LONE STAR forever
SISTER ANN REVIEW While in Palmy Luke and I went to his favourite restaurant. Chris, you are going to hate the fact I reviewed a ‘chain restaurant’, but it was too good to ignore. I didn’t take the camera, so I have added a few cowboy star stock photos off the net…oh and a lovly one of Audry Hepburn. If Luke had had his way, we would have been there every night. I had the fish,grilled, and it was superb-with a French accent . Luke had meat …it was big and Lone Starry. He went “mmmm’ a lot! So it was good, but he has had to eat food I cooked, for 18 years, so he is grateful to be able to eat what is on his plate. I joke. It looked fabulous and I am not that bad a cook (and Lone Star deserves better). Alexia was amazing as are all the Lone Starf (get it? Lone Star-f) But hey that’s what you get when you train people to be experts in customer service.

TRUE GRIT Script excerpt (or is that Wyatt Earp)

Rooster: I mean to kill you in one minute, Ned, or see you hanged at Fort Smith at Judge Parker's convenience. Which'll it be?

Ned: I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man!

Rooster: Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!

ATMOSPEHERE 9 FOOD 8 SERVICE 8

Brekkie in Palmy
SISTER ANN REVIEW . I was inPalmerston North for a 3 night break to see younger son Luke and we saw a terrific looking café called AQABA. It seemed to be an Egyptian theme on secondglance, but on first glance it appeared a more expansive version of ‘Lone Star’. I am thinking it is a pretty fab bar at night. My plate was wonderful. I had a basil, tomato,pesto stack(with eggs) ; like an eggs benny, with the hollandaise, without salmon or ham…very very nice. Luke had the Big Breakfast (getting predictable Luke)

ANN ; ”How’s that?”

LUKE ;” Hash browns are pretty damned good”

ANN;” How’s the bacon?”

LUKE;”Bacony”

what did I expect? Overall opinion Luke?

LUKE; “It’s food- I don’t care!”

It looked tasty to me.

The till/billing system was particularly awful. The menus were on the table so you sit down, and after a little light reading, discover a line of copy,at the top of the menu;

‘pay for meals at the kitchen’. Luckily I stopped by the bar, as we were expected to pay for coffee at the bar, and then traipse 500m (it seemed) down to the back of the HUGE hall-like restaurant…. (HELLO HEllo hello-that’s the echo) …to pay for the meal at the kitchen counter. Not! Good! Enough! The staff were clawing their way to average. oh no…just missed that benchmark.

ATMOSPEHERE 8 FOOD 8 SERVICE 1

Maketu Magic
SISTER ANN REVIEW Kathrine and Nanna and I went to Maketu for the fish n
chips. Fresh fresh fish and a paua fritter. I ate it before I remembered I
wanted to photograph it although we all know how ugly they look don't we?
The fish was a melting in the mouth moment. The chips were average and the
potato fritter was the worst I ever tasted. The paua fritter was gorgeous
and the view was to die for ...which is a possibility agfter that much fat.
ATMOSPEHERE 10 FOOD 7 SERVICE 6

slice of Turkish in K road

Ann had time in Auckland this week as she was seeing her son Harry off while at the same time my daughter left New Zild for the wirld. Sniff. Sniff.

Kebab heaven!

what the wider world must understand is thet Roto-Vegas is SERIOUSLY underwhelming in the food department.
SISTER ANN’S REVIEW: …and it was worth the wait. Little Turkish Cafe - Fabulous service and gorgeous bread. In Rotorua there are only roll up kebabs and I much prefer this plus K Rd is a new(old) hunting ground for us.. we watched as a local called the AA to start his Ford Mustang and we giggled at all the locals passing by watching him with envy.
The coffee was downed before I remembered to photograph it..so here is the empty cup …mmmmmmmmm (and not moccona)

AMBIENCE  9/10                   

SERVICE  9/10                      

FOOD  10/10

Karangahape Road -still a legend…

SISTER ANN’S REVIEW: K Rd was legend in my day..when was that? 1979-1989 I guess age 23 to 33. Harry, Kathrine and I went to relive my youth and add to theirs. Kathrine is visiting from Denmark and my son Harry is going back to New York tomorrow. We passed the Verona coffee shop and on by the ‘Indian Superette, Indian Grocery’. Look at that window! Harry wanted me to try anything .  “ This is a bit of you, Mumsie” he said. But I was waiting for the Kebabs…

oh no I did Yum Cha again!!!?

