WHERE WE ATE
Stylish and sophisticated city dining and slick Japanese-influenced dishes in Auckland, a Havelock North diner with winery credentials and a Kiwi-japanese izakaya in Christchurch.
The Cuisine team checks out restaurants around the country
Onslow IN BRIEF
Somewhere stylishly grand and sophisticated to while away a few hours. Start with cocktails from a creative line-up, sit back and be wowed by the expertly considered dishes from one of Aotearoa’s most celebrated chefs.
WHY CHOOSE THIS RESTAURANT?
Michelinstarred chef-patron Josh Emett has a formidable reputation built on experience in highly regarded kitchens around the world. He already has a hand in many restaurants here but Onslow is the first he has fully owned and operated outside of his longtime business partnership with Fleur Caulton. Arguably Onslow reveals where Emett’s food direction is heading.
ABOUT THE FOOD There’s something on the Onslow menu to suit every preference. An abundance of fish includes a marvellous play on the traditional éclair, this rendition filled with Fiordland crayfish, which brings an instant smile. There is a perfectly formed trevally crudo in a pool of grapeseed oil and a flotsam of candied ginger. Fried chicken makes an appearance with caviar getting a cameo and there is a rather succulent slow-cooked pork belly served with a cleverly executed roll of Swiss chard.
A highlight for me was the playful lamb's tongue schnitzel with capers and fennel and I would happily order the roasted Cambridge duck breast again. Dessert on this night was a picturesque cannelé de Bordeaux of poached pear with sea-salt caramel. All in all, a menu
of familiar ingredients given a twist; some uncommon, others more exotic but all executed to a very high standard.
ABOUT THE CHEF
There is no disputing the credentials of chef Josh Emett. It’s unlikely you would be asked to judge a high-profile cooking show if there was any doubt over your credibility. And you wouldn’t secure the backing required to open numerous eateries simultaneously if reliability or competency were an issue. Yet, in a world of self-aggrandisement, Emett stands out as one of the good guys, a gentler, more modest culinary giant without unnecessary chutzpah. He clearly enjoys classic combinations, is passionate about local produce and has an eye for detail.
ABOUT THE TEAM
One key player on the Onslow team is Helen Emett, coowner and wife of Josh. Helen has clear views about the nature of the dining experience she wants her guests to have, and has listed service and attention to detail as key to ensuring Onslow diners take home good memories that go beyond just food and drink. Head chef Glen File has a wealth of experience overseas and in high-profile local kitchens such as Baduzzi and Boulcott St Bistro, and is well placed to support Emett. File lists his style as ‘classic comfort food full of flavour, simple and stylish’.
OF NOTE
A stunning dining room that speaks of high-class Asian décor, touches of Scandi simplicity and a brooding private-club ambience – it is spacious, comfortable and classy. Second, is the bravery of the salmon gravadlax trolley. Serving food from a tray wheeled to your table is a ritual previously found in the upmarket formal eateries of old where if it wasn’t pretentious, it wasn’t worth a visit. At Onslow it is a charming and appealing point of difference, an extra talking point that is perfectly suited to the guestfocussed mantra they have created. 9 Princes Street, Auckland 7 days from 12 noon Mains $34-$42
09 930 9123, onslow.nz
the chicken – bright, fresh sashimi pairing the fish of the day with yuzu and white soy, the juiciest of pork in an epic katsu sando with its pillowy milk bread and tonkatsu sauce, and a plate of grilled oyster mushrooms that are so very deeply satisfying you will sigh out loud. Don’t miss the whipped snapper with bread, the prawn toast or the brown butter cake with sake custard. This food menu is ingredient-driven and provides you with ample opportunity to design your own delicious experience, as does the beautifully curated list of low-intervention organic and biodynamic wines. You might also enjoy a small selection of cocktails and local beers or a crisp ginger beer.
