Elephant Hill Restaurant (Te Awanga, Hawke's Bay) is outstanding

Jane & I had a magnificent meal out at the restaurant at Elephant Hill​ this evening. If you are after a top class fine dining experience with magnificent food and wine and superb service then this is hard to beat. We have eaten at a number of excellent restaurants this year and this comes out at the top of the list for both of us for fine dining.

After a nice amuse bouche of apple with a rosemary foam and a cumin seed roll thereafter we were ready to get started. For entree I had the "Smoked venison tartare, beetroot meringue, horseradish sorbet, walnut" and Jane had the "Cured kingfish, lime pearls, dill, cucumber granita, crème fraîche, wakame dressing". Both were superb dishes that were magnificently presented, packed with flavour and intrigue and flavours that all complemented each other well.

For our mains, I had the "Smoked lamb loin, gremolata, goats curd, eggplant, artichoke heart, puffed black rice" and Jane had the "Glazed duck, soft shell crab, pomegranate, cucumber, coriander, vanilla lime dressing". Both were yet again superb, but my taste of Jane's dish was absolutely divine. We accompanied the mains with a nice "green leaf, walnut, pear, white balsamic" salad. I had the 2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah and this was superb.

By dessert I couldn't fit much in so decided to have the "Petit Fours" which were four different chocolates and delightful. Jane had the "Dark chocolate crema catalana, milk chocolate mousse, jaffa curd, crème fraîche sorbet" and the crema catalana and jaffa curd were particularly good.

The service was outstanding as is the setting (looking out past the reflection pond to the vines and with the sea in the distance). We will very happily return.

Barilla Dumplings, Dominion Road, Auckland

Today I had the best dumplings I have ever had. We decided to try out Barilla Dumplings on Dominion Road, and were lucky to get a table. This is one busy place, with people eating in and lots getting takeaways too.

We had two dishes and this was more than enough for two people. In fact a couple of times I stopped and said I'd had enough, but because the food was so good I ended up having some more.

We ordered the Lamb and Cabbage dumplings (20 for $12), and had these steamed (we had the option of boiled, steamed ($1 more) or fried). The casing was beautifully soft and there was no doubt these dumplings had been very freshly made. The dumplings were very flavourful, particularly when accompanied with the chilli and soy sauce that was on the table. Jane also enjoyed having them with a bit of vinegar in addition to the chilli and soy sauce too.

Based on a few recommendations on Foursquare, we ordered the Fried French Beans with Spicy Salt ($14). The beans were beautifully cooked, still had a bit of a crunch, and the salt, cumin and chilli added a nice flavour. 

In terms of service, the food arrived quickly but the staff weren't exactly friendly. They were efficient at taking orders and bringing out food but that was about it.

The decor is very basic, in fact the tables even had a plastic cloth on them.

I'm looking forward to going back and sampling some of the other dishes on the menu.

