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

A Meal in Brief: The Garden Shed

We came here because we were looking for brunch in Mount Eden, and The Garden Shed had newly opened where Thai Eden used to be.

Garden themed decor throughout.

The menu was in a hardcover, fabric-covered ring binder, using all the right phrases like "sourced fresh from local suppliers", "higher welfare meats" and "organic milk". The "fine bistro fare" on offer was divided into multiple menus: Share with Friends, Weekend Brunch, Lunch, Mains and Dessert. These listed a large variety of food, from fried snacks like deep-fried ham and gruyere sandwiches, to brunch options with eggs, pancakes, etc., to wild boar dogs to chicken schnitzel to home made pansotti. There were also plenty of drink options, as this place also has a bar at the front.

Intro in menu.

The setting was bright, airy and garden-themed, with a large courtyard out the back with a water feature trickling down corrugated iron. Every table had fresh flowers, and there were hanging pot plants, pitchforks and plenty of wooden fittings. It was also beautifully smoke-free, including in the outdoor area.

Courtyard area.

Bar area.

The service was very good even though the wait staff all seemed very young. Water was topped up periodically.

What we ate included:

• Buckwheat Pancakes with maple roasted stonefruit and Whitestone butter ($16.90) - this was delicious, but came with too much syrup and too little butter. We ordered extra bacon and were disappointed with how little there was, but we were charged only an extra $3.50, rather than the $5.90 printed in the menu.

Buckwheat pancakes with added bacon.

• Garden Breakfast with soft poached eggs, topped with crispy quinoa and garden herbs with sugar snaps, oven roasted tomatoes and toasted sourdough ($16.90) - this had good flavours, and felt light and vibrant. If you are used to a large breakfast, you might need to order something else to supplement it though.

Garden breakfast.

Overall, this was a great place for a summer brunch, with an emphasis on quality over quantity. The food was well presented and skilfully cooked. We weren't sure about the garden theme initially, but they have made it work, and there were plenty of other customers from a range of age groups.

Restaurant Details

The Garden Shed

470 Mount Eden Road, Mount Eden, Auckland

(09) 630 3393

The Garden Shed from the street.

A Meal in Brief: The Stall (大牌檔) (*CLOSED*)

[Added 15 March 2016: The restaurant at this location is now Legend of Noodles Cuisine 好運麵家]

We came here because the name of the restaurant (dai pai dong in Chinese) suggested we would be able to find the congee, rice and noodle dishes typical of the cheap roadside stalls that were once popular in Hong Kong. There is a lack of these little Cantonese places on Dominion Road.

The Stall is on the other side of Balmoral Road from the main cluster.

The menu indeed contained congee, rice and noodle dishes. It also had cold entrees like jellyfish, deep-fried and stir-fried meat dishes, and dim sum dishes (only available before 3pm and after 9pm for some reason). The front counter contained both Western cakes and Asian puddings.

The setting was more clean and classy than we expected. There were wooden chairs, and vertical white tiles on the walls, rather than plastic stools out in the open. Framed pictures coupled with English descriptions explained the concept of dim sum, for instance. Although a bit incongruous, there were also cakes and coffee available by the counter.

Interior of restaurant.

The service was welcoming and attentive, though it was a bit strange that we were asked if we were okay with using chopsticks. We were given a choice between hot tea or cold water when we sat down, and presented a plate of pickled daikon (the waitress called it "carrot") while we waited for our meal. Unlike most Chinese restaurants, there were shakers of salt and white pepper left on the table.

Table setting.

What we ate included:

• the aforementioned cold pickled daikon sticks (free) - these were crisp, sweet and sour
• steamed rice roll with bread stick ($5.90) - the rice roll was soft and fresh, but was missing the the fried bread stick promised on the menu. The sauces were the usual sweet and nutty ones, but included a bit of sweet chilli on one corner of the bowl, and we were also given a jug of soy sauce on the side.

Steamed rice roll which was supposed to have a bread stick inside.

• steamed seasonal vegetable ($6.00) - this turned out to be spinach, thoughtfully cut into bite-sized lengths. It was topped with minced garlic and stewed pork. Pretty good, though we didn't expect the toppings, which had the aroma of five spice.

