Recently opened Ponsonby restaurant and late-night bar, Vodka Room, has launched a $20 shared lunch board for time-pressed diners that retains a time-intensive traditional approach to food preparation.
“Kneaded by hand, our black bread reflects the changing seasons - its current incarnation incorporating toasted caraway, cumin, coffee grounds, dark cocoa and unrefined molasses. The kimchi and pickles are fermented onsite, the butter is churned and cultured in our kitchen and the salo, our preserved acorn-fed pork belly, is cured here too.”
To round out each hand-cut New Zealand native wood board, sourced from a supplier in Clevedon, a main component dish of either shashlik (chargrilled slow-cooked beef featherblade or pork belly), vegetarian stroganoff (a mushroom gnocchi dish), or kotleta (a light fish cake) goes out with the Russian antipasti. Wiblin confirms locally sourced produce is used whenever possible.
“When you look at all the elements here and the respective techniques used to craft each component, it takes just over a week to bring one board together. This is food done the old-fashioned way - and with an affordable price point that makes it accessible.”
Sometimes, the old ways are the best ways.
VODKA ROOM, 5 Rose Road, Ponsonby, T: 09 360 5050, www.vodkaroom.co.nz