I don’t know about you Dear Reader but we like to eat early when we dine out on holiday. For practical reasons you do understand as the light is better and we are often bone tired from sight seeing and have just enough energy to collapse into a chair and eat to our heart’s content. So when I ring Molten in Mount Eden just outside of downtown Auckland, to ask whether we can change our booking to a slightly earlier time I am relieved when they tell me that it is not a problem at all.
Waikanae crab, spinach & ricotta linguine with Pernod cream and crunchy shallots $22.00
The linguine is rich and gorgeously cheesy with a touch of Pernod. We both can’t find much crab though it but the crunchy shallots give the cream a lift and flavours injection as well as a textural crunch. It’s a substantial serving size particularly for an entree and I really enjoy the creaminess of this dish.
Sesame salt & pepper squid with cucumber, peanut relish and chilli honey $20.50
The salt and pepper squid here is sailboat shaped which pleases sail loving Mr NQN. There are four pieces in this dish. On top there is some fresh coriander and cucumber ribbons and underneath it sits on a bed of chilli honey and crushed peanuts. The honey (which isn’t very spicy) is a touch too sweet for it and I prefer the pieces on top without the honey.
Venison Pie with cherries and a touch of coffee $21
They had warned me that the serve of the venison pie was small as it’s an entree. I wouldn’t call it small though as the soft sinewy venison is rich with flavour and slightly sweet. It’s accompanied with cherries which remind me of dessert figs and sits atop a coffee slick. It’s quite sweet though and reminds me of the bacon jam that I made with coffee which gives it a richness. The pastry is crisp and although it appears hard it shatters with a good light chop with the fork. Delicious!
Crispy skin hapuka with paua sausage, avocado salsa verde and green lentil emulsion $34.50
The paua suasage on its own is quite strong tasting but combined with the hapuka it goes well together. The fish doesn’t have much skin and what there is isn’t particularly crispy but that’s a small point. It tastes quite rich and wintry for a fish dish. Mr NQN prefers this dish whereas I like the Venison pie.
Valrhona chocolate torte with whisky ice cream, tobacco syrup & raw cocoa runouts (nibs) $16.50
Despite how full we are, we cannot resist this chocolate dessert-after all how often do you see tobacco syrup on a menu? It arrives as a rich dark Valrhona chocolate ganache tart in a dark chocolate tart shell and ringed with the tobacco syrup which tastes similar to golden syrup. There is a toffee sculpture on top spiked with cocoa nibs and the whisky ice cream is strong but not too strong. The torte is absolutely divine with the ice cream and we fight over the last few bites. Mr NQN ever the gallant gentleman offers me the last piece! I knew I married him for a reason 
So tell me Dear Reader, do you like to eat early or late when you are on holidays?
Molten
422 Mt Eden Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand
Tel: +64 (09) 6387236
Lunch Tuesday – Saturday from noon. Dinner Monday – Saturday from 5.30 till late
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28 Comments | Add your own
That Valrhona cake looks amazing – and I’ve never seen tobacco on a menu before!
I consider myself an early eater, if 7pm is early. The venison pie looks really good!
That tobacco syrup is a very unusual touch – I’d love to try it.
When we travelled in Europe we often tried to eat early as we were so tired from hoofing it around everywhere for hours and hours. I think that the restauranteurs must have thought we were crazy – especially in Italy where no-one seems to eat early!!
I think I prefer to have an earlish meal on holidays … would have quite tired by early evening and a perfect time to unwind and chill
Yes, can’t agree more the venison pie looks awesome and sophisticated. Thanks for sharing 
Having returned yesterday from a 3 week holiday, on the whole we ate at 6.45 pm – our excuse was it was late for our 6 year old, but really we were happy to aim to be at the restaurant early (travel time is always an issue in London) so we could walk in the twilight for while to digest the food and still be home by 9.30pm. Early nights are a luxury at home!
Tabacco syrup is very new to me too. I am glad to read that it sounds nice tho-I wonder if ppl get addicted to it too?
I laughed out loud reding your question. When on my holidays I eat at every and all opportunities
*drool*
Kinda makes my toasted cheese sandwich not as tasty now.
