We came to Nishiki on a Tuesday and it was packed. We thankfully booked just before arriving, I have heard many times that they dont like you just turning up hoping for a table.
I had the sashimi mori to start, it was fresh, lightly marinated and melted in your mouth, I could have eaten it all night. Next was salmon and avocado spring rolls, these were rolled in rice paper and garnished with that yummy sweet mayo. The salmon was marinated and so tender, there was a hint of wasabi, not too hot which I like and no need for soy at all. JS ordered the oysters and mayonnaise to start these were grilled, hot and a great mix of sweet and savoury. This was followed by Ebi Mayo, deep fried prawns with mayo and tempura veges. They were crisp and lightly battered, not soaked in oil. Every dish comes with 3 different sauces and everything was so fresh and cheap, I now understand why this place is so popular.
Rating:
Service: 2.5 (you do feel like you are being rushed at times, but this is obviously their charm)
Food: 4
Ambiance: 3 (you dont come here for the plush surroundings!)
no coffee but the Japanese beer is good and so is the hot saki
http://www.nishiki.co.nz/english/nishiki_city/index.php
Monday, November 1, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Long Room, Ponsonby
I grabbed one of the vouchers from "I love deals", how could I refuse a $100 voucher for $49! Fantastic.
We came on a Friday night, the seating is either down the back which transforms into the dance floor later or by the sliding doors and outside in the courtyard. We got a table outside by one of the many heaters strategically placed around the courtyard, it wasn't a warm night so the heating was perfect. I didn't want to eat inside, the tables just look like they are dumped there and uncomfortable and out of place on the dance floor.
We ordered one of the long plates, we had the seafood longplate, tuna tar tare, cured salmon, chili squid, char grilled prawns. The chili squid was like crispy chips of squid, they were JC's favourite. The tuna tar tare was my favourite, lightly marinated with lemon, olive oil and a hint of soy and it melted in your mouth, I could have just had a large plate of this for my entree.
The menu is well rounded and enticing, it makes you want to come back and try more. For our mains I ordered the duck, cashew, mandarin with hoisin & green nam jihm vinaigrette, and JC ordered the handmade tortellini, with creamed wild mushrooms. My salad was a bed of salad greens with a touch of watercress mixed with a great amount of duck marinated in the hoisn and vinaigrette and sprinkled with cashew nuts. The salad was served on a long rectangle plate and the presentation was great. The taste was amazing! The duck was lightly fried in the sauces and full of flavour, there was a hint of coriander but it wasn't overpowering, and it could have been, it was a taste sensation.
JC's main was subtle, not too creamy and the right hint of mushroom, the only problem we both had was the tortellini was a day past its used by date, it was hard, not soft. The wild mushroom filling complimented the creamy sauce and sauteed mushrooms but we both couldnt get past the pasta being hard.
We didn't have dessert but we did have a lovely pinot gris, I think Nautilus, with dinner and it complimented the meals well.
Our waitress was amazing, she was very attentive and friendly, she never hovered, not that you could at this busy establishment, but in saying that we only had to pour our wine ourselves once. There was never a wait for our meals and she complimented our choices like she meant it.
The Long Room is great for dinner, great people watching, great food and of course being a bar as well, great wine and cocktails! It was a pleasant surprise to see they can serve great food in one of the most popular bars in Auckland. Their menu definitely sets them apart from their competitors, its not pretentious and works well.
Rating:
Food: 3.5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 3.5 (the only problem with eating outside and it being a popular bar is you have to sit next to smokers)
Wine: (instead of coffee, cant drink coffee on a Fri night!) 4 great wine list.
We came on a Friday night, the seating is either down the back which transforms into the dance floor later or by the sliding doors and outside in the courtyard. We got a table outside by one of the many heaters strategically placed around the courtyard, it wasn't a warm night so the heating was perfect. I didn't want to eat inside, the tables just look like they are dumped there and uncomfortable and out of place on the dance floor.
We ordered one of the long plates, we had the seafood longplate, tuna tar tare, cured salmon, chili squid, char grilled prawns. The chili squid was like crispy chips of squid, they were JC's favourite. The tuna tar tare was my favourite, lightly marinated with lemon, olive oil and a hint of soy and it melted in your mouth, I could have just had a large plate of this for my entree.
The menu is well rounded and enticing, it makes you want to come back and try more. For our mains I ordered the duck, cashew, mandarin with hoisin & green nam jihm vinaigrette, and JC ordered the handmade tortellini, with creamed wild mushrooms. My salad was a bed of salad greens with a touch of watercress mixed with a great amount of duck marinated in the hoisn and vinaigrette and sprinkled with cashew nuts. The salad was served on a long rectangle plate and the presentation was great. The taste was amazing! The duck was lightly fried in the sauces and full of flavour, there was a hint of coriander but it wasn't overpowering, and it could have been, it was a taste sensation.
JC's main was subtle, not too creamy and the right hint of mushroom, the only problem we both had was the tortellini was a day past its used by date, it was hard, not soft. The wild mushroom filling complimented the creamy sauce and sauteed mushrooms but we both couldnt get past the pasta being hard.
We didn't have dessert but we did have a lovely pinot gris, I think Nautilus, with dinner and it complimented the meals well.
Our waitress was amazing, she was very attentive and friendly, she never hovered, not that you could at this busy establishment, but in saying that we only had to pour our wine ourselves once. There was never a wait for our meals and she complimented our choices like she meant it.
The Long Room is great for dinner, great people watching, great food and of course being a bar as well, great wine and cocktails! It was a pleasant surprise to see they can serve great food in one of the most popular bars in Auckland. Their menu definitely sets them apart from their competitors, its not pretentious and works well.
Rating:
Food: 3.5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 3.5 (the only problem with eating outside and it being a popular bar is you have to sit next to smokers)
Wine: (instead of coffee, cant drink coffee on a Fri night!) 4 great wine list.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Crave, Morningside Auckland
This cafe is just around the corner from Health and Sports Fitness Centre in Morningside so there are a lot of gym junkies or fitness fanatics who frequent it on a Sunday. Be prepared to overhear a lot of conversations regarding calorie intake and the fastest way to get fit. Im not joking that is what the people across from me were talking about while I was eating my Crave Breakfast. In saying that I didnt realise there were that many calories in a frappaccino, they must be talking about the ones with cream on them.
I went out early this morning so I was alone, I couldn't call the tribe too early. There is the usual for breakfast, eggs bene, scrambled eggs, creamy mushrooms on toast and the Crave big breakfast.
I had the big breakfast and when I said this the waitress said, "Oh ok!" I was really taken aback from this, I don't really want to be judged by what I am having. I asked her if it was quite large, she said "no, its great". OK, not a good start. Then I was asked if I wanted anything to drink, I asked for a trim cappuccino, the waitress then said to me, "so you wont want sugar in that then", ah yes please, then I felt that I had to explain why I liked trim milk and not full milk and why I like sugar in my coffee! Oh my god is this lets make a customer feel really inadequate day, why say that!
