Duke Carvell's

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


View Gusty Gourmet in a larger map


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

Hippopotamus Restaurant

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  

View Gusty Gourmet in a larger map

Pravda - Dine 2010 $35 set menu

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