April 2014
“As the seasons come and go our dishes change with the flavours and colours of our environment.”
Proprietors Guilo and Christy move in sync with the seasons, in colour, in flavour and in fresh produce selection. It takes a lot of confidence and more than a dash of courage to accept the challenge of reflecting the changing seasons in your ever-changing offerings to the random and the righteous on a nightly basis. In Guilo’s case there is also the incontrovertible presence of talent, his exquisite displays of plated artistry so eminently photogenic, the promised flavours so evident, so bewilderingly beautiful and the wine pairing by Christy so skilfully executed, so thoroughly ‘right.’
In the somewhat austere interior setting of Roots Restaurant there is little hint of luxury, a deliberate (perhaps) absence of expensive embellishments and accoutrements giving you, the guest, an immediate sense of where the priorities lay and what to expect during your stay. The emphasis and the focus is on the food at this outstanding establishment.
Christy served our table of three with efficiency and warmth, choosing the moments to approach, clearly describing each course, all 8 of them, on delivery to the table. We found the time between courses more than adequate for conversation and to reflect on what we had just eaten, to finish our matched wines and to await with alacrity the next course.
Depending on where in the restaurant you choose to sit, you may have a view of the kitchen and be rewardingly entertained by the pleasing spectacle of a dedicated gourmet chef at work; alternatively the small dining area looking out to London Street affords perhaps a more intimate and quieter experience.
The food: It’s times like this I do wish DineOut offered the capability to post images as I am sure you’d enjoy the ones I have!
Cheese bread – a bite-sized ball of joy to begin and to help you settle in for the evening.
With a glass of No.1 Family Estate Cuvee to precede the Pickled radishes, smoked eel, tomato, fennel & flowers it seemed like summer again. The previously alluded-to colours burst from the plate with a naturalness and confidence that exuberantly proffered feelings of happiness in this diner, gifting to the eyes a kind of playful, floral fantasy. The delicacy of the dish with its paper thin wafers of radish, hints of eel so tongue-tantalisingly tiny, but so big on taste, and the yellows, purples & oranges of the flowers drew each of us in to a momentary mini wonderland to the exclusion of the world beyond our table.
In sharp contrast the muted colours of the second course looked far less alluring until, that is, the wintery flavours of carrots and parsnips wrapped their warm arms around you, the beetroot, the kale and the rocket flower tickled the tastebuds to exact affection and a modicum of adulation. A sip or two of a Central Otago Pinot Gris, Mount Edward 2012 seductively sealed the relationship.
The treats and the treatment continued with Corn custard(was I back in China?), capsicum, beans and cured pork loin. A luscious, aerated liquid ornament again with the chef’s signature tiny flower petals atop, adding a touch of elegance and expressing the balance and interplay between the various elements of the dish. The flavours of the cured pork, the textures of capsicum and beans and the unexpectedly palatable taste of the corn custard led one along a path to a place of comfort. And all this enjoyed so convincingly with the substance, strength and refinement of a Tongue in Groove Riesling 2011.
My culinary excursion was far from complete by this time and I knew I had much more to look forward to in the course of the evening. Such ecstacy so definitively rooted in expectation!
Pumpkin gnocchi, egg sauce & homemade bread, olive oil with a glass of House of Ball Chardonnay (2011)from the lovely Waipara region whilst not inciting me to a riot of blessed, uncontrollable but nonetheless ever so grateful gibberish did give rise to the words, in my head, “Isn’t she lovely....” set to the well known music. A bowl of goodness presented with the now well established flair of the master.
Small but beautiful, the trio of quail, oyster mushrooms & jus squatted in wait as I reflected on the 3 syllable calls of this intriguing breed of bird, the essential desirability of the right mushrooms as an accompaniment and the skill required to do justice to these delicate little birds to avoid dryness and stringiness and to capture the very unique essence of taste. What an outstanding piece of work! I wanted to jump out of my seat, rush to the kitchen, embrace Guilo and exclaim my unrequited love....
Christy once again excelled by pairing a nicely aged, comfortable drinking Central Otago Pinot Noir with this little bit of edible heaven, Ellero 2009 from Pisa Terrace. In the words of Bob Campbell: “Ripe, elegant wine with good structure and acidity. Moderately concentrated and impeccably made and balanced Pinot. Supple wine with loads of appeal.”
My life was certainly looking pretty damned good at this stage of the proceedings and the arrival of Merino lamb, onions and New Zealand spinach promised to draw me closer to the point of utter, blissful fulfillment. So tender, so perfectly presented, so immaculately flavoured and so simply adorned with minimal extras, assuring one of a single-minded devotion, without distraction, to the moments when meat meets mouth, portion meets palate, taste cascades over the tongue and fills the chute with all you could possibly want at that particular moment in time. Yet another masterful expression of the culinary art, so well created by Guilo Sturla in his quiet corner of Lyttelton. A Chilean Cab Sauv, Courino Macul, 2011 from the Maipo Valley gracefully shared the Merino’s glory, bathing my lamb and me in a sumptuous swirl .
And yet there was more to come.......a short interlude before a late harvest Sauv. Blanc (Alluviale, 2012 Hawkes Bay)signalled desserts. A beastly tease of quince, yoghurt cream, Black Boy peach ice cream, bright yellow petals, palate-pleasing-to-the-point-of -decadence flavours and more to rest with after the journey. Again, a well considered, well executed combination; nothing less than a champion in its class for presentation, flair, texture and taste.
To finish, coffee cream & chocolate ganache with a Clearview Sea Red, Fortified Merlot from Hawkes bay.
I will most certainly return.
Under $600 for three.
