the four little pigs

Little Piggy Goes to Market @ Meat Market http://meatmarketsouthwharf.com.au/

• 55 South Wharf Promenade, South Wharf, Melbourne
• Dining at dinnertime
• Party of four
• Da cost: $70 per person

The Melbourne Food & Wine festival is currently upon us and this year it is the 20th anniversary of the three-week long event.  To find out more about the events of the festival, click here.  This is the first year that I have been able to take advantage of the many events on offer (and when I say many, the guide is eighty pages long!).  Unfortunately due to my lack of awareness last year I missed out on a great event as I would have loved to have seen Nigella Lawson - my cooking heroine - in person and in action.  Hopefully I'll get the chance one day.

Anyway, I was more organised this year and managed to book a few events, kicking off with the aptly named 'Little Piggy Goes to Market'.  This event was described in the guide as follows: 'Enjoy a four course feast of free-range Berkshire pork as the experts from Tooborac's McIver Farm Foods join Meat Market to spread the word about old breed pork and taking agriculture "beyond sustainable".'  It consisted of four courses matched with local ciders.  I managed to get the last four tickets for this event with friends who had the mutual love of pork, not really knowing what to expect, nor really knowing what 'Meat Market' was.  Turns out, Meat Market is a relatively new (since November) restaurant in a new precinct that is South Wharf Promenade.  If you're interested, check it out here.

The meal began with a drink named 'Egg & bacon cocktail'.  It was brandy infused with bacon for 48 hours, rosemary syrup, lemon juice, apple juice and shaken with an egg white.  I am not too sure if this flavour combination worked with the flavour of the brandy and rosemary overpowering everything else.  Along with this, we were offered in a brown paper bag, some nibbles that were pork scratchings made from pig ears, lightly battered with salt and pepper.  I must admit although they were tender, there was a lot of salt on these scratchings, but it did awaken my tastebuds.

Up next, was the first real entree.  This was named 'Tete Fromage' - deboned pork cheek with almonds and radicchio.  The bitterness of the radicchio took over this dish, with not so much taste of actual pork.  This was served with an organic French cider (not so local as the guide had suggested) but very nice nonetheless.

Course number two was a 'Potted Pork Shoulder' which was twice cooked in its own fat served with apple, croutons and mini gherkins.  I did not expect the pork in this dish to be cold, however it was, and again, very salty.  It reminded me a little of tuna, in the way it was flaked and in oil.  However it did go very well with the crunchy croutons, apple and gherkins, but it was very rich and I could not finish all the meat.

The filler course, which the waiting staff called a "snack", came at the same time as the cider Bress.  I am not sure if this cider was supposed to compliment the course prior, however, it was a nice fresh but dry, made locally in the Yarra valley, the traditional French way.  The snack however was delicious, it was a pork butter with raw onion on a crouton.  And eaten in one mouthful, the crunchy crouton likened to crunchy crackling!

The main event.  For this course the pork was organic, slow-cooked and soaked in salt brine with star anise.  There were two lots of pork soaked for dfferent lengths of time therefore giving it different levels of saltiness.  Unfortunately, some of the pork was dry and extremely salty.  The flavour of the actual meat was good however would have been more enjoyable with a little less seasoning.  The side that it came with was roasted pumpkin and a green chilli yoghurt sauce.  The chilli was relatively mild to cater for the masses, however the pumpkin was soft and delicious.  It is funny how I enjoyed this side perhaps a lot more than the other courses that actually contained pork!  The matching cider was a pear cider made by 'The Hills Cider Company' from Adelaide.  It was light, fruity and crisp - a very refreshing cider accompanying the generous portion of pork.

And finally to finish: the dessert.  It was apple stewed in rosemary with a Napoleone apple cider sorbet accompanied with a Napoleone apple cider.  This was designed to be like a spider (traditionally made with soft drink and ice cream).  The spider concept was clever, however this was the type of thing I enjoyed as a child, although clearly this dessert is purely adults only, it didn't really hit the spot.  However, the sorbet was silky smooth and once the cider was poured over it, was obviously (if you have had a spider before) very airy.  One other positive thing was it being so light after such a heavy meal of meat.