Steamed seasonal vegetable.

• beef hor fun ($11.50) - this was hot and delicious, minus the smoky burnt oil flavour you sometimes get, so it's probably better for you too. This was our favourite dish. More places should sprinkle sesame seeds on their food.

Beef hor fun.

• preserved egg and lean pork congee ($8.50) - we needed to add plenty of salt and white pepper to this, but after that we could taste the ginger and other ingredients. The flavour was good after adjustment, but the texture was not quite right: a bit lumpy like they had tried to blend leftover rice into it.

Preserved egg and lean pork congee.

Overall, the food was slightly different from our pre-conceived notions of what Cantonese food should be like, but it was fresh and tasty. Our entire meal came to $31.90, so they clearly didn't charge us for the tea, daikon, or takeaway boxes (which were supposed to be 20 cents each).

I do wonder who their target market is: on the one hand, there are signs in Chinese only; on the other, they cater to people new to the cuisine with the explanations on the wall. Then there is the coffee shop aspect, with Hӧpt soda in the fridge, along with the cake and coffee.

Anyway, it is good to see something around which doesn't offer the same dumplings and noodles as is prevalent in that part of Dominion Road. I would be tempted to return to try their double skin milk custard and similar items too.

Restaurant Details

The Stall (大牌檔)
465 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
(09) 631 7546
ekitchenlimited@gmail.com

Bulk Food Savings

There's this little shop on Dominion Road, tucked out of sight behind the Two Fifteen restaurant, a hair salon, what used to be a Telecom shop on the corner, and that delicious tapas restaurant, Serafin [Added 28 July 2014: that corner shop is now Murder Burger and the spot where Serafin was is now another branch of Mink Cafe].  The easiest way for you to find it would be to make like you want to go to the Wendy's drive-thru, with entry off Walters Road.  Then you will see a car park and a squat building labelled Bulk Food Savings, a treasure trove of cooking supplies.

It's funny that I should get excited about a store with no fresh vegetables, but there are just so many things I don't normally see here.  And unlike many ethnic groceries, which also contain inspiring discoveries, this place is spotlessly clean, with plenty of organic options for the health conscious, and a simply-labelled assortment of products for the culinary adventurer.

Bulk bins, a wide range of dried fruit and spices, and much more.

Take the spice rack on the far wall, for example.  Apart from your usual parsley, rosemary and sage, you can find ajwain (carom seeds), amchur (dried and powdered unripe green mangoes), amla (Indian gooseberry), annatto seeds, asario (garden cress, Lepidium sativum) seeds, dill tips, fenugreek leaves, juniper berries, karela (bitter melon) powder, whole mace, whole nutmeg and tukmaria (basil seeds).  They even have a great range in something as basic as pepper: take your pick from whole black pepper, New York cut pepper, ground pepper, cracked pepper, lemon pepper, pink, green or white peppercorns, and of course, organic black pepper.  Szechuan pepper is not really pepper, but you can buy it at Bulk Food Savings too.  There were also things I have never heard of before, like sanchora, which I later discovered was just raw sea salt.  (You can also purchase coarse Sicilian sea salt, kelp mineral rock salt, volcanic black salt, and a pink-coloured mineral salt.)  Not everything is always there though.  When I went a couple of days ago, they were out of cinammon sticks.  Fortunately, I wasn't even half way through the packet I bought there, oh, probably a year ago.

Dried fruits are pretty standard grocery items, right?  But have you seen the variety here?  From dried apples (both sliced and diced), to dried strawberries, to kiwifruit to pear, pineapple, papaya, this shop has all you need to make the most awesome cereal mix, or perhaps the most inventive fruit cake.

Looking for something filling?  Apart from bulk breakfast cereal items like rice bubbles and corn flakes, and the usual baking goods like flour and cornflour, you will find a variety of grains and pulses, such as rice in different forms (from arborio to wild rice), organic amaranth flakes, organic buckwheat flour, polenta in various grind sizes, organic burghul and couscous, toover dhal (split pigeon peas), lentils (beluga, french green, red), beans (adzuki, chana/chickpea, brown chana, moong) and popping corn (available loose in the bulk bin, as well as still on the cob).

