Gusty Gourmet

Gusty Gourmet in 2011 and beyond

2011-12-20T23:50:00.000+13:00

It's true that I haven't posted here for a while.

It's not that I haven't been eating or blogging (oh, I have), but I have cut back quite a bit on eating out this year. I guess the main reason for this is I've been wanting to spend a bit less money so that I can travel a bit more (my New Year's resolution for 2011, which I'll be reusing for 2012, was to leave Wellington at least once a month, even if it was just going somewhere an hour away). And in 2011 I did travel, to new places (Pakiri, Taranaki, Mexico, Melbourne) and old (Auckland, Singapore, Christchurch, Sydney, Chicago, Tokyo, Taupo, Gisborne). Now that I list it all I'm a bit astonished that I actually did all that. Also feeling incredibly fortunate that I was able to. But anyway.

Most of my travels, rather unsurprisingly, had a heavy food focus, from markets to street food to cafes, restaurants and bars. But it's something I haven't really written about, mostly because food and travel writing doesn't fit neatly into my other blog, and I wasn't really sure whether Singaporean hawker centres and Mexican street food belong in a blog about the Wellington food scene.

But you know what (besides "this is my blog, I can do what I want")? I like to think that eating new things when you travel informs how you eat at home. And maybe part of the reason why the culture of food is so strong in far-from-everywhere places like Wellington is because there are people who have shared what they've experienced somewhere on the other side of the world, whether it's a place from which they've come or just a place they've spent time in. And maybe that idea-sharing leads to innovation, and new and exciting and delicious things.

Maybe. It's one possible way of looking at it. Or maybe it's my long-winded way of saying: in the future, you might see some posts about food in places I've visited.

But what else has 2011 meant for me, and for Gusty Gourmet?

Finally, a blog post about the Larder, quite possibly my favourite cafe in Wellington
I discovered the best strawberry milkshake ever, and drank it often
Wellington on a Plate set menus and a chocolate festival
Lunch with a celebrity chef
I reviewed some cafes for the Dominion Post
A food bloggers' conference (mentioned here)
Meeting lots more cool people in the world of food

And, a couple of events I haven't shared with you yet:

FAST, FRESH & TASTY APP LAUNCH PARTY

Yes, I know. This app came out in October, and many of you may already have it. But in case you don't, here's a quick recap: Fast, Fresh & Tasty is a recipe app for the iPhone and iPad. It's different from the other recipe apps out there in that it's (hooray!) made for New Zealanders, featuring local ingredients (I love that it features New Zealand fish, for example) and with seasonal updates for Southern Hemisphere seasons.

Plus it's relevant to this blog in that it was developed by the Wellington-based interactive media company Click Suite. And it's always cool to see Wellingtonians doing cool things, especially food-related.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Fast, Fresh & Tasty held at Bettys back in October and finally meet the lovely folks behind the app after months of Twitter conversations. The best part was getting to sample some of the things you can make using the app. (I apologise for the photos taken from my phone - but it was an iPhone app-launch, after all!)

The venison meatballs with tzatziki sauce were flavoursome and made for great finger food. The recipe looks simple, too - one I'd like to try at home.

The somewhat blurry photo above is of salt and pepper squid with garlic aioli and caramelised limes. This was so good, and one I'll definitely be making this summer: the squid was delightfully tender and well-seasoned and I couldn't help but go back for more and more.

BEES BLESSING LAUNCH PARTY

The other exciting event I was lucky enough to attend recently was back in November - the Bees Blessing launch party at the Empire in Petone. Bees Blessing have actually been around for a few years now, and are a mainstay at the Harbourside Market on Sundays (along with other local markets on other days, it seems). But this event was a celebration of their new (gorgeously adorable) branding for their range of natural, honey-sweetened cordials.

I'd tried a few Bees Blessing cordials before but always as cordial, just mixed with sparkling water. The coolest thing about the launch was seeing all the different possibilities of using these cordials, from cocktails to ice cream to marinades to salad dressings and more.

In one corner there was a cooking demonstration by Adam, a wwoofer at Ian and Jo (the forces behind Bees Blessing)'s farm who just happens to be a chef (and now has his own blog!). Naturally I hardly left this corner, and got to sample Adam's creations.

This was a favourite: an apple, fennel and radish salad (I love radishes!) dressed with a vinaigrette made from Bees Blessing Cider Vinegar & Honey cordial (easily my favourite cordial anyway - so versatile), served with halloumi. Very crisp and refreshing.

And I couldn't get enough of this ice cream, made with Bees Blessing Lemon, Honey & Ginger cordial. It was so smooth and delicious - I'd love to try making some at home.

Wellingtonians doing cool, food-related things! I love it.

*if you are reading this before Christmas there are still a few opportunities for you to get your hands on some Bees Blessing cordials: they'll be at the Kapiti evening market from 3-8pm on Wednesday, 21 December, at the Hutt Night Market on Thursday, 22 December from 4:30-9pm, and at the Paraparaumu Beach Market on Saturday, 24 December. (These details from Bees Blessing's facebook page). Plus I believe you can get these cordials at Moore Wilson's. Leave a comment if you've seen their products anywhere else!

Kayu Manis: Lunch with Chef Wan

2011-08-25T14:02:00.002+12:00

If you haven't heard of Chef Wan, look him up now. He's a Malaysian celebrity chef who has a number of cookbooks and cooking shows and has travelled around the world showing off the best of Malaysian cuisine. In 2009 he won "Best Celebrity Television Chef" from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and was appointed as a Culinary Ambassador by Tourism Malaysia in 2010. In 2011 (er, last week) he came to Wellington to cook at the Wellington Fisher & Paykel Masterclass along with local favourites Martin Bosley, Al Brown, Desmond Harris and Alexa Johnston. So: a pretty big deal.

On Saturday, less than 24 hours after a very full day of eating and a breakfast of miso soup with spinach leaves (appropriate considering the food eaten all weekend) I rolled myself down the hill to Kayu Manis on Cuba St where I met up with a munch of food bloggers (yep, I'm just going to slip that one in there), some of the lovely people behind the Malaysia Kitchen NZ initiative, and (!!!!!) the super-enthusiastic and personable Datuk Chef Wan. I was so lucky to be able to get up close and personal with Chef Wan (not to mention spend time in the company of some very lovely ladies), and after seeing him mobbed by fans at the Malaysia Kitchen Night Market the following night I truly understood just what a special lunch we had.

I'm glad I went on an empty stomach. Chef Rajah of Kayu Manis certainly put on a feast for us, with Chef Wan explaining each dish as it arrived.

Chicken & beef satay skewers were first up, served with peanut sauce, cucumber and bite-sized pieces of compressed rice. These were fantastic, well-marinated and full of flavour. Chef Wan explained a good satay sauce will coat the meat when you dip into it, rather than run off, and gave his seal of approval for this sauce: not too runny, not too thick, a lovely spicy peanutty flavour.

Next up were the fattest spring rolls I've seen. Okay, so you may be thinking spring rolls aren't that exciting. But these were delicious: the wrapper fried to a perfect crisp, the filling a lovely combination of flavours and textures.

The mussels in coconut curry that arrived next were incredible. When they arrived, Chef Wan started out by saying how he preferred the smaller French mussels over New Zealand green-lipped ones, which he said were tougher in texture. And then he tried one, and changed his mind: "these are fresh", he said, which were far different to the pre-packed ones he said he'd had in the past.

Chef Wan explained this type of curry is more often prepared with freshwater fish in Malaysia, and is made with turmeric (which explains the vibrant, yellow-green colour) and coconut milk. The sauce was creamy, coconutty, with a hint of spice, and we didn't let it go to waste.

Not long after we polished off the mussels we were served cucur udang, Malaysian prawn fritters. They were incredible: simultaneously light and substantial, crisp and fluffy, the batter well-seasoned and the prawns juicy and tender. According to Chef Wan, these fritters are made using all sorts of ingredients, including sweet versions (made with banana or coconut - I must try this!!) and are a popular snack or breakfast food for kids to eat before school. The sweet chilli sauce they arrived with was good, but we followed Chef Wan's lead and dipped them in the leftover coconut curry sauce from the mussels - wouldn't want it to go to waste!

We all got up to watch Chef Rajah from Kayu Manis make the roti: of the swarm of Malaysian restaurants all over Wellington, Kayu Manis is one of a handful of places that makes their roti fresh. Having spent time in Singapore and Malaysia, where fresh roti is everywhere, I certainly appreciate this - and even if you haven't been to either place, you can definitely taste the difference.

We all got up to take photos, and Chef Wan got right amongst the action. I think we were all impressed by Chef Rajah's expert roti-flipping skills.

And the finished product: fresh, hot, fluffy, chewy roti: nothing at all like the rubbery pre-made ones you mostly get around these parts.

Along with the roti and plenty of rice, we were served several main dishes. The first was fish sambal: pieces of fried fish coated in an invigorating tangy-hot sambal sauce. Chef Wan explained how sambal plays an important role in the Malaysian diet, typically eaten at least 2 to 3 times a week with all sorts of things like fish, chicken liver, eggs... As far as condiments go it's pretty versatile and one of my favourite kinds of chilli sauce.

The beef rendang was, I thought, spectacular: tender beef in a rich, dark coconutty sauce full of spices. As far as rendang goes, this was one of the drier ones I've had - many Malaysian restaurants in Wellington make it with much more sauce. Chef Wan said both wet and dry are authentic; the dry version is made to be easily transportable and keeps longer.

One of the biggest crowd-pleasers was the lamb kuzi. Don't let its pale, bland-looking appearance fool you - it was packed with flavour. This dish originates from the southern part of the Malaysian state of Johor, where Arab traders left a culinary legacy in the form of the raisins and spices in this dish. There was quite a strong cardamom flavour, balanced out by the sweetness of the raisins and other spices and the meatiness of the lamb. According to Chef Wan, this dish is often also made with duck and gets a lot of its flavour not only from the spices but also caramelised shallot. Beautiful.

photo supplied by PEAD PR who are the lovely folks behind Malaysia Kitchen NZ

Aside from the wealth of information Chef Wan shared about Malaysian food, we also talked about everything from Facebook (Chef Wan's "fan club" is here, with frequent, candid updates) to cheesecake (Chef Wan spent several years in the States and apparently has even published a cheesecake cookbook). He was chatty and friendly and a walking encyclopaedia of Malaysian cuisine. I think Laura summed it up perfectly when she said it was "SO FUN and SO DELICIOUS" - five days later, I'm still on a cloud.

Kayu Manis

201 Cuba St

Te Aro

Wellington

(04) 382 8627

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Milliemirepoix dined at Kayu Manis as a guest of the Malaysia Kitchen programme.

PS. You can read Rosa's version of events here, and look at Laura's photos here!

Wellington on a Plate 2011: DINE Wellington roundup

2011-08-22T22:30:00.001+12:00

As I said last time, I haven't gotten as much Wellington on a Plate action this year. I had such high hopes, plotting out which set lunches and dinners I wanted to try on the little calendar I keep at my desk. And then, bam! It was suddenly the last week of Wellington on a Plate and I hadn't made any lunch or dinner reservations as planned, and time was running out.

Luckily I had a couple of lunch dates last week as well as a food bloggers' dinner at Fratelli on Friday night (I have to apologise for the grainy photos, some of which were taken on my phone... I was more focused on eating this time around!):

Burger Wellington: Smith the Grocer

A friend and I ended up at Smith the Grocer after our first Burger Wellington choice for a quick & informal Lambton-area lunch, Astoria, was sold out of their burger* (it wasn't even 1pm!). Some hasty phone research and quick eliminations ("do you think we would've needed a booking?", "hmm, their burger sounds pretty standard") led us to Old Bank Arcade where there was plenty of room for us to sit and burgers were coming out of the kitchen left and right.

Smith the Grocer's offering for Burger Wellington was a Moroccan lamb burger ($17.90): a spiced Wairarapa lamb patty with the usual lettuce, tomato & cheese, in a Pandoro bun. Though there were a few things that could've been better (I wished the cheese was on top of the patty rather than underneath, the patty could've been juicier, the bread was a little on the dry side), it satisfied my burger craving and eased the initial panic that set in after we couldn't get a burger at Astoria ("where else around here does burgers?" "...BK?"). The tzatziki that came on the side good and we both ended up smearing some inside the burger. And although the fries weren't crinkle cut (as per the menu) they were nice and crispy and I was perfectly happy finishing them off (er, almost!).

*my friend went back the next day and said Astoria's burger was worth going back again for. Sadly, I missed out on it this time. But you can read about it on Delaney's burger blog here.

Smith the Grocer
Old Bank Arcade
233-237 Lambton Quay
Wellington CBD
0800 764 843

Open Mon-Fri 7:30am-5pm; Sat 10am-4pm; Sun 10am-3pm

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Burger Wellington: Bisque on Bolton

A couple days later I was back on the burgers, this time at Bisque on Bolton in the Bolton Hotel, conveniently located across the street from my work (no rushing back down Lambton Quay on a full stomach that day!). Aside from the location, I was really excited to try Bisque's burger: the promise of paua fritter and crayfish mayonnaise was great.

"Pāuā for the People" ($22), a paua fritter with crayfish mayonnaise and salad greens, was good but there were a few things that detracted from its potential awesomeness. The fritter was tasty but was almost drowned out by the bap it arrived in (a bit dry) and the robust salad greens and tomato (a bit slippery). The crayfish mayonnaise was delicious, but most of it seemed to have soaked into the bread. I probably would've been happier deconstructing this one and eating the paua fritter with some of that crayfish mayo slathered on top. In fact, I'd happily pop back over the road if that was ever on offer at lunchtime.

The other thing I'd totally go back for were the kumara fries that came with the burger. Not your all-too-common soggy, greasy kumara fries, these. These were gloriously crispy on the outside and smooth and creamy and kumara-sweet on the inside. Some people don't like kumara fries. I am not one of those people. But I don't think it's just because I have a soft spot for kumara fries that I thought these were fantastic. If only these appeared on Bisque's regular menu... I can keep dreaming, though.

Bisque on Bolton
Bolton Hotel
Corner of Bolton & Mowbray Streets
Wellington CBD
(04) 462 3770

Open for breakfast: Mon-Fri 6:30-10am / weekends and public holidays 7-11am; lunch: Mon-Fri 12-2pm; dinner: 7 days 6-9:30pm

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DINE Wellington: Fratelli

On Friday evening a lovely group of food bloggers and other food-type people met up for dinner at Fratelli. It was pretty funny seeing this come together: Andrea suggested it on Twitter as she was going to be in town, there was much to-ing and fro-ing on venue choice, lighting, a Twitter hashtag (#woapfbd) was born, and eventually Rosa took charge and booked us in at Fratelli.

I'd never been there before (for reasons perhaps not entirely logical or fair, I always seem to overlook the bars and restaurants on Blair and Allen streets) but was pretty excited about the $70 three-course set menu (with matching wines, of course) they had on offer. Not to mention spending an evening with the likes of these lovely ladies.

For my entree, I chose the Wairarapa beef cheek ravioli in Napolitana sauce with basil & Kapiti parmesan. I don't want to say it tasted predictable, but it tasted exactly as it should: the beef was tender, the pasta perfectly cooked, the tomato sauce just the right thickness and just enough cheese sprinkled on top to add a bit of a nutty bite. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The pan-fried fish* with celeriac puree, sauteed prawns, shaved fennel & cavolo nero was stunning (and a much more manageable portion than poor Andrea's** enormous veal shank!). The fish was perfectly seasoned, perhaps a shade overcooked for my liking but otherwise I couldn't fault the dish; it was gone in no time. I especially loved the contrast of the meaty fish, the robust cavolo nero (by far one of my favourite greens) and the smooth celeriac puree. I'll be cooking something like this at home soon.

For dessert I chose the trio of gelati and completely neglected to photograph it. To be honest, I was far more interested in tasting each of the flavours: pistachio, passionfruit & salted caramel. Each one was beautiful but I'd have to say my favourite was the pistachio, with little bits of nut (salted caramel was a close second, though!). Amazing.

Overall it was a very enjoyable dinner, and the company was just as good as the food (if not better!). The rest of the menu looked good too: I'll definitely be back.

*and here I show my total lack of attention at what fish they were using that day: I was too swept up in the conversation and in how absolutely delicious this was.

**she had come from a full day of the Fisher & Paykel Masterclass... a marathon day of food, to say the least!

Fratelli
15 Blair St
Wellington CBD
(04) 801 6615

Open for dinner Mon-Sat, 5:30pm onward.

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Wellington on a Plate 2011:Chocolate Festival

2011-08-20T12:21:00.000+12:00

Two years ago I went on holiday to Tonga and missed most of the inaugural Wellington on a Plate (except for this fine, fine lunch at Logan Brown). Last year I made up for it by getting in as many Dine Wellington set lunches as possible, attending the Cibo Arte event at La Bella Italia in Petone, the WLG pop-up restaurant... I'm feeling full just thinking about it all.

This year I haven't been on a Pacific Island holiday but I have been away for two of the three Wellington on a Plate weekends (having a lovely time up the mountain and in Auckland and Waiheke, I might add) and my weekdays have filled up with meetings and appointments and a general sense of oh-my-god-so-busy that I haven't even gotten to a fraction of the things on my list.

Still, I've managed to fit in a bit, including the opening of the New Zealand Chocolate Festival last weekend, where I met up with fellow food bloggers Rosa, Shirleen & Emma and wandered around tasting chocolate for a while before I (sadly) had to head back to work.

I have to admit I'm not a chocolate-mad person. I don't go weak at the knees at the mention of truffles or ganache or devil's food cupcakes. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like chocolate - but I feel the same way about it as I do about all food: if it's done well, it's the best thing in the world; if done half-heartedly, I can take it or leave it.

So the best thing about the Chocolate Festival was seeing so many of New Zealand's artisan chocolatiers in one place, seeing so many people so passionate about what they do. I was definitely wowed by several of the stallholders. I won't list them all, but here are a few highlights:

She Chocolat are one of my favourite chocolate-makers... I was won over by their Decadent Dates years ago and have been out to their shop & cafe in Governor's Bay, Christchurch a couple of times. Here they were tasting nutty and rich dark-chocolate covered cacao beans.

Schoc is a Wellington favourite (made in Greytown) and they had a table full of their usual range of chocolate bars, but the most exciting thing was the little display of some new flavours: curry & pappadom dark chocolate and "Tropical Heat" white chocolate, with hints of coconut, pineapple & curry. I didn't buy any but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for these flavours - they were unique but I can see them becoming pretty addictive.

