Pontoon, Westhaven

By BRENDA WARD for canvas

In our flatting days, we once called in unannounced at Kevin's. He was throwing together a smoked fish pie for he and Sandy, and tossed in a handful of cooked pasta to make it stretch for us. Over the years we often made that fish pie, always tossing in some pasta.

Last week, we were well overdue to return the favour and invited the couple, married 22 years the following day, for dinner with us at Pontoon — once the Yacht Club.

In the austerely minimal surrounds of the modern, glass-walled restaurant we were swept into an 80s flashback. It was smoked fish pie, among the entrees. And it was a damn fine fish pie. Even Kevin had to agree.

Nestled in a feathery pastry, it was crammed with smoky chunks of marlin jostling with hunks of boiled egg. Fish pie reborn. The king of the fish pies. Only the pasta was missing.

It was Valentine's Day and a special three-course set menu had replaced the regular one. Bruce decided to embrace the romance of the day (bless him) and chose from the special menu for $65, and with Cupid's prompting we all shared a bottle of Daniel Le Brun methode champenoise ($55).

But the rest of us were afraid we were missing out on something and begged for the full menu ("Eef you reeally, reeally insist," the waiter acquiesced Frenchly).

I couldn't resist the delicious duckling lasagne, with strands of tender meat piled into the pasta in a shitake and star anise broth ($18.50). Bruce and Sandy's whisky cured salmon on blini ($14.50) looked rather paltry in comparison.

The main courses seemed to put taste before presentation. Bruce's rolled loin of lamb with chestnut and thyme ($29) looked the most mouthwatering , pinkly succulent with a tasty garnish, but the others were visually underwhelming, especially my lamb shanks, although the meat was so tender it had fallen in tender chunks into the pleasant, but grey, gravy. Sandy and Kevin's tender and moist snapper ($28.50) was panfried on a bed of vegetables.

The crisp leaf salad we shared unexpectedly turned out to be an Asian-style sliced cabbage slaw, with a tangy mustard seed-based dressing.

The set menu dessert was a heart-shaped confection with brandy-snap wafers, strawberries and other melt-in-your-mouth silliness. In comparison, Kevin's fruit looked rather unimaginative, but he defended it stoutly. I chose the frozen orange souffle, a smooth and tangy citrusy cream in a cocktail glass ($12).

I offered Sandy a taste, and at the same moment we looked at each other. She exclaimed, "That's just like the orange shells stuffed with orange cream you used to make in our flatting days!"

Ambience: Coolly minimal with slabs of glass and a spectacular harbour bridge light-show. Heart-warming open hearth.

Cost: $311 for one Valentine's set menu, three entrees, three mains, a salad to share, three desserts, one bottle of wine and coffees for four.

* Read more about what's happening in the world of food, wine, party places and entertainment in canvas magazine, part of your Weekend Herald print edition.