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Bracu is sheltered in Simunovich Olive Estate, which began with a culture of olive growing and expanded to a range of olive products. Just before we entered the restaurant, we took a stroll in the olive garden...











Apple Boysenberry Mojito - NZ$12
New Zealand Scampi
The fresh and beautifully cooked scampi bathed in a creamy veloute made of leek, potato and sweetcorn. 

Fresh salad of fig, goat's curd, watermelon, and tomato
A very colourful and refreshing entree.

Boneless rack of lamb
The crispy pancetta and goat's curd balls added to the simple dish.

Glazed duck breast and duch leg croquette 
Market fish - cuttlefish, capsicum, chorizo and white beans
This was the most memorable dish of the night. A crispy surface sealed inside the tenderness of the fish. The chorizo powder added a hint of sourness and spiciness, and brought the dish to life.

New season apples - hazlenut, gingerbread, butterscotch, and vanilla ice cream
This dessert was a celebration of autumn. The sourness of the green apple sorbet combined well with the sweet red apple jelly. 

Caramelia chocolate ganache
The freeze-dried mandarin and fresh blood orange neutralised some of the richness of the chocolate ganache and made this a light and palatable dessert.

Food: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Atmosphere: 8/10

Highlight: 
  • The dishes were classic and colourful.
Lowlight: 
  • If you are looking for something exceptional, you won't find it here.

Website: http://www.bracu.co.nz/
Address: 49 Main Rd, Bombay, Auckland 2675, New Zealand
Hours: Mon-Tue Closed
            Wed-Sat 11:30am-11pm
            Sun 11am-4pm
Phone: +64 9-236 1030
Bracu Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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The Sugar Club offers fine dining at the "highest level". Situated on level 53 of Auckland's Sky Tower, here you can enjoy a bird's eye view of the city below, only to be occasionally intruded by "SkyWalkers". We went as part of a large group and so had the benefit of ordering everything on the menu.




Seared yellowfin tuna (complementary) 
This was a great starter, the lightly seared tuna was seated on a bed of marinated tapioca, which cleverly mimicked the texture and flavour of fish roe.


Hiramasa Kingfish - nori, cucumber, orange, peanuts, wasabi cream
Mackerel and Langoustine - smoked beetroot, miso egg yolk, apple, dill, deep-fried egg
Creamed paua, kiwi dip, frybread - chef Neil's tasty take on three kiwi classics
The paua dip was rich and creamy with chunks of abalone that added extra texture. The dip went really well with the crispy frybread.


Spiny crayfish and marlborough saffron linguine - pinenuts, aged parmigiano reggiano
Mushrooms - parfait, wood ear, shitake, black garlic, cacao porcini crumbs, ketchup
A dish with a simple name and a lot of meaning. The chef's clever combination of various textures and flavours of mushrooms created a powerful experience. This was a favourite for mushroom lovers like us. 


Baked Ricotta - figs, baby carrots, rocket, smoked paprika almond praline
Hawkes bay lamb rump - smoked pumpkin kumara mash, tomato, bone marrow sauce
Seared venison - onion bhaji, mango chutney, avocado, passionfruit
Goat tagine - goats cheese spinach dumplings, grilled apricot, pistachio crumble, filo
Tempura blue pea inari - panch phoron spiced tomato pickles, rhubarb, guava
Five spiced quail - green tomato, duck liver parfait, aubergine, goji, sumac lavosh
Laksa with cloudy bay clams - spiced shellfish coconut broth, green tea noodles, crispy shallots, herbs
Line caught fish - tempura oyster, mussels, cucumber, dashi
A pre-dessert entremet (complementary)
Peanut butter parfait - moromi miso caramel, sesame, paprika, orange
The peanut butter parfait was rich and creamy. The sweet miso caramel and sesame gave it extra punch. This was our favourite dessert.


Strawberry yuzu meringue - blackcurrant tapioca, candied olives, strawberry basil sorbet
Original beans chocolate Cru Virunga 70% - sticky plums, pickled medjool dates, whipped ganache
Stonefruit brioche - caramel goats' milk ganache, thyme cream, white peach riesling sorbet

Food: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Atmosphere: 9/10

Highlight:
  • Creamed Paua, Mushrooms, and Peanut butter parfait
  • The view is well worth the money

Lowlight:
  • Most of the dishes were not memorable
  • Some dishes were over-spiced

Website: https://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/restaurants/the-sugar-club/
Address: Skytower 72 Victoria St W, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
Hours: Mon-Tue 5:30pm-9:30pm
            Wed-Sun 12am-9:30pm
Phone: +64 9-363 6365
The Sugar Club Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Zen E Private Kitchen is an authentic restaurant serving classic and sophisticated Chinese cuisine. We couldn't find anything similar in Sydney and were surprised to find such a place in Auckland. The live seafood tanks and Chinese wooden decor immediately sets the mood.

What's most impressive was that the food not only looked artistic but also delivered on the taste. 
JiaoDong Crispy Pork Shoulder NZ$36
The tender pork shoulder, which was coated with a light crispy batter, melts in your mouth. It was accompanied with steamed buns and hoisin sauce. The portion was generous, something we found with all the dishes.  


Braised Pork with (Preserved) Vegetable NZ$38
Definitely a dish that demands skill and experience. Each slice of pork was to the same thickness to achieve consistency in texture and flavour. The preserved vegetable (hidden inside the pyramid) added complexity to the pork and vice versa. This was the winner of the night!
Boiled Fish Fillets in Hot Chili Oil NZ$58
Another massive dish... the fish was tender and had absorbed the numbingness and spiciness from the soup. The bean sprouts helped to balance some of the greasiness. 
Pan Fried Mini Pork Buns NZ$20 
These cute mini pork buns were served in a pan, which kept the skin on the bottom crispy until the last minute. The meat was juicy and aromatic, especially with the touch of black sesame on top. 


Braised Chinese Cabbage with Chestnut NZ$28
A dish that warms the heart, the Chinese cabbage had soaked up all the flavours of the soup, which was smooth and silky, almost like a creamy vegetable soup.
Steamed Twisted Roll NZ$10
This twisted roll was humongous ðŸ˜² it was almost as big as my face!!! The texture was soft and spongy. Sharing the steamy roll brought back memories from when I was a kid. I loved the simplicity of it. 

Food: 9/10
Service: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7.5/10

Highlight:
  • Braised pork
Lowlight:
  • We couldn't finish all the dishes - something we would have wished to do only if our bellies weren't about to burst

Website: http://www.zene.co.nz/
Address: 56 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
Hours: Mon-Sun 
            Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm
            Dinner 5pm-10pm
Phone: +64 9520 7887
Zen E Private Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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About me

We are passionate about food and travel and believe food is the best way to learn about different cultures. We wish to share with you our food adventures around Sydney and overseas in honest and in-depth reviews.

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