RQute is a relative newcomer on the chocolate scene. Rochelle roasts and grinds the cacao beans herself in the back of Ernesto on Cuba St before making adorably colourful, almost cartoon-like chocolate creations, including a range of chocolate lollipops and chocolate puzzles (which would make great gifts).

Criollo chocolates were down from Auckland selling a range of exquisite-looking moulded chocolates. The highlight for me, though, were these pralines. Light and crunchy and sweet but not overwhelming. I nearly bought a box until I realised I'd probably eat them all before I got back to work.

I couldn't not include Esque - the very lovely Annette is at the City Market most Sundays (I posted about it here) and makes the most special chocolate, exquisitely flavoured and elegantly wrapped in paper and ribbon. I took a block of her "buzz" chocolate - dark chocolate with manuka honey brittle - back to work in the hopes it'd soften the fact I was gone for so long on a Friday morning. It may have worked: it disappeared in a flash!

I'm glad I was able to attend the chocolate festival, even if I did miss out on some of the demonstrations because I had to run back to work. Other highlights included the tasting session run by Swiss chocolatier Rene Fellman (it makes sense, but I never stopped to think that slowing down and breathing in could bring out so many layers of flavour) and the warm, gooey pain au chocolate I messily ate while the opening formalities took place (and quickly ran away to wash the melted chocolate off my hands as soon as I could... oops!).

The organisers said they're hoping to make the NZ Chocolate Festival a regular event, and it might move around the country... here's hoping it's in Wellington again soon!

Ti Kouka Cafe, Willis St

2011-05-29T20:30:00.000+12:00

It's not exactly new anymore, but Ti Kouka Cafe on Willis St has fast won a place in my heart as one of my favourite new cafes. If I wasn't heading out to Miramar all the time I think I'd be here a lot more often: the food is good, they make the best damn strawberry milkshake of all time (I'm straining to think of a better strawberry shake I've had but getting nowhere), and on the couple of times I've been there the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed even though it was around noon on a Saturday: no big deal that it's peak weekend-brunch time or anything.

And the strawberry milkshake ($6): like I said. So. Incredibly. Good. That's real strawberry you see there, no artificial pink stuff here. And those little black flecks of vanilla? Always a good sign. This shake is, true to its name, a milkshake rather than a thickshake: it's light and almost fluffy-tasting and doesn't weigh your stomach down like a brick if you drink the whole thing. Which I did almost immediately. And then had to restrain myself from ordering another one.

On my first visit to Ti Kouka I couldn't go past the smoked paprika & tomato baked eggs ($14, with chorizo). These were so, so satisfying.

The eggs were cooked beautifully, with runny yolk spilling out into the earthy, tomato-y sauce, and the shaved parmesan melted into everything: delicious. I ate this almost like a soup, taking big slurpy spoonfuls or eating it with the sourdough toast.

E had the grilled haloumi with apple, beetroot, bread & dukkah ($16). I was enamoured with the presentation, especially of the salad: wafer-thin slices of beetroot topped with little baby beetroot (it's hard to tell from the photo) and thin slivers of green apple.

The halloumi and salad were good, but I thought the real star of this dish was the dukkah: nutty, aromatic, beautifully spiced. I would take some home in a jar if I could.

On another visit (and please excuse the bad photo, but I really, really want to share this) E had the pulled pork roll ($12). And I'm not sure if I was on a high after guzzling another one of those strawberry milkshakes, but after taking a bite of this sandwich I was ready to proclaim it the best sandwich in Wellington.

The pork was melt-in-your-mouth soft, contrasting with the crunch of the iceberg lettuce and paper-thin red onion. And the bun: substantial enough to hold together all this saucy goodness, but still light and almost fluffy*; I couldn't stop sneaking bites, even after I was bursting.

The sandwich came with feijoa chutney which appeared to be homemade, and again, if I could take it home in a jar, I would.

I had the sticky beef burger ($15). Rather than your everyday mince patty, this burger had a slab of slow-cooked, falling-apart beef, with usual burger accompaniments like tomato and beetroot, as well as the more unusual braised red cabbage (which was lovely, by the way).

The only things that could've been a bit better with this one: a bit more salt on the meat/sauce (which was easily fixed) and maybe toasting the bun to combat sogginess - the combination of the meat, tomato & beetroot juices soaked right through the bottom half - but otherwise this burger was delicious.

These big, chunky chips ($7.5) had been on my must-try list ever since reading Laura of Hungry and Frozen's comment on this post over at Mrs Cake's blog. They were definitely up there with other notable chunky chips I've had (comparable to the ones at the Larder) but made a bit more special by the fact that they came with homemade tomato sauce, aioli (which tasted homemade as well - bonus) and harissa.**

So if I can tear myself away from heading eastwards to Miramar for a Saturday brunch you can bet this is where I'll be. It's in a good spot for weekday lunches, too, though a bit too far from work for me (and I've been saving for an overseas trip so have cut back on bought lunches). I only wish they were open a bit earlier on weekdays (they open at 8) so I could get there for a pre-work breakfast, or that they closed a bit later than 6:30/7pm... though admittedly that end of town does become a bit dead after that time anyway.

TI KOUKA CAFE
76 Willis St (upstairs, where Katipo used to be)
Wellington
(04) 472 7682

www.tikouka-cafe.co.nz

8am-4pm Mon-Wed; 8am-7pm Thu-Fri; 9am-3pm Sat

*yes, I'm aware that's the second time I've used the word "fluffy" in this post...
**and if I could take these home in jars...? Yep.

The Larder, Miramar

2011-04-18T00:34:00.000+12:00

Oh my god, Miramar. Since getting a car last year I've been slowly exploring the suburbs for new favourite cafes and food spots. Slowly, because most weekends I can't get past the urge to hop in the car, drive through the tunnel and past Evans Bay, out to Miramar. Between Cafe Polo and the Chocolate Frog and Marie and Nico's Patisserie and a couple of new places I'm very, very excited about* there's heaps to choose from in Miramar but just as often as not I find myself headed to The Larder. The following is a cobbled-together collection of some of my favourites from at least 3 recent visits.

Usually on the weekends I'm after a cooked brunch but sometimes, when I'm really hungry, I'll get a little something from the gorgeously-stocked cabinet to nibble on before everything else arrives (at which point I usually groan that I've ordered way too much food, but hey). The date & cardamom scone ($3.50) is hard to pass up: it's got that perfect-scone lightness, sweet chunks of date, a hint of cardamom to make it stand out from the standard cafe date scone. So good warmed with a little butter.

On another super-hungry Sunday morning I got this fig & star anise scone ($3.50). Again, a delicious way to curb the hunger pangs while sipping a coffee and reading the paper while waiting for the rest of the food to arrive. Out of these scones, though, I preferred the first: this one was a bit dryer in texture and I wished there had been a bit more star anise flavour.

Invariably, whenever I go to the Larder it's almost impossible for me to not order what has become a firm contender for my Favourite Breakfast in Wellington: these scrambled eggs with hot smoked salmon and rocket on toasted sourdough ($17). I had them on my first visit here and have had them so many times since. The eggs are dreamy and soft, the toast chewy and well-buttered, the rocket wilted just so, but the best, best part of all is the salmon: substantially smoky and savoury, I think it's fair to say it's the most delicious hot smoked salmon I've had.

On one rare occasion where I actually managed to order something else, I had these portobello mushrooms on toast with aged balsamic and parmesan ($12). Too often we think brunch = eggs but these mushrooms needed no accompaniment besides the shaved parmesan on top. I can only say good things about this dish and if it weren't for the scrambled eggs and hot smoked salmon I'd be getting this more often.

I'm a firm believer that it's never too early for steak. E's sirloin steak with lemon and caper butter, onion rings and hand cut chips ($22) came out a glorious slab of meat, cooked medium rare (as requested), dripping with the tangy, salty lemon caper butter. I couldn't stop stealing bites. The onion rings, though unassuming in appearance, were deliciously soft and crispy at the same time (and how often do you see red onion rings?).

And those chips ($6, with aioli, if you order them separately): I swear each one contains a whole, perfectly cooked potato. Okay, maybe a rather small potato, but these are substantial chips, crispy on the outside and almost-fluffy on the inside. On occasion I've had a slightly undercooked chip or two but for the most part these are thick and heavenly.

One of the best things about this place is the menu changes according to what's seasonal and available, so although there's a core of staple offerings (the salmon and eggs being one for which I'm so grateful) it's always a bit of fun seeing what else is on offer. On our most recent visit E had this pappardelle with lamb meatballs and roasted tomato sauce ($17): perfect comfort food for the cooler months. I thought the pasta could have been cooked in saltier water, but that could have just been me, and anyway, the meatballs were so plump and tender, the roasted tomato sauce hearty, with flecks of mint adding a different but altogether complementary dimension.

If you're like me and find it hard to pass up dessert when you're full (even after breakfast) you'll be glad these tiny brulee tarts exist. They're exquisite, and at only $2 or so, it's totally okay to pick up a couple for the ride home.

So there you have it, one of my favourite suburban spots. Actually, one of my favourite spots in general: relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, quality ingredients, an emphasis on local and seasonal produce, good coffee (they use Supreme), and perhaps due to its somewhat out-of-the-way location, never feels crazy-busy or rushed. If I lived in Miramar, I'd be there almost every day (well, I'd have to do a rotation among the other eateries mentioned at the start of this post).

The Larder

Cnr Darlington and Camperdown Rds

Miramar

Wellington

(04) 891 0354

www.thelarder.co.nz

Open Tues-Sun, dinner Thu-Sat.

*So very excited. Expect more soon :)

2011-02-26T00:32:00.000+13:00

On Tuesday morning I had started a blog post that I was going to finish during my lunch hour. Needless to say, events of the day kind of pushed that off the radar for now. In the meantime, here's this post - which also appears on my other blog.

At lunchtime on Tuesday a big earthquake hit Christchurch. Having spent quite a bit of time in Christchurch, and because a lot of my family lives there, it felt like a personal blow. I'm sure it did for so many people, not just me.

Being up here in Wellington, the worst and most pervasive feeling of all is feeling utterly helpless. At times it's felt like all we can do is sit and watch the footage on TV, refresh the news websites over and over, until we're overwhelmed with tears or numb with disbelief and it all seems hopeless and we feel helpless and don't know what to do anymore.

But we can do something.

There are so many people who are out there doing awesome work, using whatever skills they have to help out in any way they can. It's been so heartening and awesome to see people all over NZ and the world band together. (Actually, this is true in so many disaster-type situations; it just feels a lot closer to home now, I guess.)

There are some great lists floating around the internet of awesome things people are doing to raise funds for the Christchurch earthquake appeal. The Wellingtonista has one here and Wellington Tourism has put together a list as well. Because it's late and I need to sleep (!!) I won't list specifics of all the events but definitely check out the links; I will be surely going to as many of those as I can (for sure Hashigo Zake on Saturday night and the City Market and L'Affare on Sunday) and getting as involved as I can.

And tomorrow morning I will be getting up bright and early to do some baking to take down to Grow From Here garden store at the top of Cuba St. Laura from Hungry and Frozen will be there as well as many others selling donated "white elephant" type items, and local businesses have donated goodies as well. Kaye from Grow From Here says it'll be running all week and is open to anyone to buy and sell! All proceeds will go to the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal.

More info here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201237359902001&index=1 - Please share!

Hope to return to normal blog posts soon.

Love you Christchurch.

Fisherman's Plate, Bond St

2011-02-10T22:37:00.000+13:00

A couple of things:

1. I've started a new blog. It doesn't mean I'll stop blogging here, but as you may have noticed, our frequency of dining out seems to have diminished in recent months. For me it's a combination of trying a bit harder to put aside some savings along with living a bit further from town than before. So the focus of the new blog is more on cooking and eating at home. Although it's just brand new, I'm really excited about it, so please check it out if you're at all interested in what I'm eating when I'm not out and about in Wellington!

2. Happy new year everyone! (Does it count if it's now not only 2011 but the Chinese New Year?) Yes, this is the first Gusty Gourmet post of 2011. And this Year of the Rabbit. Anyway, onto today's post.

So, in 2010 I was lucky enough to have my mum visit me 3 times. Of course any visits from mums are special but this was rather unexpected and wonderful because my parents live overseas. And every time she comes to visit, we go (at her request) to Fisherman's Plate, a little fish-and-chip shop on Bond St.

Except it's not just a fish-and-chip shop: although it has a typical chip-shop-combo-menu board behind the counter, and you'll see plenty of people ordering off it, the aroma of fresh Vietnamese herbs and soup broth that ever-so-subtly wafts through the air is a giveaway, as is the wall plastered with a photographic menu of sorts featuring noodle soups and other Vietnamese dishes. And I'm pretty sure this is some of the best Vietnamese I've had (granted, I haven't been to Vietnam).

On our most recent visit, I ordered some avocado rice rolls ($7) to share. They were incredibly simple, consisting of a crunchy-creamy filling of sliced avocado, carrot, lettuce and bean sprouts in a smooth rice paper wrapper. Despite their simplicity, these were obviously assembled with care: the vegetable filling was seasoned with black pepper before going into the wrapper, adding a little bite to what would otherwise be a bland filling.

Yes, it's sort of cliche, but for me no visit to a Vietnamese place is complete without a steaming bowl of pho bo ($11.50). I ordered mine with rare beef, which was thinly sliced and tender, floating in a flavourful homemade broth along with thick rice noodles.

We were given this heaping plate of fresh herbs, lettuce, bean sprouts and lemons, as well as a bowl of sliced chillies (sadly not pictured) to add to our bowls of soup - I love the DIY-ness of putting together the perfect combination of condiments.

Mum didn't waste any time in adding greens to her soup, the mien ga ($11.50) - chicken soup with vermicelli noodles. This actually might replace pho bo as my new favourite; the chicken was shredded but in decent-sized chunks, the broth comforting and flavourful. And although it'd be the perfect steaming bowl of soup for a cold, wet winter's day, it's the kind of soup that tastes fresh and clean enough to fit in perfectly on a summer menu.

E's spicy pork noodle soup (I'm guessing $11.50 - though I've misplaced my notes with the Vietnamese name of this dish, and it doesn't seem to appear on their takeaway menu) had enough red-hot chilli floating at the top to keep the doctor away, the broth full of fiery zing.

On another visit I had this bun thit nuong ($11.90), chargrilled, marinated pork on rice noodles. This required more DIY-ing in the form of various sauces and condiments to be added according to personal preference, and was a satisfying alternative to a brothy noodle soup.

I was happy to see avocado smoothies ($5) on the menu - aside from being deliciously creamy, they're the perfect foil to the searing heat of having added too many chillies to your soup. This one was as I'd remembered them from Southeast Asia, although I did find it a bit odd that the cup was only about 3/4 full.

We were about to leave when I spotted these plastic cups half-full with a cheery yellow substance lined up in the drinks fridge. These turned out to be che dau xanh danh ($4), a sweet mung bean paste that was served topped with a heap of shaved ice, which we then mixed into a cold, thick slurry (more DIY - hooray!).

It was different from what most people would think of having for dessert, but good nonetheless - and in any case I'm a pretty big fan of sweet, bean-based desserts (like azuki beans in Japanese cuisine), so this was well-received.

Fisherman's Plate is such a wee gem. OK, it may be lacking in ambience, but it makes up for this entirely in the quality and freshness of the food on offer. I haven't even tried their fish and chips (it's surprising they still offer them, seeing as they could easily run a restaurant serving Vietnamese alone), but from what I saw on other diners' plates they looked pretty decent. I don't think I'll be waiting till the next time Mum visits to go back!

Vivo Enoteca Cucina

2010-12-04T01:04:00.001+13:00

As part of my goal to make it to as many Dine 2010 lunches* as possible without taking too many super-long lunch hours (I'm pretty sure an "hour" can be stretched up to 90 minutes, right?) E and I visited the not-usually-open-for-lunch winebar Vivo Enoteca Cucina, tucked away in a little corner of Edward Street. We were seated at a bright and airy windowside table but the interior, chock full of wine bottles and dark wood, felt like the type of place you could squirrel away cosily with a few glasses of wine and a couple of good friends on a rainy day.

With the $25 set menu we had a choice of two courses and a glass of wine. E chose the caprese salad with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomato, basil and capers. I was a bit apprehensive when he ordered it because I tend to associate caprese salad with summertime, with vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh green basil (it was still August, after all).

I shouldn't have worried: the main focus of the dish was on the cheese, complemented by thin slivers of tomato and dainty basil leaves, just enough variety to create an intermingling of flavours reminiscent of a hot sunny day. The capers provided an added salty, briny dimension that went beautifully with the the otherwise fresh, earnest flavours on the plate.

I had the arancini, little crumbed saffron risotto balls that arrived with a few rocket leaves and parmesan (could have been pecorino, though, now that I think about it) shavings. These were a joy: the outside fried to a perfect crisp, the insides soft and gooey with risotto and melted mozzarella.

They were drizzled with truffle oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar, but I was too fixated on the delight of deep-fried cheesy goodness (really, it must be an instinctive thing) to pay much attention.

I wasn't really sure that they tasted particularly saffron-y, but again, that may have just been me blindsided by the cheese and the crunch. (Mmm, cheese and crunch...) Soon they had disappeared and I found myself wanting more.

But it was time for the next course - and E, never really a dessert person, ordered the fettucine with Italian sausage and capsicum in a vodka pomodoro sauce. This seemed a bit hastily put together, though I guess you could say it was in a rustic fashion, and I thought the sauce may have been on the dry side, but E wolfed it down, especially the meaty chunks of sausage.

Meanwhile I had moved onto dessert, a very fluffy, almost mousse-like lemon cheesecake. I think with cheesecakes I tend to prefer the denser, richer, let-me-just-lay-down-and-die variety but this was probably a much better version for lunchtime seeing as I had to go back to work just a few minutes later (and especially since I had been having veeeeery sleeeeeepy afternoons at the office after my big meals at Pravda and Hippopotamus the week before).

Overall it was an enjoyable lunch - service was friendly and prompt, the food was good (especially those arancini, oh boy!) and although we didn't get to peruse their very extensive wine list (they are a wine bar, after all), that was probably best saved for an after-work drinks and nibbles session anyway.

Aaaaaaand..... I'm so excited for this Sunday (5 December) because they're going to be in the Market Kitchen at the City Market serving up these very same arancini, along with mussel fritters and Italian meatball sandwiches. That's my breakfast sorted!

Vivo Enoteca Cucina
19 Edward St
Wellington

(04) 384 6400

www.vivowinebar.com

Open Mon-Fri 3pm till late, Sat-Sun 5pm till late.

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*(I promise this is the last of the horrendously outdated Wellington on a Plate posts and after this there will be more recent material on the blog.)

