Going "off-menu" at Dumpling Delight

Dumpling Delight

Cuisine: Dumplings, Northwestern Chinese

Address: 20 Wharf St, Tauranga

Phone: 07 5712166

Website

Drinks: Beer, soft drinks - some unusual 

Reservations: Probably unnecessary

There is a sort of insider thrill in ordering "off-menu" items from a restaurant. In getting something that "regular" folk don't. Sadly, this most often seems to manifest itself in a social media frenzy about some variation on a McDonalds' burger you can get if you know the right code word. Hooray. 

But it is also something that can occasionally be accessed at friendly Asian restaurants, where if asked they'll perhaps make available their staff meals or the odd unusual thing normally cooked just for themselves. 

And now, with the rise of Facebook/Instagram, more than a few restaurants feature specials only found on their social media, not on the regular restaurant menu. Rice Rice Baby at The Mount, for instance, usually has a couple of monthly specials that can only be found on-line.

This is also true of drinks. Bar Centrale currently offers a cocktail called a Hanky Panky (very good it is too) which is only listed on their Facebook page, and they sometimes have other cocktails they're working on or experimenting with that they'll make for you if asked.

Dumpling Delight has three such dishes, not on their menu but listed on their Facebook page. They are all Northern Chinese specialties and are all rather wonderful. I tried one in the restaurant and two as takeaways...

• Roasted Lamb Ribs    $42

 

These were a takeaway and I didn't even get a picture so I'm using one from their website. They were really good - crisp outside, juicy inside - if not exactly cheap. It was, however, a big portion. Meaty lamb ribs in a real mix of spices - cumin and chilli were most prominent - and peanuts and all sort of crunchy sprinkles. Noticeably different spicing from the Cumin Lamb. Great the next day too.

• Big Plate Chicken    $32

 

You've gotta love that name! And very accurate it proved. This was another takeaway and came in two big containers filled with chicken, potato, capsicum, onion and more, with a third for the noodles. They were unusual noodles too, housemade from rice and with an almost "chewy" texture (you can just see them underneath the chicken - this pic really does no justice to the sheer size of the dish...).

The sauce was astounding, unlike anything I've had before, a mix of a Northwestern Chinese ingredients - Sichuan peppercorns were prominent - and Spice Trail curry elements. It was simply fantastic and had its flavours soaked up by the potato chunks which tasted wonderful. 

I should mention that the chicken was of the bony variety, ribs and all sorts. But if you don't mind some fiddly eating you will be well rewarded - this is the sort of dish that Lonely Planet readers travel out of their way to discover.          

• Guo Bao Rou    $28
  

And I think this was possibly the best of the three. It's a legendary Northeastern Chinese dish   originating in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. And it even comes with an extra note on their Facebook page:

"Authentic Chinese northern style sweet and sour pork slices, once you eat that, you will not regret that! Please noted that this dish is not on the menu. Its wait time will be at least 20 mins, and unable to serve during busy hours! Thanks"

 

That may seem a bit restrictive, and does make it a little harder to order! I rang in advance because I really wanted it and I'm so glad I did. It is in every way sensational, with its delicately spiced and beautifully balanced honey sauce, and lean moist meat in a crisp batter. Three of us tried it and we were all completely blown away. I cannot recommend it highly enough if you're a fan of deep-fried pork - this is sweet and sour pork raised to a whole new level. Brilliant.

If I come across "off-menu" dishes in future I'll probably pop them straight on the A Debt To Pleasure Facebook page - come Like and/or Follow me. It's new but I plan to have all sorts of groovy stuff there pretty soon!

Solera: Mount Maunganui's newest wine bar!

SOLERA Wine Bar

Cuisine: Modern New Zealand, sharing

Address: 165 Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui

Phone: 07-572 0246

Website

Drinks: Licensed (obviously)

Reservations: Recommended

The Mount's newest wine bar/restaurant is led by a chef/sommelier from Clarence Bistro (whose name I don't know). Head Chef is Neil Sapitula who originally hails from the Philippines. It's a long good-looking room with  tables and banquette seating down one side, extra stools at the window and also at the kitchen counter. The vibe is sophisticated, the service is smooth and friendly, and my initial impression is that it is going to be very good indeed.

I'm almost embarrassed to be writing this so soon after they've opened and when I've only been in for a twenty minute glass of wine and two snacks. But I'm back in for dinner later this week so I thought I'd rush this brief intro onto the blog and share my excitement.

Both the food and the drinks list show the sort of classy attention to detail that bodes well. There are around a dozen small sharing plates (some priced as individual items, such as oysters or the choices I had), another three medium plates (all vegetarian) and three larger sharing plates, including a whole grilled gurnard and a roasted duck. There's also a "Chef's Menu" for $70.

The drinks list is extensive and unusual. There are wines from unexpected regions and rare producers, with plenty of good options by the glass. I liked it a lot. They also have a Build-your-own-Martini page and a raft of classic cocktails including a Harvey Wallbanger, the first I've seen on a drinks list for about 20 years!

