Wildfire (Auckland CBD, New Zealand)

The last time I ate here would probably be around 9 to 10 years by now and some things hasn’t changed, they still serve amazing Churrasco Experience in an affordable price compared to what they have in offer for you. I tried this place three times before and all of those experiences were great, all of them I was full to the brim and had some meat dreams and meat sweats the next day 🙂

Many years later, here we are again, and I am doing this as a birthday treat to myself, so this post was quite late by a couple of months. The last few visits we had we tried their Churrasco Completo which included desserts, it was a mistake because their cheapest option is more than enough, so that room for dessert will be a really tight fit on your belly. This time we opted out of the dessert and chose the Churrasco Experience that includes two course of Tapas & Tasters, Churrasco and Side Dishes for NZ$62.95. And during our visit these are what’s on offer.

For Tapas and Tasters, it was a selection of the following:

Breads & Spreads – cannellini bean puree, tomato tapenade
Panko Piquillo Peppers – filled with Prosciutto-Manchego cream
Escalivada – Catalan style roasted summer vegetables, crostini
Brandade of Salt Cod – potato crema, virgin oil, focaccia toast
Ciccioli Popsicles – sesame crusted pork terrine, Nuoc Mam Cham gel
Jamon Serrano – sliced Spanish cured ham and compressed apple

This is usually served once you are seated, and it will be coming as a set, usually in one go. This was a good thing to start with, apart from the bread everything is not heavy, it’s just there you entice your taste buds, preparing it for nicer things to come. I loved everything on this set specially that Brandade of Salt Cod, if it’s not for the Churrasco, I will surely get extras of this one if possible.

Next stage was the churrasco, the server will ask if you are finished with your tapas, and once you say yes, you will be handed over that magic stop and start marker. Basically, a cylindrical wood with red and green sections, this basically instructs servers you need meat if the green part is up, and if the red part is up then it’s time for a break, so they won’t bother you.

For the Churrasco there was a good selection but this visit I was expecting that beef ribs but looks like they moved it to the premium selection, anyways what’s on offer was still great, and this is what they had on that day.

Leg of Lamb – slow roasted, rosemary, oregano, olive oil
Angus Sirloin – wood-fire grilled, Bordelaise sauce
Angus Beef Rump – butcher salt, sage, Dijon mustard
Pork Roast – crackling, roasting juices
Pork Scotch – cranberry-wine glaze
Wildfire Pork Sausages – coarse ground, hint of nutmeg
Hen Thighs – spit-roasted on the bone, citrus glaze
Marlborough Salmon Fillet – oven roasted, salsa verde
Crisp Calamari – persillade, lemon aioli
Fresh Mussels – skillet grilled, salsa rosa

I told you, there was a lot and we tried them all. Everything was good but if I have to choose three it would be a hard decision anyways what’s the point you can try it all anyways. But for ranking sake the best three were the Pork Roast, Salmon and the sausages, they were all phenomenal, with right amount of fat on all of them, the meats were juicy and very tasty. The mussels deserve a mention as well as I like how it tasted, a bit sweet like barbecue, something new to me. Plus, the Leg of Lamb where the waiter asked if I would want the bone part. Looks like he knew me well, and I certainly did grab it. It was tender, juicy and not gamey at all, I love it.

While the churrasco is being served the side, dishes started to flow as well, and the selections are the following:

Daily Varying Salads – chef’s selection
Seasonal Vegetables – sautéed, virgin oil, parmigiano
Roast Agria Potatoes – garlic, lemon, herbs
Casarecce Pasta – mushroom ragu, tomato
Polenta Fries – truffled oil, parmigiano

Now is something to take less of, if you notice they are mostly heavy carbs so take in moderation, so you have space for your meat. But having said that we tried most of them apart from the Polenta Fries and Pasta. Potatoes were spectacular, very soft on the insides and the outer layer was nice and sticky crispy. I also loved the seasonal vegetables where it was served with broccoli, carrot and bok choy, well-seasoned and its perfectly cooked, they were still crispy. Very nice to the bite.

While enjoying all of that, I paired it with a 2018 Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir which went well with all the meats. And to top it all up since it was my birthday, we got a complimentary dessert in the form of lemon meringue pie complete with Brazilian Happy Birthday song from the amazing servers in Wildfire.

It was a good dining experience, the waiter assigned to us accommodated all our requests with a smile, he is a pro in what he was doing and made sure we are happy and comfortable with our experience. Combine that with the amazing food, great place, this is one of the must try restaurants in Auckland, for as low as NZ$62.95, it’s an experience surely to remember and treasure.

Wildfire Auckland
Address: 137 Quay Street, Shed 22/Princes Wharf, Downtown, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Phone: +649 353 7595
Website: https://wildfirerestaurant.co.nz