A Bite in Brief: Satya Spice and Chai Shop

We came here because we were checking out the Sandringham Street Festival, and came across the intriguing little entranceway next to Satya Restaurant while hunting for chai.

Alleyway entrance to the chai lounge.

The menu was mainly taken up by drinks of various forms (including chai, craft beer and cocktails), but also had a selection of Indian, Indo-Chinese and non-Indian street food.

Part of the menu - there were also 30+ types of craft beer.

The setting was cozy and casual, with a natural look from the upcycled furniture made from coffee sacks, pallet boxes and tree trunks. Edison bulbs and plants on planks hung overhead. From other people's pictures, it appears quite magical at night with fairy lights too.

A hidden hideaway in Sandringham village.

The service was engaging and informative - the person who looked after us not only told us about the specials and provided details about the menu items, but shared interesting things like:

• his parents own the four Satya restaurants
• the chai lounge has been around for about 6 months (the spice shop somewhat longer, and the restaurant next door has been there for 16 years), but it had a quiet start as it didn't have all the signage out the front
• he decorated the place over the space of a month while his parents were on holiday, with help from his friends (one of whom works at a landscaping business and another at Allpress coffee)
• the reason there are Chinese-sounding items such as fried rice is because India and China are close to each other, and Chinese immigrants have influenced Indian cuisine
• idli and dosas are traditionally eaten for breakfast

We were also invited to take a look at the spice shop in the next room, a corner of which was being used to cook our food. Apart from spices and teas, you could also buy idli and dosa batter from the fridge!

Spice shop area.

What we had included:

• Spiced buttermilk ($2) - this was a savoury and refreshing drink, seasoned with coriander leaves and spices

Spiced buttermilk.

• Masala chai ($1 small, $2 larger) - we ended up ordering another one of these because we loved the blend of flavours in this milky tea

Masala chai.

• Vegetable manchurian ($12) - these freshly fried balls were delicious! The sweet soy flavour of the brown sauce went well with the spicy and gingery bites.

Vege manchurian.

Overall, we were stoked to have stumbled upon our first chai lounge in Auckland, where you can relax, snack on tasty food, and choose from a wide selection of drinks. Others have even apparently played a game of carrom there, but we don't need entertainment to entice us back for another visit!

Store Details

Satya Spice and Chai Shop
515a Sandringham Road, Sandringham
(09) 845 8451

A Meal in Brief: Burger Bar K'Rd

We came here because this burger bar opened at St Kevins Arcade around the same time as the glowingly reviewed Lebanese eatery Gemmayze St just steps away, yet I couldn't find anything about it online other than on their Facebook page.

The menu not only ran through their selection of burgers, sides, sauces and drinks, but gave some details that they really ought to slap on a website. Things like:

• "Our patties are handmade and we mince our beef, pork and lamb fresh on site"
• "Our chips are hand cut and condiments and sauces made in house"
• "All buns are wholemeal"
• "We stock a wide range of locally made boutique soft drinks and an even wider rage of craft beers"
• "We have a strong focus on minimising waste"

The setting had a vintage feel, which was perfectly suited to the iconic arcade. From the wonky lamp and retro furniture, to the classic board games and tea towels with burn marks, to the colourfully mismatching plates, this places manages to be both delightful and different.

Retro couches with TV dinner trays and National Geographic magazines.

Cutesy robot table numbers.

The service was given with a smile, from a lady wearing a soft burger hat. I had to ask how to open my bottle of CoAqua coconut water (just $4!)—I only realised afterwards that I captured the opener in the photo above—but I easily spotted the herb salts and sauces you can help yourselves to.

Board games, herb salts and sauces.

What we ate included:

• Lamb burger ($14) - stacked tall and skewered into place, you could clearly see each layer of filling: salsa verde, cumin and rosemary lamb, brie, kale and spinach, tomato, beetroot, and red onion, sitting between two halves of a wholemeal Wild Wheat bun. It was fresh and flavourful, and though you don't generally expect wholemeal bread in a burger, it really worked.

