Of The Foodstore

Let's lift the tone a little..!Last night I was fortunate to dine at The Foodstore with my lawyer friend (and regular fine-dining buddy).It was a good night for eating in. A little wet outside, and a little chilly, which made the ambience of the restaurant all that more effective.The pre-meal time consisted of sharing a bottle of Veuve Cliquot (is there another kind?) as she was celebrating a particularly successful day. Who am I to question.The usual throng of TV personalities were there being seen.It was nice to see that the place was full of diners and it had a really nice buzz, when the rest of the Viaduct was really quiet. Clearly there is still a recession in Auckland. Either that, or everyone spent all their available cash at the hideously over-priced and under-delivering Easter Show last weekend.The Foodstore is open and interactive. The kitchen is set in amongst the tables, and you can watch the progress of your meal being prepared and plated on the TV screens mounted around the restaurant.I was very impressed with the service and the pleasantness of the wait staff. They were knowledgeable and conversational. These two things go a long way with me in terms of how I rate a restaurant. Another thing that impressed me was the rapid delivery of our orders. Very fine service.We had bread with butter and olive oil as a starter whilst waiting for our entrées.For the entrée we both had the Fricassee of Mixed Mushroom on House-turned Fettuccine with NZ parmesan and a smoked poached egg. This dish was delicious. Absolutely cooked to perfection.For the main my friend had the Venison Loin with Pecorino Polenta, Caramelised Onions and Beetroot Crisps. I had the Grass-fed Hawke’s Bay Eye Fillet with Potato Gratin, Quail Egg & Roast Tomatoes. We matched these with a glass of Valli Pinot Noir from Central Otago.My fillet was cooked to perfection, but the Venison was a little tough and chewy. We couldn’t decide if it was the meat itself or the preparation. The flavours of both dishes were fantastic though.One of the great things about this restaurant is that you can choose either Starter or Main sizes for each dish.For dessert my friend had the Old-fashioned Apple Pie with Bergamot Ice Cream & Plum Puree. I had the  Classic Kiwi Pavlova with Fresh Fruit, Passionfruit Curd & Vanilla Yoghurt. Both were delicious.It’s probably a good thing that I left not feeling full. Otherwise I could end up looking a little like this..! (Come on. It's not a real likeness of me!)I really rate this restaurant. It wasn’t overly expensive for what you get and the food is of high-quality. I will absolutely eat there again and totally recommend it to others.- Simon