Duke Carvell's

2010-11-30T23:51:00.002+13:00

It's a little weird resurrecting months-old skeletons of blog posts. But after looking through the photos for this one I couldn't not share it with you. (Plus, it's sort of timely - Wellington on a Plate was in the news yesterday!)

So back in August, during Wellington on a Plate, I had made it my mission to get to as many Dine 2010 set lunches as possible, after not nabbing tickets to several of my top events (note to self, book earlier next time!). Duke Carvell's was one of the ones I wanted to try, mainly because I had heard good things about their Burger Wellington entry.

We went on a weekend on the cusp of lunch-time; everyone around us was eating eggs and brunch-y things I was majorly envious of.* But we were there for another reason: the $25 Dine 2010 set lunch and Duke's Ali Baa Baa Burger.

But all hesitations about eating a burger for my first meal of the day flew out the window when I was presented with this: pulled lamb shoulder, fried Kefalograviera cheese (yeah, I had to look it up too), beetroot hummus, pickled cucumber and a generous pile of rocket on warm Turkish bread.

It was glorious - the Mediterraneanesque flavours melding together with each mouthful, the lamb tender and flavourful, the beetroot lending an earthy softness and the pickled cucumber adding a crunchy bite. It pretty quickly put a stop to my breakfast-envy and replaced it with a (dare I say it?) certain smug satisfaction that I'd ordered the best thing of all.

Meanwhile, E had ordered the metze platter - which was, in essence, a deconstructed version of my burger, plus marinated eggplant.

It was interesting to see and taste each component on its own. The pulled lamb shoulder was a highlight, easily holding its own outside of the burger.

The marinated eggplant was bathed in a tzatziki-ish yoghurt sauce, and I got to eat most of them since E thinks he doesn't like eggplant (one day he'll see the light). They were cold and slimy (by nature I suppose), and I thought they could have used a bit more salt, but together with the cool creamy sauce I found myself gobbling them down pretty quickly.

As part of E's $25 set lunch we got this exquisitely presented affogato. I loved the little metal jug the espresso came in, the visible flecks of vanilla bean and the pool of Amaretto liqueur surrounding the ice cream.

We ceremoniously poured the hot coffee onto the ice cream, watching it melt into a sweet, strong, coffee-y liquid that I could drink gallons of if I knew it wasn't made mostly of ice cream, caffeine and alcohol. (Or maybe I would, anyway.)

Okay, the dessert:food photo ratio is getting a little out of control now. But it was really that beautiful, kind of reminiscent of one of those layered shots that are never a good idea the next morning, or those bottles of sand art you find at kitschy souvenir shops or kids make at summer camp.*

But my favourite part of all must have been these tiny ~~almond biscotti~~ amaretti (thanks for the clarification Mrs Cake!!). They were light and airy, the perfect size for dunking, and crunchy enough that they didn't soak up too much liquid either.

Duke Carvell's has been a favoured spot of mine for a little while now, both for weekend brunches and evening meals (generally served tapas-style, and 2 for 1 on Mondays!). And from looking at their website it seems they've added both these Wellington on a Plate features - the burger and the metze platter - to their usual lunch menu. Which is great news, because after writing up this post I'm ready for another one of those burgers.

Duke Carvell's Swan Lane Emporium
6 Swan Lane (off Cuba St, behind Floriditas)
Wellington

(04) 385 2240

www.dukecarvells.co.nz

Open Mon-Fri: 12pm-late, Sat & Sun: 9am-late

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* and for good reason. They have some good brunch food.
** sand art?! Really?! It must be getting late. Must get some sleep....

Hippopotamus Restaurant

2010-11-28T10:22:00.001+13:00

I can't believe how hideously long this blog has laid stagnant. For anyone out there who really wants to know (otherwise just skip ahead), since moving into a new place a couple months ago I've been living (mostly) without internet and TV. At first it was strange, and I didn't know what to do with my time, but then it felt a bit like being on holiday, the days stretched into weeks, and all of a sudden it's the end of November. So here I am, reviving this old thing.

Anyway this post dates back to pre-hiatus times, so I'll do my best to recall. It's from (gasp, yes it has been that long) the Wellington on a Plate $35 set lunch at Hippopotamus restaurant in the Museum Hotel.

I was super excited about the booking I'd made for this lunch, and had hightailed it across town on my lunch break to make it there.

Before our meals we were brought these gorgeous little bread rolls and butter, a lovely surprise. The roll was perfectly round, at once chewy and soft, and I had to restrain myself from taking another one when we were offered more.

For his entree E ordered the salmon carpaccio with shaved Wairarapa fennel and red onion salad, drizzled with tomato and citrus salsa. I was especially excited to see little baby pea shoots adorning the dish, a delicate hint of the (at that time) coming spring.

I had the Kapiti Kikorangi tortellini with creamed leek and walnut froth. Kikorangi is probably my favourite blue cheese, and it paired dreamily with the nutty flavours of the sauce. And again, those delightful little pea shoots.

While I had my sights set on dessert, E opted for a main as his second course, the sirloin steak with port wine jus, fries and mesclun salad. No fancy ingredients for this one, just simply, beautifully executed.

I couldn't resist stealing a bite of the steak. Cooked to a beautiful medium rare, it was juicy and tender, complemented perfectly by the jus.

I was even less bashful about stealing some of E's fries, perhaps the best fries I've ever tasted - incredibly smooth, almost creamy on the inside, with a crispy exterior.

But the highlight for me was definitely this exquisitely presented traditional apple tarte tatin, with vanilla ice cream and toffee sauce. Like the steak and fries, this was hard to beat - there's nothing quite like the basics done well. The pastry was flaky and tender, the apple caramelised to a deep russet colour, the ice cream melting into the hot toffee sauce.

Before we knew it, my lunch hour was over and it was time to haul myself back across town. While it's a bit of a splurge, I know I'll be back (perhaps for their high tea!).

Hippopotamus Restaurant

Level 3, Museum Hotel

90 Cable St

Wellington

(04) 802 8935

www.hippopotamus.co.nz

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Pravda - Dine 2010 $35 set menu

2010-09-01T12:00:00.000+12:00

So I'm waaaaay behind my game, and if you follow other Wellington food blogs you might have already read these other accounts of our lovely little lunch at Pravda. But I thought I'd add my little two cents on their Wellington on a Plate $35 set lunch which Mel, Laura, Rosa and I sampled...

The set lunch consisted of two courses plus a glass of Wairarapa wine and tea or coffee. Wanting to challenge my sweet tooth (which last time saw me lingering over dessert after everyone else had to leave) a bit, I ordered the entree: smoked fish and potato chowder with saffron aioli and toasted ciabatta. Amusingly enough, everyone else went for the choice of main and dessert, and for a split second I wondered if I'd be eating soup alone while everyone else patiently looked on. That turned out not to be the case: our waitress asked whether I'd like my soup at the same time as everyone's mains, and my main at dessert, thus avoiding any awkward overlap of courses and also helping with the whole getting-back-to-work-on-time thing.

The soup was quite filling and I could have easily had it as the only course: big, chunky pieces of fish and mussels in a flavourful broth garnished with plenty of bright green herbs, the accompanying toasted ciabatta crunchy and chewy and altogether delicious smeared with the saffron aioli. I couldn't quite get my head around the saffron aioli - and I mean that in a good way - it had this intriguing sweetness reminiscent of honey and with the toast and the savoury soup was incredibly satisfying. This was a big bowl for an entree, too. I was kind of glad the chowder wasn't of the super thick, creamy variety I'm used to; the soup was just a little thicker than your average brothy liquid.

The main was a venison and wild mushroom ragout with papardelle pasta and parmigiano reggiano cheese. I had already gotten a preview of this dish as everyone else had it as the first course, and was dying to dig in. Soft yet al dente ribbons of pasta were topped with the melt-in-your-mouth ragout; the combination of venison and mushrooms was meaty and wintry and altogether hearty, making me almost forget that in just a few short (but lengthening!) days we'd be moving into spring.

Laura graciously offered her chocolate fondant with mandarin cream for me to photograph and taste (thanks!!). How could I decline? My sweet tooth never fails to get the better of me. And for good reason - the chocolate was oozy and melty and warm and super-indulgent (but when you're only having a bite, it doesn't count, right?). You can hardly ever go wrong with the combination of citrus and chocolate and the cool mandarin cream was no exception.

This was my first time dining at Pravda, and the setting is gorgeous - high ceilings, mirrored walls, beautiful chandeliers - but I did find it odd (or telling) that we were one of the few all-female tables in the dining room that day. Overall the vibe was that of a very male-dominated, besuited corporate-type clientele and I almost felt out of place. However, the food was delightful, the company charming as always and I'll probably go back if not just to try their gorgeous-looking baking I spied on the counter on my way out... damn my sweet tooth!

Pravda
107 Customhouse Quay
Wellington
(04) 801 8858

www.pravdacafe.co.nz

Cibo Arte - Food & Art at La Bella Italia

2010-08-28T10:28:00.001+12:00

Florence: Last Saturday, Millie and I were generously invited by Antonio of La Bella Italia to the booked out Wellington on a Plate CiboArte – a night of food and art with soprano Julia Booth. We arrived and were seated with an interesting couple, a lady from southern Italy and an English man who had met on the internet before immigrating to New Zealand. Such was the conversation between guests seated among La Bella's shelves laden with artisanal supplies. Antonio and his gorgeous wife along with their attentive staff ensured guests were seated, comfortable and furnished with a glass of red (The Siren Martinborough Merlot Cabernet) or white (Melody Chardonnay).

Millie: We'd been to La Bella Italia before (and to their cafe on the Terrace), but never for this kind of event. I was especially excited because I've been trying to get to as many Wellington on a Plate events as I can (and since I left the planning too late most of my top choices were sold out) and this one sounded fabulous. Anticipation levels were high as guests streamed through the entrance and soon the cavernous warehouse-like space was filled with Italian food and Italian food aficionados alike.

Florence: Antonio introduced the evening's fare and entertainment - his passion for food positively oozing out of his every pore. The entrée was polenta on ragout di costine di maiale e funghi (soft polenta with wild mushrooms and pork ribs ragout).

Florence: The polenta was soft and creamy, the perfect base to mop up the simple but perfectly matched flavours of the melt-in-your-mouth pork and mushroom ragout. Appetite sufficiently whetted, the gorgeous and talented Booth took to the stage accompanied by Mark Dorrell, for her opening piece “O mio babbino” (Puccini), her voice swelling and filling the rafters of La Bella.

Florence: In between courses and the opera, Millie and I were able to nip up through the closely nestled tables to take a few snaps of the well-oiled (no doubt olive) machine of the kitchen. The main course was noce di agnello arrosto con fagioli al fiasco e cavolo nero (roasted lamb rump with borlotti beans and cavolo nero casserole).

Millie: It was fun to see the kitchen staff expertly dishing up the meals, and seeing the finishing touches being added, we took our seats and readied ourselves for the next course. Sure enough, the lamb followed shortly thereafter (in quite generous portions, I may add!) and we dug in.

Florence: The lamb was succulent and cooked perfectly, still pink and juicy in the centre, and was lightly crusted with fragrant dried rosemary. The borlotti beans were tender and the casserole was rustic and simple – perfect with the merlot cabernet and good conversation. I'm partial to cavolo nero when it still has a bit of bite to it, however one can't expect bitey cavolo nero in a casserole, and I am certainly not going to argue with the Italians!

Millie: This dish felt so indulgent, but really was quite simple, hearty, healthy(ish) food (despite - or maybe because of - all the olive oil) - protein and seasonal greens, root vegetables and legumes. I've been really into this rustic style of cooking this winter, so this was definitely a welcome treat.

Florence: Bracket two of Julia Booth's performance was just as sterling as the first, holding the audience in raptures and soon the dessert, zabaglione al marsala con savoiardi (Marsala wine sabayon with ladyfinger biscuits), was being served. The sabayon was light (I wondered if perhaps there were egg whites in it as well as the usual yolks), and not overly sweet with top notes of the marsala wine, all pleasantly scooped up with the sugary crunchy ladyfinger. It was all over too soon.

Millie: As with the previous courses, I was struck by the elegant simplicity of this dish. Nothing too pretentious or out-of-this-world, just a delicate lingering sweetness on the tongue. It was light and indulgent at the same time and was a fitting finale to the evening's meal.

Florence: Julia Booth's final pieces were odes to love - “Song to the Moon” (Dvorak), “The Man I Love” (Gershwin) and a comic and expertly performed piece “Girl in 14G” (Jennifer Tesori) that had the audience giggling into their desserts. Antonio finished off the evening extolling the virtues of art and food, with him an aficionado of both (and warning the attendees that if anyone ordered a cappuccino he would cry).

Millie: I'm no expert on opera, but Julia's performance was superb, and her last set really highlighted the versatility of her vocal talents. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for her name in the future.

Florence: Millie and I happily rounded off the evening with a limoncello, and a browse round the inspiring grocery aisles. The limoncello is a much more brightly coloured and opaque version of the translucent New Zealand limoncello I am used to. The Italian lady from our table enlightened us as to the difference, noting that this limoncello is made using unripe lemons, giving it a much brighter appearance and opacity. The digestif was sour (but not lip puckeringly so) and was much smoother with less of an alcohol burn than the limoncellos I am used to.

Millie: I was really tempted to buy myself a bottle of that limoncello, but managed to talk myself out of it (I'm moving on the weekend!). Overall I was quite impressed with this event; the food was superb, the performance spellbinding and we were in great company. Although this event was organised as part of Wellington on a Plate, La Bella Italia regularly put on various special dinners, cooking classes and other events, which can be found here.

A wonderful evening at a Wellington favourite.

La Bella Italia

10 Nevis St

Petone

(04) 566 9303

www.labellaitalia.co.nz

Millie and Florence attended CiboArte as guests of La Bella Italia.

Matterhorn - Wellington on a Plate Food Bloggers' Lunch

2010-08-21T15:15:00.001+12:00

Last Saturday I had lunch at Matterhorn with a fantastic bunch of visiting (and not-so-visiting) food bloggers, hosted by the lovely ladies from Positively Wellington Tourism and Wellington on a Plate. It was the first day of Wellington's favourite new food festival and I arrived with my stomach empty and my heart full of anticipation. Not only was I excited to meet everyone, but I also had never had a full meal at Matterhorn before, though I've long been a fan of their drinks and bar snacks menu, the cool-yet-casual vibe, the airy courtyard and the live music that's often played on weekends.

We were there for the $35 set lunch that Matterhorn is offering as part of Dine Wellington 2010 for Wellington on a Plate. The concept behind Dine is that each restaurant offers a set lunch (and/or, in many cases, dinner) where you choose two courses plus a glass of Wairarapa wine and tea or coffee. Very exciting stuff, and I perused the menu whilst waiting for everyone to arrive. Soon all nine of us had gathered, introductions were made, coffees arrived at the table and we fell into conversation, naturally, about food, photography and blogging.

While we chatted away, exchanging business cards and food-blogger stories, we nibbled on a few starters from Matterhorn's regular lunch menu. The white bean and lemon dip with crispy pitas and spring onion relish ($8) was a treat; I especially loved the crunchy, lightly seasoned pita chips.

I'm a lover of olives, so I was thrilled to see this olive selection with reggiano shortbread ($7). I loved the big, juicy green olives and the little, almond-sized ones (I only wish I knew what the different varieties were!), and I snuck a piece of the shortbread - it was light and buttery with a hint of sharp, salty reggiano cheese.

When the entrees arrived, the table became a flurry of photographic activity, everyone concentrating on getting the best shot. It was definitely a new and different experience for me not being the only one at the table surreptitiously fiddling with my camera and whipping it out whenever food arrives, but I'd like to think I learned a bit about food photography after watching these guys in action.*

I decided to choose a main and a dessert as my two courses, but I was lucky enough to get to try some of this carpaccio of yellow tail kingfish with rhubarb, grapefruit and ginger buckwheat. The fish was light and fresh-tasting with a hint of citrusy flavour.

As a main I had the crayfish basmati in risotto style with prawns, fennel and lemon. The rich, savoury crayfish flavour permeated the rice; it would almost have been too rich for me had it not been balanced by the succulent prawns and the delicate shaved fennel, cool and crisp with a hint of aniseed flavour. On the whole, all the elements came together beautifully - this is definitely something I could eat again and again.

Most of our group chose the wagyu skirt steak with red wine onions, celeriac remoulade and parsley salad. Peter generously gave me a piece of his steak - it was tender and juicy, and the remoulade was cool, creamy and crunchy.

Most of the others in our group left before dessert as they were scheduled to go to another Wellington on a Plate event, but a few of us stayed on as we still had two desserts coming. And I'm glad I did - this vanilla roast pineapple with coconut panna cotta, passion fruit sorbet & nut biscuit was by far my favourite part of the meal (I can't help it, I have such a sweet tooth!). The pineapple was mellow and syrupy, providing a sharp contrast to the tangy sorbet, the crisp, airy biscuit, and the smooth, delicate panna cotta. If I had to pick favourites I'd have to choose the panna cotta: the coconut added a subtly different dimension and I thought I detected a hint of something cardamom-y in there, though it could have just been my imagination. Superb.

All up, it was a fantastic lunch and a wonderful start to Wellington on a Plate. The atmosphere was great, the food well-presented and the company was delightful. The wines included in the $35 set menu paired well with the meal; pictured above is the Ata Rangi Petrie Chardonnay 2008 and the other choice, the Ata Rangi Celebre 2007, seemed to have been enjoyed as well.

I'll definitely return to Matterhorn soon, not just for my usual pursuit of awesome cocktails and bar snacks but also for their lunch and dinner menu - great for a special occasion! Hmm, I do have a few of those coming up...

Matterhorn

106 Cuba St (in between Rex Royale and the comic shop, down a long corridor)

Wellington

(04) 384 3359

www.matterhorn.co.nz

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Millie dined as a guest of Positively Wellington Tourism and Wellington on a Plate. Thanks!!

*if you're not familiar with the following blogs, you should definitely check them out - they have stunning photography and never fail to make me hungry!

A Table For Two (Sydney)

So D'Lish (Auckland)

Grab Your Fork (Sydney)

He Needs Food (Sydney)

Hungry and Frozen (Wellington)

Souvlaki for the Soul (Sydney)

Floriditas, Cuba St - a belated birthday breakfast

2010-08-17T06:11:00.003+12:00

My brother Evan came to visit from Christchurch a few weeks ago, and when I asked him what he wanted for Sunday brunch he replied without hesitation, “Floriditas”. I was more than happy to oblige, and we had a great meal (though unfortunately I forgot to take my camera). Everything was superb, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Evan’s friend’s plate of scrambled eggs. I almost always go for the poached eggs in cafes, partly because I’ve got a killer recipe for scrambled eggs and prefer them to many cafes’ versions, and partly because who can resist slicing into a perfectly poached egg and watching the soft, marigold-yellow yolk spill out? (Not me.) But every time I go to Floriditas for breakfast I end up longing for scrambled eggs, elegantly and effortlessly sitting atop toast, being delivered to tables around me. So I resolved to go back just a few days later for a birthday breakfast, though in reality failed attempts at getting out of bed earlier than usual led to me having it a couple days after my actual birthday.

