Restaurant: Soi Japanese Cuisine
Address: 596 Remuera Road, Auckland
Phone: 09-5220907
Parking: Street parking is available
Food ordered: Tempura udon ($15), organic tofu ($7), sashimi ($5.5) and sake ($14)
Soi Japanese Cuisine is a relatively new restaurant in Remuera. It is well known for its homemade Tofu and Udon. So obviously I ordered what they are famous for. The homemade Tofu is cold Japanese style Tofu which is excellent. It is tofu to die for though those who are not familiar with Tofu might find it strange. You can really taste the delicate taste of the bean and it goes perfectly with the salmon roe, scallions and sea salt. The tempura udon I ordered is also very good. The tempura is fried "the right way" (Lots of places serve tempura but they don't even know how to deep fry stuff) and the udon itself is good, though it is not as stunning as the tofu.
Soi is a small cozy restaurant with less than 30 seats. I once walk outside the restaurant at 8pm during weekend and the place is packed so make reservation before going there on Friday or Saturday night. Price wise it is sort of in between the fancy japanese restaurant and the generic ones you find anywhere.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Gion Japanese Restaurant 6-November 2009
Date: 6/11/ 2009
Name: Gion Japanese Restaurant
Address: 197 Parnell Road, Auckland
Website: http://www.gion.co.nz/
Party size: 2
Parking: You should be able to find street parking either on parnell road or on one of the side roads.
When we get seated: 8:30pm
When we left: 10:30pm
Tonight experience:
Food ordered: Omakase chef's choice ($68 per person)
The Omakase starts with 3 pre-dinner small dishes (Takuwan, Japanese plum and squid(?) wasabi), salad, miso soup, sashimi, a small dish with eel and egg. The main course consist of teriyaki chicken, tempura, salmon, oysters and rice. The dessert is ice-cream, cake and fruit. Yes, it is plenty of food and I didn't even touch the rice that come with the main course. The taste of the omakase dinner is good, but I don't see any surprises. When I ordered a omakase/ chef's choice/ tasting menu...etc, I want to taste the creativity of the chef, which unfortunately I couldn't find any in this dinner. Please don't get me wrong, the taste of everything is above average, just no surprises for me to remember. The Gion omakase dinner certainly have more food than the Ariake's omakase, but I sense more creativity and elegancy in Ariake.
Environment:
By the time we arrived there it is already 8:30pm and they have 2 tables available and most people are finishing their dinner. I can imagine they have a full house at 7pm. The environment is pretty standard, nothing stands out too much.
Biggest concern:
The biggest concern, undoubtly, is the pace they serve our set dinner. I don't know if they will be serving at the same speed if we come in at 6pm, but I feel rushed and many time they bring out new dishes before I finish the one on my table. Maybe their speed will not be such a problem if they serve smaller portions. However, with that much food I believe this dinner should be eaten in 3 hours, not 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Final comment:
Gion is definitely a top tier japanese restaurant, but compare with Ariake I found that Ariake gives more thought to their premium set dinner. If I go back to Gion, I would not order their omakase as I believe that if the chef's creativity is not there, I would prefer to pick something that tailor to my taste.
Name: Gion Japanese Restaurant
Address: 197 Parnell Road, Auckland
Website: http://www.gion.co.nz/
Party size: 2
Parking: You should be able to find street parking either on parnell road or on one of the side roads.
When we get seated: 8:30pm
When we left: 10:30pm
Tonight experience:
Food ordered: Omakase chef's choice ($68 per person)
The Omakase starts with 3 pre-dinner small dishes (Takuwan, Japanese plum and squid(?) wasabi), salad, miso soup, sashimi, a small dish with eel and egg. The main course consist of teriyaki chicken, tempura, salmon, oysters and rice. The dessert is ice-cream, cake and fruit. Yes, it is plenty of food and I didn't even touch the rice that come with the main course. The taste of the omakase dinner is good, but I don't see any surprises. When I ordered a omakase/ chef's choice/ tasting menu...etc, I want to taste the creativity of the chef, which unfortunately I couldn't find any in this dinner. Please don't get me wrong, the taste of everything is above average, just no surprises for me to remember. The Gion omakase dinner certainly have more food than the Ariake's omakase, but I sense more creativity and elegancy in Ariake.
Environment:
By the time we arrived there it is already 8:30pm and they have 2 tables available and most people are finishing their dinner. I can imagine they have a full house at 7pm. The environment is pretty standard, nothing stands out too much.
