A MEATY NIGHT AT PHIL'S KITCHEN
Braised New Zealand Lamb Shoulder, lamb loin, parsnip puree, crispy cabbage, red onion, and berry jam.
Photography by eatsocial.co.nz
Greenstone Creek Bavette with merlot beetroot puree, crispy kale, black garlic and soya maple glaze, Photography by eatsocial.co.nz
As a Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chef, it comes as no surprise that Phil Clark knows his way around a cut of meat. But sometimes it takes sitting down to a four-course beef and lamb menu to really appreciate the art that is his cooking (look, it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it).
There’s something a little bit magic about heading into Phil’s Kitchen – his teal walls and impressive light features nestled in low lighting give you the sense you’re about to be both ‘wowed’ and relaxed, all at once (spoiler alert: we were). Then there’s the fact Phil only plays host to a handful of tables, so you’re guaranteed special treatment on whichever night you’re able to snag one.
Not a meaty start, but Fresh Homemade Bread with Ricotta might just be the most perfect way to begin a tasting menu so by the time the Beef Cheek Ravioli with daikon, baby shallots, and caramelised cauliflower arrived, we were already impressed. Without a layer of pasta in sight, our waiter explained that this ravioli was deconstructed – who knew thin slices of daikon radish make such a delicious alternative?
Phil would later tease that we ate in record time, but honestly, can you blame us? With a second course of Greenstone Creek Bavette with merlot beetroot puree, crispy kale, black garlic and soya maple glaze, eating at a leisurely pace proved difficult. If Phil bottled that puree, I promise you would genuinely buy enough to eat it with every meal. That good.
By the time our mid-meal canapes arrived, we thought we had seen it all. Then, jars swirling with smoky vapor over Beef Tartare with egg yolk purée and cornichon jelly arrived and everyone instinctively reached for their phones. No Instagram story was safe. Neither were the green olives which went down a treat and the most aesthetic palate cleansers to see a spoon: Raspberry, olive, prosecco jellies.
Plates and palates both sufficiently cleared, Braised New Zealand Lamb Shoulder and lamb loin arrived with parsnip puree, crispy cabbage, red onion, and berry jam. The melt-in-your-mouth lamb and creamy parsnip were complimented by the tanginess of the jam and despite perfect portioning, we all found ourselves hoping the dish would never end.
In hindsight, thank goodness it did, or we would never have experienced that dessert. Wild Honey Pistachio Parfait with golden kiwifruit, salted shortbread crumble, honey tuille and soft cream. As if the combination of flavours wasn’t impressive enough, the towering, sweet honey tuille gave new meaning to the term ‘eye candy’ and again, our social media accounts became a hot spot for food envy.
A benefit of dining somewhere a little more intimate is that while you digest, your chef may just come out and serve you a little extra food for thought. As we slid back in our chairs, utterly content, Phil emerged from the kitchen and pulled up a chair for a chat. In his classically chill, Kiwi way he relayed us with the challenges running a restaurant during a pandemic, the realities of encountering food critics and how his time working in the most exclusive kitchens in London set him up to thrive back home.
“When you’re working in such intense situations you get these golden nuggets of information that you wouldn’t in a regular kitchen,” he muses.
His international experience has certainly also given him plenty of inspiration for back on home soil and the kind of fearlessness that only comes from taking risks throughout a cheffing career. Lucky for us, this fearlessness has manifested in four courses of mind-blowing food; “Tuesday night tasting menus give me the chance to play around with different ingredients and just see what works”.
As we slide on our coats (and rebuckle our belts) it’s a unanimous verdict: this won’t be our last Tuesday Night Tasting Menu at Phil’s Kitchen. If we can get a table, that is.