Heidi's Food Affairs

Gustav's Kitchen & Wine Bar

2013-11-24T17:46:00.000+13:00

A group of friends and I visited Gustav's Kitchen & Wine Bar in mid October. It was an informal birthday celebration, so I was keen to find somewhere special. Gustav's was opened at the end of July in The Tannery in Woolston. The Tannery already housed the popular Brewery, where people come for beer and pizza. The newly developed part of The Tannery boasts boutique shops, restaurant and bar, perfect for a day of shopping and eating.

Gustav's Kitchen & Wine Bar has been receiving praises since its opening. Foodies had been impressed with the quality of food, the wine selection, the service, and the setting. It was recently named top 10 finalist for the Press newspaper's Best Restaurant in 2013 Zest Food Awards. This was announced a few days before our dinner, so we were fortunate to get a reservation! The restaurant was a small intimate setting, and usually they could only sit maximum 8 people in the largest table, but the 9 of us managed to squeeze in comfortably.

After our arrival, we came to the wine bar for a pre-dinner drink. Gustav's claims to have one of the largest wine selections in New Zealand, with over 200 New Zealand and International wines to choose from. A selection of beer from Cassels & Sons Brewery next door is also available on tap. The knowledgeable staff offers perfect wine pairing advice for the meals, although we didn't try this out.

The wine bar is about twice the size of the dining part of the restaurant, and has plenty of tables and chairs to relax in. Small plates of delicious food is available on order from Gustav's Kitchen, and I've heard great things about them too. Live music plays most nights at the wine bar, with the schedule available on their website.

After we all sat down, it's now time for the food! We all loved the special menu, hand written by chef Richard Till. It seemed very personal, and fitted well with the vibe of the place.

We were sitting right in front of the open kitchen, and got to see all the chefs at work. It was a cozy rustic kitchen, and we really enjoyed seeing our food being prepared. It was like a live episode of MasterChef, but without all the stress!

To start, we ordered 2 meat boards and 2 mandarin salads to share between the 9 of us. The Woolston Market Meat Board ($23) came with a big selection of cold meats, chutney, apple, and bread. We all loved the ham, salami, chorizo, and sausage. Very good quality meat, and really delicious.

I've read about the mandarin salad on a review, and couldn't wait to try this out. The mandarin and balsamic candied almond salad ($15) was gorgeous, with lots of fresh mandarin, herbs, and citrus dressing. Very light and refreshing. It reminded me of the fresh tuna salad from good old Chinwag, which was one of my all time favourites. The highlight of this mandarin salad would have to be the candied almond. Sweet and fragrant, perfect with the salad.

Now on to the mains. Nearly half of the group ordered the braised lamb shoulder with herb dumplings ($33). This was another dish with good reviews online. The braised lamb shoulder was slow cooked with tender meat and great flavours. The herb dumplings were nice and something different from the usual. I quite like the presentation in the baking dish too. Felt like a good home cooked meal from a rustic kitchen.

My friend N went for the Kai Moana Stew (seafood stew) - spring version ($30), with side of bread ($5). Continuing with the rustic theme, the stew came in a whole pot, and the bread was hand torn. Very nice stew with a good selection of perfectly cooked seafood. Nice and warm on a cool night.

WM ordered the flounder with asparagus and caviars ($29). The presentation was fancier than the other dishes, probably appropriate when there's caviar in the dish! The flounder was well cooked and tasty, although a bit salty with the caviars.

I had the chargrilled flank steak on greens with blue cheese dressing ($29). This was also available with mustard herb dressing. I was very impressed with the steak. Soft in the middle and chargrilled on the outside. Melt in the mouth perfection! The blue cheese dressing was delicious with only a hint of the blue cheese, good for people like me who are not big fans of blue cheese. The grilled greens were nice part of the dish and complimented the steak well. Outstanding!

Some of my friends also ordered the wok fried vegetables ($6) as a side. Lots of tasty green vegetables.

After dinner, we were offered a choice of desserts from the dessert trolley, although we didn't actually see the trolley. There was no dessert menu, and I assume they change the desserts regularly. I think there were 3 or 4 desserts available, but I can't recall the exact names of the desserts or their prices. We ended up getting three different desserts.

The first was the rhubarb tart. Delicious tart with custard, berries, and of course rhubarb.

I tried the salt caramel cheesecake. Not the prettiest, but definitely tasty. It was quite rich though, and I had to ask the others to help me finish it.

A couple of the others had the chocolate mousse. Very nice creamy dark chocolate. A decadent treat for chocolate lovers.

We had a wonderful dinner at Gustav's Kitchen, with gorgeous food and good company. Our reservation was at 6 and we only had the table till 8.30 pm. This is now quite common in Christchurch, as many restaurants want to maximise their customer numbers. However we did not feel rushed, and even had time to have dessert! After our meal, we just moved to the wine bar part of Gustav's, and had another drink, while live jazz was playing that night. A very enjoyable experience!

Gustav's Kitchen is open 7 days from 5 to 11pm. Reservations available and recommended! Gustav's Wine Bar is open 7 days 11am till late.

Gustav's Kitchen & Wine Bar
3 Garlands Road
Woolston
Christchurch
(03) 389 5544
www.gustavs.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/GustavsKitchenandWineBar

Scallop Festival 2013

2013-11-03T12:57:00.000+13:00

The annual Scallop Festival in Whitianga is a special event for seafood lovers. Started in 2004, the festival is held in August/September each year to celebrate the start of the scallop season. I was fortunate to attend the 2013 Scallop Festival on 14th of September, along with three of my friends. This was my third visit, having been previously in 2006 and 2010. The tickets this year was $40 each person.

As the festival was on Saturday, we flew up to Auckland on Friday afternoon, and drove to Whitianga in a leisurely pace.

Whitianga is located on the east side of the Coromandel. From Auckland, it is about 2-3 hours' drive to get there. It is a nice scenic drive, although quite windy closer to Whitianga. So if you are prone to car sickness, you might not want to sit in the back.

Whitianga and the other Coromandel towns are popular spots for summer holidays. The holiday houses and camping grounds get pretty full in the summer months. In August/September, Whitianga is generally on the quiet side. However, the place came alive during the Scallop Festival.

On the day of the festival, we walked down to the esplanade where the the event was held. The grassy waterfront location was perfect for a festival. Plenty of space for all the stalls, and a gorgeous view too. At the entrance, we were each handed a free souvenir wine glass, come complete with a shoestring holder, offering the hands-free drinking experience!

After we got in, we went straight to the Cathedral Cove Macadamias stall. This had to be one of my favourites at the festival. Juicy grilled scallops with sweet crushed macadamia nuts. I fell in love with this dish the first time I tried it in 2006, and have been coming back ever since. And it's not just me, the stall has been voted best dish of the festival every single year. The last two time I visited, it was just grilled scallops with macadamia on skewers. This year there were three options, the classic macadamia crumbed scallops, macadamia Asian scallops (top right), and macadamia garlic butter scallops (top left). We tried all three dishes, and were impressed with them all. Lovely scallops with great flavours, can't go wrong with that!

Next, we spotted some fresh oysters. Yes, it's not only scallops on show here. There were also lots of other seafood, all ready for us to indulge in. The fresh oysters with lemon were beautiful, although I understand they are not for everyone. We also got some tempura scallops with dill, lime, and coriander dipping sauce. These were perfectly deep fried with a light batter, and a tasty dipping sauce.

To continue the deep frying theme, we joined the queue for the beer battered scallop kebabs. Another delicious dish, well worth the wait!

At the end of the tents, was the live shucking stall from the Hot Water Beach Surf Lifesaving Club. Fresh scallops, kina (sea urchin), and oysters were shucked on order and served fresh. As we already had oysters, we only got the scallops and the kina. The fresh scallops with a drizzle of lemon juice was beautiful, although not everyone likes raw food. Kina is another acquired taste. I really like kina at Japanese restaurants, creamy and sweet, and it's great with the saltiness of seaweed and soy sauce. The fresh kina here was not bad, but as we were eating from the shell, it was hard to pick the eatable parts from the other not so eatable bits. And I really could do with some soy sauce and rice!

After all the raw food, we moved on to some hot food. We were intrigued by the sound of scallop Yorkshire puddings. These were filled with creamy scallop mornay and topped with fresh grilled scallops and beef rump. Due to the large quantities they were selling, the puddings were not home made. But they were still very nice, and something a bit different too.

Next to the Yorkshire puddings was a long line for paua and whitebait fritters on Rewana bread. I had the whitebait fritter which was very yummy, and the Rewana bread was a nice change from the usual toast. I also got to try a little bit of the paua fritter. This was also nice, although quite salty and I would've had trouble finishing the whole thing by myself.

We kept walking pass the Paella stall and saw the amazing giant paella pans at work. We finally got our own paella, and ours was the mixed seafood and meat paella Very very yummy with great seafood infused rice and lots of meat and seafood. It was a bit messy eating this, but well worth the effort.

There were two woodfired pizza stalls at the festival. We ran out of room for these, but I quite like the sound of a Scallopina pizza!

We saw one stall selling crayfish but no price label. We found out they were selling at $50 for half and $100 for a whole crayfish! Really not cheap! I think we'll just stick with the scallops.

There were plenty of wine and beer available to wash down the food. Each year different brewery and winery would be showcased. This year it was beer from Boundary Road and wine from Mills Reef, Vidal, Tohu, Vilagrads, and Volcanic Hills. I'm not a big drinker, so I didn't have any. But my friends enjoyed the variety of beer and wine on offer.

There were 3-4 water stations, but disappointingly the water ran out by early afternoon. For the non-alcoholic alternatives, there was a coffee cart, and I also spotted a juice station. Fun juice anyone? I also liked this cheeky poster (right) for scallop shots, although we didn't try any.

After all the savoury, we were craving something sweet. My friend was delighted to find the Real Good Brownies, which she has tried before at another festival. The stall was selling old fashioned artisan style brownies, gooey and delicious, like cake fudge and chocolate all came together. We also had some mini donuts sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Always nice warm, although the ones here were slightly under cooked.

Other than food, there was also entertainment at the festival. Walking around the grounds, were the comical diver in ancient diving gear and a tall sea creature. Live music also was playing at three corners of the event.

Scallop Festival 2010

A very noticeable absence from this year's entertainment line up was the Scallop Band. I was really looking forward to seeing them again. This brilliant under the sea band all dressed up as scallops and other marine animals. And I really love the scallop customs!

At the cooking stage was cooking demonstrations from a few of the New Zealand's celebrity chefs. Above was Gretchen from New Zealand's Hotted Home Baker. A good place to sit down and rest while digesting the food. And to get some ideas and recipes for cooking scallops at home.

The festival was also a good opportunity for local businesses to do some advertising. We spotted lots of yellow duckies on show, and had fun having our photos taken with the giant duck.

At the end of the festival was the Whitianga Coast Guard fresh fish charity auction. It was fun watching the different fish on show, and the eager buyers calling out their prices. There were a couple of funny pictures. On the left was the giant live crayfish hanging on to the show girl! On the right is the funny looking John Dory.

The weather this year was not the best. It had rained the previous few days, so the ground was quite wet and muddy, we even spotted people with gun boots. One moment it was nice and sunny, then it would start drizzling the next. But I guess it was better than raining the whole day. And thanks to the rain, we got a nice rainbow on our walk home.

We had a great time at the Scallop Festival and enjoyed all the great scallops and seafood. I have to say, compared to my previous visits, this year's festival seemed to have down sized. There were not as many stalls and not as much variety of food. But it was still a great experience, and the seafood lovers would not be disappointed.

Next year will be the 10 year anniversary of the Scallop Festival! The date has now been set for Saturday 6th of September 2014. Make sure you book the accommodation early as they can be booked out months in advance!

Scallop Festival
Whitianga
www.scallopfestival.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Whitianga-Scallop-Festival/91091149913?ref=ts&fref=ts

Pescatore - Degustation dinner

2013-09-09T21:45:00.001+12:00

After half a year of absence, I'm back again! It was hard to keep up after travelling and with busy work schedule. But here we are, and I'll try to update every couple of weeks.

As a special treat, this post is on a special dinner I had with 3 friends in June this year. For WM's birthday, we celebrated with a degustation dinner at the award winning restaurant, Pescatore.

The Cusine NZ restaurant of the year 2013 finalist, is situated in The George hotel on Park Terrace, and offers picturesque view of North Hagley Park. It has a modern contemporary setting, but also intimate enough for a romantic date for two. The large floor to ceiling crystal lights at the entrance of the restaurant would attract most girls' inner magpie and its love for shiny things. And perhaps a reflection of the price?

At the entrance, we were welcomed by the maitre d'. We were served fresh palate cleansing berry foam. The tricky part was to take a photo before the foam all disappeared! I managed to get one with half of the foam still there. The berry foam was delicious, and teased our taste buds for more to follow.