SISTER ANN’S REVIEW: Yum Cha once more …this time with Harry and Kathrine in Elliot Street Auckland at the Dragon Boat. I remembered going there in 1991 I think when it opened. The food was a-maze-ing!!!  Kathrine had not tasted Yum Cha and loved green tea sowhat better reason? Tenuous - but any excuse really. Kathrine is out running now and that is also where I should be…but is there Yum Cha at the end of it? No there is not. How many days til I can go back to Yum Cha? I'm saying perhaps one. Or two.

AMBIENCE  7/10                    SERVICE  10/10                       FOOD  9/10

Karen’s Bday in South America -ole!

SISTER ANN’S REVIEW: I have lived in Rotorua for way too many years to remember and I have never dined at the Latin American Sabroso Licensed Restaurant, 1184 Haupapa St . It was full and we had been warned we may need to come back for our table. what? in Rotorua? what an eye-opener! I can see what people like about it. The ambience is that of a warm kitchen in your grandmother’s farm house. Eclectic furniture a la ‘Fat Dog Café’ and a warm glow about the place . The owners are the chef (out the back-never saw him) and a gorgeous Canadian woman not unlike Charlie Sheen’s housekeeper but pretty like an English one-all rosy and busy. well enough of the atmosphere. To the food…cannot for the life of me remember what I had but it was darned tasty. Latin American cowboy food I’d guess. Served on big pottery plates with a beautiful blue border. The colours were spectacular. I had the Argentinean Style Steak -  Grilled 250 gram rib eye, chimichurri sauce, green salad, seasoned roasted potatoes, sour cream I enjoyed it. I do not like to cook, I like to eat and anyone capable of fixing a very good steak has my vote of thanks. The spicy Latin American sauce made it!  The desserts were creamy and old fashioned. The Mexican Chocolate Cup- A rich and dense cold chocolate dessert spiced with cinnamon and cayenne chili, topped with whipped cream. Wow! I had the  Sabroso Sundae -   Delicious Vanilla bean ice cream topped with Latin caramel and whipped cream… and it was.

AMBIENCE  7/10                    SERVICE  8/10                       FOOD  7/10

Korean BBQ

(Guest blogger Sister Ann) Spent the day at Palmerston North yesterday visiting my son Luke with son Harry and exchange student Kathrine from Denmark. We went to the Korean BBQ Restaurant and had a fab meal! What value!?? $116 for 4 mains and 3 entrees and 3 cokes. Not exactly a Metro Magazine food review - but if you want a nutritious tasty meal at a really great price I  totally recommend it! Luke had the Eel and it was sweet and exotic. I had pork belly and enjoyed it…. Kathrine and Harry has squid …a little rubbery but they finished their plates. And remember Korean cabbage pickle was voted in 2009- the most healthy food on the planet. By whom I do not know!! Who can remember details like that.

I'm lucky to have a cook for a husband

The scenario:
Swiming squad at 5.30pm, rush to the bank by 6.45, stray into the shops and suddenly realise I'm late getting home.
But the wonderful husband meanwhile has cooked dinner, part of which is scalloped potato served in my new red mini casserole dishes and placed on some of my prototype cork placemats.

Noice!... (that's "nice" with a new zealand accent..)

Oh I'm in coffee heaven

Just look what I have this morning ...

the most beautiful little black and gold cups, halva and Arabic coffee.

The coffee is hot, sweet and strong and Maryna - Stewart's newest employee - has brought some Arabic coffee which is flavoured with cardamom.

Where is our nearest Arabic shop!? I'm suddenly a black coffee drinker!

'Simmering' Yum Cha

YUM! Cha

SISTER ANN’S REVIEW: hi Chris-this is a pictorial review of 'Simmering' in Eruera Street, Rotorua. Yum cha (simplified Chinese: 饮茶; traditional Chinese: �茶), also known as Ban ming (品茗), is a dining experience which involves drinking Chinese tea and eating dim sum dishes. Yum cha in Cantonese literally means "drink tea". That was the wikipedia summation of Yum Cha. Is that it? That is not enough! YUM YUMMMMM yumm CHAAAAA!!! That is more helpful . I have been waiting til I can return. I LOVED it! Is it too early to return to a restaurant with a one day gap? Sister Ann, guest reviewer. Christine is busy getting together her new showing at the Gift show in August so she gave me the reins. Whoaaaaaa.

AMBIENCE  4/10                    SERVICE  8/10                       FOOD  9/10