Cocktails at Piku in Havelock North

PIKU restaurant & cocktail bar

Cuisine: Modern Japanese Izakaya

Address: 15 Joll Road, Havelock North

Phone: 06 8779 400

Website

Drinks: Fully licensed, Japanese-inspired cocktails 

Reservations: definitely a good idea

Last time we were in Havelock North we had dinner at Piku and loved it. Great service, great food, everything you'd want of a Kiwi Izakaya. And we went next door afterwards and drank many a cocktail. This visit we ran out of time for food but made sure we popped in for more of those cocktails. 

15 Joll Place in Havelock North is actually a bit of foodies dream, what with the one address containing both Mary's and Piku. At Piku the restaurant is around one side and the cocktail bar on the other, opening into a small courtyard. We sat in the courtyard. The young cocktail team are both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the large and varied list ranging from classics to complex gin and tonic combos, dessert tipples and signature cocktails, many of which have a distinct Japanese influence.

 

I completely lost track after the first couple but amongst the various things we tried were: 

• Lemon Meringue - Skyy Vodka, Limoncello, Amaretto, Lemon & Egg White     $19
• Kaistau Sour - Feijoa Skin Infused Haku Japanese Vodka, Aperol, Lemon, Feijoa & White Chocolate Cordial     $17
• Not As It A Pears - Furikake Infused Havana "Especial" Gold Rum, Dow's Tawny Port, Walnut Bitters and Pear Juice     $18
• Shiso Tasty - Shiso Infused White Vermouth, Yuzucello, Disaronno Amaretto & Yuzu Curd     $17     

I'm not going to do a rundown of each cocktail, but now I want to try everything else on the list! They were all excellent, unusual creative combinations using bespoke ingredients, many of them created in-house, each garnished imaginatively. It was a pure joy to rediscover the place and enjoy the skills of their expert cocktail-makers.

 

 

One special note, for the last of our drinks - Homemade Baileys ($10.50). Now I know there was a time when everyone made Baileys at home. And it was always awful. It never tasted quite right or - particularly - got the texture right. Some were too thin, some were too thick, some were too eggy, some were just "claggy" and coated your throat...

 

Not this one. The flavour of the week was Matcha & White Chocolate and it was outstanding! There was even a slight green tinge from the matcha. Or perhaps I was imagining that; we had several. 

 

OK. One of the pics is the signature cocktail part of the current menu which seems to change regularly. Expand it and I think you can read it. And if you're anywhere near Havelock North and feel like a cocktail, Piku is well worth a detour. Of course there's food too... Kudos. 

 

   

 

 

 

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Mary's in Havelock North - our new favourite "diner"

MARY'S

Cuisine: Posh playful diner

Address: 15 Joll Road, Havelock North

Phone: 06 650 7770

Website

Drinks: Fully licensed, Craggy Range wines 

Reservations: Yep - it's small and busy

 

Straight after lockdown, Craggy Range Restaurant chef Casey McDonald launched Casey’s Diner in the cellar next to the winery restaurant and found it wildly popular. He has transplant the concept to Havelock North with Mary’s, an upscale diner named for Mary Peabody, wife of Craggy Range founder Terry Peabody. It's a good-looking joint, reminiscent perhaps of a posh New York Diner from the thirties. An open kitchen and bar extend in a horseshoe into the room, with signature yellow highlights throughout. There's even a small outside area for a sunny day.

 

The food takes full advantage of the Josper oven, and there's a not unreasonably-priced Craggy Range winelist, as well as a few cocktails. After really enjoying a bite on the Craggy Range terrace during our last trip, five of us called in for lunch at Mary's during our recent weekend in Hawke's Bay.

 

There is a small menu - 3 Bites, 3 Entrees, 3 Mains, 2 Sides - and, yes, one of them is a cheeseburger. But that's about as close to a traditional diner as you get. This is tasty fancy food: we ordered most of it. The bread came quickly and the next thing we did was to immediately order a second serving. Both because it's not large and because it was simply fantastic, soft bread, charred by the Josper over, filled with a gooey cheesey Béchamel sauce. It was simply the best, most decadent bread we could remember! 

