Fish, Kingsland

Terakihi with scallops drizzled with pesto mayonnaise. Phil Walter / Getty Images

Herald rating: * * * *

Isn't it interesting how restaurants cluster around a couple of successful ventures.

In the case of Kingsland — rapidly becoming Auckland's most interesting eating strip — the trailblazer was, I seem to recall, the legendary Canton Cafe. Then in quick succession came MeKong the Vietnamese restaurant, Bouchon and so many more.

What sets Kingsland apart is the quality of the food on offer. And, said the woman who recommended it, Fish Cafe is a delicious addition to the lineup.

At Fish they truck in fresh fish daily, cook it simply and prices are still on the low side. The bonus is the atmosphere.

Clever owner Tony Adcock (Harbourside, Le Brie) in cahoots with designer Patrick Steele, hung the walls with pearl shells backlit with pink that make you feel as though you're floating in a soothing sea — albeit infested with algal bloom.

There is plenty of space between tables, which are covered with shiny white paper, and high-backed booths along one side. The black-clad waitpeople are pleasant, well-informed, and easy on the eye.

The other thing about Kingsland is that it still feels like a neighbourhood. A famous photographer, her husband and an Auckland University professor were enveloped in one of the booths. They come here regularly for the fresh fish then hop over the road to Bouchon for a crepe dessert. Neither restaurant seems to mind in the least.

Even so we were a little dismayed by the brevity of the menu. Now I'm keen on plain, fresh, well-prepared food but this sounded just too boring. Fish offers a variety of locally-caught varieties — tarakihi, hapuku, snapper, scallops, salmon and more — served battered, breadcrumbed or grilled. There's one steak option, a reasonably interesting list of entrees and although we didn't realise it until we'd finished our main courses, a short list of desserts. They also do take-out.

We started with the tapas, the most complicated and expensive entree on offer, and the marinated fish. The tapas turned out to be a couple of Pacific oysters in the shell, breaded squid rings, crunchy spears of battered fish garnished with a delicious, Asian-flavoured salad. Although the marinated fish had had only a brief brush with the lemon juice it was fresh enough to work sashimi style. Both top notch.

We accompanied both with a glass of Chard Farm Pinot Gris that turned out to be so crisp yet mellow the non-driver proceeded to have another. In keeping with the menu, the wine list is short but carefully chosen with a wide range of whites considered good matches for fish.

By now I'd seen other diners tucking into mountains of crisp battered fish and was wishing I'd risked those killer fatty acids and rampant obesity  instead of opting for the chef's special. But the terakihi with scallops drizzled with pesto mayonnaise, turned out to be not only healthier, but delicious too. The accompanying potatoes had been crisped in butter and salt, the asparagus dressed in hollandaise, the terakihi cooked OK and the scallops plump and perfect.

Brian's grilled hapuku, served alongside a great wedge of gratin potatoes, was a surprise. He also shops at the fish market most weeks, but chooses bigger pieces of hapuku and cooks it slightly less. The potato gratin, however, was superb.

Overall — surprising for a fish restaurant — the high point of our meal was our tarte tatin dessert. It was served warm, pastry still crisp, the apple sweet and caramelised, and the accompanying icecream and cream generous and delicious.

Oh, and they offer parking — at 12 Central Rd, by the embroidery shop.

We'll be back.


Overall: Much better than the average fish restaurant at lower than average prices.
Where: 462 New North Rd, Kingsland,
(09) 846-3474
Our meal:  $122 for two. Two entrees, two main courses, one dessert,
three glasses of wine.
Our wine: $8-9.50 a glass; $29-47 a bottle.