With the Treetops cooking class a wonderful memory we rush to get to Auckland in time for our booking at Euro at the Viaduct. We reach the Sky City Grand Hotel with nary a moment to spare. The hotel location is good, it is located right in the centre of Auckland. There’s no time to spare to check out our room though as we are late late late!
We take the short walk to the Viaduct which is similar to the Darling Harbour area of Sydney. It’s on the waterfront and it is buzzing this Saturday night. We’re seated in the front corner with a window view. The menu is interesting with some classic dishes and some innovative ones. Curiously there is even a Pie of the Day with a “P.O.A.” written after it. Price on Application for a pie? I’ve seen P.O.A. but usually in fashion magazines referencing couture outfits or properties that you just cannot afford – not a pie. It turns out the pie of the day is a fish pie for $38. Our waitress comes over after quite a while to tell us the specials. The poor gal is clearly run off her feet although when we try and catch the eye of other staff members standing there and chatting they see us although they don’t come over or tell her which is a little irritating.
Bluff Oysters with raspberry saba, balsamic jelly, smoked tabasco and prelibato $27.50
The Bluff oysters are in (yay!) and here they come with four different accompaniments. There is raspberry saba which is a sweet unfermented syrup, balsamic jelly which is nice but a little overwhelmingly sweet and strong for the oysters, smoked Tabasco which is too strong for the oysters and prelibato, a cooked grape must which is slightly sweet and unusual. We feel like Goldilocks trying to find the perfect fit.
Peking Duck with Chinese pancakes, orange chipotle slaw, cashew dukka and hoisin sauce $26
I wasn’t sure whether to order the Peking duck, after all I’ve had some great Peking duck and not so great Peking duck and I can be fussy about it. Mr NQN is wary when I suggest it but as it’s one of their “classic” entrees I try it. The skin is not crispy so this is more a roast duck than a Peking Duck and it’s mostly duck meat with three pieces of skin. The pancakes are more crepe like and very thin and each one breaks halfway through eating the pancakes. However despite all of this the nutty dukka worked really well in it and even the slaw (although it needed to be sliced finer), was also a nice addition and we both really enjoyed this dish although Peking Duck purists might not.
Pork Belly with mushroom pudding, onion and apple saba confit and green apple mustard $40
The pork belly was beautifully cooked with the crackling gloriously crispy and the belly meat layered with fat and soft meat. The accompaniments weren’t such a great match with the mushroom pudding not being a pudding at all but rather an upturned shortcrust pie with a thin sauce poured over it so that it became a wet pie. The sauce was too thin to call itself a gravy. I prefer pork with sweet flavours rather than mustards (which I think goes well with beef) so I didn’t really go for the other accompaniments and ate the pork belly by itself.
Rotisserie chicken with Simon gault’s famous rub with mash and peanut slaw $34
This is a very generous serve and this dish has apparently been on the menu since the restaurant opened. It’s strong in oregano and perhaps a bit too strong but the thigh piece is juicy and the pick of the two. We have it with a creamy mash and a peanut slaw. The peanut lends it crunch rather than giving it a satay flavour.
Garlic French Fries $5
The garlic french fries are good with garlic flavour but could use more cooking as there were a tad soggy.
Spoons of 2012 $16.50
I appreciate that the kitchen is trying to be innovative so we try the Spoons of 2012. From front to back in this picture there are four spoons: mascarpone ice cream with feijoa jelly which is fantastic with a creaminess and fruitiness. The feijoa in this tastes similar to apple. Then there is the organic yogurt and gorgonzola honey egg which is a membrane-like, very thin cooked egg white a with burst of gorgonzola, honey and yogurt inside. The egg that they speak of references the look. I first taste honey and then gorgonzola and it is very pleasant. The third spoon is the berry fizz which is very sherberty and dry and sticks to the top palette and straddles the fine line between pleasure and pain. The last spoon is the honey sphere and lychee air. It is mostly air but pleasing. My favourite spoon was still the first one.
