A taste of...
Bambuchi
31 Moxham Ave, Hataitai, Wellington.
We’d heard… Another hotspot had opened up in the ‘burbs, serving up a contemporary grazing menu.
We ordered… Three plates and a side of garlicky, Swedish style potato hasselback ($10), roasted whole with flavourful herbs and seasoning. Every recipe was well-executed, with a range of textures and balanced flavours. Savoury, salty venison carpaccio ($16) was complemented with blueberries and tart beets; while soft mushrooms with truffle ($14), were paired with crispy flaxseed chips, pickled onion and a high volume of slightly bitter pine nuts that created a creamy feel. A trifecta of tender braised beef cheek, firm and refreshing zucchini and eggplant kasundi ($24) was married together perfectly with a hit of chilli and ginger emanating from the aubergine.
An intelligently designed apple crumble ($15) consisted of a loose Anzac biscuit crumb and intensely concentrated apple jelly. The camembert ($18), served with a side of fanned and flowergarnished saffron poached pear, honeycomb and French pain d’epices bursting with nutmeg and cinnamon (our the only gripe being the slice was a bit overdone on the edges) meant we could play around with the varying combinations to our heart’s content.
It’s easy to get carried away with the creations here, so we advise to budget accordingly - as the portions are tapas-sized you’ll need about five dishes between two people.
The service… Super cool. Our waitress was chatty, friendly and very intuitive - when we had sat down she asked if we were warm enough, offering us a heater, and talked us through the menu. We also totally dig the palm-leaf motif apron uniform.
The vibe… Cosy neighbourhood hangout with a Balinese hint. Sultry low lighting and cute table lanterns adorn the tables of the long and narrow venue. Vibrant music pumps away in the background (thankfully not too loudly), while lush hints of green, including real plants in the bathroom, lift the stylish wooden fixtures and bare white-washed walls. The bar counter with stools makes it a good option for a quick post-work stop-off for a drink and a snack, too.
If you go… Definitely go for one of the cocktails. We rate Martin the Plum ($16), a classic martini with the juniper-lead gin smoothed off and sweetened with plum wine. If you’re local to the area, go check out the brunch offering.
Rating out of 5: 4- Janan Jay