On the whole, the event was enjoyable and for $70 it was value for money with ample portions and waiters on hand to top up your glass once it was getting noticeably low.  However, one of the main disappointments is that although the pork was flavoursome, albeit over-seasoned, there was a lack of, crackling.  In fact, there was no crackling!  Pork and crackling go together hand in hand and although I had minimal expectations of this event, I did expect crackling!  I am curious about Meat Market with their usual menu, as the ambience, location and service was excellent so those factors are enough to take me back there.

doctor who?

Doctor Java - Check it out on Urbanspoon

• 87a Smith Street, Fitzroy

Doctor Java is pretty much on the corner of Smith and Gertrude Streets.  The sign caught my eye when I first moved to Melbourne as it serves organic coffee.  There are three things that I love about this cosy little cafe:

1. The coffee is great - and organic.
2. The iced coffee is arguably the best I have ever had.
3. The savoury scone is to die for.

I do not need to say too much about the coffee as my coffee palate is relatively simple: I don't like it tasting burnt and I like the milk a tad on the "too hot "side.  My usual order is simple - a latte.  No skinny/trim milk, no sugar - just coffee and full fat milk.  The coffee here is consistently great, has a great flavour and is a great temperature. I have not once been disappointed with my simple latte from Doctor Java.

However, as the Melbourne summer is upon us and last weekend in particular was exceptionally hot for this Wellingtonian, it was difficult for me to get my caffeine fix from a "tad on the hot side" latte.  I immediately thought of good old Doctor Java to provide me the caffeine I needed (and the calories I didn't) with their oh so amazing iced coffee.

There are three types of iced coffee on offer:

1. DJ Iced Coffee $5.50 - espresso, ice, ice cream, milk, simple!
2. Da Bomb Sugar IC $5.50 - 2 scoops house espresso sorbet, 1 scoop ice cream and milk
3. The Godfather $6 - 3 scoops ice cream, 3 shots coffee, the affogato you can't resist!

On this particular day, I opted for number 1, the simple iced coffee.  I have also tried da bomb sugar iced coffee - the name only attracts me!  Both these iced coffees have a delicious coffee flavour (a result from the great organic coffee beans no doubt) and it has the perfect amount of ice cream to milk to coffee ratio.  How many times have you ordered an iced coffee and it is literally ice + coffee and you come away disappointed and unsatisfied?  It has happened to me plenty of times, therefore the prerequisite for ordering an iced coffee is that it must have ice cream to rightfully give it the sweetness and creaminess.

One thing I struggle to find in Melbourne is savoury scones or muffins.  I mentioned savoury scones to a colleague once, and he looked at me as if I had said something in a foreign language, like he had never heard of it before.  I just love savoury scones or muffins (as opposed to sweet scones or muffins) and together with a latte, it is a match made in heaven.

Needless to say, when I discovered the savoury scone at Doctor Java, I knew where to go to satisfy my savoury-scone-craving.  It is $5.50 and described as "tomato, vintage cheddar and basil scone with red wine and onion jam".  The price may be a bit steep, but it is worth every cent.  For one, it is huge and therefore perfect for sharing, but every bite of this scone is scrumptious.  It is a great consistency, in other words, not dry or stodgy.  It is not only flavoursome but filling and hits the spot every time.

So if you are looking for a great cup of coffee to wake up, a much needed iced coffee to cool down, or a snack to fill that growling gap, then Doctor Java is a great place to tick all or some of the above boxes.  Whether you are in the neighbourhood or if you wish to especially go there, with it only being a stone's throw away from the city, the trip will be well worth it fulfilling your expectations.  Well, it hasn't disappointed me yet!

curry curry curry

Fitz Curry Cafe www.fitzcurrycafe.com.au

• 44 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
• Dining at dinnertime
• Party of two
• Da bill: less than $50

I love a good curry.  I have often said to people that if I could choose just one type of meal to have for the rest of my life for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it would be curry.  Call me a "curry-muncher" or whatever you like, but I absolutely love all types of curries.  I must admit, I especially enjoy curries that come from India as nothing beats the smell and taste.  I don't really have a favourite Indian curry but generally love Indian cuisine as a whole.  

Hopefully now you get the idea of how much curry means to me, so since I have lived in Melbourne, I have been on the constant lookout for a curry house to satisfy my palate.  I have tried a few scattered around the city, but nothing ever completely satisfied me.  There were times when the aroma of a place has lured me in only to be disappointed by the taste.  It is that extra bit disappointing when something that smells so good can fail in the taste department.