Samoa! Arriving, Giordano’s & Paddles

The bus ride from the airport in Samoa to our hotel in Apia was a lovely drive along the northern coastline passing through numerous villages. The trip took about an hour and it was a nice introduction to Samoa, seeing families chatting or sleeping in their Fales, numerous buses overly packed with people (I must get a photo), tropical fruit growing everywhere, beautiful blue coloured water, many homes with gravestones outside, shelter stops along the road and many little convenience stores at regular intervals.
Everybody else on the bus got off at Aggie Grey’s except for our group that continued on to Insel Fehmarn Hotel a few minutes drive inland from the town centre.
After getting ourselves sorted at the hotel we headed across the road to Giordano’s Pizzeria and had a late lunch in their lovely courtyard. This was our first experience (on this trip) of island time whereby once we had placed our orders, it took about an hour for our food to emerge rom the kitchen. It’s okay though, we had Vailima (their local beer) to sample and we indeed made sure we sampled it well; it is a nice very light (and simple) lager that is very easy to drink.
I had a lovely tropical salad for my meal. This contained toasted coconut, papaya, mango, apple and numerous other fruits. I would very happily order this again.
Jane had the seafood salad that she really enjoyed and we shared some garlic pesto pizza bread that was flavoursome. This was packed with prawns. Chris had a pepperoni pizza which I believe he enjoyed and Wendy had a nice salad.
After eating we headed along to a local supermarket and picked up some supplies. Many of the same items and brands we can buy in NZ are available in this store that was more akin to a Foursquare but also sold alcohol, including spirits, and Coke in glass bottles.
We returned to our hotel and attempted to chill water in our fridge. It’s fair to say our fridge isn’t the best and cold is something it may have done in a previous lifetime. We also had a cat make itself at home with us.
A Tala$5 (which is about NZ$3) ride into town (and slightly beyond) took us to Paddles restaurant that has a nice outlook over the water, although the girls just seemed to like checking out the muscles on the various waiters.
We all started with cocktails, and I particularly enjoyed the Midori Vice I had that had Midori and coconut cream (milk?). Jane really enjoyed her Papaya Flyer too which was packed with flavour.
A few of us started with the Samoan Oka (marinated tuna) which was really good but a huge course for an entree. It was also accompanied by breadfruit chips that were really good.
I had Yellowfin Tuna done in a cajun style for my main that was accompanied with  a nice lettuce and watercress salad, and whilst the meal was okay there wasn’t any wow factor.
Jane and Chris each had Chilli Prawns and Chicken for their mains, which was on glass noodles (although I recall they had some other name for them). They both really enjoyed the nice fresh flavours of it.
I can’t recall what Wendy had but it looks good.
The service was good, food good, arrived in a timely manner, cocktails were great and the waiters good eye candy for the ladies. We would happily return.

Chihuahua, Takapuna, Auckland

Chihuahua is a reasonable mexican restaurant located in Takapuna. Jane had come across it in Channel magazine (a local magazine for Takapuna) and we decided to give it a go.

We started with the rattlesnake salsa that was absolutely superb. It is thoroughly recommended.

I had a burrito for my main and was a bit disappointed. It was smaller than I expected and I found it to be lacking in flavour. I did spice it up with the chilli sauces that were available on the table but I was still underwhelmed.

Jane enjoyed the half short ribs she had which was accompanied by corn encrusted in parmesan and chilli that she also really enjoyed.

We also had some buffalo wings, that were nicely cooked but I thought lacked anything special. I would however order them again.

For dessert Jane had the soft centred chocolate pudding with chilli that was perfectly cooked and the chilli had a decent kick to it. A magnificent dish that I obviously needed to help her with.

The service was good and the food arrived in a timely manner. We would return, but I will order differently.

Pakwan Indian Restaurant, Devonport, Auckland

We had a superb curry out with friends last week at Pakwan Indian Restaurant in Lake Road in Devonport (well actually it's more Bayswater). This is a very small restaurant in which the vast majority of people were Indian and they were more-so set up for takeaways. It is not a flash restaurant by any means (in fact it's quite the opposite) but the curries were very flavoursome and enough for two people. I did however find that my hot curry wasn't hot at all and was in fact closer to mild; maybe specifying Indian hot may have been a better idea.

The service was very genuine. It's definitely not trying to be anything special and the dishes are delivered when they're ready and if that means the rice comes out 5 minutes after the other dishes come out then so be it.

It is worth noting that they are BYO and do not sell liquor.

Fuego, Hamilton

We had dinner out with friends in Hamilton at Fuego in Rototuna on Saturday. This is a casual restaurant that also catered well to the 3.8 year old that was part of our group. I'm not used to getting colouring in stuff when I go out to dinner.

We started with the garlic bread and a selection of dips. The dips were a hummus, a butter and an olive oil with balsamic vinegar. These were okay although the olive oil was a little bitter.

I had the lamb rump for my main. This was char-grilled and beautifully rare. It was accompanied on top of a nice mash with Ratatouille and a nice red wine jus. It was a nice dish.