For dinner, Pescatore has a selection of menu to choose from. There is the Decision Menu, where you get to choose each dish individually. The Middle Menu is a 5 course degustation menu, $109 each person or $160 with wine matches. As this was a special occasion, we all went for the Evolution Menu, a 10 course degustation menu, $129 each or $204 with wine matches. We went without the wine, as none of us were particularly good drinkers, and didn't want to get drunk really quickly! Okay, we knew the wine was for tasting only, but who would want to waste perfectly good wine!

Each dish of the Evolution Menu had a special theme, as noted below.

Amuse Bouche

Our first dish was the amuse bouche. Mini fish & chips with guacamole dip, came complete with mini newspaper! The super cute dish not only looked good, it tasted great too. The guacamole dip was unexpected, but a nice touch which I really enjoyed.

Next we all got given a mini parcel each. A doggy bag already? But we have only just started! Not to worry, these were just our parcels of warm bread!

Inside each parcel was a brioche and a poppy seed and aniseed bread stick. This also came with truffle oil and whipped butter. I preferred the brioche as I'm not a fan of aniseed. But they were both nice breads, although we tried not to eat them all, to leave room for the rest of the dishes!

Perception - Ham Salad

The ham salad was one of my favourite dishes of the night. It took something ordinary and magically transformed it into a delightful experience and challenge for the senses. The salad consisted of dehydrated prosciutto, onion, beetroot, and apple, served with onion whip.

Each component was thinly sliced and dehydrated. The paper thin vegetables and prosciutto tasted great on their own and in combination, and we got to pick and mix ourselves. The natural sweetness of each vegetables came through well, and I quite liked the prosciutto paper. If only all paper taste like prosciutto.... The onion whip was a fancy version of the classic kiwi onion dip. Very nice and creamy, and great with the vegetables.

Texture - Paua & Duck Dumpling

Our next dish was served in a mini bamboo steamer. Inside each steamer was one paua and duck dumpling, with fish floss and XO sauce.

I have eaten plenty of dumplings in my life, and I wasn't so sure about paua and duck. And it also seemed out of place to eat dumplings with knives and forks instead of chopsticks! Well, the dumpling wasn't too bad, although the inside was a bit dry. There was not much juice inside the dumpling, like traditional ones. Also not quite enough sauce on the outside either. But it was an interesting idea, and good presentation.

Umami - Open Quail Sandwich

Our open quail sandwiches consisted of crispy quail, salad leaves, and shiitake sauce. The salad leaves were the most interesting part. It looked like a pile of salad leaves, but it was actually a salad leaves sponge. The sponge was a little tough. But the quail was nice, and I also liked the shiitake (mushroom) sauce.

Aromatic - Chicken Noodle Soup

The menu reads - "Oriental chicken consomme and instant noodle". What? Instant noodles at a fancy restaurant? There must be more to this, and fortunately there was. To start with, we all got given a syringe of white stuff. Not something you see everyday at a restaurant!

Then came our plates with the soup jelly.

The maitre d' then came and pour hot water into each of our dish, and asked us to gently stir through to dissolve the jelly.

Next, the fun began! We got to make our own noodles with our syringe of white stuff! As soon as the liquid hit the soup, it instantly became noodles. It's up to you how you want your noodles. So it could be one long noodle, or many little ones. We all had fun playing with our food. And the soup was delicious too! A nice soy sauce based chicken soup, great on a cold night. No artificial taste in this chicken noodle soup!

Indulge - Duck Liver Parfait

The next dish looked like it could have been dessert. But we were not there yet. This was a log of duck liver parfait, with brioche crumb, almond snow, and apple sauce. The theme was indulge, and it really was quite rich. The duck liver parfait was good, but we all had trouble finish it, as it was quite rich and creamy.

Taste - Poached Little River Beef

After several courses of "entree", here was our "main". Angus fillet with pickled mushrooms, burnt leek, and mushroom sawdust. The Angus beef fillet was perfectly cooked, with nearly melt in the mouth consistency. The noodles on the plate were actually pickled mushrooms. Interesting sides, with the pickled mushrooms and mushroom sawdust replacing the usual mushroom sauce. I'm not quite sure about this combination, but I did enjoy the beef.

Dairy - Hard Cheese

Next, we had the hard cheese dish as a lead in to dessert. My cheese knowledge is not that good, so I'm not sure what cheese it was, just remembered that it was nice. It also came with sweet bread and a sweet jelly, carrot perhaps. And on the side, raisin drops and spiced carrots. The sweet bread was a bit dry but the jelly was nice. I also liked the raisin drops. The spiced carrots had a interesting taste, somehow reminded us of disinfectant spray!

Treat - Apple Sour

Another palate cleanser before dessert. This time it was apple sour sherbet with meringue. I loved the apple sherbet, with the perfectly balanced sweet and sour taste, and a nice granita texture. Very refreshing!

Temperature - Chocolate & yes, it's Parsnip

Dessert time! This dish was full of parsnip, with parsnip milk ice cream, parsnip puree, white chocolate, and parsnip meringue. We were first presented with the plate above, but something was missing!

The theme for this course was temperature, and true to its name, the maitre d' brought out a bowl of dry ice. He then proceeded to make our meringues right in front of our eyes. And what became of the dry ice? We were treated with a special theatrical display, when he threw the dry ice onto the floor! Too bad I wasn't quick enough with the camera!

Now the dessert was complete! It was a nice chocolaty dessert, and we couldn't really tell it was parsnip. The freshly made meringue was light and pretty tasty. A nice finish to our ten course meal.

Happy Birthday!!

But wait, there's more! As it was WM's birthday, the restaurant brought out a special birthday plate with extra petit fours. A nice gesture, if only the birthday girl could have her meal for free too!

We were also served with the usual side of petit fours. These were house made mini dessert including fruit jelly, marshmallow, nougat, macaron, and mini jam doughnut. By now, we were all pretty full, and really couldn't eat much of these. I heard the doughnut was nice though.

Our degustation dinner had come to an end. We had a fun night out and had a great dining experience. Overall the food was good. Many of the dishes were heavily Asian influenced. As I have had my share of good Asian food, I was not as impressed with these. But I did enjoy the Western style dishes. The dining experience itself was impressive. We were well entertained with beautiful display of food, magical molecular gastronomy, and interactive dishes. It was as if we were in an episode of Top Chef, Masterchef, or some other cooking show. So I would recommend this for food lovers, especially for a special occasion.

Pescatore is featured in the Entertainment Book, offering one main free with one main ordered (up to $45) or $30 off the degustation menu. Open for dinner 6pm till late, Tuesday to Saturday. Private room is also available on request.

Pescatore
The George
50 Park Terrace
Christchurch
(03) 371 0257
http://www.thegeorge.com/restaurant-dining/pescatore/

St Asaph Street Kitchen & Stray Dog Bar

2013-03-17T22:09:00.000+13:00

Back in November, W and I visited the newly opened St Asaph Street Kitchen & Stray Dog Bar. The new restaurant/bar was opened by the old Le Cafe crowd. Le Cafe was a cafe inside the old Art Centre building, well liked by locals and tourists. After the February 2011 earthquakes, Le Cafe had to close its doors. So the people behind Le Cafe decided to reopen another restaurant. St Asaph Street Kitchen & Stray Dog Bar is located in the Christchurch CBD on St Asaph Street, a block from C1 Espresso.

As the name suggests, the place is part restaurant and part bar. There's plenty of tables inside and outside of the cafe for dining. With the bar, there's big selection of wine and international beer.

I was looking forward to brunch, but unfortunately the breakfast is only served till 12pm. Oh well, I guess I need to get up earlier next time! So we ordered lunch from the All Day Menu. There were choices of sandwiches (with option of fries, for extra $3.50), soup, small plates (entree size dishes), and mains. There's quite a good selection of dishes, with the classics and a few Asian-fusion dishes. The mains ranged from $16.50 to $26.50, which seem to be a bit pricey for lunch, but reasonable for dinner.

After some thought, W decided on the Pork and fennel meatballs with spaghetti and red sauce ($18.50). It was nicely presented, and a decent portion with lots of parmesan on top. The pork and fennel meatballs were very nice and well seasoned. W enjoyed the dish, and actually had trouble finishing it.

I had the pan seared salmon fillet on cold soba noodles with wasabi and dipping sauce ($21). I was curious to see how the soba noodles would taste, as even the Japanese restaurants in Christchurch don't usually serve this. The dish was nicely presented on a sushi mate. The waitress told me to dip the soba noodles in the broth little bit at a time. I thought it was nice they explain the dish, as it can be unfamiliar for many diners. Optional wasabi was cleverly stuck to the side of the bowl. The cold soba noodles were quite nice, and went well with the slightly sweet dipping sauce. But the highlight of the dish was actually the pan seared salmon fillet. This was perfectly cooked, with crispy skin and soft succulent meat. Delicious!

W and I used to enjoy the dessert at Le Cafe, and was therefore keen to try the desserts here. There were a few choices on the menu, although not as much as Le Cafe, and probably not as adventurous. But the ones on offer were good classics such as creme brulee and tiramisu. We decided to share the lemon tart with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream ($12). Well presented, and we were impressed with the large strawberry (this was before the strawberry season). The lemon tart was quite tasty, zesty and creamy, with a nice base. A good end to our meal.

We also ordered coffees to go with our dessert. I had a flat white. It was slightly bitter to start with, but improved after a few sips. It went well with the dessert.

We had a good lunch at the new St Asaph Street Kitchen. It was not like the old Le Cafe, but still serving nice food, and the staff were friendly. Our lunch was perhaps a bit pricey, but they were nice portions. The prices for the breakfast and sandwiches were reasonable. It would be a nice place to catch up with a group of people, on weekends or at night. The Stray Dog Bar offers a good selection of beers and wines.

St Asaph Street Kitchen & Stray Dog Bar is open from 7am till late 7 days.

St Asaph Street Kitchen & Stray Dog Bar

236 St Asaph Street

Christchurch

(03) 366 7722

http://stasaphstreetkitchen.co.nz/

Dux Dine

2013-03-09T23:34:00.000+13:00

It has been a lovely summer in Christchurch. Warm and sunny, and perfect for alfresco dining. Just after the new year, WM and I visited Dux Dine on a sunny day. The original Dux de Lux in the Art Centre was forced to close after the February 2011 earthquakes. Dux Live had reopened a year later on Lincoln Road for casual dining and music performances. However, the restaurant component of Dux didn't reopen till the end of 2012.

The new restaurant, Dux Dine, is a grown up version of Dux de Lux. It is located in a gorgeously renovated old villa on Riccarton Road, just passed the railway line. It looked a bit small on the outside, but once entered, it was a different story. The old villa was transformed into a modern home with bold and funky colours, decorations, and furniture Many of the interior walls were removed to create an open space, and I hope they kept all the important ones! This made the place look bigger and quite inviting.

Attached to the villa, was a large sun room, undercover but with plenty of sun. The large courtyard housed many tables, most with large umbrellas, so the diners can happily rest in the shade without melting. As it was a warm sunny day, most people were either outside or in the sun room. WM and I managed to get a table outside in the shade. While waiting for our food, we got to admire the well maintained little garden, complete with cute hanging flower baskets.

We started with drinks, and I had a flat white. Dux Dine uses coffee beans from Switch Espresso, the Christchurch coffee maker behind Black Betty. I always enjoyed coffees made with their beans, and the flat white here did not disappoint. It was smooth, rich, and fragrant. I also loved the colour of the cups, refreshing and unique. My coffee came with a mini biscotti. The biscotti was an absolute delight. It was light, crispy, and delicious. Both WM and I were impressed with it, and leaving us wanting more!

For the food, Dux Dine retained its old style, and serves only vegetarian or seafood dishes. I read somewhere this is called "Aquatarian", not quite sure if I like the term. But I love seafood, so was pleased to have so many to choose from. There were also many gluten free, dairy free, and vegan options. Plus a selection of pizzas, good for sharing.

WM had the fish of the day ($29), a popular choice among the diners. There were 3 options of crusts - baked lime and coriander; pan fried garlic, lemon, and herbs; or cajun spiced. WM went with the first option. The dish also came with polenta fries, fresh salad, and aioli. Neither of us could remember what the fish was, but whatever it was, it was very fresh! Lovely fresh fish fillet with a citrus and herb crust - perfect! The polenta fries were also very nice, and a good alternative from the normal fries.

I had the caesar salad ($17), Dux Dine style. Cos lettuce tossed with smoked salmon, garlic croutons, soft poached egg, shredded parmesan, and creamy caesar dressing. This was a variation from the classic caesar salad, which usually comes with bacon and/or chicken. I was very happy with my choice. This seemed to be a nice healthy option with lots of greens. The smoked salmon was delicious, and worked well in a caesar salad.