I received my breakfast which was a good size, the eggs were great, bacon was fine, there was 1 piece of ciabatta toasted, no butter, 2 mini sausages and 2 potato cakes. They were grated potato cakes and they were over done and too hard to eat.
I wasn't really impressed with the coffee either, it was weak, very weak.
Lets just say I we started off on a bad foot so I wasn't really impressed, it's amazing how much a person can really put you off a place.
Rating:
Food 2.5
Service: 1
Ambiance: 2
Coffee: 1.5 ( the creme was good)
I went out early this morning so I was alone, I couldn't call the tribe too early. There is the usual for breakfast, eggs bene, scrambled eggs, creamy mushrooms on toast and the Crave big breakfast.
I had the big breakfast and when I said this the waitress said, "Oh ok!" I was really taken aback from this, I don't really want to be judged by what I am having. I asked her if it was quite large, she said "no, its great". OK, not a good start. Then I was asked if I wanted anything to drink, I asked for a trim cappuccino, the waitress then said to me, "so you wont want sugar in that then", ah yes please, then I felt that I had to explain why I liked trim milk and not full milk and why I like sugar in my coffee! Oh my god is this lets make a customer feel really inadequate day, why say that!
I received my breakfast which was a good size, the eggs were great, bacon was fine, there was 1 piece of ciabatta toasted, no butter, 2 mini sausages and 2 potato cakes. They were grated potato cakes and they were over done and too hard to eat.
I wasn't really impressed with the coffee either, it was weak, very weak.
Lets just say I we started off on a bad foot so I wasn't really impressed, it's amazing how much a person can really put you off a place.
Rating:
Food 2.5
Service: 1
Ambiance: 2
Coffee: 1.5 ( the creme was good)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Mollies Freemans Bay
We came here for a family birthday. My mum has decided that every family birthday we will dine somewhere fabulous and a place we have always wanted to go.
Mollies was mums choice and somewhere she has wanted to come for ages, well it was her birthday! We were told the only time we could come was 12pm which was fine because we got to enjoy the lounge by ourselves until our table was ready. We were seated in the centre of the room, I'm not sure why but I thought the dining room would be bigger, although it is small the tables are well placed and the other table of 3 we could not hear, not sure if that would have been the same for them with our table of 7!
The menu is small but has a great range, EM had the mollies garden salad to start, this was with blue cheese and mixed lettuce and really was just that for $16! R, the boyfriend had the chef’s tempura quail, cauliflower puree, wasabi, aioli, radish, rhubarb as a starter, he said it was quite fatty but wasn't sure what to expect hence why he ordered it. For mains there were only 2 choices fish or steak, the fish was oven baked hapuka, puy lentils, cherry pickle, miso beurre blanc, the grain fed beef fillet was with roast garlic puree and broccolini. I had the steak and it melted in your mouth, the mash was smooth and not overpowering at all with garlic and the broccolini was broccolini. We had potatoes veges and a salad for our sides to share. My sister is a vegetarian so she had the entree spinach risotto for a main. I have a problem with this, why is it every fine dining restaurant we go to, they only have a vegetarian meal on the entree list and there is nothing to offer for mains. Surely these fantastic chefs can make something else rather than risotto. This has now happened at The French Cafe, Cable Bay and now Mollies. Enough ranting!
The wine list is extensive and the service was great, we ordered 2 bottles and they kept them at the bar and not once did we have to wait for a top up. There was a wine glass for every type, the red glass was a huge bulb and almost enticed me to drink red, however the Pyramid Valley pinot gris was too tempting for me.
For dessert I had a selection of house sorbets, ice creams and biscotti. What I was really looking forward to was the chocolate mousse but it had finished. The other two had the panna cotta. They came with home made candy floss whipped and placed around the plate, it looked great.
The setting of this hotel is beautiful and lush, however I did have a problem with the contradiction of antiques and the badly chipped plastic under plate on the dinner table along with the no name dishwasher safe faux Royal Copenhagen dinner plates. It could be classed as eclectic I suppose.
All in all Mollies is an experience not to be missed.
Rating:
Food: 4
Service: 5
Coffee: I didnt have one
Ambiance: 5 (You cant help but want to wander the corridors and poke your nose into every room)
Mollies was mums choice and somewhere she has wanted to come for ages, well it was her birthday! We were told the only time we could come was 12pm which was fine because we got to enjoy the lounge by ourselves until our table was ready. We were seated in the centre of the room, I'm not sure why but I thought the dining room would be bigger, although it is small the tables are well placed and the other table of 3 we could not hear, not sure if that would have been the same for them with our table of 7!
The menu is small but has a great range, EM had the mollies garden salad to start, this was with blue cheese and mixed lettuce and really was just that for $16! R, the boyfriend had the chef’s tempura quail, cauliflower puree, wasabi, aioli, radish, rhubarb as a starter, he said it was quite fatty but wasn't sure what to expect hence why he ordered it. For mains there were only 2 choices fish or steak, the fish was oven baked hapuka, puy lentils, cherry pickle, miso beurre blanc, the grain fed beef fillet was with roast garlic puree and broccolini. I had the steak and it melted in your mouth, the mash was smooth and not overpowering at all with garlic and the broccolini was broccolini. We had potatoes veges and a salad for our sides to share. My sister is a vegetarian so she had the entree spinach risotto for a main. I have a problem with this, why is it every fine dining restaurant we go to, they only have a vegetarian meal on the entree list and there is nothing to offer for mains. Surely these fantastic chefs can make something else rather than risotto. This has now happened at The French Cafe, Cable Bay and now Mollies. Enough ranting!
The wine list is extensive and the service was great, we ordered 2 bottles and they kept them at the bar and not once did we have to wait for a top up. There was a wine glass for every type, the red glass was a huge bulb and almost enticed me to drink red, however the Pyramid Valley pinot gris was too tempting for me.
For dessert I had a selection of house sorbets, ice creams and biscotti. What I was really looking forward to was the chocolate mousse but it had finished. The other two had the panna cotta. They came with home made candy floss whipped and placed around the plate, it looked great.
The setting of this hotel is beautiful and lush, however I did have a problem with the contradiction of antiques and the badly chipped plastic under plate on the dinner table along with the no name dishwasher safe faux Royal Copenhagen dinner plates. It could be classed as eclectic I suppose.
All in all Mollies is an experience not to be missed.
Rating:
Food: 4
Service: 5
Coffee: I didnt have one
Ambiance: 5 (You cant help but want to wander the corridors and poke your nose into every room)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Takapuna Cafe, Takapuna
I am starting to feel like all I review are good cafes and never say anything bad about any of them. Takapuna Cafe is yet another great cafe. I met ES standing outside while I was driving around trying to find a carpark. She had already put our names down on the waiting list, 20 mins wait we were told, and they were true to the time. I finally found a park, be prepared to park streets away, the only advantage was we got to walk along the beach and by the time we got there our red lobster timer was buzzing.