Nuts and seeds are not overlooked either, so you can buy a big bag of hazelnuts rather than several of those tiny packets in the baking section of the supermarket.  Some are coated in chocolate.  There are nut butters, which I love, though peanut butter makes me happy as much as a fancier one.  Organic chia seeds and organic ground flaxseed are also available, along with the more familiar poppy seeds.

Those into natural health remedies will be interested in the psyllium powder, bee pollen, and stevia powder (both in white extract form and green leaf form).  There is also a range of alternative milks (soy milk, organic almond milk, organic rice milk, oat milk) and herbal teas.

More into trying ethnic foods?  Here, you can find sesame helva from Israel, rose water from Lebanon, biscuits and tinned vegetables from Europe, various sauces, wild arame, organic miso and organic tamari sauce, as well as convenient packets of Indian food, such as ready-to-fry masala papad.

In short, Bulk Food Savings is a great place to go for your cupboard staples, as well as unusual and organic ingredients.  Despite having little branding or information on most products (I am never quite sure how much of something is in one of those pre-packed bags), chances are, there will be something that takes your fancy.

Store Details

Bulk Food Savings
217 Dominion Rd, Mount Eden, Auckland
(09) 630 6235

Opening hours:
Mondays to Saturdays 9am - 6pm
Sundays 10am - 4pm

To find the shop entrance, follow the sign to the start of the Wendy's drive-thru.

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Sohan (سوهان) or Iranian Saffron Brittle @ Persian Network *CLOSED*

[Added 30 January 2017: Note that Persian Network closed several years ago amidst accusations of fraud]

There was an Iranian girl in my class at primary school.  She was loud and cheeky, and I didn't try very hard to get to know her, but I admired the flowing lines of the Arabic script on her plastic stencil ruler.  I didn't understand how she could tell the characters apart, because they looked nearly the same to me.  I also discovered that her language was called Farsi, not Iranian, and you write it from right to left.  That was the extent of my knowledge of her world.

And so it was that when I came across Persian Network, one of the many interesting shops on Dominion Road, I wondered why it was painted in the Italian colours of green, white, and red.  As you might have guessed, it wasn't becaused someone had confused Iranian with Italian.  When the tri-color stripes run horizontally rather than vertically, that is in fact the Iranian flag.

This shop isn't crammed full, but there is a good range of things for sale, from sweets, breads and spices, to rugs, trinkets and utensils.  As you can tell from their website, they are not dumbing things down for tourists like me.  Although there is an English label for most things, you need to use your powers of deduction to work out that the reddish powder labelled "dried nuts and fruits" is in fact sumac, and the box of confectionery made of sugar, egg whites, rose water and pistachios holds Persian nougat, or gaz (گز).

I decided to purchase a beautiful tin box containing what looked like crunchy biscuits, which the Iranian owner warned me would be very sweet.  This dessert, called sohan (سوهان) is essentially a brittle toffee made of wheat sprouts, saffron, flour, sugar, pistachios, butter, cardamom, egg yolks, and rose water.  Not unexpectedly sweet, but quite oily or syrupy.  Somehow, it manages to be crumbly and leave a chewy lump stuck to your teeth at the same time, an enjoyable mix of flavours and textures.

Sohan in a detailed and embossed tin.

From what I can see, I have purchased sohan qom (سوهان قم), which is primarily produced in the city of Qom and is a common souvenir from the place.  It is quite different from sohan asali (سوهان عسلي), a honey-based toffee usually with slivers of almond, which is a harder and shinier candy, often eaten for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year.  A variant of the honey-almond toffee is sohan konjedi (سوهان کنجدی), which instead has sesame seeds set in the honey and saffron translucent brittle.

Does anyone have a recipe for this delicious sweet, or shirini (شیرینی) which I have bought? The closest one I could find on the web is in this video from a TV cooking show, which makes use of honey and corn syrup in addition to sugar, but no egg yolks.  It also uses whole wheat flour instead of wheat sprouts, if indeed that was the correct translation.  According to this video of sohan qom production, the brittle shouldn't stick to your teeth either.

