Vegetarian delights at end of queue

Press, 2 June 1989, Page 25

Vegetarian delights at end of queue

By

THELMA STRONGMAN

The vegetarian Dux de Lux restaurant in the Arts Centre provides an excellent feed of high quality for a very reasonable price.

Its situation close to the centre of town is reflected by the clientele: a great variety of people ranging from city workers returning home and late-night shoppers and cinema-goers to students and those who enjoy healthy eating for its own sake. The Dux is lively, cosmopolitan and unpretentious. It is a good plan to go early to the Dux, as the queue lengthens rather rapidly. The menu board is just inside the door. On the evening we visited the restaurant there was a choice of two soups: spinach, corn and coconut or brown onion, both at $4.50. We chose the spinach, which was served with a generous helping of croutons, and with a choice of garlic bread ($1.50) and rye bread (50c). The soup was thick, piping hot and delicious.

The several main dishes cost $13.50, and are served with a choice

DUX DE LUX 41 Hereford Street Phone 666-919 Licensed Smoke-free area

of salads or vegetables. My partner chose Nachos, a mixture of spicy beans and tortilla chips served with chilli sauce and grilled cheese. This was an enjoyable generous portion in which the tortilla chips provided the dominant flavour. The difficult selection of three from about 10 very interesting salads ensued. Scoops of mashed lentils with cummin, black beans and tabbuleh were chosen.

My own main choice was Jade Balls — deep fried avocado croquets moulded into a round shape and served with a sesame sauce. Sadly, the subtlety of the avocado was lost with the strength of the sauce, but it was beautifully presented on a bed of rice with interesting garnishes of tamarillo, lime and lemon.

My choice of salads were black beans, sliced raw vegetables in what I think was a soy sauce.

and beautiful pickled mushrooms. Most of the salads looked fresh and very attractive. The main meal was all about colour, texture and sufficiency. I managed to eat about half of the quantity provided then could not manage another bean or slice of mushroom.

For dessert, I discovered that I had chosen something which I think was called Chocolate Wellington ($4.50). Although the title was reminiscent of English gumboots, the pastry around

this confection was light and airy. However, the chocolate filling proved to be rather too wholesome even for this non-sweet-tooth being rather unsweet and austere, like cocoa made with water. No doubt more sensible healthy eaters would look more favourably on this. My partner chose homemade cheesecake ($4.50) with apricots, which was pronounced very enjoyable.

The advantages of dining at the Dux de Lux far outweigh the disadvantages. This excellent, well presented meal, includ-

ing a bottle of Matua Valley Muller Thurgau ($13.20) came to $59.20, including GST. However, the cafeteria system of queuing rather than table service can lead to a tense rather than relaxed meal. For instance, in choosing the salads, which are displayed in a long line, it is impossible to see What is offered further up the queue before being asked to name the choices.

It also proved difficult to interrupt the rapid and efficient serving proceedings to make known that I wished for soup with

my order. After paying at the till, carrying a heavy tray containing three courses, salads and bread, it is not easy to select cutlery and salad dressings, collect water tumblers, paper napkins and the bottle of wine and wineglasses, then to negotiate one’s way to an empty table. Having arrived at the table, one has to go back for things forgotten or which could not be carried on the one tray, interrupting with some embarrassment the flow of the line. Back at the table again, one is concerned about the main course getting cold whilst dealing with the soup.

The other alternative, that of joining the lengthening queue for each separate course, is unthinkable. For this reason, obtaining coffee after dessert is also not for the faint-hearted.

However, all this is just carping; no doubt the Dux de Lux could produce an excellent table service, but the meal would become considerably more expensive. As it is, an evening meal at the Dux de Lux is filling, nutritious, attractively presented and altogether excellent value for money.