The setting is stunning here, the view out over the beach is fantastic and it is so busy you are never short of great people watching. The waiter was friendly and efficient and our coffees came quickly, they were not as hot as what I like, I think I am going to have to ask for piping hot coffee when I order from now on. It wasn't as strong as I like it either.
There was a little wait for our food but that is expected when you see how busy the place is. The menu is extensive with such an array of sweet and savoury. I ordered The Grill - Crisp Bacon, Poached Eggs, Potato Rosti, Portabello Mushrooms, Morcilla & Slow Roasted Vine Tomatoes. The grill was great, eggs cooked perfectly. The morcilla I thought would be a little spicier. LV ordered Moroccan Eggs; Free Range Eggs Baked in Spiced Tomato, Puy Lentil Braise & Sourdough, LV said they were spicy and the eggs were perfectly cooked and definitely reminded her of Morocco. ES ordered Eggs Benedict with crispy bacon.
Everyone was happy with their choices. Next time I come I will order the Pan Fried Whole Flounder, Parsley & Garlic Butter, Warmed Sourdough, I haven't seen flounder on a menu for years and I love that someone has brought it back onto a menu. This cafe has a more extensive menu to its sister cafes, Kohi Cafe and Richmond Rd Cafe, there are similarities but different takes on obvious favourites.
It was nice not to be rushed at this busy cafe, once we had finished our lunch we were offered more coffees and not pushed to leave.
Rating:
Food: 5
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5
Coffee: 3.5
The setting is stunning here, the view out over the beach is fantastic and it is so busy you are never short of great people watching. The waiter was friendly and efficient and our coffees came quickly, they were not as hot as what I like, I think I am going to have to ask for piping hot coffee when I order from now on. It wasn't as strong as I like it either.
There was a little wait for our food but that is expected when you see how busy the place is. The menu is extensive with such an array of sweet and savoury. I ordered The Grill - Crisp Bacon, Poached Eggs, Potato Rosti, Portabello Mushrooms, Morcilla & Slow Roasted Vine Tomatoes. The grill was great, eggs cooked perfectly. The morcilla I thought would be a little spicier. LV ordered Moroccan Eggs; Free Range Eggs Baked in Spiced Tomato, Puy Lentil Braise & Sourdough, LV said they were spicy and the eggs were perfectly cooked and definitely reminded her of Morocco. ES ordered Eggs Benedict with crispy bacon.
Everyone was happy with their choices. Next time I come I will order the Pan Fried Whole Flounder, Parsley & Garlic Butter, Warmed Sourdough, I haven't seen flounder on a menu for years and I love that someone has brought it back onto a menu. This cafe has a more extensive menu to its sister cafes, Kohi Cafe and Richmond Rd Cafe, there are similarities but different takes on obvious favourites.
It was nice not to be rushed at this busy cafe, once we had finished our lunch we were offered more coffees and not pushed to leave.
Rating:
Food: 5
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5
Coffee: 3.5
Bambina Ponsonby
I haven't been to this cafe for years. It's great to see Bambina has lasted on such a cafe filled street where so many new cafes don't make it.
It was busy here at 10.30am and the seating is a little odd. There is a large table in the centre that seats many but I would have thought having smaller tables of 4 would work better, but maybe they dont want to seat more. We managed to get a booth table and were served quickly.
The staff here are pleasant and efficient, however I think one friends english accent was lost in translation, she asked for a hot chocolate and got hot water, interesting! I ordered the ricotta hotcakes with fruit and mascarpone cream. They were small but light, I was hungry so I should have added bacon. LV ordered scrambled eggs with spelt bagels, she was so excited she could order spelt bagels, she said she hadn't eaten a bagel for years because she is wheat intolerant. Her friend ordered scrambled eggs too, they looked perfectly cooked, folded and glistening, not dry at all, the eggs are a great choice if you are hungry.
Our coffees were great and strong.
Rating:
Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3.5
Coffee: 5
It was busy here at 10.30am and the seating is a little odd. There is a large table in the centre that seats many but I would have thought having smaller tables of 4 would work better, but maybe they dont want to seat more. We managed to get a booth table and were served quickly.
The staff here are pleasant and efficient, however I think one friends english accent was lost in translation, she asked for a hot chocolate and got hot water, interesting! I ordered the ricotta hotcakes with fruit and mascarpone cream. They were small but light, I was hungry so I should have added bacon. LV ordered scrambled eggs with spelt bagels, she was so excited she could order spelt bagels, she said she hadn't eaten a bagel for years because she is wheat intolerant. Her friend ordered scrambled eggs too, they looked perfectly cooked, folded and glistening, not dry at all, the eggs are a great choice if you are hungry.
Our coffees were great and strong.
Rating:
Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3.5
Coffee: 5
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Hinemoa Street Organic Cafe, Birkenhead Point
We decided to go here because Canvas gave it 4 out of 5 last weekend. Last time this happened I was very dissapointed, Voila! Cafe. Today I agreed with Canvas and really enjoyed this cafe.
The menu is small but it has what is expected in most cafes now, the grill, eggs bene, eggs any way. Everything here is organic and the prices are reasonable, they have not upped their prices because they are using organic produce, this is a nice surprise.
We got a table easily and our waitress was attentive. I couldn't get over how young all the staff were, the chef looked like she was 12 (slight exaggeration but I always say that about young looking people). They were all very competent in running this cafe, I dont know why I was so surprised, but its refreshing seeing a group of young people all paying attention to their customers and not themselves.
I ordered the South Island Salmon Potato Cakes, this came with a poached egg and lemon scented holandaise. The tastes were amazing, there was a hint of dill and lemon in the potato, spinach between the cakes, the egg was runny and the holandaise was sweet, creamy and a good serving. ES had the Hinemoa Omelette with a side of bacon. The omelette was huge and there was so much bacon. The omelette was puffed and light infused with portabello mushrooms and red capsicum, ES could not eat it all.
Our coffees were a little weak and not hot enough for me but I like piping hot coffee.
Rating:
Food: 5
Ambiance: 4
Staff: 5
Coffee: 3
The menu is small but it has what is expected in most cafes now, the grill, eggs bene, eggs any way. Everything here is organic and the prices are reasonable, they have not upped their prices because they are using organic produce, this is a nice surprise.
We got a table easily and our waitress was attentive. I couldn't get over how young all the staff were, the chef looked like she was 12 (slight exaggeration but I always say that about young looking people). They were all very competent in running this cafe, I dont know why I was so surprised, but its refreshing seeing a group of young people all paying attention to their customers and not themselves.
I ordered the South Island Salmon Potato Cakes, this came with a poached egg and lemon scented holandaise. The tastes were amazing, there was a hint of dill and lemon in the potato, spinach between the cakes, the egg was runny and the holandaise was sweet, creamy and a good serving. ES had the Hinemoa Omelette with a side of bacon. The omelette was huge and there was so much bacon. The omelette was puffed and light infused with portabello mushrooms and red capsicum, ES could not eat it all.
