Innovative food list at cafe with difference

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 28

Innovative food list at cafe with difference

CAFE REVERE Licensed 813 Colombo Street Telephone 651-776

By

MAURICE HUNTER

The Cafe Revere, in the premises originally occupied by Christchurch’s first licensed restaurant, the Malando, is a far cry from the elegance of the concealed lighting, the potted palms and the soothing music of the Doug Caldwell Trio of yesteryear.

After having passed through several hands, and having been closed for some months before Sandra and John Tweedie took ownership about 10 weeks ago, it has now become a cafe — but a cafe with a difference.

It appeared to be quite basic. The entrance opens on to an area of booths and tables of natural varnished wood, the seating is devoid of upholstery, and the floor is of vinyl. A separate carpeted area contains more booths in dark, stained wood, but with padded backs and seating.

Changes are still being made and, when fully operative, there will be a full bar and space for more formal dining available upstairs.

We were offered, for the first time ever, a table in a non-smoking section but, since that happened to be in the less comfortable part, we felt that the priorities should be adjusted. Why should the air polluters get the better treatment?

The atmosphere .is casual. Apart from the cruet and a vase of flowers, there is no table setting, just bare wood, the cutlery being brought to the table wrapped in a paper napkin with each course.

The staff are equally casual — no uniforms, just an apron over whatever a girl happens to be wearing, and she becomes a waitress.

But there the casualness ends. Our waitress was attentive and helpful. As we took our seats, she brought a carafe of iced water to the table and explained the menu.

This is divided into several vertical sections, Starters, Sea Food, Vegetarian, Hot and Spicy, Meats and Desserts. It is planned to introduce a blackboard supplement showing variations from the printed version.

It is an extremely versatile menu. Courses may be varied at the wish

of the diner, part of one course added to part of another, ingredients deleted or added, or halfcourses ordered if it is felt that the full course may be too much — rather like a gastronomic backgammon — with the possibility of some unusual dishes.

There were some unusual dishes, anyway. After the fresh tomato soup, which I chose in preference to cold cream of avocado ($5 and very nice but not hot enough). I ordered houmos, an Eastern dish of chick peas and sesame pate with lemon juice, served with pita bread ($4). It consisted of a generous portion of pate served with four triangles of pita bread, and was attractively garnished with fresh, crunchy carrot and celery sticks; very tasty.

Skipping the soup, Thirza ordered sweet-and-sour nuts — roasted cashews and almonds with a sweet-and-sour sauce garnished with julienne vegetables ($7). It was also a generous serving and devoured with enjoyment.

For en entree, Thirza ordered seafood, three monstrous prawns with camembert cheese served

with avocado cream and sliced avocado, also nicely garnished with lettuce, mandarian segments and fennels ($9). It was really delicious, said Thirza, expertly peeling the prawns and rinsing her fingers in a lemon and lavenderscented finger bowl.

It had been a difficult choice as we surveyed the list of other goodies, such as beef and salami terrine with garlic, rosemary and olives; a fish basket of marinaded squid, seafood pate, shellfish and pickled fish; a vegetable herb salad with yoghurt; tagliatelle flavoured with parmesan; hot and spicy Sri Lankan curry: Korma, a mild cream curry; pork and mushroom-filled wontons; or beef or pork satays, all priced from $7 to $10.50.

Mains were all priced at $l5 and comprised fillet steak with parsley and mushrooms, tomato sauce, garlic or peppercorn sauce, chicken breasts cooked in white wine sauce and served with peppers, orange and olives or pork fillet stuffed with prunes, apples and raisins and served with red currant sauce.

We both chose fillet steak, Thirza’s with pars-

ley and mushrooms, mine with peppercorn sauce ($l5). From the point of view of a self-professed expert on steak, both were out of this world — three chunky fillets cooked to tender perfection and served with new potato and parsley butter, new season’s carrots, asparagus spears al dente and courgettes with onions and tomato. It was a little too much for Thirza, and I thought it was for me too, but I could not bear to leave a morsel.

I had, however, left no room for dessert, a selection of fresh fruit salad, blueberry sour cream cake, baklava parcels, home-made ice-cream, cream brulee, and chocolate mousse, all at $5.

Thirza could not resist baklava, the Greek dessert of nuts in pastry with lemon and honey sauce. It was reasonable but made with a filo pastry that was not as crunchy as she felt it should have been.

Coffee, at $1.50, completed a meal from an innovative menu for the very reasonable cost of $6l without wine.

We were unable to review the wine list as the previous licence had lapsed and the new one

was not destined to come into operation until the following Monday. The cafe will, however, continue to accept 8.Y.0. diners. In view of the dearth of late-hour eating places,

Cafe Revere is open everyday but Monday from 5 p.m. to an unspecified time the following morning, according to whether there are diners wishing to take advantage of the service.