Because it was (sort of) my birthday, I ordered an extra treat. This greek yoghurt with brown sugar tamarillos was pure decadence, the yoghurt thick and creamy and the tamarillos tart but just sweet enough (and I don’t always enjoy tamarillo, but these were delicious). One of the great things about Floriditas is that their menu tends to reflect the seasons – I’ve had this yoghurt/fruit combo with vanilla-poached feijoas in autumn (divine), and strawberries in early summer. With tamarillos in abundance at the moment it’s only fitting that they were the fruit of choice. Be warned, though, this innocent-looking glass of yoghurt is quite rich, easily a meal in itself; as a side dish of sorts, I struggled to finish it even with E’s help.

E had poached eggs and bacon with sourdough toast – no complaints here, and I got to get my oozy yolky visuals that I love, after all. The bacon was perfectly cooked – crispy, but not burnt – and I wish I could poach eggs as flawlessly as Floriditas does.

But what I was really here for, after all, was scrambled eggs. Scrambled eggs, roast tomato and thyme with sourdough toast – finally, I got what I’d been pining after all this time. I’m pretty sure Floriditas have the most aesthetically pleasing scrambled eggs in town.

And boy, were they every bit as satisfying as they looked – luscious yet firm, almost omelet-like in their unique folded appearance, not tough or gummy like some scrambled eggs can be. The thyme paired nicely with the tomato and the slices of toast, though on the small side, were satisfyingly chewy. Absolutely delectable.

Floriditas is a favourite for breakfast/brunch, especially when I have out-of-town visitors – it’s elegant, yet comfortable and accessible, the service is generally of a good standard and they do amazing cheese scones and dainty little cakes and things. They also sell their 5-grain bread by the loaf, and their raspberry jam by the jar (years ago I had a flatmate who worked there and would bring home the occasional jar of jam… marvellous stuff). Surprisingly, though, I’ve never once been there for dinner. I’m thinking I’ll have to change that soon.

Floriditas Cafe and Restaurant
161 Cuba St
Wellington
(04) 381 2212

www.floriditas.co.nz

Floriditas also have a $35 set lunch and $65 set dinner menu as part of DINE 2010 throughout the Wellington on a Plate festival - well worth checking out! Through 29 August 2010.

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Wellington on a Plate - procrastinator's picks

2010-08-14T11:24:00.001+12:00

My, how time flies! In the last month or so I've started a new job, found a new flat, had friends and family visit, kept up with extramural study... I've been painfully conscious that amid all the chaos this blog has been languishing in some dusty corner somewhere, but I have some posts planned, so thanks for all your patience!

I can't believe it's mid-August already and the first day of Visa Wellington on a Plate 2010. If you're from Wellington I'm sure you've read lots about this food festival by now, seen the flags flying on the lamp-posts, or even made some bookings yourselves. For whatever reason (indecisiveness, procrastination, sheer busy-ness), and despite my total excitement for this event, I was a bit late in the game and by the time I went to make bookings a couple weeks ago, many of the events had sold out. Luckily, there's still plenty to choose from - here are just a few of my picks:

Moore Wilson's Wellington Food Heroes Day - Moore Wilson's carpark, Sunday 22 August, 9-2pm, free. Too easy! It's free, no bookings required, I'd most likely be at Moore Wilson's anyway (after all, it's just down the road from my house), AND there are going to be stalls run by the likes of Ruth Pretty, Laurent Loudeac, Bohemein Chocolates, La Cloche, and Wairarapa wines - just to name a few.

Pizza, Pig & Profiteroles - Lunch with Ruth Pretty, Kapiti Coast, Sunday 29 August 12-4pm, $95. If I didn't have to move that weekend I'd be at this for sure - lunch at Ruth Pretty's personal dining room in Te Horo including wood-fired pizza, spit-roasted suckling pig and (you guessed it!) profiteroles. Delightful.

White, White, Baby! - GT Nissan Showroom, 38 Kent Terrace, Saturday 21 August 7:30pm, $150. Boulcott St Bistro will be serving up a menu of all-white food - this sounds really intriguing. The idea behind it is to explore what happens when we "neutralise a sense" by taking away the visual/colour element of food.

Beervana - Wellington Town Hall, Friday 27 and Saturday 28 August, $30. I missed last year's Beervana so hopefully I'll be able to attend this one! Lately it seems that the craft beer movement has been picking up around these parts and Beervana will be showcasing over 160 beers. I can't wait - Beervana's website is here.

Dine 2010 - Last year some 30- or 40-odd restaurants and cafes participated in this event, offering set lunch deals (such as Logan Brown's $35 lunch I had last year) and special dinner menus. This year's event has taken off - there's around 90 eateries participating. I'll definitely be partaking in a few lunches over the next couple weeks, though it's so hard to choose! I've already got Matterhorn lined up, and there are so many more to choose from.

Burger Wellington - this is a new event for this year's festival and another one I'm so excited about. Like Dine 2010, there's no set time or place but rather 30 or so restaurants are offering special burgers - check out Mrs Cake's post on St Johns Bar's wild game burger. I'm also keen to try Duke Carvell's Ali Baa Baa (lamb) burger and Osteria Del Toro's Movida Burger (calamari on a Spanish roll).

If you're like me and haven't made any bookings yet, fear not. There's still plenty to choose from over the next two weeks. Stay tuned for the write-ups!

Cafe Polo, Miramar

2010-07-12T00:35:00.001+12:00

Last week, after surviving weeks of Wellington's soul-draining drizzle, I fled to Hanmer Springs for a mini-holiday. But before that, I was at my wits' end - tired of feeling chilled to the bone, of clothes never drying*, of sideways southerly showers blowing down Kent Terrace - what's that? Harden up, you say? Okay, I'll stop complaining now, but anyway, it was on one of those horrendous days that I had a hankering for something warm and comforting, and to be somewhere warm and comfortable to eat it (basically, not my flat).

Since it was pouring outside, it had to be somewhere we could drive to (and therefore avoid getting wet as much as possible). We hopped in the car, and, a short while later, arrived at Cafe Polo in Miramar. Despite the horrid weather, it was bustling but not bursting at the seams, and we were seated right away in a wee side room at a table next to a cabinet housing an eclectic collection of salt and pepper shakers.

Shortly after our coffees (long black, $3; flat white, $3.80) arrived, this beauty descended upon our table: a sourdough crumpet with whipped maple & vanilla butter ($7). Homemade crumpets aren't something you see every day, but the real draw for me was the maple-vanilla butter - it arrived in a semi-solid state, but when spread on the steaming hot crumpets it melted into pools of unbelievably heavenly goodness. It almost took me back to my childhood days of furtively licking the plate clean after a breakfast of waffles topped with butter and maple syrup.

Although Cafe Polo's day menu had lots of delicious-sounding things I couldn't go past their blackboard with a list of daily specials. That day's celeriac soup with toasted hazelnuts ($9.50) was superb.

It was the first time I'd had celeriac in a soup (let alone with hazelnuts!), but I immediately took a liking to the creamy texture and the hint of celery flavour. The hazelnuts brought this to another level, though; the nutty, almost-sweet morsels kept appearing in each spoonful, providing a subtle variation in flavour and texture.

As I'm typing this E keeps sighing: "oh man, those were the best hash browns I've ever had." So I guess I had better move on to the Polo hash browns with roasted vine tomato, Zany Zeus feta, rocket & balsamic ($17). You can barely see the hash browns beneath the mountain of (delicious) salad, but they were there all right - crispy on the outside, potato-y on the inside, seasoned in a way that reminded us a little bit of Sweet Mother's Kitchen's curly fries.

By this point I should have been stuffed but I couldn't resist appeasing my sweet tooth and need for a pick-me-up with this affogato ($7).

The bitter espresso paired beautifully with the cold, creamy ice cream and crunchy biscotti. I only wish it had lasted longer - I devoured this in no time (perhaps in less-than-elegant fashion).

Cafe Polo's a bit of a Wellington institution, but as I haven't had a car until recently, I had never made it out there before. I'd really like to go back for dinner sometime; their evening menu looks superb. They also have an attractive line-up of cabinet food, baking and the like, and next time I'm definitely trying their truffled frites. They're also hosting a number of Wellington on a Plate** events in August - offering a $25 set lunch as part of Dine 2010, the "Polly Burger" as part of Burger Wellington, and a few special evening events - I definitely can recommend checking out www.wellingtononaplate.com for more info!

RATING: 4.5/5

Cafe Polo
Cnr Para St & Rotheram Tce
Miramar
Wellington
(04) 380 7273

www.cafepolo.co.nz

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*I took about 4 loads of washing down to Hanmer with me and made fast friends with the dryer at my parents' place down there. Nothing like going on holiday to do housework!

**More on this in a later post, but last Tuesday I attended the launch party for Wellington on a Plate 2010, chatted with some fantastic foodies*** (including fellow blogger Laura from Hungry and Frozen and Ray McVinnie (!) just to name a few) and have been drooling over the programme ever since.

***(can I even asterisk to something in these little asterisk-y bits?) Also speaking of fantastic foodies - yesterday I spent the greater part of 3 hours in the company of a whole bunch of Wellington food bloggers (or bloggers who write about food, among other things) at Duke Carvell's in Swan Lane for lunch. I brought my camera along but somehow failed to take any photos - however, Rosa from The Culinary Explorations of Mrs Cake has done a great post about it here. Meeting up with a bunch of (mostly) strangers from the internet was definitely not as scary as it sounds and everyone was really lovely. I hope it happens again!

Ladies, an Evening

2010-06-29T22:17:00.008+12:00

It's a shame it wasn't 11am and about the right time for morning tea and warm scones, however tucked inside the lovely L'affare on a wintry evening armed with a wine, a sesame seed dipped club sandwich and an audience with Alexa Johnston – the author of the gorgeous “Ladies, a Plate” and “A Second Helping”, was a pretty close second. Millie and I (yes after a very long blogging respite on my behalf!) recently attended the evening with the award-winning custodian of kiwi home baking, Alexa Johnston, run by the Book Council of New Zealand.

It was truly a pleasure to talk baking with the grandmas, aunties, mothers, daughters, granddaughters of Wellington, and of course Alexa – whose exuberance and flair made the evening a lovely homage to the accomplished bakers of yesteryear.

Bespectacled and perched on a bar stool, Alexa told stories about her childhood kitchen experiments,her earlier years flatting with Ray McVinnie and their masterpieces, her love of trawling through second hand bookshops for her much loved community cookbooks, her treasured recipes and their creators, and her obsession with old fashioned kitchen utensils. Alexa had the audience giggling away, and recalling their favourite traditional pud' recipes for her up and coming book “What's for pudding” due to be released in 2011.

The books themselves are collections of traditional kiwi home baking – the kind of fare that graces the tins of your granny, your great aunt and your mum, and the tables of community get-togethers. The photographs are a beautiful portrait of what Alexa describes as an “honourable tradition”, and were all lovingly taken by Alexa in her home kitchen – complete with embroidered tablecloths, floral china and doilies. The recipes are all referenced to the lovely ladies who once contributed them to some community cookbook or other throughout New Zealand history.

Our appetites thoroughly whetted, Millie and I raced back to Millie's for homebaked cookies and tea. A lovely evening – if you ever have a chance to hear Alexa speak, she is really engaging and along with her books, is highly recommended!

A well thought-out evening. And who doesn't like being around people obsessed with food?!!

Baobab Cafe, Newtown

2010-06-20T18:23:00.004+12:00

Yesterday I found myself in Newtown after heading over to a fantastic fabric sale in St Anne's Hall.* I had dragged E along on the pretence of having breakfast somewhere in Newtown ("Oh, look, a fabric sale...! We can have a quick look... right?") and after a 'quick' look turned into nearly half an hour (yes, he was thrilled) both he and I were getting pretty desperate for food.

We popped into Baobab Cafe, where I'd been plenty of times for coffee and counter food but never for a full on meal. Like neighbouring Newtown cafe Pranah it's got sort of a natural, earthy vibe, relaxed and inviting, perfect for the weekend.

My peachy-hued banana and persimmon smoothie ($6) didn't taste too strongly of one or the other, but had a delicate hint of both fruits. I ordered it just because it sounded different and was delighted - I think it was the first time I've had persimmon in a smoothie, too.

Although I had set out intending to have breakfast food, I ended up ordering off the lunch menu, because come on, macadamia crusted baked goat's cheese ($13)? I couldn't resist. It came on two hot wedges of crispy polenta and a salad of fennel, rocket and parmesan. The nuttiness of the little chunks of macadamia was matched in the nutty parmesan and contrasted beautifully with the tangy goat cheese. And the textures in this dish! Crispy, crunchy, creamy: it was a celebration of contrasts.

The only thing I would have liked even more was if the cheese had been baked slightly longer to that almost-melting consistency, but it was wholly satisfying as it was.

E stuck to the breakfast menu, and was rewarded with these chocolate chip pancakes ($13) with feijoa and almond compote, maple syrup and whipped cream. These were so good (I kept sneaking bites). I almost never eat feijoas at home because they're one of those fruits I tell myself I don't like too much, but when I have them as part of a restaurant dish I'm suddenly all over them.** Needless to say I ate most of the compote (sorry, E!) but the pancakes themselves were beautiful, not too rich, a good balance of chocolate chip and pancake.

Baobab's menu has some refreshingly different offerings from your average cafe and we were both pleasantly surprised. Not pictured but worth mentioning: our coffees (a long black ($3) for me and a flat white ($3.80) for E) were good and they use Supreme's fair trade organic beans. Also, for a Saturday mid-morning it was busy, but not overwhelmingly so as some of the places in town can be on the weekend, and our food and drinks arrived in reasonable time. We'll be going back again for brunch/lunch, I think.

Baobab Cafe
152 Riddiford St
Newtown
Wellington
(04) 380 0470

www.baobab.co.nz

Open Mon-Fri 8am-5:30pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5:30pm

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*Not that I'm a pro with the sewing machine or anything, but I did get a couple lengths of nice fabric that'll be perfect for skirts... ooh!
**Like a while back, when my Mum and Dad were in town and I took them to Floridita's for breakfast... the vanilla-poached feijoas that topped my yoghurt were divine. I couldn't stop thinking about them for days.

The City Market, May 2010 - part 2

2010-05-15T14:03:00.002+12:00

Note: this is the second half of a 2-part post on my tour of the City Market earlier this month. Part 1 is here. Older posts from previous visits to the City Market are here and here.

Well, I can't believe almost a week has gone by since my last post but it's been a busy* few days. I'm about to head to the Food Show** (which is at Westpac Stadium all weekend) but first I want to share the rest of the photos from my City Market tour a couple Sundays ago.

Picking up where I left off... I had just gotten around to Zoe's Organic Seedlings' stall. Grow-your-own seems to be picking up speed lately (I planted my first vegetable garden last year!) so a stand selling locally-raised baby plants was hardly out of place here at the market.

Beautiful, healthy-looking vegetable and herb seedlings were arranged side by side, hand-labelled and wrapped in damp newspaper for the journey home. I picked up a pack of six cavolo nero seedlings ($2.50) - although I won't get to eat this particular purchase for a while yet, they look great in my garden and will be well worth the wait, I'm sure.

If you've wandered down Courtenay Place recently you might have noticed Brat Pack's little shop/stand right outside the Paramount Theatre.

Their bratwurst, venison sausage and more are popular among late-night revellers, but lately they've been just as popular with the Sunday morning crowd with their stall at the market. My favourite? Probably a tie between the venison & red wine brat or the cheese kransky, with onions and lots of mustard.

Just around the corner was Fantail Grove, a Greytown-based producer of olive oil, olives and hazelnuts. I loved the range of olive oil from different types of olive, as well as the different flavours - lemon was my favourite.

I love hazelnuts, so got chatting to Margot, the stallholder. She told me about the difference fresh roasting makes to the flavour - since the roasted ones were roasted the night before, I picked up a bag to snack on. She was also quite willing to give instructions on how to roast raw nuts yourself, which I might try next time I visit this stall.

Fantail Grove were also selling hazelnut pesto- fresh and herbaceous but with a sweet, nutty depth from the bits of hazelnut.

Their hazelnut & chocolate spread was also delicious: think Nutella, but not as solid, with a definite 'artisan' feel, a bit more elegant and refined.

Another Greytown stall, The French Baker has had a mention in my first post on the City Market, but it remains a Market favourite.

These brown sugar brioches ($4) are high on my list of reasons for getting up on a Sunday morning - sticky, soft delights. They're so good that I haven't even tried any of Moise the baker's gorgeous patisseries, though I'm sure they're just as delicious.

These plump, green gaeta olives ($6/pot) were one of several olive varieties sold by Olive's Olives (the name, I'm told, is a play on "I love olives"). I was eager to try them as I hadn't heard of this variety before (these olives actually come from Italy). They were quite unique with an almost-buttery flavour, and a firm texture; I couldn't stop thinking about them all week and had to go back last Sunday for a pot to take home.

They also sell beautiful Coromandel Smoked Fish, another one of the few things sold at the market that doesn't come from Wellington. I didn't try any this time, but apparently the smoked fish is to die for.

And they seem quite popular - I only just managed to sneak a photo of these garlic mussels ($5/pot) before another pot-full was spirited away by an eager market-goer.

Paula's Pantry was another one of the newer additions to the market, with gorgeous baked goods and homemade sauces and chutneys.

This dukkah spice mix was great with the bread and oil out for sampling, and I loved the suggestion on the package to eat it with soft boiled eggs and soldiers.

Of course many of us know Martin Bosley's as one of Wellington's finer dining establishments, but he's also got a weekly presence at the City Market. This blood orange syrup ($10) made for a delicious cordial with some sparkling water. I was lucky enough to receive a bottle from Martin and I've been drizzling it over yoghurt with sliced strawberries - divine!

The palm sugar dressing ($10) is a City Market staple, week in and week out. I'm more of a simple balsamic-and-olive-oil drizzle on my salads at home but I'm very tempted to get a bottle - it's apparently very versatile and goes on a lot more than salad!

Like the blood orange syrup, Martin Bosley's lemon syrup ($10) tasted delicious with sparkling water, like a tangy homemade lemonade. Sort of pictured (far right) are his spice blends ($10) - I loved the fragrant, anise-y duck spice.

