Surroundings give Town Hall dining edge

Press, 5 August 1988, Page 30

Surroundings give Town Hall dining edge

THE TOWN HALL RESTAURANT Kilmore Street Telephone 666-651 Licensed

By

MAURICE HUNTER

There is no doubt that the decor and position of the Town Hall Restaurant are conducive to enjoyable dining. The dining room overlooks the busy Victoria Square, where the constantly changing lights of moving traffic, supplementing the pearly glow of the peacock fountains, convey a Carnival atmosphere for a start.

The interior is tastefully decorated with dark drapes which tone in with the upholstery of the comfortable seating and mushroom tonings of the carpet. A pleasant contrast is provided in salmon pink table cloths and dark brown napkins, a silver vase containing a pink carnation and white gypsophila, flickering candle, high quality glassware and a dark brown pottery cruet set. It is worth recording that a carafe of iced water was already on the table and was voluntarily refilled during the meal.

The dining room staff, simply dressed in black skirts or trousers, white tops and black bow ties, were courteous and attentive, and we were blessed with a waitress with a sense of humour. It makes a difference, and we enjoyed several exchanges of repartee with her. . After a pre-dinner sherry ($1.75) in the busy, but comfortable bar, during which we noticed the signs of a musical group preparing for action, our request for a table as far away as possible was pleasantly met. Any further away would have placed us in the Avon. Although the tables were perhaps a shade too close, the volume of the musicians was such that no one could eavesdrop on our conversation. In a way, this was a pity. There was an uproarious exchange going on at the adjacent table and I

would have loved to have known what the jokes were. There is no pleasing some poeple, as Thirza

was quick to remind me.

Our sherries, and the iced water, eliminated any desire for fruit juice (three at $2 or $2.50) or soup (cream of tomato or beef consomme, $4.75 and $3.75), so we nibbled away at the delightfully light and fresh wholemeal sesame seed bread and butter while considering the menu.

After a little dithering over the baby shrimp cocktail ($9.75) and South Pacific Fruit Delight ($7.50), we both chose the chef’s pate — pork and duck ($8.75) -— for an appetiser. This, a generous serving in a ramekin garnished with discs of radish and mandarin segments, accompanied by triangles of crisp toast, was tasty, but rather too firm for easy handling.

The - entree was a choice of four priced from $8.75 to $10.50, from which Thirza ordered Akaroa crepe — filled with shrimps, scallops and mussels in a cheese sauce ($9.50). It was a tasty combination, she said, as she set about clearing the plate.

My Westland minute steak at $8.75 (I am never sure whether that means small or whether it takes only a minute to cook it — probably both) comprised a thin piece of steak sitting on a round of bacon served with a sauce-and-fruit garnish. The flavours tended to clash a little but it was tender enough and filled a gap.

The main course offering was comprehensive — Chicken Kiev ($18.75), Muscovy duckling ($28.50), grilled fillet steak ($25), peppered ribeye ($19.50), traditional roasts of pork or lamb (cost not recorded), a miscellany of seafoods in Trawlerman’s Catch ($22), Perrier Sole ($2O), and the chef’s special of crumbed scallops. Town Hall Specialities consisted of Southbridge Porker ($2O), Chateaubriand steak ($55 for two), Lamb fillets Alexandra ($2O), and spatchcock in a basket ($26), while cold collations were Waitaki salmon trumpets ($2O), chicken platter ($19.50), and Vegetarian Medley ($17.75) — surely enough to cover the range of possible requests. My Perrier sole —

rolled fillet of sole poached in white wine, lemon juice and shallots, finished with fresh cream and cheese and lightly grilled with garlic and stuffed olives — sounded better than it was. Only the fish, cream and cheese flavours came through and, if there were any stuffed olives, they must have been buried.

Thirza’s Southbridge Porker was also disappointing. The anticipated pork fillets, stuffed with seasoned mushrooms, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, pan fried and served with mushroom sauce, turned out to be a rolled pork schnitzel, like a beef olive in appearance. It had a dry, overcooked texture and the flavour was insipid. The vegetables served with both dishes were broccoli with a cheese sauce, honey-glazed yams and sliced potatoes in a sauce. We could have had salad for an additional $3.50, but it was not a night for salad. Seven exotic-sounding desserts were on offer, ranging from $6 to $B, and a cheeseboard was available at $7.50.1 gave this a miss, but Thirza ordered vanilla waffles with maple syrup served with icecream and whipped cream ($6), which she ate with every sign of enjoyment.

A liqueur chocolate accompanied our black coffee at $3.50 for a total cost of $107.25, including wine (one bottle at $18.50).

The wine service was good, all the procedures having been observed, and the wine, Robard and Butler Classic Chablis ’B5, was delightful.

The wine list seems to be in need of revision as one at least, Penfolds sparkling Papillon, has not been seen on retail shelves since Adam was a cowboy.

it was a reasonable meal, but not a memorable one although, in all fairness, it must be recorded that friends, to whom we spoke on the way out, expressed their complete satisfaction with both the standard of meal and the pricing. They are patrons of both the Symphony Orchestra and the ballet, and say that the restaurant is their favourite dining place when attending performances.