Where: 23A The Parade, Bucklands Beach. Ph (09) 534 4943
Our meal: $343.80 for four entrees, four mains, two desserts, wine and beer.
Wine list: Covers the bases, like the menu.
Verdict: A good local restaurant in a neighbourhood with few. Not a particularly cheap option though.
Out of 10
Food: 7
Service: 7
Value: 5
Ambience: 6
You know where Bucklands Beach is. It's that area colonised 40 or so years ago by those who wanted to live near the eastern beaches but couldn't afford St Heliers.
A skinny finger of land pointing north into Tamaki Strait, an outpost of the so-called Nappy Valley, populated by young families. A number of them still live there, I'm told. Our daughter-in-law Danielle remembers Barracuda from her post-school days at Macleans College, and swears that some of the folk who patronised Barracuda then were there the night we visited.
A barracuda is a large, predatory fish with huge teeth. So unless they're having a laugh at the locals, or basing the menu on things piscatorial - which Barracuda doesn't, particularly - the name is a mystery. However, we're here on a nostalgia trip for Danielle. And to be fair, the view across the Tamaki River towards Glendowie is spectacular.
Lights from the mansions on Riddell Rd gleam, and the sea is still. The restaurant is right on the beachfront and on a summer evening the sunset must be impressive. In autumn, the outside area is closed for the season.
The interior is fine though, comfortable and roomy. We order beer, a soft drink for David, the designated driver, and wine as we investigate the menu. It covers the basics, albeit with spelling mistakes - protobello mushrooms, anyone?
I have heard that the chef's special chicken liver and brandy pate ($14.60) is worth a try, and Danielle can't go past oysters ($18.60 for the half-dozen) when they're on offer. The pate is farmhouse and very good, with just the right amount of crostini, and the oysters are described as creamy and excellent. David's calamari ($13.90) comes with lime and chilli aioli and is on the winning side of the toughness battle.
The fish of the day is John Dory, in my mind one of the best examples of the finny kingdom. It comes with lemon and caper sauce and mushroom risotto ($28.50). The fish is delicate and sweet but even though I am a risotto fan, I'm not sure that the combination works.
Bill and David have pork fillet marinated in spiced apple and served with vegetables and mash ($27.90). It's fine without being too far from something you'd knock up at home with no trouble.
Danielle's fillet steak wrapped in bacon, topped with bearnaise and served on a potato rosti ($31.90), is a standout. She's no slouch in the kitchen herself and knows the difference between good and poor steak. This is perfect. It's a leisurely meal.
There is no rush to get us finished and out, so we sit and chat and swap stories about best and worst meals. David's was ostrich carpaccio stuffed with artichokes, ours was Murray River cod.
The carpaccio was outstanding, our cod was the worst thing you could imagine eating. Barracuda is much better than that.