I have often walked past the Fitz Curry house on Johnston Street in Fitzroy and was always curious about what the food was like.  However with the selection of restaurants in Melbourne being so vast, I never decided to try it until after a year of living here.  It was a random night and although there are a number of great restaurants on this street, this was the night for the Fitz Curry House.

The selection of curries in vegetarian, chicken, lamb, beef and seafood options were plenty, however it was not too difficult to decide what to order. We ordered a vegetable samosa and a meat samosa to begin with.  Both samosas had crisp skin the way it should be and the filling in both varieties was tasty.   Although the one thing about samosas when ordered in a restaurant is that they are never spicy enough.  I realise that samosas are not meant to be spicy but just a tad more heat would make this favourite morsel of mine so much better.  The only other let down with the samosas was the mint raita as it lacked the fresh flavour of mint and was on the salty side.

Before I get into the mains, I must mention one fault and that is we waited a long time for them to be served.  Despite the length of time we waited (45 minutes) the service was great and to be fair, but not to make an excuse, there was only one chef in this full restaurant.  

We ordered Chicken Makhani, more famously know as Butter Chicken and Lamb Rogan Josh.  We asked for extra spice in both dishes and they came with a perfect amount of "hotness".  The Butter Chicken was described in the menu as "the fountainhead of Indian Cuisine, chicken cooked in Tandoor and then cooked with home made tomato sauce and spices".  This dish did not disappoint.  It was perfectly creamy with just the right amount of sweetness, very well spiced and seasoned and was a delight to eat.

The Lamb Rogan Josh is contrasting in flavour to a Butter Chicken, with different spices, colour and obviously taste.  It was very delicious, packed with amazing flavour and the lamb was so beautifully tender.  The extra spice packed a punch but the dish was perfect in its own right.  The curries were accompanied with garlic naan and plain rice.  I must mention that the naan was light and fluffy and contained enough garlic to warrant it being called garlic naan as there have been times I have ordered garlic naan when it may as well have been just naan!

It took over a year but I have now found the best curry house in Melbourne.  It is great value for money, offers friendly service and most importantly the taste is deliciously great.  It serves free range chicken and natural spring lamb which is just an added bonus to what will now be the place to satisfy my curry cravings.

nothing like a german sausage

Hofbrauhaus http://www.hofbrauhaus.com.au/

• 18 - 28 Market Lane, Melbourne
• Dining at dinnertime
• Party of six

There is something about German sausages that put them in a category above all other sausages I have tried.  I am not entirely sure what the Germans do differently but all I know is their sausages, from kranskys to bratwursts, are always full of flavour and satisfaction.  The Hofbrauhaus is one of several places where Melburnians can find these German delights in an authentic, restaurant setting.

We started our meal with a vorspeisen or entree to share and we opted for the Gebackener Camembert which was a crumbed camembert cheese with ligonberry compote.  Now I love crumbed camembert, perhaps one of the most indulgent things I eat.  I can still remember the very first time I tried deep-fried camembert.  I was seventeen and it was at the Dunedin Wine and Food Festival where I initially thought, what a strange thing to deep-fry.  That camembert was cut in wedges, crumbed and served with a cranberry sauce that was both sweet and tart.  The camembert oozed in your mouth, the creamy richness perfectly complemented with the cranberry sauce.  Unfortunately, the crumbed camembert at Hofbrauhaus did not compare and for $13.50, it disappointed my eager expectation.  It was bland and lacked the fullness of one of my most fondest food memories.

Now to the sausages, I chose the HB Wurstplatte which was a selection of sausages (nurnberger, cheese kransky, Swiss bratwurst) on a bed of sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and served with German mustard for $26.50.  The stand-out sausage on the plate was definitely the cheese kransky, the cheese in the middle is perfect with the seasoned flavour of the meat.  If I were to dine here again, next time, I would opt just for the cheese kransky.  Having said that all three sausages were delicious in their own right, and if it is variety you are after or if you just can't decide, this is the perfect dish to sample three different types of superior German sausages.  I must also add the mashed potatoes were well-seasoned, light, fluffy and creamy and there was also an overly generous serve of sauerkraut.  I have had better sauerkraut but German sausage is just not the same without it, so this sauerkraut was better than having none.  The German mustard was not at all memorable and the dish would have been just as good without.