 

THAT bread!

THAT bread (close up)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

BITES

• Mary's garlick-y, cheese-y bread (v)     $9

ENTREES

• Raw fish, horseradish cream, citrus dressing & black pepper (gf)     $22
• Coal roasted halloumi, grilled & marinated endive, sweet 'n' sour fig (v) (gf)     $23
• Grilled prawns, potato aioli, capsicum, garlic & chilli butter (gfo)     $26

MAINS

• Baked potato gnocchi, roasted tomato sauce, basil & mozzarella (vgo) (vfo)     $29
  
• Fish fillet, braised octopus, olive tapenade, lemon & burnt butter sauce (gf)     $37

SIDES

• Shoestring fries & aioli (vgo)     $9
• Rocket, parmesan, pear & walnut salad, chardonnay dressing (gf) (vgo)     $9 

    

Raw Fish

Halloumi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prawns

Gnocchi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In fact everything was top notch. The raw fish was a favourite: it looked pretty and the hits of citrus and slight sharpness of the radish made for a bright fresh taste in the mouth. Nearly had two of those as well!

 

The prawns leaned towards Middle Eastern flavours and Jan declared them the best prawns she'd ever eaten. She is pretty fussy about her prawns so this was high praise indeed! The bed of potato aioli nestled them and there was a scattering of crispy bits to excite the texture buds. The Halloumi - charred in the Josper - rode on a flavour bed of fig and apple which was lovely. Again, it was a light and refreshing dish and very popular. 

 

As for the fish, I didn't try it but it was Tarakihi and Russell declared it excellent! I also didn't try the gnocchi but our vegetarian diner gave it the thumbs up. The salad and fries were all you could ask for.

 

Fish...

...and Chips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                     We were all seriously blown away. The staff, during a hectic and busy service, were nothing less than calm and efficient and we enjoyed a selection of Craggy Range wines, including some older ones from the list. There's a good range by the glass. In case you're curious, the wine list is here.

I can do nothing but recommend Mary's in the highest terms. We liked it so much we actually called back later for a sneaky cocktail. Havelock North is lucky to have it.

 

 

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Just a reminder - the A Debt To Pleasure Facebook page is up and running, with lots more (shorter) food things than here, and even a Song of the Day. Come Like and/or Follow it - all sorts of groovy stuff is planned!

Cider Tasting #2 - Crooked Apple & Blackcurrant Cider

OK. Time for the second Cider Tasting. Still working through the gold medal winners from the current New World Beer & Cider Awards. The first tasting was here and this second gold medal winner is also from Crooked Cider in Gisborne, their Apple & Blackcurrant Cider. 

As I've said before, I am skeptical of fruit ciders where the fruit is not apple, but at the same time I do recognise that things have changed from the days when the only fruit ciders were sweet RTDs from Sweden. Many local cider-makers are using the additional fruit in subtle and well-considered ways. Let's see what happened..

 

For those after a bit more technical information, it is 5.2% alcohol by volume, a 500ml bottle and there is of course a Crooked Cider Website.

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Just a reminder - the A Debt To Pleasure Facebook page is up and running, with lots more (shorter) things than here, including a Song of the Day. Come Like and/or Follow it - all sorts of groovy stuff is in the works! 

Indian food with a difference at Malabar

MALABAR

Cuisine: Indian & Nepalese

Address: 2/40 Tuwharetoa Street, Taupo

Phone: 07-376 5454

Website

Drinks: Fully licensed, some interesting Indian drinks 

Reservations: a good idea for dinner

There are many Indian restaurants in Tauranga, where I live and normally eat, but I have heard it said - and not without a certain degree of truth - that we actually have many branches of the same Indian restaurant. And while I enjoy several of them it is undoubtedly true that most serve exactly the same dishes with only tiny variations. 

