Getting into The Grove Auckland
Perfectly positioned to take advantage of New Zealand’s fine selections of fresh organic produce and fine wines Auckland has some of the best restaurants in the Asia Pacific region and Thomas Jones continues on his personal quest to try them all by visiting The Grove.
Text by Thomas Jones
It was a cold and rainy winter’s night that we stepped out into the warmth of The Grove restaurant in Auckland, one of the city’s finer establishments. I had been anticipating the event for weeks and a little bit (well, a lot) of chilly rain was in no way going to dampen my enthusiasm for a night of degustational delights. Warm in both welcome and atmosphere, the restaurant was near full and abuzz with the humming of voices and the clinking of cutlery on the flatware as we were led to our table – one of the best no less. “We have put you next to our water feature,” announced Mo our waiter, as he seated us by the rain-drenched sash window at the far end of the dining room, the first quip in a long line of witty and entertaining repartee that was to flow over the next few hours.
The Grove is one of Auckland City’s best eateries, and indeed in 2010 and 2011 it was voted best restaurant in the Metro restaurant awards, which makes them current champions. It opened in August 2004 and owners Michael and Annette Dearth have worked hard to make The Grove what it is today. Their passionate approach to service, wine, staff and modern New Zealand cuisine has attracted critical acclaim resulting in critical acclaim and, better still, many bums on seats.
Sauté of scallops with truffle emulsion, faux foie gras & butternut.
“Not blinded by the idea that ‘imported is best’, almost all of the ingredients come from within NZ and are organic and sustainable.”
The Grove’s success is no surprise considering how many combined years Michael and Annette have been working in hospitality. “Michael and I have both been in the business since our teenage years and we love it,” explains Annette. “We put ourselves through college but always went back to restaurants because you can make good money and we love food and wine. Collectively we have 50 years experience between us.”
The Grove seems to also be a proving ground for other great Auckland chefs, most noticeably Michael Meredith, the owner of Auckland’s Merediths who was the winner of the Metro award in 2010 – as featured in FRV Travel in August of the same year.
“The Grove is a labour of love!” insists Annette. “It has to be because Michael spends so much time there.” Annette works part time on the floor and has a different eye than Michael so they are able to keep the fine details current. “The concept is really about having beautiful food with a warm and comfortable atmosphere, and informed, friendly service,” says Annette.
Not blinded by the idea that ‘imported is best’, almost all of the other ingredients come from within NZ (with the exception of a few dry stock items) and they ensure all of their meats and fish are organic and sustainable. “Our menu changes with the seasons to highlight the beautiful produce that we grow here,” says Annette. Michael has also amassed an impressive collection of different wines from around the world, more than enough to complement the fine foods on offer. “The à la carte is very popular day to day, but overall the degustation menu is what most people are after, particularly on weekends. It’s a concept that has been fully embraced by Aucklanders,” says Annette.
And embraced they should be if the offerings that were delivered to our table were anything to go by; six seafood and meat dishes including a terrine of quail and pheasant, fig chutney, white raisin, celeriac rémoulade served with a 2005 Domaines Schlumberger Kitterlé Grand Cru; roasted duck breast with confit leg beignet, mango and endive tart fine with a 2006 Olivares Dulce Monastrell; and a duo of organic beef fillet with braised wagyu ox cheek, celeriac and pear with a heavy 2008 Ata Rangi Celebre Cabernet Sauvignon Martinborough to wash it down. Cheese and two desserts completed the night with a couple of glasses of fine sticky wine had us at a point fit to bursting.
The degustation menu on the rainy night in question.
The star of the kitchen, and the artist behind our evening’s gourmet entertainment, was Kiwi Chef Ben Bayly, who has travelled the world and earned his stripes in Michelin-starred restaurants in London and France. He also worked at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, obviously learning a few tricks about showmanship along the way before returning to Auckland and being snapped up to run the kitchen show at The Grove in 2009.
The restaurant staff are quick on their feet and well-versed in the journeys of each ingredient on the plate. They keep pace by doing tastings as the menu changes and we try to do wine tastings the first Saturday of every month. A great excuse for some overtime! The courses flowed with perfect timing and each was accompanied by a quick and clever explanation with a subtle helping of dry wit – one of our favorite condiments – from Mo. “It is very hard to get good staff in this country at this level of service so when you get someone good like Mo you really have to try to keep them,” explains Annette.
It is by no means an exclusive destination for the monied classes and wine snobs. It is accessible to everyone and this is at the core of Annette and Michael’s approach to hospitality. “We want to remain accessible to everyone. There is a $40 bottle of wine or a $2000 bottle of wine. Our customers vary from business men and women, to special occasion couples, tourists experiencing New Zealand hospitality, to someone just wanting a nice glass of wine on Friday after a long week. In the end we have made the grove an extension of our home!” A warm invitation if ever I heard one.
The Grove
Auckland, New Zealand
Tel: +62 9368 4129
www.thegroverestaurant.co.nz
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