For great atmosphere, service, beer, schnapps and German sausages to boot, Hofbrauhaus is a place to enjoy a complete dining experience.  Until next post, may your taste buds be continually tantalised!

boy oh gingerboy

Gingerboy www.gingerboy.com.au

• 27 - 29 Crossley Street, Melbourne
• Dining at dinnertime
• Party of three

I would place Gingerboy in the same category as Chin Chin with a more, dare I say it, sophisticated ambience. It has a similar atmosphere but with better service.  It was a girl’s night out as two friends were visiting Melbourne and we were lucky to get a booking within a week, being so close to Christmas.  It wasn’t difficult picking a restaurant as I have always wanted to try Gingerboy, being the sister restaurant of fine dining establishment Ezard on Flinders Lane, created by chef Teage Ezard.  Although I am yet to have the Ezard experience, I have only had good feedback so it makes it on my list of restaurants to try.

Anyway back to Gingerboy.  We were seated and our friendly waitress came over to explain the menu, as is often done in these Asian style restaurants.  One stand out was the special of the day which sounded absolutely delicious.  The menu is broken down into two sections: ‘Snacks and Street Food’ and ‘Shared Dishes’.  We decided to select a few of the ‘Snacks and Street Food’ as entrees and then a couple of the ‘Shared Dishes’ – to share.

The first entree to arrive was the wagu and bamboo dumplings with cashew soy.  I’m no expert in dumplings (although I have certainly had my fair share) but I think I can tell a good dumpling when I taste one.  I have never had wagu beef in dumplings but I was pleasantly surprised.  The meat was juicy and flavoursome, and the skin was perfectly cooked with the right amount of chewiness.  What I am trying to say is that the texture of the dumpling skin is just as important as the flavour of the meat, and these dumplings did not disappoint.  To be honest, I could not really taste the bamboo as the wagu must have overpowered this and the cashew soy may have just been soy itself therefore this was not so memorable either.  Having said that, the dumplings were indeed a great start to our meal.

Next up, the son in law eggs, chilli jam and asian herbs.  This dish was recommended by friends and the waitress also made a point of suggesting it.  When I first heard of this dish, it did not sound like anything I had ever heard of and it intrigued me. The eggs – which are soft boiled - are coated in some sort of crust and fried.  Another waitress came over and tried to give us tips on how to combat eating this egg. It was advised to put the whole thing in your mouth and push your tongue up to the roof of your mouth where the egg would softly break in your mouth and the yolk would then ooze out then allowing you to chew the rest.  It was warned that if you did bite into the egg, it would explode and be a mess while not giving the full experience of the whole thing in your mouth.  I didn’t think it would work for me, so I attempted to bite the egg in pieces and think that suited me better.  It was definitely different and I would describe it as nice, but I would also say that if I were to dine at Gingerboy again, I probably wouldn’t order this again.

Our third ‘snacks and street food’ dish was the crispy duck and banana flower salad with ginger nuoc cham.  This dish was well flavoured and included vermicelli and chilli which gave it that great spicy kick.  The banana flower in the name of the dish didn’t particularly stand out so I am beginning to think that these “exotic” ingredients are placed in the name of the dish for the diner to perceive that they are ordering something new, different and perhaps exciting.  Having said that, this dish did taste good - which is the main thing.

Our final entree style dish was the special - a soft shell crab salad with lychee dressing - and a whole lot of other goodness.  It also had beanshoots, red onion and a great dressing with the perfect balance of sweet, salty and sour that this Asian style cuisine often strives for.  It is a shame that dish was only a special as I would go back just to have this. The crab had a crispy batter and was perhaps a tad salty but the one word I would use to describe this dish is - divine.

On to our shared dishes, we ordered only two but found the quantity of food to be ample.  The first was lime and galangal basted baby chicken, peanut and tamarind caramel.  The chicken was juicy and succulent, and as tamarind is very tangy, it was very well complemented with the sugar in the caramel.  We did find the joints of the chicken to be quite red.  Although it was not raw, we thought we would point this out to the waiting staff.  We were not making a complaint only making a point as we were not sure if it should be like that so we showed the waitress who said she would let the chef know.  The manager then came to our table on the defensive, stating that it was just a blood vessel in the joint and all the chickens in the kitchen had the same redness.  We did not expect anything at all for pointing this out so I was a little disappointed that he became so defensive.  That was the only negative thing about the service on the night but distracted me from remember how this dish tasted.