WM and I both enjoyed our lunch at Dux Dine. It was a lovely setting, with great atmosphere and friendly staff. It also helped that the food was delicious. I would love to come back, and would be keen to try their breakfast or pizza the next time.

Dux Dine is open from 7am on weekdays and 9am on weekends. Breakfast is available till 11.30am, and lunch from 11.30am to 3pm on weekdays. Brunch is served between 11.30am and 2.30pm on weekends. Between 2.30pm and 7pm, they serve snacks, platters, and pizzas. Dinner is available from 5.30pm to 9pm.

Dux Dine
28 Riccarton Road
Christchurch
(03) 348 1436
duxdine.co.nz

Saggio di vino

2013-01-24T20:54:00.000+13:00

As a belated birthday treat, I got to have dinner at Saggio di vino in November. The restaurant has always had good reviews, and was greatly missed following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Fortunately Saggio di vino had reopened in a new building in June 2012. It is located on Victoria Street, just a few houses down from the old location.

W and I visited on a Saturday night. Fortunately I had made reservation, as the place was buzzing with diners.

Entree

W had the rabbit loin with lentil salad, pear, and balsamic vinegar ($24). This was the first time I had tried rabbit, and was pleasantly surprised how good it was. The rabbit was quite tender and tasted great. The lentil and pear salad was nice too. W was pleased with her choice, and cleared the plate with no trouble.

I had the carpaccio beef fillet, lemon oil, diced onion, anchovies, capers, and Parmagiano Reggiano ($25). The thinly sliced marinated raw beef was tender and quite tasty. I liked the accompanied Parmagiano Reggiano. Although I did find the dish a bit oily and salty. A nice dish, but I liked the rabbit better.

Main

W had the duck confit with braised chicory, pommes puree, and mushroom jus ($40). The duck was very nice, and was tender and full of flavours. The pommes (potato) puree was creamy, although not completely smooth. The chicory was a new vegetable for us, and we were guessing what this was. It was slightly crunchy and slightly bitter, quite nice and different. W also enjoyed this dish, and thought the duck confit was one of the best she's had in Christchurch.

I had the loin of "Lovat" venison, thyme gnocchi, green beans, and red currant jus ($42). I was very happy when my dish arrived. The venison was cooked perfectly, tender and melt in the mouth. It was slightly crunchy on the outside with a natural sweetness coming through. This was further enhanced by the red currant jus. I also loved the thyme gnocchi, which was soft and creamy, and absolutely delicious. Underneath the foam, was a bunch of green beans wrapped in grilled prosciutto. And you can't go wrong with something wrapped in prosciutto! It was a lovely dish that I couldn't get enough of.

Dessert

For dessert, W had the yogurt elderflower mousse, rhubarb, and hazelnut macaron ($16). This dish usually has a hazelnut puff pastry instead of the macaron. The yogurt elderflower mousse was interesting, it was creamy and smooth, although a bit plain in taste. The hazaelnut macaron was okay and not really go with the mousse. We wondered if the puff pastry would suit better.

I ordered the chocolate torte with mango and nectarine coulis ($16), and was very glad I did! I loved the chocolate torte, with rich creamy dark chocolate pate on top of a soft thin layer of pillowy sponge cake. Guaranteed to satisfy any chocolate lovers! The mango, nectarine, and blueberry coulis was gorgeous, with sweet ripe mango and nectarine. This went very well with the chocolate torte. A perfect dish and probably one of the top desserts in Christchurch!

Even though we didn't order this, we were also impressed with the cheese selection ($22). This is served from a temperature controlled trolley that the waitress brings to your table. You can select which cheese you want, and these would then be served with crackers and fruit. Looked amazing, but I'm too much of a dessert lover to order cheese instead!

We also ordered coffees to go with our desserts. W had a latte ($4.20) while I had a decaf flat white ($4.20). Saggio di vino serves illy coffee, which is a bit bitter in taste, and not for everyone.

We had a great dinner at Saggio di vino, and I finally found out what I've been missing! The food was delicious, and the service was wonderful. It was a nice atmosphere, and would be a good place for special occasions.

Saggio di vino is opened daily from 5pm. Reservation is recommended.

Saggio di vino

179-181 Victoria St

Christchurch

(03) 379 4006

www.saggiodivino.co.nz

C1 Espresso

2013-01-20T21:33:00.000+13:00

After a break, Heidi's Food Affairs is back again! This first post of 2013 is on C1 Espresso, the well-loved Christchurch cafe. The High Street cafe was a popular spot for lazy weekend brunches and evening coffees. Many people were sad to see the cafe demolished after the February 2011 earthquake. Fortunately, C1 Espresso reopened on the 13th of November 2012, at a new location across the road from the old cafe.

C1 is now located inside the old Post Office building at the corner of High and Tuam Streets, sharing the building with another beloved Christchurch business, Alice in Videoland. Alice is a well respected video store, with a vast collection of good films world wide. Since its renovation, it now also houses a 38 seat cinema (Alice Cinematheque) showing art films.

Outside C1, there were plenty of tables for alfresco dining. Great for the sunny summer we have been having!

Inside the cafe, the decor was a mixture of old and new. Some of the old fixtures of the Post Office were kept, and I particularly loved these hanging lights. C1 also brought in some of the decors from their old cafe. The giant comic posters (not pictured) were back on the walls.

I was glad to see the cute sock monkeys again!

And who can forget C1's famous water fountain? Custom made from a sewing machine, the water comes out with turning of the handle. So clever!

WM and I came for brunch 2 weeks after the opening. The place was pretty busy, as loyal customers returned to check it out. Just like the old place, we lined up to order at the counter. Fortunately the wait wasn't too long, and it gave us time to look around the new place.

For coffee, I ordered a flat white. I made a mistake by asking for trim milk, then immediately remembered that C1 only does regular milk. Not a big deal for me, especially since the coffee was nice.

WM asked for a pot of tea, and got a tea set for 2. The tea leaves came on the side, probably so the customer can see/smell the leaves before brewing (?). WM was pretty happy with her tea.

"Waiter, there's a fly in my cup!!" It was nice seeing C1's signature cups again!

For food, C1 has a menu of all day brunch and lunch pretty much the same as the old cafe, and it was nice to see the old favourites again. The cabinet has a nice selection of savouries and sweets. Plenty of vegetarian and gluten free options available.

WM had the salmon and avocado bagel with toasted bagel, lemon, and cream cheese ($18.50). We also spotted a salmon bagel in the cabinet for $8.50. We were curious what the difference was, especially with a $10 price difference! The waitress told us there would be more fillings, and the bagel would be toasted. When WM's dish arrived, it looked beautiful with all the colours, although it basically looked like a deconstructed filled bagel. Not quite sure if it was worth the $10 difference, but it did taste good.

I had one of my favourites fom the cafe, corn and coriander fritters with bacon, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream ($17.50). There was also a vegetarian option replacing the bacon with feta, but there was no way I would say no to bacon! My dish was also well presented. The corn and coriander fritters were lovely, with lots of fillings and flavours. The bacon was sweet and salty, and not too crispy, just the way I like it. I also loved the guacamole, salsa, and sour cream, but can do with more of these. Delicious!

Even though we were quite full after brunch, we were keen to have something sweet. We shared a slice of the chocolate walnut brownie ($4.20) from the cabinet. This was very nice, crunchy on the outside and moist in the middle. Good with coffee/tea, so just as well I ordered a second cup of flat white!

Welcome back C1! We had a nice time at the new C1, and enjoyed the coffee and food. On our way out, we also had fun checking out Alice in Videoland. As we came out of Alice's doors, the view from the above photo greeted us. There were tables from C1 cafe on fake lawn, with a scaffolded building in the background. Only in Christchurch!

C1 Espresso is open 7 days from 7am to 10pm. Available for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks.

C1 Espresso

185 High Street
Christchurch
www.facebook.com/C1espresso

Cafe Mosaic

2012-11-25T18:27:00.000+13:00

I love weekend brunches with the girls! It's great relaxing in a nice cafe, catching up on gossips over coffee and yummy comforting food. It somehow makes the upcoming week of work a bit more bearable. I have a few favourite spots for brunch, but I'm also always happy to discover new places.

I heard about Cafe Mosaic 4 months ago, and went to check it out with W. This Spreydon cafe is located on the outside of the recently renovated Barrington Mall. It's easily seen from the mall's carpark along Barrington St, near the mall entrance. The decor of the cafe is modern and bright, with white furniture and blocks of colours along the wall. True to it's name, each table was topped with a cute mosaic sugar pack holder.

As soon as we walked in, we were welcomed by a large glass cabinet of beautiful food. There were the usual savoury options of sandwiches and pies, but we could hardly take our eyes off the desserts! Lots of yummy looking cakes and slices, guaranteed to make any dessert lover happy. We've been to the cafe twice now, but never got the chance to try the sweets after the substantial brunch. However, this would be a good place to come for afternoon tea if you happen to be in the area.

We started with the coffees, I had the usual soy latte and W had a latte. The coffees were nice, and I was glad to get some caffeine in the system!

Cafe Mosaic's all day breakfast menu is quite extensive, and has the standards dishes such as eggs on toast, eggs benedict, french toast, and all day breakfast. But W was instantly drawn to the breakfast burrito ($16.50). This American Mexican style breakfast is not your usual kiwi breakfast food, and is more like a lunch meal with some breakfast ingredients. The breakfast burrito here was made with scrambled eggs, cheese, and beans wrapped inside a tortilla, and topped with fresh salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. It also came with a home made hash brown, with options of adding bacon or sausage ($2 each), or spiced chicken or beef mince ($4.50 each). This was quite a substantial dish, and absolutely delicious. The scrambled eggs were soft and flavoured with spices. The tortilla was soft, and there were plenty of toppings to go with the burrito. W was so impressed with the dish, she ordered it again on our second visit. The only minor flaw was the hash brown, which was slightly burned and a bit greasy. But otherwise a near perfect dish.

On our first visit, I was deciding between the french toast and the pancakes. As I hadn't had pancakes for a while, I decided to go with it. Cafe Mosaic's classic American pancakes were served with bacon, banana, and maple syrup ($16.50). There was also an option of mixed berry compote and yoghurt. My pancakes looked pretty good, with lots of toppings. The grilled bacon was crispy and tasty. Unfortunately the pancakes weren't as good as I imagined, as they were more like cakes, and just didn't go well with the bacon. A bit disappointing, but it didn't stop us from going back. On my second visit, I actually ordered the breakfast burrito, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

We enjoyed both visits to Cafe Mosaic so far. It has a nice setting and friendly staff. The food is generally pretty good, and the dessert cabinet is very enticing. Cafe Mosaic is open 7 days for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. It is also open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday. The menu has a mixture of Western and Asian influenced dishes. It is featured in the Entertainment Book, offering 25% off the bill, up to $30.

Cafe Mosaic
Shop 21, Barrington Mall
256 Barrington Street
Christchurch
(03) 337 3720
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Mosaic/150404528369755

Strawberry Fare - Dinner

2012-11-22T01:05:00.000+13:00

Following my last post on the French salon afternoon tea in Taipei, here's another sweet treat. Strawberry Fare is renowned for its great desserts, and I posted on a visit for brunch and desserts early this year here. I went back to Strawberry Fare in April for W's birthday dinner. Yes, I know April was quite some time ago, but hopefully the food has not changed too much since then!

For entree, we shared the grilled half shell mussels with parmesan crust and caper aioli ($13.50 for 6). This was absolutely delicious! The mussels were juicy, and I loved the cheesy herb crust. A great start!

For main, W had the prawns gremalata - grilled prawns with lemon, parsley and garlic, served with salad greens, toasted ciabatta, and saffron aioli ($21.50). I was impressed by the size of these prawns. They were cooked to perfection, and were full of flavours. W also loved the toasted ciabatta, fresh with a crispy crust and soft middle.

I had the duck confit - slow cooked duck leg, parsley butter, jus, crispy duck fat potatoes, and buttered green beans ($28.50). The duck was tasty and I liked the green beans, although I would have preferred mash potato. Another nice dish.

Now comes what we've all been waiting for - the desserts!! It was difficult choosing from the long list of desserts, but we finally made our decisions. W went for the lemon tart ($16.50), light shortcrust with a creamy sabayon filling, served with honey mascapone, and berry sorbet. As usual, this was beautifully presented. The lemon tart was light, with lemony mascapone filling. W was a happy girl!

Since it's been a while, I decided to go for the ultimate chocolate dessert ($18.50). This was the perfect dessert for chocolate lovers. It came with a great selection of chocolate treats, with chocolate fudge brownie, chocolate mousse, chocolate ice cream, dark chocolate pate, and raspberry coulis. Everything was delicious, and I particularly liked the dark chocolate pate, which was smooth with a rich chocolate taste. A word of warning, this was quite a substantial dessert, so make sure you have saved some room in the stomach! With 4 chocolate desserts, this dish is also quite rich, so some people might have trouble finishing it (not the chocolate lovers, of course!).

