Restaurant Round Up

Have you ever wondered where to go and what to do for a day on your return to NZ? Well, here’s a good idea for both short term and long term residents.

Take a half hour ferry ride from Auckland to Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf, have a short bush and beach walk to work up an appetite, then spend the rest of the relaxing afternoon drinking beautiful wine accompanied by top notch food prepared by an internationally renowned kiwi chef, while soaking up the magnificent views.

   

Even in mid-winter, the sun came out and a flotilla of yachts with spinnakers sailed past us on the ferry to round Mototapu Island.
From the alfresco dining area on the balcony of local restaurant Vino Vino we could empathise with the boaties floating in the harbour, and watch many hardy individuals partaking of a range of mid-winter swimming challenges in the foreground, with background views extending to the outlying islands. 

But these were just enjoyable add-ons to the real pleasure of the day – experimenting with the taste sensations prepared by Kiwi-Argentinian chef Connie Aldao, at Waiheke Bistro & Bar Vino Vino, 153 Ocean View Road, Oneroa. Connie has previously spent years honing her skills at top international restaurants from Patagonia to Hong Kong, and for NZ ambassadorial functions around the world. Combining the  Argentinian love of open-fire charcoal grill cooking with the influences of Italian and Spanish cooking, it’s no surprise she has included Argentine – Mediterranean flavours in her menu.

Let’s start with a Mojita!

We decided to start with a selection of tapas to share, and although spoiled for choice, settled on: Chipa (Argentine Cheese Puffs),   Empanadas (Beef pasties) and Eye Fillet Beef Skewers with chimichurri sauce – all beautifully prepared and enjoyably paired with one of the best Mojito’s ever sipped. After a little more delicious Passage Rock Rose (sailors will recognise this from navigation charts of SE Waiheke) we ordered Pan fried fish of the day (switching out the rice for roasted winter vegetables), Cesar Salad and a Grilled Chicken Burgers.   

It’s usually fatal to agree to peruse the dessert menu, and indeed we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to taste Connie’s Black Doris plummy version of Eton Mess and the aptly name Chocolate Nemesis with cream and berry sauce. What a way to finish the meal – accompanied by an amazing Coffee Martini.

Even if you can’t be in NZ yourself, you can arrange for a voucher to allow someone else to enjoy a day out!; simply go to  vinovino.co.nz     The winter hours are Tuesday – Sunday 11.30 am till late.

As she states on her website, Connie’s  goals are “delicious food, warm service, fine value, and delighted diners keen to return”, and she wants “people to love our food as much as I love cooking it for them, and to really relax and enjoy and feel the fun and charm of Waiheke”. She has definitely nailed these goals – we’ve never had such a luxurious, leisurely, inspired lunch in such a gorgeous setting, and certainly want to go back for more!