So Malabar, recommended by a bunch of good people on the Taupo Noticeboard Facebook page, was a breath of fresh air, offering a distinctly different take on the regular Indian fare courtesy of their Napalese heritage. I hear their Momos (Napalese dumplings) are famous in the area and we ordered those and other things I haven't seen elsewhere. There was a lot more on the menu that I'd love to try. The  influence of the Chinese end of the Spice Trail, the hint of Sichuan flavours, was fascinating and it was great to explore something a little different. There is also a big menu of regular Indian curries, dals, and more

 

• MOMO NEPALESE DUMPLING – Minced stuffed in homemade pastry and steamed served with tomato chutney – Vegetable     $12   |   Chicken     $12
• CHICKEN CHILLY - Indo Chinese style stirs fried chicken with capsicum & onion     $22
• MALABAR PRAWNS - Two way cooked prawns chefs special recipe     $26
• HIMALAYAN KUKKAD CURRY - Nepalese home style chicken curry and deep fried chicken lolly pop     $24
• STEAM RICE     $3
• NAAN      $3.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

To start with, the Momo were great - I can see why they are so highly thought of. That the two flavours came in different-shaped dumplings was a classy touch. The dumpling dough looks a bit heavy in the pics but it really wasn't. To my surprise I actually preferred the vegetarian filling which was a moist finely-chopped mix of all sorts, from mushrooms to spring onions. Even the "tomato chutney" that came with the Momo was unusual and delicious, spiced with a couple of things that were new to me.

The Chilly Chicken got great props, definitely showing its Chinese heritage, a bit like a good Sichuan stir-fry, but not too hot and with slightly different spicing. We could have eaten it twice! 

It hadn't occurred to me that we'd ordered two curries that both came two ways but it was great to try more things. The chicken curry was very good. The curry itself was most unusual and quite mild, again with spices that seemed unfamiliar and a slightly grainy texture. And if (when) we go again we'll definitely order the accompanying chicken lolllypops in greater quantities. Yum.

The prawn curry on the other hand was a bit like a butter chicken but with less tomato. It was creamy and mild and enjoyable. The fried prawns on the side lasted about 30 seconds. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even the regular things - the complimentary papadoms, the naan - were done particularly well with my dining companions declaring the raita that came with the former especially good (it was sweet and minty) and the naan the fluffiest they remember. I should also mention the terrifically welcoming service and some really cool Napalese music on the stereo. 

 

Last time I was in Taupo we ate at Vine and enjoyed it, and all I can do is say thank you to everyone who recommended Malabar. It's open seven days a week, only closed for Monday lunch, and I'm pretty sure the reason it was so quiet (see the first pic at the bottom) is that it was late when we passed through. They were about to close I think, but still welcomed us without hesitation. Kudos.

 

      

 

There was one curious thing I must point out. It is a restaurant of two halves. If you look from left to right it is totally different from looking right to left - different chairs, light fittings, wallpaper, everything. You can see it in the pic. It's weird. I had the idea that this might be to reflect the dual Indian and Napalese cuisines. But the guy serving us seemed surprised and said it was just the way it worked out...

 

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Just a reminder - the A Debt To Pleasure Facebook page is up and running, with lots more (shorter) food things than here, and even a Song of the Day. Come Like and/or Follow it - all sorts of groovy stuff is planned!

 

 

Japanese-Korean fusion at The Melting Pot

The Melting Pot

Cuisine: Korean-Japanese Fusion

Address: 75 Elizabeth St, Tauranga

Phone: 07-571 0970

Website

Drinks: not licensed, bubble teas, smoothies etc 

Reservations: probably not required

Next to the Escape Room on Elizabeth Street is a small Asian restaurant that I'd never set foot in. It's had a few names, I think, and for some reason the exterior look put me off. In retrospect I don't know why since it is immediately obvious from the interior and food that they are doing something both authentic and delicious. Cohen suggested we try the place as I felt like ramen and he'd had a coffee there and liked it. I'm glad he did.

