Catch a lovely lunch at Dockside in Wellington, NZ (1-16-26)

 Last week on our cruise we did the Wellington Food & Art Tour as a shore excursion and were treated to a lovely lunch at Dockside right on the harbourfront. We made new friends on our 6-day Grand Voyage and had a fabulous meal as well. There was plenty of wine poured with an Nga Waka Pinot Noir Rose from Martinborough and a super Fickle Mistress Pinot Nir from Central Otago.

There was a lot of choices for the two-course lunch, but we were so full from the morning coffee stop and chocolate tasting that Will & I both had two starters (like Europe, called entree's here!)--photos on FB:

Fried Salt & Pepper Calamari was perfectly cooked with a light batter and a lime mayo dip; a Thai salad with sesame and sweet chili dressing was on the side.

Pastrami with Chevre was delish with pickled veggies, truffle honey, parmesan, blushing pear and rye & walnuts

while the Pea & Parmesan Risotto with fresh mozzarella, burst cherry tomatoes, olive oil & pea tendrils was cooked just al dente to perfection.

Our server Aaron was a gem handling all twenty or so from our group and deserves huge bravos! We just love Wellington and New Zealand and will miss it as we started our first day in Australia (Hobart, Tasmania) today with a wine tasting and oyster farm visit with tasting!

Rosella is really right for Mediterranean cuisine in Wellington, New Zealand(1-10-26)

We opted for a simpler early dinner the next night as we had our night tour of the animals at Zealandia (where we had multiple kiwi-bird sitings!) and it was a huge hit.

Rosella is a Mediterranean bistro using local ingredients at their best.

We decided to share several plates and our server Angel was indeed an angel in helping us choose. We ordered a bottle of Neudorf Tom's Block Pinot Noir 2023 from Nelson across the straits on the South Island which was earthy and fabulous.

Our first plate was a divine lean Wagyu tartare with anchovy and cured egg (all on FB) that was spicy from a super harissa vinaigrette. Next came a superb Potato Flatbread with QP Mayo and cumin salt and we finished with the best carrots charred with hummus and a plate of three delicious Herb Roasted King Prawns with ginger, garlic and Aleppo chili.

we had room for a fabulous dessert that was called Olive Oil Torta with Yuzucello and a Kiwi version of cream cheese frozen like semifreddo an not at all too sweet. We loved it but the block of "cheese" was so hard a piece flew off when I cut into it!

We loved it all and had a great evening with our friend Jacqui and at Zealandia afterwards. What a great time in Wellington. 

Wellington, New Zealand's LOGAN BROWN is brilliant (1-9-26)

 Our first night in Wellington was dinner out with Jacqui, a school buddy of Will's whom I met on our last trip here 2 years ago. we chose one of the top dining spots in town which serves on the "Logan Brown Experience," a tasting menu that is guaranteed to fill you up with local ingredients prices at $130NZD(75.00US including tax!!), a real steal.

The venue is the lobby of an old bank with lots of character and very cozy to boot. It was quiet and while casual, felt very elegant.

The breads (sourdough & fruit) arrived with two fabulous butters: French onion soup and an amazing Miso Truffle! We started with a bottle of "Clos Samuel" Viognier from Milton in Gisborne which was creamy and rich and a delight to drink alone or with our first two courses. Beetroot & Chevre "Tart" (all photos on FB) was a superb salad of grilled asparagus, beets, goat cheese from Kapiti Island to the north, lonzo (cured pork akin to prosciutto, but thicker), caramel walnut dressing and a flax seed circle perched atop. It was almost too pretty to eat! 

Perhaps one of the best pasta dishes ever came next. Paua Ravioli is Logan Brown's signature dish on the menu since opening in 1996 and we know why. The abalone mousse filled ravioli were in a decadent Coriander & Lime Beurre Blanc with crisp kumara (sweet potato) shredded atop. It was so rich, yet so perfect, we wanted more but moved on.

We ordered a glass of Neudorf Tirititi Chardonnay (there are also paired wines per course, which this was) which was fruitier than most chardonnays, yet very dry and ideal with the Line Caught Hapuku (local Grouper) with heirloom tomato, smoked eel beignet, macadamia and ajo blanco dill dressing with olives. Another fabulous local fish that makes you really want to eat (and maybe live) here all the time.

Next came the Lemongrass Confit Pork Belly with Crayfish Sausage, Red Dates, Grapefruit na d Lime leaf Crackling in Citrus Beurre Blanc. They did not want to give this to me because of the grapefruit slice, and I said it was fine and would simply not eat it, and was I glad I did. Will got a Cauliflower steak with caramelized harissa, whipped feta, pomegranate and crispy kale which he loved. 