ABOUT THE CHEF
John Yip’s relationship with smoke and fire began in Norway and his impressive yakitori skills were honed at Yardbird, a hip Hong Kong-japanese izakaya. He also worked with Aussie chef David Moyle at Franklin in Hobart, a predominantly seafood restaurant with a wood-fired oven at its core. At Omni, John delivers a deceptively simple menu with big smoky flavours, while cooking over bincho-tan (white charcoal traditionally used in Japanese cooking) in the tiny open-plan kitchen and overseeing all aspects of the food. ABOUT THE TEAM Omni is the culmination of a broad belt of hospo experience between John Yip and Jamie Yeon. A small restaurant with a small team, Jamie heads up front of house and doesn’t miss a multi-skilling beat while making it all feel super-special.
OF NOTE
To dine at this small barrestaurant we recommend you book ahead for one of the two seatings per night. It will be worth it. You can order à la carte or take a tour through the set menu which gives you a fabulous overview of their full offering. 359 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland Dinner Tue-sat Mains $7-$25 / Set menu $70 pp 09 623 3590, atomni.co.nz
burgers and fries he could not serve at the winery’s formal restaurant.
After the diner was wound down, Casey got together with Craggy Range and businessman Jonathon Mchardy to transplant the concept – and the demographic – to Havelock North. The result is Mary’s, an upscale diner named for Mary Peabody, wife of Craggy Range founder Terry Peabody. An enlarged black-and-white photo from the 1960s shows the glamorous couple on a rollercoaster, while for the other walls, photographer Richard Brimer has imagined the travel photos the Peabodys might nowadays be taking if they were posting on Instagram.
A casual open kitchen and bar extends in a horseshoe out into the room. From the sought-after tables on the elevated front terrace customers can view Hawke’s Bay sunsets of the same bright orange hue as one of the house specialties, Aperol Spritz.
ABOUT THE FOOD
Much of the cooking centres around an expensive Josper oven. Fired with Japanese lump wood, it imparts a particular flavour to dishes such as coal-roasted octopus and eggplant, served with a subtle ’nduja (andouille salami) dressing and dotted with aioli.
Since the Josper reaches 400℃, it can only be used to briefly finish the 250g organic sirloin, served with French fries and topped with 'Café de Mary’s butter' (a play on Café de Paris butter, featuring 18 ingredients). Beneath the steak is an unadvertised but beautifully executed jus, while the garnish of smoky broccolini could only come from a Josper.
Terakihi, locally sourced from Better Fishing so spanking fresh, is served with lightly pickled mussels and roasted fennel. Accompanying blackened romesco sauce is a variant on the Spanish recipe.
An entrée of marinated peas and broad beans rests upon stracciatella (the cream-enriched contents of a whole burrata) from Massimo’s in Auckland. European influences are equally obvious in the decadently rich
baked cheesecake, served with fully ripened strawberries and a nubbly champagne and elderflower granita.
However, as Casey explains, Mary’s demographic decides what they cook and basically the inspiration can come from anywhere. Fried bread, shaved pāua, caper mayo pays tribute to Māori fry-bread, made without yeast but fermented overnight. To achieve the miraculously razor-thin ribbon effect, the pāua is poached whole in dashi stock, frozen and then sliced on a meat slicer before it fully thaws.
ABOUT THE CHEF
Casey Mcdonald remains head chef at Craggy Range Restaurant, but typically does the Friday lunch and dinner service at Mary’s. At other times the kitchen is headed by Simon Lillico, formerly head chef at Melbourne’s Maha East.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Most of the waiting staff are drawn from Craggy Range, so while they may now be working in a humble neighbourhood restaurant, their service is up to finedining standard, albeit peppered informally with friendly chat. A paper napkin accidentally dropped on the floor will be instantly retrieved and their menu knowledge is impeccable. Should duty manager Kate Jones sense your interest in matching wine with food, she will assume the role of sommelier, explicating the finer details and offering an exploratory taste of any wines she recommends.
OF NOTE
Uniquely for a diner, Mary’s wine list covers all the varietals made at Craggy Range, even library stock of top-tier labels from vintages dating back 10 years. Taittinger champagne and local sparkling wines make up the shortfall in Craggy’s repertoire. 15 Joll Rd, Havelock North Lunch & dinner daily Mains $28-$39
06 650 7770, marys.co.nz