New Zealand - Pub food

There are a lot of pubs in Wellington that serve good pub food and even better Kiwi beer. I went to the Tasting Room at Courtenay Place for dinner on the day I arrived. Unfortunately, the photos were not good. Maybe I was jet lagged. However, I do have photos of the General Practitioner at Willis Street, which belongs to the same group that owns the Tasting Room.

Welcome to the General Practitioner

The reason why this place is called the General Practitioner is because the house used to be owned by a general practitioner. I was told Willis Street is not the original location though. The whole house was transported to the current location. Talk about cut & paste.

The Platter
Top tier: Bread with several condiments
Bottom tier: Salt & pepper squid, beef balls(I think) & cold cuts

It was evening and I was feeling cold. So, I decided to sit inside the cozy, brand-new looking pub. Patrons who want to smoke and enjoy their beer can sit outside. No fear about the beer getting warm in winter.

Monteith's from the tap at the GP

Another place to get your dose of good New Zealand beer is at Mac's Brewery. The one I went to was Mac's Shed 22 Brewery, a brewery located at the waterfront of Wellington. There's outdoor and indoor sitting. Would have sat outside if that day wasn't so windy.

Mac's Shed 22 Brewery

8 beers on tap - heaven!

For those of you who love beers from the tap, you have a choice of 8 beers! Wonderful. There is a good selection of food to go with the beers.

Mac's Gold & Mac's Great White

Mac's Gold is a clean, crisp lager that is great for a hot day. The Great White is slightly heavier than the Gold. It's similar to Hoegaarden White Ale but not flowery. To go with the beers, I ordered a big bowl of chips served with aioli dip.

New Zealand - terrible food!

Visited the Wellington Trawling Seafood Market located at Cuba Street because Lonely Planet recommended this place. I imagined it to be like Pike's Place or a market where I could buy fresh fish and have it freshly grilled right there but I was wrong.

A long queue of customers waiting for fish & chips

This "market" occupies a small shop lot & there are two counters - one that sells fish & chips, & another that sells raw fish. The moment I opened the door, I could smell fish & chips being fried in oil. I felt ill & should have left the place.

Raw fish being sold next to the fish & chips counter

But since I always tell myself to try everything once, I decided to queue up for 15 minutes & order a set of fish & chips that came with 5 pieces of friend potato wedges.

1 piece of fish, 5 pieces of potato wedges & plenty of hard chips

I didn't enjoy this meal. It was really disgusting. After I separated the fish from its batter, the size of the fish shrank by 1/3. The chips were really hard instead of the soft, soggy chips one gets at any UK fish & chips shop. The potato wedges were delicious after I removed the batter. I felt really ill afterwards. The price may be relatively cheap but it's really unhealthy & disgusting. Don't waste your time nor money here.

New Zealand - Good food!

I did my research over the net and reading Lonely Planet's recommendations for Wellington eating places before deciding where to eat. Restaurant prices are comparable to Singapore's restaurants, same goes for the latte although the latte served in NZ is so much better than Starbucks and many cafes in Singapore. Food court takeaways, salads, wraps are more expensive in Wellington. I paid NZD10 for a bowl of thai beef noodle soup and NZD8 for a vegetarian wrap.

The popular Boulcott Street Bistro & Winebar

Went for dinner at the Boulcott Street Bistro & Winebar one evening, which was a 5 minute walk from the Novotel where I stayed during my visit. No reservations are taken for dinner time. So do arrive early. Dinner starts at 6.00pm. New Zealanders do eat dinner early, and so do I.

Complimentary amuse bouche - cream of asparagus drizzled with white truffle oil

Appetizer - Tripe Lyonnaise

Tripe Lyonnaise is basically stomach of a cow, sheep or pig cooked in butter with onions, salt and pepper.

Braised lamb shank, potato mash with lentil sauce and minted peas

For mains, my dinner companion had braised lamb shank. The meat was tasty, tender and literally falling off the bone, and the mash potato was wonderfully done - light, creamy and not mealy.

Roast pork loin with calvados apple puree and black pudding

I had roast pork with black pudding and I was slightly disappointed with the skin, which was not crispy but rather, tough and rubbery. I wonder if this is the western way of making roast pork because I have encountered skin like this many times. So, I continue to look for a western restaurant that can make roast pork with crispy skin just like the Hong Kong roast pork.

Overall, the service at the restaurant is good, the food is good value for money. Portions are reasonable but I would suggest sharing if you want to try an appetizer, main course and dessert. Sadly, we could not eat dessert as we were too full. I will definite go back there again when the opportunity arises.