Biggest concern:
The biggest concern, undoubtly, is the pace they serve our set dinner. I don't know if they will be serving at the same speed if we come in at 6pm, but I feel rushed and many time they bring out new dishes before I finish the one on my table. Maybe their speed will not be such a problem if they serve smaller portions. However, with that much food I believe this dinner should be eaten in 3 hours, not 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Final comment:
Gion is definitely a top tier japanese restaurant, but compare with Ariake I found that Ariake gives more thought to their premium set dinner. If I go back to Gion, I would not order their omakase as I believe that if the chef's creativity is not there, I would prefer to pick something that tailor to my taste.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Didas wine lounge and tapas 5th November 2009
Restaurant: Didas wine lounge and tapas
Date: 5th November, 2009
Address: 54 Jervois Road, Herne Bay, Auckland
Website: http://www.glengarry.co.nz/didaswinelounge.jsp
Party size: 1
Parking: Didas have its own parking (around 10 parking space) but you shouldn't have trouble finding parking spaces on side streets as well.
When I get seated: 4:10pm
When I left: 5:00pm
I was just walking around in the ponsonby area and got hungry at 4pm. Most of the half decent restaurant were close between 2-6pm so I stop by Didas and have some tapas and wine. They have a huge wine list. (my estimate is probably over 300 different wines) and about 30-40 by the glass. I have the Chartron La Jaja De Jean Chardonnay ($13), which is the only french chardonnay they offer by the glass and the Geoff Merrill Mclaren Shiraz ($13). The chardonnay is excellent, exactly what I am looking - a fruity chardonnay with some dense but no oak at all. The Shiraz is also pretty good - I usually don't like Shiraz but this one is nice. The tapas I go with the chardonnay is the duck wrap in crepes ($8), which is only OK or I will say a little bit disappointing. It is shredded duck which takes away all the fun texture of ducks. The lamb ($9)I ordered to go with the Shiraz is very good though. It is roast lamb with rosemary and a special salsa. The lamb is cooked very nicely and the rosemary and the salsa compliment the lamb very well.
The bottom line is, this is a higher end wine bar. Your main purpose over there is to taste wine. Food are only secondary. They have a lunch special which allows you to pick 3 tapas and a glass of wine so I assume it will take 3 tapas to fill up a normal person for lunch and probably 4-5 on dinner. The tapas is not expensive, only around $10 per dish. However since it is a wine bar you probably will drink alot and thus order lots of food to go with your wine throughout the night. It may add up and hurt your wallet.
Date: 5th November, 2009
Address: 54 Jervois Road, Herne Bay, Auckland
Website: http://www.glengarry.co.nz/didaswinelounge.jsp
Party size: 1
Parking: Didas have its own parking (around 10 parking space) but you shouldn't have trouble finding parking spaces on side streets as well.
When I get seated: 4:10pm
When I left: 5:00pm
I was just walking around in the ponsonby area and got hungry at 4pm. Most of the half decent restaurant were close between 2-6pm so I stop by Didas and have some tapas and wine. They have a huge wine list. (my estimate is probably over 300 different wines) and about 30-40 by the glass. I have the Chartron La Jaja De Jean Chardonnay ($13), which is the only french chardonnay they offer by the glass and the Geoff Merrill Mclaren Shiraz ($13). The chardonnay is excellent, exactly what I am looking - a fruity chardonnay with some dense but no oak at all. The Shiraz is also pretty good - I usually don't like Shiraz but this one is nice. The tapas I go with the chardonnay is the duck wrap in crepes ($8), which is only OK or I will say a little bit disappointing. It is shredded duck which takes away all the fun texture of ducks. The lamb ($9)I ordered to go with the Shiraz is very good though. It is roast lamb with rosemary and a special salsa. The lamb is cooked very nicely and the rosemary and the salsa compliment the lamb very well.
The bottom line is, this is a higher end wine bar. Your main purpose over there is to taste wine. Food are only secondary. They have a lunch special which allows you to pick 3 tapas and a glass of wine so I assume it will take 3 tapas to fill up a normal person for lunch and probably 4-5 on dinner. The tapas is not expensive, only around $10 per dish. However since it is a wine bar you probably will drink alot and thus order lots of food to go with your wine throughout the night. It may add up and hurt your wallet.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Ajadz Indian Cuisine 28 Oct 2009
Restaurant: Ajadz Indian Cuisine
Address: 8 Robert St. Ellerslie, Auckland.