Another great meal at Strawberry Fare. This is a must visit restaurant for those with a sweet tooth. Strawberry Fare is open 7 days for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Booking is recommended.

Strawberry Fare
19 Bealey Avenue
Christchurch
(03) 365 4897

www.strawberryfare.com

Taipei - Salon de The de Joel Robuchon

2012-11-16T22:04:00.001+13:00

In October, I got to spend 3 weeks of holiday in Taipei. It was a great opportunity to visit family and friends, and also a wonderful chance to enjoy Taipei's food. Taipei had a big variety of food, ranging from the cheap and delicious, to the top end restaurants. I got to sample lots of different types while I was there, and will share with you a few notable places.

After recovering from the flight to Taipei, I ventured out with my family the next day. We decided to have afternoon tea at a Salon opened by French chef Joel Robuchon.

The restaurant is located inside the fancy Bellavita department store. Bellavita is a luxury department store housing many international boutique brands. These are definitely too expensive for the average joe, but there's no harm doing some window shopping before eating. The food court in the basement has a good range of food with reasonable prices. There are also several restaurants in the upper levels.

We went to Salon de The by Joel Robuchon on the 3rd level. French chef Joel Robuchon, is a Michelin Star winning chef with many restaurants around the world. In 2009, he opened 2 restaurants at the Bellvita department store, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Salon de The de Joel Robuchon. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is a high class French/Italian restaurant, aim to serve the Michelin standard food (along with the price tag). The Salon de The is the less serious sibling, serving light meals, pastry and baking.

As soon as we walked into the Salon, we were welcomed by the beautiful displays of macarons, baking, and other treats. It has a modern decor, with lots of black, a bit of red, and plenty of spotlights.

I was instantly attracted to the pastry display cabinets, where the stars of the show stood. Each little pasty had its own place, and were all beautifully presented. I could just look at them all day!

Next to the pastry, were the freshly baked French style bread. These not only looked good, they also smelled wonderful.

The afternoon menu gave us choices of an afternoon tea set, crepes, breads, and pastry. We decided to share an afternoon tea set (NT$1200 + 10% service fee, about NZ$58 total) between the 4 of us. This was meant to be for 2 people, and came with a sandwich, 2 pastries, 2 macarons, 2 madeleines, and 2 drinks. We also ordered 2 extra drinks and a basket of bread.

For the drinks, we had 3 coffees and a tea. I had a latte and it was alright, but I think I prefer the coffee in NZ. The coffees from restaurants are also quite expensive in Taipei, and the latte was about NT$200 + 10% (~NZ$9.60).

Mum had a pot of Earl Grey tea. This came in a heavy black iron pot to keep the tea warm. We've also seen other diners with the red version of the tea pot which looked brighter. The teapot was actually too heavy for mum to pour her tea, so I had to help!

The basket of bread looked rather cute in the little red bread sack. It came with a good selection of bread, including Ciabatta with sesame, ficelle with olives, mini baguette, brioche, and slices from a bread loaf. At NT$180 + 10% (~NZ$8.60), this was a bargain compared to the rest of the meal. It was met with great approval from dad, the bread lover. We all enjoyed it too, and actually thought the bread was the highlight of the afternoon tea.

The afternoon tea set arrived, and it was quite spectacular. All of these would have looked nice individually, but even better together! We got to choose 2 pastries from the cabinet, and there was also a choice of the sandwich (chicken salad, ham & camembert, or vegetarian). We went for the chicken salad sandwich. This came already cut in 4 pieces, so we didn't have to make a mess. The chicken salad was delicious, with great flavours. We also love the baguette, which was fresh and perfect with the chicken salad.

The afternoon tea set also came with 2 macarons and 2 madeleines. We didn't get to choose the macarons. One was lemon, and the other was rose. I thought the macarons were nice, although the rest of the family found them too sweet. The madeleines were just alright, as we prefer softer cakes.

For the pastries, we chose a chocolate tart (Tarte au Chocolat) and a sesame napoleon slice (Mille feuille au praline de sesame). It was quite difficult trying to cut the napoleon slice into 4 pieces, but we managed somehow. I quite liked the napoleon slice, with light pastry layers and creamy sesame custard.

The chocolate tart looked pretty, and even came with a gold leaf. The tart was filled with custard and chocolate and topped with dark chocolate. It was quite nice, although once again, the others thought it was too sweet.

We had an interesting dining experience at Salon de The. The whole meal came to a total of NT$2002 (~NZ$87), not too bad for NZ standard, but definitely expansive for Taipei. We loved the bread and I liked the pastries, although the rest of the family found them too sweet. Not for everyone, but might be worth checking out for a special occasion and if you like French pastries.

Salon de The de Joel Robuchon
3F, No. 28 Song Ren Road
Taipei
Taiwan
台北市信義區松仁路28號3樓
(886) 2 8729 2626
www.robuchon.com.tw

Spice Paragon

2012-10-04T21:24:00.000+13:00

Spice Paragon is another Thai fusion restaurant that had became popular in Christchurch. It is located in the newly renovated Bush Inn Mall, right next to the new entrance.

It has been highly recommended by my friends. They loved the variety of dishes with herbs and spices, and the great cocktail list.

I had lunch at Spice Paragon on a Friday while doing some shopping. I spotted their lunch menu, with very reasonable prices (all dishes were $16 or under). Definitely beats eating at the food court. There are a good selection of dishes, all well presented.

After some deliberation, I went with the Pad Thai in free range eggnet with chicken, tamarind sauce, peanuts, and lime ($15 for lunch). This was beautifully presented, and I was very impressed with how they managed to wrap the eggnet neatly around the Pad Thai! Unfortunately the Pad Thai itself was not as good as some of the others I've had in Christchurch. However I liked the herbs and bean sprouts on top, and the generous serving of peanuts on the side.

I went back to Spice Paragon a few weeks later with a group of friends for dinner. There were 7 of us, and we were able to have a good variety of dishes to share between us. The girls were particularly impressed with their cocktail list, and had tried several yummy cocktails. Unfortunately they were too quick for me to take any photos, so you'll just have to take my word for it!

To start our meal, we had the banana prawn pancakes incased in crispy spring roll wrapper with light plum sauce ($6 for 2 halves). These were very nice, with meaty prawns in the middle and crispy wrapper on the outside. I also liked the light plum sauce, which went well with the pancakes. A good way to start our meal.

After a little wait, our mains had arrived. These were served with Jasmine rice ($2 each person). Okay, I know the rice is not that special for photos, but I liked the added touch with the sprinkle of chopped chives. We were given 2 big bowls of these to share. The Jasmine rice was hot, fragrant, and cooked just right. The waitress also offered to top up our bowls when they became empty.

Now comes the real food. Our first main was Bangkok street grilled whole free range chicken with spice, lemon, and tamarind sauce ($39). This was a very impressive dish, with a chopped whole chicken. The chicken was well infused with flavours, and we loved the crispy skin. I thought the meat was slightly on the dry side, but otherwise a good dish.

Next came the Angus beef eye fillet with chilli, holy basil sauce on seasonal vegetables ($38). The Angus beef fillet was cooked perfectly at medium rare (see the photo below), and simply melt in the mouth. Great flavours and lovely with the vegetables.

This was G's favourite - wok fried spicy crispy pork with chilli, green pepper corn, spring bean, and crunchy sweet basil ($26). It was quite a spicy dish, and not for the faint hearted! It even came with a green pepper corn, and it would be wise not the eat this, as it would probably burn your mouth off! I liked the wok fried beans, although the dish was a bit too spicy for me.

Mussamun curry of slow braised lamb shank on Asian sweet potato mash ($33) had been a popular dish among my friends. I wouldn't usually associate lamb shank with Thai food, but apparently it works quite well. I only had a small bite of this, but my friends all loved it.

Young coconut tom yum of banana prawn with coconut fresh, fresh kaffir lime juice and lemon grass ($33) was very tasty. Prawns are one of my favourite food, and the banana prawns here were huge! Meaty and well infused with flavours. Most of us haven't tasted young coconut before. These were cut into slices, and were slight crunchy. They didn't taste like coconut, and were more like bamboo shoot or mushrooms. This was another spicy dish, but I didn't mind it as much.

Our last dish was fresh tuna salad with snow pea shoot, orange, fresh coconut, Thai herb, and lemon grass ($32). I loved the tuna salad from Chinwag Eathai, and was therefore looking forward to this dish. Fortunately, it did not disappoint. The tuna was very fresh, and I loved the herbs and spices. Some of my friends preferred this version over the Chinwag one, as it didn't come with as much coconut. I think I would be pretty happy with either dish.

We all enjoyed our meal, and were all happily full at the end. The waitress presented us with the dessert menu, however our stomachs didn't have much room left, and the menu also wasn't particularly inspiring.

There was some confusion earlier in our meal, and the waitress brought us a dish we didn't order. This was taken away, but somehow it was left on the bill ($33). I only found out about this when looking at the bill at home to do this post. Slightly disappointing, but I'm sure the staff would have taken care of it, if it was noted. So it pays (no pun intended) to check the bill. The staff were all nice and attentive. My friends even got to have an impromptu wine tasting session after discussing wine with the staff while we were paying.

Spice Paragon is open 7 days from 11.30am to 2.30pm for lunch, and from 5pm till late for dinner. A special lunch menu is available at a reasonable price (all dishes $16 or under). Reservation is recommended, particularly at dinner time.

Spice Paragon
Bush Inn Centre
Cnr Riccarton & Waimairi Roads
Upper Riccarton
Christchurch
(03) 348 8881
spiceparagon.co.nz

Leinster Rd Bistro

2012-09-08T11:41:00.000+12:00

WM and I went to the Leinster Rd Bistro for dinner on a Friday night. WM had heard good things about the food here from friends, and was keen to try. The restaurant is located in Merivale near the mall on Leinster Road, a little street off Papanui Road (there's a Coffee Culture on the corner).

Neither of us have been here before. We have walked passed the restaurant a couple of years ago searching for brunch, and thought it seemed a little formal and maybe even pretentious. However at night, it seemed to be more relaxed.

We didn't have a reservation, but the waitress managed to squeeze us in. We were told we only have an hour, which was fine, although we did contemplate having dessert at the bar! But somehow it was taken care of. The waitress was friendly and attentive (our water glass was never empty), without being too formal. As it is a restaurant in Merivale, we noticed most of the diners were middle age and above, although some younger people drifted in after 8.30pm.

To save room for dessert, we skipped the entrees and went straight for the mains. There was a good variety of mains, including specials with pasta, risotto, and fish of the day. We were impressed with the menu, and thought many dishes sounded interesting. But at the end we went for the standards, steak and chicken.

I decided to go for the steak, as it's been a while since I've had a decent one. There were options of rib eye and beef fillet, and I went with the fillet. I had the aged beef fillet ($38), medium rare, with potato rosti, braised mushrooms, slow roasted vine tomatoes, and blue cheese mousse. The beef fillet was cooked perfectly. Very tender and almost melt in the mouth. I couldn't taste much of the blue cheese, just as well, since I'm not a big fan. The dish was also topped with a big dollop of butter, so bad but tasted so good. The butter and the jus really enhanced the taste of the steak and the potato rosti. The slow roasted vine tomatoes were sweet and tasty. Rather than "mushrooms" as stated in the menu, the dish came with one large grilled portobello mushroom. It was meaty and juicy, and had soaked up all the steak juice and the jus. Delicious! A great dish, and I was very happy after eating this.

WM had the free range chicken ballantine ($33) - stuffed chicken with pumpkin and nutmeg puree, buttered brussel sprouts, and crispy parsnip chips. She was very proud of herself after finishing the whole dish including all the brussel sprouts. Unfortunately brussel sprouts can never taste very good, no matter how much butter had been put in! The chicken ballantine on the other hand, was very tasty. It was tender and full of flavour. The rest of the dish was good too.

Even though we were both pretty full, we couldn't resist the dessert. The restaurant's dessert menu sounded interesting. There was creme brulee with rhubarb, and chocolate fondant. We decided to share the pear tarte tatin with cinnamon ice cream ($15). This was beautifully presented with a caramel halo. The pear tarte tatin was gorgeous, with thinly sliced caramelised pear and crispy pastry. Served warm and topped with amazing cinnamon ice cream. WM was particularly inspired by the cinnamon ice cream, and vowed to try and make her own!

We had a good time at Leinster Rd Bistro, and really enjoyed the gorgeous food. The price range is on the high side, but probably reflects the type of restaurant and the location.

The Leinster Rd Bistro is open Monday to Friday 8.30am till late, Saturday 10.30am till late, and Sunday 10am till 4pm.