We switched to a perfect Pinot Noir Schubert Selection from Martinborough (the paired wine for the next course). The Costal Spring Lamb was from the west coast of the North Island and came with Potato & Caper Gratin, Tomato Jus, superb Fresh peas and Garlic Puree. It was delish, but I was a tad upset that the menu said it came with Smoked Tomato Sweetbreads and I would have loved to taste that.

Dessert was a delish Passionfruit White Chocolate Cheesecake Brulee with yuzu sable, dulce de leche, fig leaf gelato and blueberries that was not too sweet or to cheesy; another perfect dessert with all three plates wiped clean.

Our server Misha and Amber were fun and a delight and they even brought a taste of dessert wine called Fromm Spätlese Riesling 2024 from Marlborough, but it was not sweet enough for our palates!!

We loved the whole meal and the whole experience, and it was the perfect start to our short weekend in Wellington.

New Zealand's FlockHill is fabulous and hits the heights for dining and more(1/7 & 8/2026)

 Our last two nights on the South Island were at another Luxury Lodge and FlockHill is also a monstrous sheep farm of 10,000 head of sheep on 35,000 acres! What fun it was to hike to limestone formations in the area (with a guide), tour the farm, herd the cattle and watch the dogs run the sheep. The best part of our stay was definitely dinner both nights which were at the top of our dining list for the entire country!

Each night we arrived to be proffered a yummy tasting menu and asked if we wanted everything. DUH?! The first night we had arrived later in the afternoon, so dinner was just after unpacking and settling into our villa. We had a beautiful view of the Southern Alps and the Craigieburn Cut (a slice through the mountain that leads to nearby Arthur's Pass) from our table as we discussed the wines with Theo (from France, as many of the employees in the F&B are here). Will had a glass of Peregrine Rose while I ordered a fabulous bottle of white for the meal from 144 Islands Winery in the Bay of Islands to the way north. Called "Melika's Field" the varietals were Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Albarino and we adored the wonderful minerality and tartness with all our food. All the crystal here is Riedel as well.

First came a Daikon Dumpling with Smoked Mackerel, followed by a Stuffed Mussel from Cook Strait stuffed with chicken fat/oyster and fermented gooseberry (all the photos are on FB). We were hooked with this one simple bite and virtually every course for the entire meal and next night was a revelation of flavors.  Next was Maori Potato Bread  which was the first bread made by the original Polynesian arrivals, but here it had an aioli and was topped with lamb tartare. OMG!! An entire array of crudites followed and this would put any crudité display you have seen to shame as everything was from the local organic gardens: Tomatoes, Celery, Strawberry, Carrot, Cabbage and Endive all drizzled with the famous local Manuka Honey.

Marinated, Steamed, Smoked & Grilled Mushrooms, with Natto arrived in conjunction with the other "mid-course" plates of Ciabatta (more like Sourdough) with cultured house made butter and Shredded Mozzarella drizzled with a fennel honey. Now y'all know I am not a fennel fan and I simply removed the excess fronds and adored this dish as all the others.

Theo was thrilled when I told him we love Cabernet Franc, which is not common in New Zealand and he raved about the Boneline Cab franc 2020 from North Canterbury (nearby) which he said was sadly the last generation of this winery since it was sold a while back.

It was gutsy, earthy and minerally and was super with all our main courses.

First came South Island Crayfish (I could live on this for life) which was steamed and grilled and sauced in a to die for tomato butter. Full yet? We were getting there but the Steamed greens of spinach, zucchini and bok choy from the garden arrived in lemon juice along with a perfectly medium rare grilled Wagyu in a Horapito (native pepper) sauce. We were in heaven.

We rested a lot between courses and loved the simple "Beach day" dessert which was a fun and gritty creation by the brilliant pastry chef to mimic the sand and ocean. A white chocolate oyster shell had a pearl inside and was created with nori and yuzu and raspberry gel with ganache, mousse and crumble (the "sand"). It was ingenious and superb. A caramel and sea buckthorn macaron was the finale to an amazing meal.

We met Chef Hun (executive sous chef while the exec was on break) from South Korea and could not stop raving. After dinner Theo arrives with a local whiskey tasting of Pokeno Discovery, Cardrona Full Flight and Scapegrace Anthem fermented in manuka wood. We were mightily impressed, but exhausted after the 6+ hour drive and hike at Mr. Cook earlier in the day!