Phone: 09-5801555
Food ordered: Wild Fish ($18) and Mango Lassi ($6.50)
Time arrived: 5:30pm
Time left: 6:10pm
Party: 1
Wild fish is fish with curry and the menu said that it is a secret recipe so the ingredients are not disclosed on the menu. To me, it is curry add with some interesting spice and herb to make it unique. One ingredient that is visually available is tomato. I never think curry and tomato would go well with each other but my dish certainly did.
While my dish is pretty good and I am satisfied with my experience. The problem with this place is nothing really stand out. While I am happy with my meal, it is not good enough for me to call others/ drive out only to have dinner in there.
The bottom line is, my dining philosophy is that I would go to places either very cheap and the food is relatively OK and I go there as a substitute of cooking at home, or the food is top class and I am going to indulge myself in taste then I will not worry about prices. Ajadz is certainly far from being top class restaurant and its price is a tad high for a substitute for home cooking.
Address: 8 Robert St. Ellerslie, Auckland.
Phone: 09-5801555
Food ordered: Wild Fish ($18) and Mango Lassi ($6.50)
Time arrived: 5:30pm
Time left: 6:10pm
Party: 1
Wild fish is fish with curry and the menu said that it is a secret recipe so the ingredients are not disclosed on the menu. To me, it is curry add with some interesting spice and herb to make it unique. One ingredient that is visually available is tomato. I never think curry and tomato would go well with each other but my dish certainly did.
While my dish is pretty good and I am satisfied with my experience. The problem with this place is nothing really stand out. While I am happy with my meal, it is not good enough for me to call others/ drive out only to have dinner in there.
The bottom line is, my dining philosophy is that I would go to places either very cheap and the food is relatively OK and I go there as a substitute of cooking at home, or the food is top class and I am going to indulge myself in taste then I will not worry about prices. Ajadz is certainly far from being top class restaurant and its price is a tad high for a substitute for home cooking.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Momo Japanese Restaurant 21-Oct-09
Restaurant: Momo Japanese Restaurant
Address: Unit G, 113 Meadowland Drive, Howick.
Phone: 09-5349967
Special note: Close on Tuesday
Food ordered: Seafood Udon for lunch ($11)
The soup base of the udon is OK, and the udon itself is pretty good. However, the seafood, while is not bad, lack the premium ingredients. For example, there are only 4 extremely tiny, head off, shell off shrimp in the whole bowl. The whole bowl consist of couple mussels, 2 pieces of imitation crab, a small amount of squid and fish cakes. I would certainly hope for more seafood but I guess I shouldn't complain as it is only $11.
In short, Momo Japanese Restaurant is OK for a quick lunch or a quick dinner. However it is nothing fancy.
Address: Unit G, 113 Meadowland Drive, Howick.
Phone: 09-5349967
Special note: Close on Tuesday
Food ordered: Seafood Udon for lunch ($11)
The soup base of the udon is OK, and the udon itself is pretty good. However, the seafood, while is not bad, lack the premium ingredients. For example, there are only 4 extremely tiny, head off, shell off shrimp in the whole bowl. The whole bowl consist of couple mussels, 2 pieces of imitation crab, a small amount of squid and fish cakes. I would certainly hope for more seafood but I guess I shouldn't complain as it is only $11.
In short, Momo Japanese Restaurant is OK for a quick lunch or a quick dinner. However it is nothing fancy.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Club VO2 Health and Fitness
Address: Building D, The millennium center, 23A Main Highway, Ellerslie, Auckland
Website: www.clubvo2.com
Parking is available on site
I have tried and decided to join this gym. This is a much smaller gym compare to the Olympic. It has about 20 cardiovascular machine with free weight and other stuff. I join this gym mainly because it offered a 4 week trial membership for only $49, but also because of its personal touch. This gym feels much more personal than Olympic, which for me is a plus as I need all kind of motivation I need to workout.
Bottomline: Hardware wise, this gym cannot compare to the larger gyms (VO2 do not have swimming pool, sauna, spa pool...etc). They also have limited hours during the weekend (they close at 2pm on the weekend) but the individual attention that the trainer can give you make up for it.
Website: www.clubvo2.com
Parking is available on site
I have tried and decided to join this gym. This is a much smaller gym compare to the Olympic. It has about 20 cardiovascular machine with free weight and other stuff. I join this gym mainly because it offered a 4 week trial membership for only $49, but also because of its personal touch. This gym feels much more personal than Olympic, which for me is a plus as I need all kind of motivation I need to workout.
