The Town Hall Restaurant

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 25

The Town Hall Restaurant

By FRANK DUGGAN Tranquillity is good for the digestion and the Town Hall Restaurant has both the exterior and interior atmosphere, and a general excellent quality of food, to satisfy the most discerning of clientele.

The restaurant has become increasingly popular since its opening in the 19705, particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings. Theatre patrons tend to book for the late-night supper on these occasions, complemented by a few drinks, good music and dancing. Generally diners have a few more advantages for a “night out.” Apart from the obvious, the clientele has a chance to savour the beauty of Victoria Square, featured by the Avon River, the fountains, and the variances of lights, both static and moving. It will diminish slightly when the new hotel is erected.

Phone 66-651 Licensed

Getting the true appreciation of the restaurant

requires eating out during the week. Recently, my wife and I ate a la carte. Fifteen people only were in the restaurant. We were not disappointed with the meal.

For the wallet, it was one of the best presented and served meals we have had for a long time. Notwithstanding the meagre attendance of diners — no doubt because of a stiff frost and the prospects of hot vegatable soup and crumpets at home — we had a chance of indulging in a window table. From then on it was relaxation.

Being former Southlanders, we stuck to the basics, not pea-pie-and-pud, but with some variation from the usually general Southerlander’s diet of soup, meat and the thickest pudding you could get. Since being north, our preferences have changed quite dramatically. Education, perhaps, but a deeper appreciation of what can whet one’s taste-buds. The Town Hall almost did that.

My wife’s appetiser was Hawaiian Fruit Delight ($5.25), delightfully served with a base of chipped ice, including grapefruit, mandarin and orange pieces, and a pineapple slice. It was served

with a base of creme de menthe. She described it as "beautiful.”

For soup, I chose consomme Poulet Julienne ($1.90), a tastily flavoured clear soup, garnished with vegetable strips. The lightness of my soup gave me an appetite. It did not contain too much and I looked forward to the entree of cascade whitebait ($6.75).

My compliments to the chef. It is difficult to present seafood out of season. Tossed in egg, seasoned and sauteed in Marsala stock and served with saffron rice as well as the usual slice of lemon, parsley and- tomato, it was virtually a meal in itself. Panned, delightfully cooked on the base, it had more whitebait than often goes down a West Coast river during the season. The egg was secondary. Main courses:

My wife chose Ferrier Sole ($14.75). She was stumped at the end. Three fillets of rolled sole, sauteed in perhaps too

much white wine, and with extras as shallots and lemon juice, as well as a generous helping of potatoes could prove too much for some people. On reflection some might like to order a little bit less. The variety of vegetables is fresh, cooked to retain freshness, no doubt steamed, but the potatoes might not be everyone’s choice. They contained too much of varying flavours. Perhaps it would have been better to have offered the standard roast potato as an alternative. Traditional Canterbury

lamb was my choice, and at $10.50, I was not disappointed, although there may have been too much gravy. Perhaps it would have been better for a gravy boat to have been offered to allow the client a choice of gravy depth. Lamb is traditionally cut thinly — there were variances. Because of the thickness of one or two pieces it required a certain amount of chewing. Apart from the potatoes, the vegetables were cooked to perfection. Desserts: Fresh fruit salad is one of the most satisfying

dishes. The lasting taste in the mouth allows a person to retain a feeling of a satisfying meal. More importantly, it is the morning after that counts. A sweet breath convinces a person of a satisfying meal. My wife had that, and it cost only $4.25. The dish was of fresh fruit, sliced and lightly tossed in marischino and served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. In my case, it was Steamed Paradise Pudding ($3.95). It was even better than my mother made, although the predominant taste this time

was caramel, while my mater always chose raspberry sauce over a basic “pud” for Sunday dinner. The Town Hall’s pudding was served with vanilla sauce and whipped cream; it had enough “lacker” to stick to your sides. A bottle of Hunters (Marlborough) N.Z., 1985 Classic Chablis wine, complemented an excellent meal. The chablis is still maturing; it has too much of a juicy flavour. Over-all the meal cost $65.05, including the wine and one cup of coffee and the usual dinner mints. It has value.