Finally, the best was served last.  Red braised pork, pickled papaya, pineapple and coriander relish is a dish made in heaven.  The pork was perfectly cooked with the most delicious flavour.  The relish was refreshing and naturally sweet from the pineapple.  It was a consensus that this dish was the hit of the night, there is nothing more to say except if you dine at Gingerboy and enjoy a bit of pork, you must order this dish. 

Overall, the Gingerboy experience was a great one, with food and service both being well executed.  We topped off the meal with a bottle of wine and therefore were way too full to tackle dessert.  But now that I know what to expect, if there is a next time, I will certainly ensure there is room to at least squeeze one in.

silly salad season

The silly season may be over for another year but what better way to help us get over the indulgence of the festive season than with delicious and nutritious salads.  With summer upon us - for those who reside in the southern hemisphere - a tasty salad is a great accompaniment to any BBQ or rightfully, a meal on its own.  As this is my first post of 2012 (yes it did take me a while to overcome the excitement of receiving a free trip home), I thought I'd share some of my favourite salad recipes to kick off the new year.

One of my all time favourite summer salads is this Herby Pasta Salad.


Ingredients:

• Pasta (any shape - I've used bows)
• Streaky bacon
• Corn on the cob
• Salad leaves
• Avocado
• Cucumber
• Cherry tomatoes
• Bunch of basil, coriander, parsley
• Lemon juice and zest
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Method:

• Fry off bacon pieces and set aside
• Steam corn and set aside - once cool, cut off corn kernels
• Assemble bacon, corn, salad leaves, avocado, cucumber and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl
• To make the dressing: blend the herbs with lemon juice, zest, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
• Pour the over the remaining ingredients, toss and serve

I have purposely left out quantities as I think that allows the chef to add their own twist. I have made this salad countless times and it always tastes different due to the varying quantities.  But there is something about the freshness of the herbs, along with the sweetness of the corn, together with the saltiness of the bacon, that makes this salad a hit with its eaters every time.  

This Ultimate Healthy Salad is a perfect meal for detoxing and after having it for dinner, this salad made me feel like a million bucks!  This salad consists of salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, green mango which adds a delicious sweet flavour and smooth texture.  I pretty much threw anything I had in the fridge together, toasted some nuts and seeds, drizzled it with olive oil and lemon juice, seasoned it and it was good to go.

This Warm Garlicy Pasta Salad can be tweaked to suit different needs.  Leave out the meat to make this a delicious vegetarian meal or substitute for any smoked meats to change the flavour and texture of the meal.  The following serves two - very comfortably.


Ingredients:

• 300g cooked penne pasta
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes - halved
• 2 cloves of garlic - finely sliced
• 180g smoked salmon
• Large bunch of fresh basil 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Freshly grated parmesan to serve

Method:

• Heat the oil in a pan and very lightly brown the garlic slices until fragrant
• Add the cherry tomatoes and let the tomatoes cook and begin to break down
• Season with salt and pepper - if adding smoked meat do not add too much salt
• Stir through the cooked pasta, the smoked salmon and half the basil until warmed through
• Serve and top with more basil, parmesan and pepper

There may seem like a lot of olive oil in this dish, but this ensures enough dressing to coat the pasta and once the garlic is cooked in this oil, it will smell delicious and adds so much flavour.  This dish is so quick and easy to make and is a perfect light summer meal.  It is even better with a glass of crisp, white, preferably New Zealand, wine.

Hopefully, these salads inspire you to experiment with different combinations to make the salad that is perfect for you.  The beauty of a salad is they can be as simple or complicated as you desire but most importantly it makes a nutritious and filling meal.  Here's to a healthy and delicious 2012!

a homegrown meal to remember

WLG www.au.timeout.com/melbourne/restaurants/events/1903/wellington-tourism-pop-up-restaurant

• Corner Gertrude & Napier Streets, Fitzroy, Melbourne from Nov 15th - Nov 27th
• Dining at dinnertime
• Party of two

When I heard that a pop-up restaurant named "WLG" - the Wellington airport code - was coming to Melbourne, I just had to get in as I knew the experience would be blog worthy.  Perhaps being a Wellingtonian makes me slightly biased but I was certainly eager to have a taste of home.  Little did I know, it would exceed all my expectations, however getting into this temporary restaurant proved to be harder than I thought.

By the time I looked into WLG, the tickets had sold out, but the website did say that walk ins were available every night.  We thought we would try our luck on a Tuesday night and aim to be at the restaurant by 6pm when it opened.  We arrived just after six and the friendly guy organising the patrons said that we were welcome to "hang around abit" to see if there were any no shows.

