K.K

By EWAN McDONALD for viva

It would have been, oh, 18 months or two years ago that a friend decided that a group of us had similar interests - food, wine, travel - and would enjoy each other's company.

Obviously we would never combine these hobbies unless we block-booked one of those bus tours through 38 European countries in 14 days or the lower deck of the Pacific Princess. So we decided we would eat and drink our way around the world without leaving Auckland.

The rules are simple: every six weeks or so someone chooses a restaurant that can serve 12 or 14 for about $25 a head, BYO, and you can't visit the same cuisine as last time. It's not until you start delving into the underbelly, so to speak, of the city's ethnic restaurants that you realise how many different varieties our eateries come in.

There have been some gems, quite a few of which have featured in this column. Mekong Neua, the Vietnamese-Laotian place in Kingsland; the Star Cafe in Epsom, one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city; Saffron, the unpretentious Indian curry-house in Ponsonby; and Fan Si Pan, marvellous Vietnamese and a friendly welcome in Dominion Rd, all come quickly to mind.

Someone's insistence on observing the appropriate etiquette when drinking sake, which was all very culturally sensitive until late in the night, particularly as our hosts banged a drum every time someone came in the door. Even less culturally sensitive next morning, which was a work day.

Arguments have been had over what constitutes "ethnic cuisine". The Hon Secretary, a man of great discretion and usually of wisdom, ruled that Italian and French food was not "ethnic" within the constitution of the club, an opinion from which I heartily dissociate myself, but he's English and merely reinforcing the prejudices of a former Empire. Anyway, he lost all credibility when it came to his turn and he wanted fish and chips.

From the outside it might sound like middle-aged, middle-class folk looking for reasonably cheap thrills. Not so. We have genuine curiosity and interest in learning about the cultures and take great pleasure and enjoyment from the food and drink.

Last week's venue was K.K, a tiny Malaysian restaurant in Epsom, down the road from the Lido where they're showing Dinner Rush at sessions that for much of the audience are more like Milo Rush.

You mightn't have heard of K.K, but here is a recommendation: there are people queuing outside on the pavement to get into this place in the sort of weather we've been having lately.

Part of that may be because the little shop seats just 32 at tables for four and six and more, and when you do get inside it feels as though you are an extra in one of those black-and-white film clips from the 60s, where they are trying to set a new Guinness record for cramming the most people into a Mini.

The food is fantastic, dish after dish that might include chicken and beef satays; deep-fried tofu with sweet onion, cucumber, roasted peanut and sweet chilli sauce; seafood noodle soup; fried vermicelli with vegetables, prawn, chicken and their own sauce; coconut rice with sambal chilli, anchovy, boiled egg, cucumber and rendang (coconut curry) chicken.

Our favourites included sticky, crispy, lemon chicken and a whole fish splashed with assam sauce. For all this, and more that I've forgotten, we paid $43 for two - not a long way shy of what you would have paid for the fish alone at one of those flash places downtown that end in "o". We don't live in a small town; we live in a big city with a great range of cuisines. Why don't you get out and try some? You'll be glad you did.

Open: Mon 5.30pm-9pm, Tues-Sun 11.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-9pm

Food: Malaysian

On the menu: Tom Yam soup with king prawn fish,

Wine: BYO

Noise: Yes


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