Our coffees were a little weak and not hot enough for me but I like piping hot coffee.
Rating:
Food: 5
Ambiance: 4
Staff: 5
Coffee: 3
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Cable Bay Vineyard
We came here for a family lunch last Sunday, it was a pity the weather wasn't good but you cant beat the view no matter how windy it is.
We were early so we had a wine in the bar which felt like our own private lounge with the roaring fire. We went through to the restaurant and were received by a very funny, witty Russian waiter, he told us the specials and his favourites. When it came to ordering I was tossing up between the lamb and the beef, I asked him what he suggested and he said if he had to choose it would be the fish, but if I had to choose one of these it would be the lamb. I chose the lamb. My entree was the Pork Rillons – cured, fried pork belly with potato cornichon salad, dijon mustard and apple chutney. The pork was so tender. The surprise was the potato and Cornichon salad, it was creamy, tangy and perfectly accompanied the pork.
The Roast Rump of Hawke’s Bay Lamb with Stewed Chickpeas and Chorizo, Tahini & Parsley was cooked medium rare however after seeing the fish and the beef I had food envy. I felt the chorizo over powered the lamb. That was my only problem.
My sister is a vegetarian and the only thing on the menu is the entree, Goats Cheese & Tomato Tart with Rocket, Pinenuts & Tomato Chilli Jam. She asked what she could have for a main and they offered to make a mushroom risotto, she doesn't like mushrooms so they changed it to pumpkin. I was surprised there was only one vegetarian meal on the menu, and the only main to offer would be risotto. I know its easy to make but surely there is something they could have on the mains menu.
I haven't listed what everyone else had because it would take too long but I have included a photo of the whole baked fish with salsa verde and baked lentils. Everyone enjoyed their meals immensely.
Rating:
Food: 4.5
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5
Wine: 4 (but what do I know)
We were early so we had a wine in the bar which felt like our own private lounge with the roaring fire. We went through to the restaurant and were received by a very funny, witty Russian waiter, he told us the specials and his favourites. When it came to ordering I was tossing up between the lamb and the beef, I asked him what he suggested and he said if he had to choose it would be the fish, but if I had to choose one of these it would be the lamb. I chose the lamb. My entree was the Pork Rillons – cured, fried pork belly with potato cornichon salad, dijon mustard and apple chutney. The pork was so tender. The surprise was the potato and Cornichon salad, it was creamy, tangy and perfectly accompanied the pork.
The Roast Rump of Hawke’s Bay Lamb with Stewed Chickpeas and Chorizo, Tahini & Parsley was cooked medium rare however after seeing the fish and the beef I had food envy. I felt the chorizo over powered the lamb. That was my only problem.
My sister is a vegetarian and the only thing on the menu is the entree, Goats Cheese & Tomato Tart with Rocket, Pinenuts & Tomato Chilli Jam. She asked what she could have for a main and they offered to make a mushroom risotto, she doesn't like mushrooms so they changed it to pumpkin. I was surprised there was only one vegetarian meal on the menu, and the only main to offer would be risotto. I know its easy to make but surely there is something they could have on the mains menu.
Rating:
Food: 4.5
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5
Wine: 4 (but what do I know)
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Prego Ponsonby
I was lucky to have the day off mid week, so what better way to spend it than by going for a long leisurely lunch at Prego. We arrived at 1 and left at 3.30.
This place is fantastic for people watching too. To start with we shared the calamari with aoli. This is my favourite here and never fails to taste great and is always tender. For mains I had the snapper on a lightly herbed risotto with a rocket balsamic sauce. AM had the linguine marinara, this was filled with scampi, clams and mussels. We shared both because we had food envy of each others but we both enjoyed the fish and risotto the most. The sauce was a great accompliment to the fish risotto, the tang of the balsamic really lifted the risotto. The linguine marinara was filled with seafood but the linguine was a little over cooked and the coriander was lacking. For dessert we shared a cheese board with the choice of 3 cheeses, we chose the Italian gorgonzola piccante, Chaubier and the Brie de Meaux which was intensely creamy and was oozing on the board and so delish. The cheeses came with quince paste lavoush crackers, sultana bread and a runny combed honey. We had over ordered and couldn't eat all the cheeses, but that brie was definitely the favourite. We had a bottle of Odyssey Sauvignon Blanc, it was fresh and accompanied the food well and it was so good being able to drink at lunch and not have to go back to work! The coffees were great too.
Rating:
Food: 4.5
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5 (we never had to pour our own wine, the service was amazing)
Coffee: 5
This place is fantastic for people watching too. To start with we shared the calamari with aoli. This is my favourite here and never fails to taste great and is always tender. For mains I had the snapper on a lightly herbed risotto with a rocket balsamic sauce. AM had the linguine marinara, this was filled with scampi, clams and mussels. We shared both because we had food envy of each others but we both enjoyed the fish and risotto the most. The sauce was a great accompliment to the fish risotto, the tang of the balsamic really lifted the risotto. The linguine marinara was filled with seafood but the linguine was a little over cooked and the coriander was lacking. For dessert we shared a cheese board with the choice of 3 cheeses, we chose the Italian gorgonzola piccante, Chaubier and the Brie de Meaux which was intensely creamy and was oozing on the board and so delish. The cheeses came with quince paste lavoush crackers, sultana bread and a runny combed honey. We had over ordered and couldn't eat all the cheeses, but that brie was definitely the favourite. We had a bottle of Odyssey Sauvignon Blanc, it was fresh and accompanied the food well and it was so good being able to drink at lunch and not have to go back to work! The coffees were great too.
Rating:
Food: 4.5
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5 (we never had to pour our own wine, the service was amazing)
Coffee: 5
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Queenies, Freemans Bay
This was our second attempt to come here for brunch. Last time we met at 10.30 and all tables were taken and there really wasn't any movement. We went elsewhere. Last weekend we arrived at 9.30 and we got a table, so it pays to come early.
I had already decided what I wanted the week before, I was excited to order the pikelets with lemon curd, cream fraiche and caramel sauce, (this has changed to berries). LV ordered the Canadian toast with banana, pecans, maple syrup & bacon. We enjoyed both, however the wait was unbearable, it was too long. We waited over half an hour, and it wasn't that busy.
The coffees were strong and hot and there was no wait for them, they were served in smaller cups though.
The decor really makes this place, the mural paint by numbers on the wall is great and really brings back childhood memories of spending hours trying to paint within the lines thinking you are creating a masterpiece. The counter food, well the huge meringues with cream & berries look amazing, so does the coconut ice. The menu is definitely enticing and worth coming back for if you can cope with waiting. In summer the outside tables will be great.
