Dined at a small, up and coming restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand while on vacation and wanted to share the experience to give some light to a restaurant that others might not come across otherwise. The concept was to elevate traditional Samoan (pacific island nation) cuisine so it was a unique experience for a type of cuisine that is not very prevalent in fine dining.
The hospitality started with a welcome drink of hibiscus when we entered and was followed by a beautiful take on dishes that would be served in Samoa. The dining room is lit by a roaring fire in the kitchen and there are some lovely fire kissed elements throughout the meal.
The meal started with a simple piece of sweet pineapple dusted with a chilli spice mix (1). This subversive sweet bite to start set the scene for the journey.
This was followed by a selection of snacks which woke up the palate with nice elements of heat and crunch (2-4).
A dish (forgot the photograph) of a corn bread with mushroom and truffle was a nod to more traditional European background of the chefs was a textural delight with crumbly cake and mixing with creamy and umami mushrooms.
The corned beef dish had an interesting back story of post war food where tinned meats an tinned spaghetti introduced by soldiers during that time were ubiquitous, remagined as small perfectly cut pices of beef and a tomato consomme (5).
The seafood courses consisted of mussels with puffed rice, raw kingfish and a prawn cooked on the bbq with sauce made from the heads (6-8).
The meat course was an homage to backyard bbqs, a mini feast which consisted of perfectly cooked pork belly with mango salsa, a pork rib with szechuan seasoning and a chicken broth (9). This was then followed by a hand washing service which happens in Samoan culture where our hands were bathed by a scented water poured over a stone bowl. A lovely interactive touch
The dessert courses had elements of raw chocolate, banana ice cream with cake and finished with a licorice creme with coconut (10-12).
Great meal and service throughout and the storytelling was beautiful. Would recommend if you are ever in that part of the world
by lilreddittime