A seat at the table

Another post in the occasional series where we enjoy eating out at nice places! Being in Auckland this weekend to celebrate my dear husband’s birthday, we headed over to chef Peter Gordon’s new venture, Homeland.

Part cooking school (in fact, there was a class taking place when we arrived), part restaurant, part a celebration of the diverse communities of the city, Homeland can be found in the Wynyard quarter by the waterfront. We were there when it was dark (it is winter after all and the shortest day is Monday), but I imagine it would be a stunning location on a sunny day. Homeland is about using produce sourced from New Zealand and the Pacific as explained in the restaurant’s philosophy, and the key suppliers are even listed, so you really know where your food is coming from.

To start, we shared a plate of charcuterie which consisted of Aotea Barn organic beef macadamia salami, duck and chicken liver pate, smoked lamb’s tongue, ‘beet kraut’, pickled cumber and olives served with bread and crackers. It was an absolute delight, the smoked lamb’s tongue being a pleasant surprise, and we accompanied it with a glass of Marlborough sauvignon blanc.

For the main event, I opted for the softest ever piece of shoulder of lamb, served with a potato gratin and a minted pea chilli salsa. Karl had the beef sirloin with polenta chips, lemon chilli Brussel sprouts and a hollandaise sauce. Both dishes were excellent, and we enjoyed a glass of syrah from Hawke’s Bay with them.

Having had a late lunch, we just had an espresso, each to end the meal. While we were waiting for our taxi to return to the hotel, Peter Gordon himself came over to chat – what a lovely, charming and modest man. A nice end to a good evening.

So, no gardening post this week, because were up in Auckland.

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