The Sausage Sisters have set up a sensationally simple sausage roll and sandwich salvatory a small but smooth stone’s throw, or perhaps even a short, exhilarating shog, you might say, from the Cera-induced wasteland previously known as the CBD.
I don’t at all feel this was a move by two twisted sisters, rather, a shrewd sashay into hospitality by astute businesspeople in the newly spawned, previously spurned, Sydenham sector.
Cast immediately from your mind that there is seating inside for a mere two of you only and consider the open air alternative of two six seater picnic settings, partially flanked by metal planters ablaze with the fiery splendour of pansies and posies and other pleasant plants.
Pour piping hot coffee into your system, enliven your inner dullard, seize with cheerful volition and open-mouthed voracity one of the large, handsome, stuffed sausage rolls, gourmet no less, or feast with your own inimitable style of fifishment on one of a number of fresh grain bread sandwiches. Chicken, avocado, tomato and lettuce maybe?
Reflect and wonder, while peacefully munching on your pork, apple and thyme sausage roll, as I did, whether we will all be listed in the Christchurch hall of shame by future generations for our part in the wholesale destruction of most of the city’s heritage, interesting architecture and eminently saveable buildings.
Alternatively, simply accept, whilst ordering another hot coffee, that CERA knows best and we couldn’t/shouldn’t save our historic buildings any more than post-war Europe could save its Cathedrals, beautiful public buildings, hotels and residences.
Now, where are those brochures on Prague, Paris, London........?
Friday, 18 May 2012
Sub Zero
Temperatures were far from sub-zero the day I strolled into this busy cafe for lunch. The unrelenting chatter of seemingly innumerable pairs of well dressed middle aged women, babbling, balding blokes and others, combined with the cacophonous clinking and chinking of glass and chinaware from the kitchen made for a sense of being in a modern version of a pre-Victorian House of Bedlam. I felt quite at home!
One orders at the counter then locates a table and chair – I was unfathomably lucky, considering the place was full of the aforementioned noise-makers, to find a cosy spot inside the floor to ceiling plate glass window on the northern perimeter.
As busy as they were the superhuman wait staff managed to supply me with the required food and drink inside 10 minutes, surely a feat of magnificence in any one’s view. I wanted the thick, creamy experience of a chai latte this day and it was just so. Warm but not hot, thick but not too much and in a cup that was able to be lifted to my lips without strained acts of digital gymnastics or the risk of dreaded cup cantileverage/slippage.
To complement the drink came a ‘flute’, playing a tune from within its toasted pale coat, of music composed with quiet, organic lavishness by the strikingly crisp & tasty bacon, the lush, moist tomato, the gently melted, warm cheese and the smattering of playful herbs. A plain and simple midday meal, admittedly, but a delicious one nonetheless.
Who was it who once said, “Hunger is the best sauce...” ?
One orders at the counter then locates a table and chair – I was unfathomably lucky, considering the place was full of the aforementioned noise-makers, to find a cosy spot inside the floor to ceiling plate glass window on the northern perimeter.
As busy as they were the superhuman wait staff managed to supply me with the required food and drink inside 10 minutes, surely a feat of magnificence in any one’s view. I wanted the thick, creamy experience of a chai latte this day and it was just so. Warm but not hot, thick but not too much and in a cup that was able to be lifted to my lips without strained acts of digital gymnastics or the risk of dreaded cup cantileverage/slippage.
To complement the drink came a ‘flute’, playing a tune from within its toasted pale coat, of music composed with quiet, organic lavishness by the strikingly crisp & tasty bacon, the lush, moist tomato, the gently melted, warm cheese and the smattering of playful herbs. A plain and simple midday meal, admittedly, but a delicious one nonetheless.
Who was it who once said, “Hunger is the best sauce...” ?
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Copenhagen Bakery & cafe
Looking for a blast of damn fine daytime baking? Copenhagen Bakery has an excellent track record of providing stunning buns, pert, palatable pastries and rolls that rock around the clock.
