NOTE: This review is from April 2015, but the menu doesnโt seem to have changed
It was our first time dining at this restaurant. It had been rated one of the top eats in Auckland, and my Uncle recommended it. We were seated along a cushion row, while my parents had seats opposite us. There were three tables between us, so we had plenty of room. We were immediately given our menus, which were like mini Ipads! How cool is that! It was the first time that I had ever used a tablet as a menu in a restaurant! Everything was categorized for entrees, mains, sides, desserts, degustationโs, grilled and drinks. It included a description, a price, and if you clicked on the dish, then a picture would pop up! This allowed you to see what each dish looked like, which made it easier for me to decide!
We were given a complimentary appetizer to start off. It was a Hapuka ceviche in a spoon. It was tangy and refreshing to the taste buds. We were then offered fresh, hot buns (1each). They were crispy on the outside and soft and warm within. It came with a beetroot butter that looked like a sorbet, but it tasted like normal creamy butter. I couldnโt taste the beetroot, but I could definitely see it! Our entrรฉe came out quite fast. We all got the trio, which you share between two. This consisted of a plate with seared scallops (1 each) with ham, a raspberry sweet sauce and a creamy sauce on top. This was my favourite. The steak was juicy and tender, paired with Portobello mushroom. It was topped with a spicy sauce, but luckily my piece had none (as Iโm not a big fan of spicy). We were also given a spoon containing salmon sashimi. It was fresh and delicious, topped with green caviar and served in a salty/sweet Chinese like sauce. The entrรฉe was beautiful and light. I love how you can taste bits of everything.
It was a bit of a wait until our main. I got the grilled tuna eye steak (200g). It didnโt come with anything, so sides were recommended. But I got to choose a sauce. There were so many to choose from. The waitress recommended the horseradish cream or the shitake soy sauce, even though she hadnโt tried them herself, which wasnโt very helpful. She said the horseradish sauce was creamy, so I opted for that one. While we were waiting, I went to the bathroom. On my way I walked over their wine cellar. In the ground was a square of glass, so you could see a man selecting a wine beneath. Pretty cool! The toilets were nice with hand censored taps, nice smelling soap and hand towels. When I got back, finally our mains arrived.
My tuna was a thick piece, served on a plate with the dish of sauce, and a little vegetable mix. Pretty plain. But we got 4 sides, so thatโs ok! These were:
-Hand-cut potatoes: nice crispy and thick, covered in a curry paste
-Shoestring fries: served with aioli, it was yummy!
-Rocket, pear and Parmesan salad: nice and fresh
-Green beans with almonds: good to add some greens!ย
My tuna was nice, as it was my first time having a tuna steak. It was pretty bland though, because the horseradish cream which the waitress said was creamy, wasnโt at all. It was like the pulp of horseradish, so I didnโt eat it. I ate it with the aioli instead, and the sides were nice.ย
I was looking forward to the dessert since we got there! It was a tough decision choosing, but I got the chocolate mousse. It was rich, thick and creamy with a cake base. It was served with chai ice cream (which I wanted more of), freeze-dried raspberries, a chocolate crumble, pistachio sauce, and a bark of meringue with slices of fresh strawberries. The flavours all worked really well together. It was so good I cleaned up my whole plate! I also tried my brotherโs coconut sorbet from his trio of gelatos. It was so refreshing, creamy and delicious. I wanted a whole tub! All of their desserts looked really nice!
Overall we had a nice dining experience. The dรฉcor was fancy, the Ipad menus were special, and the food was amazing! :D
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