I was on my own, so I perched at the window and had:

• Pork Belly Skewer - apple, cardamom, shiitake, pistachio, truffle    $8 each
  
• Salmon "Taco" - wasabi, smoked salmon, pickled shallots        $8 each
  

To sip alongside I had a glass of 2018 Johner Pinot Noir from Wairarapa which was drinking perfectly. Velvety with beautiful fruit. I don't remember what it cost but it was not unreasonable. I must say, if I ever see wines from Johner on a list I am tempted to order them - it's a winery from which I don't think I've ever had a bad wine and while he hires a winemaker to make the wines for Johner, Karl Johner, the owner, goes and makes brilliant wine for other people. I would highly recommend their offerings, obviously!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the food was terrific. I can't say too much since they were just two 3-bite snacks but they were bloody good little snacks, the salmon full of textures and intensity and the pork moist and matched well with the apple and mushroom (though the truffle was indiscernible).

OK. I'm very much looking forward to returning. I shall report back!

ONE QUICK NOTE: Although my accompanying Facebook page is up and running I'm still trying to work out exactly how to use it (and imagine what a doofus I feel admitting to that!), but when I do - this week I hope - I'll use it for stuff like this, short things, as well as ingredient/product shout-outs since I'm an inveterate bargain-shopper as far as food and wine go; also a bit of a "What's On" if anything - food, music or whatever - pops up on the radar. So hit the icon here and it's ready now to be Liked and/or Followed. (Yes, I admit, I don't know what the difference is. Do whatever seems appropriate!)

A Taste of Spain at Oscar & Otto

Oscar & Otto

Cuisine: Otto: Cafe breakfast/brunch/lunch

               Oscar: Spanish-influenced evening bistro

Address: 51 The Strand, Tauranga

Phone: 07 282 7879

Website

Drinks: Licensed

Reservations: Recommended

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...

 

There is now an accompanying Facebook page for this blog. Come and follow it!

Norris & Bell: a new restaurant on The Strand

NORRIS & BELL

Cuisine: Wood-fired bistro

Address: 83 The Strand, Tauranga

Phone: 07 5711543

Website

Drinks: Fully licensed

Reservations: I would assume necessary

It's always nice to welcome a new restaurant to town and there's been a conspicuous space down on The Strand for a while between Volare and India Today. That has now been filled by Norris & Bell, a name that nods to the property's 1915 land agent owners and a concept that centres around wood-fired food.

I don't have a review for y'all, since Norris & Bell doesn't open till this Friday (19th March). But they're taking bookings now and I was lucky enough to be invited to some welcome drinks on Thursday. I like the look and feel of the place. It's a long narrow space with a sort of smart retro wooden shed ambience, a collection of steak knives and bottles displayed on one wall opposite the imposing shape of the wood-fired oven. It's a huge beast set in the middle of the room and there's wood stacked around to feed it.

outside

inside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THAT oven

wine, knives

The menu reads well, with some interesting combinations. Actually, it sounds delicious. I'd happily eat my way through every small plate there. In fact I intend to, starting with these:

SMOKED PORK HOCK BRAWN - Baby carrot giardiniera / Burnt pineapple / Dijon mustard / Crostini    $20

WOOD FIRED PRAWNS - Tiger prawns / Goan chorizo oil / Bomba calabrese    $21 

 

That's just a couple and they sound pretty damn good! Meanwhile the mains are largely cooked in the wood-fired oven (even the fish), which promises to be something rather special.

 

We did get to try a few things and, yep, they were excellent. The ceviche was lovely and all the little touches of sauce and relishes were a notch above the ordinary. The prawns, presented as finger food rather than the entree, were particularly good and genuinely sang with that hint of wood-fire. The chef - American I believe - seems to really know his oven!

 

I also spotted one dessert, which was most definitely a mouth-watering bit of all right:

 

DARK CHOCOLATE DELICE - White chocolate sands / Lemon sorbet / Plum powder / Sugar tuile / Hazelnut praline    $16

 

 

OK. That's about all I know. The wine list is largely popular favourites from the Lion stable but the vibe is good and of course it's all about that wood-fired food. Nail that and this place will go off in a big way. Owners Billy Emeny & Mohinder Sawroop have form at CBK and more both here and in Rotorua so seem to know what people like - I wish them every success!

THAT Lasagne at Sugo

SUGO 

Cuisine: Italian

Address: 19 Wharf Street, Tauranga

Phone: 07 5714138

Website

Drinks: wine, beer, vermouth

Reservations: probably for dinner

 

I've been wanting to get back to Sugo since I last had a quick bite there because I've been really wanting to try their signature lasagne. I've thought since they opened that it is a brave move at a modern Italian restaurant to lead with such a traditional classic. Everything falls apart if you don't make a world-beating lasagne.

 

So we popped on the way home from work and had just that. The lasagne and a salad.

• Bologna style beef cheek lasagne, bechamel, aged Parmesan, olive oil    $32
• Rocket, Parmesan, lemon, olive oil    $12 

And I have to say the lasagne was everything you could possibly want in a lasagne. Just great. Charred on top and sloppy in the middle. Perfect housemade pasta with a sensational ragu, unctuous gelatinous bits of beef cheek in the richest of sauces and a creamy bechamel. Damn, it was good! I would go as far as to say it was probably as good a lasagne as I've ever eaten. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've always thought Sugo made an interesting choice with their mains, going with pretty much an all-pasta line-up (there is also one risotto and one other dish). In these anti-carb times that's a real statement of foodie intent. But if all their pasta is as good as this - which I suspect it is - then this will the the place I return to whenever I get cravings for a carb fix. It really is comfort food raised to the most luxurious of heights. Kudos! 

 

Just as an aside, we couldn't help but notice that the salad had not been dressed. Both the lemon and olive oil were absent. Odd, given that's two out of only four ingredients and it wasn't at all busy. Still, the leaves and Parmesan were very pleasant.