Their new location on Harewood Rd, smack in the middle of suburbia, is a far cry from inner city Armagh St but it appears to have been a good move from a dough-making perspective. The cafe was very busy when I visited just after 11 o’clock on a weekday morning and it’s not hard to see and understand why. The sun just streams in through the front windows, there’s ease of parking, the premises are capacious, modern and inviting, the food cabinets are filled with diet smashing delights, salmon, chicken and salad-filled scrumptiousness and the coffee is as good as you’ll find anywhere.
There was an air of anticipation as the queue of customers lined up across the front of the cabinets, eagerly choosing their lunches, each dreaming no doubt of sinking his or her teeth into the crispness of a hard roll or the softness of a croissant to release the burst of freshly baked flavour . And this is before getting to the fillings!
A hot, strong espresso with a Chicken Torpedo ($6.80)suited me fine and the whole was more than sufficient for a lunch meal. Plenty of shredded chicken, a couple of slices of tomato, cucumber, some shredded carrot, a small dab of mayo and a layer or two of lettuce. A well balanced, tasty treat if ever I saw and ate one.
The vast selection of goodies on offer is a surefire way of ensuring customers return to work their way through the line up. I’ll be back.
Their new location on Harewood Rd, smack in the middle of suburbia, is a far cry from inner city Armagh St but it appears to have been a good move from a dough-making perspective. The cafe was very busy when I visited just after 11 o’clock on a weekday morning and it’s not hard to see and understand why. The sun just streams in through the front windows, there’s ease of parking, the premises are capacious, modern and inviting, the food cabinets are filled with diet smashing delights, salmon, chicken and salad-filled scrumptiousness and the coffee is as good as you’ll find anywhere.
There was an air of anticipation as the queue of customers lined up across the front of the cabinets, eagerly choosing their lunches, each dreaming no doubt of sinking his or her teeth into the crispness of a hard roll or the softness of a croissant to release the burst of freshly baked flavour . And this is before getting to the fillings!
A hot, strong espresso with a Chicken Torpedo ($6.80)suited me fine and the whole was more than sufficient for a lunch meal. Plenty of shredded chicken, a couple of slices of tomato, cucumber, some shredded carrot, a small dab of mayo and a layer or two of lettuce. A well balanced, tasty treat if ever I saw and ate one.
The vast selection of goodies on offer is a surefire way of ensuring customers return to work their way through the line up. I’ll be back.
Scarborough Fare
A four and a half hour return walk from Sumner to Boulder Bay via the surfers’ paradise of Taylors Mistake is, if nothing else, a huge appetite inducing exercise. It was, of course, much more than this and the spectacular photographs in my camera are proof of what a uniquely beautiful part of Canterbury this area is. The rugged, steep coastline, the pristine, people-free bays and coves and the incredible old Kiwi baches clinging desperately to their tiny, surfside patches of land made the strenuous, fast-paced trek ever so worthwhile.
My point of return, Scarborough Beach, has long been the home of Scarborough Fare Restaurant, an eatery of mixed fortunes it would be fair to suggest. In the past fourteen months it has been reviewed on DineOut only twice and both reviews came in under 4.0. Both reviewers with a mere one review to their names and nothing since so perhaps not of much consequence.....
The setting is very agreeable, in the shadow of a stone clocktower, with the Pacific Ocean one side and an excellent family park the other, plenty of al fresco seating and more than ample accommodation inside, with a view.
The lunch menu runs to three pages including desserts, coffees and teas with the usual cross-section of tastes catered for and everything from snacks to full meals on offer. It is my understanding that they don’t open for dinner.
The Moroccan Fish Fillet dish, which came with salad and a couple of lemon wedges, was disappointing I’m afraid to say, as the fish pieces did not appear to be in abundance and the salad was a frustrated looking jumble scattered about the plate. Admittedly, the salad was a comprehensive array of fresh items and was the star of the dish so some consolation was had. Nonetheless, I am reluctant to write this place off as some of the meals being delivered to other tables looked far more professionally presented and, in watching others eat, (a bad habit of mine!) I noticed no signs of displeasure.
Staff are all in uniforms, service is prompt and adequate and they offer all ten wines on the wine list by the glass as well as by the bottle. A possible downside for some might be the irritating ordering procedure whereby one has to queue at the counter and pay up before sitting down; however, this may well be due to the historic frequency of runners....