The second night was just as impressive and started with our regular pre-dinner drinks. I loved my Pear Butter martini of fat-washed Reid vodka with black pear and Will adored his spicy Cilantro of Thai-spiced Espodon Tequila with chilli, kaffir lime, which the handsome Louis (also from France) made for us at the bar. Theo arrived and insisted on creating new drinks for us as we enjoyed them with the GM Andrew. Mine was a Kiwi Martini made with Waiheke Island Gin, Macadamia nut, Reid Vodka and Lillet (not kiwi as the fruit!) and Will had a Mezcal Creation with tomato. WOW!!

We rolled across the room to dinner and sat down at the beautiful blonde wood tables in front of the warm fire as Ximena arrived to serve us and Chef Hun ran over to greet us. We were now regulars! We asked Theo to pair wines with each course and it was monumental for every course and sip starting with a Zenkuro world top-rated New Zealand Ginjo Sake. It was so earthy we begged Theo to tell us where we could try to buy it in Auckland, but alas, it is so small in production, it can only be found online!

The canapes/amuses arrived in the form of North Island Snapper Tartare from nelson with fresh wasabi, pickled coriander and nasturtium leaf. Kina croustade was one of the most amazing dishes in the form of Wellington Sea Urchin mousse deep fried with pecorino cheese--another miraculous creation that melted in our mouths. Potato Doughnut was made with fermented chardonnay vinegar and topped with aioli, homemade pancetta and honey.

Chef Hun appeared with an extra dish which he called a local salad of beetroot, strawberry, tomato, baby asparagus (as thin as pencil lead) and fennel and fennel flowers all in a to die for combination that simply defied description. We were hooked again, but another Flockhill grilled salad of zucchini, cabbage and rapini followed! We switched to Hans Herzog "Mistral" white blend of Roussanne/Marsanne/Viognier as Theo knew us well. and then more starters of Akaroa Smoked salmon from Christchurch that was more like poached salmon with herbs and 6 min cooked eggs as well as radish, carrots and aioli. The last "starter" of leeks with pear butter were some of the most meltingly delicious leeks ever.

We switched to Puriri Hills "Pope: Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Frace and Carmenere blend from near Auckland that was as good as any Bordeaux wine and paired perfectly with both the Nelson Grilled Snapper with Koji Butter, Lavender Oil & EVOO. It was as divine as the snapper we had at the Lindis. Only the Pork Loin was a tad fatty for us, but the sauce was soy mustard and mustard seed with Worcestershire and Black Prunes which was divine. The New Potatoes were a great foil.

Dessert was another fabulous creation of Olive Oil Cake & Crispy Strawberry with tomato, caramelized pistachio and mascarpone. Oloroso Fernando de Castilla sherry was paired and had a mushroom-y flavor. A very break your teeth chewy caramel was the final touch.

WOW what an amazing two nights here at FLOCKHILL truly a fabulous experience,

The LINDIS Lodge last two nights trending way up in the Ahuriri Valley, South Island, New Zealand (1/5 and 1/6/2026)

 For our second night at The Lindis Lodge we returned to the same dining room as there are only twelve rooms in the entire lodge, so no dining options per se! There were fewer people as midweek approached and the summer holiday period winds down. The service again was excellent and the food was all superb.

There was an unremarkable guacamole starter with our cocktails, but once we sat down the warm crusty sourdough bread that is irresistible arrived this time with brown butter and sea salt.

The first course was Fiordland Crayfish coming from just around the corner where we started our trip here on the south island closer to the west coast near Milford Sound. The sauce was more like a light broth with almond slices, kumquat slices and pickled pink onions. This is the kind of dish that could win me over at any meal.

We had been given a complimentary bottle of the wine made by the owners in nearby Central Otago. Clos Ostler 2024 was perfect chardonnay to have with this seafood. 

We returned to our leftover PinotNoir (Peregrine) from the night before, with our main course. Lake Ohau Waggyu Eye fillet comes from a ranch just to the northeast (this entire remote area is virtually all farmland or nature preserve) which was buttah and served with peas, pea pods, pea purée, new season potatoes and a thick black garlic jus, that you only needed a touch of on each fabulous piece of meat.

Dessert was less rich than the previous night and my favorite so far: Baba of Titoki (New Zealand rum soaking the fabulous sponge cake) with mango Chantilly, fresh mango and coriander(just a loose leaf!).  We were very happy.

The last night was by far the best, and the snack was a huge winner of Kumara (sweet potato) chip with Lake Pukaki Salmon Tartare, Tarragon Goat Cheese Mousse and baby courgette from the garden. At the table the bread was a Hazelnut & Apricot Sourdough with a thick Black Garlic Butter that was almost the consistency of pate! We loved it.