Leinster Rd Bistro
158 Leinster Road
Merivale
Christchurch
(03) 355 3055
www.leinsterbistro.com

Vic's Cafe & Bakery

2012-08-31T14:23:00.001+12:00

My favourite going out meal would have to be brunch. There's nothing like a good coffee and a good meal on a lazy day off. And Vic's Cafe does not disappoint.

Situated on Victoria St near the Bealey Ave end, Vic's has been well established in Central Christchurch. Providing hungry foodies with good food, coffee, and bread.

This was actually my first return visit to Vic's since the February 2011 quake. I guess I've been busy exploring all the other cafes in town. WM and I came here on Queen's Birthday Monday. As usual, there were lots of people, but we managed to grab seats on the bench by the front door.

I ordered a soy latte in a glass ($3.80 + 50c for the soy). Vic's uses the good stuff, C4 coffee beans, which I always liked. The coffee was very nice, and a perfect start to the meal!

There were several breakfast and lunch options, but I went for an old favourite - eggs benedict ($17). This came with grilled ham and poached eggs on toasted sourdough, hollandaise, tomato, and mushrooms. I liked the mushrooms on the side, not something you get from most cafes. The eggs were perfectly poached, and the hollandaise was nice and not too rich. The sourdough was the winner of the dish, and I wouldn't expect anything less from a bakery! Yum!

French toast

WM ordered the french toast with bacon, banana, yoghurt, fruit, and maple syrup ($18). She doesn't like bananas, so went without. However her french toast still came with lots of fresh fruit. It looked beautiful and tasted great. Again the toast was a highlight, and everything else on the dish came together perfectly.

Another reason to visit Vic's (not that you need another reason), is for their bakery. Freshly baked daily. WM bought a large organic sourdough, and I bought a very yummy parmesan bagel, and a fruit bagel. Vic's has a great range of delicious bagels. I particularly enjoyed the parmesan bagel. It was gorgeous after toasting, as the cheese on the outside became warm and crispy. Mmmmm....

Vic's Cafe and Bakery is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 5pm, and weekends 7.30am to 5pm. Breakfast menu available till 2pm.

Vic's Cafe & Bakery
132 Victoria Street
Christchurch
(03) 366 2054
http://www.vics.co.nz/cafe/

The Bodhi Tree

2012-08-12T11:21:00.000+12:00

After a period of hiatus, Heidi's Food Affairs is back! Unfortunately other commitments have made it hard to keep this blog up to date, but hopefully you will be seeing new posts more regularly from now on. To celebrate the blog's return, here's something special.

The Bodhi Tree is the only Burmese restaurant in New Zealand, and has been well loved by the people of Christchurch and visitors to the city. Like many central city businesses, the Colombo Street restaurant had to close following the February 2011 quake. But like many Christchurch businesses, The Bodhi Tree had dusted itself off, and reopened this year. The new premise is located in the suburb of Ilam, on the corner of Ilam and Clyde Road, across from the small Fendalton Village Mall.

Three friends and I decided to have dinner at The Bodhi Tree for CT's visit from Auckland. We were well aware of the necessity of advanced booking given the restaurant's popularity. To our relief, WM managed to booked a table for Saturday night, even though she only called a few days ahead. We were given a limited dining time from 6 to 8pm, which we accepted.

The inside of The Bodhi Tree was neat, modern, with a touch of Asian. The size of restaurant seemed to be similar to its previous premise.

The front of the menu introduced us to the style of the cuisine of Burma, consisting of many dishes designed to be shared. The menu is divided into different sections - small dishes/appetisers, soups, salads, vegetable dishes, meat dishes, seafood dishes, and desserts. A note in the menu tells us that the dishes are entree size.

My only other visit to The Bodhi Tree was several years ago, at the original Colombo St restaurant. I went with a group of girls, some of whom were vegetarians, so we ordered mostly vegetarian dishes. I remembered the dishes were on the small side, and the food was a bit bland.

On this visit, the four of us were all lovers of seafood, so we ordered several seafood dishes plus a few others. As you will see, I was very impressed with the food this time.

Nga Sein Chin - marinated fresh fish

Our first dish was Nga Sein Chin ($16) - fresh fish marinated in lemon, shallots, chilli, olive oil, and sprinkled with coriander. It was beautifully presented, and I loved the vibrant colours of the herbs and chilli against the white fish. The fish was very fresh, and delicious with the citrus dressing, full of flavours. We all loved the refreshing taste. A great start to our meal!

Le Pet Thoke - tea salad

Next came the Le Pet Thoke ($14.50) - Bodhi Tree's famous tea salad, pickled tea leaves mixed with lentils, nuts, sesame seeds, and chilli. A must have, according to CT. This might not look as pretty as the previous dish, but the flavours were equally impressive. It was a mixture of fragrant toasted nuts and seeds, unlike any of your usual salads!

Pazun Jo - sauteed prawns

The Pazun Jo ($21) - prawns sauteed in garlic, was one of my favourite dishes of the night. The prawns were huge and meaty, and cooked just right. Wonderful with the sauce, with lots of herbs and spices.

Biay-Ji Nga Jo - sauteed squid

Our next seafood dish was the Biay-Ji Nga Jo ($16). Another top dish, with tender squid which were not too chewy, and lots of lovely basil, onion, and chilli. This was a bit more spicy than the other dishes, but not too much to handle.

Jetda Jo - deep fried chicken

We thought we should try something other than seafood, and went for chicken. Our first chicken dish was Jetda Jo ($16) - deep fried chicken pieces marinated in garlic and soy, served with dipping sauce. The chicken pieces were crispy on the outside without being greasy. Inside, the meat was tender and full of flavours. The dipping sauce with soy sauce, vinegar, herbs, and a hint of chilli, was great with the chicken.

Jetda Ono Hin - mild chicken curry

Our other chicken dish was also a curry. Jetda Ono Hin ($16) - mild chicken curry/stew slow cooked in shallots, garlic, coconut milk, and spices. We weren't sure how a Burmese curry dish would be like, and this was pretty good. It was closer to a Thai curry than an Indian curry, particularly with the coconut milk. Fragrant, sweet, and not too spicy. Great with rice.

Ciandi Thoke - grilled eggplants

To be good, we also ordered a vegetable dish. Ciandi Thoke ($12.50) were grilled eggplants dressed with sesame seeds, chilli, olive oil, shallots, and coriander. The eggplants were a bit bland, despite lots of herbs and spices. It wasn't bad, but just not as impressive as all the other dishes.

Kiyu Byoke - steamed mussels

Our final dish was Kiyu Byoke ($16) - fresh mussels steamed with garlic, corriander, and a hint of chilli. The presentation reminded me of The Belgian Beer Cafe, which sadly had to close in Christchurch following the February 2011 quake. These gorgeous mussels were steamed with care, and presented in a special broth. We all enjoyed the mussels with the Asian flavours. Another great dish.

Flaming creme bruelee

Even though we were dangerously close to our allocated dining time, we couldn't leave without having dessert. Bodhi Tree has a small dessert menu, with a mixture of eastern and western dishes. CT had been dreaming about Bodhi Tree's flaming creme bruelee, and would not leave empty handed (or should it be empty stomached?). The creme bruelee was done the traditional western way, and available on its own ($11), or flamed with cointreau ($13). On CT's recommendation, we all ordered the flaming creme brulee. It was magical watching our flaming pots of dessert coming towards us, and then landed in front of our eyes. The blue flames were beautiful, and believe me, the photo did not do it justice!

Flaming creme brulee - after

After the flames burned out, it was time for the tasting. They were quite generous with the cointreau, and there was still a layer of it on top of the creme brulee after the burning. I have to say it was a bit too strong and overpowering for me. The creme brulee itself came with a nice crunchy caramel topping, ready to be cracked. The custard underneath was nice, although a bit on the cold side.

We had a great dinner at The Bodhi Tree. The food was great, and I was particularly pleased with the seafood dishes. Even though we were given allocated dining time, we were not asked to leave when the time was up. We stayed a little longer as few tables were still free, but we didn't stay too long just in case. Our waiters were also quite friendly. Definitely worth a return trip!

The Bodhi Tree is open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday 6pm to 10pm. Booking is seriously recommended!

The Bodhi Tree
399 Ilam Road
Christchurch
(03) 377 6808
http://thebodhitree.co.nz/

Sakura

2012-06-23T22:21:00.000+12:00

A couple of months ago, WM and I visited the recently opened Japanese restaurant, Sakura, on Church Corner. It was nice to see another Japanese restaurant in Christchurch, especially after the massive closure of the city centre restaurants post earthquake. Sakura is located inside the little Asian food and shopping complex on Church Corner, opposite the Countdown supermarket. It is in the same building as the Japanese bakery Yahagi, and the popular Malaysian restaurant Yummy. Plenty of parking is available at the back of the complex.

The restaurant has been renovated to look like a traditional Japanese diner. The shut doors made it easy to think the place was closed, but I guess they had to keep the doors shut due to the cold weather. There was however a sign outside declaring the place open. Inside, the restaurant was small but cosy. We managed to grab the last available table, despite not having made a reservation. We spotted a group of 10-20 Japanese tourists, probably a good sign regarding the food.

The dinner menu had a range of Japanese dishes, including appetisers, tempura, sashimi, sushi, salad, and grilled dishes. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. In fact, we thought the service was even too much, as the waitress kneeled next to us to take our orders!

Tuna sashimi

We started with my favourite sashimi - tuna (9 piece for $17). Not many Japanese restaurants in Christchurch have tuna sashimi, so I always get them when I can. This was beautifully presented on a glass plateform. The tuna was fresh, sweet, and absolutely delicious!

Takoyaki

Our second dish was the takoyaki (6 for $6.80) - octupus balls topped with Japanese mayonnaise and seaweed flakes. These were quite tasty, although pretty standard like most Japanese restaurants. I thought the seaweed flakes was a nice twist.

Seaweed salad

We decided to be "healthy" and have some greens. So we ordered the seaweed salad with white sesame dressing ($7). I love the seaweed, which has a nice chewy texture and great with fragrant sesame seeds and sesame oil. The sesame salad dressing was also lovely. A refreshing dish.

Soft shell crab

Deep fried soft shell crab ($12) is always a popular dish at Japanese restaurants. I love the crispy batter with soft salty crab meat in the middle. The soft shell crab here was nice, although probably not as good as some other places I had tried (such as the long gone Tatsumi, and Kinji).

Ox tongue

We also had the ox tonge with spring onion dip ($7). The ox tongue I have had in other Japanese restaurants were usually thinly sliced, grilled, and topped with onion and sweet soy sauce. The ox tongue here were slightly thicker cut, and topped with mashed spring onion dip. As they were thicker slices, they took a bit more work to chew, but still tasty. I also liked the spring onion dip, a nice alternative to the usual onion topping.

BBQ eel & egg omelette roll

To finish, we had the BBQ eel and egg omelette roll ($13), for some carbohydrate. We were impressed with the presentation and the generous serving. It was the first time I had eel and egg sushi, and I quite enjoyed it. The BBQ eel was delicious, and was sweet and sticky. It was like eating eel don (BBQ eel and egg on rice), which unfortunately was only available for lunch.

Overall we had a good time at Sakura. The food was good and reasonably priced.

Sakura is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11.30am to 2.30pm for lunch, and from 5pm to 9pm for dinner. Booking recommended. Also available for takeaway.

Sakura Japanese Cuisine
380 Riccarton Road
Upper Riccarton
Christchurch
(03) 343 3636
http://www.sakuracuisine.co.nz/ (website to come)

The Brewery

2012-04-22T17:01:00.000+12:00

The Cassels & Sons Brewery(or The Brewery for short) in Woolston has fast becoming a popular hang out for after work gathering and lazy weekends. Located in the middle of an industrial area, The Brewery was renovated from an old tannery. It has a large courtyard perfect for warm sunny days, with regular live music events. It is reminiscent of the old Dux de lux at the Art Centre, which my friends and I have been missing.

I have been to the Brewery twice this year, both time to celebrate friends' birthdays. The first visit was at the end of January, after work on a Friday evening. Those living in Christchurch might recall the unnaturally cold summer this year. So despite being a summer evening, it was a little cool. The place was packed, but we managed to grab one of the last tables in the courtyard and huddled together. Fortunately they have outdoor heaters, which were turned on later in the evening.

On my second visit, it was a rainy Saturday lunchtime in early March. Luckily birthday girl N had booked a table inside,so we all got to keep warm and dry. Most of the photos in this post were from the second visit, as I had been experimenting with DSLR camera, and didn't quite get the right settings the first time.

As the place is called The Brewery, they serve a great selection of their own beers, bitters, and ciders. They also sell a selection of guest beers and wine. My friends all enjoyed The Brewery's beers and were impressed with the variety. C was in love with the raspberry cider, which was fruity and not too sweet.