Rating:
Food: 4
Service: 3 (the wait was just too long)
Ambiance: 5
Coffee: 4
I had already decided what I wanted the week before, I was excited to order the pikelets with lemon curd, cream fraiche and caramel sauce, (this has changed to berries). LV ordered the Canadian toast with banana, pecans, maple syrup & bacon. We enjoyed both, however the wait was unbearable, it was too long. We waited over half an hour, and it wasn't that busy.
The coffees were strong and hot and there was no wait for them, they were served in smaller cups though.
The decor really makes this place, the mural paint by numbers on the wall is great and really brings back childhood memories of spending hours trying to paint within the lines thinking you are creating a masterpiece. The counter food, well the huge meringues with cream & berries look amazing, so does the coconut ice. The menu is definitely enticing and worth coming back for if you can cope with waiting. In summer the outside tables will be great.
Rating:
Food: 4
Service: 3 (the wait was just too long)
Ambiance: 5
Coffee: 4
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Salta, Ponsonby
This was not our first choice of cafes, but we were pleasantly surprised. I used to work across the road from here years ago when it was Atlas. I love the name change for those die hard Ponsonby fans who hate changes to their eating establishments. The service was great, so friendly and relaxed, really made you feel welcome. I ordered the M.O.P, I asked at the counter if this was mince on toast, even though they had another mince on toast on the menu, I just couldn't think what it would stand for. Mushrooms on toast! So not up with my abbreviations! I chose to have the mushrooms with the kidney's. LV had the same, mush on toast is her favourite cafe dish. She had without kidneys. ES had the spinach bacon and potato hash with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. This would have been my choice as it is my favourite, but I cant order it every time and then blog about the same thing, different cafe! Maybe my next blog can be a cafe comparison, the search for the best potato hash.
Our food came out fast which was great, our mushrooms were done with a rich cream sauce and ciabatta toast, I would have liked bigger pieces of toast, these were quite small and I still had sauce and mushrooms left over and they were really nice on the toast. ES's potato hash looked great and she said it tasted amazing, just the right amount of hollandaise and the eggs were nice and runny.
The coffees were a little weak but hot and came out quickly.
Most of the tables were full so they definitely can handle a crowd.
Rating:
Food: 4/5
Coffee: 3/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Service: 4/5 (only because they asked if we wanted another coffee and ES did but we never got it, the waitress was so apologetic)
Our food came out fast which was great, our mushrooms were done with a rich cream sauce and ciabatta toast, I would have liked bigger pieces of toast, these were quite small and I still had sauce and mushrooms left over and they were really nice on the toast. ES's potato hash looked great and she said it tasted amazing, just the right amount of hollandaise and the eggs were nice and runny.
The coffees were a little weak but hot and came out quickly.
Most of the tables were full so they definitely can handle a crowd.
Rating:
Food: 4/5
Coffee: 3/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Service: 4/5 (only because they asked if we wanted another coffee and ES did but we never got it, the waitress was so apologetic)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Harallambi Heaven
I cannot disclose the location of this fantastic private invite only cafe, I must say to get an invite is a privilege.
We arrived to freshly made coffee followed by slow cooked eggplant with tomatoes & spinach, fennel sausages, rosemary spuds & poached eggs on gluten free bread. Everything was cooked to perfection. The eggplant was soft and infused with tomato, the fennel sausages were outstanding with the perfect amount of fennel laced through them, free range too. Of course the eggs were poached to perfection and the potatoes crushed and slightly fried.
If you want to appreciate a breakfast cooked with love like this one, you can sample some of the finest breakfast fare at Kings Court when it opens for the ski season, you will not be disappointed.
We arrived to freshly made coffee followed by slow cooked eggplant with tomatoes & spinach, fennel sausages, rosemary spuds & poached eggs on gluten free bread. Everything was cooked to perfection. The eggplant was soft and infused with tomato, the fennel sausages were outstanding with the perfect amount of fennel laced through them, free range too. Of course the eggs were poached to perfection and the potatoes crushed and slightly fried.
If you want to appreciate a breakfast cooked with love like this one, you can sample some of the finest breakfast fare at Kings Court when it opens for the ski season, you will not be disappointed.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Annabelles St Heliers
I decided to venture over to my friend LV's area for breakfast. Her sister had been to Annabelles before and liked it, she suggested Orvieto in Three Kings and that was fantastic so I was willing to try Annabelles.
The position is great, right on Tamaki Dr with views over the harbour. It wasn't busy and we got a table right by the window. The breakfast menu is small, it did have the usual, pancake (not pancakes), big breakfast and eggs benedict. I had the big breakfast and LV had the chicken sandwich from the lunch menu. We were both surprised they allowed us to order from the lunch menu at 11.15.
My big breakfast was ok, the english sausage had a hint of a herb in it and was good, the eggs were great but I felt like the whole breakfast lacked something, but I wasn't sure what. LV's chicken sandwich was just that, a chicken fillet on foccaica and lettuce, to me it looked a little dissapointing.
The decor here is a little confusing too, and I think that is what throws you when you come here. The walls are covered in a light brick type tile and down the back is wooden veneer, but it's the roof that really confuses you. It is a wave of plastic interwoven, it looks like waves but not, very early 90's. The whole place just doesn't blend well and is confusing. The wait staff are friendly but I felt like they were standing around by the counter just waiting for customers.
On the plus side the coffees were great.
Rating:
Food: 2.5
Ambiance: 2 (I just couldn't get past the decor but the view was great)
Staff: 3
Coffee: 4
The position is great, right on Tamaki Dr with views over the harbour. It wasn't busy and we got a table right by the window. The breakfast menu is small, it did have the usual, pancake (not pancakes), big breakfast and eggs benedict. I had the big breakfast and LV had the chicken sandwich from the lunch menu. We were both surprised they allowed us to order from the lunch menu at 11.15.
My big breakfast was ok, the english sausage had a hint of a herb in it and was good, the eggs were great but I felt like the whole breakfast lacked something, but I wasn't sure what. LV's chicken sandwich was just that, a chicken fillet on foccaica and lettuce, to me it looked a little dissapointing.
The decor here is a little confusing too, and I think that is what throws you when you come here. The walls are covered in a light brick type tile and down the back is wooden veneer, but it's the roof that really confuses you. It is a wave of plastic interwoven, it looks like waves but not, very early 90's. The whole place just doesn't blend well and is confusing. The wait staff are friendly but I felt like they were standing around by the counter just waiting for customers.
On the plus side the coffees were great.
Rating:
Food: 2.5
Ambiance: 2 (I just couldn't get past the decor but the view was great)
Staff: 3
Coffee: 4
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Orvieto Cafe, Mt Eden
We met at this cafe at 11.30 and it was heaving, there were no tables free so I waited by the magazines for a table and my friends. JV had eaten here before and highly recommended it to her sister LV, so we were looking forward to a great brunch. We were not disappointed.