Turns out, we were in extreme luck and managed to get seated inside on a table of six.  Each place sitting had the set menu and a copy of a New Zealand guide book.  The staff were blatantly Kiwi and provided exceptional service to approximately sixty diners wanting to sample a piece of Wellington's culinary delights.  After about twenty minutes of being seated, three Air New Zealand air hostesses walk into the restaurant and a voiceover is played, similar to the safety voiceovers played at the beginning of each flight.  The next thing we know, we had all been given a complimentary return flight to Wellington.  The room erupted with cheers, the bubbles were opened and ticket vouchers were handed out, much to the delight of everyone in the room!

Watch the youtube video here and catch a glimpse of us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2akTqEClXEo&feature=youtu.be

Now to the food.  The food was brought over from New Zealand, designed and cooked by some of Wellington's top chefs from popular restaurants: Logan Brown, The Larder, Boulcott Street Bistro and Capitol.  The friendly staff explained the set menu which began with a shared entree named "Tastes of Wellington Shared Tasting Plate."  It consisted of:

• Lot Eight Spiced Olives
• Manuka Salt Cured Lamb Shortloin with Beetroot, Walnut and White Balsamic Salsa
• Grilled Marlbourgh Scallops, Celeriac puree and Pancetta crumbs
• Fried Goat's Cheese Balls with Manuka honey and Kiwi chutney
• Maple syrup smoked Regal King Salmon with Horseradish Creme Frache and tiny Capers
• Pig's Cheek 'Schnitzel' with Roast Lemon Chutney, Cornichons and Cress

Everything on this plate was delicious however the two stand-outs were the Pig's Cheek and the Goat's Cheese.  The crumb on the schnitzel was well-seasoned and perfectly crisp.  The kiwi chutney gave a tangy dimension to the goat's cheese that melts in your mouth after biting into the slightly crunchy shell.

Next-up: the mains.  There were five choices, designed by each of the chefs.  After much deliberation, I chose the dish by Jacob Brown, Head Chef and owner of The Larder.  As the menu told you who was cooking on which nights, the reasoning behind my decision was Jacob Brown was in the kitchen on this particular night.  The main was called 'Slow-cooked Venison in Tunisian Brik pasty with Veal Sweetbreads, Broad Beans, Peas and Pancetta'.



The pasty was similar to the skin of a spring roll - firm and crisp, the venison was delightfully tender, the difference in texture of the sweetbreads, broad beans and peas gave the dish variety and the strong flavour of pancetta rounded of this dish that left me wanting to savour the taste.

As there were two of us dining, I was fortunate to  sample some of Brendon's main.  He opted for the 'Braised Lamb shoulder Timbale with Dukkah-Crusted Lamb Rack and wilted mixed greens with a Thyme and Garlic Braising Liquor.'  This dish was designed by Terry Lowe of Black Barn Bistro, Hawke's Bay.  Nothing beats kiwi lamb, yeah cue the sheep jokes, but in all seriousness, the lamb was perfectly cooked and succulently tender.





Dessert.  There were two choices for dessert and we had one of each.  The 'Licoricello Panna Cotta with Vodka Lime Parfait and Pistachio wafer' had a good kick of vodka and the panna cotta was silky smooth.  The perfect size and a great way to end the meal with something sweet.

The 'Whittaker's Dark Chocolate Pave with fresh Raspberries, Manuka honey cream and Damson Plum Coulis' was another mouth-watering dessert.  The chocolate pave was light in texture but rich in flavour.  The raspberries and coulis gave it a tartness it needed to stand up to the rich chocolate.  This dessert left me wanting a whole lot more of it!

And finally, Mojo coffee and Whittaker's chocolate squares were offered to complete the meal.  Three courses for $35 was a steal, the food was of high quality and all the better washed down with a glass of New Zealand wine.

I have found that it is not until you live outside New Zealand that you become extremely patriotic and this unique concept made me extra proud to be a kiwi.  It showed just what little old New Zealand can offer in quality food, wine and dining.  Hopefully this pop-up restaurant returns next year for those who missed out.  Complimentary airfares aside, the initiative for promoting Wellington proved to be successful in creating an awareness of the cuisine available on the other side of the ditch.  Now I look forward to going home to enjoy my mum's cooking courtesy of Air New Zealand!