Beachcomber Restaurant 26 Esplanade Sumner Phone 266-592

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 11

Beachcomber Restaurant 26 Esplanade Sumner Phone 266-592

Dinner

A PETIT

The 18,000 people who live in the area between the Heathcote bridge and Evans Pass are fortunate to be handy to such a pleasant restaurant as the Beachcomber, with good food, a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere, and a wonderful situation on the beach at Sumner. Inside, the colour tones are in the range of browns —from light mushroom to a darkish burnt umber—and very relaxing. The background music is light jazz, of the Oscar Peterson variety.

The hosts, Kumiko and Russell Black, are successful in their attempt to maintain a friendly, informal atmosphere; yet the service is efficient and leaves nothing to be desired. During daylight hours you have a wonderful view of the sea, Sumner beach, and the Estuary shore line—it is a lovely setting for lunches. The Beachcomber is not open for lunch at present, but lunches are done by arrangement, for parties of six or more. The Blacks took over this restaurant about a year ago; however, they have presented Japanese-style dining only for about two months. Kumiko Black specialises in traditional Japanese dinners, but these must be reserved one day in advance, and are served for the whole party only. These meals are cooked at the table, and the reservation is necessary because of the extra preparation required. The main course of these dinners is yosenabe (mixed seafood and vegetables), sukiyaki (sliced steak and vegetables), or oriental steak (sliced, marinated, and grilled). They are all served with osumashi clear soup, tsukemono pickled vegetables, sunomono marinated seafood, and rice.

I regret that we could not have any of these meals because on the Saturday night the restaurant was too busy to be able to serve this, but

we are determined to try again as soon as possible.

Steak and seafood is also a traditional Japanese way, and the Beachcomber serves three special meals of this type: ribeye steak with scallops, oysters, or crayfish—all with Sauce Mornay. For appetiser you may choose a fruit juice at 50c, oysters natural ($2.60), prawn cocktail ($2.50), or at $2.90 each from home-made pate, seafood cocktail, avocado prawn, or sashimi. The sashimi I can unreservedly recommend: you cannot believe that slices of raw fish can be so delicious. It is served with soy sauce and a green mustard specially imported from Japan. The soup, the only one on the menu, was a lovely seafood bisque, and there is a choice of six entrees: seafood au gratin, oriental steak, or scallops, oysters, sole, or squid—the last four are all crumbed. We had the squid, which was delightful. For main course we had a peppered ribeye steak, and teriyaki (grilled groper steak with teriyaki sauce). The peppered steak was as nice as any I have eaten, and the teriyaki could not be faulted.

As you would expect from a Japanese-style restaurant, there is a good range of seafood on the menu, and for main course you can have Beachcomber crayfish (grilled, with a mushroom and prawn sauce), teriyaki, seafood au gratin, mixed seafood platter of crayfish, scallops, oyster, sole, and squid, and crumbed sole, scallops, or oysters.

The menu also includes a range of ribeye steak: plain or with garlic, or with rich onion sauce, tomato chillie sauce, or mushroom and prawn sauce. The range of prices is $6-$7.50. For dessert you choose from hot apple pie served with ice-cream and cream, coconut americana, ice-cream with passionfruit, chocolate, or caramel sauce, or the chef’s special dessert, for which you must ask at the time. There is a range of coffees.

The Beachcomber has a b-y-o licence; they charge no corkage—nor is there a cover charge.

Dinner for two, with a bottle of New Zealand wine, came to $23, and well worth driving out to Sumner for.