5 April 2010

RESTAURANT SCHWASS

190 Ferry Rd, Phillipstown Christchurch ph 03 371 9333 www.restaurantschwass.com

I am constantly asked where to dine around New Zealand and for me the one restaurant I would recommend above all others in Christchurch is Jonny Schwass's Restaurant Schwass. (Although I do love Saggio di Vino and The Bodhi Tree).

Johnny Schwass is a passionate chef who truly, truly cares about every single thing he puts on your plate. He has a garden where amazing vegetables and herbs are grown, and it's rumoured he may even plant a garden on the restaurant roof. He takes infinite care in sourcing the very best meat, fish and poultry for his diners.

We ate some superbly stylish simple food that was delicious in the best sense of the word. I started with a mushroom risotto (pictured) that would rate a perfect 10. Rich, a slightly creamy texture with more mushroom than rice, it was so good I refused to share with my dining companions! It was topped with a small wild mushroom salad.

The menu is bold; lots of lovely offal dishes including lamb's liver and bacon, cured tongue, and pork belly. The organic chicken was superb and sparkling fresh fish melted in the mouth. Here's a chef with plenty of imagination who manages to produce lovely modern food where the well sourced ingredients speak for themselves.

The restaurant itself is sober and moody, but we were impressed when Earth Hour came and all the lights were turned out and we ate by candlelight. We also loved the wine list that has been as thoughtfully put together as the menu. There was a full page dedicated to Pyramid Valley, so we drank their Pinot Blanc.. perfect for the perfect food.