Ian Steward celebrates his birthday in style at Restaurant Schwass You only turn 30 once, if you're a man, so we wanted somewhere special. Restaurant Schwass on Ferry Road provided everything we hoped for: consummate professionalism, passion for food and an eye for detail. It is situated peculiarly on the town end of Ferry Road, across the road from Harrington's Brewery. The restaurant is modern and somewhat elegant but all that becomes peripheral once the food arrives. The four of us had the three-course prix fixe for $55 so there was no holding back. First, bread with three scented butters and then I had squid with pork belly, pumpkin but no macadamia crackling because of my allergy. Rather than the slab of pork belly I expected, the crackling and meat had been finely shredded with the pumpkin creating a light salad full of texture and piquancy. Jim had the salmon, Jenny had ox tongue and the beautiful girl from Akaroa (bfgA) hit the jackpot with goat cheese tortellini, black currants and an apple salad. The tart fruit sidled up to the goat cheese assault and chilled the whole dish out. By this time we knew we were in good hands. Lee the maitre'd served us with the assurance and knowledgeability of someone who has a stake in the business, which he does. He recommended beers, produced martinis of varying dryness, knew strange scientific terms for the sweetness of wines and could reconstruct the entire production of each dish at the table. And he was quite a good guy, too not a sign of wine or foodie snobbery. I succumbed to indecision and had steak; sirloin, perfect medium-rare and a side of buttery braised chuck steak (they do all their own butchery) with a medley of organic beans. Jenny, who has been spoiled for fish from living in Japan, thought her groper could have been fresher but, hey, it was a Tuesday. Jim's wild venison was a work of art liquorice paint on the plate, several types of beetroot and pickled rhubarb imagine a rhubarb given the preserved-lemon treatment; a salty, divine counterpoint. Bgf's slow roasted lamb was another triumph. The soft meat of lamb shoulder next to a moulded confit of lamb topped with labna garlic-ed Greek-style yoghurt drained and hung out with the lightest, most tender parsnip whip I have ever tasted. I hate parsnip. I loved this. By this stage, Jenny had befriended the people at the next table, who had a 1985 Bordeaux and a 1961 white something, which they were sharing with us. Good people. I chickened out again and had rhubarb tart which was lovely but Jenny rose to the occasion and ordered the caramelised turnip and macadamia tart, sorbet of whey (as in curds and ) and bay (as in leaf), and mandarin salad. I thought the turnip a little woody, like unripe pears, but the sorbet was divine, a revelation. Jim's white-chocolate brulee was excellent. Our only false step was the Shropshire Blue cheese, which was just a little too strong at that point. We had had a pretty good crack at it; beers, martinis, two bottles of wine (Lee recommended the first New Zealand dessert wine I've ever liked) and three courses. We snuck out with the bill a little under $400, which considering the standard of the artistic and sumptuous food was not bad at all. Restaurant Schwass is taking it seriously. I worry; will they keep up the standard when they get busy? But quality food and wine (and beer, and cocktails) attracts quality staff, so they will be fine. As we left, the gastronomes at the table next door asked us where else in Christchurch we could recommend that was on a par. We struggled to answer them. The Press - Zest - 20 March 2008
The Press
Reviews
Restaurant Schwass is a wonderful dining experience and Jonny Schwass is right on top of his game. So far as that man Lee is concerned; bottle his blood, he's a gem.
Ferry Fare
The name Jonny Schwass is significant when it comes to Christchurch restaurant and culinary circles. Talk in the industry has it that if Jonny Schwass is involved with a project, it has to be good. It has to have something special about it. When we departed on a recent Friday night for this chef's latest venture: Restaurant Schwass, on the city end of Ferry Road, our expectations were high. We were not disappointed.
Restaurant Schwass has been open about four weeks, in premises long home to a tandoori restaurant. Little trace of the great Indian sub-continent remains, other than tables of dark wood, stripped and re-lacquered to a high finish. The decor is classy, understated and with remarkably diner-friendly acoustics. You can actually have a quiet chat, even with the background music, wooden floor and a reasonable crowd of people. Nice.
Shown to a table we were promptly provided menus and pre-dinner drinks. Before we had much time to take in either, a complimentary appetizer of pickled salmon, rhubarb and rock melon arrived, served upon two oblong plates with the three components each in its own little pocket. This is classy; a mixture of sweet, pickled and sour. We tasted them separately, then throwing caution to the wind, went for the trifecta. Combined, these three create a real moment in the mouth.
We turned to the menu and were spoiled for choice. So far, it's a relatively limited menu, five starters, five mains, but what choices they are! The starters feature poached salmon, fennel and tomato salad; wild venison, kumara and watercress; porcini and portabello mushroom risotto; mussels, clams and organic carrot salad; and new season's asparagus with soft poached egg and parmesan. Mention much be made here of maitre'd Lee. This guy is special; not pushy, but a class act. He took us through the menu as a skilled guide coaxes a nervous climbing duo down the Caroline face of Mount Cook. Lee and Jonny Schwass have been working together in various establishments for quite some time, and it shows.
