Herald on Sunday rating: * * * 1/2
Where: Langham Hotel, 83 Symonds St
Ph: (09) 300 2885
Website: auckland.langhamhotels.co.nz
Open: Tuesday to Saturday
This place is named after one of the great wines of Italy," I told the Professor's mother as we sat down.
"What, Langham?" she fired back. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt by assuming that she was being witty rather than obtuse.
Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape in the Piedmont region, in Italy's far northwest, and there are 20 choices starting from $155 on the list at this eponymous eatery - five by the glass at $30 or $35 with tastes at $12. If you are wanting to enjoy the place on the terms it presents itself, bring an expansive frame of mind along with the credit card.
Partington's, the fine-dining room at the Langham, has reopened under a distinguished name, then. The room has been closed all winter but whatever they've been doing by way of re-invention hasn't included a refit.
The same ghastly drapery and gaudy upholstery lends it the look of a Russian bordello, and the tables are so big it's impossible to talk without fear of being overheard in Mt Eden (when the Professor wanted to try my wine, I wished I had a croupier's rake to push it across to her).
But with some bellowing we negotiated our way through the menu by Alberto Usseglio, who is described as "chef-patron" (he means "padrone", the owner-operator of a restaurant and someone should tell him that the English "patron" means something else).
The food is described as Piedmontese and if much of it seems pan-Italian, it's worth remembering that the area around Turin is the crucible of many Italian staples, including risotto, tagliolini pasta and porcini mushrooms.
All that said, the food was good, even very good, but only sometimes excellent. The Professor's Mum was in raptures over an entree of asparagus and goat cheese, and the Professor herself liked a salad of octopus and green beans.
I was equally impressed with a vol-au-vent crammed with sweetbreads and mushrooms, though it would have been more honest to describe the accompanying "watercress salad" as watercress. I also wished I had not been lured by the words "truffle-friendly" next to its menu listing. This is a reference to the house's practice of offering shaved (New Zealand) truffle at $40 (black) or $45 (white) for 5g.
I would hesitate to describe myself as an aficionado of truffles, which I have eaten twice at the tail-end of an Umbrian season. I suppose some would say these were subtle but I thought them either tasteless or entirely unsuited to such a strong-tasting dish as sweetbreads or both. Certainly they were an extremely expensive disappointment.
Our mains varied from some superb fish to some hand-pinched agnolotti pasta the Professor thought closer to uncooked than al dente and a wonderful chunk of pot-roasted sirloin on celeriac puree.
It could have been a typical dish of any country north of the Mediterranean but paired with a glass of Domenico Clerico "Arte" 2005, it was a quasi-religious experience.
Desserts - a rhubarb zabaglione and a caramel semifreddo - were extremely good and thanks to a waiter with a sense of drama it was certainly a memorable evening.
But it's dearer than Toto - which is some achievement - and, for my money, not as good. Definitely occasion dining.
Right, time to fire up the barbie. Eat well rather than immoderately at Christmas and we'll talk again in the New Year. Buon appetito!
Ambience: Baroque and gaudy
Vegetarians: One each of entree, pasta, risotto and main
Watch out for: Truffles
Bottom line: Competent and expensive
The bill
$301 for three Entrees $17-$21
Pastas $22
Mains $29-$35
Sides $8
Desserts $15
Wines from $14/glass to $899/bottle