Jane had the pork belly that she really enjoyed. It was a good hearty meal.

One of the other members of our group had the fish of the day which was a Salmon dish that she enjoyed.

The chicken nuggets with chips were apparently "really yummy".

For dessert I shared a flavoursome crumble with Jane

and the others shared a chocolate brownie that looked nice (and a decent portion too).

The wait staff were friendly and efficient and the meals all arrived in a timely manner.

Spicy Joint, Dominion Road

After attempting to go to Clip ‘n Climb without a booking we decided to go and eat instead. With a name of “Spicy Joint” and an A-rating (yes we checked) it sounded like it would be a good adventure.

We were the only non-asians in the restaurant, and the waitress needed to get the people on the table next to us to translate what we wanted; that is a sign of an authentic restaurant. The style of food here apparently comes from central China, according to the table next to us.

I went with a ridiculous chilli and chicken dish that was reminiscent of a dish I ordered years ago at another restaurant. The chicken was deep fried, which I assume is authentic, and the chilli’s altered between mild and crazy. At one point I had to wait before I could eat again.

We also had some dumplings that were lovely and covered with chilli oil and garlic.

There were other good dishes too.

I was also amused by the bill, and the only English on it being “GST”.

A great afternoon adventure that came to $58 for 4 people.

Mikano, Mechanics Bay, Auckland

We had a good (but lacklustre) meal out tonight at Mikano in Mechanics Bay with service that didn’t feel natural and lacked finesse.

I last went to Mikano several years ago and it was Jane’s first time. The setting overlooking the harbour through the floor to ceiling glass windows is lovely but the restaurant itself almost feels like you’re in a barn with poor lighting (at least it was in the corner we were seated). It was disappointing to see that the glassware was of a rugged variety as opposed to good quality glasses.

For my entree I had the clams. These were done in a chardonnay sauce with herbs. There were different types of clams and I enjoyed the dish.

Jane had a smoked fish platter for her entree and thoroughly enjoyed it. The fish had a beautifully light smoked flavour and was very moist.

I had Yellowfin tuna for my main pan-fried with fennel puree, orange, pink grapefruit, capers, croutons & burnt orange vinaigrette. This was cooked nicely in a rare/blue style and I particularly enjoyed the puree. I did however find the tuna was a bit too salty and not helped by the capers. I did still enjoy the dish.

Jane had the grilled milk-fed veal scotch with lemon & basil, zucchini, pinenuts, raisins
& ricotta gnocchi for her main, which was nice but lacked any wow factor.

I finished with a lovely Blue Cheese (Bleu d’Auvergne) and crackers and Jane had the Chocolate & mandarin ‘Delice’ (hazelnut crust, chocolate mousse and mandarin jelly) which she enjoyed.

Our meals arrived in a timely manner and were well presented, but even though we were asked a few times whether we would like another drink our empty wine glasses were not taken away. Similarly, our water was topped up while we had our entree but the glasses remained empty thereafter.

Daikoku, Takapuna

We dined out at the Daikoku Teppan-yaki restaurant in Takapuna this evening. This was our first time to this particular restaurant but we are familiar with Teppan-yaki.

The restaurant was about a third full and had a nice vibe,

I had the Scotch Fillet set and Jane had the Aged Scotch Fillet set. Our chef prepared the meals in front of us, made a volcano out of onion rings, oil and some flame and did several other tricks to entertain.

We had a variety of entree dishes that arrived prior to the main that were all beautifully fresh and flavoursome, particularly when using the accompanying sauces.

Jane’s aged scotch fillet was slightly more tender than my steak, however I don’t think it really warranted the extra $10 (or thereabouts). The steak really needed the sauces to be anything more than a steak cooked on the grill.

An enjoyable evening out.

Deep Creek Brewing Company, Browns Bay

I had heard that there was a microbrewery in Browns Bay so having tracked down the Deep Creek Brewing Company had to give it a go. The bar had a nice vibe when we entered, and half the bar is setup for casual drinks and the other half for eating. There is also a lovely outdoor area with great views out to the sea.