One of the joys of this place is lots of little extras. Bread arrived, courtesy of Lee a freshly baked on site every day: "We all know how to do it, so it's the last thing we do before we start." The garlic is separate from the butter, which is separate from the bread. "Some people don't like garlic. Here you can just add your own." Lee is as passionate about this place as Mr Schwass. Another nice touch: at some point we asked for salt. This duly arrived, but as a trio of infused salts; porcini, smoked tomato and spring onion mixed with caraway. The little touches just keep on keeping on.
The entrees arrived: the venison and the asparagus. The venison was exquisite, like never experienced before; sliced impossibly thinly with kumara chunks and watercress. It was beautiful, melting in the mouth. Seriously, you could have chewed this dish with your tongue. The asparagus was my first taste for the new season and I'm glad I waited. The spears were finger-thick, crisp and very, very fresh. The soft poached egg provided the dressing. It struck me, why bother with Bearnaise or hollandaise when a soft poached egg cuts to the chase? Eggs Benedict is, after all, egg yolk, poured over egg yolk. The asparagus was divine.
Time for the mains. Personally I would not have gone past the butter poached wild rabbit, with celeriac and mushroom. Unfortunately, my bolshie tablemate has a thing about rabbit and demanded it herself. I was hardly heartbroken, plumping for the blue cod with braised leeks and purple potatoes. On arrival, the rabbit was greeted as if a long-lost friend. "This is wild rabbit", she pronounced. "This is the real McCoy." I was tempted to suggest the real "McGregor," as Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail came bounding out on a plate. This dish is an intriguing, delightful version of three forms of rabbit: the whole leg, the pressed loin and a delicious mould of the remaining shredded meat, quite distinct from each other. If you like game, this is a beautifully presented, wild taste extravaganza.
I decided to call my blue cod Peter, out of deference to the rabbits. This reviewer is very picky about fish. I have been taught to cook fish by some of the best chefs in the land and know what it should be like. I couldnâ??t fault this. I think it had been pan-fried, then grilled, skin-side up. Fish is so easy to ruin by overcooking, but this guy knows how to treat it with the respect it deserves. Ten minutes after serving, this blue cod was still moist, succulent and superb. That's hard to do. The leeks complimented subtly and the unusual purple potatoes were crunchy and starchy; not a bad name for an advertising agency. These mains were without peer.
Yes we did have a cheese board, after a comfort stop. Even the restrooms are a delight here. Something to do with the hand towels and luxury soap dispenser. The cheese board was tailor-made, matched with an amazing range of ports and other things; including Tokaji, a sweet wine, product of Hungary. You can see why the Russians invaded. Maybe a new line in the sand has been drawn; not before time if it has. Restaurant Schwass is a wonderful dining experience and Jonny Schwass is right on top of his game. So far as that man Lee is concerned; bottle his blood, he's a gem.
Chef Jonny Schwass took time out after sezn last year, but it was no holiday, he was refitting a retired Indian restaurant. Now, for the first time, it is his name on the neon.
The address is smack in the middle of car-yard territory so foot traffic is rare, but on the upside, there's plenty of parking. And there is no doubt his loyal following will be willing to make the pligrimage.
Schwass has installed a gleaming beast of a kitchen front-of-house an impressive opening statement and given the decor is minimalist, it suggests this is a place where eating is taken seriously.
"Come in," says maitre'd Lee Garvan, opening the door. "Nice to see you here tonight." Nice to see him again. He too is ex-sezn and the partnership with Schwass has lost none of its polish.
A hint of complex tastes to come arrives via a stylishly presented amuse-bouche that is a typical Schwass touch, as is the fixed price menu.
The menu is tight but balanced and options abound. It changes weekly, but if something good turns up on the daily shop, it gets a starring role. Tonight it is the pleasure of just-dug vegetables, including baby swedes that give the lie to the northern belief that swedes are best fed to sheep and the southern belief the best swede is one that has been in the ground all winter. Justification, if one was needed, of Schwass's personal visits out to the market gardens of Tuahiwi.
The starters includes dishes that are neither seasonal nor regional, but if the chef wants to salt his own perch and cure his own salmon, it's best to give him his head and simply enjoy the inventive paring.
The sides are just plain good, again with unusal flavour pairings. Someone in the kitchen has a masterly way with greens....and carrots, artichokes, fennel, asparagus, pumpkin, swede and turnips. Inventive assemblages but nothing so tricky it tasted contrived. The soft lushness of the pumpkin tortellini was memorable.
The mains section, too, is small but well formed. Big tastes of tuna, beef and lamb, and a pork roast that gets every tick in the book: sweet, juicy, tender with a generous serving of snip-snap crackle.
Schwass has a reputation as a brulee man. I had been told by more than one aficionado to order the chocolate version, but would could turn down his thoughtful cheeseboard, especially when a Pyramid Valley cheese-friendly wine was recommended? The wine list, like the menu, is stylish and eclectic but compact. The size, alas, is reflected in the small number of wines available by the glass.
The service was informal, informative and so unobtrusive it was a while before we twigged there was a crew of only two.
Cuisine Magazine, February 2008