A tall and tasty lamb burger.

• Vege/vegan burger ($11) - we were given the option of having cheddar cheese or brie with this, but it seems they left it out in the end. No matter - it was already a filling meal as it was. The spiced pumpkin, chickpea and lentil patty was a little soft (so it squished out the sides if you squeezed too hard) and also a little underseasoned (but that was easily fixed with the aforementioned herb salts). The vibrant colours, including the bright pink of beetroot hummus and the pale green of the coriander yoghurt, helped bring out the different components of the burger.

A colourful vege burger.

• Homemade coleslaw ($4.50) - creamy without being heavy, a great addition to boost your veg intake!

Overall, the Burger Bar K'Rd has everything going for it: a great location, tasty and wholesome burgers and sides, a neat atmosphere, and an ethical philosophy. It deserves so much more press than it is currently getting, and we can't wait to come back and try some more (for instance, their duck breast, chicken liver pate and crisped parsnip special looks epic)!

The Burger Bar K'Rd is a perfect addition to St Kevins Arcade.

Restaurant Details

Burger Bar K'Rd

Shop 18, St Kevins Arcade, 183 Karangahape Road, Auckland

theburgerbarkroad@gmail.com

Opening hours:

Mondays to Tuesdays 11am - 3pm

Wednesdays to Thursdays 11am - 9pm

Fridays to Saturdays 11am - 10pm

Sundays 11am - 7pm

A Meal in Brief: Brunch @ Kiss Kiss

We came here because we were just wondering where to get coffee in Balmoral the other day, and the newly-opened Kiss Kiss was the answer. Also, it took us several years to finally visit L'ouef, Celeste Thornley and the Maignot brothers' first venture, and we weren't going to make that mistake again with their latest eatery.

The menu featured Thai variations of signature L'oeuf dishes such as a kaffir lime scotch egg, and Burmese style pork belly curried baked beans, as well as additional Thai dishes like the pork mince larb with som tum salad. The daytime menu is quite different from their menu at night, which we will have to return for too.

The setting was similar in style to L'ouef, with long wooden benches, palms, and what looked like giant cocktail umbrellas, but with more than twice the space for seating.

Plenty of space at Kiss Kiss.

The service was standard, friendly and laidback. We were asked where we wanted to sit, given drinks and menus to start, and checked on at regular intervals.

Flat white at a table outside.

What we ate included:

• Bangkok filled roll with pickled vegetables and crushed peanuts ($12.50 + extra fried egg $2.50) - this was fresh and beautifully crispy at the edges, and the egg yolk was still oozy. The tanginess of the pickled carrot and daikon sticks (in the salad served on the side) nicely offset the butteriness of the bun with mayo.

Bangkok filled roll with fried egg.

• Fragrant crispy rice salad, served with herbs and homemade Northern Thai sausage ($18.90) - spicy and refreshing, the flavours were as vibrant as the colours of this dish. I thought the crispy rice might be puffed rice, but they were more like arancini that have been deep fried multiple times. Yes, please.

Crispy rice salad.

Overall, these guys clearly know what they are doing. We came in with high expectations, and were not disappointed. The dishes we tried not only looked pretty, but tasted delightful. Check this place out and bring some colour into your life too.

Counter food is also available.

Restaurant Details

Kiss Kiss
1 Rocklands Avenue, Balmoral, Auckland
(09) 600 3076

Opening hours:
Tuesdays to Sundays 7am - 3pm (daytime menu), 5pm till late​ (evening menu)

Kiss Kiss is on a side street where Drum City used to be.

A Meal in Brief: Saan

We came here because we had read glowing reviews about this northern Thai (Lanna and Isaan) restaurant in Ponsonby.

The menu was printed on one page, with four sections which the waiter explained were like starters, small sharing plates, larger dishes, and sides. Everything looked different from what we have seen in other Thai restaurants—where were the spring rolls and numerous curry options? Or white jasmine rice for that matter? Is this what it means to eat northern Thai?