Clockwise from left: Te Oka, Loburn, & Horotane

I am not really a beer person, so I was looking forward to the food (as usual). We have heard great things about The Brewery's woodfried pizzas. All the pizzas were $16 each (add $3 for gluten free base), all with unique names and local ingredients. On my first visit, we ordered one of each, and were impressed with all of them. The pizzas were freshly made with great flavours, plenty of toppings, and beautiful thin bases. On my second visit, we ordered a few to share. One of our favourites was the Te Oka, with prawns, pepper, chorizo sausage, mozzarella & tomato base. The Horotane with pear, blue cheese, thyme, & smoky bacon was also a crowd pleaser. The Loburn with Canturbury three cheese and summer herbs was another winner.

Other than providing gluten-free options, they also cater for the vegetarians. Apart from the Loburn, there was the St Alban (above) with roasted tomato, Karikaas feta, fresh oregano, chilli, garlic, & parmesan. And the Avoca, seasonal vegetables with herbs and goat's cheese.

The Brewery also serves a selection of starters and mains, with food from both the land and the sea. We didn't pay a lot of attention to these, as we were quite happy with our pizzas. I did get to try the calamari with chipotle chilli mayo ($12.50), which was delicious. The calamari was cooked and seasoned well, and the chipotle chilli mayo was sweet & spicy and quite yummy.

On both visits, we had ordered the homemade fries with tomato sauce & aioli ($7.50 and add $1.50 for aioli). These shoe-string fries were great. Hot, crunchy, with the right amount of salt. The tomato sauce and aioli were the perfect accompaniments.

On my first visit, we had ordered the Ploughmans Platter ($28.50) as a starter to share. This came with a selection of Maasman cheese, pickles, cured meat, hummus, salad, & bread. Very generous serving with lots of yummy things. Although a bit more bread would be even better.

The cabinet was very enticing, with lots of gorgeous food. There were sandwiches/bagels on the bottom, salads in the middle, and desserts on the top. We were sitting close to the cabinet on my second visit, and I couldn't help constantly checking out the food! So after the pizzas, we were all keen to have something sweet, even though our stomachs didn't have much room left!

Our friends' 3 year old son got it right, and actually had a hot chocolate and meringue at the start of the meal. I was impressed with the mini hot chocolate, which was super cute! Unfortunately I didn't manage to take a photo of the meringue before L got to it, but it looked delicious, and L was very happy with it.

Some of the grown-ups had coffee with the dessert, and I had my usual soy latte. They used beans from Lyttelton Coffee Co., another support for the local businesses. I have to confess I don't remember much about the coffee, but I think it was nice.

We got 2 desserts at our end of the table. The first one was the vanilla panna cotta with rhubarb jelly ($6.50), shared by C and G. It was beautiful with cleverly done layers. C liked the panna cotta, although G wasn't as sure about it. I had a spoonful, and thought the jelly was a bit tasteless. So probably not a dessert for everyone.

W and I shared a slice of the sour cherry,almond & chocolate brownie ($4). This was scrumptious with rich chocolate, lots of tangy cherries and nuts. A great treat!

We had a bit of trouble finishing our brownie, so G, the chocolate lover, happily came to the rescue.

I have had two great meals at the Brewery. The food was wonderful and the staff were friendly. A good place to come and relax with friends.

The Brewery is opened 7 days from 7am till late. Breakfast is served from 7am, and woodfried pizzas are available from 12pm. Check out their website for the menu and live gig guide.

The Cassels & Sons Brewery
3 Garlands Road
Woolston
Christchurch
(03) 3895359

http://www.casselsbrewery.co.nz/

Rotherhams

2012-04-03T06:09:00.000+12:00

There are various ways to eat out. Sometimes it is for the convenience of not cooking, and sometimes it is a chance to relax and catch up with friends. There are also times when you look for the whole dining experience, where you get pampered with great food and great service.

Rotherhams is a good example of a "special occasions" restaurant. Opened in 2000, it has won several awards for hospitality and for its lamb & beef. It is situated in Riccarton on Rotherhams St, just by the Westfield Riccarton Mall.

I had been here once before for a friend's birthday and really enjoyed to food. This time, I came with 3 girls for a special treat as my friend L was leaving for Melbourne.

Rotherhams has a good selection of both local and international wine. They also have a selection of spirits, and they even infuse their own Vodka with different flavours. WM had a glass of the Sandihurst 2007 Central Otago pinot noir ($14) to go with her main, as she already set her heart on the steak. She was very happy with her wine, which went beautifully with the steak.

Entrees

Martin's seafood selection

Time for the food! We ordered from the a-la-carte menu. Rotherhams also has a five course degustation menu ($110 or $165 with wine match), an eight course degustation menu ($145 or $215 with wine match), and a set menu ($75) for groups of 10 or more.

From previous visits, we knew Rotherhams' portions are not small. However, I really enjoyed the entree on my last visit, and there was no way I would skip it! Rotherhams has several delicious sounding dishes for entree, but the highlight would have to be Martin's seafood selection!

Martin's seafood selection ($27) is a paradise for seafood lovers! The selection included oyster with dressing of your choice, Black Tiger king prawn on guacamole, North Atlantic scallop on spicy pineapple chutney, Chardonnay poached salmon on melba toast with mango salsa, New Zealand green lipped mussel & clam ragout in spring roll basket with white wine sauce.

We ordered 2 Martin's seafood selection to share between the 4 of us. As each platter only came with one oyster, we ordered two extra oysters, so we can have one each. We had a choice of raw or cooked oyster with different dressings, and all of us except W went for the lime dressing with wasabi infused caviar. W wanted hers cooked, and had the Rockefeller - cheese with spinach.

We all loved the entree with the gorgeous seafood. The platter was beautifully presented, with each item delicately prepared. Everything tasted delicious, but my favourites would have to be the oyster and the scallop. The oyster was fresh, sweet, and perfect with the lime dressing and wasabi infused caviar. The scallop was perfectly cooked, naturally sweet and complimented by the spicy pineapple chutney. The others also really liked the mussel and clam ragout in spring roll basket. A tasty selection and a good way to start our meal!

Mains

Beef fillet

It was difficult to pick which main to order, as there was an amazing selection on the menu. WM kept her original decision, and went for the steak. She had the beef fillet ($41) wrapped in bacon, topped with Kikorangi blue cheese and kumera shavings, golden couscous, green French beans, with a pink & green peppercorn glaze.

This was an impressive dish with an architectural presentation. Although it probably wasn't the most practical dish to eat. WM had to rebuild her dish and remove the beef fillet from its throne. This is not just so she could cut the meat, but also for getting to the couscous which was hiding inside the big bone.

WM was very happy with her dish. The beef fillet was delicious and beautifully cooked. I didn't order this as I am not a big fan of blue cheese. But it was actually relatively mild and not over powering. The kumera shavings were crispy and an interesting change from the usual potato offerings. Unfortunately the couscous didn't quite match up to the rest of the dish. WM had difficulty getting the couscous out of the bone, and as they were packed into the bone for presentation, they were a bit overcooked and not as fluffy.

Lamb duo

L had the lamb duo ($42). The first part of the duo was lamb cutlets coated with mustard & herb crust, tomato Provencale, and mint & garlic butter. The other half of the duo was braised lamb shank with Boulangere potato, and lamb sauce. They were both nice, but L preferred the lamb cutlets as the meat was more tender.

Cervena leg fillet

W and I both had the panfried Cervena leg fillet ($40) with water cress spatzli, braised red cabbage, and mushroom fricassee. What is cervena? Okay, I Googled cervena and found out it is a New Zealand farmed natural tender venison. I had mine medium rare and W had hers medium. My cervena was very tender and seasoned well. The mushroom fricassee was also lovely. I am not quite sure about the spatzli though. They were doughy with not much taste. But that was alright, by not eating all the spatzli, I saved some room in the stomach for the dessert!

Desserts

Caramelised lemon tart

Dessert time! Rotherhams serves a selection of desserts and cheese for after dinner treat. As usual, the girls and I were pretty full at this point. So we decided to order 2 desserts to share.

Our first dessert was the caramelised lemon tart ($17) with raspberry compote and hokey pokey ice cream. This was another impressive presentation. The caramelised lemon tart was quite yummy with a cookie pastry shell and a lemony soft centre. The hokey pokey ice cream was creamy and tasty too.

Strawberry & white chocolate cheesecake

Both WM and L liked the sound of the strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake ($17) with Brandy snap basket, vanilla ice cream, Baileys anglaise, and chocolate wafer. It was again beautifully presented, although some people might find the plate a bit too busy. The cheesecake itself tasted great and the girls were pretty happy about it. It was nice with the slices of fresh strawberries.

After our meal, we were given complimentary biscotti, which was a nice gesture from the restaurant. Unfortunately the biscotti were soft rather than crunchy, and we couldn't see much nuts or fruit.

The girls and I had a good night at Rotherhams. Overall the food tasted great, although my favourite would still be the entree. Everything was presented beautifully, although some of the presentation might have been a bit too much. The service was nearly faultless with attentive staff. It is a good place to come for special occasions with family and friends.

Rotherhams is open Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm, booking is recommended. It is featured in the Entertainment Book, offering 25% off the whole bill, up to $40.

Rotherhams
42 Rotherham Street
Riccarton
Christchurch
(03) 341 5142
www.rotherhamsofriccarton.co.nz/

Hot Cross Buns

2012-03-25T21:52:00.001+13:00

It's less than 2 weeks till Easter. Shops everywhere are filled with chocolate eggs and hot cross buns. I do enjoy a good hot cross bun (ok, more than just one). In Christchurch, there are many places you can get hot cross buns. Supermarket is a convenient option, usually selling both factory made and in-store made hot cross buns.

The factory made ones are usually cheaper, but you do get what you paid for. They are generally not as good as the bakery ones, both in texture and substance (such as the amount of dried fruits).

Over the last few years, I have been getting my hot cross buns from Bakers Delight. Bakers Delight is an Australasian chain bakery, selling a selection of freshly baked breads daily. Every Easter, they would have a range of hot cross buns, including the traditional, chocolate, and mocha.

I usually get their chocolate hot cross buns (a bag of 6 for $8.99), full of chocolate chips and dried fruits. They taste the best after heating (20 seconds in the microwave), and with a spread of good butter. Soft, fragrant, and full of chocolate goodness!! Yummmmm!!

This year, my friends N & V also highly recommended the chilli chocolate hot cross buns from Breads of Europe. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to try these out yet, but I am very keen to do so!

So have you had your hot cross buns yet? Better hurry before Easter's gone!

Bakers Delight
Bush Inn Mall
Avonhead
Tower Junction
Northlands Mall
The Palms
www.bakersdelight.com.au

Breads of Europe
Bakehouse Shop - 10 Garlands Road, Woolston, Christchurch
Retailers - see list on the website below
www.breadsofeurope.co.nz

Dose Cafe

2012-03-06T22:02:00.001+13:00

Dose Cafe had fast become one of my favourite places for after work dinner. It is conveniently located near work on Tuam Street, near the CBD. The cafe itself has been opened for a few years, but only started serving dinner a few months ago.

During the day, the cafe serves western style food typical for cafes. At night, the place is transformed into a Japanese izakaya bar, a casual setting for fabulous food and alcohol. I was excited to hear they have brought over the chef from Maido, my favourite Christchurch Japanese restaurant pre-earthquake.

I have been to Dose for dinner 4 times so far, and had been impressed with the food every single time. I also loved the setting of the place, with a relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff. The cafe is part of a relatively new small office/shop complex. I like the various different style of tables and chairs downstairs. Upstairs they have a more intimate setting with couches. It seems to be an ideal place for after work hang out, although it is not well known due to its location.

Plum wine

As this place was meant to be an izakaya bar, we started our meal with a drink. They have a selection of alcohol including local wine and beer, and Japanese beer, sake, and plum wine. I had plum wine with lemonade, while W had plum wine on ice with lemon. We both enjoyed our plum wine which was sweet and suited our taste.

Pork & prawn fresh spring rolls

As a starter, I would usually have the pork and prawn fresh springs rolls ($12). Okay, this is not really Japanese, but it is so delicious, I don't think anyone would mind! The fresh springs rolls were full of fresh veggies, pork, and prawn, with a citrusy sweet dipping sauce. Refreshing and feels very healthy! The fresh spring rolls are also available with pork only, or vegetarian.

Prawn & squid okonomi yaki

I have also had the prawn and squid okonomi yaki ($12) a few times. Okonomi yaki is the "Japanese pizza", made with a flour paste, cabbage, vegetables, and choice of meat. It is panfried then served with Japanese mayo. The okonomi yaki here was very tasty, with lots of prawn and squid, and lots of vegetables. It is also available with pork or vegetarian.

