APRIL 2013
Hippopotamus
God moves in mysterious ways or so I was once told by an aspirant to the Papacy. I have dined at some of the world’s very best restaurants and have long since accepted that the Almighty, believe it or not, must have a hand in the kitchens of more than a few of them.
Standards vary and peoples’ perceptions of what represents good service differ from one culture to the next; in New Zealand we have relatively low standards of service and, as a general rule, mediocre levels of culinary creativity. Some in the Kiwi gastro community wonder if this is why we have never managed to get a nomination in the S. Pelligrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants……
My own view, firmly held, is that we do have some truly worthy superstars in New Zealand who day after day deliver electrifyingly sensational, saporous offerings of edible personality, spun with an artistry hard to find in the world at large.
And so to Hippopotamus, one of Wellington’s treasures for the gourmet, powered along by the efforts of a well-schooled team overseen by Executive Chef Laurent Loudeac. This was not my first time at this restaurant but on my frequent visits to the Capital I have striven to find the time to get a lunch or a dinner in.
Entering the Museum Hotel is like leaving the fiction of life behind for the truth of Art in all its forms. The dinner guest is blessed at once with the expectation of seeing, up close and personal, magnificent, original artworks on resplendent display throughout the groundfloor spaces.
On Level 3 of the hotel is to be found Hippopotamus Restaurant, exuding Parisian glamour and opulence in décor, boasting an exquisite menu, far-reaching, carefully compiled wine list and impressive, much-valued supererogatory service overseen by Maitre’d, Frenchman Timothy Lepoutre.
A delicate sampling in the form of an Amuse Bouche of salmon & caviar shared with a glass of Louis Roederer Rose (2007) was a perfect way to glide into the evening and await les entrees -
“Tortellini de Kikorangi sur poireaux a la crème” and “Tortellini d’escargot et puree de petit pois”. The attention to detail and the surprisingly eye-catching presentation of both these dishes offered immediate gratification, eminently followed up by gentle waves of subtle flavours so finely embedded in the whole.
The Granny Smith crackling and the walnut crumble in the first mentioned dish were true examples of this.
Our experience continued with perfect pauses between courses and a range of wines that included Rene Mure Riesling, Trinity Hill Viognier, Banyuls, Elderton Shiraz(2009) and 7 glasses of CP Lin’s acclaimed Mountford Hommage A’L’Alsace(2009), all over a period of 5 hours and, of course, interspersed with numerous litres of water.
The main courses, or Les plats princpaux as described on the menu, offered some exciting prospects and for me it came down to a choice between two beef dishes, the “Beef fillet with braised beef cheek pithivier, braised beef short rib, horseradish soufflé & mushroom jus” and the “Rib of beef with béarnaise, hand cut fries & sautéed green beans with shallots.” With the beef fillet, my choice, came a side of green beans tossed in butter with a walnut and feta crumble, another beautiful example of careful, creative presentation coupled with flavour matching to offer top line taste sensations. Encounters with such harmonious combinations of exquisite food, plated so alluringly and joyfully and truthfully trumpeting a gift of worshipful flavours engender a desire for immediate, heartfelt genuflection.
A glass of Banyuls, four fine French cheeses from the well-stocked trolley and a truly comprehensive explanation of each from our waiter, Antoine. Comte, an ancient, salty, complex, nutty cheese so delightful to start the closing stages of a fine dinner. Follow this with none other than a camembert from Normandy, a delicate, charcoal ash covered Valencay and a lovely, gracious Roquefort, the pride of the Massif-Central.
Fully relaxed and thoroughly satisfied we adjourned to the elegance of the harbour views, the agreeable countenances of stuffed peacocks and the prospect of good coffee and a further tipple or two in the Hippopotamus Bar.
Hippopotamus
God moves in mysterious ways or so I was once told by an aspirant to the Papacy. I have dined at some of the world’s very best restaurants and have long since accepted that the Almighty, believe it or not, must have a hand in the kitchens of more than a few of them.
Standards vary and peoples’ perceptions of what represents good service differ from one culture to the next; in New Zealand we have relatively low standards of service and, as a general rule, mediocre levels of culinary creativity. Some in the Kiwi gastro community wonder if this is why we have never managed to get a nomination in the S. Pelligrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants……
My own view, firmly held, is that we do have some truly worthy superstars in New Zealand who day after day deliver electrifyingly sensational, saporous offerings of edible personality, spun with an artistry hard to find in the world at large.
And so to Hippopotamus, one of Wellington’s treasures for the gourmet, powered along by the efforts of a well-schooled team overseen by Executive Chef Laurent Loudeac. This was not my first time at this restaurant but on my frequent visits to the Capital I have striven to find the time to get a lunch or a dinner in.
Entering the Museum Hotel is like leaving the fiction of life behind for the truth of Art in all its forms. The dinner guest is blessed at once with the expectation of seeing, up close and personal, magnificent, original artworks on resplendent display throughout the groundfloor spaces.
On Level 3 of the hotel is to be found Hippopotamus Restaurant, exuding Parisian glamour and opulence in décor, boasting an exquisite menu, far-reaching, carefully compiled wine list and impressive, much-valued supererogatory service overseen by Maitre’d, Frenchman Timothy Lepoutre.
A delicate sampling in the form of an Amuse Bouche of salmon & caviar shared with a glass of Louis Roederer Rose (2007) was a perfect way to glide into the evening and await les entrees -
“Tortellini de Kikorangi sur poireaux a la crème” and “Tortellini d’escargot et puree de petit pois”. The attention to detail and the surprisingly eye-catching presentation of both these dishes offered immediate gratification, eminently followed up by gentle waves of subtle flavours so finely embedded in the whole.
The Granny Smith crackling and the walnut crumble in the first mentioned dish were true examples of this.
Our experience continued with perfect pauses between courses and a range of wines that included Rene Mure Riesling, Trinity Hill Viognier, Banyuls, Elderton Shiraz(2009) and 7 glasses of CP Lin’s acclaimed Mountford Hommage A’L’Alsace(2009), all over a period of 5 hours and, of course, interspersed with numerous litres of water.
The main courses, or Les plats princpaux as described on the menu, offered some exciting prospects and for me it came down to a choice between two beef dishes, the “Beef fillet with braised beef cheek pithivier, braised beef short rib, horseradish soufflé & mushroom jus” and the “Rib of beef with béarnaise, hand cut fries & sautéed green beans with shallots.” With the beef fillet, my choice, came a side of green beans tossed in butter with a walnut and feta crumble, another beautiful example of careful, creative presentation coupled with flavour matching to offer top line taste sensations. Encounters with such harmonious combinations of exquisite food, plated so alluringly and joyfully and truthfully trumpeting a gift of worshipful flavours engender a desire for immediate, heartfelt genuflection.
A glass of Banyuls, four fine French cheeses from the well-stocked trolley and a truly comprehensive explanation of each from our waiter, Antoine. Comte, an ancient, salty, complex, nutty cheese so delightful to start the closing stages of a fine dinner. Follow this with none other than a camembert from Normandy, a delicate, charcoal ash covered Valencay and a lovely, gracious Roquefort, the pride of the Massif-Central.
Fully relaxed and thoroughly satisfied we adjourned to the elegance of the harbour views, the agreeable countenances of stuffed peacocks and the prospect of good coffee and a further tipple or two in the Hippopotamus Bar.
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