It didn't take long to get a table at all and seeing the other diners orders coming out I was impressed by what was on their plates. JV ordered the omelet with hash browns instead of toast. The omelet looked good and came topped with caramelised onions and 2 huge hash browns, JV said this was her favourite meal here. LV ordered the creamy mushrooms on toast, her only complaint was the mushrooms weren't hot enough. I ordered the the hash browns with bacon and eggs any style, I had poached. These hash browns are the best I have ever had, they are home made, shredded potato and thick wedges of pure crispy delight.
The cafe was packed and we were so impressed at how fast our orders came out. The service was great and you could tell they are used to being this busy with their efficiency. What I liked about the service was we were not pressured to depart our table once finished even though there were people waiting.
Our coffees were hot although I thought mine was a little weak.
This cafe is great, the food is fantastic and the service excellent. We had food envy when we were leaving seeing the other diners meals. We will be back.
Rating:
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 4.5
Coffee: 3.5
It didn't take long to get a table at all and seeing the other diners orders coming out I was impressed by what was on their plates. JV ordered the omelet with hash browns instead of toast. The omelet looked good and came topped with caramelised onions and 2 huge hash browns, JV said this was her favourite meal here. LV ordered the creamy mushrooms on toast, her only complaint was the mushrooms weren't hot enough. I ordered the the hash browns with bacon and eggs any style, I had poached. These hash browns are the best I have ever had, they are home made, shredded potato and thick wedges of pure crispy delight.
The cafe was packed and we were so impressed at how fast our orders came out. The service was great and you could tell they are used to being this busy with their efficiency. What I liked about the service was we were not pressured to depart our table once finished even though there were people waiting.
Our coffees were hot although I thought mine was a little weak.
This cafe is great, the food is fantastic and the service excellent. We had food envy when we were leaving seeing the other diners meals. We will be back.
Rating:
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 4.5
Coffee: 3.5
Monday, May 17, 2010
Benediction Cafe Newton
This is one busy cafe on a Sunday! Trying to find a table was hard, there were some outside but it had just poured down with rain so there was a lot of sharing tables under the awning.
Downstairs seemed quite frantic, queuing to order with people asking about seating and wanting to order, yet being sent away to see if there are tables first, makes it a frantic narrow area.
The menu board is hard to read, the writing is small and cramped, I thought I was ordering Red fennel hash cakes, I was told by my friends it was red flannel hash cakes. Because we were being rushed to order (not a nice experience because I didn't read the board completely) I thought it also came with bacon but when I got my order it was huge chunks of a cabanossi style sausage that really tasted like luncheon sausage and brought back bad memories of school lunches.
JC ordered french toast and said it was soggy.
LV ordered gluten free toast with smoked samon, cream cheese and capers. She enjoyed it and it was a good serving.
The coffees were mild and warm not hot.
All in all not a great time. I will also warn you about the carparking, it is near impossible around this area.
Rating
Food: 2.5
Ambiance: 3
Service: 2
Coffee: 2
Downstairs seemed quite frantic, queuing to order with people asking about seating and wanting to order, yet being sent away to see if there are tables first, makes it a frantic narrow area.
The menu board is hard to read, the writing is small and cramped, I thought I was ordering Red fennel hash cakes, I was told by my friends it was red flannel hash cakes. Because we were being rushed to order (not a nice experience because I didn't read the board completely) I thought it also came with bacon but when I got my order it was huge chunks of a cabanossi style sausage that really tasted like luncheon sausage and brought back bad memories of school lunches.
JC ordered french toast and said it was soggy.
LV ordered gluten free toast with smoked samon, cream cheese and capers. She enjoyed it and it was a good serving.
The coffees were mild and warm not hot.
All in all not a great time. I will also warn you about the carparking, it is near impossible around this area.
Rating
Food: 2.5
Ambiance: 3
Service: 2
Coffee: 2
Saturday, May 8, 2010
23 Cafe Mt Eden
I had Friday off so of course I headed out for brunch. I have been here before on a Sunday and enjoyed the food and coffee but the service was extremely slow.
I must say the counter food at 23 looks amazing. Their salads and pasta dishes are enticing and their turkish bread sandwiches and rolls are filled with sumptuous fillings. They are well priced too. The slices look good too.
I had the eggs royal, 2 poached eggs on potato cakes with hollandaise sauce. The eggs were good a little runny, there was that white runny part(not a fan), the potato cakes were tasty, subtle flavours of onion and herbs coming through.
The coffee was perfect, strong and hot. This has been one of the strongest coffees I have had in a while, it was great, not too strong or bitter.
I was the only one eating at the time I was there, just before 12 and my meal still took a while to arrive, this is the only complaint though.
Their cabinet food is definitely tempting and I really like the layout of this cafe, its interior is uncluttered and the outside courtyard is great.
Rating:
Food: 4
Service:3.5 (only because of the slow service from the kitchen, the waiters were great)
Ambiance:4
Coffee:5
I must say the counter food at 23 looks amazing. Their salads and pasta dishes are enticing and their turkish bread sandwiches and rolls are filled with sumptuous fillings. They are well priced too. The slices look good too.
I had the eggs royal, 2 poached eggs on potato cakes with hollandaise sauce. The eggs were good a little runny, there was that white runny part(not a fan), the potato cakes were tasty, subtle flavours of onion and herbs coming through.
The coffee was perfect, strong and hot. This has been one of the strongest coffees I have had in a while, it was great, not too strong or bitter.
I was the only one eating at the time I was there, just before 12 and my meal still took a while to arrive, this is the only complaint though.
Their cabinet food is definitely tempting and I really like the layout of this cafe, its interior is uncluttered and the outside courtyard is great.
Rating:
Food: 4
Service:3.5 (only because of the slow service from the kitchen, the waiters were great)
Ambiance:4
Coffee:5
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Circus Circus, Mt Eden
I had an hour or so to kill before going to work today so I thought I would go up the road for breakfast to Circus Circus in Mt Eden. This cafe has been around for ages and every time I come here it never fails to impress me with its quick service.
I arrived at 8 am, ordered my coffee and hash browns with smoked tomato, bacon and scrambled eggs, sat down grabbed the Viva (love Wednesday's herald) flicked through the first pages and my coffee turned up, then what seemed like minutes my breakfast arrived, seriously it would have been less than 10 minutes all up. Super fast! They weren't packed but there were people waiting for takeaway coffees and other diners.
I don't usually order scrambled eggs because I find them too creamy, these were perfect, if they use cream at all it is minimal. I ordered this dish because I love hash browns but never buy them. Their hash browns were like watties ones, I thought they might be home made but they were good not too oily. This breakfast was huge, I couldn't finish it all.
Because I was there by myself and didn't have the girls with me to compare other dishes, I am happy to share with you previous favourites I have eaten here and love. Their bubble and squeak is great, potato with caramelised onions and peas in it, yum, the bagel tower is huge and the fruit and muesli is plentiful, a great mix of tropical and seasonal fruit.
Their coffee never fails to impress, always hot and never burnt.
