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Press, 29 May 1985, Page 30

Scarborough Fare The Esplanade Sumner Phone 26-6987 8.Y.0.

(By

GARRY ARTHUR)

Word has been trickling through to Christchurch that something special is happening in that outpost of local civilisation, Sumner. For those unfamiliar with it, the tearooms near the clocktower at the Scarborough end of Sumner beach must seem an unlikely place to come across a good restaurant. By day, it serves ice creams, lollies and teas to swimmers and strollers, but when night falls the counter is curtained off and the

main space is transformed into a very pleasant dining room. The first one to do this with the tearooms was the Maltese restaurateur, George Spiteri, who later moved into the centre of town. He was most successful, and patrons flocked to his little Continental-style beach restaurant from far and wide. It has had a couple of changes of ownership since then. The present owners call it Scarborough Fare, helping to place it geographically The dining room is pleasantly decorated in pink and

grey, with dark blue squares over the pink tablecloths. Beach scenes adorn the walls.

The chromium-plated tubular furniture is upholstered and looks comfortable, but we were seated in one of the booths that lines the back wall. These could be improved by widening the tables and putting a bit of rake on the backs of the seats.

The gap between seat and table is a bit wide, and you are inclined to try and tug the table closer when the person opposite is not looking. Compromising, both sides sit on the edge of the seat, but when you sit back again for a bit of relief, you don’t get it because the upright seat back makes you sit at parade-ground attention.

When you do sit back, however, you do so with a great sigh of satisfaction. The food is superb. Just reading the blackboard starts the juices flowing.

The menu changes regularly according to the fresh

foods available at the markets, but I was assured that Thursday night’s tempting selection was typical. It began with smoked salmon and pumpkin chowder ($5), then offered four entrees — calamari (squid) saute with tomato, fresh herbs and garlic, finished in vermouth ($7), baked camembert cheese with bacon and apple ($7), warm salad of avocado with tomato and pesto ($5.50), and galantine of duck with tomato and beetroot chutney ($7.50). We skipped the soup, reluctantly, and chose the warm salad and the galantine of duck. Avocado loses nothing at all by being served hot, surprising though that is, and the galantine, though a bit fatty, was a generous slice of pressed duck. The really striking thing about the entrees was their appearance. Served on large white plates, they were so artistically arranged that they deserved to be preserved forever as still lifes.

The avocado was fanned out in slices, with individual rings of red onion continuing the circle to meet the pesto-filled tomato. Considerable thought and flair had obviously gone into the presentation of these and all subsequent dishes.

The main courses were just as beautiful.- The roast rack of lamb with minted zucchini straws and rosemary glaze ($11.50) comprised four or five perfect lamb cutlets supporting each other in a little display of their own over a mound of delicious skinny strips of zucchini.

Most striking of all was the dish of fresh perch fillet with seafood melee in a Pernod buerre blanc ($16.50). The fish came with a huge king prawn complete with shell and long feelers that curled decoratively to follow the curve of the plate. With it were an oyster on its oyster shell, a mussel on its mussel shell, and other delicacies of the sea.

The vegetables, served

seperately. were a perfect complement to the main dishes — diced potatoes in white sauce, buttered carrots, red cabbage, and cauliflower. Alternative main courses were a whole spatchcock (young chicken) boiled and stuffed with leeks and white wine sauce ($13.50), and an eye fillet of beef poached in beef stock, served with onion and mushroom compote ($13.50). We will have to go back.

The desserts were not on the blackboard, but were described in mouth-water-ing detail by the waiter. I succumbed to a refreshingly different paw-paw sorbet, followed by coffee in one of those gadgets where you have the fun of squashing the grcoiiils to the bottom with a big plunger. Altogether, the Scarborough Fare is highly recommended as a delightful place to dine on fine food Onr bill came to $63.06, not counting the wine. Scarborough Fare is open from Wednesday to Sunday.