Cinnamon apple with pineapple marshmallow, crumble and caramel $16.50
Mr NQN’s dessert looks wonderful and lives up to its looks. The same shell technique is applied to the caramel so beware and don’t swallow one of those oval brown balls as all you’ll get is a mouthful of gushing caramel. The cinnamon apple is aromatic and there is tartness from dried raspberries and it is a good sized dish.
The menu rather cheekily suggests that “At Euro we encourage gratuities for very good service “. I don’t think any Sydney establishment would ever be that cheeky to encourage tipping on a menu but as the service was very good after a slow start we tip our waitress well. She has been lovely and knowledgeable not to mention furiously busy all night. We leave to see two staff members standing there chatting and laughing while she zips furiously around them. We look at each other and say “We should have tipped her more”.
So tell me Dear Reader, how often do you tip at restaurants? All of the time? Or only if service is good?
NQN and Mr NQN travelled and explored New Zealand as guests of Tourism New Zealand.
Euro Restaurant & Bar
22 Princes Wharf Quay St, Auckland 1001, New Zealand
Tel: + 61 09-309 9866
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36 Comments | Add your own
Do you know I’ve never had oysters yet? I don’t know why, but I am a little scared to eat them (totally unfounded, I know). I’m not even really sure HOW to eat them.
. But he would always tip, unless the service was especially horrid.
Fries look awesome.
I never tip, thats hubby’s job
Hope you are having a fantastic weekend.
*kisses* HH
Probably just as well you didn’t tip her more, because I think from memory tips are shared at the end of the night! Frustrating, eh?
The desserts look so tasty. I want to taste the pineapple marshmallow! We do always tip, but there are times when I’m tempted not to if we have particularly bad service. Thankfully, that rarely happens!
Tipping does seem to be a bit fraught, doesn’t it?
In theory we don’t tip in Australia because we know that the staff are receiving award wages (or there-abouts, anyway), but if the service has been exceptional we sometimes do.
We always tip generously in Asia, as the staff are often very poorly paid.
I really ope the poor girl didn’t have to split the tips with the other staff!
Remember how you volunteered to trade places with me in California for a week? I’ll do it! Especially if it means spending time at places like this.
You must be having a fantastic holiday! New Zealand looks to be a beautiful country with lots to offer! In North Queensland tipping is not usual and rather uncommon. If the service was exceptional maybe I would!
That was daring, ordering Peking Duck there! I don’t think I would have trusted them enough to make it “right”…though honestly, it’s just the taste that matters, and I’m glad it turned out fine. Everything looks delicious, esp the pork belly…and gosh, fresh oysters are orgasmic!
I like to always tip, unless the service and/or food, is extremely bad.
Always tip, unless I get bad service. Americans always tip though, as waiters get such low salaries. I’m also British though and they NEVER tip. Real cheap skates
That cinnamon apple dessert looks interesting! And I was wondering about that mushroom-y thing. Strange.
Hmm…tipping. If the service has been good, and the food also good, then usually we leave a 10% tip. If it’s been a bit rubbish, then no, sorry, no tip. I’ve had wonderful service from the local thai joint, and horrible service from high-end steak restaurants, and will tip accordingly.
Although, yes, I agree that reminding diners to tip is a little cheeky!
I only tip if the service and food are really good.
In my opinion, the only real Goldilocks-way to eat oysters is natural
I love the look of Mr NQN’s dessert, too! Caramel and marshmallows, yum…
Well I really thought that Euro would be better than that. I felt disappointed reading your review.
Tipping is an interesting thing here is New Zealand….
I had a lovely meal at Euro and it’s nice to see the Spoon dessert is still there. Although it’s not the best tasting dish, I admire the ‘risk’. Brings back good times!
OK I’m officially hungry again, lol your photos are torturing me!! I only tip whenever the service is great.. but I guess I will especially tend to tip more whenever it’s a “fancy” restaurant.
It must’ve been hard to top the cooking class! =)
i love the dessert of MNQN very colourful and very creative !Pierre
Lovely place but Oysters that big turn me off. Lol
I always tip if the food and service warrant it but won’t leave anything if either is bad.
This looks great. I have recommended your blog to some friends who are in NZ right now. I hope they find you.