I started with their 309 New Zealand Pale Ale, which I found to be a nice slightly bitter drop with a touch of orange. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

For my meal I had the ribs and these were the best ribs I have had in a long time. They were a good sized portion and beautifully tender to the extent they were falling off the bone, and covered in a nice Jack Daniels-based BBQ sauce. The meal was accompanied with beautifully cooked kumara chips and a salad. I would very happily order this dish again.

Jane had a perfectly cooked Angus steak with a biltong and aged cheddar crust, although it did taste like it needed more salt prior to cooking to better extract the flavour of the meat. Jane chose the slap chips as an accompaniment that were not as strong in vinegar as the waitress suggested, but were still nice.

Our waitress was good and the food arrived in a timely manner.

We will happily return.

GPK, Takapuna

We felt like pizza for lunch so decided to give GPK in Takapuna a go. It is one of those places we have been past many times but never gone in.

There were only two other tables occupied when we arrived and about the same when we left. We started with a coffee and mocha. My trim latte was good and I assume Jane enjoyed her mocha.

I had the Muscovy pizza which consisted of wood fired duck, red onion, roast kumara, Kikorangi blue, rosemary oil & rocket & pear salad. The thin base of the pizza was lovely and nice fresh ingredients were used for the toppings. I did however expect the blue cheese to be quite strong but it was almost non-existent, and the duck was lovely although I thought it was a bit sparse.

Jane had the Mediterranean pizza which was supposed to have seared octopus & calamari, roasted eggplant, anchovies, olives, wood-fired shallots, garlic & tomato, lemon & parsley oil; the anchovies were however nowhere to be seen. Jane found it to be okay, but found the octopus and calamari to be a little tough at times and was really looking forward to the anchovies.

We kept an eye out for a waiter to ask about the anchovies and get our water refilled but this did not prove to be successful. Even 15 minutes after we had both completed our meals nobody came by.

When we went to the counter to pay we mentioned the lack of anchovies, for which we did receive an apology for and they deducted our coffees (which was a nice touch). We also suggested that they should pay more attention to filling up water which he took on board.

The Engine Room, Northcote Point

Last night we went to The Engine Room at Northcote Point for the first time in about a year and had yet another pleasurable experience. Over the years we have been many times, and they are consistently good in terms of quality and service and last night was no different. Admittedly the service was slower once the restaurant got busier but it was consistently friendly, professional and not stuffy.

The menu is still small, but everything is done to perfection.

I started with the goats cheese souflee. This was lovely and light with chives for added flavour. Jane started with the mushroom soup with barley and thoroughly enjoyed it.

For my main I had the chicken which was done in a middle eastern style with lentils. It was a well executed dish. Jane had the pork belly and enjoyed it.

Jane enjoyed a pavlova for dessert and I had the black doris plum and almond tart that was a nice balance of tart and smooth flavours.

An enjoyable evening out and we will definitely be back.

District Dining, Britomart, Auckland

As a group of 5 we walked in off the street with no booking to District Dining on Thursday. The restaurant was busy, but they were able to sit us in the bar area where they where happy to serve us. This was the first time any of us had been to District Dining so it was a new experience for us all.

After our eyes adjusted to the low light we looked over the interesting range of tapas-style dishes and, after finding out the portion size from the waitress and the specials, proceeded to order 2-3 dishes each. The verdict (or more-so my verdict) on the dishes:

