You know that truly satisfying feeling you get when you feel like you scored a really good deal on something? That’s the feeling I get whenever I dine out during August for American Express Restaurant Month. The list of participating city centre restaurants that offer Restaurant Month menus is extensive so you can easily take advantage of a good dining deal. For ease of searching, the menus have been split into three set prices of $25, $40, and $55+.
For this post, I want to focus on the $55+ menus. I have looked through the menus that fall under this category and the following are my top five picks for you to try. Just like with any other deal, there are terms and conditions so make sure you read through those. This shortlist is in no particular order and instead of adding my commentary, I’m going to let the menus speak for themselves…
Ebisu
$65 for a 3+ course dinner
Starter:
Seared beef tataki (GF): Garlic onion dressing, black truffle | Glory Bay salmon tataki (GF): Jalapeño dressing
Entrée:
Prawn dumplings: Ginger soy, shaved almond | Karaage chicken (GF) Soy onion dressing
Main:
Teriyaki chicken (GF): Ebisu signature sauce, white truffle oil
Dessert:
White chocolate fondant: Mixed berry compote, raspberry sorbet
Federal Delicatessen
$55 for a 3-course dinner or lunch
Entrée:
Noshes: Schticks, lox & buckwheat blini and duck liver parfait
Main:
Choose from: House pastrami with pickles and mustard | Spit-roast chicken: Happy bird, served with gravy | Milk-Fed veal schnitzel with sage and lemon
Additional Items:
Creamy slaw | Potato and gravy
Dessert:
Choose a slice of pie: New York cheesecake, banana toffee, lemon meringue, choc-cherry or PB&J
Botswana Butchery
$55 for a 2-course dinner or lunch
Main:
Seafood bisque: Mussels, clams, grilled calamari, white fish, scallop, lemon, toasted baguette | Steak, eggs and chips: Signature Black rump cap, Wagyu fat chips, fried-free range egg, grilled green beans, onion jus
Dessert:
Vanilla cheesecake: Strawberry sorbet, orange tuile | Apple and rhubarb crumble: Cinnamon ice cream, vanilla foam
The Sugar Club
$79 Dinner Menu
To start:
Two snacks and bread on arrival
Entrée:
Mt Cook Alpine Salmon (beetroot jam, eucalyptus, barigoule sauce) | Charcoal carrot (macadamia puree, dates, argan oil)
Main:
Hauraki Gulf fish (brussel sprouts, pickled sea chicory, dill oil) | Wagyu eye fillet (tamarind puree, Ong Choy, raw oyster mushroom)
Dessert:
Ice cream sandwich (condensed milk, blood orange, burnt white chocolate) | Hogarth 70% Chocolate (Kampot pepper ice cream, damson, semi-dried quince)
Oyster & Chop
$55 for a 2-course dinner or lunch
Choose either entrée + main or main + dessert
Entrée:
Half dozen fresh oysters: Natural or Kilpatrick | St Louis lamb ribs: 12-hour slow cooked lamb ribs with St Louis rib sauce and gremolata | Pork belly :Twice cooked pork belly with ginger and chilli caramel scallops, fresh coriander
Main:
Baked gnocchi: Handmade gnocchi baked in three cheese sauce and basil pangrattato | Moroccan lamb fattoush: Slow cooked Moroccan lamb tossed through Middle Eastern salad of tomato, radish, cucumber, capsicum and lavash, drizzled with garlic yoghurt | Braised beef cheek: Slow cooked tender beef cheek with hints of pomegranate, silken mash, baby vegetables and red wine jus
Dessert:
Figgy date pudding: Salted caramel sauce, pistachio ice cream, pear wafers | Whisky chocolate cake: Chocolate soil, raspberry dust, raspberry sorbet, and hot chocolate fudge sauce
