Reviews & Testimonials
FEASTING ON THE WILD WEST COAST
The Press 17.02.2010
They used to say that if you wanted a three-course meal in Westport, you ordered a pie and two beers. These days, they are more likely to direct you to the Bay House Cafe, a few kilometres out of town on the peninsula at Tauranga Bay.
The menu is varied - everything from coffee and slices to roast duck and gado gado.
It is the restaurant's setting, however, which is arguably its most outstanding feature. Literally a stone's throw from the rocks and rolling breakers of the Tasman Sea, yet surrounded by native bush and exotic plant life, The Bay House enjoys an enviable location, particularly on a warm summer evening, as the sun sets over the ocean.
Originally a family bach, the house itself was the headquarters of the Buller Board Riders for many years, before being established as a cafe in 1995. In the years since, it has become a local landmark and a popular destination for visitors to Westport.
Our table for two was right in the window, overlooking the deck and the bay beyond. We were pleased we had booked, as it was close to a full house and the two cheery waitresses on duty were clearly on their toes keeping up with demand. This meant the odd short wait at times - but all the more opportunity to take in the surroundings, the views and the occasional passing weka.
As visitors to the Coast, it would have been remiss of us not to have sampled the local whitebait. It came in the form of an entree - whitebait and dashi custard with crispy fried whitebait, pickled cucumber and micro sorrel.
You may be wondering what a dashi custard is. So were we. It turned out to be a savoury sauce made from a Japanese-style fish and seaweed stock - a tasty alternative to the usual whitebait theme and an ideal complement to the accompanying flour-dusted, crisply fried variety.
My seafood chowder, by contrast, was more along traditional lines - thick and creamy with plenty of mussels, shrimps and fish in evidence.
Definite winner from our mains choices was the pressed tamarind pork belly with fried tofu balls, spiced peanut sauce and baby beet leaves.
Nothing wrong with the fish of the day - tarakihi with asparagus, lemon and coconut risotto, rocket leaves and toasted almonds - but the pork belly was a minor triumph, a flavoursome little compressed block which seemed far larger in the eating than it did in its appearance on the plate.
The fried tofu balls, incidentally, should be mandatory fare for those, this writer included, who have previously considered bean curd to be the sole preserve of vegetarians, latter-day hippies and other assorted alternative lifestylers.
Dessert came in the form of a Baileys and white chocolate cheesecake, with fried summer stone fruits and cinnamon sugar.
We've had a few Baileys cheesecakes in recent times and always seem to be left wishing that the maker had been a little more heavy handed with the bottle.
Nonetheless, it was a suitably sweet finale to which the fried nectarines and apricots provided the ideal tangy contrast.
All in all then, a fine meal in a fine location - and a long way from your pie and two beers.
Where: The Bay House Cafe Tauranga Bay Westport
Tel 03 789 7133
When: From 11am daily Price Guide: Entrees from $13 Mains from $24 Desserts $13
Wine: Licensed. Reasonable choice by glass or bottle.
Upside: Location, location, location
Downside: Busy, busy, busy.
