La Rue Restaurant Rue Lavaud Akaroa Phone 343 Licensed

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 28

La Rue Restaurant Rue Lavaud Akaroa Phone 343 Licensed

(By

GARRY

BRITTENDEN) Since taking over the management of La Rue Restaurant in December, 1982, Peter and Frances Anderson have developed a reputation for providing fine seafood, locally caught and freshly served. So my companion, a keen devotee of things from the sea, and I looked forward to putting this reputation to the test. I began the evening with a La Rue cocktail, a deli-

cious concoction of groper, mussels, scallops and shrimps in a delicate but tasty sauce. I was impressed—not only did the appetiser contain plenty of everything but everything had the mark of freshness. My companion began her meal with an entree of raw oysters, and in her own words, what better way to start a meal. Oysters have a tendency to lose their sweetness if not entirely fresh, but these oysters were not only deliciously

sweet but were juicy and clearly as fresh as possible. My entree was titled Gunpowder Goulash—a most apt title. Containing sliced beef and mushrooms and “heavy on the chili,” this entree was too hot for me. Tasty it was but the chilis kept getting in the way. My companion, however, found the chili component most agreeable and the dish of high quality. On to the main course. The prospect of having chicken sauted with onion, bacon and mushrooms, moistened with a dash of wine and cream appealed strongly enough for me to forsake the seafood in favour of Chicken Ardennaise. It promptly arrived, along with deep fried cauliflower, Eitatoes and carrots garnhed with parsley and nuts. While the carrots were interesting and tasty, I found the other vegetables rather ordinary.

The chicken, though, was magnificent. Chicken needs to be dressed properly to command respect. The sauce that came with my chicken was divine. Cream and wine are a most suitable combination, and they were combined with unnamed ingredients to be the highlight of my meal. Meanwhile, my companion was fulfilling a dream with her Crayfish Newburg. Her only complaint was that there was not enough. Not that the helping was insufficient, but so delicious was the flavour that she would gladly have dispensed with the vegetables in favour of more crayfish. Finally, the dessert. My companion chose Cassata ice cream, served on a sponge soaked with sherry. Unfortunately, we both felt the overall effect was spoiled by too much sherry. I had Sabayon with a Marsala-based sauce, and it

was beautiful—a perfect finish to a very pleasant meal. I had the temerity to ask what else went into the sauce, but I was politely refused details—a company secret. The overall cost, including wine, came to about $5O, which seems rather a lot but our selections for the evening were rather extravagant. A more average price would be closer to $4O, a reasonable price for the quality we received. Overall, our thoughts were quite positive. The management and staff all give the feeling of really wanting to please the customer. The service was efficient, friendly and reserved. The variety of food offered was quite reasonable without being startling, and the quality excellent The decor, I felt, was gaudy and lacked style but this was compensated by the meal to make a most pleasant evening.