If you come on the weekend do be prepared for it to be busy and a queue out the door, this is such a popular cafe for takeaway coffees with the soccer mums and their kids.
Rating
Food: 4.5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 4.5 during the week, weekends 3.5
Coffee: 5
I arrived at 8 am, ordered my coffee and hash browns with smoked tomato, bacon and scrambled eggs, sat down grabbed the Viva (love Wednesday's herald) flicked through the first pages and my coffee turned up, then what seemed like minutes my breakfast arrived, seriously it would have been less than 10 minutes all up. Super fast! They weren't packed but there were people waiting for takeaway coffees and other diners.
I don't usually order scrambled eggs because I find them too creamy, these were perfect, if they use cream at all it is minimal. I ordered this dish because I love hash browns but never buy them. Their hash browns were like watties ones, I thought they might be home made but they were good not too oily. This breakfast was huge, I couldn't finish it all.
Because I was there by myself and didn't have the girls with me to compare other dishes, I am happy to share with you previous favourites I have eaten here and love. Their bubble and squeak is great, potato with caramelised onions and peas in it, yum, the bagel tower is huge and the fruit and muesli is plentiful, a great mix of tropical and seasonal fruit.
Their coffee never fails to impress, always hot and never burnt.
If you come on the weekend do be prepared for it to be busy and a queue out the door, this is such a popular cafe for takeaway coffees with the soccer mums and their kids.
Rating
Food: 4.5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 4.5 during the week, weekends 3.5
Coffee: 5
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Voila! Sandringham
Well where do I start! This cafe was reviewed in the Sunday Star Times last week and they gave it a 5/5. The reviewer did mention that she did get busted with her notebook,and got amazing service. Funny that!
Sunday is a very busy day for this cafe, it makes you wonder if it's because of the great review or if it's always like this, I am assuming both. Our experience was not as great as the other reviewer, maybe I need to pull out a notebook, but then what's the point of doing reviews if you are going to get busted, of course they are going to treat you differently. This is why I started this blog,because many of the reviewers are now recognised when out.
The place was packed and the service was rude at times. We were asked if we were just staying for coffee, and if so could we hurry up! We were waiting for a friend. Firstly it took ages to even get served for coffee, I thought we were to go to the counter and order there, so I did and was told to sit down and they would come to me. When we were ready to order, again I had to go to the counter to ask for service. I know it was busy but it's not that bigger place and they had enough staff on. I was getting impatient now!
I ordered the french brioche toast with bacon and banana, the bacon looked like it had been left uncovered in the fridge and didn't taste great, the brioche was great. LV ordered the eggs benedict galette with smoked salmon, looked and tasted great, the galette was filled with spinach. ES had the big breakfast and she too did not like the bacon, it had no taste and put her off the rest of the meat that came with the breakfast.
Overall I was not really impressed with this place, maybe the Sunday Star Times reviewer came during the week, but she has certainly helped increase popularity. Although reading other reviews on line it is definitely a popular place.
Rating:
Food: 2.5
Service: 2
Ambiance:2.5
Coffee: 4
Sunday is a very busy day for this cafe, it makes you wonder if it's because of the great review or if it's always like this, I am assuming both. Our experience was not as great as the other reviewer, maybe I need to pull out a notebook, but then what's the point of doing reviews if you are going to get busted, of course they are going to treat you differently. This is why I started this blog,because many of the reviewers are now recognised when out.
The place was packed and the service was rude at times. We were asked if we were just staying for coffee, and if so could we hurry up! We were waiting for a friend. Firstly it took ages to even get served for coffee, I thought we were to go to the counter and order there, so I did and was told to sit down and they would come to me. When we were ready to order, again I had to go to the counter to ask for service. I know it was busy but it's not that bigger place and they had enough staff on. I was getting impatient now!
I ordered the french brioche toast with bacon and banana, the bacon looked like it had been left uncovered in the fridge and didn't taste great, the brioche was great. LV ordered the eggs benedict galette with smoked salmon, looked and tasted great, the galette was filled with spinach. ES had the big breakfast and she too did not like the bacon, it had no taste and put her off the rest of the meat that came with the breakfast.
Overall I was not really impressed with this place, maybe the Sunday Star Times reviewer came during the week, but she has certainly helped increase popularity. Although reading other reviews on line it is definitely a popular place.
Rating:
Food: 2.5
Service: 2
Ambiance:2.5
Coffee: 4
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Teed St Larder, Newmarket
I haven't seen a review for this cafe yet, I may have just missed it but but let me tell you this place is fantastic. I just want to gush with praise about it.
Our waiter was very attentive and so helpful in our decisions. I was tossing up between the braised lentils, pork sausage, sour cream and poached eggs or the panfried chicken livers, mushrooms with a maderia cream and ciabatta. He suggested the chicken livers, which I chose and was extremely happy with. He also helped JC with her decision between the lentils, hot cakes with banana, rum and coconut mascarpone. (sounds amazing and I'll be coming back for these.) Or the cauliflower fritters, curry oil, cucumber & dill raita and smoked salmon, she chose the fritters with smoked salmon. These were so tasty, the curry oil was light and not overwhelming at all and the raita complimented it all. JC's only complaint was that the salmon was cold and would have been better hot.
The other two ladies had the potato rosti, pancetta, avocado, poached egg and coriander relish which they eagerly enjoyed.
At the top of their menu they list their treats, I love that word at the top of a menu! Churros with spiced chocolate or dulce de leche. Amazing and had to have it.
Their coffees were great. LZ had the hot chocolate with 72% cocoa and homemade marshmallows, these were so delicious, I dont think I can ever eat supermarket bought ones again. ES had an iced chocolate.
This place is amazing, I cant help but praise everything about it and cant wait to go back. The decor is spacious, the counter food looks fabulous and the staff are great. I really hope you enjoy this cafe as much as we did.
Rating:
Food: 5/5
Ambiance: 4
Coffee: 5
Staff: 5
Our waiter was very attentive and so helpful in our decisions. I was tossing up between the braised lentils, pork sausage, sour cream and poached eggs or the panfried chicken livers, mushrooms with a maderia cream and ciabatta. He suggested the chicken livers, which I chose and was extremely happy with. He also helped JC with her decision between the lentils, hot cakes with banana, rum and coconut mascarpone. (sounds amazing and I'll be coming back for these.) Or the cauliflower fritters, curry oil, cucumber & dill raita and smoked salmon, she chose the fritters with smoked salmon. These were so tasty, the curry oil was light and not overwhelming at all and the raita complimented it all. JC's only complaint was that the salmon was cold and would have been better hot.
The other two ladies had the potato rosti, pancetta, avocado, poached egg and coriander relish which they eagerly enjoyed.
At the top of their menu they list their treats, I love that word at the top of a menu! Churros with spiced chocolate or dulce de leche. Amazing and had to have it.