Whatever the secret, this is why I love living in Auckland, having the opportunity to taste exotic flavours from around the world without needing to leave the country.  I am looking forward to tomorrow too, not because it will be April Fools' Day, or because Daylight Saving will be over (yay for an extra hour's sleep), but because the Auckland International Cultural Festival will be on (bring on the Ethiopean, Croatian and Burmese food!).

Store Details

Persian Network
1/718 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
(09) 623 0070

Persian Network is on the corner of Balmoral Road and Kensington Avenue.

D. H. Supermarket (大華超市), Mount Eden (or Eggy Experiences)

I've already waxed lyrical about the Avondale Sunday Market, but on other days, or if I don't want to venture so far for fresh and inexpensive vegetables, I head to the D. H. Supermarket (also called Dahua), a Chinese supermarket which was formerly Silver Bell.  The specials they have at the moment, for instance, are two (that's 2) small watermelons for 99c (!!! - we tried them and they were juicy and sweet too), and gala apples for 49c a kilogram!  The place is not as big and clean as the Tai Ping quite a bit up the road in Mount Roskill, but you can pick up some good bargains and they even accept credit cards for payments over something like $20.

Shelf of Asian vegetables, close to closing time.

Like other Chinese supermarkets, they have a separate meat and fish section, and you can buy groceries from other Asian cuisines like Korean and Japanese as well.  There is also a separate room for the grains and another for the alcohol (this is where you look for the Chinese cooking wine).  By the back entrance leading to the small carpark, there are mini shops within the supermarket, selling things like roast meat and Chinese street food, where you pay separately from the main supermarket cashier.

A nameless shop within the supermarket, selling such items as fried bread sticks (yóu tiáo, 油條) and sweet and savoury stuffed glutinous rice packets wrapped in bamboo leaves (zòng ​zi, 粽子).

Make sure you check what you are buying, because something which is being discounted may be expired or about to expire, and turn up early to avoid the crowds, get the best pick of produce, and perhaps breakfast on a Chinese crepe.

Highlight: Jianbing or Chinese Crepe (jiān​ bing guǒ​ zi, 煎餅果子)

[Added 4 August 2013: Sadly, this stall disappeared some time ago now.]

You go to D. H. Supermarket for your fresh vegies, mainly, but I also like the jianbing I had from one of the nameless shops there the other day.  I first ate one of these Chinese crepes at the Taiwan Cultural and Traditional Games Festival (see my previous post for a video of this being made) and have been on the lookout for it ever since.  Basically a very thin pancake with an egg cracked into it, in this case wrapping two squares of crunchy wonton wrapper, brushed with hoisin and chilli sauce, and garnished with spring onions and black sesame seeds, it is the perfect mix of sweet and savoury, softness and crunch.

A half-eaten jianbing.

Eat it immediately, while it is hot and the cracker still crisp.  Well, maybe exit the supermarket first, but don't dilly-dally.  It is such a delicious and filling meal for only $4.50 ($5 if you get it with soymilk as a combo).  The sign for the jianbing shows a photo of a multitude of grains that presumably went into the batter, so I guess you can claim it is healthy as well.

My only reservation was to do with hygiene, but I have the same concerns when I go to an icecream store and see the scoops sitting in a container of murky water.  Let me assure you that there were no unfortunate consequences to my breakfast (other than an overly full belly), and in any case, the thing is cooked for a good few minutes.

To order, point to the menu item labelled "Pan-fried roll", or look for a photo which includes an egg in it, at the stall pictured above.  A1 is currently the variety with a fried bread stick inside, while A2 is the option with the crispy wonton wrapper.  You will also be asked whether you want it spicy.  You do, because that chilli sauce is lovely.

I have seen jianbing for sale at the Pakuranga Night Market as well, but this place at D. H. Supermarket is closer and available daily.  I am tempted to say it is also more delicious, but I would have to go to the night market to verify.  In any case, I really enjoyed my crepe here.  Give it a go, even if it is weird ordering hot food from a supermarket stall.

Highlight: Eggs, Wondrous Eggs

Another great thing about D. H. Supermarket is the variety of eggs they sell.  I have seen fresh goose, duck and quail eggs here, in addition to the usual chicken variety, including free range chicken eggs.  The more exotic eggs aren't cheap, but I do an internal happy dance every time I find something novel for sale.