The setting was beautifully fitted out, as one would expect from a Cheshire Architects design, with ceramics made in Thailand by an artisan potter. The sun came in through the slats of venetian blinds, illuminating a bit of smoke, giving the room a hazy atmosphere.

Beautiful restaurant fitout.

At the back of the restaurant was an open kitchen area, where you could see the chefs preparing the meals.

Open kitchen area.

The service was flawless, with our water topped up discreetly and regularly. Staff were available when you wanted them, without being overly attentive. When our larger dishes arrived, we were given a little bowl of cucumber, cabbage and crushed ice as a palate cleanser—a nice touch!

Weeping Butterfly cocktail and caramelised pineapple shrub.

What we ate included:

• Theu Kha Kho (deep fried taro cakes and tofu, chilli dipping sauce and peanuts, $12) - while the taro cakes were surprisingly firm and dense (probably more rice flour than taro), the tofu triangles were fried to perfection, crisp on the outside and moist and soft inside.
• Pak Som (house pickled seasonal vegetables, $8) - a mix of stir-fried cabbage, dark greens and pickled vegies, this side dish had a tangy flavour and reminded us of something we've had at Chinese restaurants.
• Somtum Phu Plarah (pickled crab and spicy green papaya salad, tomatoes and snake beans, $14) - this version of a papaya salad came with hard and salty crab legs for sucking on, but was somehow less exciting than the other items we tasted.
• Miang Jin Nuea (semi cured beef on perilla leaves with peanuts, toasted coconut and tamarind chilli jam, $15) - it was good that we could see the fried shallots, fresh chilli slices, coconut flakes and chopped peanuts, because once you wrapped everything in a leaf, it became a more mellow blur of flavours.

Clockwise from left: Theu Kha Kho, Pak Som, Somtum Phu Plarah, and Miang Jin Nuea.

• Sai Ua (Lanna pork sausage with aromatic spices and kaffir lime with young green chilli paste, $15) - unlike any other sausage we'd tried before, the kaffir lime flavour came through clearly in this dish recommended by the waiter. The accompanying Vietnamese mint leaves, chopped shallots and green chilli paste added extra aroma and freshness. Well worth trying.

Sai Ua - Lanna pork sausage.

• Gaem Wua Sarm Ros (twice cooked beef cheeks with spicy pickled chilli and tamarind sauce, $26) - we enjoyed the beef cheeks in its sour and spicy sauce, but there was a lot more meat there and they could easily have cut back on it.

Gaem Wua Sarm Ros - beef cheeks.

• Larb Ped (wok seared spicy duck and mint salad with ground toasted rice and fried kaffir lime leaf, $25) - this was the best larb we have had, with a fatty duck mince complemented by the minty, spicy dressing, and garnished with crunchy fried duck skin.

Partially eaten Larb Ped - warm duck and mint salad.

• Tub Tim Grob (caramelised water chestnuts, palm fruit, jackfruit, and young coconut meat in jasmine and rose syrup, topped with smoked coconut milk, $12) - drizzled with coconut milk at the table, this delicate and floral dessert was thankfully relatively light and a great way to end our meal.

Tub Tim Grob dessert.

Overall, Saan is almost certainly the best Thai restaurant in Auckland today. The food is exquisite, particularly the larger dishes we sampled, playing confidently with flavour, texture and presentation, and making good use of fresh herbs (though we were tempted to pluck some more Vietnamese mint from a pot plant next to our table). We can't wait to come back again.

Restaurant Details

Saan
160 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
(09) 320 4237

Opening hours:
Mondays to Tuesdays 5pm till late
Wednesdays to Sundays 12pm till late

A Meal in Brief: Indochine Kitchen

We came here because the newly opened Beirut restaurant was packed at dinner time, and Lucky Buddha down the road was fully booked out, though we thought we spied some free tables.

Large painting on one wall.

The menu was not too long and not too short, with tempting Vietnamese tapas dishes, many cooked on a charcoal BBQ. There was also a $25 prix fixe menu with several choices for three courses (including a vegetarian/vegan one for each), but we chose to order a la carte.

