The star of the dish however, is the lotus root with pork stuffing. I cannot get enough of it. The broth is incredibly fragrant and tasty, and reminds me of shark fin soup. I can detect the citrus from the Yuzu, and it balances the flavours perfectly. Yum!

Seventh Course

Slow Cooked Braised Beef Cheek: Japanese taro gnocchi, pumpkin puree, tempura asparagus
A hearty dish, very reminiscent of goulash. The meat pulls away easily and is tender and tasty. The gnocchi is bouncy and perfect for soaking up the rich sauce.

Eighth Course

Green Tea Fondant and An-Nin Three Tier Blancmange
I've been here so many times that I've tried all the desserts already, so between the three of us, we had one blancmange (plum wine jelly, almond blancmange, mango milk pudding) and two green tea fondants (with Kohu Road vanilla ice cream and candied sliced orange). The fondant is the house speciality and it's easy to see why - its so rich and dense and gooey, very much like liu sa bao, the duck egg yolk custard steamed bun you get at yum cha. Absolutely divine. The blancmange is refreshing and fruity, a very pleasant way to end the meal.

Another exquisite and very enjoyable time at Tatsumi. The eight course degustation was $85, with the five course variant only $60. Still one of my favourite Japanese places in the country and have never been disappointed coming here.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:31am on Monday September 26, 2016 :: 0 comments ::

Chikos

Where? Chikos Restaurant and Cafe (Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Saturday September 12, 2015

Who? My family

Food Style? Pacific Rim Cuisine

Chikos is one of my favourite West Auckland eateries. They are relatively new to the scene, opening up in 2013, but have made a big impact to the cuisine on Lincoln Road, attracting foodies from all over the city. The owners, Roberto and Chiko, after whom the restaurant is named, actually used to hire suits from my parents' shop on Albert Street when Roberto worked at Sky City. We have been here several times in the past and have always enjoyed ourselves, and on this day, we are here for Khim's [redacted]th birthday.

The cuisine here is unlike many I have seen across the country. Chikos presents Pacific Rim cuisine - namely Filipino, with Japanese and French influence - with beautiful, fresh New Zealand produce on a plate. The presentation is always top-notch and the food is delicious to match - Chikos chefs have taken out the Chef of the Year award in both 2014 and 2015. The menu is ever-changing to match the seasons, and I can't stress how amazing this is. I love restaurants that take advantage of the awesome produce we have here and it shows how innovative and creative the chefs are.

I've opted for the Chef's Tasting Set Menu, which is a three course dinner.

Entree

Triology of Ora King Salmon: turmeric cured, cane sugar soy teriyaki, pickle walnut tartare, black garlic aioli, kinako cream & chili toast
Fantastic presentation, as usual. This dish is actually a competition entry, and there's no doubt as to why - there's a wonderful set of flavours on the plate, showcasing the many different aspects of salmon. There's plenty of freshness, fruits, herbs, sauces that all work together to celebrate the main protein. All the elements have been skillfully selected and purposefully put on the plate, and you can see the care and finesse and skill evident in front of you. What a lovely way to start the meal.

Mains

Lamb Shank Pochero: creme celeriac, yellow millet, bacon banana, confit brussel sprouts & garlic, apple yoghurt, pinot noir reduction
The meat is falling off the bone, as it should be, and beautifully pink. Plenty of rich flavours that the wine has brought out, the meat is succulent and juicy, and the lamb skin with potato inside is absolutely divine. I really appreciate the simple elements that help balance the dish, like the fruit, brussel sprouts and yoghurt, but wouldn't have minded a bit more of this to mellow out the jus. Another masterfully executed dish.

Dessert

Hazelnut bavaroise, salted caramel bavaroise, Sri Lankan cinnamon brulee
Very classic French desserts with wonderful creamy and chocolate flavours. The salted caramel is my favourite of the three, and the perfect balance of salty and sweet. I'm not sure what is particularly Sri Lankan about the brulee, but to me it tasted very much like an ordinary - but still very good - apple crumble.

All in all, this three course meal and complimentary sparkling wine came to $60, which is a bargain for how amazing everything was. It wouldn't be a stretch to think this was a fine dining establishment, based on the calibre of the food, but the atmosphere is so casual and warm, and the prices are very reasonable, which is very West Auckland. Highly recommended, and always such an enjoyable experience here.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:02am on Monday September 26, 2016 :: 0 comments ::

Alexander's Steak House

Where? Alexander's Steak House (Cupertino, California, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Thursday July 30, 2015

Who? Rob

Food Style? Massive Steaks

We were all the way out in Cupertino for no reason whatsoever, and some of the other visitors had spoken highly of "this amazing steak place with gigantic slabs of meat". That pretty much nails the description of Alexander's Steak House, so Rob and I headed out on a 40 minute walk past the Vallco Shopping Mall to this restaurant.

The restaurant is dimly lit and I almost feel underdressed, except there are loads of tourists and developers (you know developers don't dress formally for anything.) There's a cabinet separating the entranceway and the kitchen, and it's full of different cuts of meat. You can tell this place means serious business.


Though we are on company expenses, we go for the moderately priced option (still US$46). The prices only go up from there - check out the Wagyu beef for US$120 to US$180, or the caviar for a whopping US$300!! Beef weights are in pounds so I have no idea what how big these things are until it arrives in front of me.

Amuse Bouche

Peachy and nutty with good crunch. Interesting!

Irrelevant Tummy Filler

I don't think I ended up touching this. I don't know why we let the waiter talk us into getting a baked potato. Same goes for the complimentary sourdough bread - I love it, and California does it really well, but honestly this stuff is a distraction from the main event.

Mains

Slow Roasted Prime Rib (20oz)
20 ounces is 570 grams. That's over half a bloody kilo of pure unadulterated steak. Holy moly. Served with three different sauces - creamy miso, bacon and trio of horseradish - this is without a doubt the largest steak I have ever consumed in my life. It is bigger than my face. Juicy in the middle, crispy on the outside, perfectly pink but oh my goodness there is far too much. I really struggled towards the end. I could feel my brain shutting off and saying "the stuff you are putting in your mouth is no longer edible". I wouldn't have finished if it weren't for Rob threatening to post the details of a defeat on Facebook, but at last, the final mouthfuls were shoveled down and all glory shone around.

Regret.

We politely passed on the dessert menu but I kid you not, they brought out their famous home-made candy floss, on the house. Apparently this is tradition.


Fortunately, this massive stick of grape-flavoured candy floss doesn't take up too much room in the stomach, but I was still reeling from the overload of meat, so I took a few tufts of floss and bailed.

I spent the next hour in a food coma.

Posted by Jeremy at 11:06pm on Wednesday March 30, 2016 :: 0 comments ::