Fresh goose eggs for sale, when in season.

Being a Chinese supermarket, preserved or century eggs are also available.  There are two types for sale, one with what looks like a coating of clay and rice husk, and another with a smooth, blue-greyish shell.  I am not sure yet if are any flavour differences, but I will find out and let you know.

Quail eggs and two sorts of preserved eggs.

Unfortunately, they didn't appear to have any salted eggs on my last visit, which led me to purchase some  "fresh" duck eggs instead...

Lowlight: Exploding Rotten Duck Egg

What you want to do is to buy the things that everyone else buys, which are replaced regularly.  Those Asian greens are fantastic.  Avoid the things which look like they have been sitting there for a while, like the duck eggs in the fridge, which I have seen the last few times I went to the shop, but finally decided to try anyway.  I thought they were dodgy looking, the last four in the same tray for the past few weeks or longer, but there were no salted eggs for sale, and I had the idea that I would make my own.

The fact that the cashier had to leave the counter to check the price of them should have been ample warning, but I bought my duck eggs anyway.  They felt well chilled; what could be wrong?  I discovered the answer when I sat down in the car.  Just as we were about to drive home, there was a sound like a gunshot.  Something wet hit my face and the horrible sulphurous smell of rotten egg spread through the car.

The case of the exploding egg.

So there you have it.  There's good and there's bad, not to mention plenty of eggs-citement to be had at your local D. H. Supermarket.

Store Details

D. H. Supermarket (大華超市)
83 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
(09) 630 2900

Opening hours:
Mondays to Sundays 9am - 7pm (inner shops close 6:30pm)

D. H. Supermarket is at the city end of Dominion Road.

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Review: The Mulberry *CLOSED*, and loosely related musings

[Added 10 July 2012: I am sorry to report that this restaurant is closed.  I had assumed it was closed for Christmas holidays at the beginning of the year, but it just never opened and now there is a sign for yet another branch of Mozaik Cafe there.  Does anyone know what happened?]

The other day, a vegan workmate received a huge box of goodies she'd ordered from the States.  I'm sorry to say this, but I've found that vegan food is generally a poor imitation of what you would really like to eat, the chocolate cake I attempted to bake for her being a case in point.  Although I don't eat all that much milk, cheese and eggs, they are things I would find very hard to give up.  No matter how many varieties of tofu there are in the world, you get a bit bored with it after a while.  So I was surprised when this person produced not one, but two things, which I had not only not tried before, but could imagine myself wanting to eat again.  They also promised to be very healthy and natural, unlike the (what I imagine to be) highly processed fake meats, soy milks and margarines with scary trans fats.

I had never even heard of Essene bread before, and the moist brown lump did not look very appetising.  Made only of sprouted wheat and purified water (according to the ingredient list, though I am sure I spotted some raisins), and baked at a low temperature, this local product was actually unexpectedly sweet and nutty.  It didn't hold together very well, but it tasted good with peanut butter and jam.  I briefly considered toasting it before deciding that a) it would probably crumble to bits, and b) it seemed wrong to grill something that had deliberately been barely heated.  I enjoyed it as it was anyway.

The other food I was introduced to was chewy, sweet and easy to eat.  I have never seen mulberries for sale before, and these dried white ones imported from Turkey, looking like elongated raspberries but pale yellow in colour, were definitely a new fruit I'd like to have more of.  The white variety is supposed to be milder than the darker mulberry varieties, but I found it to be very flavourful, probably because the taste is concentrated in dried fruit.  Hopefully I'll get to try it in fresh form in the not too distant future.

Which brings me to The Mulberry, a "gastro style bar, bistro and fine dining restaurant" in Mount Eden, at the site of what I once knew as the Berlin Restaurant (upstairs) and Swiss Konditorei Telle (downstairs).  I'm not sure why these previous businesses closed, since the German restaurant was mentioned as a local favourite in the Footprint travel guide to New Zealand in 2003, and the Swiss cafe always seemed to be full, but they were replaced briefly by a sports bar called The Mount (I never ventured in, not really being a sports bar kind of person, their neon green sign disagreed with me, and the place always looked empty anyway), before transforming into the venue we have now.  The historic lift in the corner doesn't exist anymore, sadly, but the place is clean and inviting, though rather dark.

