Bay of Many Coves is the perfect spot for a special meal with views of the Sounds. Photo / Anna King Shahab
Bay of Many Coves is the perfect spot for a special meal with views of the Sounds. Photo / Anna King Shahab
Three nights in Marlborough was enough to fit in a succession of seriously good meals, writes Anna King Shahab.
Sadly, recent stress factors have seen the closure of some vineyard restaurants, so I was pleased to discover that Allan Scott Bistro is still going strong, with a new lease on life – chef Matt Heath and his Picton Food Cartel team run the kitchen, and know their way around flavour. We started with the flatbread and smoky, crunchy-topped hummus, moved on to juicy Cloudy Bay clams in a coconut and makrut lime broth, before loosening the belt buckle as our shared main arrived at the table on a large wooden platter. Beef short rib, falling off the bone, and massaman-braised beef cheek were accompanied by amazing Agria roasties, and harissa roasted pumpkin – the best iteration of that veg that I've had in a long time.
Juicy Cloudy Bay clams at Allan Scott. Photo / Anna King Shahab.
Make sure you're in Blenheim on a weeknight so you can book at Scotch. The $85 chef's tasting menu included a selection of bites and then three courses delivered at the perfect pace. There were three of us; two omnivores and one vegetarian, and I loved that our meals came partly as shared dishes, partly as individual servings. The "bites" were substantial and stunning, and, struggling to stop myself filling up on the sourdough served with cultured butter, I was gratefully distracted by a beautiful charred lettuce with cashew cream and dill oil, and melt-in-the-mouth cured Ora King salmon with avocado cream. A haven for wine lovers, there are more than 2000 bottles in the cellar, plus a really interesting by-the-glass selection.
The show-stopping sourdough at Scotch. Photo / Anna King Shahab.
Lunch the next day at Harvest was dream-like. First, there's the setting – on the ground floor and sprawling deck of The Marlborough – a relocated historic convent beautifully renovated into a boutique hotel – with an outlook over the lush gardens. An Emilia cocktail matched the grandeur: the blend of Blenheim-made Roots Gin, Creme de Violette and cherry liqueur both elegant and nostalgic. After a few Marlborough oysters with elderflower vinegar, we got a taste of Mibrasa magic with roasted Havelock mussels with a garlic and parsley sauce.
Super fresh and flavoursome mussels from Harvest. Photo / Anna King Shahab.
The Mibrasa charcoal oven is a Michelin-starred favourite, and Harvest's executive Toby Stuart has a pedigree to match, having worked in many Michelin joints and for the Roux family in his motherland the UK. Bojangles sourdough (I may need to move to Marlborough just so I can have this in my life on the regular) mopped up all the juices. My main of ocean-speared butterfish was cooked to perfection and rested atop a flavoursome combination of crushed potatoes, herbs, cherry tomato, prawns, and preserved lemon vinaigrette. While we'd not left room for dessert, it was nevertheless hard to drag ourselves away from our spot on the deck, sundrenched on a late autumn day – I made a firm mental note to book a stay here next time.
Rather like "dog years", one night in the Marlborough Sounds equates to a week away from the hustle and bustle of your daily life – particularly if you're dropped off by water taxi for a stay at Bay of Many Coves.
Cocktails with a view at Bay of Many Coves. Photo / Anna King Shahab
There's so much to love about this secluded resort, not least the dining. French chef Gilles England-Brassy helms the kitchen and he and his team are well-versed in using the best Marlborough produce, and in pairing the resulting dishes with the best Marlborough wines (and if you're going all-out, there's an impressive cellar). I ate many delicious things during the degustation dinner, while looking out over the tranquil bay as the light faded. One of the best things though was Chef's incredible freshly made (huge) vol-au-vent filled with chunky mussels, fish, prawns, and clams in a creamy sauce, with a glass of Blank Canvas Marlborough Gruner Veltliner 2013 alongside.
The next morning, a steep hike to the lookout on the ridge afforded me a wonderful view of the fog-blanketed Sounds – and built my appetite for lunch. I sat on the deck with Steve the silky coated "resort cat" snuggled beside me, watching the occasional boat glide by and the last of the fog dissipating as the sun took hold, while enjoying a grainy salad piled high with hot-smoked salmon. There was just time for a brief and bracing dip off the jetty followed by a hot shower before my water taxi came to whisk me back to reality.
There was still one more treat in store for me with dinner at Gramados – a bustling Brazilian restaurant in central Blenheim. I dipped delightfully springy pao de queijo (cheese breads) into a spicy-sweet guava sauce as I sipped on a glass of Fromm Marlborough pinot noir. If I hadn't been eating rather heartily over the past few days I'd have opted to try the hearty feijoada (stew), but the prawn moqueca (cachaca-flamed prawns in a paprika-spiked coconut sauce) was a great choice. It came with a side plate of Brazilian pickled chillies and hot sauces to pick and choose from. A little salted caramel brigadeiro (fudge ball) was a sweet ending to the night, and a memorable few days in Marlborough.
Sumptuous Brazilian-inspired fare at Gramados, Marlborough. Photo / Anna King Shahab.
Getting around: This is wine country – not driving is a great idea if you're planning on visiting a few cellar doors. Let the wonderful Joe Kelly drive instead – www.winecountryshuttles.co.nz and www.blenheimcorporatecars.co.nz
