Address: Auckland Ferry Building, 99 Quay Street
Phone: (09) 307 6966
Website: cincin.co.nz
What we wanted was a comfortable and relaxed evening. It had been a hard few days and we were not after trips to the culinary new frontier or an atmosphere to set us jumping.
The veteran Cin Cin delivered. The older charms of the Ferry Building were soothing. And the menu, while not sliding into nostalgia valley, could be described as mainstream with only a few surprises.
As we were just about to head to England where I couldn't afford them I thought some oysters would be good but they were not available which seemed odd. But the roast poussin breast with pancetta was very good. I am suspicious of brussels sprouts but here the baby leaves were delicious and a useful foil to the chicken. Our other first course was the sesame crusted tuna. Visually it was curious with a dollop of avocado puree as the focus and the fish arrayed around the sides like a garnish. But it was a standout dish with the crust adding a fragrance to the tuna, so tender it was like a confit.
And it was the classic confit treatment of duck which provided one of our main courses. A standard dish with garlic potatoes, cherries and tiny turnips but competently executed and voted a real success.
For my main course I chose the bouillabaisse, the Provencal dish which can get the French in a terrible lather over authenticity. If one goes with Kipling and agrees "There are nine and sixty ways of constructing tribal lays And every single one of them is right" then Cin Cin's version was acceptable. For my taste it relied too heavily on shellfish with lots of mussels, some clams and prawns and not enough actual fish but the broth was well worth spooning up to the last drop with its heavy fennel influence and the rouille on the garlic toast had a real bite.
We had avoided side dishes, although I was curious about the tempura artichokes with rosemary and nuts, and ventured into the small dessert menu.
The chocolate fondant tart proved to be more of a hot chocolate pudding than any tart I recognise but was suitably rich and offset by the yoghurt sorbet. The flavour of my lemongrass and kaffir lime pannacotta was delicate but I've never run into such a solid textured specimen.
The Cin Cin wine list is spectacular, going on for pages and with European wines well represented alongside a comprehensive display of New Zealand's best. And there is a good and decently priced selection by the glass if you don't happen to have the odd thousand bucks burning a hole in your pocket for a bottle of the 1995 Chateau D'Yquem.
The service matches the rest of the act, so discreet we hardly noticed they were there, but efficient and professional. We headed off, knowing that without spending an amount that would bring tears to our eyes we were unlikely to eat so well again until we get back to Auckland.
Rating out of 10
Food: 7
Service: 8
Value: 7
Ambience: 7
Our meal: $230.50 for two first courses, two mains, two desserts and five glasses of wine.
Wine list: The excellent Clos Marguerite sauvignon blanc started us well with good follow-ups in an Ata Rangi Martinborough Crimson pinot noir and a Te Mata Elston chardonnay. The Church Road viognier was a perfect end to the evening's tastings, all from the 2009 vintage.
Verdict: Sedate and conventional but with sound food providing a comfortable and relaxing experience.