Their coffees were great. LZ had the hot chocolate with 72% cocoa and homemade marshmallows, these were so delicious, I dont think I can ever eat supermarket bought ones again. ES had an iced chocolate.
This place is amazing, I cant help but praise everything about it and cant wait to go back. The decor is spacious, the counter food looks fabulous and the staff are great. I really hope you enjoy this cafe as much as we did.
Rating:
Food: 5/5
Ambiance: 4
Coffee: 5
Staff: 5
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Blake St Cafe
When I lived here there were no cafes on this street and we were the only apartment block, my how things have changed!
Blake St Cafe has a good local vibe, a popular place for takeaway coffees (a good judge of a good brew, especially when there are a number of cafes just up the road).
The menu had the usual breakfast fare that most cafes in Auckland serve, I'm starting to notice a common pattern here now that I'm taking notice. There were alot of egg choices, eggs bene, eggs florentine, eggs on ciabatta. I chose bubble and squeak with, you guessed it, fried eggs and smoked venison sausage. The bubble and squeak was definitely that, potato,carrot, kumera but no cabbage. The sausage was definitely not venison, not even smoked, disappointing! The eggs were fried well. L had a brunch black board special, fish cakes with ciabatta, eggs and a horseradish sauce. The fish cakes were fresh but why would you serve fish with horseradish sauce! There were only 2 of us for lunch this weekend, J slept in!
Coffees were good.
I was disappointed with this cafe and I was so looking forward to it.
Rating
Food: 2.5
Ambiance: 3.5 (good people watching)
Coffee: 4
Staff: 3
Blake St Cafe has a good local vibe, a popular place for takeaway coffees (a good judge of a good brew, especially when there are a number of cafes just up the road).
The menu had the usual breakfast fare that most cafes in Auckland serve, I'm starting to notice a common pattern here now that I'm taking notice. There were alot of egg choices, eggs bene, eggs florentine, eggs on ciabatta. I chose bubble and squeak with, you guessed it, fried eggs and smoked venison sausage. The bubble and squeak was definitely that, potato,carrot, kumera but no cabbage. The sausage was definitely not venison, not even smoked, disappointing! The eggs were fried well. L had a brunch black board special, fish cakes with ciabatta, eggs and a horseradish sauce. The fish cakes were fresh but why would you serve fish with horseradish sauce! There were only 2 of us for lunch this weekend, J slept in!
Coffees were good.
I was disappointed with this cafe and I was so looking forward to it.
Rating
Food: 2.5
Ambiance: 3.5 (good people watching)
Coffee: 4
Staff: 3
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Andiamo Herne Bay
Andiamo in Herne Bay is the cafe/restaurant that planted the seed to start this blog. We had finished our brunch and each made a comment. My comment was on the aesthetics of the food,"beautifully presented", and we all agreed small portions.
The brunch menu is varied and enticing, I chose the breakfast sausage with bubble and squeak, onion gravy and chutney $16.50 or $23.00 if you wanted an extra sausage. Couldn't quite understand how an extra sausage could cost $6.50 on the menu when on the extras they were $5.50! The hash was more potato than a traditional mix of the nights before roast veges. However there was cabbage. The 2 sausages were average.
J had the pan seared scallops from the lunch menu, she thoroughly enjoyed them and L had the smoked fish potato hash with wilted spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise. Also enjoyable.
Our coffees were great, could have been hotter, but that's just me, I like them piping hot, I will have to stipulate that at the next cafe.
Service was a little slow for a restaurant that wasn't too busy.
All in all, the food looked fantastic but lacked in size, we walked out still hungry and ventured up the road to the fantastic cupcake shop, Icing on the Cake, wow!
Rating:
Food: 3.5
Coffee: 5
Ambiance: 3
Staff: 3.5(it felt weird being seated by a maitre d who was so well dressed for 11 am.I thought he was a patron who forgot to go home from the night before. However saying that he was very polite and professional.)
The brunch menu is varied and enticing, I chose the breakfast sausage with bubble and squeak, onion gravy and chutney $16.50 or $23.00 if you wanted an extra sausage. Couldn't quite understand how an extra sausage could cost $6.50 on the menu when on the extras they were $5.50! The hash was more potato than a traditional mix of the nights before roast veges. However there was cabbage. The 2 sausages were average.
J had the pan seared scallops from the lunch menu, she thoroughly enjoyed them and L had the smoked fish potato hash with wilted spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise. Also enjoyable.
Our coffees were great, could have been hotter, but that's just me, I like them piping hot, I will have to stipulate that at the next cafe.
Service was a little slow for a restaurant that wasn't too busy.
All in all, the food looked fantastic but lacked in size, we walked out still hungry and ventured up the road to the fantastic cupcake shop, Icing on the Cake, wow!
Rating:
Food: 3.5
Coffee: 5
Ambiance: 3
Staff: 3.5(it felt weird being seated by a maitre d who was so well dressed for 11 am.I thought he was a patron who forgot to go home from the night before. However saying that he was very polite and professional.)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Altar, Mt Eden
I visited this cafe the day their Canvas review was published. I have been here before and have always enjoyed their menu, their tandoori marinated chicken served on a cous cous salad & topped w tzatziki is huge and filled with fantastic flavours all complimenting each other.
This time I decided to order off the specials board, they had a Salad with spinach, roasted beetroot, grilled asparagus and feta, with a pumpkin seed dressing, it sounded good.
My salad came to the table without the feta, pretty important I thought! They quickly added it. The salad was on a small rectangle plate with baby spinach leaves, the beetroot was not roasted, however the asparagus was grilled. The size of this salad was ridiculously small and for $19.00 I would expect a bowl full of what the specials board promised.
My friend LV ordered the roast mushrooms with feta puree on sourdough from the menu. This came out and looked great, she loved the puree and said it was a great compliment to the roast mushrooms.
Our coffees were hot, strong and served quickly, just how I like them.
Overall I would be hesitant to order a salad off the specials board, especially if you are hungry, which I was, so this tainted my experience.
Rating:
Food 3.5/5
Coffee 5/5
Ambiance 4/5
Staff 4/5
This time I decided to order off the specials board, they had a Salad with spinach, roasted beetroot, grilled asparagus and feta, with a pumpkin seed dressing, it sounded good.
My salad came to the table without the feta, pretty important I thought! They quickly added it. The salad was on a small rectangle plate with baby spinach leaves, the beetroot was not roasted, however the asparagus was grilled. The size of this salad was ridiculously small and for $19.00 I would expect a bowl full of what the specials board promised.
My friend LV ordered the roast mushrooms with feta puree on sourdough from the menu. This came out and looked great, she loved the puree and said it was a great compliment to the roast mushrooms.
Our coffees were hot, strong and served quickly, just how I like them.
Overall I would be hesitant to order a salad off the specials board, especially if you are hungry, which I was, so this tainted my experience.
Rating:
Food 3.5/5
Coffee 5/5
Ambiance 4/5
Staff 4/5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
