I was exposed to different culinary techniques and cuisines at an early age, thanks to my two older brothers. When I was a kid, my parents worked full-time, seven days-a-week. This ultimately led to my brothers taking me out a lot, and a portion of that involved eating some really good food. Now that I'm older and hopefully wiser, and on the brink of graduating soon (....again), I hope I can share some of my food experiences to other people. In mid-November, I'm spending a month in Asia (Thailand, Japan, and Singapore) and just thinking about the food over there ....ahh mouth-watering.
The Engine Room
115 Queen Street, Northcote Point - -(09) 480 9502
http://www.engineroom.net.nz/
Sooooo this year, I turned twenty-one. Finally. My brothers and my sister-in-law wanted to take me out for a "fine-dining experience" on my birthday at The Engine Room in Northcote. My brothers gave me a list of restaurants to choose from, and I chose that one. Don't know why (but hey, I don't regret it).
To cut to the chase: it was gooooooood.
My first course was a twice-baked goats cheese souffle.
http://www.engineroom.net.nz/
Sooooo this year, I turned twenty-one. Finally. My brothers and my sister-in-law wanted to take me out for a "fine-dining experience" on my birthday at The Engine Room in Northcote. My brothers gave me a list of restaurants to choose from, and I chose that one. Don't know why (but hey, I don't regret it).
To cut to the chase: it was gooooooood.
My first course was a twice-baked goats cheese souffle.
The other first course dishes that were ordered by my brothers and my sister-in-law-were:
From top to bottom: Lamb Ragu with Polenta; Fish Soup with Saffron, Fennel, and Aioli; Duck Salad with Fresh Figs & Mint
It was pretty unanimous that the souffle was the best dish of the lot. From the reviews that I had read prior to visiting, they all pretty much indicated the same thing as well. The ragu was tasty, but the polenta didn't have much flavour. The fish soup and the duck salad were both better than I expected. The souffle still won hands-down though.
After the first course I thought...how is my main going to top the souffle? Verdict: it didn't. But it was still pretty good.
For my main, I ordered Steak Frites: "Hereford Prime", Maitre D'Hotel Butter. Mmmmm. (Did I mention that I'm not exactly the most eloquent person?)
Everyone except one ordered the same - we all agreed that the steak dish was pretty good. I'm extremely critical with restaurants that cook my steak incorrectly (medium-rare by the way). I mean, it's their job to cook it correctly, right? 90% of restaurants get it wrong and it is extremely frustrating. I was pretty much happy up until the last quarter -- which was slightly too rare for my liking. The green stuff by the way? Herb butter. Sooo good!
The other main that was ordered was salmon fillet, lentils, beetroot and horseradish cream. I didn't actually try it because of my dislike for beetroot. (Beetroot - seriously?)
When my brother called to organise a booking, he mentioned to them that it was my 21st birthday & asked if they could organise something special for my birthday. Result: churros con chocolate, and profiteroles with icecream and choc sauce. Wasn't exactly "special" since its straight from their dessert menu, but they personalised it for me and was still pretty awesome. Excuse me while I drool. There are so many adjectives I could use to describe its deliciousness...but I think you guys can tell from the photos below.
Yuuuuuuuuuum. Especially the churros.
So overall verdict: really, really good. Great service, great wine (too bad I can't remember what it was), great food, great company. Atmosphere was really nice. For my first "proper" fine-dining experience, I had a spectacular time. Highly recommended if you're wanting to go out for a special occasion.
Next blog: unknown. I'm cravin' Tanuki's though.
No comments:
Post a Comment