• Prawn toast, soy mayonnaise - these were very good and one of my favourite choices
• Smoked fish croquette, dill mayonnaise - I didn't expect much with croquette's but these were very good.
• Crispy pigs ears, Szechuan salt - these were done like fries and enjoyed by many.
• Spiced lamb briq roll, Tzatsiki - quite enjoyable.
• Chicken wings, chilli caramel - ok, but the caramel just didn't seem like a good match.
• Crispy squid, cauliflower puree, chorizo, Pedro Ximenez - the squid itself was ok, the Pedro Ximenez (a spanish white grape) was a new experience that I don't think any of us liked, the puree was nice, the chorizo flavoursome and good.
• Veal tongue, pickled turnips, salsa verde - this was a lovely dish. I'm not usually a fan of tongue, but done is this style you wouldn't know it was tongue.
• Chicken liver parfait, Port jelly, Toast, red grape - beautifully smooth and full of flavour. There was however not another toast and we had to order more.
• Steak tartare, Aioli, French Fries, Sourdough - this was my of my favourite dishes of the evening and even those of our group that had never had steak tartare enjoyed it.
• Herbed gnocchi, broccoli, pecorino, pangratto - very nice.
• Duck confit, Kumara, Pomegranate, Ra el hanout - a little dry in parts but otherwise I actually enjoyed this.
• 12 hour lamb shoulder, egg plant, olive, tomato - beautifully tender but lacked any wow factor.

The service was slow. The first items arrived reasonably quickly but then there was a long wait of about 20 mins before the next lot and then a similar wait time until more turned up. The wait staff were however friendly but professional.

The restaurant had a nice vibe and was nicely decorated (albeit dark), although it was too hot.

In retrospect we probably didn't need quite as many dishes, but we did manage to get through them all anyway. From a cost perspective, the food bill was just under $50 a head. There was also a good selection of wine and beer to choose from.

Cobar Restaurant, Days Bay (Wellington)

Last night we had a lovely meal out at Cobar Restaurant in Days Bay. This is not an area I am used to going to for a meal in Wellington and chose Cobar based on it having high reviews on dineout and the Cobar website containing information about the source of their ingredients, which is often a good sign that a restaurant takes pride in their food and respect for the ingredients.

We were a party of six and made extremely welcome from the moment we arrived until we left. The service was friendly and professional in this nicely decorated restaurant that has a magnificent outlook across the harbour.

Cobar has an extensive selection of quality beers and wines, and I started with a Tuatara IPA before moving onto a Cotes de Rhone (that was enjoyed by all).

To start we had some marinated olives and spiced almonds, and also the sourdough bread with homemade dips and olive oil with balsamic vinegar. These were all good.

I had the Kingfish entree which was accompanied by an artichoke and potato salad, micro-greens and salmon caviar. This was pretty good although I felt the kingfish could have done with a smidgen more seasoning.

Jane opted for two small plates instead of an entree; the kingfish and salt and pepper squid. She enjoyed both of these although wasn’t too sure about the squid batter and thought it may have had a bit too much cornflour. The squid was however beautifully tender and I enjoyed the small portion I tried.

Another dish enjoyed by our party was the Prawn cocktail with sesame prawn toast and prawn mousse.

For my main I had a beautifully tender lamb rump that was accompanied by a lovely sauce, asparagus and what I think was a butternut puree. This was a lovely dish although the puree was a little on the sweet side. Having said that I would happily have this dish again.

Jane had salmon for her main that was accompanied by some lovely beetroot fritters. The salmon whilst flavoursome may have benefited from being a little more rare.

Others thoroughly enjoyed the beef fillet and said they would happily have this again.

We finished with a birthday cake we had brought along and some coffees. The coffees were good, and so was the cake for that matter.

We will all happily return.

The Cornerstone Bar, Blenheim

We found The Cornerstone to be a busy bar in Blenheim that was quite noisy due a Hens party whilst we were there, but it contributed to a nice relaxed vibe. We started with a plate of mussels (in a white wine sauce) and chips; the mussels were overdone and the chips were limp and soggy.

For my main I had the fish of the day, which was blue cod and was accompanied with prawns, mussels, salad and rice. The blue cod and prawns were nicely cooked and flavoursome. The mussels were also thankfully significantly better than the entree and very enjoyable. The rice felt a bit lost on the plate and the salad was basic but perfectly fine.

Jane had the Coq au Vin and found the chicken to be beautifully tender and falling off the bone. It was a basic dish that whilst okay, she wouldn’t order again.