Cuisine: Otto: Cafe breakfast/brunch/lunch
I have a bit of a soft spot for Oscar & Otto but I haven't been back to Oscar - the restaurant half - since we had the Sunday roast there. They're still doing that I see. But, in the meantime, owners Hamish and Catherine have rebranded and the restaurant food has moved from "Rustic Kiwi" to "Rustic Spanish-influenced Kiwi". There's bugger-all Spanish food on offer in Tauranga so good on them for finding a niche and filling it.
One reason I have a soft spot for them is that the restaurant is so totally unpretentious. They serve food that I don't think you'd insult by calling "comfort" and they keep their prices reasonable. All that has stayed the same. It's more that the small plates on the menu have scooted sideways to
become tapas, and a well-established dish such as their slow-cooked lamb
has transitioned to become "Slow Roasted Andalusian Leg of Lamb". And there is, of course, paella.
It was early Sunday evening, too early for dinner, so we just called by for a glass of wine and a few of said tapas. Another thing I like is that Hamish is genuinely into his wines and often finds something new and different. Just in were wines from Central Otago producer Wet Jacket made by legendary wineman Greg Hay.
We had the Pinot Noir and the Gewurztraminer, which were both well priced (sorry, I forgot exactly how much...). The pinot took a little time to open up but revealed dark fruit and a firm dry palate. The real surprise was the gewurz, the first I've had from Central Otago, which wasn't heavy-bodied at all or "oily" like the Alsace ones but was very concentrated, with citrus notes, a touch of the old Turkish delight and a lovely floral edge. It reminded me of a TWR gewurz and I'd like to drink a lot more of it...
- Serrano Ham & Manchego Cheese Croquetes $14
- Chili Garlic Prawns in Butter Sauce $13
- Spanish Meatballs with Sherry Vinegar Tomato Sauce $12.50
- Chicken Liver Pate, Cornichons, Tamarillo Chutney, Sourdough $16
Like I say, this isn't a complete Bar Centrale-style plunge into another culture. They're not reinventing the wheel or importing rare and obscure ingredients: it's just regular common tapas, done right. And everything we had was just that. The croquetes were cheesy, the prawns were garlicky - there were 5 of them which seemed okay for $13 - and the pate was tasty and smooth (great tamarillo chutney!).
The meatballs were a perfect example of this. There was nothing unusual about them but they were made with enough bread to give them a proper light texture and the tomato sauce wasn't just ordinary, it had a real zing to it. Fresh food, done well. And on a lazy Sunday there are worse things in the world.
FINAL NOTE: Another thing I like at Oscar is that they do sharing main courses. There's a rib-eye steak, the paella and that leg of lamb, all available for two people and all priced under $50. Again, good unpretentious food, reasonably priced.
FINAL FINAL NOTE: If I have one criticism of the restaurant, and it's more a suggestion, it's that I can't help wondering if the animal trophies on the wall inside are hurting business. I really don't know. I don't personally have an issue with them, but in these modern times of increased vegetarianism and general fussiness I'm not sure I'd risk putting something like an animal head on the wall. Having said that, apparently people take pics with them, so maybe it's more of a swings and roundabouts situation...
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