Address: Rydges Hotel, Cnr Federal and Kingston streets
Phone: (09) 375 5922
Cuisine: Steakhouse and casual dining
Rating: 6.5/10
Restaurants housed within hotels are a curious thing. Choosing to dine in one when not staying in the hotel is even stranger, you might think. But there I was, in Stk Bar and Grill - the steakhouse restaurant associated with Rydges in Auckland City - as word on the street had reached me that the steaks were well worth a visit.
While waiting for my dinner companion, I took in the surrounds. The decor in the dining room sports brightly coloured upholstery and a big feature wall entirely clad in cowhides. The menus were cleverly constructed, making use of black and white cowhides too. I liked it but my guess is they don't have too many vegan conventions here.
The level of professionalism you get from hotel restaurants is always a treat. We were well looked after and informed by our waiter, who settled us in and who was smooth and practised in giving us full dish descriptions and possible wine matches throughout the evening.
My starter of beetroot and goat's cheese salad was light and tangy and presented in true hospitality school-style with a plate that was picture-perfect. The scallop starter my dinner friend ordered was equally well-presented. Encrusted in a parmesan and herb coating, the scallops were a tad overcooked but tasty, with the accompanying chorizo and apple salad providing a fabulous flavour match.
I can never go past meat cooked on the bone so I selected the 350g Angus rib as my main. This was served on the bone, perfectly cooked and well-rested. It was grilled to a dark caramelised state on the outside but pink and juicy when I cut into it, and came with sides of roasted mushrooms, garlic and onions and the choice of two sauces. I went for pepper and bearnaise sauces and both were nostalgically delicious - the bearnaise all buttery and smooth with the piquant of vinegar and tender taste of tarragon while the pepper sauce had the all-important whole peppercorns in a dark jus. I smashed the steak and apart from the un-sizzling, sizzling platter it was served on, I had no complaints.
My dining companion is not such a die-hard red meat lover, so she appreciated that there were other options besides beef and lamb. Tossing up between the salmon fillet and spatchcock she eventually settled on the chicken which turned out to be a breast, not spatchcock after all. No problem, she was happy: it was moist and tasty, teamed with the pear and ginger chutney she'd chosen as her sauce.
Stk offers a good selection of sides to choose from and I can vouch for the onion rings - they were fantastic. Thick-cut, soft, sweet and encased in panko crumb. Very tasty and very, very naughty. We tried to undo the damage with a side of steamed fresh asparagus but the big knob of glistening butter thwarted our attempts to be healthy.
For dessert, a souffle of the day caught my eye - it was impressively high and light as a feather but unfortunately it was also cloyingly sweet. The vanilla brulee was better - silky, cooling creme underneath that wonderful toffee lid.
It's not easy to rate Stk Bar and Grill as a standalone Auckland restaurant, as its raison d'etre is to service the hotel guests' dining requirements. However, it does lack what some might consider "soul". Don't plan this one for a romantic night out but if it's a decent steak you're after, go for it.
From the menu: Scallops with chorizo $22, Beetroot and goat's cheese salad $13, Rib on the bone $38, Chicken breast $36, sides of onion rings & asparagus $8 each, Sweet souffle $16, Vanilla bean creme brulee $15.
Drinks: Fully licensed.