The setting was dim, casual and aesthetically pleasing. On the night we went, there was a person dining alone, as well as a work group of around 30 people. Stay away from the toilets if you can though, as you have to go outside and down a long corridor a couple of doors down, to use the facilities shared with neighbouring restaurants.

Hanging lights and small picture frames on another wall.

The service was warm, particularly from the bartender, who always seemed to notice even if you didn't manage to catch the attention of one of the waitresses. We were also given complimentary spiced peanuts to munch on while we looked through the menu.

What we ate included:

• Uncle Ho cocktail ($12) - although not food, I thought I would mention this as we really enjoyed this drink made with white rum, coconut milk, lychee, pineapple, ginger infused syrup and kaffir lime

Uncle Ho cocktail (right).

• Tôm nướng ($7) - a pair of charcoal grilled Black Tiger king prawns, seasoned with lime, coriander and chilli, split open for easy access. Nicely cooked and a great start to the meal.

Black Tiger king prawns.

• Nem rán ($8) - these crispy fried springs rolls (with prawn, pork, vermicelli and vegetables) were still tongue-burningly hot when they arrived at the table. Thoughtfully sliced in half to reveal the contents, this also helped to scoop up the warm vinegary dipping sauce they were served with. Pretty good value considering the quality and quantity of these rolls (I think we already ate a piece or two before I took the photo below).

Beautiful spring rolls.

• Bún chả ($15 for three serves) - I looked around for a vessel of fish sauce to pour over the charcoal BBQ pork belly and pork mince on rice noodles, but it turns out the condiment was already sitting at the bottom of the bowls, of which there were strangely three. I guess it makes for easy sharing and a more artistic presentation. We would have liked more herbs (there was only a small piece of perilla and a couple of coriander leaves in each bowl), but overall a tasty rendition of one of our favourite Vietnamese dishes.

A single serve of bún chả.

• Rau Hấp ($10) - the steamed Asian greens with sesame and organic soya sauce included snowpeas, green beans, a leafy vegetable that I would guess was gai lan, and pea sprouts. Mostly blanched, I liked the generous portion size and variety of vegetables. We didn't notice until afterwards that there was fish sauce on the table—we would probably have added a bit of that to add another dimension to the flavour.

Asian greens - nice helping of vegetables.

• Xôi xoài ($12) - the coconut sticky rice and fresh mango pudding was the weakest part of our meal, even though it was the only dessert option on the a la carte menu. It was not very sweet, which is how I like my desserts, but it just seemed a bit bland, if you can say that about a pudding. I was also surprised the sticky rice was at room temperature, neither hot nor cold.

Coconut sticky rice and fresh mango pudding.

Overall, Indochine Kitchen is a small but stylish modern venue with some well executed little dishes, great whether you only want something light, or a more substantial meal.

Restaurant Details

Indochine Kitchen
42 Fort Street, Auckland Central
(09) 974 2895

Opening hours:
Mondays 11am - 3pm
Tuesdays to Fridays 11am - 3pm. 5pm - late
Saturdays to Sundays 5pm - late

3 Places that Magically Appear at Night in Auckland

We keep hearing about the skyrocketing house prices in Auckland, with people turning to pint-sized apartments in order to live in a central location. But our population growth is putting pressure on commercial property too. We've all seen those tiny shops and semi-permanent carts around town, and it seems that the creative uses of retail space have been taken to new heights recently.

Kebabs and "sensational chicken" being sold from a window of a convenience store.

Not only are places opening where there has previously been little foot traffic (Little and Friday's Tuck Shop and the Scratch Bakers HQ are examples of this), but they are popping up where you would never have expected to find a store at all, like Elsie's spot under the stairs near Myers Park.

Elsie is tucked away under the stairs.