Holiday – what’s that?
Ooh that last dish looks wicked – tobacco syrup is very interesting.
We’re fairly early diners too – I like to get in around 6-7pm…more time for talking and drinking ehehe
What I would give for a forkful of the creamy pasta. I hate dieting
The food looks amazing! I have to admit I am more of an early-ish eater. If I am on holiday I prefer to eat early, get a good night’s sleep and be up early to pound the pavement the next morning with loads of energy. I also don’t like going to sleep with a full tummy so much, and then there is always the post-dinner stroll…
I like to eat early always! Except my reason for eating dinner early is because I *always* have at least four dessert snacks every night
Tobacco syrup! Want want want!
makes me homesick! I always visit Mt Eden for coffe and lunch when i go home from Sydney!
Hi Lorraine,
It all just looks scrumptious . . . . I like to eat WHENEVER I can !!
Kind regards, Lynette
That venison pie has captured my imagination.. I love that cherry coffee combination with the meat. I am just reading a 500 year old cookbook and it had a cherry pie with warm spices and mustard in it!!! It sounded weird but also interesting… add a little venison and I think I’ve got a winner!
I like to eat early, meaning I can curl up in bed sooner and wake up early to go for walks, or sleep in.
That said, I don’t mind eating at 6pm even when I’m not on holidays too. My excuse is that it allows time to digest but it’s probably because I don’t want to wait and am keen to get out of the restaurant before it becomes too busy
Mount Eden!! My grandfather was from there! Cool…
Looks like some nice food…that dessert looks amazing!!
Honestly, I haven’t been on holidays in 9 years! So I can’t answer that question..coz I don’t remember!!
That torte looks amazing!
Depends what kind of holiday I suppose – if it involves lots of sightseeing and walking, then early dinner is best.
Normally a early dinner guy when on holidays, but in saying that my number one holiday dining experience was a late sitting with my partner at Botswana Butchery in Queenstown, New Zealand in one of their private rooms for two upstairs.
If you ever get the chance check it out, not cheap but it is well worth it!! And of course the AUS exchange gives you a good excuse to splurge a little.
I definitely prefer to eat reasonably early anytime really. I feel it gives you a lot more time to the night without sitting around too full if you have overeaten, which we often do, foolishly!
Have to say Lorraine, even though a vegetarian, all those dishes above look and sound very delish!
We usually eat much later than when we’re at home as we cleverly go back to the hotel for a nap first! This way I can concentrate fully on the food!
When we are on holidays we don’t really think about eating early or late. We just eat when we are hungry or when we have time between sight seeing or whatever else we have planned to do.
That chocolate torte is calling my name. I have been trying to resist this craving for chocolate I’ve been having the last hour or so and seeing the torte has not helped!
Thank goodness someone else eats early on Holiday. I thought I was the only one and was embarassed by my “nanna” behaviour. My husband and I tried to do late night dining when in New York, but we were so exhausted after walking 15 to 20klms a day we were done by 7pm! LOL
NQN, if New York is your next destination, you HAVE to go to Katz’ deli…don’t even bother wasting your time with the turkey sandwich, just go Pastrami the whole way!! AMAZING!
the chocolate is a wild call to me !!! and the venison with coffee is also attrrcting !! NZ cooks are quite creative !!
Pierre
I’m a sucker for creamy pasta & that first dish looks sensational (as does the rest of the meal!)
I like to eat early on holidays then evenings are generally spent relaxing so i’m ready for busy days ahead
Now that’s my kind of restaurant! I love all the dishes and would gleefully consume them no matter what time of day or night.
When in Italy, it’s hard to eat early as their whole lifestyle is totally different to what we’re used to here in Australia. Sometimes we would be sitting down to our evening meal at 10.30pm and later go for “una passeggiata” or late-night stroll, this mainly occurs during Summer when hot, balmy nights are calling out for a Gelato!!
hi in the fish program you had on tv1 where you wrap the fish in potato i am wondering where you got the machine to put the potato through and whats it called please sign robin
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