March « 2009 « MenuMania Blog

Archive for March, 2009

Savour & Devour with Discovery Point Sauvignon

Monday, March 16th, 2009

I have at last tasted my brunch match made in Heaven. On visiting Savour & Devour, in Grey Lynn, I tasted what can only be described as the best brunch match of food and wine.
The dish tasted was the crab fritters with salad and I had decided to try the Discovery Point Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough.
The fritters were perfectly cooked and had subtle aromatics and a delicacy that made the wine appear to be in complete harmony. The wine also had some floral aromatics which are much more restrained than the usual Sauvignon from NZ. The palae weight was great and the minerality was drying leaving you want more.
The character of Savour & Devour is shabby chic with wait staff that are pleasant but not overbearing.
Jayson Bryant
www.thewinevault.co.nz

No Comments »

Henriot Champagne Tasting at Number 5.

Saturday, March 14th, 2009

On Monday I went to a rather extravagant Champagne tasting, especially given the times in which we are living.
The Champagne was ‘Henriot’ and the restaurant was Number 5. I have eaten here before and had one of the best meals of my life, but that was back in 1999.
I arrived early, as I always do, so as to taste the wine without too much noise and distraction.
The First wine was the entry level Brut Sauverain and was served unaccompanied and I found it a real palate cleanser. The fine citrus lemon zesty aromas mixed with some yeasty characters made the nose very attractive.
The next wine was served with, a modern take on a 70’s classic, Prawn Cocktail. The sauce always takes me back to when my parents thought they were up with the Jones.
The wine poured was Blanc Souveraine pur Chardonnay and was paired perfectly. The austerity of the Chardonnay was uncompromising and delicious alhtough probably could have done with a couple more years in the bottle to fatten it out slightly.
The Henriot Rosé Brut was beautiful in ways that only rose Champagne can be. The delicate fruit perfectly balanced acidity and the aromas of Pinot Noir make this wine great. If only could be said of the food pairing. The berry sorbet completely overpowered the wine and made it taste quite lean and linear. When I tasted alongside our next course of Pork Belly with garlic infused mash it was delightful.
The Pork Belly, one of my favourite dishes, was cooked to perfection and would have complemented most wines but the wine chosen for this course was the rather linear Vintage 1998.
1998 in Champagne was a difficult vintage with very warm conditions and atypical tasting for most wines, Henriot included.
The food was great but the wine unfortunately didn’t match.
Ultimately we had the Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 1995 and what a way to end a great lunch. gave up its magic straight. This wine rocked with all of its glory on display but is only going to get better. If you get a chance seek out this wine and put one down and drink one now, you’ll be rewarded.

By Jayson Bryant
www.thewinevault.co.nz

No Comments »

Haleem’s Indian Restaurant – “The Kitchen Job”

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Hi Everyone

Thank you all for your feedback.

In this post, I’d like to share with you the story that has unfolded after the episode of Haleem’s Indian Restaurant was filmed last May. Especially after it was aired on TV3.

First, some background on the business and the episode:

You may recall that the owner Haleem (the chef) with his hard working wife, Ayesha, waitress Mamta and Happy the assistant Chef were all working towards having a successful Indian restaurant.

Haleem and Ayesha were originally working very long hours. This alone can hamper the success of any business. So, taking Monday off was essential for both owners and I’m glad they listened to that advice.

Haleem then hired a chef from India and started opening for lunch. The quality of food however started to go south, and the extra wage cost was strangling the business.

Mamta, the ever attentive and knowledgeable waitress moved out of the area and had to quit. She was a great asset as her hospitable personality really enhanced the restaurant’s concept.

Then sometime around November Haleem and Ayesha’s children moved over to Australia with their grandmother and uncle.

A few weeks later, Ayesha also moved to Australia to be with the children. Haleem stayed behind working and preparing the restaurant for sale so that he can join his family and start again across the ditch.

The night the show actually aired, there was an influx of viewers willing to give the restaurant a try and help get this business on the right path.

Haleem found himself facing a new problem. He had too many bums on seats, not enough food to go around and not enough staff to do the job properly.

He then called me and asked for my help. I managed to bring back Mumta and ended up serving tables myself, as I felt a bit responsible for this sudden, unexpected success…

I am very familiar with restaurants having problems attracting diners but when I saw Haleem struggling to handle a full restaurant I become more determined to help him sell this fantastic eatery. Enter my friend and successful restaurateur Rohit.

Rohit owns a number of Indian restaurants in New Zealand called Shahi, and was my expert helper in this particular episode.

I managed to broker a deal between Haleem and Rohit.

Rohit purchased the restaurant and changed it to “Shahi Indian Cuisine”, Haleem is joining his family in Australia, Mamta is now working for Rohit and the people of the neighborhood still have a great Indian restaurant they can be proud of.

This is still a win win situation and a valuable lesson to everyone involved.

I have to thank all the people who have made a genuine effort to help Haleem and thank you for your interest.

Please feel free to post a comment or to ask any question.

Next time I will share with you the story of RIVER VIEW BAR & GRILL in Helensville. Till then, take care.

John Palino

www.johnpalino.co.nz

4 Comments »

John Palino Host of “The Kitchen Job”

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Hi everyone,

First, I would like to thank you all for watching The Kitchen Job series on TV3.

In the next few weeks I would like to fill you in on the progress of each restaurant from the show. I would also like to share with you some of the recipes I have created for the restaurants in these series.

It was a great show to work on and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to help people and to give them the necessary tools to succeed in their business.

The restaurant business is a very difficult and demanding industry to be involved in. There are so many variables and anything could go wrong at any moment.

Once you’ve created the appropriate atmosphere for a friendly hospitality venue, plus designed a menu, prepared the food, then hired and trained the staff, you’re all ready to go. But even then there are still no guarantees that you will have customers walking through your door.

People who do this job well make it look easy.

Once your customer flow begins, the hard work has only just started. It takes a lot of time, effort and experience to stay on the top of such a business. You need an artistic flair but also good business acumen. After all, this is an investment that needs to make profit to stay viable.

That’s it from me for this week, have a great one. Just remember you too can help the industry. First by going out dining as often as you can, and second by informing your host if anything is not up to your expectation. It’s a good way to help the industry and hopefully have a better experience on your next visit.

Next week I will let you know a bit about Haleems Indian Restaurant and how it’s been going for him so far.

Please feel free to ask anything regarding the show or the industry in the comments.

Regards

John Palino

www.johnpalino.co.nz

19 Comments »

Archive for March, 2009

Savour & Devour with Discovery Point Sauvignon

Henriot Champagne Tasting at Number 5.

Haleem’s Indian Restaurant – “The Kitchen Job”

John Palino Host of “The Kitchen Job”

About

Categories

Archives