Thursday 8 January 2009

SHED FIVE NEEDS A NEW CHEF AND THE DANCE OF TANGAROAS BUTTERLFIES.


A trio of us went to Shed 5 today for lunch. We had a good table- good enough to watch some nubile topless boys jump off the lower wharf at Dockside and emerge - rippling muscles glistening. The guy candy was so good that we contemplated paying them to do it all again.

Anyway, back to the food. We had breads to start - nice rolls - marscapone laced with truffle oil, and good Olive oil and reduced balsamic. Excellent - 8/10

Next Snow crab on a wasabi pea puree - very very moist -maybe just a hint too much salt but that was balanced by a lovely Spy Valley Sav Blanc 2008. crisp - The crab entree at $26 was a treat.

Sadly the main of steamed terakihi was not up to scratch. It was terakihi with a gazpacho carpaccio jelly , sweet kumara cubes and a very light chilli dressing. It was way too firm. No spring, bordering on dry. We were hungry so we ate it but it was far from Shed 5 at its finest. At
$34 - we expect perfection.

We shared a cheese platter - strong and bold was the theme, so it was Gorgonzola picccante, Gorgonzola dolce, Italian provolone, and an Aussie Tarago triple brie- the heart stopper. They were sublime and we moved to a thicker, spicy Cental Otago Bannockburn Akarua Pinot Gris , a wine that is much more sophisticated that the early vintages.

The company was fantastic, the weather sublime. The bill was $434 for the three of us. We did drink a bit.

And on the way home past the Frank Kitts lagoon, I introduced the Aussie Rock to one of Wellington's best kept secrets. The dance of Tangaroa's purerehua ( butterflies). Large stingrays come in and swim right up to the edges of the lagoon and feed. On a still day people line the lagoon mesmerised. They are simply extraordinary to watch as they glide through the shallow waters. They should be marketed as a Wellington attraction.

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