Nora B.
Yelp
I have been away from Auckland for almost 2 years now. Back in the days, my foodie friend AJ and I used to eat our way around the city, if it is new name it and we will be there. So naturally when I got back home, AJ announced that she is taking me to her new city favourite. She had only been there twice but that was enough in her books. I trust her, I also secretly yelped it and it was a match. Take me there now, I beamed.
The place is so nice like very nice that you immediately start to unwind. Is it possible for a restaurant to feel like a weekend?
After finally shutting up about how much I like the place, we were seated down and got served sparkling water. No one serves that for free, ever, I was impressed. Mind you I like sparkles in my H2O. It makes me feel fancy.
Now this is where my happiness ends at this place. We got the menu and we were lost, apparently they change things quite regularly so what AJ liked no longer existed. I said, never mind even better, be spontaneous. I consider myself to have a fair knowledge on food, but that menu, honestly I could barely understand two words put together. I felt like I was in a physics exam. We decided to ask the waitress, she wasn't impressed that we didn't know. At that we stopped asking, she was too peevish, and no the place wasn't full that she was in a rush.
We ordered the piadina with mushroom for a starter. It was good but the flat bread was really bland, which ruined the taste for me. The piadine was cut into 4 pieces, the portion would be good for 2-4 people to share.
I ordered the beef shin, the beef was meant to have been braised for hours and quite juicy. But while it was soft, the outside was dry. I liked the addition of apples to it, however at the end of the meal I was just so over the meaty taste, there were no other striking flavours in the dish. AJ ordered the pan fried fish on a bed of couscous. The couscous itself was good but not enough of it. The fish was bland and fried for a tad too long. Both portions were good.
And oh I also ordered the citrus drink, which for $7 was tiny and tasted more like orange flavoured water to me.
Ortolana, I wanted to love you so much. I wanted to agree with other Yelpers and be cool, but I can't. I wouldn't say it was aweful, it just wasn't great. Would I go back? No I don't think so. Auckland is booming with new establishments, will save my money and time to find the one.