Nori

By EWAN McDONALD for viva

Nori is a kind of seaweed. McDonalds are not big on eating seaweed, possibly because it was the only thing they had to live on for months when they were clinging to the rocky shores of Scotland in midwinter after being thrown out of their homes to make way for sheep, and waiting to be shipped to the New World.

Nor is this McDonald the last word on Asian food, as my Viva colleagues will attest. Recently one has been looking to make more room in her kitchen. "Throw out the tofu, that'd be a good start," was my - helpful, I thought - contribution.

However, you can't work in the city without appreciating Kiwis' love for Japanese-oriented food. From hole-in-the-wall sushi bars to fashion-slave cafes, raw fish or wrapped rice is the lunch of choice.

Sadly, much of what is on offer has reduced one of the world's noble and complex cuisines to a quick, tasteless bite that lingers for two or three days in a leaking box in the office fridge before someone takes pity and throws it out.

Konnichiwa, then, to Nori, a buzzy new Japanese restaurant in Parnell. Geography lesson: you know how you come up the Rise, past the park, and the rug shop is on your left? Gone. You know the carpark over the road? Gone. It's now a four-level, mixed-use, inner-city, urban redevelopment with retail on the ground floor, office space above and apartments on top. Nori is in the retail development, next to the enduring Fraser's Place cafe.

It's a nice room, the sort of place that Auckland does so well, the restaurant equivalent of the smart-casual dress code. Seats on the pavement, lots of floor-to-ceiling windows, aubergine walls, high-backed banquettes on one arc, flower arrangements, a vibrant feel echoed in the 60s and 70s pop ("Lightnin' strikes me again and again and ... ")

We had booked and it turned out to be a good move, even though the place had been open less than a week. The time that various components of the meal arrived didn't quite mesh, but we've seen enough of Jamie Oliver's new series to know that these things take more than a day or two to work out. Besides, the food was so enjoyable and the staff so helpful that we couldn't mind.

Nori offers accessible versions of classics such as steamed egg custard, sashimi, tataki, teriyaki, tempura, karaage and sushi with typical attention to presentation. One of the best things about Japanese restaurants is watching other people's meals go past, and here they go past on black lacquer trays and plates, or delicate chi ... err, crockery. That tray that looks like melon and mango and ice-cream ... it's not a dessert, it's sashimi.

We began with a tempura platter, the pale yet crisp batter hiding flavoursome mouthfuls of aubergine and broccoli and prawn, dipped into sharp and salty sauces, and salmon, marinated in miso and grilled, which can only be described as a joy.

Mains arrived with a small dish of side-salad, another of rice, a third of miso soup. Chicken teriyaki was moist and tangy. Beef steak was just past bloody, the wasabi less stressful than most around town. You have to love a cuisine that offers guilt-free steak with the trimmings, low in dairy, fat and sugar, all those things that make other food taste great.

On the liquid side, Nori offers a small and predictable wine list, but we found that a small pitcher of hot sake was the go. And the nice woman brought us a green tea to finish with. Subtle, warming, traditional: it summed up the meal.

Bill, please. Certainly, sir. Three courses, side dishes, drinks, that'll be $73.50. I've got Scottish heritage and I never hooked into this cuisine earlier?

Open: seven days, lunch and dinner

Owner: Masa Okave

Chef Nori Yazaki

Food: Japanese

On the menu:

Steamed egg custard with seafood $7.80; Beef tongue stew with demiglace sauce and miso $19; Chirashi sushi $19; Green tea ice-cream with sesame pudding $6

Vegetarian: Plenty of choices on the menu

Wine: Just a few; try Japanese beers or sake

Smoking: Outside

Noise: Bubblegum's greatest hits

Disabled access / toilets: Ground-level entry, dedicated cubicle

Parking: The usual "Parnhell"

A buzzy, friendly restaurant that does all the classics, at good prices, and is pulling in the locals.


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