Herald rating: * * * *
Address: 165 Ponsonby Rd
Phone: (09) 360 1611
Open: Dinner Mon-Sat
Cuisine: Bistro
From the menu: Scallop and saffron risotto with fennel and gremolata $16; Rolled and roasted pork belly with black pudding $26; Iced bombe tortini $14
Vegetarian: Soup, salad and pasta
Wine: Pedigree
KEY POINTS:
The bloke at the next table leaned towards my dessert. "I can smell that from here," he said. "What is it?"
"Rice pudding creamed through with medjool dates," I told him.
"That's my dessert sorted. Now, what am I going to have first?" He turned his attention to the menu. I glanced, later. He was wolfing the hamburger.
Yes, Hamburger. We are in the newest temple to gorgeousness on Ponsonby Rd. It is called Magnum Dining Bar and before you wonder what that means, the designer's latest touch is a slightly sunken bar where one, or two, or more, sit and dine rather than drink.
Ditto at the outside tables, or along honey chintz-walled banquettes, under retro 60s light fittings. And on the menu is a hamburger. Gourmet beef, lettuce, home-made relish and aioli. Brioche bun. No beetroot. No tomato. But chips. Hand-cut, naturally.
This is, for those who inexplicably missed last week's instalment of the indispensable eating-out guide to Auckland, the new offering from Blair Russell and Mark Wallbank, purveyors of Rocco and until lately Blake St Espresso, cafes and bars to the stars.
I could go into more detail about the decor but, as Jude has gently pointed out recently, when it comes to taste and textiles I should stick to food. I'm hoping Babiche's photo will save me 1000 words.
So, food. Celia Harvey is in the kitchen. By way of Glen Eden Intermediate, Cecconi's in Mayfair, and a brief stint at Soul before joining Wallbank and Russell at Blake St.
For Magnum she blends Westie roots and London experience to cook up a traditional menu, almost but not quite bistro. Devilled chicken livers, for heaven's sake. Macaroni cheese. Smoked fish pie. Roast chicken. For afters, there's lemon tart, rhubarb trifle and that rice pudding.
Aah, but this is Ponsonby, so the macaroni has fontina, savoy cabbage and truffle oil, the chicken is free-range and comes with roasted Jerusalem artichokes, boudin blanc and porcini jus, and the fish pie has ... err, mushy peas.
Harvey has something going on with ham. It guest-stars in a remarkable charcuterie plate, appears in a wondrous pork and pistachio terrine, slivers of prosciutto, a ramekin of potted threads. Shredded, it hosted a stunning salad of cress, peas, creme fraiche dosed with horseradish.
Tonight, though, the path to my heart runs through veal. Too few chefs serve it here. Harvey does the classic Italian chop grilled on lemon-scented tagliatelle, butter melted over capers, wilted sage. No frills with Jude's hapuka, either: it's chargrilled, atop green olives, pepper slivers, silverbeet (sorry: this is Ponsonby. Rainbow chard) and a balsamic dressing.
By now you're getting the point and if you aren't, that rice pudding should settle it. Simple, strong, honest food that you've known since Sunday roasts at Grandma's place (and Harvey is talking about that idea, too). Not a main over $30. Come once, come again. Come a couple of times a week, enjoy the buzz, you'll see 'most everyone you know or want to know or who wants to be known.
There are cocktails, and there is a high-pedigree winelist. This was the only area in which we were a tad disappointed: our suggested matches seemed a little - to use a wine-buff's technical term - wimpy. That might be down to turning up on opening night. We can allow the staff a few nerves, no?
I was reminded of stumbling into a new restaurant up Ponsonby Rd a few years back, being blown away, and excitedly typing: "Write this name down, or tap it into your personal organiser, or enter it into your cellphone directory, or do whatever you do to remember important things ... because you are going to want to get a table at the new place on Ponsonby Rd, and if there is any justice in the world it is soon going to be very difficult to find one."
That was 2001, that was Rocco. In 2007 you'd best take the same advice over Magnum, because it will go off in the same way. I'm probably too late. This is Ponsonby. The place opened on Tuesday and was full by 8.30pm. By the time this comes out, it will be the hottest table in town.
