Two men, one eatery, 160 dishes to go
Graeme Tuckett
Ilove Wellington City. Even though I despair at times – when it considers building town houses on a peninsula that should be a reserve, for instance – I still live here because it is the best city in Aotearoa.
I know that you will have your own favourite place and I respect that. (Unless it’s Palmerston North, obviously.) But for me, this bonkers little collection of people and buildings with nothing between us and a wind that comes straight from Antarctica, is as good as it gets. No-one lives in Wellington by accident. You either love the place, or you pack your bags and hope the trains are working.
And what I like most about Wellington, is how much of it is hidden away. Like any great city, you’ll never find the things the locals love, unless you come and stay for a good long time.
We snort into our upcycled woollens and tell you how ‘‘the South Coast’’ and ‘‘the view from Mt Kaukau’’ are the highlights – knowing we have got rid of you for hours, while we go to eat and drink in peace. At gems like Puffin for a glass of wine – with the most charming and knowledgeable crew behind the bar I’ve ever met, or Auntie Social in Newtown, rocking a retro-futurist vibe and serving up the tastiest drinks and best bar food (candied pork scratchings with chili oil. OMG) you’ll find anywhere. Or Crumpet, with a Negroni game that would put them on a short list from Melbourne to Manhattan.
But of all the jewels in the city I love, there is one that has been hiding in plain sight for years.
Since 1998, half way along the conveyor belt of bad decisions that is Courtenay Place, stands a queen of the Wellington food scene. And from the outside, you would never even know it.
KC Cafe has been a Wellington institution for two decades. Being an idiot, I’d walked past and never thought about dropping in. But a friend – someone who knows more about great food than most – insisted on lunch at KC about 10 years back. ‘‘Try the Orange Beef,’’ he said, ‘‘it’s as good as you’ll ever find.’’
Since that day I’ve gone back to KC hundreds of times, gazed at that legendary menu – and most often still picked one of a few old favourites. The Hainanese Chicken and Rice is so good, it’s hard to go past.
But, a year back, a couple of guys launched a project I once thought about doing myself. And they are doing it better than I could have imagined.
They are eating every dish on the KC menu. All 160 of them, in order. And they are blogging and reviewing as they go. You can find them at kc_ review, on Instagram.
I have no idea who they are. But their writing is sharp and funny, the photos are mouth-watering and the food – naturally – is incredible. Duck Chin anybody?
And I reckon, in these troubling times, we should praise anyone who has found a mission that hurts no-one – and is seeing it through with dedication, good humour and without asking for anything in return.
So all power and respect to you, kc_review. I hope I bump into you over a Hot and Spicy Beef Tripe (#70) one night soon.