Majo Aprons stood out among the other stalls with their range of colourful and cute aprons. They were all quite unique - there seems to be something for everyone.

I loved the little details on these kids' aprons - the lacy trim and bright colours screamed 'adorable'.

Shott Beverages have a pretty major presence on the cordial/drink mix scene in New Zealand, supplying to many cafes, and some might wonder what they're doing at a market selling mostly artisan goods. However, as Rachel (from Yellow Brick Road, co-founder of the City Market and my wonderful tour guide) explained to me, they're just as Wellingtonian as the rest of the stalls, with their base in Petone, and it's great for them to be able to interact with customers and get feedback as well. Their lemon, honey and ginger mix is probably the most popular, but I really liked the melon, lime and bitters, which was quite different and refreshing.

One of the cool things about the City Market is that they're licenced to serve alcohol, so there's usually a stand doing wine tastings. One of the regulars is Archer McRae Wine Merchants, who bring different Martinborough wines over to the market almost every Sunday. I had a big chat with Chris Archer from Archer McRae, who told me all about how they try to act as a 'cellar door' for the smaller wineries, getting them out to the Wellington public. That week they were selling Croft 2008 Chardonnay, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and 2006 Pinot Noir, as well as the 2009 Pinot Gris from Pheasant Plucker. I don't profess to know too much about wine but Chris was more than happy to share some of his wealth of knowledge about the wine as well as the wineries that make it. Archer McRae are also making wine of their own, which will be available this year (if all goes well!).

Kapiti Olives have been another regular at the market, and I've tried their olive oil a number of times. This time they were manning the Market Kitchen, one of my favourite features of the City Market, where local restaurateurs and food producers sell light meals and snacks.

On offer that week were two different types of bruschetta, made with Kapiti Olive Oil. These were big and hearty enough to be open-faced sandwiches, with plenty of good stuff on toasted ciabatta bread.

I didn't try the mushroom and spinach bruschetta ($5) but it looked umptuous, shiny with olive oil and topped with shaved parmesan.

I got the tomato, bocconcini & basil bruschetta ($5) as a sort of lunch (as if I hadn't eaten enough samples already!), and it tasted fresh and delicious - I loved the avocado as an added touch, too. The only trouble I had with this one was that (perhaps because I was overeager and trying to eat too quickly) some of the toppings kept falling off while I was trying to take a bite, so anyone watching me eat would have been either amused or revolted as I frantically kept picking up the pieces and shoving them into my mouth. It was worth the minor embarrassment, though.

Second to last was Harringtons, a butchery and smallgoods producer based in Miramar. They always have a decent selection of meat (including free-range pork) and sausages, bacon and other smallgoods.

Before going home, I stopped to chat again with Rachel at the Yellow Brick Road stall, and learned all about the history of the business - how it began when Rachel returned from the US and began sourcing premium-quality New Zealand fish to supply chefs overseas, and how the focus shifted to supplying local chefs and restaurants as well. The fish is sustainably sourced, long-line caught, and flown in fresh. A lot of the fish comes from Leigh, north of Auckland, but Rachel has contacts with fishermen from other parts of the country as well.

The drawcard for me at this stall is always their Te Matuku Bay oysters ($1.50 ea/$7.50 1/2 dz/$15 dz). Yellow Brick Road is one of the few seafood vendors I know of in Wellington who sell unshucked as well as freshly shucked oysters, and I'm so grateful for it - you can definitely taste the difference (fresh is best!).*** Rachel told me that the unshucked ones are especially popular among the French market-goers, many of whom are used to being able to buy them in the shell at markets back in France. I totally applaud Yellow Brick Road's commitment to freshness and quality - Rachel also told me about about how she tries to emphasise whole fish or skin-on, bone-in fillets, which is not as common in NZ as in other parts of the world.

Perhaps the best thing about Yellow Brick Road is their seafood chowder ($5) - rich, creamy and satisfying. Rachel told me what goes into it but I forgot to write it down (oops!); I can, however, tell you that it included a whole lot of deliciousness. It did sell out, though - I managed to get the last bits from the pot - so get in early if you can!

Worth mentioning but not pictured here (I got home and realised I hadn't taken any photos!) is a stall selling the most beautiful flowers - I believe they're called Enchante Flowers. When I went back last weekend they seemed to be doing a bustling trade for Mother's Day.

The thing that impressed me most about the market is all of the hardworking stallholders who, on what should be their morning off, come in at the crack of dawn (some from as far as the Wairarapa, Kapiti Coast & Horowhenua!!) to talk to shoppers and sample their wares. Everyone seemed to be incredibly passionate about food and their products and their enthusiasm was really infectious - after meeting everyone and seeing what they do I couldn't help but leave with a smile on my face, a belly full of goodness and a shopping bag heavy with goodies. The only downside I can think of is that a lot of the products are not as cheap as their mass-produced counterparts in the supermarkets... but the rewarding feeling of building relationships with the people who make your food kind of makes up for the sting to the wallet (or at least that's how I justify it!). Do check it out!

(and thanks again to Rachel from Yellow Brick Road for taking the time to show me around and introduce me to everyone - it was such a great experience!)

The City Market
The Atrium, Chaffers Dock Building
1 Herd St
Wellington Waterfront

Sundays 8:30am-12:30pm
www.citymarket.co.nz
City Market on Facebook

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Sundays 8:30am-12:30pm

* (among other things, I got a kitten named Frankie who is the coolest cat ever!)
** I probably don't even need to say this but I'm SO excited, mostly about going back late Sunday afternoon for the end-of-show markdowns ;)
*** In what seems like a previous lifetime I worked in a seafood restaurant in the US which served oysters freshly shucked by a dedicated oyster shucker - I'll never forget my first raw oyster I had during my time working there.

The City Market, May 2010 - part 1

2010-05-08T22:45:00.000+12:00

Note: Mostly due to my excitement last Sunday at getting to meet and chat with so many stallholders, I have so much to share. I was going to do it all at once but thought it'd be better to get part of it out there first, so... this post will be divided up! Come back soon for Part 2 :)

If you've been reading this blog for a while you might have read the last couple posts on the City Market. Last Sunday I was lucky enough to be given a tour by Yellow Brick Road's lovely Rachel Taulelei, a co-founder of the market (along with Martin Bosley). Although I'm a pretty regular shopper at the City Market, I was super excited to get to learn more about how the market came about and chat with so many people who are so passionate about what they do best - food.

Rachel shouted me a flat white ($3.50) from Emporio's stall; although it wasn't too early I definitely appreciated the Sunday morning caffeine kick. Quite decent coffee too.

While we sipped our coffees, Rachel chatted to me about the story behind the market, how they wanted to highlight Wellington producers making top-quality products, get shoppers interacting with the people behind the food, and how the indoor location was ideal for those blustery Wellington days.

Having called Wellington home for many years now I'm definitely aware of the fierce pride that Wellingtonians have for this city, and this market seems to be a manifestation of that pride. Lots of people (myself included) are more willing to pay a little more for products when they're good quality, made locally and the producers themselves are willing to have a chat to you.

Which is exactly what I did. So, without further ado, here are the (first batch of) stalls I visited last Sunday:

First stop was Angie O, a producer of limoncello and other homemade goodies like pickled garlic and garlic sauce. I have to admit I was a bit hesitant to mix limoncello with coffee at 9 o'clock in the morning, but I'm glad I got past that to taste the three liqueurs on offer. The limoncello was quite sweet and lemony, and not at all strong (only 12% alcohol). The liamcello, made with limes, was quite sharp and sweet and possibly my favourite flavour of the three, but I was most intrigued by the alloro, a bay leaf liqueur, which was very sweet, smooth and quite full-flavoured.

Angie O also sells garlic sauce and pickled garlic. I expected the pickles to be quite strong, but they were actually very mild, more like pickled onions. Very tasty, and no scary garlic breath here!

One of the neat things about the City Market is that although around 80% of their stallholders are there on a (mostly) weekly basis, there are always new and semi-regular stalls popping up each week. One of the newer ones last week sold deliciously fresh organic apple, ginger & carrot juice from the guys behind Organic Boxes, which is similar to a CSA in that they'll deliver a box of veggies to your door every week, but without a time commitment. Hmm... this may have potential!

A weekly favourite of mine is Le Marché Français's cheese stall. Rachel explained to me that this is one of the few stalls whose products don't come from Wellington, but the variety of French cheeses on offer is to die for.

I always try to bring home a different cheese each week. They're really good about letting you have a taste, too - which can be great for those who might be overwhelmed by the array of unfamiliar varieties.

Esque Chocolate was next. I especially loved the thyme dark chocolate; the thyme brought an herbaceous freshness, like a twist on mint chocolate.

This stall has caught my eye a number of times before because of the gorgeous presentation - the detail that goes into the chocolate wrappers is breathtaking.

Brezelmania always has a stunning display of baked goods, and this week was no exception. I picked up a soft prezel for E, who loves their salty chewiness.

Brezelmania is based in Petone but also has shops in Kilburnie and Kelburn. The owners have spent time in Germany and have German friends, and sell a range of German breads and other baked treats like these gorgeous loaves of Nusszopf and Quarkzopf above.

And of course I couldn't stop drooling over these danishes. If I'm lucky sometimes I'll pick one up to eat while I shop.

Le Canard's stall is another perennial favourite at the City Market. Although their Thorndon restaurant is fantastic enough, they're also here every Sunday selling duck liver mousse, duck rillette and duck terrine (true to their name - le canard translates to "the duck" in French) along with jars of stock and little pots of steak butter.

I usually get a piece of duck terrine with fig & walnut every week and have it as a Sunday afternoon snack.

The figs and walnuts give it a real earthy heartiness, and it's savoury yet almost sweet.

Raine & Taylor, another newcomer to the market (they also sell products at Kirkaldie and Stains' cafe), had a stall full of gluten free baking. I do love my wheat products, but these were tasty anyway.

Plus it's exciting to see a stall dedicated to well-made, gluten-free goodies. I know quite a few people who are gluten intolerant who would be thrilled to find these guys!

Loukoumi Turkish Delight have been featured before on this blog - they make a really diverse range of flavoured Turkish delights.

Loukoumi make their Turkish Delight here in Wellington based on a traditional recipe the owners acquired when they bought the business a few years ago. The range of flavours is impressive, and although rose is the most popular, other traditional flavours like hazelnut and pomegranate are superb. My favourite, though, has to be feijoa - that distinctive taste goes beautifully with the soft, melting texture of the sweets.

Cupcake Sweeties is one of those stalls that I would normally gaze at longingly, but never actually indulge in. I'm so glad that I stopped by this lovely corner stall last Sunday to have a chat (and get a closer look at those darling cupcakes).

I loved the cute packaging idea for these mini cupcakes - they're the perfect size for the egg cartons. You can buy them individually or as a pack of 6; I had one lemon yoghurt mini cupcake ($2) which was tangy and moist and the perfect size for grazing. Winner!

A cool aspect of this stall is that not only do they sell exquisitely decorated cupcakes, they also sell little bits and pieces so that the DIY-minded can bake and decorate their own exquisite little cakes. A lot of these (like edible glitter) can be quite tricky to find in New Zealand so it's good to know you can get them here.

24 Carrot Dream Produce occupied the other corner stall - what a beautiful spread.

Although they don't grow the fruit and vegetables themselves, 24 Carrot Dream Produce, as suppliers to some of Wellington's top restaurants, have got top-quality produce for sale.

These baby beetroot and carrots were so cute next to the comparatively-monstrous looking garlic.

Although I usually get my fresh vegetables from the Harbourside Market next door, these veggies really did look high caliber.

The stall next door, Farmhouse Kitchen, was selling a couple different things like gigantic jars of pickled onions (so tempting) and homemade applesauce, but the star of the show here was the Macadamia Gold Muesli.

It's actually made in Cambridge and Farmhouse Kitchen have arranged to sell it at the market. At $24 per 600g bag, it's certainly not a budget cereal, but it's delicious: crunchy, nutty, quite sweet (but in a good way). And you could partly justify the price tag based on the high nut content... macadamias aren't that cheap! In fact, aside from some sweeteners, it's mostly nuts and seeds (not to mention it's gluten free!), so it's relatively healthy too.

If I wasn't pacing myself (had to leave room in my stomach to try everything!) I would have had this parfait ($6.50): muesli, yoghurt, fruit and two types of homemade fruit compote.

Apple Quarter, from Te Horo in the Horowhenua, showed off their spray-free apples and pears in full seasonal glory. The fruit trees are not only spray-free, but they're also treated using homeopathic remedies, which sounds quite intriguing.

They weren't as big or beautiful as the specimens you'd find in a supermarket, but they were crunchy and juicy and so full of flavour - a good honest apple. And pretty good value too; I got myself a 2 kg bag of Pacific Beauties for $4.

I'm going to stop here for now, but keep your eyes peeled for the next instalment - highlights to come include hazelnut pesto, smoked mussels, buttery-soft green olives, Martin Bosley's palm sugar dressing, and my thoughts on the market so far (fast approaching its 1st birthday next month).

And a preliminary thanks to Rachel Taulelei who so graciously took the time to introduce me to everyone and explain to me what goes on behind the scenes!

The City Market
The Atrium, Chaffers Dock Building
1 Herd St
Wellington Waterfront

Sundays 8:30am-12:30pm

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Pranah Cafe, Newtown

2010-04-20T20:56:00.009+12:00

I've been trying to get out and about in the suburbs more now that I've got a car in Wellington. High on the to-visit list was Pranah, one of my favourite unfrequently-visited cafes in colourful Newtown. It's a quirky little vegetarian joint with plenty of vegan and gluten free options - but don't let the lack of meat put you off, as there's enough variety and freshness on the menu that you'll probably forget about the bacon.

I don't normally go for the "big breakfast" options at cafes (mostly because they're expensive and too big for me to finish anyway), but the hoe down ($18) reeled me in with its adorable name and a slew of foods I couldn't resist the sound of: poached eggs, sourdough, spinach, hollandaise, roasted tomatoes, rosemary potatoes, chilli beans, chutney.

The potatoes were a bit dry, but I loved the mountain of fresh baby spinach piled on top, gradually wilting with the heat of the food underneath. The sourdough managed to stay wonderfully chewy even as it soaked up the egg yolks and hollandaise. With so many components all on one plate, most fun of all was coming up with different combinations - my favourite was tomatoes, potatoes, and chilli beans with a dab of chutney.

E's banana and almond pancakes ($12, vegan) came in a stack of three adorably lopsided pancakes, loaded with banana slices, plum, yoghurt and maple syrup and topped with a crunchy sprinkle of sliced almonds. These were a treat, though they did get a bit soggy towards the end (perhaps not in a bad way; the plum juices & maple syrup were delicious).

The sticky date & ginger slice ($3, vegan) was moist and chewy, laden with chopped dates and candied ginger, and served with yoghurt. It was zingy and sweet and not as sinfully rich as the words "sticky date" sometimes suggest. I'd go back for more.

Pranah's banana smoothie ($5), a lightly spiced concoction made with bananas and milk, tasted clean and simple, sweet and milky. Not too thick, with a frothy, bubbly surface, I might go so far as to call it delicate. A smoothie-as-beverage rather than smoothie-as-meal, and all the better for it.

One of my favourite things from Pranah (and probably the thing that keeps me going back) is their ginger hot milk ($3.30) (closely followed by their tumeric hot milk). Smooth, foamy steamed milk, sweet and spicy, with a gingery warming sensation that lingers in your mouth long after the heat of the drink is gone, it was slightly reminiscent of the hot, sweet, milky ginger teas I had in Singapore and Malaysia.

E's flat white ($3.80) was of a generally high standard, with an elegantly smooth layer of froth. Pranah uses Newtown's own Peoples Coffee beans, which are fair trade and organic.

This place is refreshing. Light and airy, popular but not chaotically busy (not anytime I've been, anyway), it's a perfect place for a coffee or bite to eat. And you won't even miss the bacon.

Pranah Cafe
120 Riddiford St
Newtown
Wellington
(04) 389 8100

www.pranahcafe.co.nz

Open Mon-Sat 9-4:30 and Sun 10-4:30, kitchen closes at 2:30 (this is what it said on their door - their website says 9-5 daily).

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PhuThai Esarn Restaurant, Cambridge Tce

2010-04-16T08:44:00.006+12:00

Just a quick post for today on the lunch E and I had the other day at PhuThai Esarn Restaurant on Cambridge Terrace. I was going to wait to blog about it till I'd been back for dinner, but I'm eating leftover takeaway pad thai right now*, and it's making me want to write about this place.

I'd wanted to try PhuThai ever since I noticed it at its old location on Majoribanks St last year. When I got back from my travels overseas I was pleasantly surprised to see it had moved closer to my house, replacing the old Thai Panom restaurant that used to be at that Cambridge Terrace spot. They've spruced the place up quite a bit, with red walls and colourful decorations. An inviting space, but even more inviting the other day was the sign out front advertising their $10 lunch menu.

So, in we went. It was a bit empty** but our waiter (the owner, perhaps?) was friendly, prompt and attentive, and we were able to place our orders right away.***

E's basil chicken ($10), stir-fried chicken and vegetables with fresh basil leaves and hot Thai chillies, tasted fresh and flavourful. He had requested it to be spicy, and wasn't disappointed - the fresh chillies gave it a satisfying, lingering heat.

I ordered the tom yum goong ($10), a decent lunch-sized portion of hot and sour soup with mushrooms, onions and prawns. I want to say that this was the best tom yum soup I've had outside of Thailand, though to be honest I usually stick to curries and other non-soup dishes at Thai restaurants so I can't really say if it's the best in Wellington.

Regardless, it was undeniably good. The combination of lemongrass and lime juice flavouring the broth gave it an almost hauntingly sour-sweet hit and there were enough sliced chillies in there to make my brow sweat and my eyes water (NB: I had requested it spicy) but that didn't stop me from finishing every last drop. The prawns were succulent, not overcooked, and the mushrooms plump and juicy.

Both lunch dishes came with complimentary rice and salad, which was a nice touch. I'm excited to go back and try their dinner menu; they specialise in Esarn dishes (from Northeastern Thailand), of which I'm a particular fan. And I can verify that my takeaway chicken pad thai from last night was of a good standard. It probably won't be long before I blog about this place again!