Yakitori

Now time for the yakitori! These are skewers of meat and veg, marinated in a sweet soy sauce then grilled. A traditional izakaya dish, perfect with a drink! The dishes usually come with 2 skewers, great for sharing.

Yakitori seems to have become popular in Christchurch the last few months, with several new restaurants jumping on the yakitori wagon. I have to say, compare to the yakitori from The Monday Room, I do prefer the ones from Dose.

Chicken yakitori

The chicken yakitori ($6) is the classic yakitori dish. The ones here are very very good. Great flavour with a nice chargrill finish. Yum!

Seasonal vegetable yakitori

I also cannot resist the seasonal vegetable yakitori ($6). The combination of courgette, eggplant, and mushrooms was great. The yakitori brought out the natural sweetness of the vegetables, whiling still keeping them crispy and juicy.

Bacon & prawn yakitori

The bacon and prawn yakitori ($8) is more of a fusion dish. Yes, almost anything can taste great wrapped in bacon, but this was a brilliant combo, with perfectly cooked meaty prawns and crispy bacon. Heavenly!

Pork belly yakitori

I just adore the pork belly yakitori ($6)! Sweet and juicy, and simply delicious!

Other yakitori options included beef, salmon, and lamb. They also have a chef's special platter, with 5 skewers of assorted yakitori for $14.

As an izakaya bar, Dose serves a limited menu. Other items on the evening menu included tempura, grilled dumplings, edamame beans, thai beef salad, deep fried tofu salad, seaweed salad, and karaage fried chicken. While some may find the limited menu less desirable, I have always managed to order a good selection of dishes.

Carrot cake

During one of my visits, W and I were craving something sweet after dinner. We spotted some slices and carrot cake at the counter. These were left over from the daytime. We decided to share the carrot cake with yoghurt (usually $6.50, although we were only charged $5). It was a great choice, and the carrot cake was beautiful, moist with walnuts in the middle. I also loved the sour cream icing, and the dry fruit on the outside. Mmmmm..... a perfect finish to our meal!

Dose is a great place to meet up with friends for a casual catch up and to share some gorgeous food. The cafe is open 7.30am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am to 4pm Saturday. The yakitori bar is open from 4pm to late Wednesday to Saturday.

For the month of March 2012, Dose is offering a free drink (standard beer or wine) with any food purchase of $12 or over. Just present the voucher from Dose's Facebook page.

Dose Cafe
77 Tuam Street
Christchurch
(03) 943 2112
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dose-Cafe/141418922564509?sk=wall

Luciano Espresso Bar

2012-02-25T23:01:00.000+13:00

I heard from some of my coffee-snob friends that Luciano is the place to get the best coffee in Christchurch! In fact, the owner Luciano had won the NZ Barista Championship 3 times. Being the caffeine-addict I am, I had been keen to visit. Unfortunately Luciano's original cafe on Moorhouse Ave, inside Hunter's furniture, was destroyed after the Christchurch earthquakes.

However, like many Christchurch businesses, Luciano managed to dust itself off and reopened in a new building a few blocks down the road from the original shop. It is now located on 76 Moorhouse Ave, in the same block as the Shell petrol station. It shares the new modern building with Lighting Direct. They even share the central wall with long glass windows, and the various hanging lights provided a beautiful back drop for the cafe.

We came on a Saturday after 1.30pm, so there were plenty of place to sit. W sat on the comfy cushion covered booth, while I sat on the seat opposite, where I got to admire the lights from Lighting Direct.

I was really looking forward to the coffee. Being an espresso bar, there were many options of coffee. But despite being a caffeine-addict, I'm not quite sophisticated enough to have coffee without milk! Luciano also has a selection of coffee with milk, and they came in sizes of small, regular, large, and bowl. We both went for the large size, and got a latte each. This came beautifully presented in tall glass with thick layer of milky foam. The foam was slightly bitter on the first couple of sips, but improved well soon after. The coffee was smooth, strong, and definitely hit the spot. I soon felt the caffeine running in my veins, and was sure there was at least 3 shots of coffee in this!

The old Luciano was mostly an espresso bar, and was selling coffee with a selection of cabinet food. The new cafe has expended and now even has a chef, serving breakfast and lunch. As their menu is not online, I thought I'd share them with those of you who love to study the menu before going to a place!

There was a good selection of both breakfast and lunch. My coffee-snob friend AM had highly recommended the eggs benedict, and has been having it on a weekly basis! It also caters for her gluten free diet. After much thought, I decided to order from the breakfast menu, while W got something from the lunch menu.

My dish was the "The Luciano", the cafe's full breakfast ($18.50) with streaky bacon, Kransky sausage, garlic mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, hash browns, and eggs anyway on wholegrain toast. I chose to have my eggs poached. This was a good portion with lots of protein and carb. Overall the dish was tasty and satisfied my hunger after not having had breakfast. I particularly liked the garlic mushrooms, grilled mushrooms with minced garlic, delicious. The Kransky (sorry it was hiding in the photo above) was cheese filled and quite tasty. The only slight disappointment was that one of my eggs was over done, and had no runny yolk. Otherwise it was a nice dish.

W had the Cajun chicken sandwich ($18.50) served on Ciabatta with bacon, lettuce, roasted tomato, and a side of fries. We were both looking forward to the fries, and went for these as soon as they arrived. W asked for tomato sauce, and the waitress soon came back with it. We were very impressed with the fries, which were simply perfect! Golden, crunchy, and hot. Not too salty, and great with the slightly sweet and tangy tomato sauce. Yummmm!! W's Cajun chicken sandwich was also quite tasty. The Cajun chicken was reasonably spicy with a good kick. W's usually not very good with spicy food, but managed to finish it. She thought the Ciabatta was slightly over toasted, but otherwise everything tasted great.

Luciano also has a selection of cabinet food including sweets. Unfortunately the slices didn't look particularly interesting, so we didn't try them.

We had a great brunch at Luciano with lovely coffee and great food. The highlight would have to be the coffee and the perfect fries! The staff were friendly, and it had a relaxed atmosphere just right for weekend dining.

Another Luciano is available on 8 Orbell Street, Sydenham, inside the new Hunter furniture store. I haven't been there, but heard they do not have a kitchen and therefore only has a limited selection of food.

Luciano is featured in the Entertainment Book, offering buy 1 get 1 free hot beverage.

Luciano Espresso Bar
76 Moorhouse Ave
Christchurch
(03) 961 1153
http://lucianoespressobar.co.nz

Oriental Restaurant & Cafe @ Swan Lake

2012-02-19T21:51:00.000+13:00

The day before my friend C's big day, she invited us to Swan Lake for lunch and a bit of pampering. Swan Lake is located in Cashmere, off Colombo St. It is a garden, spa centre, and restaurant.

As soon as we arrived at Swan Lake, we were welcomed by the gorgeous private garden. In the middle of the garden is a lake, with, of course, swans. A beautiful place particularly on a nice day.

The Swan Lake was converted from a large house, and the spa centre is inside the main house. Right by the house is a gazebo style cottage for the restaurant. The restaurant was bright, with a serene atmosphere. The big windows offered views of the garden.

For lunch, the restaurant has a choice of a western and an eastern menu. On the western menu was sandwiches, salads, and high tea. The eastern menu was a selection of Thai dishes. The chef was not available that day, so there was only a limited menu. The 5 of us were all keen on the Thai dishes, and we ordered 4 dishes to share.

Our first dish was Thai salad with prawns (?$26). This was delicious and refreshing, with lots of shredded vegetables and prawns. The dressing was a bit sweet and sour, perfect for the salad.

Our second dish was grilled prawns (sorry, can't remember how much this was). The prawns were grilled beautifully with a sweet and slightly spicy marinate, served on a bed of lettuce. Yum!

We also had Thai green curry with chicken ($24). The curry was delightful and was fragrant and tasty. Great with rice.

Our last dish was stir fried ginger chicken ($22). This was another nice dish with tender chicken, vegetables, and a ginger soy sauce.

I don't usually take photo of the steamed rice, but I couldn't resist, as these looked quite cute moulded.

After lunch, we took turns to have our massage. While waiting for our turn, W and I decided to have dessert. We ordered the Thai classic dessert - sticky rice ($13.50). Traditionally, this would be creamy sticky rice in coconut milk served with fresh mango. Here, it was a variation of the original, and came with choice of mango ice cream or mango. Our waiter recommended the ice cream as the mango would be from a can rather than fresh. We were glad to have chosen the mango ice cream. It was lovely and I could easily taste fresh mango in the ice cream. The sticky rice was another twist from the original. It was made with purple glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk. Not as creamy as the original, but still tasty and was sweet and fragrant. The sticky rice and the mango ice cream were both very nice, although didn't quite go together.

After the dessert, we all had a great time relaxing with the massage. Afterwards we were served warm spicy ginger tea in the lounge. A great afternoon of pampering!

We were all impressed with Swan Lake. The food was a bit overpriced, but was worth the money for the surroundings and the great service. The restaurant offers lunch 7 days from 9am, and dinner from 5.30pm Tuesday to Sunday. Takeaway also available.

The spa is open 7 days from 9am and booking is essential. The garden is available for private functions including weddings.

Oriental Restaurant & Cafe @ Swan Lake
9 Ernlea Terrace
Cashmere
Christchurch
(03) 980 5400
www.swanlake.co.nz

Strawberry Fare

2012-02-12T21:15:00.000+13:00

The long wait is over - Strawberry Fare is back! The beloved Christchurch restaurant well known for its desserts, has finally reopened in January 2012. Its original restaurant located on Peterborough St near the Christchurch Town Hall had to close following the February 2011 earthquakes. The new restaurant is located on Bealey Ave, next to the Carlton Corner, near North Hagley Park. It is the same building as the old Harper Restaurant, right in front of the Carlton Hill Motel.

The onsite parking is limited, as the Carlton Hill Motel reserves car parks for their guests. We didn't mind, as the original restaurant had even more difficult parking. We managed to park in the small Carlton Mill shopping centre. It usually has a p30 limit, but hopefully not as strict afterhours.

The dining area is located upstairs, and was nice and bright thanks to the tall windows. We came on a Sunday lunchtime, and was fortunate to get a table without booking. The place was packed with diners, and we did have to wait to get our orders taken at first. Our waitress felt bad about it, and became extra attentive, and was checking our order for dessert every 5 minutes!

My soy latte was very nice. It was creamy and smooth, yet strong enough without the bitter taste.

WM had her usual Early Grey tea, which was also nice.

Salmon deluxe

As it was the weekend, we got to order from the weekend brunch menu. I had the salmon deluxe ($20.50), which came with hot smoked salmon, poached free range eggs, avocado and hollandaise on croissant. This was the ultimate luxurious brunch dish. It was beautifully presented. The poached eggs were done perfectly, with glorious runny golden yolks. A lovely dish with good flavours.

Field mushrooms

WM couldn't decide between the salmon and mushrooms, and finally settled for the field mushrooms ($18.50). The mushrooms were grilled and served on seeded toast with avocado, feta, and pesto. The combination of mushroom, feta, pesto, and avocado was just gorgeous. WM was delighted with her decision, and savoured every bite (although she was kind enough to let me have a bite - for the blog of course!).

Pancakes with bacon & fruit

S had the pancakes with bacon, fruit, and maple syrup (18.50). This was meant to come with berries, but S asked to go without as she is not a fan of berries. We wondered whether her pancakes would come with any fruit at all, and was impressed to see it came with fresh banana, pineapple, and melon. S found the pancakes were light and fluffy, and great with the bacon and maple syrup.

Chefs tasting plate

It's a crime not to have dessert when you visit Strawberry Fare! As we were all well fed after our brunch, we decided to share one dessert. We agonised over the huge selection of yummy sounding desserts, then finally chose to share the chefs tasting plate ($17.50). This is a selection of trio of dessert, which changes daily.

Today's chef's tasting plate came with dreamy creamy cheesecake, dark chocolate pate, and fresh mango sorbet. The dreamy creamy cheesecake is also available as an individual dessert ($16.50), and is a delicate creamy baked citrus cheesecake. We all loved the cheesecake, which was lemony, light, and not too sweet. The dark chocolate pate is usually part of the ultimate chocolate dessert ($18.50), which also comes with chocolate fudge brownie, chocolate mousse, chocolate icecream, and raspberry coulis. The dark chocolate pate did not disappoint. It was full of the chocolate goodness, and was dark, rich, and creamy. Mmmmm..... The last part of the trio was the fresh mango sorbet. It was sweet and tangy, and I could definitely taste fresh mango! The others thought it was a bit tart, but I loved the refreshing taste. A yummy plate of gorgeous desserts!

It was good to have Strawberry Fare back again. Even better to see they still serve delicious desserts! We all enjoyed our meal, and can't wait to come back.

