Kermadec

Behold! The arrival of a grand platter, its curvaceous arrangements a more than satisfying crinkum-crankum of the best the coastal waters of New Zealand might offer, swallowed our attention and concentrated our desires with such intensity and verve that we soon forgot we were sitting overlooking Auckland’s famous viaduct harbour.

Lunch had, in truth, started some time earlier for us but our schedule was such that we were able to allocate three or more hours to our delving of the deep. Kermadec Bar & Bistro is synonymous with fresh, spectacularly presented seafood in a most appealing location. Seat yourself on the upstairs verandah and hurry not for you will enjoy your time so much more if you are relaxed; gently sip your way across the afternoon and go fishing through the menu, as we did.

It all began, naturally, with a dozen Tio Point oysters. You and I both know that these tasty little teasers are the country’s finest and are shipped to restaurants fresh and ready to be shucked to order.  Be careful when downing them as there is a very real risk that others in the restaurant might mistake your moanings of gratitification as a sign of, well,  unspeakable private pleasures! They are simply the best...

This restaurant’s menu is a very proud and large scroll with so much on offer that one’s personal ‘feastometer’ will swing wildly into the red, unconcealable delight will register on your physiognomy and your heart may even begin a series of erratic but not entirely unpleasant  palpitations.

Our hotel was no more than 100 metres away and we were car-less so found ourselves ready, willing and able to  liberally marinate our courses with suitable wine and water choices over lunch. There was Pelorus sparkling for the oysters, a Gibbston Riesling here and there, even a Neudorf 2009 riesling , a carafe or two of Te Mata Zara Viognier 2010 and  not inconsiderable litreages of both San Pellegrino and Waiwera sparkling water.  All this spread over about four hours, of course, and accompanied by significant portions of food, including selections from the “Raw Bar” which included  an exquisite Tuna Carpaccio with compressed apple, wasabi, aioli & Khombu vinaigrette as well as a double dose of assorted sashimi. Add to this an abundance of delectable breads, olive oils, Macadamia Dukkha and Sicilian olives and you will begin to appreciate the superhuman nature of my dining endeavours, not to mention the elasticity & capacity of my stomach and my unfathomably deep pockets .

Now, back to the platter mentioned in the opening paragraph...there are two seafood platters available at Kermadec, the hot one and the cold one. We could not resist the latter platter! Picture if you will Auckland island scampi, prawns, oysters in their beautiful crenulated shells, Green Lipped mussels and clams served with mignonette sauce, mustard mayonnaise, saffron aioli and preserved lemon mayonnaise. Eating foods like prawns, mussels etc is very much a tactile experience and I think this adds to the primal satisfaction we derive from this type of eating. You’re handling the shells, feeling the texture and strength of these beautiful coats before enjoying the succulence of the bounty within.

What a day! Deep sea diving at your table does come cheap but it’s certainly worth every cent.