(I'll reserve the rating for when I've been there more than once, and have tried their dinner menu as well)

PhuThai Esarn Restaurant
35-38 Cambridge Tce (former Thai Panom Restaurant; previously located at 21 Majoribanks St)
Wellington
(04) 801 5006

www.phuthaiesarn.co.nz

Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm
Dinner: 7 days 5pm-late

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*Leftovers for breakfast = sometimes the best kind of breakfast.
** It was not at all empty when I went in last night around 7:30 to pick up my takeaway, however.
*** Because the worst thing when eating in an empty-ish restaurant is when the staff lose focus and forget that you're there.

Mojo, Wellington Airport

2010-04-13T12:34:00.001+12:00

Lately it feels as though I've been away from Wellington more than I've been home, and I've been no stranger to the airport. While I used to be one of those people the airlines probably loathe, always running late and checking in at the very last minute, over the past few trips I've been making a habit of arriving with time to spare and having breakfast at Mojo's Wellington airport cafe.

With both a downstairs area in the main terminal serving counter food and coffee, and an upstairs lounge where you can enjoy cooked meals, it's certainly a lot more relaxing than rushing through check-in and security. This past Easter Sunday was no exception: E and I arrived in plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast before our flight to Christchurch.

E's brioche French toast with bacon & maple syrup ($14) was pretty much everything you could ask from a French toast. The brioche slices held their own against the eggy batter, perfectly soft yet still sturdy, and the maple syrup and crispy bacon provided that sweet-savoury hit that fuels my French toast obsession. After a few bites of this, I was almost regretting not ordering it for myself...

Almost, because if there's one thing that I love more than French toast for breakfast it's anything covered in a good hollandaise sauce. And as soon as I dug into my eggs benedict with spinach ($12), I knew I'd made the right choice.

Two poached eggs perched daintily atop a bed of spinach and toasted English muffin halves. With a generous (but not excessive) serving of hollandaise sauce and a sprinkling of chopped chives, this was a luscious Sunday morning treat. Although I found the spinach somewhat bland, this was countered by the lemony zing of the hollandaise, and the eggs were cooked beautifully.

Because there was still a bit of time before our flight, and because the colourful sprinkles had caught my eye, I headed downstairs to the counter to get myself a Belgian biscuit ($3.50). A layer of jam was sandwiched between two buttery, faintly spiced biscuits, topped with a smear of icing and gorgeously bright hundreds and thousands. Who says you can't have dessert after breakfast?

For coffee we had a flat white ($3.80) each. We're both normally fans of Mojo coffee, but this one seemed like it had been left out for a bit before being served, the froth somewhat weak and dissipated. Perhaps they were understaffed due to it being Easter, as I've had better on previous visits.

For an extra dash of caffeine before the flight, I ordered a piccolo ($3) after my meal. It was somewhat slow in coming out, but the strong coffee flavour tempered with a bit of milk satisfactorily fulfilled my lingering caffeine needs.

Mojo already has a strong presence on the Wellington coffee scene, with several cafes all over town (each with its own slightly different character). Although I usually frequent their cafe on Kent Terrace, I'm most grateful for their airport location. Finally, a good option for airport food and coffee.* I'm starting to change my mind on the notion that one should spend as little time as possible in airport terminals.

View Gusty Gourmet in a larger map**

Mojo Airport
Wellington Airport
04 831 1231

Open from 4:30am till late - perfect for those early international flights

www.mojocoffee.co.nz

*Although Wishbone isn't bad, and isn't badly placed either, with its seating area overlooking the runway...
**4:35PM: updated to add map.

Phoenician Falafel, Kent Tce

2010-03-28T18:07:00.009+13:00

The first time I had a lamb shish from Phoenician Falafel, a little Lebanese eatery on Kent Tce, I couldn't stop thinking about it for a week, until I finally gave in and went back for another. Things haven't changed much since then: on Thursday night, I went to Phoenician for dinner; woke up Friday morning with lamb shish in my dreams; by Saturday afternoon I was back there for lunch.

So, the lamb shish ($10). Not your average lamb kebab. Chunks of juicy, marinated lamb, cooked to order over a grill behind the counter, wrapped in a thin but airy pita bread along with lettuce, tomato, gherkins, and just enough hummus to hold it all together - but somehow, all together, it's one of the heavenliest things I've eaten. Thursday's was no exception; although it was E who had ordered it, I found myself sneaking bites almost every time he put it down.

In the spirit of trying something new, I had ordered E's usual, the sojak ($8). This was a few pieces of spicy Lebanese sausage, oblong and flattened a little, grilled to order and served simply with sliced tomato and a generously sized gherkin. Nothing complicated about this one, but the pared-back presentation showcased the flavours of the sausage beautifully. Juicy, with a little crunchy crust, the meat was savoury and spicy with a slow lingering heat and the gherkin and tomato provided a pleasant textural contrast.

So I was smitten, once again, by Phoenician's offerings. It isn't hard to see why I went back, on Saturday afternoon, alone, with lamb shish in my heart but keen to try something new. I'm glad I did: the chicken shawarma ($10) is another force to be reckoned with. Tender pieces of seasoned chicken were wrapped in pita bread with gherkins, salad and tahini. Oh, the tahini! The almost-smoky nuttiness of that sauce combined with the mild yet fragrant spices seasoning the chicken was profoundly wonderful.

Phoenician Falafel also do a pretty damn good baklava ($2.50). It's made with cashews which give it a distinctive flavour, and there's just enough rose syrup to give it a hint of sticky sweetness, though it's far from soggy. Truly swoon-worthy.

Phoenician Falafel isn't your typical kebab joint, and I almost feel it unfair to call it that. You don't get a choice from a long list of sauces or a counter-full of toppings; what you order is what you get, pretty much how the proprietors want to serve it. And, judging by the mouthwatering creations coming out of their little kitchen, they certainly know what they're doing. You may find it strange that for a place with "falafel" in the name, I've only mentioned meat dishes, but I've been so blown away by the quality of their meat-based choices that I keep going back for more. (I do have a vegetarian friend who had a less-than-great experience with their falafel kebab, which I kind of don't want to believe, but will have to check it out for myself soon)

This is not a place for the late-night Courtenay Place crowd seeking an alcohol-soaking feed at 4am (they close at 11pm on weekends). It is the place for those seeking great, unpretentious food in a casual atmosphere (or to take away - there aren't many seats). Check it out. And try the lamb shish. You'll be glad you did.

Phoenician Falafel
10 Kent Tce
Wellington
(04) 385 9997

Mon-Wed 11:30am-9:30pm; Thu-Sat 11:30am-11pm; closed Sun.

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Business Bites at La Bella Italia (La Bambina - the Terrace)

2010-03-26T09:05:00.009+13:00

With both Florence and I finally back in town, we decided to have a long overdue catch-up over a lunch hour. We opted for La Bella Italia on the Terrace, conveniently placed near Florence's office.

La Bella Italia are pretty big on the Wellington Italian food scene: their warehouse-cum-eatery in Petone is more than worth the train fare, and their imported Italian cheeses and meats can be found in Moore Wilson's and other places that sell gourmet food products. Their shop/deli/cafe on the Terrace, lovingly named La Bambina ('the child' - whereas their original Petone store is called La Mamma) is perfect for an indulgent weekday lunch.

While Florence indulged in a glass of Rose Masseria Altamura ($9), the recommended wine pairing for her main, I had a cappucino ($3.50). It was a treat: just the right amount of foam to balance out the milk & espresso underneath. Plus, La Bella Italia uses L'Affare beans, which is always a thumbs up in my book.

The spaghetti gamberi e rucola ($19.50), spaghetti with prawns and rocket, came tossed in a chilli-garlic-olive oil combination* that's quite typical in Italian cooking. The spaghetti was perfectly al dente, the prawns plump and succulent (though a bit on the small side, the quantity was more than plenty), the chilli providing just enough bite to leave a mild yet lingering heat on the tongue. Delicious. I would have preferred more rocket, though in hindsight I wonder if they got our garnishes mixed up, as it seems like Florence had a heap of rocket on her dish whereas the greens on mine were mostly parsley.

Florence ordered the manicaretti con prosciutto cotto e pesto al basilico ($17.50): crepes made of flat pasta, stuffed with a dreamy mixture of ricotta, cooked prosciutto and basil pesto, baked with a layer of cheese and tomato sauce on top. It was airy yet rich, mild, flavourful.

True to their roots as importers/purveyors of fine Italian products, La Bella Italia's Terrace location also has a deli area selling cheese, cured meats and other Italian products. Not only is it the perfect spot for a business lunch, they have a good selection of gelato, biscotti, slices and the like, making it a great coffee spot too. And I'm sure at some point one of us will check out their breakfast menu!

La Bella Italia Bambina N. 1
101 The Terrace
Wellington
(04) 499 1155

Open Mon-Fri 7am-late. Closed Sat & Sun.

labellaitalia.co.nz

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*I somehow managed to splatter a drop of this oily sauce onto my new silk top, much to my embarrassment. It seems to only happen when I'm wearing something nice, too... whoops!

Gusty Gourmet: The Map is here!

2010-03-25T21:53:00.003+13:00

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I've been working on a Google map with all the places featured in this blog. Double-click to zoom, click and drag to move, or use the navigation buttons in the top left corner. Click on the blue balloons for more info and a link to the relevant blog post (and, where available, the restaurant's website). Hopefully it works OK - any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Offbeat Originals, Left Bank

2010-03-20T18:20:00.003+13:00

If you walk past this sign in Cuba Mall’s Left Bank, you might be forgiven for thinking Offbeat Originals was just another one of Cuba St’s funky shops, selling (as the sign says) “artglass, ceramics & collectables”. But as you go further into the Left Bank* it’s soon apparent that , whilst Offbeats does have a funky collection of the aforementioned curios, its main attraction is (for me anyway) its no-frills-but-damn-good burgers, sandwiches, shakes and smoothies.

I loved the chocolate peanut butter milkshake ($5). Offbeats has a myriad of milkshake flavours, with extras like peanut butter a dollar extra. Of course, as a fan of all things peanut butter, I couldn’t pass it up. Nothing pretentious about this shake; it’s served in a Longest Drink in Town cup, not too thick (they also do thickshakes for those so inclined), but with a bit of extra body from the peanut butter. It’s pretty filling; it could be a (rather unhealthy but so so good!) meal in itself.

The tamarillo smoothie ($6**) was pretty tamarillo-y. I ordered this mainly because of the sheer comprehensiveness of the smoothie list, and the novelty of seeing it on the menu. It made me remember the fact that tamarillo’s not my favourite fruit… something about the flavour, I guess. Still, it was a refreshing drink, definitely not too sweet, as some smoothies can get.

Offbeats does a number of burgers, toasties and sandwiches. I usually get a baked bean and cheese toastie (although it’s something I could easily make at home, I still find myself drawn to their version) but this time I opted for a tofu burger ($7.50). It was such a good choice, I’m not sure I can go back to the old baked bean and cheese. The tofu was fried enough that it was bordering on crispy, but still juicy from the marinade. A generous portion of salad and a smear of mayo rounded off the whole thing nicely. And the soft, yet substantial bun might possibly have been the best burger bun I’ve had of late.

My friend C had a chicken, tomato and cheese panini ($6**). With customisable fillings, the number of panini permutations you can have is endless, and the olive-flecked bread is a nice addition.

The slices at Offbeats come in these long, thin bar-shapes. They’re a force to be reckoned with – maybe because of their length, they seem really huge, and are pretty sweet and rich at first bite (I can say that about the caramel slice and ginger slice, anyway). I was unsure if C and I could finish this, but I was wrong… despite our full bellies, it disappeared pretty quickly. The ginger slice ($3) had a thick, muesli-bar-like base which was chewy and gingery. There was just the perfect amount of icing; though it was thin, it was sweet and rich with a strong flavour of ginger. Just the way I like it, though if there had been more icing it would have overpowered the slice.

Offbeat Originals is a good choice for a quick, cheap feed when you don’t want to compromise on quality. In addition to tofu burgers and paninis, they also do non-vegetarian burgers, toasties and sandwiches and soup which all seem like popular choices. Although their menu is pretty basic, the sheer number of choices in terms of panini and toastie fillings as well as shakes and smoothies means that you could quite easily go there and never have to eat the same thing twice (although I usually end up getting the same things every time anyway!).

Offbeat Originals
Left Bank Arcade
Cuba St
Wellington
(04) 801 8318

*Speaking of Left Bank, it’s full of gems. While Satay Kingdom is a favourite of many, I’m partial to Oriental Kingdom on the other side… they do a tasty chicken rice as well as the usual roti dishes. Plus I’ve been told that there’s a pretty good empanada place there, which I’m super excited to check out!

** If these prices are somewhat inaccurate, I apologise: I’m at the airport*** and mistakenly left my little notebook in my checked luggage. So I’m working off memory. But I think I’m right. I’ll double check and correct any errors upon landing!

***Yes, I’m on my way back to Wellington! (Via a 12 hour stopover in Brisbane) So, so excited. It’s been a good trip, though!

Kreuzberg Summer Cafe

2010-03-09T06:41:00.001+13:00

Aside from a brief (4-day!) stint in the capital city in February, my Summer Away From Wellington has been carrying on steadily. If you follow me on Twitter you might have read about my travels to the States and Brazil*, but I haven't been as good about posting updates from the road here on the blog. But! Worry not, dear readers (if there are any of you left!) - in less than two weeks I make my return to Wellington. And with Florence back from Vietnam, for the first time in months, both of this blog's co-authors will be in the same place at the same time, so coverage of our favourite eating experiences should resume as per usual!

As much as I've enjoyed travelling around, I can't wait to get back to my own kitchen, my favourite haunts and, fingers crossed, the tail end of the summer sunshine. OK, so technically it's autumn, but Metservice tells me there's still plenty of sun left in the forecast. Before it runs out, I want to share one of my new favourite places to bask in the sun, Kreuzberg Summer Cafe.

I've only been there a handful of times, but this outdoor cafe, located at the top of Cuba St in a former car yard, has that perfect Wellington-summer laid-back vibe that made me fall in love instantly.

Food and drinks are served out of a caravan, the cafe seating is on brightly painted picnic tables (a second caravan provides "indoor" seating), and the coffee comes in colourfully mismatched vintage cups and saucers.

The flat white ($3.50) was superb - the flavour and strength of the People's Coffee espresso held its own against the almost sweet creaminess of the milk - this is one coffee that definitely doesn't need added sugar, folks.

I had the yellow sunshine burger ($9.50): haloumi, caramelised onion, mayonnaise and fresh veggies in between tender Turkish bread. I'm such a fan of haloumi that I might be a bit biased, but this may well rank among the top 3 burgers I've had over the past year. The salty greasiness of the cheese was well-matched by the onions and mayo, but the bit that pulled it all together, in my opinion, was the cool crunch of the cucumber. Outstanding.

Wanting to try some of the sweeter options, I chose a mini caramel slice ($1). This bite-sized portion is a genius idea; I mean, way to break down the barriers to temptation (it's only a little slice...)! The slice itself was tasty but I found the caramel filling more russian fudge-y than caramelly. I'm still undecided as to whether that really detracts from its quality, though.

The blueberry muffin ($3.50) teetered on the oily side, but I'd take that over an over-dry muffin any day. It was soft, sweet and had that characteristic blueberry-muffin-batter vanilla-y taste - a definite plus.

Kreuzberg is the kind of place that I expect will come to define "Wellington on a good day" over the years. It seems to be actively becoming part of the eclectic Cuba St scene, hosting live music and the Cuba St Night Market on Fridays. It's vegetarian-friendly, the coffee is fair trade and much of the food & drink come from local and/or organic suppliers. On a sunny afternoon in Wellington, Kreuzberg may just well be the place to be.

Kreuzberg Summer Cafe
Cnr Cuba & Webb St
Te Aro
Wellington
(021) 119-6257
Open 7 days, 7:30am-sunset

*For those of you who are interested, I'm posting photo highlights from Brazil, NYC and Chicago here

Caffe Astoria, Lambton Quay

2010-02-01T22:32:00.000+13:00

Thanks everyone for putting up with the very infrequent updates this summer. Florence is still in Southeast Asia, but my stint in Christchurch is drawing to a close and I'll be returning to Wellington before I know it... Sunday morning to be precise, and I couldn't be more excited! That said, I've really enjoyed being in another city, exploring and discovering new favourite spots tucked away in little nooks and crannies, and best of all, getting out and about on a borrowed bicycle which I've fallen in love with. I'm determined to get a bike when I get back to Wellington, even if the hills make it a bit less appealing.

The subject of this post, like the last, dates back to a couple of visits I made to Caffe Astoria before going away in December. It's conveniently located at the Lambton end of town, so I sometimes stop by there in the mornings for a coffee and a quick bite to eat.

On one such morning, I had a flat white ($3.50). Astoria roasts its own blend, which I usually find decently strong, though it can sometimes be a little on the bitter side.

The dainty blueberry friand ($2.5) was the perfect size for morning tea - less substantial than a muffin, but rich in flavour and texture.

Inside, the blueberry filling paired well with the dense, moist, almond-y cake. Both the cake and the filling were delicately sweet rather than overbearingly sugary.

On another morning, I changed things up from my usual flat white and had a latte ($3.5). This is probably because I'm used to drinking flat whites, but it tasted mostly of milk with a hint of coffee (note to self: drink a wider range of coffee to get rid of my skewed palate!).

Lately I've been on a bit of a pain aux raisins kick and seem to be getting them from Moore Wilson's bread counter pretty frequently. Astoria's version ($4) was pretty good, but it didn't quite reach the near-perfection I've had from some of the French bakeries in town. This one was quite good in flavour and generously sized, but texture lacked a little. Perhaps it was a teensy bit undercooked; it was pretty soft in the centre.

As Astoria's a convenient spot for lunch (as long as you get in quick - the place fills up in a flash around lunchtime, especially the coveted outdoor seating) I stopped by one day for something from behind the counter. A pasta salad ($7) with pesto, pine nuts, parmesan, green beans and broccoli was delicious; the veggies cooked just long enough to retain some of their crunch (nothing irks me more than overcooked broccoli!) and the toasted pine nuts adding well, nuttiness. I'd have this again.

Astoria also has a menu with offerings for breakfast and lunch which are a bit more elegant than their counter food... and I often look enviously upon people enjoying splendid-looking fare with a glass of wine in the midday sun (though who's stopping me, really?). I always try to get a seat outside if I can, or by the window; the interior's kind of dark and cavernous. That said, it does have a sort of broody European feel which some people might enjoy. Service is prompt; tables are cleared quickly and staff are generally attentive. You will have to wait at the counter for your coffee but that aspect of ordering isn't too difficult to master. With its prime location right on Midland Park, plus caffeine and good food, it's not hard to see why Astoria gets packed with Wellington's office-going crowd.

RATING: 3.75/5

Caffe Astoria
159 Lambton Quay
Wellington
(04) 473-8500

Time to chow down...

