Earlier this week Zomato invited a group of bloggers to a meetup at Tom Tom Bar and Eatery in Freemans Bay in Auckland. Tom Tom Bar and Eatery is elevated above Victoria Park, affording northern views through the treetops, a quiet atmosphere that would have you second guessing that you were actually beside the motorway and a stunning view of the sky tower.
We received a bit of a tour around the place during the evening and learned about their process for catering for large groups (they can separate off different areas), how on Friday evenings there is an in house hair sylist and makeup person, as well as where the name was derived from – Tom Tom (like the GPS) – you have arrived at your destination.
The plating of the dishes is beautiful, I wish I had the skills to make my dishes look this great! We were also treated to a cocktail with each round of dishes, all of which the recipes were made by Tom the in house Cocktologist.
Entrée’s
Pork Belly w a house BBQ sauce and kim chee – I made the mistake of thinking the white stuff the dish was sitting on was rice – turns out it was rock salt. Tip for newbies – learn from my mistake and do not do this! The Pork Belly was nice and I enjoyed the BBQ sauce as well. I’m not a huge Kimchi fan so I can’t tell you if the Kim Chi was amazing or not as it tasted like any other Kimchi I have tried before. However I know how much effort goes in to making this dish and if your a fan I’d definitely recommend trying it.
Angus Seared Beef w radish and Japanese mayo – I’m not huge on super rare beef however I really enjoyed the mayo that came with this dish (can you tell I am a sauce person?!)
House made Wonton w black vinegar and truffle oil emulsion – I’m not a huge fan of anything deep fried like this but I gave it a go and really enjoyed the black vinegar and truffle oil emulsion, I could quite happily have a small dipping bowl of that to eat with the criss cut fries from the fish on chip main!
Waldorf Salad Cocktail – First up Tom made us his take on a Waldorf Salad in the form of a cocktail. Served in the cutest little mini mason jars this cocktail was small but not overpoweringly strong. It was a little sweet and I loved eating the bits of apple and sultana’s from the bottom the jar at the end.
Main’s
Sale yards Road Black Angus Scotch potato fondant with Worcestershire and mushroom sauce – I loved everything about this dish, including the presentation. Such a simple dish yet there were plenty of flavours – while the beef was rare I’m sure you could ask for it more well cooked if you couldn’t handle your beef red. I loved the flavours of the mushroom sauce.
Chicken Breast w sage and onion dumplings, roast garlic and brussel sprouts in a pumpkin broth – Given chicken breast is our staple meal at home I really enjoyed this dish, with the perfect amount of flavour it was not overpowering, the pumpkin broth had just the right amount of flavours. And once again the presentation was beautiful. I really love those bowls!
Tom Tom Fish on Chip w market fish in Asahi beer batter on a criss cut chip with tartare – I originally wondered why we were getting fish and chips as it is very pub fare however the point of difference is the Asahi beer batter which was very tasty. And who doesn’t love criss cut chips?
Rum Cocktail – This cocktail was a very strong concoction of three different rums with a hint of cinnamon and could be drunk through the cinnamon stick, for someone who doesn’t drink very often this was a bit too strong for me, although it was tasty and if I wasn’t driving home I would have finished it.
Dessert’s
Chocolate Velvet Pudding w raspberry puree, beetroot jelly, chocolate soil and cream cheese ice cream – I was looking forward to this after making chocolate puddings that looked similar to these in the Mangiare Italiano Cooking Class earlier this year and they did not disappoint, I personally love beetroot so loved the addition of the Jelly and the cream cheese ice cream is different yet very creamy and tasty.
Feijoa and Apple Crumble w toffee apple, tamarillo puree, fresh Feijoa, coconut crumble and Feijoa ice cream – the Feijoa Ice Cream in this de-constructed crumble was so creamy and divine, it has me wanting to work out how to make it at home so I can eat it all the time!
Lemon Meringue Cocktail – I think everyone LOVED this cocktail. Tom delivered us a Lemon Meringue Pie in the form of a cocktail. I tried not to think about the fact that there was egg white in the cocktail as it is a strange concept to me however it really made the drink and gave it that creamy texture.
My highlight for the evening would have to be the truffle oil emulsion served with the Wonton, both the steak and chicken dishes and all the deserts including the desert cocktail!
Tom Tom Bar and Eatery have given us a reason to visit each night of the week as each night they have differing specials. Feel like a steak on a Saturday, $15 will get you one, or how about 2 for 1 mains on a Monday night?
If you would like to give them a try you can find them here:
Tom Tom Bar & Eatery
27 Drake St, Victoria Park Market,
Freemans Bay
(09) 377 5737
Feel free to check out my past Zomato Blogger Meetup Review Here:
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