It’s really easy to find fault .... and enjoyable experiences can be ruined with petty complaints. Yet, if you promote yourself as being best at something, surely justified criticism is ok. This is very much the case at Hippo ....Once I started thinking about our end of year dinner the grumbling became more and more.
So, what was good .... the restaurant has ambience and style. I love the art work which is both diverse and well presented. The salmon entree was interesting and tasty. The beef cheeks were original and melt in your mouth stuff. Our Winemaster excelled, especially with the Spanish red.
As for the not-so-good stuff .... just take it from me that there is a list.
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Interesting place is Muse ..... when 35 wine-swilling men are jammed into the mezzanine, the chatter and laughter seemed magnified to football stadium proportions..... not management fault of course .... just highlights the need for a Sergeant of sorts.
Nonetheless, what a most enjoyable lunch. One could sense the truffles well before they appeared in the tartaresque starter. To my eye it looked modern and inviting .... and certainly tasted great. Feast slam dunked the accompanying Pinot Gris and we moved on to the Pork belly. I doubt if I have seen a more sophisticated bit of crackling ...light and tasty. The turnip bit was mentionable even just for the mental images it conjured up.
Having drooled over the cheeseboard we all enjoyed at the Cashmere Lounge a couple of months ago, I find it easy to be disappointed by recent pretenders ... and this one was no exception. The quince jelly has become a thing on many of Wellington’s finest restaurant boards, to the point of ho hum now .... still it was pleasant enough. Overall, an 8/10 experience.

Garnishes ..... now that's a thought, albeit a bridge too far for some of our group who lunched at the Field and Green. I have probably already said quite enough about the weak fish stock etc ... certainly showed they have some very loyal, albeit out of kilter supporters. Still, they did manage to get me with the dog turd addition to my meal at the Boulcott Bistro..... which was real food Brucie(not the garnish, the steak you fool) and so much superior to that other place.
Then it was Annam with it's crossover mix of Asian and French cuisine ... truly Vietnamese that is. The food was slimming .... the wine master did very well to add some punch to the whole thing.
I look forward to these events .... it's the experience that counts for if it was only about the food one would just camp out at Whitebait, Zibibbo or my home!

We mused about in the new MUSE venue and met up again for our monthly lunch. Visitors were introduced and welcomed. Someone note that Dahl Calder our youngest oft visited visitor recently turned 40 and that the Tinakori Beefsteak and Burgundy Club has its fortieth anniversary coming up this year.

Some thoughts will follow on the food and wine, and the awful jokes ( if they can be called that) .........