PHIL’S KITCHEN
This classy, sleek restaurant has been turning heads since its arrival in Kingsland last year. Words like Michelin, London and exquisite pop up in rave reviews all over the place, so what better time to splurge than at our annual Christmas lunch?
Our seats next to the sunny glass windows were super-comfortable and, peering down the corridor, we spotted a large white chandelier on a polished black porch we suspected would be ideal for events and corporate lunches. Not a fan of the splattered Pollock-esque paintings that spanned the walls, although Innie surprised all of us by saying she loved them (her interiors aesthetic is usually all shades of white and some greys). Anyhoo, we digress. ‘My favourite things’ gifts were exchanged in-between food courses, happy tears and sips of sparkling rosé. The limited and simple set menu presented us with two delightful choices for each course:
Starters: Potato velouté, soft poached egg, crispy buckwheat & truffle oil or the Asparagus, wild mushrooms & truffle jus; Mains: NZ lamb rump, garden peas, onion & anchovies purée or Corn-fed chicken breast, homemade gnocchi, mushrooms & truffle jus; Dessert: Soft lemon meringue, shortbread & crispy textures or Dark valrhoa chocolate, strawberries & honeycomb.
Each dish was elegantly plated and their maitre d’ was wonderfully helpful with our wine choices. We were particularly impressed by the potato velouté, carefully poured to preserve the crispy buckwheat textures, and we are probably not exaggerating when we say “you have never had a poached egg like this before”. Enough gushing from us. Just go.
Innie had the poached egg entrée, chicken main, chocolate dessert and a French sparkling rosé. She said “It was amazing to taste such creativity in food! Unexpected but pleasant combination of taste and texture. The joy food can bring can be found here.”
Katie had the poached egg entrée, lamb main, chocolate dessert and a French sparkling rosé. She said “This set lunch menu is Kingsland best kept secret. Don’t tell anyone.”
Mel had the asparagus entrée, lamb main, lemon meringue dessert and a French sparkling rosé. She said “What a great little place, a little more fancy than the average restaurant so save this one for a treat! A hidden little treasure, beautiful food and fab value for your dollar.”
Joe had the poached egg entrée, chicken main, chocolate dessert and a Killarabbit Double IPA. He said “Very good, original flavours. Some of the best eating in Kingsland I reckon.”
Rebecca had the poached egg entrée, chicken main, chocolate dessert and a beer. She said “Loved every dish, all the different textures and flavours were definitely on point. The price is also very reasonable :)”
