Ebisu (Auckland CBD, New Zealand)
I’m getting the hang of this degustation dining, we had it sometime back in Masu now we are trying Ebisu, definitely there are much more to come, so watch this space as I want to try what is the best one in Auckland, but we have to do this slowly, first because it’s quite pricey at the same time we will get fat quick 🙂 if we do this on a regular basis.
I love this type of dining experience because is stress-less when choosing what to eat and drink, all you have to do is choose their tasting menu, no need to pick individual items. Plus you will experience the best of what the restaurant can offer, the talent of the chef to make most of the quality ingredient they have on hand.
Ebisu, it is the restaurant of choice for today, located in Quay Street, it’s a few minutes’ walk from Britomart Station right in the heart of downtown Auckland. In between Ortolana and Amano, you know this place is as par as those establishments in the vicinity.
They offer the Tasting Menu as well as two different set menus, we grabbed the tasting menu which costs NZ$125.00 or NZ$180.00 with sake match per person.
Let start. First it was the Amuse-bouche, Chatham Islands Paua with kina mayo, salmon roe, umami glaze & wakame. It was very elegant, taste and presentation. Clean taste and not fishy and the paua- was very tender, the kina mayo gave it a creamy touch. Nice seafood flavour but not fishy, well made, great start.
Then we have this trio, starting with the Big Glory Bay King Salmon Tataki with jalapeno dressing. Really fresh tasting salmon, meaty and very fatty which the jalapeno dressing mellows it down.
Hamachi Sashimi comes next served with w/ pickled daikon, micro coriander & yuzu soy, again another nice fish, fresh and firm. The yuzu soy gives it a nice touch, giving it an umami boost with fresh taste.
Truffle Beef Roll was the last of the bunch, made with sirloin, avocado, spring onion, tobiko, karashi miso. A really good beef roll and the karashi miso which was hot and spicy, it was the perfect way to finish this trio.
Next on the menu was this Seared Hokkaido Scallop with yuzu kosho butter, mango pomegranate salsa. Good sized scallop, it was a perfect bite, creamy, fruity, meaty, seafood delight. Scallop was nicely seared and that yuzu kosho butter was addictive, I just want to drink that the whole day.
Scampi Kataifi came next, served with wasabi tartare. This one was full of texture, it was crispy outside and the inside was soft. Good flavours and the crisps outside is nice to nibble on.
This was the first part and to end this stage Kabosu & Sake Granita was served to palate cleanse and refresh your tongue for the next flavour sensation.
Next stage then came, starting from the Miso Glazed “Saikyo” Tooth Fish with cauliflower puree, waffle & black tobiko. This was totally unexpected, the taste was sweet, like a dessert but as a fish, very nice execution. I love the texture of that toothfish, it was perfectly cooked. The waffle gives a nice texture. This one reopened the palates after it was cleansed by the granita.
Broccolini with yuzu hollandaise came next, broccolini was nicely charred, giving that barbecue taste with blended really well with the creamy citrusy yuzu hollandaise. Broccolini was also perfectly cooked, nice and crisp.
Then we had this melt in your mouth Seared Duck Breast with kina mayo, five spices glaze, shichimi pepper and dried fig, never tried duck executed this way, it falls apart in your tongue.
Then another palate cleanser came in, the Ebisu Housemade Pickles. Good break for the next items to come.
Kagoshima Black Wagyu Scotch came next and this was the best of the bunch, a nice cut of Wagyu beef served with wafu sauce, wasabi ponzu, sesame sauce. This literally is heaven on a plate, if that duck melt in your mouth, this once dissolves in your mouth. Very flavourful, the fat of that beef is just so palatable, very tasty. Cooked rare, it was perfectly cooked.
Beef was served with Furikake Rice Rolls which on its own was already good. This was the last of the savouries, that beef was the perfect way to end it, it’s like an orgasm, it just tickles your taste buds nicely, just want to stop after that and savour everything that had happened.
To top it all off was this Yuzu Bombe Alaska with mascarpone parfait, yuzu sorbet, almond juchon. It was a large dessert if you take in consideration with what you already had, it can be a little too much for some after having a feast of 11 different things, but I am not complaining, it was a nice dessert. Cold, citrusy, sweet, full of different textures, it is the last hurrah!
Food was amazing! It really was, no doubt about it. That seafood served was done the best way possible and that Wagyu was out of this world, this certainly represented the great chefs who prepared our dishes. Place was clean and the ambiance was OK, if it was not for those very noisy drunk bunch near our table as well as the not so passionate service of the frowning face of the waiter that served us then it would have been a perfect dinner overall.
Just a note when we were in Masu everything that was served to us was explained in detail in a clear and ardent manner with a nice smile on the servers face, and this made a big difference especially when you are in a date with someone special, hopefully the server we had in Ebisu that night was just so tired and it’s not how diners are greeted normally but luckily the chefs done an amazing job which sort of equalizes the experience.
Ebisu
Address: 116-118 Quay Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9-300 5271
Website: http://www.ebisu.co.nz/