2010-01-24T01:15:00.001+13:00

Well! How quickly a month goes by. Apologies for the lack of updates on this blog - both Florence and I are currently away from Wellington* and therefore haven't had much Wellington food stories to report. Luckily I had saved some photos from before I left for a couple of posts, so now that I'm back from my holiday (I use "back" loosely here - I'm in the South Island for a few weeks**, but I'm back to work*** and regular internet access), I guess the time is ripe to post them.

So, without further ado, Chow.

This is probably one of my favourite restaurants in Wellington (well there are 2 locations in central Wellington, 1 in Petone and they've expanded to Auckland too). The theme is "Fresh Asian" - which is exactly what it sounds like: Asian flavours, fresh ingredients. Not bad.

My friend H and I went in to the Woodward St location (there's also one on Tory St, in Petone and they've expanded to Auckland too) the week before Christmas for lunch, and we were given complimentary cups of miso soup (normally $3). I forgot to ask if this is the usual practice, since I haven't often been in at lunchtime, but it was a nice touch. The broth was superb; the natural umami of the miso was enhanced by toasted sesame seeds, and the interplay of textures between the silky tofu and almost-crunchy spring onion slices was fantastic.

H and I split the roast Pekin duck salad ($18). Juicy slices of duck were tossed with beansprouts, slices of orange, Southeast Asian-inspired herbs (Thai basil, coriander and mint) in a chilli palm sugar dressing. It was cool, crunchy and refreshing - yet substantial enough due to the hefty duck slices.

Chow's menu has an array of what they call "long plates", which are tapas-like in concept: small (though long and thin) plates of usually bite-size morsels of food. They're meant for sharing, and not that big - the menu recommends two long plates per person - but on this occasion I wasn't that hungry so one dish each sufficed.

The rib of beef ($17), seasoned with a coconut, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime and chilli marinade, was succulent, a little sweet yet spicy, a bit messy but totally worth the sticky fingers. There's never really an elegant way to eat ribs, and these were no exception. I polished off quite a few, sucking the last caramelised bits of marinated meat off each bone.

We also got jasmine rice free with our meal, which nicely filled in any remaining gaps in our stomachs (though there were few).

Somehow we managed to fit in dessert - H had a brownie and I had this sorbet trio ($9) with cinnamon, star anise and saffron syrup. The sorbet was fruity and refreshing (I would have written down the sorbet flavours had I known I wouldn't be writing this till a month later! But I'm sure one of the flavours was passionfruit, and I seem to remember a melon-y flavour as well - don't quote me on this), and the syrup was divine. I found myself desperately trying to scrape up every last drop from my empty plate - not very good table manners, I know!

Anyway, if you live in Wellington, you're probably aware of Chow. If you haven't been there, I'd recommend it. It's pretty reliable for decent Asian-influenced food (though bear in mind that portion sizes might be smaller than at other places since it's really more for sharing). The atmosphere is casual, yet sophisticated (but not pretentiously so) - attracting a mix of younger and older, laid-back types and the more straightlaced; a good cross-section of Wellingtonians, perhaps?

Plus their "1+1 Mondays" are great - order one dish, get another free - a bargain, really. On Wednesdays they have a selection of pretty decent cocktails that are 2 for 1 as well. Service is generally good; although it does get pretty busy on weekends and on Mondays, the staff usually seem to keep it together pretty well.

RATING: 4.5/5

Chow Woodward
11 Woodward St
Wellington
(04) 472 8585
Open Mon-Fri, noon - late

Chow Tory
Level 1, 45 Tory St
Wellington
(04) 382 8585
Open daily, noon - late

Chow Petone
306 Jackson St
Petone
(04) 589 8585
Open daily, noon - late

*Ah, Wellington, how I miss you...
**Mostly working on one major project, but on the side I've been helping out at my aunt's exhibition at Gallery O in the Christchurch Arts Centre - this is a shameless plug, but if anyone reading this is in Christchurch, by all means feel free to check it out! It's pretty cool, and not just because the my aunt's the artist. Plus proceeds from sales of her cards are going towards the Banks Peninsula Tui Restoration Project, which is doing great work so far.
***Sort of... as I type this I should really be packing because I'm going to visit a friend in Queenstown for a few days tomorrow morning! So, I guess technically I'm still on holiday. Or something.

A week of Japanese takeaways: Kita-Q, Lambton Square

2009-12-18T13:16:00.009+13:00

I've been spending a lot of time down the Lambton Quay end of town lately, and for the most part I had been eating packed lunches in Midland Park, occasionally grabbing sushi from one of the squillions of sushi shops that have seemingly sprung up in the CBD over the past couple of years. But there's a lot more to Japanese food than sushi.

Enter Kita-Q. I'd seen the sign in front of the Lambton Square shopping complex proclaiming "Japanese Food Take Away" but just assumed that it was yet another sushi shop.

When, out of curiosity, I finally went to check it out last Friday, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no sushi in sight (disclaimer: I love sushi just as much (probably even more) than the next person. It's just refreshing to see something different!). Instead, there was a neatly arranged display of bento boxes, donburi, onigiri, and a small collection of side dishes.

Well, I got a little over-excited perhaps and pretty much spent the whole of this week trying different takeaway lunches from Kita-Q. So much for living frugally and packing my own...

The Japanese pepper leaf onigiri ($2) was the first thing I tried. Cheap, filling (one or two of these would be a satisfying light lunch for me). The sharp, savoury bite of the takana - pickled pepper leaf - was a satisfying contrast in flavour and texture with the rice. As an added bonus, I don't think I've had a takana onigiri since my last trip to Japan over 2 years ago.

Onigiri (also known as omusubi) were one of my favourite grab-and-go foods in Japan. Not to be confused with nigiri sushi, these are rice balls shaped by hand into little triangle shapes (sometimes also circular), with some form of filling in the middle, and usually wrapped in seaweed so that you can pick them up and eat them without rice sticking to your hand.

The salmon onigiri ($2.50) was equally delicious, cooked salmon with a bit of spring onion and just enough of a garlicky sauce to bind it all together. Garlic isn't used that often in Japanese cooking but it didn't overpower the salmon and I found it a really suitable addition.

Onigiri are different from sushi in that the rice isn't seasoned with rice vinegar, just with a little salt or even plain. One time I bought an onigiri in Wellington - maybe from New World - and I had to throw it out because the rice was seasoned as if for sushi. Terrible. Anyway I'm pleased to say these are the real deal. And cheap too!

There were a number of side dishes out on the little counter all priced at around $4. Dashimaki tamago ($4), rolled up Japanese omelette cooked with a bit of soy sauce, sugar and dashi (fish/seaweed stock), was a mix of sweet and savoury, leaning towards the sweet end of the scale, but so good.

Korokke (potato croquette, $4), was another one of my favourite grab-and-go snacks while living in Japan. This one didn't disappoint, the crispy breadcrumb batter encasing soft, smooth mashed potato dotted with the occasional pea or corn kernel.

My container of yakisoba (Japanese fried noodles, $6) was packed to the brim with noodles interspersed with pork, carrots, capsicum and cabbage. These noodles were subtly flavoured rather than drenched in sauce, which is typical of Japanese cooking. To my delight, there was a generous heaping of beni shoga (the red stuff in the bottom left corner) - pickled ginger that's a lot saltier and sharper than the sweet kind that comes with sushi.

On a day when I was particularly ravenous I got the chicken nanban bento ($9). Japanese-style fried chicken was served in a homemade sweet chilli sauce, drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise and accompanied by a little potato salad and plenty of rice.

The chicken was amazingly succulent and juicy, the crispy coating retaining some of its crunch despite all the sauce. I didn't taste a hint of spice in the "chilli" sauce, but it was flavourful enough that I didn't miss it.

I also got the beef yakiniku bento ($9), which came with a hefty portion of beef cooked in a sweet soy-based sauce with carrots, green beans and onions.

When eaten with the rice this reminded me a bit of the gyudon, thinly sliced beef cooked in a similar sauce and served over rice, that I loved in Japan. Mmm...

Katsudon ($9) is also another of my favourites and Kita-Q don't do a bad job of it. A deep-fried crumbed pork cutlet, sliced and then cooked with egg and onion in a sweet dashi-soy sauce, topped a bowl of rice. Perhaps because I picked this up towards the end of the day, this wasn't as mind-blowingly delicious as some of the other things I had that week, but it was still pretty damn good.

I'm a little sad that, now that I'm on holiday, my week of takeaway Japanese lunches is over. But I'm so glad that I know it's there. Everything is reasonably priced, the staff are super friendly, and it's in the perfect spot for having an outdoor lunch at Midland Park.

RATING: 4.5/5

Kita-Q Japanese Takeaway
Shop 6, Lambton Square
180 Lambton Quay
Wellington
(04) 473-2355

Open for lunch, weekdays (and maybe weekends? I'll double check).

Market Update: 13 December

2009-12-13T10:34:00.011+13:00

First of all! I have finally taken the big plunge and gotten onto Twitter - I am still a little daunted but in a good way I think! So, if you are on Twitter, you can follow my comings and goings at http://twitter.com/milliemirepoix - thanks!

I've blogged before about that wonderful waterfront duo, the City Market and Harbourside Market, but thought I'd post an update seeing as summer is upon us and the markets have been awash with summer stonefruit, greens, berries galore. As with previous posts, by no means is this an exhaustive list of the vendors at the market... I urge you to go check it out for yourself!

Asparagus was still plentiful, averaging between $1.50 - $2 a bunch.

Gorgeous bunches of carrots and radishes, resplendent in leafy glory, were all over the place for $1-2/bunch.

Various new season's potatoes seem to have popped up in the last couple of weeks as well, with moist-looking earth still stuck to their skins... a picture of freshness.

I get so excited with the advent of stonefruit each summer. There was even more of it this week than last week - plums ranging between $3.99-$5.99/kg.

Apricots were everywhere, at $1.99/kg for little/blemished fruits (perfect for baking or jams!!) to about $3.99/kg.

Cherries were not as abundant as in previous weeks, though I did spot a couple of stalls selling them for around $12-14/kg, which is still about half the price at Moore Wilson's or New World. These were starting to look a little past their prime, but I got some, anyway... they'll be finding themselves in a clafoutis this afternoon.

As for the berries - strawberries are still going strong for about $2-2.50 a punnet, up a little from last week when I spotted some for $1.50.

Most boysenberries, blueberries and blackberries were around $3 for a punnet - not bad, but perhaps not much cheaper than in supermarkets.

Raspberries were a little dearer, between $3 and $4.50 a punnet, but they looked beautifully plump nonetheless.

Tomatoes were everywhere - cherry, cocktail, truss, and regular old tomatoes - all looking a vibrant shade of red and priced on average $1.49-$2.99/kg. Hooray for summer!

I stopped at Little Wolf Produce, a stall selling pork products - various salami, smoked pork belly, dried smoked bacon - made by a lovely Yugoslavian couple.

This time I got a little stick of salami. After having tasted their offerings for the past couple of weeks I decided to take a little stick of dried salami home with me. I forgot to note the price but for a stick about 18cm long it only cost me $3.50 which I thought was not bad at all.

But the real reason I've been going back there each week is that they always have 1 or 2 beautiful pastries on offer. If I'm lucky, I can get a slice of poppyseed strudel ($2) which used to be one of my favourite foods as a kid in Chicago (it's available at lots of places, probably because of the Eastern European population there). Today was one of those lucky days - mmm, breakfast.

I think I may have mentioned it before, but the Mac Snack stall is another one I'm a big fan of - I usually get a little bag of roasted macadamia nuts ($3, in the silver bags) to munch on throughout the week.

The macadamia nut butter ($8.50) is rich, creamy, nutty, and distinctively macadamia-y. I've got some of the chocolate macadamia nut butter at home... I literally eat it out of the jar! (I tell myself it's healthier than nutella, hmm...)

Mac Snack also always has a few small-medium avocados lying about... they're bio-gro organic (just like the macadamia nuts) and a pretty good deal, with the "bargain bin" avocadoes often 3 or 4 for $2 (depending on availability). They don't go brown when ripe so don't be misled by the green colour - they're really nice.

By the time I got to the City Market my camera and wallet were both running low... so apologies for the lack of photos.

The Christmas spirit was everywhere - Santa was there, as well as lots of stalls selling beautifully wrapped food products and a lot of bakery stalls selling Christmas cakes and the like - like Brezelmania who were selling gorgeous German Christmas pastries.

One of the immediate effects of getting onto Twitter was that I noticed the City Market had tweeted about Hippopotamus Restaurant being in the Market Kitchen this Sunday. I've heard good things about their chef, Laurent Loudeac, so decided to check it out.

OK, so it was only 9am, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. Who says early Sunday morning is too early for a snail kebab with garlic butter and baguette ($5)? It was delicious - the snails plump and tender, served on a little skewer with oodles of herbs and garlic butter. And oh my god, the garlic butter. Soaked through the bread, pooled on the plate, dripping down my chin - probably more butter than I've knowingly eaten at one time, ever. But it was so worth it.

And now, I'm off to the gym!

Harbourside Market
Cnr Cable St & Barnett St (Next to Te Papa)

City Market
Chaffers Dock Building
1 Herd St
Wellington

Bordeaux Bakery, Thorndon Quay

2009-12-09T20:15:00.007+13:00

This post actually dates back a few weeks. I've kind of been waiting to write it up, since I haven't been eating out as much lately as (a) my schedule has been jam-packed, (b) with Christmas around the corner I've been trying to be more careful with my spending, and (c) my usual trusty dining companions E and Florence have left windy old Wellington for the summer, to snow-ridden Chicago and bustling Hanoi (okay, so I haven't been to Hanoi ever, so I basically just made it up, but Hanoi bustles in my mind, alright?) ... not that I'm jealous or resentful at being left behind in Wellington or anything!

So after our camping trip, E and I went to return the rental car and stopped in Thorndon for some breakfast on the way. Last time we hired a car we stopped at another French cafe, Le Marche Francais, this time Bordeaux... am I starting to develop strange habits as I grow older? Hmm.

My eggs benedict came with a thick slice of ham, finely chopped spinach on top of grilled brioche slices. The eggs were poached just how I like them - yolks still runny, but just starting to thicken - and the spinach gave the dish an added dimension that isn't normally found on your average hollandaise-drenched bacon and eggs on toast. Plus, all the greens on the plate made me feel like I was actually eating something somewhat healthy. And the little side container of hollandaise sauce was an extra touch that will please those looking to cut back on their egg yolk-butter consumption. (I, for one, can't count myself in that group... I love hollandaise!) The only reservation I had with this was that the toasted brioche tasted a little dry- next time, I'll ask for butter.

E had the french toast with banana and bacon - a standard dish in many breakfast spots, but this one was sinfully good. Poor E... I'm pretty sure I snuck more bites than he actually got to eat! While the softened, almost-caramelised banana and the savoury, smoky bacon complemented each other beautifully, the real thing that made this french toast stand over others in my mind was the bread.

Moist, dense and chewy, studded with bits of chocolate (I'm not kidding!), it soaked up the eggy batter and maple syrup (also thoughtfully provided in a side cup) spectacularly.

This time I departed from my usual flat white and ordered a cappucino ($3.50), which arrived loaded with cocoa powder (my guilty pleasure - the more, the better!) and a thick layer of foam.

E stuck with a flat white ($3.50). The coffees weren't bad, but I thought they could have been a bit stronger.

Unfortunately I lost the little paper on which I jotted down the dishes' prices, but a quick look at my bank statement tells me that our total was $31 for 2 people, including coffee. That's pretty acceptable considering the seemingly ubiquitous trend of breakfast prices creeping up all over the city. They also have delicious fresh-baked bread (I'm a fan of their baguettes, which often find their way, ends nibbled off, into my cupboard), an extensive display of pastries, and they seem to do crepes as well. Plus there's ample (pay and display) parking along Thorndon Quay. I hadn't had a meal at Bordeaux in years before this trip but I'm glad to have revisited it - we weren't disappointed.

RATING: 4/5

Bordeaux Bakery & Brasserie
220 Thorndon Quay
Thorndon
Wellington
(04)499-8334

(P.S. I've been thinking about getting onto Twitter - have already set up an account, but am a little slow to get into these things, and a little apprehensive as to how it will all work out... keep an eye out for further announcements, though!)

Harem Cafe, Manners Mall

2009-11-11T20:02:00.007+13:00

Apologies for not having blogged lately - but I promise it's not because I've been lazy! I've been keeping myself very busy with several new commitments, and before that, E and I went on a spontaneous camping trip to the middle of nowhere, which I highly recommend if you're too short on cash to take a holiday to a tropical island, but still want to get away from cellphones, internet, civilisation... total peaceful bliss.

We weren't feeling very peaceful or blissful upon our return, though; the long drive back had left us tired, cranky, and most of all, hungry, as long drives back from the middle of nowhere are inclined to do. And in light of the fact that E was about to leave Wellington for a couple months at his parents' house, we headed to one of his favourite Turkish restaurants, Harem in Manners Mall.

The first thing you notice upon entering is this rather striking grotto-like staircase that leads to Harem's upstairs dining room.

Stalagtites hang from the ceiling, illuminated by colourful lights... this definitely isn't your average restaurant entryway.

Inside, the dining room is less cave-like but just as whimsically decorated, with stained glass, stone walls, and little nooks and crannies housing various objects.

Upon being seated, E and I were surprised with some complimentary garlic bread (menu price $6.50). I'm not sure if this is a usual practice at dinnertime, since we usually go to Harem for lunch, but our grumbling stomachs appreciated the gesture. A divinely chewy Turkish bread (which also forms the base for Harem's Turkish pizzas), slathered with garlic butter - I had forgotten how good garlic bread can be.

Since we were extra hungry, we ordered sigara boregi ($10) to start, not quite sure what we would be getting. These crispy fried filo rolls looked a little like spring rolls, but the filling was entirely different - herbs, feta and mozzarella melted together to form a mild but comfortingly creamy, oozy interior.

E ordered the kusbasili pizza ($17.50), an oblong pide, or Turkish pizza, with a supple, airy crust topped with seasoned lamb, tomato, red onion, capsicum and herbs.

The crust had that chewy, crispy consistency you find on the best Italian woodfired pizzas, but was thicker and more substantial. The topping was delicately flavoured, not overpowered by cheeese and sauce like some pizzas can be. E declared it the best pizza in Wellington (I'll probably stick to my Italian favourites but Harem's pide is definitely among my top 5).