 

There are video screens showing the food and the sort of randomly-arrayed bizarre pop culture items that seem to be a feature of such joints, where the fare runs from donburi to curry, udon, ramen, Korean-style fried chicken and more. They also do omurise, which is katsu or tempura with rice and a sort of omelette/scrambled egg. I haven't seen it around here before. 

 

The service is so welcoming and friendly you almost feel part of the family. And for those that regard it as a mark of quality I should note that most of the customers I saw were Japanese and Korean.  

• Edamame                             $5.90
• Pork Dumpling                    $7.90
  
• Chicken Katsu Donburi     $15.90
• Teriyaki Beef Ramen          $13.90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK. The edamame were edamame. Nice snack. The dumplings were good - nothing unusual but just fine. However, both the ramen and donburi were well above the ordinary. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always wince when I see instant noodles in ramen, and then I have to remind myself what I know from spending time in various Asian countries - people there generally have no issue with eating instant noodles and I'm a bit of a food snob. Anyway, the ramen had instant noodles - they weren't overcooked but just right and the soup and meat were outstanding, a lovely level of spice (which they'd warned me about) and with a fried egg and other goodies lurking. It wasn't the prettiest ramen but it was damned tasty.

 

The donburi was the same. Nowhere near pretty but Cohen reported that the chicken katsu was excellent (and BIG) and again had a fried egg, this time with some salad. It seems to me that this is very much the "fast food" version of this food, using the ramen and don as a base for various toppings as opposed to Chidori down the road which is far more traditional in its ramen toppings and approach. But both are delicious. 

 

We left The Melting Pot very happy and I will certainly be eating there a lot more in the future. With Korean Fried Chicken currently so fashionable I certainly want to try their fried chicken. And they do make a bit of a thing about their desserts which sounds intriguing. I'm rather sorry I waited so long...

Some truly bizarre pop culture on display!

 

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Just a reminder - the A Debt To Pleasure Facebook page is up and running, with lots more (shorter) food things than here, and even a Song of the Day. Come Like and/or Follow it - all sorts of groovy stuff is planned!

Cider Tasting #1 - Crooked Apple Cider

It's about time I tried to get some video on the site so I thought I'd restart the Cider Tastings I used to do on my partner's Facebook page. I like cider. 

For reference sake let me say that I generally regard cider as needing to be made from, and taste of, apples. That's the deal. I don't in any way go for these Swedish RTDs that masquerade as cider. In fact, most fruit-flavoured ciders are a bit of an abomination. Or at least they have been until fairly recently when makers started getting a lot subtler with their additions, trusting drinkers to actually like cider in the first place rather than needing a different fruit to sell it.

My favourite non-craft everyday cider as go-to would be Mac's Cloudy Apple, crisp and clean, appley and not too sweet with a good level of carbonation. So that's my baselines for tasting ciders. Let's get started...

For those after a bit more technical information, it is 5.2% alcohol by volume, a 500ml bottle and there is of course a Crooked Cider Website.

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Just a reminder - the A Debt To Pleasure Facebook page is up and running, with lots more (shorter) things than here, including a Song of the Day. Come Like and/or Follow it - all sorts of groovy stuff is in the works! 

A new menu at Bar Centrale

BAR CENTRALE

Cuisine: Italian

Address: 51 Willow St, Tauranga

Phone: 07 574 8200

Website

Drinks: Extensive cocktail list, wines, craft beers 

Reservations: probably for dinner or events

 

Last time I ate at Bar Centrale was back in January to try their truffle pizza. So when I heard that they'd changed their menu I was keen to give it a try. Three of us headed in for lunch on what must have been the last sunny day of summer/autumn so sat outside and enjoyed a feast. On the downside, being in the glaring sun meant the pics were even iffier than usual. Forgive me. And apologies to Centrale for making their food look less beautiful than it is. And it really is.

