I’ve enjoyed the food down here in Wellington, it’s been a nice change to get the ‘meat and spuds’ style of dinner. So here’s a quick round up of some of the places we’ve visited while here. No particular order:

  • Cuba Kebabs, Cuba Not sure if I have the name of the place exactly right but doesn’t really matter too much. I’ve missed being able to get a kebab in Singapore so this seemed like a great opportunity. The kebabs here aren’t quite what we’re used to in the UK or Ireland; they’re a bit more healthy. Good meat (I went for the mixed kebab which contains chicken and lamb) and a large helping of onion, lettuce and carrot. Topped off with garlic yoghurt. Turns into a runny mess as you get through it. All good overall.

  • Abbrakebabra, Cuba Can’t remember the spelling of this one, went for the same mix as in the other kebab shop. The chicken was a bit mushy which was a shame. But the apple tea was pretty good and sorted out the sore throat that the inevitable change of climate and wind has brought on. Pretty much the same as Cuba Kebabs but they do have a kebab burger which uses pide bread as the bun, so that one’s going to be worth a try.

  • Bouquet Garni, Willis Street Bit of a posh spot, the French accented waiter let us use the private room (sans $200 charge) as the restaurant was full when we arrived. I went for the Beef, Fried Egg and Chips. The egg is cooked and served more in the style of a terrine in the fried bacon basket. The beef was fantastic; medium rare and seared with a little rock salt rubbed on in the preparation. A great red wine jus, perhaps the pesto was a little out of place. Strangely it seems to be very popular at the moment to serve meats from the grill with a pesto sauce.

  • The Black Harp Although I intended to stay out of Irish bars on this trip the lure of a fry on Saturday morning was too much. This place does an interesting Ulster Fry that at first strikes you as a posh take on this very humble breakfast dish. The base is made of slices of a dark flour bread which is a take on the old favourite soda bread. Piled on top are great rashers, porcini mushrooms (not sure about that, I’m not a great fan of mushrooms) and two fried eggs. A thick sausage nestles into the pile along with small pieces of black pudding and grilled tomatoes. Finally there’s a sauce across the whole lot. Not sure what the sauce is but I’m going to guess at an egg & butter sauce.