Matakana Day Out! -Part One

Oh dear, four days since the last post! Bet you really missed her?! Not to worry, because Fräulein SoulFood is back, and I want to say “better than ever!”, which might have something to do with the ‘Body Balancing’, she did this morning. The favourite fitness routine incorporating Tai-Chi, Pilates and Yoga, much needed to regain a bit of weight, or rather muscle balance. She has recovered from her minor virus manifestation, and been a social butterfly, giving her plenty to write about HERE! You're welcome!

Although it was a bittersweet occasion, as another one of my Swedish exchange student friends was leaving the next day, she and two other friends decided to make Fräulein SoulFood’s day by taking a little roadie up to her hometown, Matakana.

Naturally I was out to impress, and show off the best side Matakana had to offer! As Mama and Papa SoulFood had recently rediscovered the local Mahurangi River Winery which had been carrying the burden of a negative review, and commented on how impressed they had been with the food I decided I must try it for lunch myself!

Sorry Dianne Jacob, but I didn’t quite follow your “Secrets of Restaurant Reviewing” exactly, as I was a bit too pre-occupied catching up on the Girly Goss…I know, I know, not a very professional start to my “serious” food writing…then again one shouldn’t ever take anything too seriously!

So, here’s the low-down or should it be high-up? Let’s start with the Low. The food took a “while”, and although it meant we could focus more on the deliciously juicy Girly Goss, and I was definitely experiencing my usually desired hunger pangs, after half an hour (for LUNCH with only two other tables occupied), I had reached the point at which I could no longer see straight and was threatening to fall off the chair. I was already channelling my Bear Grylls, considering what elements of the wooden table or the floral arrangement I could dissect that wouldn’t be too toxic to consume.

But then the food came, and we too were impressed! Although (prior to the half hour wait!) I had been in a “healthy” eating mood and was considering the Hazelnut, herb crusted haloumi atop a salad of dried cranberries, peas, beans & pulses drizzled with a beetroot vinaigrette,

I must have had an inkling as to the wait that lay before us, as I was glad to be throwing myself into the entrée size Salt and three pepper squid on a bed of salad with aioli and Asian dipping sauces (with a side of fries I might add!).

Flavour-wise it was well spiced, although I am not, like most people I would assume, such a pepper connoisseur that I could tell you exactly which three peppers the squid’s slightly under-crisp coating contained (I assume black white and pink?). I could tell you however that the Asian dipping sauce was soy sauce and the aioli’s garlicky fattiness wouldn’t have been my preferred companion to the fried squid.

But really I am just being a bit of a Fräulein now, as all in all it was a pleasant experience, reinforcing my opinion that generally it’s not the food that creates the memory, but the friends you enjoy it with!

Yours truly,

Fräulein SoulFood