The starter was a Paua (Abalone) & Prawn "Dumpling" which was simply a mousse of the two shellfish wrapped in a cabbage leaf topped with slices of abalone and salmon caviar with Roquette (Arugula) mayo and Onion Consommé poured around it tableside.

By this time, we realized we were enjoying the best meal here. Will had a glass of Bannockburn Rose that was quite fruity while I loved the Clos Ostler Pinot Gris "Audrey's Cuvee". We then went on to finish our bottle of Clos Ostler Chardonnay from the night before that was still rich, creamy and unctuous. Clos Ostler is the label of the family that own the Lindis.

The main course was the best fish so far in New Zealand and was a simply salted very crispy crusted Red Snapper with Graden Greens (daikon/broccolini/baby yellow beets/turnips) from the hotel garden with Confit Kumara (sweet potato) in a divine Curried Crayfish Bisque. We could not stop raving.

The dessert was simply and light and called Strawberry Delight and was gone so fast there is alas no FB photo! Strawberries and Blackberries were in Elderflower Syrup with Coconut Yoghurt Sorbet, a coconut tuille shortbread (that was a tad gummy) all dusted with Strawberry Powder. 

The Lindis really went a level up on this night indeed.

The LINDIS LODGE (Ahiriri Valley, South Island, New Zealand) is just lovely (night#1-Jan 4, 2026)

 We headed north from Blanket Bay to arrive here virtually in the middle of nowhere down a dirt road for 30+ minutes from the main highway in the remote Ahuriri Valley of yet another part of the South Island Alpine range. The Lodge is small and compact with magnificent views from the living area/dining area and rooms (which are oddly small and not very well laid out), but the dinner was indeed delicious. We tried Blue Duck Vodka martinis, which Will liked more then the Scapegrace and the snacks were a melon topped with a super crispy lamb prosciutto and an out of this world melon gazpacho shooter with parmesan foam.

Margaux (it seems most of the staff are French) suggested a Peregrine 2017 Central Otago Pinot Noir which we immediately fell in love with for its age, gutsiness and minerality.

Dinner was simpler here starting with Confit of Heirloom Tomatoes with Courgette, a wonderful, whipped tofu (which tasted like burrata!), Passionfruit, Purple Tomato Water and shallots. It was so fresh and ideal and quite nice to have a vegetable salad as well.

The main was a Lumina Lamb Loin with charred eggplant, rainbow chard, basil and lamb just which was great with the wine and the dessert was a very rich Tartlet of Chocolate, Cherry and Pistachio (all fotos on FB) of which I loved the cherries best.

The service was superb and friendly, but there was a sliding door to a kitchen pass-through that really wrecked the nice quiet and serenity of the dining area when it was left open.

We are here for two more nights and as dinner is only available here, it is included...the closest option is almost an hour away in a nearby town of 800!!

BLANKET BAY(Glenorchy, South Island, New Zealand) day 3; a brilliant meal indeed (1-3-26)

 Our last evening at Blanket Bay was by far the best meal of all three there. We had met a wonderful couple from Brisbane and decided to eat together, and we had a ball with them.  Our cocktails went back to our standard Scapegrace Vodka Martinis and the yummy pre-dinner tuna sliders on brioche with grilled pineapple were delish.

We ordered a Cox's Vineyard 2023 from Gibbston in the nearby Central Otago Valley which Damien the fabulous sommelier recommended, and it was fabulous. Our friends, Adam & Alex ordered a Felton Road 2019 Calvert Pinot Noir also from the Central Otago wine region and it was truly a revelation as are so many of the unknown wines of this region. (Today we visited Maude Winery on the suggestion of Damien and had a brilliant tasting and ended up shipping some back to the US).

The first course was a gorgeous pair of Te Matuku North Island tempura oysters with yuzu koshu that we all reveled at. This was followed by a beautiful Burrata (that Jayden explained was formed in house by stuffing the mozzarella with ricotta), heritage tomato, compressed peach, basil puree, balsamic and last year's pickled green tomato! (all the fotos are on FB). 

The main course was a brilliantly cooked local Snapper Fillet in green onion Dashi broth with Remarkables (a local farm vendor) Fungi, Snow Peas, Edamame and Nori Powder accompanied by a deliciously crispy spring roll filled with Remarkables Fungi, Bok Choy & Green Onion.

Will & I decided to split a dessert and cheese as did Adam & Alex and we loved the Pineapple Kalamansi Roulade (which was not very pineapple-y) with vanilla sponge dipped in chocolate with fresh raspberries and blueberries, compressed cherries (these were awesome), chocolate/raspberry crumb and yoghurt sorbet. It was so refreshing it was all gone in seconds. The cheeses changed a bit with the same Pecorino as before but two new ones: Double Cream Brie and a yummy New Zealand Blue Brie.