My point of return, Scarborough Beach, has long been the home of Scarborough Fare Restaurant, an eatery of mixed fortunes it would be fair to suggest. In the past fourteen months it has been reviewed on DineOut only twice and both reviews came in under 4.0. Both reviewers with a mere one review to their names and nothing since so perhaps not of much consequence.....
The setting is very agreeable, in the shadow of a stone clocktower, with the Pacific Ocean one side and an excellent family park the other, plenty of al fresco seating and more than ample accommodation inside, with a view.
The lunch menu runs to three pages including desserts, coffees and teas with the usual cross-section of tastes catered for and everything from snacks to full meals on offer. It is my understanding that they don’t open for dinner.
The Moroccan Fish Fillet dish, which came with salad and a couple of lemon wedges, was disappointing I’m afraid to say, as the fish pieces did not appear to be in abundance and the salad was a frustrated looking jumble scattered about the plate. Admittedly, the salad was a comprehensive array of fresh items and was the star of the dish so some consolation was had. Nonetheless, I am reluctant to write this place off as some of the meals being delivered to other tables looked far more professionally presented and, in watching others eat, (a bad habit of mine!) I noticed no signs of displeasure.
Staff are all in uniforms, service is prompt and adequate and they offer all ten wines on the wine list by the glass as well as by the bottle. A possible downside for some might be the irritating ordering procedure whereby one has to queue at the counter and pay up before sitting down; however, this may well be due to the historic frequency of runners....
Tommy Chang's
We’ve lost so much of our history here in Christchurch in recent times that the discovery of a spiritual home for forlorn nostalgics where one can fill the soul with images of a bygone era whilst sipping organic teas from KeriKeri is akin to mana from heaven.
It was by pure chance that I walked in through the rustic, weathered double entry doors to Tommy Chang’s cafe as I was making my way to the nearby chemist shop. A world of Victorian Kiwi knick knacks, old world wall claddings, pressed metal ceilings and crafty, early twentieth century bric-a-brac, tables, chairs and oddments represented nothing less than a delightful welcome to me.
In the shelter of the main courtyard space I sipped a soothing cup of Manuka Mint tea, an organic, caffeine free herbal infusion of a deep, golden hue, empowering aroma and lasting flavour. Strongly minted but with an evident manuka influence this tea was impressive to me, a sworn consumer, no less, of the coffee bean.
I felt so much at peace in this little cafe and was so pleased to see Tommy Chang’s name living on in this new enterprise that I ordered “The Tommy Chang’s”, a breakfast of free range eggs(poached)on focaccia bread with cheese, tomato, home cured bacon, diced veges and a creative serving of very palatable baked beans – black turtle beans in fact, a veritable highlight to the tastebuds. The eggs clucked their freshness and oozed their golden elixir when pierced, truly a poetic moment indeed.
Service was delivered with interest and care, the waiter/barista Shannon engaging so easily and comfortably with his customers, adding yet another layer of love to the experience and ensuring that unsolicited accolades will flow freely from more than satisfied customers.
What’s more, Tommy Chang’s makes everything it serves “from scratch” and strives to source local produce as much as possible. There’s a strong, overriding organic philosophy behind this cafe and I believe it shines through on the table. I want so much to return to try other items on the menu. Chef Guilio has a more than creditable history; in fact, his time at Mugaritz, voted the world’s No. 3 restaurant in the April 2012 San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants Awards, and at Restaurant Schwass, formerly one of Christchurch’s best, makes for enviable CV reading. If you’re interested in good food prepared with a touch of passion, a ton of professional experience and a mountain of soul then you owe it to yourself and your palate to visit Lyttelton’s newest gem as soon as possible.
It was by pure chance that I walked in through the rustic, weathered double entry doors to Tommy Chang’s cafe as I was making my way to the nearby chemist shop. A world of Victorian Kiwi knick knacks, old world wall claddings, pressed metal ceilings and crafty, early twentieth century bric-a-brac, tables, chairs and oddments represented nothing less than a delightful welcome to me.
In the shelter of the main courtyard space I sipped a soothing cup of Manuka Mint tea, an organic, caffeine free herbal infusion of a deep, golden hue, empowering aroma and lasting flavour. Strongly minted but with an evident manuka influence this tea was impressive to me, a sworn consumer, no less, of the coffee bean.
