Soul, Viaduct Harbour

By CARROLL DU CHATEAU for canvas

I'm a sucker for a night at the Viaduct. The sight of those lights rippling in the water, the yachts bobbing about, the beautiful people promenading (make that staggering by the time the evening is out) gives you something to do when the conversation flags. I'm also rather keen on Soul, which offers some of the best views combined with good food at a reasonable price.

And for Soul bar and bistro, this is a big month. A couple of weeks back, owner Judith Tabron invited Melbourne chef Greg Malouf to design a Middle Eastern menu for the restaurant, and teach her chefs how to cook it. I liked the result so much this was the third time I'd been back in as many weeks.

As requested, we scored a table on the terrace, and settled in for a fine old time. I ordered Cypriot haloumi with asparagus and witloof ($10.50) which was becoming a habit. It didn't disappoint. The fried salty cheese was as tasty and soft as when Malouf was in charge, and the truffle-tasting egg on top showed the telltale signs of his famous soft-egg poaching method.

The others did well too — barbecued calamari ($13.50) for Barb and Bob, which was surrounded by fragrant couscous stew with Jewish coriander relish, and skewered chicken livers with za'atar ($9.50) for Brian. All of us, except Barb, enjoyed the exotic flavours. They also went particularly well with our bottle of Hunters Sauvignon Blanc ($42).

My main course was a little disappointing. Probably because I was too intent on the conversation and the passersby, I opted for the pan-fried hapuku ($26.50), which turned out to be done with a Parmesan batter rather than any hint of the Middle East.

Bob and Barb, who seemed to be ordering the same thing that night, found the Waikanae crab canneloni ($18.50) bland with a tasteless sauce, though Bob did enthuse mightily about how he liked a restaurant to take risks, as Soul surely did that night. And Brian's pork chop in Parmesan and olive crumbs ($25.50) looked too much of a replay of his first course, though he, an ardent lover of the crumbed coating, enjoyed it.

So to dessert, which sadly, did not please Barb either. She declared the Spanish fritters flabby and tasteless. The rest of us however, abandoning all hopes of a Middle Eastern finale, tucked into the pear tiramisu (both $11.50) which was quite delicious, ordered some glasses of Ngatarawa Stables Chardonnay ($7.50 each) and watched the crowd saunter by. As Westie Bob said, with only the hint of a fiendish grin, "I feel as though I've died and gone to heaven".

Ambience: upmarket casual. Cool

Cost: $271 for four entrees and main courses, three vegetable sides, two desserts, a bottle of wine plus three glasses, three bottles of San Pellegrino water (for the mayor who eschews Waikato water).


* 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.