The latest phenomenon that has intrigued me is the concept of stores co-sharing a space. I don't mean businesses diversifying their offerings (like Barkers having an espresso bar in their menswear shop), or even communal areas being used by multiple operators (as in food courts). Rather, I have started seeing stores take turns using the same facilities in a kind of time-sharing system.

To some degree, this was already happening at popular eateries, where tables have been known to spill into neighbouring businesses at night, when the space would otherwise have been unused.

Having dinner inside a hair salon.

Here are three eateries I've come across, which you would not have known existed at all, unless you turned up at night.

1) O Bar (오빠)

O Bar has been around for years, but during the daytime, you just see a cafe from the street.

Caffe Madison by day.

The Korean bar used to be easier to find at night, because they would hide the cafe counter behind black partitions, forming a corridor leading to the covered courtyard area of the nocturnal drinking hole.

O Bar entrance appears at night.

Now, however, they have started operating the cafe at night too, so you kind of have to know that you can walk through it for fried chicken, kimchi pancakes and more.

O Bar can be found out the back at night.

2) One Shot (소주한잔)

You might see the One Shot symbol hanging over the footpath outside the takeaway part of Kushi on Durham Street West, but you can easily be forgiven for thinking that someone had just forgotten to update their signage.

Kushi Takeaway by day.

At night, however, the Kushi shopfront is covered by what looks like roller blinds, printed with the One Shot name and Korean cuisine menu, offering a number of different dishes, from sashimi to Korean pancakes to popcorn chicken.

Night time signage on display.

3) Bien Street Stall

According to their website, Bien has six different locations around Auckland. I can tell you that there is at least one additional one, though it is not permanent. Situated where the Buns Cafe is on High Street, there is no indication that it exists at all during daylight hours.

Photo from the Buns Facebook page.

Swing by at night, however, and you will find a little stand selling Japanese street food in the cafe courtyard: okonomiyaki, yakisoba and takoyaki.

Bien street stall at night.

Have you seen any other examples of eateries that only pop up at night, on a daily basis? What other hidden gems have you come across?

3 Places for Intelligent Bites in Auckland

A few days ago, it was announced that New Zealand's cultural treasure John Campbell would be leaving. Carefully timed with the Government's Budget 2015, we learnt that his signature current affairs programme Campbell Live, despite regularly becoming TV3s top-watched show, would be replaced by one with more of an entertainment focus, one that doesn't ask difficult questions.

As a person who simply writes about the fun and non-threatening topic of food, I have a huge respect for caring journalists like him, who help us to see news from a different angle, and fearlessly push to change things for the better. So, while staying on topic, I thought I would share some eateries in Auckland that feed the mind as well.


1) IKA Seafood Bar and Grill

In my last post, I wrote about a restaurant that featured in Metro Magazine's 50 Under $50 list. In part, we gave Ika a try at the urging of Nanogirl, otherwise known as Dr. Michelle Dickinson, a passionate engineer who freely gives her time and money to foster an interest in science, particularly in the young. She was one of a line-up of speakers at a conversation at the restaurant last week, and there is another talk coming up soon on a completely different topic too.

Previous Talk

Table Talk: Beneath the Ponytail: women, work, progress?

Michelle Parks summary from last nights gender debate @lailaharre @lisaowennz @jacindaardern @GayMaxine @drjackieblue pic.twitter.com/s3wlEXgV7C

— Nanogirl (@medickinson) May 19, 2015

Tuesday 19 May – doors open 5 pm, discussion at 6.15 pm
Hosted by Lisa Owen, from TV3’s The Nation, with

•     EEO Commissioner, Human Rights Commission, Dr Jackie Blue

•     Senior Lecturer, UofA Engineering School, Dr Michelle Dickinson aka @nanogirl

•     First Union Secretary, Maxine Gay

•     Labour Party MP, Jacinda Ardern

Bar open from 5 pm, small & large plates served throughout evening
Showtime 6.15 – 7 pm

Next Talk

“Abba to Gaga: pop music as queer revolution” - an Ika Salon with Dr Kirsten Zemke
(Facebook event here)

Tuesday 26 May 

Dr. Kirsten Zemke is a Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Auckland. She famously completed her PhD on New Zealand hip hop in 2000, and has been teaching, and talking, about popular music, race, gender, genre and identity since then. She currently has regular radio spots on bFM and Radio National. 