We've tried out the tapas from their Tastes menu in the casual bar area (they were indeed tasty), but what you might not realise is that you can have a proper, formal, three-course meal upstairs in the dining room.  We still remember the bouillabaisse entree we had there last year!

Seafood bouillabaisse, saffron bisque, garlic ciabatta

The rotolo pasta entree we ordered more recently was delicious and actually very filling, no doubt from all the cheese and oil in it.  It must be among the best vegetarian dishes I have eaten, almost up there with the panfried gnocchi I had at Tabou (which unfortunately no longer exists in Kingsland, though some of its wallpaper shows through at Arthur Avenue) and the mushroom and truffle pappardelle I had at Molten (my enjoyment of which may have been swayed by my excitement at tasting cavalo nero for the first time).

Rotolo pasta with three cheeses, artichoke, pine nut, sultana, aromatic tomato

The desserts are also worth saving room for, judging by the way we ended up scraping the crusts out of the ramekin which held the dark chocolate souffle.

Dark chocolate souffle with macadamia toffee and black doris sorbet

The Mulberry may not be the best restaurant around, but it is certainly well worthy of your attention.

Panda Recommends

We haven't really tried enough of their current menu to make recommendations yet, so go for what you fancy.

Vegie Pandas
The rotolo pasta ($19) was great, as was the side of seasonal vegetables ($9), which turned out to be green beans and broccolini with lots of delicious butter.

A la carte menu - page 1

A la carte menu - page 2

Restaurant Details

The Mulberry
425 Mount Eden Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
(09) 630 1588

Opening Hours:
Mondays to Sundays 11am till late

The Mulberry is on the corner of Mount Eden Rd and Essex Rd

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Review: Clare Inn Irish Pub

I've written a lot of reviews about eateries on Dominion Road.  Yes, it is close to where I live, but mostly it's because there are a lot of truly great places to eat there, seemingly more than in other areas.  Yesterday, we had a late lunch once again at our local Clare Inn Irish Pub.  It can have dusty cutlery, and loud music on certain nights, but its consistently delicious mains were such a contrast from our previous night's mediocre experience only a stone's throw away in Kingsland that I just have to write about it.

We've walked past this pub many times before.  However, not being great drinkers, it took a positive review in a newspaper before I could convince anyone to eat there with me.  We were not disappointed.  The interior furnishings and service at the Clare Inn is exactly what you would expect in any pub, but the main dishes we have tried have always exceeded our expectations: absolutely delicious, well presented and also very reasonably priced.

The offerings include familiar favourites, such as a Sunday Roast Special or a Mushroom and Blue Cheese Risotto.  These are what you might make at home, but are well executed and beautifully decorated with fresh herbs or a similar garnish.

Chef's Special: Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding and all the Trimmings

Mushroom Risotto with Spinach, Blue Cheese and Parmesan

Then there are more exotic dishes, such as the Slow Roast Duck with Pickled Beetroot, Courgette & Parsnip Fritter and Blood Orange Marmalata.  The friend who ordered this was literally bouncing up and down with excitement after having a bite.

Slow Roast Duck with Pickled Beetroot, Courgette & Parsnip Fritter with Blood Orange Marmalata

Even the dishes which sound somewhat strange manage to taste surprisingly good.  We were unsure about the "smoked salmon wontons" served with the Fish of the Day, but they went well with the panfried blue warehou and the blue cheese coleslaw.

Fish of the Day: Panfried Blue Warehou with Hot Smoked Salmon Wontons and Blue Cheese and Fennel Coleslaw

After these beautiful choices have put you into a happy humour, stop eating.  The desserts may sound tempting, and they certainly aren't bad, but they are nowhere near the standard of the mains.  Your waistline will thank you for it, and there's only one tea (a strong Irish Breakfast) you could have had with your pudding anyway.

