Discovery dining offers foods of many lands

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 17, 17 September 1985, Page 19

Discovery dining offers foods of many lands

Depending on the night you visit, dining at Discovery Lodge can lead to all sorts of discoveries. Tuesday night diners can find out whether they like Mexican food, while those who go on Thursday night can discover what good, genuine Italian food tastes like. On most other nights, guests are likely to discover what chef Pablo McAllister feels like cooking that night. The Bulletin chose a Thursday night, and we don't regret it. The staff are casual and relaxed, but efficient. We were greeted and seated immediately, and Basil, the head waiter, immediately opened our bottle of claret and left it to breathe. The blackboard menu on the wall was too far away to see, but there's a portable blackboard as well. From that we chose mussel soup — zuppa di cozze, since it was Italian night — followed by a main course of pork Sicilienne, with garlic bread. Basil and Pablo both recommended the fresh hapuka, and we could also have had spaghetti Bolognaise or a lasagne dish. The zuppa was thick and rich, garnished with a sprinkle of parsley and a hearty dollop of cream larded with shrimps. It was delicious. Soon after the soup, came a side salad that was a visual delight, with ton\ato setting

off creamy cottage cheese, stuffed olives and a fresh sprig of herbs. The pork Sicilienne arrived on time and hot. It consisted of spicy pork meatballs on a bed of freshly made fettucine in a rich cream sauce, all topped with a healthy sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese. With it was an intriguing, genuinely Italian dish of crisp cucumber, celery and raisins in a light white garlic sauce, all topped with bean sprouts, parsley and paprika. It tasted great. The only trouble was the size of the meal. Pablo describes his meals as "mountain catering", designed for skiers coming down off the mountain with hearty appetites. The last meatball was too much for the Bulletin. We decided to let the meal settle. While waiting we watched Basil bringing flair and a good line of patter to serving a galliano coffee, flaming the liqueur at the table to rim the glass with caramelised sugar. It's hard to find much fault with the Discovery Lodge restaurant. The service is good — I'd waited much longer for a meal the previous night in a take-a-number hotel hashhouse. The food approaches excellence, and the surroundings are comfortable and have touches of flair, such as the stained glass panels and stylised alpine landscapes, all done by Lodge proprietor Mel Lee.