Orphans Kitchen

Where? Orphans Kitchen (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand) Map

When? Saturday September 20, 2014

Who? Mel

Food Style? Contemporary

I always enjoy my foodie excursions with Mel, she shares the same excited tone of voice when talking about food as I do, and for some weird reason, she enjoys how my face goes from a pensive "I'm thinking really hard about the complex flavours in this dish" to an ecstatic "oh my goodness this is amazing". Mel recommended this place to me, and I had heard good things about it, so we gave it a go. We were greeted by a man with a very fine moustache, which made it feel just like the Wellingtonian hipster scene - I later learned that this was Josh Helm, one of Orphans co-owners. We sat down and chose the Chef's Menu - a six course sampling menu.

First Course

Trumpeter Fish, Pear, Witloof and Pomegranate
It's a little difficult to see, but the fish is sitting just near the pear on the right. What stood out to me in this dish is how beautifully sweet the pomegranate seeds were, a fantastic complement to the fish. The witloof and pear were delightfully crispy, and the fish had a really nice bite to it.

Second Course

Piper, Radish, Shallots, Watercress and Olive Oil
The piper reminded me of sardines - similar texture, the meat kinda breaks away quite easily and it had heaps of small bones strewn throughout the fish. Not particularly a fan, but I think the simplicity of the dish won me over. The ingredients were fresh - the radish being especially crispy and sweet.

Interlude

House-baked Ciabatta with Burnt Butter and Ash Salt
The only other restaurant where I have taken pictures of the bread is Logan Brown in Wellington. Not only was I blown away at how soft and heart-warming the bread was, I was amazed at the concept of "burnt butter". It had a wonderful caramelised flavour to it, with some great smokey essences that were brilliantly highlighted by the ash salt. It was seriously the best bread and butter combo I've ever had.

Third Course

Braised Venison, Beef Brisk, Rainbow Chard, Feijoa Chutney and Mash
The venison is wrapped inside the chard and I didn't have the heart to take a second picture of the dish with the leaves opened. The meat is incredibly tender and the feijoa chutney was an interesting addition to the plate - it was perhaps a bit too sweet for me or felt misplaced. The beef brisk was much like jerky, but the thin strips there made it feel more crispy than chewy.

Fourth Course

Beef Skirt, Kale, Red Cabbage, Black Garlic
This was absolutely delicious. The black garlic dollops on the side were incredibly tasty and I could not get enough of that stuff onto the beef, which like the venison, was incredibly tender and beautifully cooked. The kale was crispy and light, and I loved the crunchy texture that it brought to the dish.

Fifth Course

Yam with Kawakawa Mayonnaise
Just some good, wholesome deep-fried carbs with a rich sauce.

Dessert

Kawakawa Marshmallow, Kiwi Fruit Sorbet and Malt Crumb
I loved the presentation of the dessert. The kiwifruit flesh is replaced by the icy sorbet and is coated by the fluffy marshmallow. Mine was a bit too frozen, and it was a little difficult to dig out - Mel's seemed fine though. The malt crumb took the edge off the tartness of the kiwifruit and gave the dessert more body.

Fantastic meal overall. Each dish they brought out was accompanied by a short spiel about the dish's ingredients, and I appreciated the way the waiting staff presented their little excerpt. I mentioned to one of them that I was from Wellington and talked a bit about Wellington on a Plate, and I said the culture at Orphans reminded me of the philosophy that many Wellington restaurants have. It's about the food and the local produce, and what's in season and what's fresh. The flavours are so varied and eclectic yet they've been brought together in ways I wouldn't have imagined would gel, and I really enjoy being challenged like that.

Posted by Jeremy at 8:09am on Sunday October 12, 2014 :: 0 comments ::

The Philosophy of Food

Welcome to my Food Blog.

My friends on Facebook often comment on the ludicrous amount of food pictures I post on there, encouraging me to formalise all the descriptions I've been writing. People know how passionate I am about food, and they seem to like reading about my eating adventures and living vicariously through me (goodness knows why!) This was evident during the recent Wellington on a Plate festival, where the city celebrates the region's finest produce - meats from the Wairarapa, local seafood, Kapiti cheese and dairy, craft beer and wine as well. It's a two week extravaganza of culinary delights, where restaurants offer a limited-time menu or dish in celebration of local ingredients and businesses. In my second year of major participation, I took photos of everything I ate and meticulously rated and gave detailed descriptions of the food.

So then, here's the blog. A simple extension of the writings on Facebook.

What's the big fuss about food anyway? What makes it so special and why do I care so much about it?

One must understand my culture in order to begin to understand me. Asian culture, especially Malaysian culture, places a high emphasis on food. It is more than just sustenance to us - it is a social activity, a means of bringing people together and forming personal relations in both business and leisure contexts. Malaysians are mad on their food - they will eat breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, supper and continue eating into the early hours of the morning at a mamak store, because that is simply what you can do in Malaysia. It doesn't help that our food is just really delicious - a multi-ethnic conglomeration of Thai, Pacific, Indian, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese and British influences that produces a truly unique cuisine that boasts complexity and diversity. When you go on holiday, you often have a list of things to see or a list of items to buy - when you go on holiday in Malaysia, you have a list of things to eat.

It's no wonder then, that my obsession with food is shared by aunties and uncles and cousins on both sides of the family. My parents, especially my mother, have been heavy influences in my life in this regard. Nothing beats food from home. My favourite Malaysian restaurant in Wellington, Little Penang, has a newspaper article on its window telling the story of one of their customers who broke down in tears upon tasting the food there. When the reviewer asked her what was wrong, she replied "This is just like how my mother used to make it!". And I love that story, because it resonates so well with me (even now I'm tearing up a little bit on the inside.)

I love that food can be seen, smelt, felt as well as tasted. I love when food shows glimpses into a chef's personality and character, and that you can see their passion as they present their plate in the most amazing artistic arrangements ever. I love when others show a passion for food too, because you can see their eyes light up in appreciation of what they're eating.

They say some people eat to live; I live to eat.

Posted by Jeremy at 11:16am on Tuesday October 7, 2014 :: 1 comment ::