This place is hard to get into! And it's made harder by the fact you can't actually book a table... But if you can muscle your way in, it's definitely worth it.
Located in the fancy and face-lifted Britomart in downtown Auckland, Café Hanoi specialises in Vietnamese deliciousness.
I can recommend the pickled shrimp open wontons, shaking beef and the grilled minced beef wrapped in perilla with chilli, ginger and peanut sauce. But it is the grilled pork with nuoc cham soup and fragrant herbs that is my especially special favourite. A gorgeous bowl of steaming soup with noodles and two different types of grilled pork is made heavenly by plonking in the pile of fresh herbs that accompanies the dish. It really is a flavour sensation. Deeeee-lish!
And along with these standard menu delicacies, they always have a few daily specials that will undoubtedly taste as good as they sound.
If you're not full after stuffing your face with CH's shared plates (even if you do have to share them) then I heartily recommend indulging in one of their desserts. Oh man, the lime curd ice cream, soft meringue & butter shortbread is a combination TO DIE FOR. If you are a citrus fan, you can't go past this. It is really, really up there.
The service is polite and speedy enough - but to be honest, the food is so tasty I don't really feel the need to critique the waitstaff...
If you love good South-East Asian cuisine - or gourmet cuisine at that - then you will love Café Hanoi. Don't be disheartened if you can't get in the first time around, it is most definitely worth the wait.
Tuesday 21 June 2011
Monday 9 May 2011
Clooney - 33 Sale Street, Auckland
The minute you step foot in Clooney you realise that you must be on your very best behaviour. This place is an up-market restaurant of the cool-kids kind.
What was once an abandoned industrial building now oozes a sort of speak-easy sexiness with its low lighting, muted décor and the promise of whispered secrets in dark corners. (If only cigars were still permitted!)
The room is divided into large circular areas separated by impressive floor to ceiling black fringe curtains that the waiters brush creating a shimmying, dynamic atmosphere.
The tables are low and round - something you don't see much of these days in fine dining - and even as a twosome we are seated on the same side of a particularly round one. It's odd at first, but then there's a feeling of intimacy that comes with not having any corners to contend with - and Clooney is all about intimacy.
The fringe curtains create enough of a barrier between the tables to make you feel cosy, but at the same time allowing you to indulge in a spot of people-watching. The lighting is subtle, arranged in clusters of low-lit glass balls over selected tables, nicely contrasted against the curtains. The chairs are low-backed, covered in tan leather and I guess would be the dining equivalent of the armchair. The maître d' and Restaurant Manager, Tony Stewart, is hospitable and somewhat humble and the waitstaff are busy, but so good at their job that you hardly notice them.
A delectable amuse-bouche of jellied kingfish with wasabi foam arrived, courtesy of the kitchen, to ready the tastebuds for what was to come.
Much to my dismay I'm not overly hungry, so despite being seriously tempted by the Tasting Menu (next time) I skip an entrée and order à la carte: the Freedom Farms Pork. It is sensational. An orgasm of the palate with each mouthful. Rather than serving up a pork chop with Grandma's apple sauce, Chef Desmond Harris has created small morsels of delight with a spectrum of flavours that play off each other and harmonise beautifully, while ensuring that every bite is a new experience. Visually, the plate is a delicate masterpiece - as is its eating.
Our waitress is polite and knowledgeable, offering to match the perfect wine to complement our meal. I opt for a french red from the Rhone region (one that I'd never heard of) and it too, is delicious.
The experience is over all too quickly as it is the evening of the Breakers ANBL final and incidentally, the Royal Wedding, so we don't stick around for Dessert, which is something that I regret - although a decision would have been hard to make. Between the Black Sesame Parfait and the Brûlée with green sherbet and prune beignets, or the Buttermilk Panna cotta and Soft Licorice with textures of passionfruit, pineapple and lime, I would have needed a good half hour or so to choose.
In short, Clooney is truly as smooth as its might-be namesake, and just as sexy. The whole experience was a sumptuous combination of New York-suave with a hint of 1920s gangster, mixed with a bit of industrial grit and some serious mood lighting. It really is a pleasure that must be experienced for oneself. Oh, and note the impressive cigar/cigarette menu - maybe all is not lost on that front!
http://www.clooney.co.nz/
Ratings out of 10
Decor: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Service/Staff: 8
Entree: -
Main: 10
Dessert: -
Wine list: 9
Coffee: -
What was once an abandoned industrial building now oozes a sort of speak-easy sexiness with its low lighting, muted décor and the promise of whispered secrets in dark corners. (If only cigars were still permitted!)
The room is divided into large circular areas separated by impressive floor to ceiling black fringe curtains that the waiters brush creating a shimmying, dynamic atmosphere.
The tables are low and round - something you don't see much of these days in fine dining - and even as a twosome we are seated on the same side of a particularly round one. It's odd at first, but then there's a feeling of intimacy that comes with not having any corners to contend with - and Clooney is all about intimacy.
The fringe curtains create enough of a barrier between the tables to make you feel cosy, but at the same time allowing you to indulge in a spot of people-watching. The lighting is subtle, arranged in clusters of low-lit glass balls over selected tables, nicely contrasted against the curtains. The chairs are low-backed, covered in tan leather and I guess would be the dining equivalent of the armchair. The maître d' and Restaurant Manager, Tony Stewart, is hospitable and somewhat humble and the waitstaff are busy, but so good at their job that you hardly notice them.
A delectable amuse-bouche of jellied kingfish with wasabi foam arrived, courtesy of the kitchen, to ready the tastebuds for what was to come.
Much to my dismay I'm not overly hungry, so despite being seriously tempted by the Tasting Menu (next time) I skip an entrée and order à la carte: the Freedom Farms Pork. It is sensational. An orgasm of the palate with each mouthful. Rather than serving up a pork chop with Grandma's apple sauce, Chef Desmond Harris has created small morsels of delight with a spectrum of flavours that play off each other and harmonise beautifully, while ensuring that every bite is a new experience. Visually, the plate is a delicate masterpiece - as is its eating.
Our waitress is polite and knowledgeable, offering to match the perfect wine to complement our meal. I opt for a french red from the Rhone region (one that I'd never heard of) and it too, is delicious.
The experience is over all too quickly as it is the evening of the Breakers ANBL final and incidentally, the Royal Wedding, so we don't stick around for Dessert, which is something that I regret - although a decision would have been hard to make. Between the Black Sesame Parfait and the Brûlée with green sherbet and prune beignets, or the Buttermilk Panna cotta and Soft Licorice with textures of passionfruit, pineapple and lime, I would have needed a good half hour or so to choose.
In short, Clooney is truly as smooth as its might-be namesake, and just as sexy. The whole experience was a sumptuous combination of New York-suave with a hint of 1920s gangster, mixed with a bit of industrial grit and some serious mood lighting. It really is a pleasure that must be experienced for oneself. Oh, and note the impressive cigar/cigarette menu - maybe all is not lost on that front!
http://www.clooney.co.nz/
Ratings out of 10
Decor: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Service/Staff: 8
Entree: -
Main: 10
Dessert: -
Wine list: 9
Coffee: -
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