Strawberry Fare is open 7 days for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Breakfast is available 7am-11.30am weekdays, and weekend brunch is available 8.30am-3.30pm.

Strawberry Fare
19 Bealey Ave
Christchurch
(03) 365 4897
www.strawberryfare.com

Daphne's Restaurant

2012-02-07T18:46:00.000+13:00

I visited Daphne's Restaurant for the first time recently. It is a Chinese restaurant which has been opened for several months. Located on Church Corner opposite the Countdown supermarket, this spot used to house the all-you-can-eat restaurant, and more recently, New Century Chinese restaurant. After Daphne's took over, they had renovated the place to a more modern decor, and the standard of food has also improved. Although this was my first visit, many of my friends have already been here, and had enjoyed their food.

There were plenty of parking at the back of the restaurant, near the Mitre 10 car park. The restaurant is also accessible from the back, in fact, this was more like the main entrance. Walking in through the back, we were welcomed by the big fish tank full of live lobsters!

I had organised a dinner with friends, and there were 12 of us in total. As usual, we ordered several dishes to share between us.

One of our first dishes was chicken with special house BBQ sauce ($16). This came on a hot sizzling plate. The chicken was tender and marinated well with lots of flavours. The sauce had a good balance of the sweet and savoury. It also came with lots of yummy crunchy cashew nuts.

We ordered something a bit different from the usual Chinese dishes. Instead of beef, we had venison with XO sauce ($28). The venison was nice and tender, and actually tasted like beef. This dish came with lots of onion and capsicum. The sauce was a touch spicy, but not too much. Another nice dish.

Our only vegetable dish was the hot and spicy beans with mince ($15). This was very popular and the plate was soon emptied. The stir fried beans were crunchy and flavourful. It was quite spicy, but tolerable. Very delicious vegetables (with bits of meat......).

Next dish was prawn balls with celery and lily bulbs ($20). Big juicy prawns were stir fried with celery and lily bulbs. I can't really tell you what lily bulbs tasted like, but the dish was again quite nice. The prawns were cooked well and not overcooked.

Now a dish without meat - Chef's special tofu on sizzling plate ($13). Gorgeous silky tofu deep fried then served with a sweet chilli sauce. The tofu was crispy on the outside, and hot and soft in the middle. Yum!

We also ordered steamed whole blue cod ($28/36 according to the menu, I'm not sure which price we were charged). Whole blue cod, teeth and all, were steamed beautifully and served with soysauce, spring onion, and ginger. The fish was fresh, juicy, and delicious.

We were excited to hear Daphne's also serves Peking duck (half for $28). We were able to order this without pre-ordering. As there were 12 of us, we were recommended to order 2 half portions. The Peking duck here was presented in a tall pile with prawn crackers underneath (to make it look like there were heaps of duck!!). The slices of duck was more casually carved than the ones served as North and South. There were slices with skin or meat only. Some bits of the skin was also a bit chewy, although overall the duck tasted nice.

Our duck came with the standard steamed pancakes, cucumber, spring onion, and hoisin sauce. The pancakes were nice and soft, and there were plenty of cucumber and spring onion. We did run out of pancakes, but was able to get another portion of pancakes with ease. The Peking duck here was pretty good, although we still think the Peking duck at North & South is the best in Christchurch.

The highlight of the night has to be the fried spicy garlic pork sparerib ($16). C had declared Daphne's pork sparerib the best in Christchurch. These spareribs were marinated then deep fried and served with deep fried garlic. They were crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Kinda like KFC but pork instead of chicken. C liked this so much, she ordered 2 plates, and the plated were quickly emptied.

PT was keen for entree when we were ordering. He spotted the steamed buns and thought they might be a good idea. The steamed buns at Daphne's came as plain, custard, or redbean ($6 for 6). The menu did mention steamed and deep fried buns with sweet dipping sauce, although we were told it was wrongly translated. We got 3 plain, 3 custard, and 6 red bean buns. We asked to have them come out first, but somehow they still came out last. But never mind, they were more like dessert than entree. The buns were relatively small, and looked like they came out of a packet. It was a bit expensive at $1 each. I actually missed out on the buns, but the others seemed to enjoyed them.

We had a nice dinner at Daphne's Restaurant. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food, and some even talked about returning with their family. For the amount of food we got, the cost of the meal was quite cheap. We ended up paying $20 each person. I liked that Daphne's had a good variety of dishes, and they didn't all taste the same with the same sauce. The service was pretty good, particularly considering how busy they were. I definitely wouldn't mind coming back again.

Daphne's Restaurant is opened 7 days for lunch and dinner. Booking is recommended.

Daphne's Restaurant
398 Riccarton Road
Riccarton
Christchurch
(03) 348 8988

Paul @ Dubai International Airport

2012-02-04T19:39:00.001+13:00

Recently, I got to go to Europe for a couple weeks' holiday. One of the main objectives of the trip was of course food!! W and I were looking forward to trying out all the different cuisine on offer, like desserts, gelato, bread, pasta, and pizzas.

Living in New Zealand means a long long trip to get to Europe. We flew with Emirates, and had to stop over at Sydney and Dubai. By the time we got to Dubai Airport, we were both exhausted from the long flights and the lack of sleep. We wondered around the airport and browsed through the shops.

Our eyes suddenly lit up (*.*) when we saw Paul and its long display of beautiful pastries!! After hours of dull airplane food, it was a welcome sight. Lots of the travellers thought the same, and the place was packed.

While lining up, we got to admire the gorgeous sweets. Our appetite weren't the best while tired, but we simply could not go past this place without getting something!

We finally settled on the Strawberry Charlotte (AED 17, which is about NZ$3) to share. As this is an international airport, the cafe accepted various international currencies, including pounds and euros (which was what we had). Although the change was given in AED. We also got 2 lattes to go with this (about AED 17 each).

The Strawberry Charlotte was very pretty with big juicy strawberries on top. The cake itself also tasted great. A light sponge on the outside with custard cream in the middle. Not too heavy and not too sweet. The lattes were also pretty good, not very strong, but perfect while travelling.

We were so impressed with Paul, we vowed to come back on our flight back home. We did think we might have had lots of pastries by then, but unfortunately we didn't get to have as much pastry in Europe as we were hoping to. On our flight home, we promptly reported to Paul's for more dessert. This time we were prepared, and got one each to share.

W had been eyeing the Strawberry Tart (I think it was AED 17) since our first visit. This was gorgeous with lots of yummy strawberries and custard cream inside. The tart pastry itself was unfortunately a bit hard and difficult to cut. But overall it was quite nice.

I ordered a slice of the tiramisu (I think it was also AED 17). This looked very precise with layers of sponge, cream, and lots of cocoa powder.

The tiramisu not only looked good, it also was very very yummy! Soft sponge with subtle coffee liqueur taste and just the right amount of cream. Mmmmm.....!!

Paul was funded by a French family in 1889, and had since expanded into a huge international bakery cafe chain. It has many shops throughout Europe, Asia, and the USA. Unfortunately not available in Australasia yet. While we were in Europe, we had walked past a few Pauls, but some of them (even the one in the Louvre museum!!) didn't have a selection as good as the Dubai International Airport!

Paul is available from Terminal 1 & 3 at Dubai International Airport, and is thankfully open 24 hours.

Paul
Terminal 3 (near gate 212)
Dubai International Airport
Dubai
+971 4 2203 360

The Monday Room

2012-01-30T20:51:00.000+13:00

Christchurch cocktail and wine lovers might fondly recall 205 and Le Plonk on Manchester St prior to the quakes. 205 was a trendy cocktail bar with a great atmosphere and featuring a great list of yummy cocktails. "Le Plonk" was a sophisticated wine bar, with a relaxed atmosphere and live music. Both of these were popular choices for weekend night out, and were sadly missed following their closures post quake.

Fortunately, the people behind both "205" and "Le Plonk" stayed strong, and opened The Monday Room in December 2011. This was a project that had been planned for sometime, as the owners were keen to move into the daytime dining scene.

The Monday Room is located inside the newly renovated Strategy Building, on the corner of Moorhouse Avenue and Madras Street, next to CPIT. No onsite parking is available, but there are plenty of off street parking options near by. The restaurant is divided into an indoor section and a covered outdoor area. The bar was cleverly made of bookshelves filled with encyclopedia sized books. There were leather covered seats and wooden tables. The decor of the restaurant felt retro, and was a bit like a members-only club!

The girls and I had been big fans of 205, and were excited to hear about The Monday Room. We came here for dinner and drinks on a Thursday night, just after the New Years. The place wasn't very busy, probably because it had just opened and not well known yet.

Parisian Cosmopolitan & Feijoa Cooler

Our waitress was friendly and attentive, and quickly brought us the menus. One of the highlight of the place is of course the drinks. The restaurant has an impressive 9 page drink list, with a variety of wine, cocktails, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks. The list also included 3 pages of cocktails!

I had the Feijoa Cooler ($12), recommended by our waitress. This was made of 42 Below feijoa vodka with smashed red grapes, lemon juice, apple juice, manuka honey, and Marlborough sauvignon blanc. The cocktail was delicious with plenty of fruity taste and a decent shot of alcohol too. C had the Parisian Cosmopolitan from the blackboard special. This was basically the classic cosmopolitan, and was also very tasty.

W, being more sophisticated, went for a glass of Gewurztraminer. The restaurant has 2 different Gewurzt available, but only one by the glass. The waitress offered a tasting first, which was a nice touch. W had the Matawhero Gewurztraminer ($12), which was a bit dry but suited her fine.

Blue cheese polenta fries with truffle aioli

Now comes the food! For the evening meal, The Monday Room serves a range of tapas and yakitori from 3pm onwards. The tapas menu included a wide range of international cuisines, with quite creative sounding ideas. Our first tapa was the blue cheese polenta fries with truffle aioli ($7). My first polenta fries were from The Bicycle Thief, where I fell in love with the golden crunchy goodness. We were excited to try The Monday Room's polenta fries. These polenta fries had subtle flavours of blue cheese without being overpowering. The fries came hot and were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. The truffle aioli was delicious and a great dip for the fries. We were quite impressed with these, but still didn't think they were as good as The Bicycle Thief's.

Garlic prawn sandwich with chilli mayo

Our next tapa was garlic prawn sandwich with chilli mayo ($8). We were expecting fresh bread sandwiches, and were surprised to see the deep fried parcels. The sandwich was quite tasty, with a good amount of prawns and a crispy shell. The chilli mayo was great, although might be too spicy for some.

Goat's cheese & roasted capsicum risotto ball

Risotto ball (or arancini) is a classic tapas dish. Here we had the goat's cheese and roasted capsicum risotto ball with basil mayo ($12). These risotto balls were very nice, again with a crunchy outing, and soft flavourful risotto and cheese inside. Another tasty dish.

Tempura soft shell crab

Tempura soft shell crab ($12) is something you are more likely to find on a Japanese restaurant menu than a tapas restaurant, but I guess fusion is the way nowadays. I have always enjoyed a good tempura soft shell crab, and the ones here did not disappoint. These were hot and crunchy, with a soft salty crab meat middle. These were also served with the chilli mayo. Yummy!

Yakitori - scallops wrapped in pancetta

The Monday Room also offers a selection of yakitori. These are skewers of deliciously marinated meat, grilled Japanese style with loving care. Yakitori is perfect for sharing, and great with alcohol. The restaurant has an interesting yakitori selection, including the traditional (chicken mince balls, chicken thigh), and some unusual (eg lamb cutlet with kiwifruit sauce) choices. Each plate of yakitori came with 2 skewers.

We ordered 2 different types to try. Our first yakitori was scallops wrapped in pancetta ($11). These were delicious and cooked well, with sweet salty pancetta wrapped around gorgeous sweet scallops. A great combination!

Yakitori - pork belly with misonegi

Our second yakitori was pork belly with misonegi ($7). All 3 of us love a good pork belly, and found the ones here very tasty too. Misonegi (a Japanese onion miso sauce) was a welcome new taste which went well with the pork.

The girls and I had a good meal at The Monday Room. Our drinks were beautiful, and the food was delicious. Although all our tapas ended up being deep fried, which was a bit heavy. Next time we might have to choose some non-fried tapas or yakitori instead.

The Monday Room is open 7 days from 8am till late, and serves breakfast (8-11am), lunch (11am-3pm), and light dinner (3pm onwards). We came for the dinner, but I have read their breakfast and lunch menu with great interest. There are several intriguing dishes, which I would be keen to try. For example, for lunch they have "Trio of mini burgers with blue cheese polenta fries" ($21). Many creative choices developed from classics. I am sure I will be returning to try some of their day meals and cocktails (although probably not at the same time!!).

The Monday Room
Corner of Moorhouse Ave & Madras Street
Christchurch
(03) 377 5262
http://www.themondayroom.co.nz/
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Monday-Room/252342404811818