Pistachio and Hazelnut Chocolate Biscuits (called "mendiants" in French--or "beggars") sent us off very happily as they were divine with the Scapegrace Whiskey.

What a fabulous last night here in the Southern Alps.

Blanket Bay (Glenorchy, South Island, New Zealand) night #2 is even better (1-2-26)

 When we mentioned that some of the first night's dishes were a tad overcooked, the entire staff took note, and we were laughing when they brought out the "snacks" at cocktail hour including a gorgeous Cheddar Tartelette filles with steak tartar and black garlic (Photos are all on FB)!

Since it was a tad chillier, we dined inside and had one huge dining room with a grand fireplace all to ourselves. Our servers Kat (from Wales) and Jayden (the very handsome Kiwi) were amazing again as were the sommelier Damien and Sebastien from France. I assume by tonight, we will know all the staff's names, and sadly we depart tomorrow for our next South Island resort! The bread was the same focaccia with the amazing mauka honey cultured butter. We joked with Jayden that we hope it is in our departure picnic basket tomorrow!

Just a week ago at home our fishmonger Nick had New Zealand abalone on the menu at the farmer's market, and we passed with the exorbitant price and were thrilled to see PAUA as it is called here on the menu last night sitting on a Sourdough Crumpet with Gribiche (a French tartar-like sauce) and dressed with capers and young herbs. We loved it.  Hokkaido Scallops from Japan were next and they were delish, but the dish had too many ingredients with Prosciutto, Ricotta cheese, Cherry & Nectarine, Balsamic, Palm Sugar, Mint & Basil.  Take away a couple and it would have been a huge hit.

The main course was a barely seared Yellowfin Tuna Steak with soba noodles in a spicy Thai Chilli dressing with fabulous tempura broccolini, fresh carrot slices and a yummy coconut crumb (that was not sweetened, thank goodness). It was ideal.

Dessert was a quite rich "Opera" Cake of chocolate mousse and sponge, coffee mousse and sponge, chocolate glaze, chocolate and raspberry crumb, lemon curd and coffee ice cream. A couple bites were nice, but we were full and did not even finish the one we shared.  Anzac (the WWII Australia-New Zealand alliance acronym) oatmeal biscuits with a caramel slice were chewy and went well with the ScapeGrace Whiskey made here in New Zealand.

Speaking of alcohol, I forgot to mention our wines. We bought a white and red the first night and then finished them last night:

Bliancia Uvaggio Filed Blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne was a superb local blend from Hawkes Bay and the red was a superb full bodied, but not tannin filled, Mawhtipana Ridge Estate 2021 Syrah from Waiheke Island just near Auckland (where we spent the day on New Year's Eve!) So many new wines and so little time to try them!!

Blanket Bay (South Island, New Zealand) boasts a brilliant view and more (1-1-26)

 On the previous evening in Auckland our New Year's Eve dinner completely collapsed as we arrived a the restaurant we booked months ago to find out that one of New Zealand's top dining spots had totally closed and they failed to notify us!

After an unexciting tapas bar meal in our hotel we knew good food was ahead on our journey through the country this month before boarding our 61-day voyage to Japan on the 12th.

Our first stop here an hour west of Queenstown near the end of Lake Wakatipu is the Relais et Chateaux BLANKET BAY and as the sun sets here at 930pm and yesterday's weather was gorgeous we were able to dine outside overlooking the lake, the mountains and the southern fiordlands. Dinner starts at the bar with cocktails and an amuse and then we moved to our table for Coromandel or Yellowfin Tuna Tataki with melon, cucumber, avocado puree and fabulous pickled radish. The amazing Kikorangi Focaccia came with Manuka Honey cultured butter that I could have kept on eating but decided I should save my appetite.

North Canterbury Duck Breast came a little to medium for us but the tamarind glaze, curry and peanut satay sauce with chilli was super. Southland Leelands Lamb with Black Garlic (and yummy crunchy crust) was cooked sous-vide and much rarer and came with a gorgeous potato "stick" (there are some photos on FB).

Will decided to have the sweet dessert called Cromwell which was a tomato stuffed with raspberry cream and a basil/lemon sorbet as well as a dark chocolate edible stem and a very odd microwave sponge.

The cheeses were delicious and all local with Sheep Camembert, Pecorino and a very mild Oamaru Blue.

While the meal was filling and totally enjoyable, we hope that there is some room for improvement in the coming two nights, especially with the cook on the meat!