“As the seasons come and go our dishes change with the flavours and colours of our environment.”
Proprietors Guilo and Christy move in sync with the seasons, in colour, in flavour and in fresh produce selection. It takes a lot of confidence and more than a dash of courage to accept the challenge of reflecting the changing seasons in your ever-changing offerings to the random and the righteous on a nightly basis. In Guilo’s case there is also the incontrovertible presence of talent, his exquisite displays of plated artistry so eminently photogenic, the promised flavours so evident, so bewilderingly beautiful and the wine pairing by Christy so skilfully executed, so thoroughly ‘right.’
In the somewhat austere interior setting of Roots Restaurant there is little hint of luxury, a deliberate (perhaps) absence of expensive embellishments and accoutrements giving you, the guest, an immediate sense of where the priorities lay and what to expect during your stay. The emphasis and the focus is on the food at this outstanding establishment.
Christy served our table of three with efficiency and warmth, choosing the moments to approach, clearly describing each course, all 8 of them, on delivery to the table. We found the time between courses more than adequate for conversation and to reflect on what we had just eaten, to finish our matched wines and to await with alacrity the next course.
Depending on where in the restaurant you choose to sit, you may have a view of the kitchen and be rewardingly entertained by the pleasing spectacle of a dedicated gourmet chef at work; alternatively the small dining area looking out to London Street affords perhaps a more intimate and quieter experience.
The food: It’s times like this I do wish DineOut offered the capability to post images as I am sure you’d enjoy the ones I have!
Cheese bread – a bite-sized ball of joy to begin and to help you settle in for the evening.
With a glass of No.1 Family Estate Cuvee to precede the Pickled radishes, smoked eel, tomato, fennel & flowers it seemed like summer again. The previously alluded-to colours burst from the plate with a naturalness and confidence that exuberantly proffered feelings of happiness in this diner, gifting to the eyes a kind of playful, floral fantasy. The delicacy of the dish with its paper thin wafers of radish, hints of eel so tongue-tantalisingly tiny, but so big on taste, and the yellows, purples & oranges of the flowers drew each of us in to a momentary mini wonderland to the exclusion of the world beyond our table.
In sharp contrast the muted colours of the second course looked far less alluring until, that is, the wintery flavours of carrots and parsnips wrapped their warm arms around you, the beetroot, the kale and the rocket flower tickled the tastebuds to exact affection and a modicum of adulation. A sip or two of a Central Otago Pinot Gris, Mount Edward 2012 seductively sealed the relationship.
The treats and the treatment continued with Corn custard(was I back in China?), capsicum, beans and cured pork loin. A luscious, aerated liquid ornament again with the chef’s signature tiny flower petals atop, adding a touch of elegance and expressing the balance and interplay between the various elements of the dish. The flavours of the cured pork, the textures of capsicum and beans and the unexpectedly palatable taste of the corn custard led one along a path to a place of comfort. And all this enjoyed so convincingly with the substance, strength and refinement of a Tongue in Groove Riesling 2011.
My culinary excursion was far from complete by this time and I knew I had much more to look forward to in the course of the evening. Such ecstacy so definitively rooted in expectation!
Pumpkin gnocchi, egg sauce & homemade bread, olive oil with a glass of House of Ball Chardonnay (2011)from the lovely Waipara region whilst not inciting me to a riot of blessed, uncontrollable but nonetheless ever so grateful gibberish did give rise to the words, in my head, “Isn’t she lovely....” set to the well known music. A bowl of goodness presented with the now well established flair of the master.
Small but beautiful, the trio of quail, oyster mushrooms & jus squatted in wait as I reflected on the 3 syllable calls of this intriguing breed of bird, the essential desirability of the right mushrooms as an accompaniment and the skill required to do justice to these delicate little birds to avoid dryness and stringiness and to capture the very unique essence of taste. What an outstanding piece of work! I wanted to jump out of my seat, rush to the kitchen, embrace Guilo and exclaim my unrequited love....
Christy once again excelled by pairing a nicely aged, comfortable drinking Central Otago Pinot Noir with this little bit of edible heaven, Ellero 2009 from Pisa Terrace. In the words of Bob Campbell: “Ripe, elegant wine with good structure and acidity. Moderately concentrated and impeccably made and balanced Pinot. Supple wine with loads of appeal.”
My life was certainly looking pretty damned good at this stage of the proceedings and the arrival of Merino lamb, onions and New Zealand spinach promised to draw me closer to the point of utter, blissful fulfillment. So tender, so perfectly presented, so immaculately flavoured and so simply adorned with minimal extras, assuring one of a single-minded devotion, without distraction, to the moments when meat meets mouth, portion meets palate, taste cascades over the tongue and fills the chute with all you could possibly want at that particular moment in time. Yet another masterful expression of the culinary art, so well created by Guilo Sturla in his quiet corner of Lyttelton. A Chilean Cab Sauv, Courino Macul, 2011 from the Maipo Valley gracefully shared the Merino’s glory, bathing my lamb and me in a sumptuous swirl .
And yet there was more to come.......a short interlude before a late harvest Sauv. Blanc (Alluviale, 2012 Hawkes Bay)signalled desserts. A beastly tease of quince, yoghurt cream, Black Boy peach ice cream, bright yellow petals, palate-pleasing-to-the-point-of -decadence flavours and more to rest with after the journey. Again, a well considered, well executed combination; nothing less than a champion in its class for presentation, flair, texture and taste.
To finish, coffee cream & chocolate ganache with a Clearview Sea Red, Fortified Merlot from Hawkes bay.
I will most certainly return.
Under $600 for three.
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