I felt so much at peace in this little cafe and was so pleased to see Tommy Chang’s name living on in this new enterprise that I ordered “The Tommy Chang’s”, a breakfast of free range eggs(poached)on focaccia bread with cheese, tomato, home cured bacon, diced veges and a creative serving of very palatable baked beans – black turtle beans in fact, a veritable highlight to the tastebuds. The eggs clucked their freshness and oozed their golden elixir when pierced, truly a poetic moment indeed.
Service was delivered with interest and care, the waiter/barista Shannon engaging so easily and comfortably with his customers, adding yet another layer of love to the experience and ensuring that unsolicited accolades will flow freely from more than satisfied customers.
What’s more, Tommy Chang’s makes everything it serves “from scratch” and strives to source local produce as much as possible. There’s a strong, overriding organic philosophy behind this cafe and I believe it shines through on the table. I want so much to return to try other items on the menu. Chef Guilio has a more than creditable history; in fact, his time at Mugaritz, voted the world’s No. 3 restaurant in the April 2012 San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants Awards, and at Restaurant Schwass, formerly one of Christchurch’s best, makes for enviable CV reading. If you’re interested in good food prepared with a touch of passion, a ton of professional experience and a mountain of soul then you owe it to yourself and your palate to visit Lyttelton’s newest gem as soon as possible.
Pomeroy's Pub
That very English style pub so quietly yet quixotically secreted away so close to inner city devastation on Kilmore St. It’s there for us all to enjoy and judging by the numbers on the Sunday night our small group visited it’s not much of a secret!
What a gal! This old red brick bastion of the beverage, a place where conviviality and slap up cuisine meets is somewhere deserving of your attention if you’re looking for love...just kidding.....looking for a sense of local history, a good choice of wines and beers(especially) and you want to eat while drinking...and,of course, socialising.
I contend this is a place for all ages. I was there with my 20 year old daughter and her boyfriend and they thought it was a “pretty cool place”. (She’ll kill me for associating her with those words..)
If you want to be wowed you must opt for the Pomeroy’s Platter. A big, man-sized rectangular platter with a large selection of edible finery. There’s salmon, olives, cheeses, ham, salamis, fish, pickles, caramelised onions, spreads and breads.....and more. Very much a stunning, tantalising offering that will be sure to draw you back time and time again.
In the busy dining room I went for a Pomeroy’s Big Beef Burger as I felt it was time to pay homage to well-known DineOuters Paul & Helen, those meat-eating, chip lovin’ gourmets.(I’ve always liked their anti-vege comments which I am sure are made with good humour).
Anyway, this burger was comprised of a 250gm homemade Angus beef patty with bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheese, confit onion, aioli & BBQ sauce and, of course, a small wheelbarrow of fries. It took me back to El Celler de Can Roca in Spain...just kidding again...
To prepare the food channel for the assault I vigorously sipped (gulped more like)a Bohemian Merlot from Havelock Hills and the result was surprisingly satisfying. I was able to hack happily into the hamburger bun, shred the lettuce with what I felt was the theatrical skill and speed of a Ninja warrior well out of his apprenticeship and munch the already minced beef with unabashed abandon.
A pleasant evening was had and I can but urge you all to get off the couch, turn off the television, clothe your offensive nakedness and get to Pomeroys at once to engage with your fellow man, bathe in the wonder of social interaction and enjoy a drink and bite. Rebuild your sorry lives! Victoria is waiting for you....
What a gal! This old red brick bastion of the beverage, a place where conviviality and slap up cuisine meets is somewhere deserving of your attention if you’re looking for love...just kidding.....looking for a sense of local history, a good choice of wines and beers(especially) and you want to eat while drinking...and,of course, socialising.
I contend this is a place for all ages. I was there with my 20 year old daughter and her boyfriend and they thought it was a “pretty cool place”. (She’ll kill me for associating her with those words..)
If you want to be wowed you must opt for the Pomeroy’s Platter. A big, man-sized rectangular platter with a large selection of edible finery. There’s salmon, olives, cheeses, ham, salamis, fish, pickles, caramelised onions, spreads and breads.....and more. Very much a stunning, tantalising offering that will be sure to draw you back time and time again.