Bottomline: Hardware wise, this gym cannot compare to the larger gyms (VO2 do not have swimming pool, sauna, spa pool...etc). They also have limited hours during the weekend (they close at 2pm on the weekend) but the individual attention that the trainer can give you make up for it.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Olympic pools and fitness center Oct 6th 2009
Date: Oct 6th 2009
Address: 77 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland
Phone: 09-5224414
Website: www.theolympic.co.nz
I have a tour in the Olympic pools and fitness center yesterday. Here are the pros and cons of the place in my opinion:
Pros: The place is huge, there is a standard size pool and a fitness center with 50+ machines. It is located in the heart of Newmarket. You can either park across at the warehouse parking which gives you 1 hour free and the next hour is $2.00. There are also parking at the back of the building which Olympic can give you a discount rate but according to the staff, warehouse parking is the cheapest. They also have sauna and spa pool available. If you are a member, they will give you a fitness assessment which is included in the membership fees.
Cons: The place looks kinda dated. Since I hate swimming, their fantastic pool did nothing for me. They do not have any membership level below 3 month, which I believe is a huge committment, especially for someone like me who don't know how long my determination for workout will last.
Bottomline: If you are looking for a swimming pool with a fitness center, Olympic is a good choice for you. Since I am looking for just a gym, I would look for another gym to try to find a better deal or one that have a trial period.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Golden Horse Dinner Sep 29 2009
Date: 29/9/2009
Restaurant: Golden Horse Restaurant
Address: 374 Great South Rd, Greenlane, Auckland
Website: None
Party size: 2
Parking: They have no official parking, but there are a couple across the street which you should be able to park at night
When we get seated: 6:45pm
When we left: 7:45pm
Today's experience:
Food ordered: 3.2 pound Lobster, grouper pot ($124)
Presentation: standard cantonese cuisine
Overall comment: Pretty good. A 3 pound lobster is usually eaten by a whole table (12 people) but we are sharing with just 2 tonight. So we would be able to eat lobster pieces after pieces without reserve. It is cook in standard cantonese style and they did a fine job with it. Lobster, compare to other cantonese food are more forgiving to the kitchen. Meaning if a chinese kitchen make poor lobster, they really sucks. The grouper pot is also good, the size is larger than I expect with only $16.
Environment: Maybe because it is a weekday and it is raining, they only have 2-3 tables in the entire restaurant. Other than that there is no fault to pick on for the environment. Nothing special, but nothing bad.
Final comment: Golden Horse is relatively cheap compare to other restaurant and you can easily spend less than $20 per person if you are not ordering pricy item like lobsters. Their food is decent so it provide good value to the customer
Final grade: B-
Restaurant: Golden Horse Restaurant
Address: 374 Great South Rd, Greenlane, Auckland
Website: None
Party size: 2
Parking: They have no official parking, but there are a couple across the street which you should be able to park at night
When we get seated: 6:45pm
When we left: 7:45pm
Today's experience:
Food ordered: 3.2 pound Lobster, grouper pot ($124)
Presentation: standard cantonese cuisine
Overall comment: Pretty good. A 3 pound lobster is usually eaten by a whole table (12 people) but we are sharing with just 2 tonight. So we would be able to eat lobster pieces after pieces without reserve. It is cook in standard cantonese style and they did a fine job with it. Lobster, compare to other cantonese food are more forgiving to the kitchen. Meaning if a chinese kitchen make poor lobster, they really sucks. The grouper pot is also good, the size is larger than I expect with only $16.
Environment: Maybe because it is a weekday and it is raining, they only have 2-3 tables in the entire restaurant. Other than that there is no fault to pick on for the environment. Nothing special, but nothing bad.
Final comment: Golden Horse is relatively cheap compare to other restaurant and you can easily spend less than $20 per person if you are not ordering pricy item like lobsters. Their food is decent so it provide good value to the customer
Final grade: B-
Friday, September 25, 2009
Nishiki Lunch Sep 26 2009
Date: 26/9/2009
Restaurant: Nishiki, Rotaba-Yaki Bar Botany
Address: Torrens Rd, Botany Downs, Auckland
Website: http://www.nishiki.co.nz/
Party size: 2
Parking: Very easy. There is a huge parking lot for the shops and restaurants there. Even if that parking lot is full, you can always park on the street
When we get seated: 11:45am
When we left: 1:00pm
Today's experience:
Food ordered: Kaisen Don ($18) and Unatoji + A set ($18)
Presentation: standard
Overall comment: Pretty good. Though the stuff we ordered did not really test the kitchen. The Kaisen Don is chef selected sashimi served on a bowl of sushi rice. The sashimi includes salmon, tuna, snapper, octopus (tako), cooked shrimp (ebi), scallop and salmon roe. The choice is pretty standard so there is not much surprise there. The Unatoji is eel and egg cooked together. You can either order the A set, which includes miso soup, a bowl of rice and pickled vegetables for $3, or the B set which includes a bowl of rice, pickled vegetables and a mini bowl of udon or soba.