This looks a little hit & miss… love the look of the pork belly but the mushroom thing isn’t appealing. I definitely prefer sweet accompaniments to pork belly too.
Tipping – only when it’s deserved
Those desserts look wonderful, Lorraine! The pineapple marshmallow intrigues me and I think I might try to make a version of it! Mike and I always tip but the amount we tip varies depending on the service.
I have a friend who once worked as a waitress and she always tips, when I’m traveling overseas and it’s the custom I always tip. But in Australia the service has to be very good.
I do enjoy in Australia that we don’t HAVE to tip. I always feel awkward in the US where a bellboy lingers for his expected gratuity and will think less of you if it’s not enough, I also hate having to carry around money like that. In Egypt once I was forced to pay a gratuity to get toilet paper in the airport loo! We tip when the food is enjoyable and the service good, otherwise we tend to round up the bill and leave whatever is left.
that pork belly is apple-happy and i’m loving it!
I’ve noticed in a Melbourne restaurant they too encouraged tipping is a somewhat bold & obvious way to that point…, it was a bit of a shock as we Aussies have always held our heads high in the tip or not to tip arena – its always been left as decision firmly placed on our customers shoulders. Times they are a changin’
I rarely pass up the spoons for desert too!
The Viaduct precinct is such a gorgeous spot, especially on a warm sunny afternoon. The suggesting of tips is definitely a cheeky one & would only make me cough up if the food & service was impressive
In terms of tipping, I generally will always tip 10%, unless the service is REALLY poor. Tipping is inbuilt in my nature
Hi Lorraine, I wished I shared your enthusiasm for the food at EURO, but agree about the tipping. having just spent 6 weeks in Auckland, I tried every restaurant more a than twice, but twice is all EURO got – very lacklustre. Food was overwrought and over priced, they trade on their position and previously good reputation and the service was deplorable.Why do waiters imagine they are superior to their patrons as though they have never eaten in a restaurant before? As for their Bluff Oysters, like another over-rated Viaduct restaurant, Soul and most other establishments north of Invercargill, they are not even opened to order, being done some time previously, often delivered in bottles and plonked back into dishwasher washed shells before serving. If you want a decent, no GREAT oyster in Auckland, Ponsonby Road Bistro opens a local “Pacific Rock” (sic) oyster that is a good as any oyster I’ve had around the world, including the benchmark Brittany huitre. The food the is excellent and innovative and the wine list, while limited, chosen with precision (I hand carried two of their selections home). I’d say the same for the O’Connell Bistro, except they didn’t have oysters, but had a more varied wine list. No oyster before its time. Mike
I’ve worked in quite a few restaurants/cafes and the tips usually went one of two ways
1. Put towards the staff Christmas pary
2. Into the til and never seen again by the staff
However, I did have a wonderful manager who would divide the tips up evenly between the two of us (we were the only wait staff), I once walked away with $100 for one night!!!
Having said that, I usually just leave my change as a tip, but will leave a bit more if I think I’ve had exceptional service.
My biggest annoyance is seeing workers slacking off and/or ignoring customers to chat amongst themselves
The food looked,nice although I hate soggy chips.I don’t really tip unless the server has been really good.It’s not something we really do in Sydney.
Pork belly and Peking duck in one meal – plus oysters?!? Divine decadence!
aaaaw…this makes me fell all giddy. I’ve recently put an reserve on a Beagle puppy just in time when I get back from Japan in OCT. BTW- never had fries served in a glass before! Nice- too bad they were a tad soggy…
I like to tip all the time as people in South Africa don’t get paid a good basic. If the service is exceptional, my tip will reflect that!
My dad’s kinda old-school so I’ve been brought up to tip. Unlike my generous old man though, I don’t do his standard of 10% on every occasion, only when the service is exceptional. Other times I give like a 5% tip or maybe just round off the sum if they are no so deserving.
To hell with the oyster accompaniments; rasberry???
too weird, just eat them raw as they were meant to be eaten, maybe with a little lemon, lime, or dill. That’s how they are best enjoyed.
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