In the busy dining room I went for a Pomeroy’s Big Beef Burger as I felt it was time to pay homage to well-known DineOuters Paul & Helen, those meat-eating, chip lovin’ gourmets.(I’ve always liked their anti-vege comments which I am sure are made with good humour).
Anyway, this burger was comprised of a 250gm homemade Angus beef patty with bacon, lettuce, tomato and cheese, confit onion, aioli & BBQ sauce and, of course, a small wheelbarrow of fries. It took me back to El Celler de Can Roca in Spain...just kidding again...
To prepare the food channel for the assault I vigorously sipped (gulped more like)a Bohemian Merlot from Havelock Hills and the result was surprisingly satisfying. I was able to hack happily into the hamburger bun, shred the lettuce with what I felt was the theatrical skill and speed of a Ninja warrior well out of his apprenticeship and munch the already minced beef with unabashed abandon.
A pleasant evening was had and I can but urge you all to get off the couch, turn off the television, clothe your offensive nakedness and get to Pomeroys at once to engage with your fellow man, bathe in the wonder of social interaction and enjoy a drink and bite. Rebuild your sorry lives! Victoria is waiting for you....
The PortHole Bar & Restaurant, Lyttelton
By Jove, there’s a conjoined cluster of cute containers with evident nautical aspirations on the corner of Canterbury and London Streets. With noticeable skill these former storage workhorses have been melded into an attractive etude of urban design that gestures lovingly to all passers-by.
It was late on a Sunday morning but that didn’t stop us from going in for liquid refreshments. It might have been too early for me to enjoy a bite to eat and the quesadilla did look ravishing, but the body was calling for some restorative tongue-tingling tannin; several well rehearsed, calculated mouthfilling swirls and a number of bold reds later and all was well, seated on stools with wine barrels as tables, we were blessed with the living magnificence of the harbour basin views, the clear blue, sun-filled sky above and the restful pace of a Sunday morning Lyttelton. It was a wonderful thing. The inexorable passing of time drew me and the others so much closer to feeding time and so it was that a colourful clutter of earthly delights came upon us in the guise of a platter for three. Tasty tidbits and healthy bites helped us along the way to yet another glass of choice. My simple childhood pleasures took hold , however, and I succumbed entirely willingly and with gladness of heart to a gourmet toastie. Of course, in my day the toasties were not specifically designated as ‘gourmet’ and came with cheddar cheese and/or a chunk of ham, maybe some onion. Give yourselves up to the girls behind the bar at the Porthole and you’ll be happy enough I would think; just don’t forget you’re in a conglomerate of containers not the French Cafe....
This cosy little establishment has a serious looking espresso machine, a formidable number of alcoholic choices and a changing food menu to offer its customers every good reason to choose either a comfortable soft couch within or a stool and barrel in the sun outside. Lucky Lytteltonians!
It was late on a Sunday morning but that didn’t stop us from going in for liquid refreshments. It might have been too early for me to enjoy a bite to eat and the quesadilla did look ravishing, but the body was calling for some restorative tongue-tingling tannin; several well rehearsed, calculated mouthfilling swirls and a number of bold reds later and all was well, seated on stools with wine barrels as tables, we were blessed with the living magnificence of the harbour basin views, the clear blue, sun-filled sky above and the restful pace of a Sunday morning Lyttelton. It was a wonderful thing. The inexorable passing of time drew me and the others so much closer to feeding time and so it was that a colourful clutter of earthly delights came upon us in the guise of a platter for three. Tasty tidbits and healthy bites helped us along the way to yet another glass of choice. My simple childhood pleasures took hold , however, and I succumbed entirely willingly and with gladness of heart to a gourmet toastie. Of course, in my day the toasties were not specifically designated as ‘gourmet’ and came with cheddar cheese and/or a chunk of ham, maybe some onion. Give yourselves up to the girls behind the bar at the Porthole and you’ll be happy enough I would think; just don’t forget you’re in a conglomerate of containers not the French Cafe....
This cosy little establishment has a serious looking espresso machine, a formidable number of alcoholic choices and a changing food menu to offer its customers every good reason to choose either a comfortable soft couch within or a stool and barrel in the sun outside. Lucky Lytteltonians!
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