Environment: It is a small restaurant. For those who prefer small eatery, this place gives off its unique charm. For those who prefer bigger eatery, you might feel cramped in there.
Final comment: Lunch menu Nishiki offered really did not give a full look on what they are fully capable of. Their dinner menu mainly consists of snack sized items, which mean you might order 10+ dishes to share between your tables and I believe that will truly test their kitchen and how well its value compare to similar restaurant. I cannot give a definite review until I try their dinner. On a side note, although I didn't order any sake since it is only lunch, they carry nice sake with reasonable prices.
Final grade: B (for my lunch experience)
I would love to try their dinner some time in the future.
Restaurant: Nishiki, Rotaba-Yaki Bar Botany
Address: Torrens Rd, Botany Downs, Auckland
Website: http://www.nishiki.co.nz/
Party size: 2
Parking: Very easy. There is a huge parking lot for the shops and restaurants there. Even if that parking lot is full, you can always park on the street
When we get seated: 11:45am
When we left: 1:00pm
Today's experience:
Food ordered: Kaisen Don ($18) and Unatoji + A set ($18)
Presentation: standard
Overall comment: Pretty good. Though the stuff we ordered did not really test the kitchen. The Kaisen Don is chef selected sashimi served on a bowl of sushi rice. The sashimi includes salmon, tuna, snapper, octopus (tako), cooked shrimp (ebi), scallop and salmon roe. The choice is pretty standard so there is not much surprise there. The Unatoji is eel and egg cooked together. You can either order the A set, which includes miso soup, a bowl of rice and pickled vegetables for $3, or the B set which includes a bowl of rice, pickled vegetables and a mini bowl of udon or soba.
Environment: It is a small restaurant. For those who prefer small eatery, this place gives off its unique charm. For those who prefer bigger eatery, you might feel cramped in there.
Final comment: Lunch menu Nishiki offered really did not give a full look on what they are fully capable of. Their dinner menu mainly consists of snack sized items, which mean you might order 10+ dishes to share between your tables and I believe that will truly test their kitchen and how well its value compare to similar restaurant. I cannot give a definite review until I try their dinner. On a side note, although I didn't order any sake since it is only lunch, they carry nice sake with reasonable prices.
Final grade: B (for my lunch experience)
I would love to try their dinner some time in the future.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ariake dinner Sep 24 2009
Date: 24/9/2009
Restaurant: Ariake Japanese Restaurant
Address: Corner of Albert & Quay Streets, Downtown Auckland
Website: http://www.ariake.co.nz/
Party size: 2
Special note: Dinner Course Ariake need to be ordered 2 days in advance.
Parking: It is difficult to find street parking. However there are plenty carpark in the nearby area.
When we get seated: 7:00pm
When we left: 9:30pm
Tonight's experience:
Food ordered: Dinner Course Ariake ($85 per person)
Highlight: Hors d'oeuvres, with 7 bite size item serve on the same plate. Each tastes differently and yet they compliment with each other.
Presentation: Fantastic for all the dishes. I feel bad eating such beautiful food.
Taste overall: Very good, but not as good as it was couple years ago when I first dined at Ariake. The grilled steak are slightly overcooked to my taste (They served it as medium, close to medium well) but I must admit I like my food relatively raw compare to the general public.
Environment: The restaurant are around 70-80% full. We are seated along the side of the windows and the seat are arranged far apart so diners can have good privacy space. However, tonight there was a group of 7-8 which is unbelievably loud which is kind of annoying. One of the servers had to go to that table and ask them to quiet down.
Disappointment: The sashimi and the sushi are the disappointment for tonight. There is nothing wrong with the taste as the fish served are very fresh. What disappoints me is that the sashimi served the most common (Snapper, Salmon and Tuna) fish in New Zealand's japanese restaurant. I expect restaurant at Ariake's caliber would serve something more interesting. What is even more unforgivable is that they repeat tuna and salmon in the sashimi and sushi dishes. I do not believe that is good practice for a full course dinner as the chef should provide variety to its customers. I don't think they put much thoughts into the sushi and sashimi course.
Final comment: Araike's pace of serving food may be slow considered by some. However, I believe if you spend that much money on a dinner, you should be savoring it and not trying to rush through it.
Final grade: B+
I would definitely go back and hopefully they would do even better next time.
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