Settle, Petal – Auckland’s new mini dining precinct
It’s been just over two months since Anise opened in the space that was Sid at the French Cafe, and the latter reverted to its legacy name The French Cafe and re-opened in the space that was private dining space The French Kitchen…
by Anna King Shahab
📷 Babiche Martens
… Confused? Don’t be – think of it the way owners Sid and Chand Sahrawat describe it: a “mini dining precinct”, complete with a private dining space in the wine cellar, and a bar in the reception area that services all the spaces.
I chatted with Sid and head chef Tommy Hope about how new kid Anise is going, and how things are faring for the precinct now the opening buzz has faded and the restaurants have settled into their beds.
Tell us about the inception of Anise – it’s the fourth offering from the Sahrawats; why modern Asian?
SID: My time working with Thai cuisine in Wellington at [a restaurant called] Anise taught me the complexity involved in balancing the robust flavours of Asian cuisines. After working with predominantly European cuisine and flavours for many years I started yearning to work again with those spices and sauces and to extend myself and my cooking style.
I have felt that while Asian food has really grown in its acceptance in New Zealand, we still have room for a contemporary Asian offering that is not tied to just one Asian cuisine but explores more of the flavours of the region. I like having the flexibility of cooking with Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Sichuan and many more regional cuisines. There is so much to learn and interpret and recreate with my own style; it’s limitless, and I am fortunate to have Tommy Hope as a head chef as he really understands my vision and helps to transform and perfect it on the plate. Tommy has a background working in some very well-known establishments overseas like Attica and Embla so he is on the same page as me when it comes to execution and finesse.
📷 Babiche Martens
TOMMY: Early last year we were experimenting with different combinations of cultures all in one dish. We had one dish on the menu with Wagyu beef short rib, Szechuan honey and beef fat glaze, kimchi, vindaloo cream and fresh wasabi leaf. It was a showcase of four different regions of spice. In a way this also represented the diversity of our kitchen Team.
Not bringing any rules into menu development gives so much more freedom to the process. With this approach, moving towards the end of the year, our full tasting menu developed into a melting pot of different cuisines, from Thai inspired dishes, to Chinese, Indian and Japanese-leaning techniques and ingredients. It was a natural progression to what we have now at Anise.
Menu development is always a group conversation among many here, with all ideas given a chance. Anise is really an ongoing journey of exploration with a real focus on digging deeper into Asian cuisine as a whole.
How did you go about developing the menu – in particular the approach for signature flavour profiles? I was thrilled to discover the flavours at Anise are not as sugar-driven as many modern Asian offerings tend to be!
SID: I am so glad you said that! We consciously wanted a point of difference in the style of cuisine. I worked from key dishes that I love when I travel to Asia and thought of the flavours and how to incorporate the flavours and textures in my own way. So, I love black pepper crab in Singapore and we created the same flavours in our snack that comes in a little tart with dashi and egg yolk. I want people to be transported back to a country or their memory of eating that classic dish because the taste just reminds them of it, but it is presented in a new way. The chicken rice is similarly inspired by Hainanese chicken Rice – [when in Singapore] we always head to Tian Tian in Maxwell Centre in Singapore for its roasted Hainanese chicken. At Anise we cook the rice in chicken fat and then add crispy chicken skin on the top for that taste of roasted chicken.
It’s been just over two months since Anise and The French Cafe opened doors; how has that been, and have you tweaked anything?
SID: It’s been an awesome eight weeks settling in, refining our food, service and the ambience of both dining rooms. The team has demonstrated its versatility working between both Anise and The French Cafe. Diners love the different formats and very often book the other one for the next visit.
We’ve made a few format changes at Anise and have introduced a $150 set menu as requested by larger groups who didn’t want to have to think about ordering. This has proven popular. The feedback on the Anise menu has been overwhelmingly positive with just very minor changes but early indications show that we have some definite signature dishes. There’s the snack-size black pepper crab croustade with dashi, egg yolk sauce. The duck breast, rendang, enoki mushroom, curry leaf – we dry age duck from Pukekohe in the fridge for two to three weeks, then crispen the skin and finish it on charcoal which gives it a unique texture… good things take time! And a dessert featuring banana parfait, caramelised white chocolate, black pepper hokey pokey and licorice.
Also, I have been asked many times now if we can make a large size of the Thai green curry beef short rib pies… and I don’t think we will be able to take off the chicken rice either.
Totally with you on that duck… the best bit of duck I’ve eaten in years! I also have to cast my vote for the pork belly, which is heavenly, and has been in Sid’s repertoire for some time I hear?
SID: The braised pork belly with master stock, apple, ginger and cabbage has evolved over two decades. I made a first version of that dish in Paihia when I worked as head chef at a bistro there. I then improved on the first version of the dish when I put it on the menu at The Grove. It is a true labour of love as you have to cook the master stock over a long time with aromatics to get the flavour in it and just like a sourdough, we carry a bit of the original stock into the next sauce.
In a world of crispy crackling pork belly (on menus], the braised pork belly [offers] something different. We roll the pork belly and set it into a log shape over two days. My original version featured bok choy, but I have evolved the dish now to have apple, ginger and savoy cabbage – I think this just eats better now.
📷 Babiche Martens
Any cool events and special menus happening now or on the horizon?
We will continue with our Gaggenau Tuesday test kitchens in the French Café area where guests can experience new dishes we are working on from Cassia, Kol and The French Café all under one roof for one night each month. I love these nights as they are so collaborative for the teams and our chefs really get to showcase their ideas.
Chef Eats will be back later this year, as it was so popular last year. For chef eats we explore a new cuisine each month and cook up street eats then serve them in a very laid back hawker market-style in the courtyard, with the fire going. It is a lot of fun and a great way to watch guests just kick back and relax.
I hope to do some collabs especially after a recent trip to India, so watch this space.
It’s been a challenging time for hospitality as a whole – presumably especially so for fine dining – but in continuing The French Cafe legacy, you obviously still see a place for the category…
SID: I have always thought of fine dining like the business class of cuisine. When you look at the world’s 50 best, most restaurants in the list are formal dining restaurants where chefs push the boundaries with their creativity and offer elevated experiences. It is not to take away from casual restaurants or smart dining – each is a different product for different occasions, and each has a role in the market. When we want to treat ourselves for a special occasion, to celebrate a win or just to treat ourselves to a bit of luxury we choose to go to a fine dining restaurant. I think the demand for fine dining is fluctuating at the moment because of the cost-of-living crisis but when the economy bounces back, we will all want to indulge again after going through a period of austerity when we have made sacrifices.
In Partnership with Freedom Farms
Lazy Susan is proud to work with Freedom Farms as sponsors of our summer content series. Freedom Farms pork comes from independently audited farms in Aotearoa New Zealand. No exceptions. Freedom Farms is committed to supporting farming that is kinder for farm animals, taking it easy on the environment, and figuring out how to grow a better food future.
