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Botany and Ormiston Times : Howick and Botany Times, Wednesday, Oct 10
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www.times.co.nz Howick and Botany Times, Wednesday, October 10, 2012 --- 15 restaurant & bar Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre 58 Waipuna Road, Mt Wellington www.waipunahotel.co.nz 115780-v2 EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT! With resident band 'Tall Order' Enjoy a sumptuous buffet meal and dance the night away for PER PERSON Buffet available from 6.00-10.00pm BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL Ph 526 3020 Present this advert and receive a complimentary glass of bubbles for each adult. 117887-V2 117693-V6 LOCAL DIRECTORIES including DINING & ENTERTAINMENT www.times.co.nz/ directory Ph 271 8068 for advertising enquiries The Times welcomes dining, wining and entertainment news -- has your restaurant/venue undergone a change? Do you have a special event coming up? Have you launched a special price or menu? Tell me about it -- Helen Perry, ph 271-8036 or email helenp@times.co.nz Dining and Leisure with Helen Perry By Natalie Tan ARRIVING at Botswana Butch- ery on a wet Monday night I was confronted by a meat cleaver – well, actually, a door handle shaped liked a meat cleaver. And with the restaurant occu- pying the very spot in Auckland CBD’s landmark ferry building that saw the demise of well- known dining establishment Cin Cin on Quay, I wondered if it was, perhaps, an ominous start to the evening. But I needn’t have worried. Who should I fnd inside but res- ident head chef, Stuart Rogan, better known to readers as the former head chef at Howick’s GBS Restaurant. Stuart left only last year to pursue greener pastures and soon had his knife in at Skycity’s The Grill where he spent sev- eral months learning new menu tricks from celebrity restaura- teur Sean Connolly. But it wasn’t the right ft. “I really enjoyed being there but it took me away from cooking what I truly believed in – being com- pletely involved in the product and the end result on the plate,” says Stuart, who spent fve years at GBS. So from The Grill, UK-born Stuart moved into his key role at Botswana Butchery just fve months ago. And with a name like that, the highlight was – no, not the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – but meat, glorious meat. Offering nine different bovine cuts, the directive of the restau- rant was pretty clear. And judg- ing from the deafening din when I was there, this directive was hitting all the right notes. Having come straight from a social with free-fowing cham- pagne and canapés, my appetite was slightly dulled but by no means sated. From the well-endowed menu which consisted of traditional starters and mains, the butcher’s block and an ocean section, our table of four picked a starter of tuna and snapper ‘cannelloni’ ($24.95), and a rib eye on the bone ($47.95), sirloin on the bone (38.95) and a fllet mignon ($36.95) from the butcher’s block. Choices from the butcher’s block were stark naked steaks, accompanied by a lone parsnip on top, and a sauce or butter – costing a petty $2.50 each – why bother charging at all? Maybe it was intentional. After all, a true steak connois- seur would probably have their protein underdressed rather than overdressed. Regardless, the steak devotees at the table chose green pepper- corn sauce, red wine jus and a garlic and parsley herb butter to go with their respective meats. One mouthful of juicy good- ness, the look in everyone’s eyes echoed the same sentiment: “Holy cow!” These were prime cuts on their best behaviour and the hands that cooked them were clearly intent on paying homage to this fne animal. Of course, gluttons that we were, we had caved into tempta- tion for some sides to go with our hunky ‘Daisies’. The creamed spinach ($8.95) was dairy divinity reincarnate, a dish worthy of Popeye (or per- haps Bluto, considering the calo- ries!). Duck fat potatoes ($8.95) were another terrifc calorifc side and a refreshing alternative to duck fat chips which everyone seems besotted with these days. The let down, however, was the pleasant-sounding green cabbage, red onion, carrot, and chipotle mayonnaise salad ($7.95). It was just glorifed coleslaw – which come to think of it, matched the description. Perhaps, it was the reader’s own interpretation that was the real let down! Stomachs satisfed and stretched to capacity, it was time to butter up the dessert stomach with banana crème brulee with shortbread ($14.95), verrine – the layering of ingredients in a small glass – of lemon tart ($14.95) and chocolate fondant with caramel ice-cream ($16.95). Suitably bananery, the brulee was a sweet, creamy little number with a crust which cracked beau- tifully upon demand. The chocolate fondant was delightful to eat and to behold. It oozed deliciously warm choco- late sauce as expected, and was well-received. The verrine of lemon tart was, naturally, quite tart! A small glass would be an understatement for this towering oracle that burst with lemony goodness. The very sweet, very tangy, lemon curd with mini meringues and almond pastry folded in was heaven in a cup. Sadly, it was a bit much even for a lemon meringue pie lover and overall dessert hunter of my calibre – but I would be glad to polish it off as a meal on its own! Service was functional, if a lit- tle sterile, but the food more than made up for it. By the looks of it, Stuart is driving the cattle well and his passion truly shows. So hats off to you, Stuart, and may you con- tinue to shine at this bountiful meadow! Stuart cuts it at Botswana Stuart Rogan -- former GBS chef now making the chop at Botswana Butcher. Butchery bounty -- verrine of lemon tart, rib eye on the bone, and chocolate fondant with caramel ice cream. Times photos
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