Despite its sometime silliness, shallowness, sexism and commercialisation, pop music has been quite a radical site for promoting queer identities. Genres of glam rock, disco, and eighties new wave all projected gender fluid identities and sexualities- mostly unheard of in the rest of the mainstream at those times. We’ll re-visit David Bowie, Boy George, Queen, Grace Jones and Abba, their ground-breaking gender bending and ‘gay play’. Then to contemporary artists & pop music that continues to represent minority identities, engendering validation and understanding.

$30 including dinner – with seafood, meat and vegetarian options.

Doors and bar open from 5, dinner served from 6 folowed By Kirsten’s presentation (approx 7.30). We’ll be open for drinks, dessert and conversation into the evening (dessert & drinks extra).

The Ika Salon is a chance to share food and conversation with others. We welcome single, double or larger bookings & will develop a seating plan with a great night in mind for you.

2) Ima Restaurant

Ima is another restaurant in Metro's 50 Under $50 list. Not only serving delicious Israeli and Middle Eastern food downtown, it hosts a monthly talk from The University of Auckland Faculty of Arts.

Previous Talk

Arts Café: Understanding the Ukraine Conflict

Wednesday 22 April 2015, 6:30 - 7:30pm

Professor Greenberg is a scholar of South Slavic Linguistics with an emphasis on ethnic conflict and nationalism. He has taught at Yale University, University of North Carolina and Georgetown University. His publications include numerous books and articles on South Slavic and Balkan topics, including language and identity in the Balkans, published by Oxford University Press. 

This talk is the first in a series of informal presentations by members of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Auckland. Arts Café will be held on the third Wednesday of each month. This series is co-sponsored by Ima Restaurant and the Faculty of Arts.

Next Talk

Arts Cafe: Algorithmic life and the “internet of things”

Wednesday 27 May 2015, 6 - 7:30pm 

Wednesday night lectures are back! This week, the 27th of May at 6pm, join us for $10 appetizers, $7 Ima Red & White wines, our famous fresh juice and be enthralled by Neal Curtis as he launchs our new ARTS CAFÉ with ''Algorithmic life and the “internet of things” 

This talk reflects on the role of the arts and humanities in the information age. This is an age defined by an increased use of algorithms that, amongst other things, define the nature of public knowledge, make calls about the next music hit, provide medical diagnoses, nominate “terrorists” for “kill lists” and make trades in stock markets around the world. We are also living through a paradigm shift in our relationship with computers and mobile media dubbed the “internet of things”, which promises to create “smart” rooms, “smart” buildings, even “smart” cities where every object can communicate with each other. Within an economy so dependent upon information, and where data directly equates to profit, it is imperative to think about the economic and corporate drivers behind these shifts and interrogate whose interests they best. 

Neal Curtis is a Senior Lecturer in Media, Film and Television at the University 

Stick around for more food and wine if you are still hungry afterwards!

3) Horse and Trap

The Horse and Trap is a pub in Mount Eden where the monthly Café Scientifique events are held (unfortunately these clash with the talks at Ima), as well as some of the talks organised by Nerd Nite Auckland.


Previous Talk

Musing on museums: …of ships and shoes … and many things

Wednesday April 29, 2015 

Roy Clare, CBE
Director, Auckland War Memorial Museum 

Museums around the world are facing new challenges and are evolving to meet them. Auckland’s own War Memorial Museum, with its unique collections and place in the ongoing story of Auckland, is changing too.  Nearly four years after his appointment as Director of the Museum, and following the centennial ANZAC day commemorations on April 25th, Roy Clare scans the horizon and poses some questions for museums and the people who love them.

Roy Clare CBE used to drive an aircraft carrier for a living, before coming ashore to take up leadership roles at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and the UK’s Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.  He was appointed Director of the Auckland Museum in August 2011.

