Address: 120 Upland Road
Phone: (09) 520 0748
Cuisine: New Zealand contemporary
Rating: 7.5/10
A great neighbourhood eatery has to focus on three things - food, atmosphere and price - to keep the locals coming back for more. I'd been told that the Benson Rd Deli (BRD) in Remuera was a place that had the formula right - so much so that since extending its breakfast and lunch operation to include dinner 12 months ago, some of the locals now shun the idea of cooking and dine there two or three times a week. I went to find out what all the fuss was about.
When we arrived, sans booking, one cold and wet Friday night, the lower section of the restaurant was packed so we were settled in the more casual, deli section of the eatery. Despite the fact it has floor to ceiling glass bi-folds, it was cosy and welcoming.
A blackboard menu has four or five specials each evening, in addition to the permanent menu offered through the day. On offer was a sirloin steak, pasta alla carbonara, lamb shanks and snapper fillets - all of it sounding every bit the comfort food we were after.
There's a limited selection of starters from which we chose the salt and pepper squid and the beef rissoles. I don't mind that salt and pepper squid pops up on so many menus these days, as long as it's done well. By which I mean, if the batter is light and crispy and actually sticks to the calamari, if the morsels of seafood themselves are tender and spiced, not overpowered with seasoning, and if the accompaniments include anything from a simple wedge of lemon to an Asian-style sweet chilli jam or a thick aioli.
BRD's version didn't make me happy. It made me ecstatic. It ticks all the boxes with an impressive plate of piping hot, thickly cut tender morsels, batter that is golden, crispy, well-seasoned and it is accompanied by an excellent garlicky aioli. Tremendous.
The rissoles were also great. Texture-wise, they were halfway between a kofta (usually quite finely ground) and a meatball, and made tasty with a good balance of herbs and spices, and served with a chunky house-made tomato chutney.
We had a moment of food envy when our neighbours took possession of their very enticing looking garlic pizza bread. We it put in a late order for some. When ours arrived - thin, crispy, loaded with garlic, olive oil and sea salt - we were glad we'd had no shame in trying to "keep up with the Joneses".
Lamb shanks are another dish that has become common as muck but I can never resist them if on a menu. I like the trend of offering the dish with a choice of one or two shanks and on this occasion I curtailed my greed and went for the single. Falling away from the bone, the flesh melting and tasty and with a rich tomato-based sauce, it was perfectly adequate. Lamb loves salt and in this dish, it was pitched well.
Snapper, the fish of the day arrived beautifully presented - two fillets, skin on and pan-fried - but it was marred by the pea risotto it was served with. Aptly creamy and rich, it had a sweet overtone that detracted from tasting the fullness of the seafood. The delicate fillets of snapper had to fight for flavour.
Both mains were generous portions but weren't gratuitous, so we had room for dessert.
From the blackboard menu of tempting options (including a heart-shaped sponge cake filled with creme and strawberries) the creme brulee and affogato won out. We didn't finish the brulee as it was a tad too sweet for our palates but the affogato was delicious and demolished in no time.
The service at BRD is marvellous - casual yet efficient, friendly and familiar without being overbearing. Though clearly not locals (everyone else seemed to know each other, judging by the amount of table-hopping going on) we were made to feel very much a part of the action.
The inevitable intrusions that staff are required to make to "service the diner" (refilling water glasses, clearing plates, taking orders, and so on) were well timed and, despite the full restaurant, there was always a staff member on hand when you needed them.
Though not vying to be one of Auckland's top restaurants, BRD are avidly trying to satisfy a local customer base, seven nights a week, and they're doing a great job of providing good, solid, comfort food at a reasonable price. Definitely worth leaving your own neighbourhood for.
From the menu: Garlic pizza bread $7.50, Beef rissoles $9.50, Salt and pepper squid $17.50, Snapper on risotto $25.50, Lamb shank on mash $22.50, Creme brulee $9.50, Affogato $9.50.
Drinks: Fully licensed.
