It's nearly the weekend, you've had enough of cooking for the week and you're keen to wrap your taste buds around one of the many incredible menus on offer in Auckland. Deciding where to go can be half the battle. Restaurant critic Kim Knight has done the hard work for
Auckland restaurant review: Kim Knight eyes the menu at Siso, Remuera. Drinks list by Yvonne Lorkin
A seat by the fire at Siso Bar and Eatery, Remuera. Photo/Sylvie Whinray
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Siso is a sizeable bar and restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Banque. We were chased inside by a freezing southerly and I was immediately charmed by the long room that had been divided into smaller, interconnecting spaces - a demarcating archway; a change in table height there. The dining room decor channels Posh Aunt Goes To Wānaka. Expect to encounter artful stacks of artful books, glass terrariums of dried stuff and the occasional ornamental (and possibly fake) skins of dead stuff. When we were shown right to the back, to a table for two immediately adjacent to an open fire, I was ecstatic.
"So romantic," I said to James and we stared into each other's eyes until they stung and we realised it was not the mood that had blurred the room into soft focus but the open fire that was now spewing more smoke than marshmallow night on a Scout camp.
It takes a special kind of hospitality focus to completely ignore something so clearly negatively impacting your customer's evening but our waitperson succeeded. I should have asked to move tables but he referred to us as "my friends" approximately 57 times in the first 10 minutes and nobody wants to be the bad friend. The maitre d' poked worriedly at the fireplace and eventually, the wood caught and/or the backdraft stopped and we all breathed a little easier.
And so to the menu. Small plates, large plates, sides and salads; absolutely nothing to scare the Remuera thoroughbreds here. The crudo was kingfish, the market fish was hāpuku and three of the seven mains contained cow. Nothing begged my absolute attention; nothing required a surreptitious google to understand. I yawned and ordered octopus ($28). OMG! Eyes wide open now. Tender octopus, a lemony oil, caperberries, juicy green olives and a judicious touch of, I think, mint but maybe it was just sharp, wintery baby basil. Either way, this was a truly lip-smacking, attention-grabbing starter.
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Our friend (who was I to argue?) missed a trick when he didn't try to up-sell the meatballs ($23). They come three to a plate and if you are two, you'll wish you had four, because these were even better than the octopus and you may not want to share the last one. Medium-ground lamb was cooked beautifully pink-rare and it had a long, smoky-chilli finish that melted into a silky garlicky parsnip skordalia and sweet meaty jus. All the flavours of a fine and elegant roast in a rustic mouthful.
I had high hopes for the sourdough flatbread ($7) with whipped mushroom ($14). The bread was warm and chewy but the dip was direct from the fridge. It had the consistency of an oatmeal face mask and desperately needed a few more minutes at room temperature to deliver the more luxe fungi experience you expect when you get a whiff of truffle oil.
Mushroom lovers are very well served at Siso. Get them Grecque'd and linguine'd. On that note, definitely get some pasta. We had the cannelloni (beef cheek, $37) and the pappardelle (short rib, $35). I particularly loved the little pickled golden raisins that studded the latter and the smothering of cheese on the former. In both dishes the pasta was fresh and thick; the meat soft and rich. Filling and fulfilling and just the sort of food you want to be eating in winter.
My initial concerns about menu mundanity had evaporated. Everything we ordered was delicious and the servings were generous. Sadly, there were a few service blips. Please don't take away plates when one diner is still eating. Please do take away plates before you try to put down the next round. And feel free to bring an extra plate when two people are sharing a single dessert. The tonka bean panna cotta ($17 worth of nutty-vanilla-caramel sexy) had a stunning wobble and a really thoughtful thyme crumble for textural interest, but it was a risky trip from the centre of the table. I feel bad complaining but in the reviewing business you don't set out to make friends - no matter how many times the waitperson insists you are.
Siso Bar & Eatery, 311 Remuera Rd, Auckland, ph (09) 522 6688. We spent: $242 for two.
SISO BAR & EATERY DRINKS LIST
Of the six Champagnes on the list, only one (Perrier-Jouet, $20) is available by the glass but you could kick things off with a perfectly delicious glass of Deutz or a $13 flute of prosecco. The rosés by the glass are supermarket standard issue (Wither Hills, Church Road, Mt Difficulty), whereas I'd actually give my left limpet for a glass of the new Butterworth Regatta rosé or the supremely classy Chateau Roubine Cru Classé from Provence. And then I'd be way more comfortable shelling out $75 or $80 respectively on a whole bottle. For a restaurant that sells itself as offering a magical, Mediterranean-inspired menu, to not see a pinot grigio, a soave or an arneis from Italy or an albarino, a godello or a verdejo from Spain by the glass, is disappointing. And don't tell me you can't find them, because those wines are everywhere in the trade right now. I mean, look at all that seafood, burrata, taramasalata, hummus, grilled octopus and feta-filled fabulousness on the small plates menu right? The last thing I want with that stuff is riesling! Anyhoo, lovers of pinot noir will applaud the no fewer than 14 examples on the menu, yet just four are available by the glass — and they're the usual suspects from the Foley Family stable, Mt Difficulty, Te Kairanga, Vavasour et al. Merlot by the glass? Nope. But there are two syrahs, two cabernets and a shiraz. Yet. Not. A. Single Italian. Or. Spanish. Wine. This is a reds list of a Mediterranean restaurant. What does feature everywhere are typos, even in the "Wines We Love" list, such as very expensive drops from Dry River "Loat" [sic] gewurztraminer, Church Road The [sic] Tom and Henschike [sic] Grace of Hill. I give up at this point …
— Yvonne Lorkin
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Spoilt for choice....
Not keen on pasta this weekend? Not to panic! Why not check out Auckland's most exciting new restaurant, Bar Magda. Bricked and curtained, dark and sexy, the room is split into three - Tinder dates and interesting cocktails at one end; intimate dining tables at the other. It's clear that chef Carlo Buenaventura thinks deeply about everything he puts on your plate. From the salad to the parmesan custard, they're all worth a taste.
If meat is your thing then head to Botswana Butchery, where the menu selection is almost as wide as its chairs. Not only is the food lush but the staff charming, efficient and lovely people. It's the place to go for old school lessons in liver and livery.
If you're looking to replace plush with a bit of old school nostalgia then head to Westhaven Marina's Swashbucklers. It's the place where time (and prices) stand still and is popular with the young and the old. Famous for fish and chips on the outdoor deck, it's not just a place for summer.
A reincarnated community hall with hummus at its heart will wow anyone after a Middle Eastern feast. East St. Hall was once a community hall for the Samoan Church on the corner and the new tenants appear committed to keeping aiga and aroha at the heart of this incarnation. Falafels and carrots are a must get here. In fact, the carrots at East St. are, definitively, the best carrots in Auckland.