Panda Recommends

Mains: Chef's Special: Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding and all the Trimmings ($19), Fish of the Day: Panfried Blue Warehou with Hot Smoked Salmon Wontons and Blue Cheese and Fennel Coleslaw ($26), Slow Roast Duck with Pickled Beetroot, Courgette & Parsnip Fritter with Blood Orange Marmalata ($27.50), Eye Fillet Roasted with Two Mushroom Ragout, Garlic and Parsley Champ & Truffle Oil ($33.50)

Vegie Pandas
Not a great variety of options for you here.  The modified Pasta of the Day: Mushroom Risotto with Spinach, Blue Cheese and Parmesan ($16.50) was excellent though.

Main Menu

Bar Snacks Menu

Restaurant Details

Clare Inn Irish Pub
274 - 278 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
(09) 623 8233
manager@theclareinn.com

Opening hours:
Mondays to Saturdays 11am - late (officially 2am, but could close earlier)
Sundays 12pm - late

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Review: Vinyl Coffee Shop

Whenever I return to Auckland from Wellington, I am thankful for the range and quality of the Asian food available in New Zealand's largest city, but somewhat disappointed by the lack of cafes which match the calibre of those the capital.

Well, one little gem goes somewhat towards alleviating that void: Vinyl Coffee Shop, with its posters on the wall, handwritten chalkboard signs and offerings for both meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans, has exactly that feel I associate with arty types and students. There's a bit of bare brickwork on one wall, naked lightblubs, giant Jaffas in a jar on the counter, and little knick-knacks on the tables: a bear-shaped glass here, a mini air hockey table there.

Vinyl is a little place with a laid-back, hipster feel

This little place only has eight tables (three small ones and three larger ones inside, and two tiny circular tables outside), so it's not surprising that it's often full, especially since that wee kitchen somehow manages to create some good food.

This morning, we had the cheese burger with curly fries, served in ciabatta bread because they'd run out of hamburger buns.  The lamb pattie was perfectly cooked, soft and juicy in the middle.  There were rocket leaves in the burger and we even found a lemon pip as evidence that they made their own mayonnaise.  The fries were also delicious, golden and crispy.

Cheese burger, with lamb pattie, tomato, avocado, rocket, homemade mayonnaise and curly fries

You get to feel good too.  Apart from catering to vegans with tofu and vegetable options, Vinyl uses free range eggs and free range streaky bacon.  We'll overlook the fact that their curly fries are imported from Canada.

My main complaint is that they close too early---don't come here if you are looking for a late lunch, as the kitchen is only open till 2pm in the weekends.  Also, eggs don't really belong in a burrito, and it would be nice if they offered a side salad.  Otherwise, we love this place!

Panda Recommends

Mains: Cheese Burger ($14, or $16 with curly fries) [Added 29 June 2013: you can also ask for this medium-rare]
Sides: Curly Fries with Mayo ($5)
Avoid items with scrambled eggs, such as the Spanish eggs, or the breakfast burrito - somehow it ends up bland and rubbery.

Vegie Pandas
Vegetarians and vegans alike can rejoice.  From the Tofu Scramble to the Vege Stack, this cafe has definitely got something for you.

Menu - page 1

Menu - page 2

Restaurant Details

[Added 10 January 2016: Vinyl has now moved into the same space as its sister restaurant Ralph's, around the corner with the entrance on Walters Road, where Serafin used to be.]

Vinyl Coffee Shop
218 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland
(09) 623 3821
vinylcoffeeshop@gmail.com

Opening hours:
Mondays to Fridays 7am - 3:30pm
Saturdays to Sundays 9am - 3pm

Vinyl is a little cafe on Dominion Road

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Review: Serafin Cafe and Bar *CLOSED*

[Added 1 May 2014: Serafin closed on 9 April 2014. However, chef Serafin Bueno Sanz will be opening a tapas bar called Pepitos at the end of this year.]

Tapas restaurants are everywhere these days. The idea of eating a number of small dishes is so prevalent that you even see the term "tapas" being used to describe food of non-Spanish/non-European cultures: for instance, Japanese restaurant Soto has a section of their menu labelled "Japanese tapas", and Indian restaurant Arun's offers "a mouth watering tapas selection" according their website, even though the word is not used on their menu. I love tapas in any case, because you have the opportunity to sample a variety of items without feeling as though you are ordering too much.

