Today my family and I visited an extremely famous restaurant in Auckland- The French Cafe. It has been awarded multiple times each year since 2004 to 2014. The restaurant is located on top of Symonds Street near Khyber Pass Road, the parking was relatively easy since there was a paid car park a few meters away. The outdoor cafe furniture was stunning and the interior design of the restaurant was very calm and contemporary, the feeling was simple but elegant. The room we were in has a view over looks the courtyard which opens to dining in the warmer months.
Contemporary Design in interior
The Open Kitchen
The waiters were very attentive and offered to take our coats just before we were about to sit down. Our booking was from 6pm to 8.15pm, the waiters were very thorough at introducing the menu and suggested the courses we should take in order to finish within the time frame. The tasting menu (NZD$140pp) would take 3-4 hours and said it won’t be a viable option considering we have a time restraint. After taking our orders, we had various starters (free of charge) that almost came out immediately and they were delicately made and tasted delicious.
Smoked and Herb Butter to go with the bread
Finger Food Starters
Complimentry Starters
Between four of us, we ordered two “firsts”, two “seconds” to share and followed with four mains. My friend said this place is comparable to some Michelin restaurants he tried in Europe. He was not wrong, each of us were very satisfied with each dish. The portions were generous especially the mains and all of them were decorated with top restaurant standard.
“The first” Smoked Duck- fig leaf cream, juniper, blackcurrent, walknut, celeriac
“The First” Snapper Ceviche- crab, apple jelly, verjus,shaved fennel, creme fraiche
“The Seconds” Forest Mushrooms- truffle custard, toasted rye, pine oil, wood sorrel
“The Second” Caramelised Veal Sweetbreads- languostine, carrots, almonds, gingerbread
“The Main” Smoked Beef- fresh wasabi butter, eggplant, coconut ash, shiitake, sweet onions
“The Main” Market Fish- butter poached crayfish, braised oxtail, root vegetables, parsley
“The Main” Boneless Lamb- cauliflower cream, prunes, onions,fennel, black olives
Although we were extremely full, we insisted trying out one dessert dish “Buttermilk Granita” with feijoa and we were in love with this dish. It is extremely rare to find a dessert that is so unique and refreshing. We will definitely be back next time I come back to Auckland.
“The Dessert” Buttermilk Granita- feijoa, apple cream blueberries, elderflower, meringue
PS. The photos does not do justice. The dishes were AMAZING! Definitely the best quality restaurant in New Zealand.
My love ones @ The French Cafe
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