One of Auckland’s many problems is that for many years it has desperately tried to be greater than it is in ways that don’t really matter.
Don’t get me wrong: excellence in all things is great, and good quality, tasty tucker prepared by cooks with passion and skill (and tuned taste buds) can never be a bad thing. It’s just that now it feels like we’ve got to the point where whatever ends up on our plate has to be sourced from exotic ingredients hand-harvested or hunted, then processed in a way that might conjure up pictures of bizarre medieval rituals, and served up like a work of art. And all this, whether it actually tastes any good or not, comes at a price. Certain restaurant reviewers perpetuate this food porn, which somehow still reeks of the provincial past that Auckland is desperately trying to escape from.
And the thing is, much of the time the rave reviews and awards just don’t gel with the reality of these establishments. I recently ate at an award-winning Ponsonby Road cafe/restaurant only to find that the portions were miniscule, the prices sky high, the décor shabby, and the staff in a state of chaos. Not only that, but they tried to serve us something we hadn’t ordered, forgot to deliver something we did order, and tried to charge us for it anyway.
On the other hand, there’s a time and place for fancy, but for a vegetarian, what we want most of all when we eat out is something that is nutritionally balanced and tasty. Forget the secret harvesting of mystery ingredients, getting the basics right is what matters. Richmond Road’s fairly new Big Sur vegan and vegetarian cafe does just that, with enough flair and character to make a difference.
Big Sur’s main point of difference is its literary connotations, and accordingly, the cafe features a lending library featuring the works of the great American beat-era writers from the 50s and 60s. I’m not sure how many of those literary geniuses would have favoured animal free eating, but I’m glad Big Sur has chosen that route, and being just across from Harvest Wholefoods makes the healthy vegetarianism a no-brainer.
In the site of the modernist-themed Monterey cafe, Big Sur hasn’t spent big bucks on redesign, but its slightly scuffed, worn appearance is strangely comforting. It would be hugely advantageous to the cafe and its proprietors, however, if some day soon they could afford one of those giant protective awnings for their outdoor area: it’s lack of weather protection will limit seating capacity during the winter months. On a sunny day however, that courtyard is a place of refuge. But what about the food?
It feels like the chef has intentionally chosen dishes from around the world - Mexican, Italian, Indian, Japanese - and then added her own skew. I ordered the El Sur Grande Taco, with its corn tortilla, black beans, capsicum and tomato salsa, slaw, charred spring onion dressing and fried egg, while Yoko couldn’t resist a dish (more or less) from her homeland: Nishiogikubo: Japanese style cold soba noodle salad with slaw, pickled onion and ginger, edamame, brugolini, and spicy miso dressing.
Despite its lack of anything resembling hot sauce, the Grande Taco was very nice. More of a pleasant, multi-dimensional eating experience than a ‘wow’ moment - that belonged to the Nishiogikubo. Everything about the Japanese dish was spot on, and while it could have maybe done with a few more soba noodles to bulk things up, the pickled onion and ginger flavour was really something, the broccoli was divine, and it was delightful to crunch on edamame outside of its usual context. Oh, and the coffee was good.
Big Sur will probably never win awards, but that’s probably a good thing. What it offers is something the others don’t: surprisingly nicely priced vegetarian food prepared with love (often with homegrown ingredients, often organic) and delivered without fuss by low-key, friendly staff. It feels real. I like that. (GARY STEEL)
BIG SUR, 432 Richmond Road, T: 09 361 6196, www.facebook.com/bigsurgreylynn
Gary Steel is an Auckland-based journalist who runs online vegetarian resource
www.doctorfeelgood.co.nz He can be contacted via beautmusic@gmail.com