A new tapas place opened off Dominion Road, close to Eden Park, a few weeks ago. I have been watching the space with interest for months, as a beautifully designed building was constructed in what used to be part of StereoWorld.  A news article about Serafin's trouble with obtaining a liquor licence gave us a further incentive to eat at this restaurant, to show the owner some local support.

The first time we entered Serafin (presumably named after chef owner Serafin Bueno, who according to Lauraine Jacobs was "the talented Spanish chef who presided over the kitchen of The Regent Auckland hotel back in the 80s"), there were no other customers in the stylish eatery.   The welcoming staff greeted us in Spanish, explained to us what tapas were, somewhat unnecessarily, and offered us drinks and pinchos, which were morsels on slices of bread.  Apparently, the lack of a liquor licence has caused some customers to walk out, and we made sure we signed the petition for it (already with hundreds of names) after our meal, which turned out to be delicious.  It was heartening to see the room fill up somewhat by then too.

Waitress offering us a selection of pinchos

The waitress recommended the paella, and we chose to try the one with clams and prawns, along with various tapas.  It was as tasty as it looked, with a strong seafood flavour, far superior to the paella you can buy at the markets around Auckland.  A plate of bread with tomatoes appeared at our table, and we were wondering if our order was mixed up somehow, before we were told that people always ate tapas with this bread.

Arroz Meloso de Langostinos y Almejas, which we called the seafood paella

Also recommended: Bomba de Chorizo con Salsa de Mojo Verde

The desserts brought us especial delight, and we turned up one weeknight (empty restaurant again) simply for the freshly-made churros with creamy tasting dipping chocolate and the "very Spanish" dessert of torrijas, which is a bit like bread and butter pudding but is made with red wine.  We returned for a third time in two weeks with friends in tow (restaurant fuller on a weekend), and finally tried the crema catalana, which almost surpassed the previous fantastic desserts with its smooth custard and delicate lemon flavour.

Chocolate con churros

Torrijas, topped with vanilla icecream

In short, bring your friends for a meal at Serafin, and make sure you leave room for dessert!  You can practise your Spanish while enjoying the beautiful interior decor or the outdoor courtyard area, and we just know this little place is going to be chock-a-block full during the Rugby World Cup.

Panda Recommends

Tapas: Bomba de Chorizo con Salsa de Mojo Verde (Potato balls with chorizo and Mojo Verde sauce, $10.00)

Mains: Arroz Meloso de Langostinos y Almejas (Spanish rice casserole with prawns and clams, feeds two people, $42.50), Doble Cocion de Pato com Lentejas y Paprika Ahumada y sus Verduritas (two ways of cooking duck confit with lentils, smoked paprika, vegetables and sherry vinegar, $21.00), Chilindron de Cordero y Judias Blancas y Cebolla Tierna (Lamb rack casserole with white beans, amontillado sherry and baby onions, $21.00)

Desserts: Crema Catalana (Catalan baked custard, $9.50), Chocolate con Churros (Spanish doughnuts with chocolate sauce, $8.00), Torrijas (marinated bread in red wine, $10.00)

Vegie Pandas
Limited range of main items for vegetarians here, but the desserts are divine.

[Added 17 August 2011:

The menu below is out-of-date. In their updated menu, they have added a marinated salmon dish, and offer a full drinks selection, including Sangría for $9 a glass.  Prices have been revised upwards for some dishes but not for others, which is not a terrible thing as they used to be almost too cheap for the quality of food we were getting, and more people eat here now than ever before.
]

Menu

[Removed 16 July 2011:

Note

Currently you cannot purchase alcohol from this restaurant, but hopefully they will get a liquor licence soon, after the hearing which will be in Wellington on May 19.

]

Restaurant Details

Serafin Cafe & Bar
225B Dominion Road, Balmoral, Auckland
(09) 630 0228
buenoskitchen@gmail.com

Opening hours - winter (updated 29 June 2013):
Mondays closed.
Tuesdays to Thursdays 5:30 - 10pm
Fridays to Saturdays 11:30am - 3pm, 5:30 - 10pm
Sundays 11:30am - 3pm

Serafin opens onto Walters Road, off Dominion Road, next to the Wendy's drive-thru entrance.

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