Next Talk

A physicist and an anthropologist walk into a bar...

Wednesday 27 May 2015, discussion starts 6:30pm 

Network science was "invented" independently by a number of different disciplines. Sociologists came up with sociograms; engineers created wiring diagrams; while mathematicians have long studied graphs. 

At Te Pūnaha Matatini – “the meeting place of many faces” – researchers from very different backgrounds are using network science to gain fascinating, and sometimes non-intuitive, insights into New Zealand’s environment, economy and society. 

About the speakers 

Thegn Ladefoged 

Thegn Ladefoged is a Professor of Archaeology at the University of Auckland who has worked in Rotuma, Hawai‘i, Rapa Nui, and New Zealand. He is developing a network approach to investigate the connections between communities in pre-European Māori society. 

Dion O'Neale

Dion O'Neale is a Research Fellow in the Physics department at the University of Auckland. He is particularly interested in how the properties of innovation networks might help predict the future economic success of regions. He has been known to (mis)use network science for topics ranging from sports to soils to conversations.

Also worth a mention: Toto

Toto Restaurant's Montecristo Room is where Refactor inspires women in the tech industry. Formerly known as Girl Geek Dinners, the Refactor events are open for both genders to attend, though the speakers are always talented females. In the sessions I've been to in the past, there has been some mix-and-mingle time before the presentations, where the price of the ticket includes a drink and some snacks from the restaurant.

Previous Talk

Refactor May 2015

Wednesday 20 May 2015, 6:00pm  8:30pm
presented in conjunction with our sponsors Microsoft NZ, and Catalyst
Tickets $25 – open to both women & men

Next Talk

In July, speakers to be announced.

A Meal in Brief: IKA Seafood Bar and Grill *CLOSED*

[Added 25 April: IKA has closed to transform into a "very special new restaurant"]

We came here because we had read good things about this seafood restaurant, including in Metro magazine's 50 Under $50. The previous restaurant O'Sarracino was a favourite of ours, and it took that kind of encouragement before we could bring ourselves to try the new place.

The menu had plenty of seafood, as you would expect, but also steak, ribs, and vegetarian on request. It offered a couple of dishes from some very different cuisines (Malay sambal stingray, for instance), which made us hesitate, the way we are generally filled with scepticism when we see a menu with a split personality (though we approve of the Vietnamese and fish and chips place in Wellington).

Seafood on display by the front counter.

The setting was trying to be casual, with handwritten blackboard signs, brown paper over the tablecloths and felt tip pens on some tables, but there were still ornate light fittings and other incongruous bits in this former funeral parlour.

Interior of the restaurant.

The service was warm and helpful. We knew Laila Harre was involved in the previous restaurant, because she helped bring in a living wage to O'Sarracino, but we didn't expect her to be taking our order at the table. She let us know that there was a persimmon mocktail not listed in the menu, and that a main dish would probably be enough to feed two because it comes with a selection of sides.

Fresh persimmon mocktail, and pot of felt tip pens behind the salt and pepper shakers.

What we ate included:

• Warm Italian flatbread with garlic, herb, olive oil and rocket ($10) - this was hot and crisp, fragrant with plenty of garlic.

Freshly baked Italian garlic flatbread.

• Scallops with mixed leaf salad and lemon herb dressing ($14) - fresh and flavourful, beautifully seared.

Scallops with lemon herb dressing.

• Charcoal grilled flounder with potatoes and greens ($30) - who knew such a plain and simple dish could be so tasty? The fish was cooked with skill, the potatoes crisp; the seasonal greens were unexpectedly made up of choi sum, Shanghai bokchoy, green beans and bean sprouts.

Grilled flounder, skilfully cooked.

Overall, we can highly recommend the simple yet flavourful cooking we sampled. Chef Brendon Peterson clearly knows what he's doing, and we look forward to trying some more from the menu.

Restaurant Details

IKA Seafood Bar and Grill
3 Mount Eden Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
(09) 309 3740