Kermadec Restaurant, Auckland

We had a brilliant weekend in Auckland, and one of the highlights of the stay was the  Kermadec Restaurant and the degustation menu. This is not so much a review as a hazy recollection.

The Kermadec, located right in the middle of all the action of the Viaduct, has long been a favourite of mine, and I didn't need much encouragement when LW suggested we go there for her birthday.

We started with an "amuse bouche" which was a cube of watermelon surrounded by a cold watermelon soup. More of a glass of fruit juice than anything else, it was refreshing as could be. I was drinking a very dry sherry, whilst LW had a cocktail called Rosebud

Then we were onto the fishy starters: firstly, Kingfish carpaccio with yuzu, soy,  radish and fresh wasabi. Stunningly fresh and jumping with sharpness and bite.

The second fish dish was a nutty scallop dish and beautifully rounded and balanced, quite soft and luxurious.

I was going to have a glass of Perigrine pinot gris with these 2 dishes, but the waiter, although charming, was so busy that by the time he got round to it, I was ready for something darker for the red meat.

The main course was a very rare venison with roasted shallots and chocolate "soil" that went with the delightfully tender deer extremely well. I drank a Gimblett Gravels Merlot with this that was smooth to the point of no return. It slipped down so well that our waiter, seeing my thirst, came and topped up the glass.

And the dessert! A sphere of blueberry sorbet that had been chilled with liquid Nitrogen and filled with the lightest fruit mousse. Served with sorrel and olive oil which makes it sound right peculiar, but it wasn't. It was amazing.

By the time the waiter brought out a very fancy "happy birthday" plate written in chocolate with petit fours on the side, which tasted of rich fruit cake crossed with rich chocolate pudding) we were done!

For completeness sake, here's the whole menu:

KERMADEC RESTAURANT MENU

Cooling fruit, hibiscus, tansy, cornflower, chamomile and bergamot

Salads Goats cheese tube, Detroit red beetroot, hazelnut, orange, leaves, buds, flowers

$20.00

Curious cropper tomatoes, muscovado olive, pine nut, basil, burnt fennel, fresh buffalo curd $23.00

English peas, Dutch white broad beans, spring onion, mushroom chawanmushi, crystal and paper $22.00

Entrée Roasted veal sweetbreads, marzipan macaroni, butternut squash, ginger, red sage

$22.00

Silky chicken, Koura, young coconut, lemon grass, piquant consommé finger lime $22.00

Scallops, butter apple, toasted oats and milk, hazelnut butter, rosemary $23.00

Auckland Island scampi, soubise cream, clove, mini sweet carrot, seven spices, almond zephyr $26.00

Easterbrook quail, hulled wheat, black pudding, truffle chestnuts, tea prune, parsnip, anise hyssop $22.00

Southern ocean kingfish carpaccio, yuzu juice, mirin, soya bean, daikon, pink radish, fresh coppers folly wasabi $20.00

Living Oysters wild and farmed freshly shuckedKERMADEC RESTAURANT MENU Main Course

Wild Red deer, beetroot purée, Tarakan chocolate, Banyuls, shallot, raspberries $42.00

King Cole duck, Whitlof, cherries, Tokyo turnip, olive paste, yuba pastilla $39.00

Master stock braised Wagyu short rib, summer roots, leaves and flowers, garlic Crème Brûlée $ 40.00

John Flynn grass fed beef rib eye agria potato fondant, gentlemans relish $42.00

Perendale lamb loin, goats cheese sandwich, fennel, Muscatel, broad beans, mint, gorse $42.00

Poulet Rouge, smoked mussel, velouté, rock lobster, white asparagus $46.00

Roasted Hapuku, pea vichyssoise, gem lettuce, periwinkles, crumbled pancetta, tarragon $39.00

John Dory, cucumber, garlic cream, lemon confit, quinoa, currents baby leeks $42.00

Bread, Tubers, leaves, fruits, pods

Bread, organic flour, fresh churned butter made daily $4.50 Mixed leaf salad $10.00 Potato and truffle croquettes $9.00 Globe artichokes, Roma tomato, cucumber, buffalo yoghurt, lemon, saffron $12.00 Asparagus toasted nut and olive cereal $9.00

KERMADEC RESTAURANT MENU

Tasting Menu

$88.00

Cooling fruit, hibiscus, tansy, cornflower, chamomile and bergamot

Southern ocean kingfish carpaccio, yuzu juice, mirin, soya bean, daikon, pink radish, fresh coppers folly wasabi

Scallops, butter apple, toasted oats and milk, hazelnut butter, rosemary

Wild Red deer, beetroot purée, Tarakan chocolate, Banyuls, shallot, raspberries

Iced blueberry balloon, cassis, olive oil, cheesecake, baby sorrel

Head Chef: Richard Highnam Pastry Chef: Brian Campbell