Wanting to try something different-sounding, I ordered kabak boregi($19.50), shredded pumpkin and mozzarella cheeses sandwiched between layers of filo pastry, served with salad and sweet chilli sauce. It wasn't bad - but compared to other dishes I've had at Harem I think it lacked the fresh, made-to-order quality of, say, the pizzas or our entree. The filo crust wasn't particularly crispy, but rather soft and chewy. In the grand scheme of things, it was still entirely palatable, but I probably wouldn't order it next time.

Despite the slight disappointment, I still enjoyed my meal, and have had enough fantastic meals there in the past that it didn't tarnish my opinion of Harem. The breads and pizzas are hard to beat, and the atmosphere feels like something out of a fairy tale. Service has always been prompt and friendly, though I've only really been there at off-peak times so don't know what it's like, say, on a Saturday night. Overall, it's a special little place. Recommended.

RATING: 4/5

Harem Cafe and Meze Bar
1F, 90 Manners Mall
Wellington
(04) 499 9771

Open for lunch (11:30am-3pm) and dinner (5pm-late)

Koriental Restaurant, Mt Victoria

2009-11-03T23:02:00.010+13:00

It had been a while since I'd had Korean food, so when I spotted Koriental Korean and Chinese Restaurant on Majoribanks St, I made a mental note to try it as soon as possible. The opportunity came last Saturday, with E and I needing a quick, filling meal prior to the night's Halloween festivities. (yes, I celebrated Halloween, dressed up as Hunter S Thompson!)

We were ravenous, so a starter of jin man doo (steamed pork dumplings, $6) was in order.

This would probably fall more under the "Chinese" than Korean category, but even though I was after Korean food it's very rare for me to pass up dumplings.

These were succulent and tender, the wrapper steamed to a toothsome chewiness and the pork and chive filling juicy and flavourful. Definitely a good start - we devoured them in no time.

E had the go choo zha-jiang ($12), which was a bowl of homemade noodles served with a surprisingly full bowl of pork in a spicy black bean sauce on the side.

Again, this seemed to be another Chinese-influenced dish. The bits of diced pork hidden in the sauce were reminiscent of Chinese BBQ pork, though they were very small and almost indiscernible. The noodles, made on-site, were an excellent vehicle for the thick, black bean sauce.

E deliberately chose the spicy option (there are milder ones), since he is a bit of a chilli fiend - but this was especially hot, judging by the beads of sweat on his brow (I could hardly handle a small bite). He explained, though, that it was a manageable heat - not the kind that creeps up on you until you can't take it anymore, but one that burns quickly, then recedes, allowing you to keep eating without too much pain.

I had the hot-pot bibimbap ($13), which arrived in a sizzling stone dish. A mix of thinly sliced beef, vegetables and rice were served in a colourful arrangement, topped with a half-cooked egg.

"Have you had bibimbap before?" our waiter asked politely. I was familiar with the concept of stirring everything together just before eating so that the egg gets cooked against the hot stone and the ingredients get coated in the spicy chilli sauce. I was glad he asked, though, since people who haven't tried this dish might not be aware of the technique involved.

The sesame-chilli sauce here was different to other sauces I've had with bibimbap, though my experience with Korean food isn't too extensive. I loved the nuttiness of the sesame, and the chilli wasn't all that fiery, so I greedily squirted more sauce from the bottle provided on the side.

When mixed together against the hot stone, the egg sort of disappeared into the medley of ingredients, the vegetables cooked down, and the rice got that half-crispy, half-chewy texture I love. Kind of like a DIY fried rice, and the bowl kept my food warm until the very last bite. I'll definitely be getting this again.

Of course, a Korean meal wouldn't be complete without kimchi and other assorted side dishes. Koriental's kimchi was cool and refreshing - I thought it was one of the less spicy, less pungent kimchis I've had. As far as fermented foods go, kimchi is probably one of the easiest to start with, and it complements Korean food so well.

I'm guessing at names here, but I'm pretty sure the dish above is gamja jorim (potato cooked in sweet soy sauce). The chunks of potato were sweet and savoury, having absorbed much of the soy sauce, and were coated in an almost-velvety glaze. The sugar and starch were great for relieving some of the spiciness of the other dishes.

Another side dish we received was miyeok muchim, a seaweed salad seasoned with vinegar and sesame seeds. Its flavours were quite mild, and another welcome respite from the searing heat of E's noodles.

I'm not too sure what this last one was called, but it was some sort of soy-braised fish cake. Thin slices of fried fish cake seemed to have been braised in a sweet soy sauce similar to the one used for the potatoes. The fish cake was chewy and had absorbed lots of flavour - delicious!

Although it was my first time dining at Koriental, I'll probably go back. It's pretty good value - $12 or $13 will get you a filling meal, with an array of free side dishes, and if you're in a big group there seem to be large "family-size" dishes that can be shared for $30-$40. Service was a little slow, but the sole waiter who pretty much was the front-of-house managed to be genuinely friendly and polite even when obviously busy. Plus, it gave us time to stare out the window at the legions of witches, ghouls and rockstars heading up Majoribanks St for a spot of trick-or-treating. Whoever said New Zealand doesn't do Halloween? Perhaps times are changing :)

RATING: 3.5/5

Koriental Korean and Chinese Restaurant

17-19 Majoribanks St

Mt Victoria

Wellington

(04) 801-6866

Beyond the bagel: Brooklyn Bread & Bagels

2009-10-29T13:17:00.010+13:00

"First NZ Bagel," announces the small print on the sign outside Brooklyn Bread & Bagels. I wasn't even around in 1980, when the owners first started baking artisan bread and bagels at sister cafe Dixon St Deli, but Brooklyn's cafe on College St (across from Moore Wilson's and next to Caffe L'Affare) usually has a decent selection of bagels on their shelf. More often than not, though, my mind wanders from bagels and cream cheese, distracted by the range of pastries and savoury items behind the counter and a solid brunch menu.

On weekdays before 10am, Brooklyn has $7.90 bacon, eggs and coffee deal. It's one of the best breakfast bargains I know of in Wellington. For this reason (and because of Brooklyn's proximity to our flat), this is often E's breakfast of choice.

With 2 eggs on a thick slice of toast (baked fresh on site!), a generous slab of bacon and half a roasted tomato on the side, this breakfast is a great deal. E had his eggs fried, but they do scrambled and poached as well.

The $7.90 weekday deal comes with a coffee of your choice; E ordered a flat white (normally $3.80). I had one too - it was pretty well-made. I don't usually take sugar in my coffee, but I tend to think that Brooklyn's coffees (they use Supreme beans) are the kind that do really well with a spoonful of sugar swirled in. I'm not too sure what this means, but it's nice as a sweet treat!

I had the Manhattan fruit bread with cream cheese and jam ($6). I was surprised to receive three (!) sturdy slices of well-toasted fruit bread, studded with morsels of dried fruit and seeds, and flavoured with a strong hint of spice. It tasted like Christmas.

Plain cream cheese and raspberry jam spread on top of the sturdy bread made this a wholesome and filling breakfast.

I had these photos on my computer from another recent visit (I guess I'm sort of a regular), so I thought I'd include them here.

I had the toasted muesli with fresh fruit ($9.50). It didn't look like that much, since the bowl was pretty shallow, but looks can be deceiving - I had to stop three quarters of the way through as I was too full!

The muesli was packed full of dried fruit, seeds and nuts, with lots of contrast between crunchy and chewy. Just the way I like it. I was pleased by the generous serving of fruit, especially by the soft, tangy kiwifruit. Yum! Eating healthy doesn't have to be boring.

Brooklyn is located right next to Caffe L'Affare and my favourite place for groceries, Moore Wilson - so it's in good territory. They also have fantastic bread baked on premise. I'm a huge fan of their multigrain vienna and Brooklyn 9-grain loaf, which can usually be found in my cupboard. And for lunch, they have a counter packed with savoury items such as filo parcels, lasagna and salads as well as a chalkboard lunch menu with soups, sandwiches and the like. Plus, there's ample seating, so even when it's busy (lunchtime and on weekends) you're likely to find a table.

RATING: 4/5

Brooklyn Bread & Bagels

29 College St

Wellington

(04) 802 4111

Open 7:30am-4pm Monday-Friday; 8:30-am-4pm Saturday-Sunday.

Kitchen open until 2:30pm.

Sweet Mother's Revisited

2009-10-22T16:24:00.011+13:00

Yes, I know, I've blogged about Sweet Mother's Kitchen before. And, admittedly, I should have at least chosen sometime other than brunch for this visit. But last weekend, as E and I were on the prowl for a suitable breakfast, I noticed a waiter bringing a bloody mary to a group sitting outside.

"I want that!" I said out loud without thinking, and all thoughts of a tame breakfast (coffee and eggs benedict) flew out of my head.

The Bloody Mary ($12) was fantastic. The tomato juice base was full-bodied and not watered down, and the hot sauce gave a gratifyingly spicy (but not searing hot) kick. And, while alcohol first thing in the morning isn't usually my thing, the perceptible yet not overpowering tinge of vodka melded perfectly with these other flavours that, really, shouldn't taste so good together - in a drink, at least. Sweet Mother's garnishes their Bloody Marys with a couple of pickled green beans and some cucumber instead of the more usual celery stalk. It was a cooling and welcome change.

(Do note that SMK's bloody mary goes by a somewhat cutesier name on the menu, which I forgot to write down... and they also do a tequila-based take on the bloody mary which I'm told is delicious.)

E kept his morning a bit less, uh, alcoholic, with a flat white ($3.80).

Sweet Mother's uses Supreme beans, which are generally pretty good. I was too preoccupied with my Bloody Mary to taste E's coffee, but he seemed pleased with it.

Now, being a loosely New Orleans/Southern food-centred restaurant, it's no surprise that Sweet Mother's serves beignets ($4 for 2).

These are puffy, crispy, deep-fried hunks of dough, coated in powdered sugar - so basically a doughnut, but fluffier, and not overpoweringly sweet on the inside.

I must admit I've never been to New Orleans, but I have had beignets at New Orleans-style restaurants in the States and these were pretty close. The ones I had on this particular visit were a tad dark, however - a few seconds longer and they'd have been overfried, but the flavour wasn't affected at all. Heavenly.

Beignets and creamed spinach ($5) may seem like kind of a strange combination, but I've had them together once or twice now. One of my favourite things about Sweet Mother's is that you can make up your own meal of a selection of side dishes, all priced at a reasonable $5. The creamed spinach was a winner, especially with a bit of hot sauce sprinkled on top - the greens were wilted to a gooey, floppy mess and soaked up the rich, creamy sauce beautifully. They did seem to be a bit undersalted (I'm starting to wonder if I've got too high a salt tolerance?!), but that was easily fixed. Don't be fooled by the presence of veggies... this definitely isn't good for you! But it's pure comfort food, and my stomach and tastebuds were left smiling.

E had his usual "all in one" breakfast poboy ($9.00). Bacon, eggs, Cajun smoked sausage, tomato and hollandaise sauce are wedged between sliced baguette halves. It's a cheap, filling and delicious option.

And of course, no visit to Sweet Mother's is ever complete without an order of curly fries with Creole mayo ($6.50). This is one of the few places in New Zealand that I know of where you can get these - coated in seasoning before being fried, they're crispy, flavourful and very bad for you. As a kid in the States, this was one of the only ways I'd eat potatoes. I'm surprised this hasn't caught on elsewhere!

Sweet Mother's Kitchen remains one of my perennial favourites, despite the frequent chaos in trying to get a table at peak times (they don't take bookings). I'm sure one of these days I'll write about something other than their breakfast, as the rest of their offerings are pretty acceptable, too.

RATING (for this visit): 4/5

Sweet Mother's Kitchen
5 Courtenay Place
Wellington
(04) 385 4444

Open 8am-10:30pm Sun-Thurs, 8am-late Fri and Sat. All day breakfast on weekends :)

Bravo Butlers Chocolate Cafe

2009-10-11T16:01:00.006+13:00

The glowey warm interior of Butlers was a welcome respite to the bitter weather of the last few days. The heady chocolate wafts and gorgeous display of treats of this Irish chain are always a draw card if I’m in the Willis precinct. Admittedly, I have never sampled the food here, but one doesn’t really come here for the food, especially given their meagre offerings in the cabinet. It’s the good Allespresso coffee and the accompanying boutique chocolate that I’m after (they also stock the gorgeous T-Leaf teas). After ogling the rows of handcrafted chocolates I ordered the flat white ($3.90) and carefully selected the dark hazelnut ganache. M ordered a mocha ($4.50) and the dark peach sorbet. We obediently wait at the counter for our coffee – they don’t deliver to your table, but given the size of the café and the large ‘take-away’ customer base it’s understandable. Anyway I’m happy as I am often entranced by the cauldron of velvety liquid chocolate on the bench that gets whipped into hot chocolates (available in white as well) and the mochas. The coffee is good – the flat white is strong and not too milky, and the mocha is chocolatey without disguising the coffee. My chocolate was just alright, the peach one was delicious and tasted like old fashioned sherbet. The cafe is tiny and while the mirrored surroundings (which are slightly disconcerting) give a roomier feel, they also make the cafe a little sterile. The chocolate ‘porn’ that plays on loop on the flatscreen TV is just a little too commercial, but otherwise a nice place to drop by. You will have to go and see the chocolates for yourself – the owner wouldn't let me photograph the piles of delicate delights under the counter (I think they thought I was going to steal their ideas!).

(This one is from their website)

Butlers Chocolate Café

103 Willis Street

Wellington

04 4727630

Kazu Yakitori and Sake Bar, Courtenay Place

2009-10-05T12:05:00.012+13:00

"Oden hajimemashita." I'd been seeing this sign, in simple Japanese writing, posted outside Kazu Yakitori and Sake Bar on Courtenay Place for several weeks now. "We've started serving oden," it proclaimed. (Note: 5 days later, the sign has disappeared...)

The last time I had oden was in Japan probably about 5 or 6 years ago. As soon as cold weather hits, convenience stores on every corner bring out steaming tubs of light soy-dashi broth, with an assortment of plump fish cakes, eggs and vegetables floating in the simmering liquid. And at home, families drag out their nabe hot pots from storage and gather around the communal bowl of heart-warming fare.

Kazu's oden ($12, seasonal) came in a miniature nabe bowl, and was a perfect size for sharing between two. The assorted ingredients (hard-boiled egg, fish cakes, tofu, daikon radish, green beans) soaked up the mild, savoury broth, and a smear of mustard provided a sharp contrast to the soft flavours and textures.

I'm not sure if the disappearance of the sign out front has signalled the end of oden season at Kazu, but if not, it would be a great choice for the cold snap we've been having this week (what is up with the weather, anyway!?)

Kazu Yakitori and Sake Bar is definitely more 'bar'-like than its sister restaurant, Kazu on Tory St. It takes after the traditional watering holes in Japan, izakaya, which are more like Spanish tapas bars than our Kiwi pubs. Small plates of food are served alongside hot or cold sake, Japanese beer, and an assortment of other drinks.

Kazu specialises in yakitori, which literally translates to grilled chicken, and they do it well. If you sit at the bar you can watch the skewers of chicken (as well as beef, vegetables, seafood etc) being cooked on the special Japanese charcoal grill.

When we arrived, the chef was grilling up a batch of the most basic type of yakitori - skewered chicken thighs ($5 for 2 sticks). Of course we had to have some.

Chicken thigh is probably my favourite cut of the bird. It's tender, juicy and flavourful. These were no exception, and the sweet soy tare sauce coated the meat with a velvety richness.

Kazu has updated their menu since I was last there. The last time they had a menu change (both here and at their Tory St restaurant), I was disappointed, with most of the more unusual Japanese dishes being "dumbed-down" and replaced with Westerner-friendly dishes swathed with teriyaki or wasabi sauce.

Not this time. The new menu seems to have breathed life back into the concept of authenticity. Now, traditional yakitori cuts such as chicken heart, livers, cartilage and skin are offered alongside the usual thigh meat skewers. Excited by the new choices, we ordered tsukune (chicken meatballs, $6 for 2 sticks) and nankotsu (chicken cartilage, $5.50 for 2 sticks). The meatballs were pretty decent-sized and were coated in the same tare as the thighs; however, they were a bit dry.

The cartilage, on the other hand, was fantastic. If you've never tried chicken cartilage I recommend you do so at least once. It has a crunchy yet pliant texture that might be strange at first, but I found myself wanting more. And, there's enough meat on there that you're not just gnawing away at connective tissue.

Unlike some of the other yakitori offerings, the nankotsu doesn't come dipped in tare sauce but is rather more delicately seasoned with salt. It works really well.

I was glad to see that tako wasabi (wasabi octopus, $5) survived the menu changes.

I always worry that it'll disappear, since it's a dish many people might find weird. (Sure enough, when I ordered, the waitress looked concerned: "Have you tried it before? Because some people don't like it...") Raw octopus, finely diced, comes served in a hot wasabi and sesame seed marinade.

The marinade tenderises the meat, making it not as jaw-achingly chewy as some octopus I've had elsewhere. Plus, the tiny, slippery morsels mean you don't really have to chew anyway. The wasabi isn't so hot to sear your nasal cavities but provides a nice, tangy burn. It's a great snack to have alongside a couple beers.

When I blogged about Kazu's Tory St restaurant, I lamented the disapperance of ochazuke from the menu. I'm delighted that it's being offered again, at least at the Courtenay Place bar.

Ume chazuke (ochazuke with pickled plum, $7) provided a perfect end to our snacking. A bowl of cooked white rice, with a green tea-dashi broth poured over it, an umeboshi (pickled plum) on top. The rice softened a little in the broth and mingled with the salty broth and sour pickled plum, with little crunchy cracker bits giving the whole thing a nice textural contrast.

We couldn't stop there, though - taiyaki was on offer. These are traditional Japanese sweets made with a slightly sweet pancake batter poured into special fish-shaped molds, and filled most commonly with red bean paste.

I couldn't pass up Kazu's taiyaki with green tea ice cream ($8.50). The taiyaki was heated up on the charcoal grill in front of us as we watched with anticipation, and served with a glass of ice cream. Like most Japanese desserts, it wasn't cloyingly sweet. And, when eaten together, the ice cream melted into the warm pancake and sweet bean paste. Green tea and red bean are Japan's version of vanilla and chocolate: complementary flavours that are delicious on their own but meld together even better.

Kazu is probably one of my favourite Japanese spots in Wellington. Its atmosphere is lively and informal, and you'll be greeted with a rousing "irasshaimase!" welcome as you climb the stairs into the cosy bar interior. It can get quite busy at times, and the limited grill space means there might be a wait for your yakitori, but it's well worth it.

RATING: 4.5/5

Kazu Yakitori and Sake Bar
43 Courtenay Place
Wellington
(04) 802 4868

Open Tues-Sat 5PM-late.