 

• FISH CROQUETTES - Local Fish, Potato, Caper Aioli     $15
• SNAPPER CRUDO - Orange, Grapefruit, Aperol, Petite Carrot     $20
• BURRATA - Creamy Mozzarella, Fig, Parma Ham, Basil, Vincotto     $24
• OX TONGUE SPIEDINO - Shallot, Lardo, Salsa Verde     $15
• GAMBERI - Banana Prawns, Chilli, Garlic, Caper Butter, Focaccia     $35
• PORCHETTA - Roast Pork Belly, Broccoli, Tuscan Kale, Almond Jus     $37
• SPAGHETTINI - Spanner Crab, Tomato, Chilli, Mascarpone, Bottarga     $36
• CHEESE BOARD - Aotearoa v The World  Cheese - Selection of New Zealand & International Cheese’s, Muscatels, Fig Jam, Breads & Lavosh     $10 per cheese

Chef Perrin Yates from the Bistro is currently looking after the kitchen in the bar as well and is, I assume, behind the menu changes, which are more refinements and tweaks rather than a whole new start. But as a result of his influence things seem to have become a little flasher - the food looked fancier and there were some new funky notes - the Aperol dressing, crispy kale and more - to add a touch of surprise.

 

OX TONGUE SPIEDINO

SNAPPER CRUDO

 

 

 

 

 

BURRATA

PORCHETTA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPAGHETTINI

 

GAMBERI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• The croquettes: forgot to get a pic, there were three of them and they were quite large. Delicious.
• The snapper was brilliant, the Aperol combining with the citrus for an unusually thick, bright and zingy dressing, the fish firm and tasty, the carrots an attractive touch. It looked and tasted stunning. 10/10.
• The burrata was good as ever, nice to see it seasonally moving from the summer's tomatoes to figs. They were really good red figs too. You can barely see them in my crap pic. Chef Yates said they come from Katikati and he reckons there is enough supply for at least May - get in quick! 
• The porcetta has also moved sideways, taking on-board a bunch of crispy deep-fried kale. I've always hated kale but this was great - crunchy and barely tasting like kale! And the pork, also just about invisible in the picture, was moist and tasty. It was a perfect combo: crisp kale, crisp crackling, charred broccoli, a meaty treat.
• The spaghettini was also damn good, very fishy from the bottarga and filled with exciting little hits of crab.
• But my two favourites were the tongue and the prawns. I do love tongue and it's now very fancy, with bits of crisp lardo and just a touch of salsa verde. I'd quite happily eat tongue just neat but these additions lifted it to a new level. 
• And the prawns. Big beautiful prawns that just begged you to suck the juices out of their heads and a simply incredible sauce that I mopped up until it started to take the glaze off the plate. Spectacular!
  

CHEESE BOARD

• The cheesboard? Well to be honest it was a bit of an anticlimax after all those treats. Nothing wrong with it per se and the two blue cheeses and the Comte and whatever the other one was were very nice as were the accompaniments. But, perhaps because of the previous fireworks, it didn't really pop my cork.

I really like Centrale, as must be obvious. It is clearly not an inexpensive place to eat, but they are very very good and their standards seem to keep rising. Combine that with their top notch cocktail-craft and a wine list that just expanded to include a pile of Italian wines and you have a real winner. I think in some ways the rise of Centrale and Clarence (along with others like Solera and Alpino at the Mount) has heralded a new era of top-end dining for Tauranga, the same way that Rice Rice Baby, Dumpling Delight and Chidori have pumped up the cheaper Asian end. It's good to have them all here!   

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Just a reminder - the A Debt To Pleasure Facebook page is up and running, with lots more (shorter) things than here, including a Song of the Day. Come Like and/or Follow it - all sorts of groovy stuff is in the works!