Rhu

The abrupt departure of the owner of Pasture and Alpha and their respective closures left a restaurant-shaped hole in the Parnell hospo-scape. Luckily some of chefs and staff behind these legendary restaurants have started Rhu, a daytime eatery that takes their fine-dining backgrounds and applies those principles to their baked goods and daytime menu. The result is spectacular. The team is headed by chef Tushar Grover who most recently worked the Pasture kitchen, and that influence shows in the exceptional menu his team put out.

The steamed egg with bacon cream and sourdough is the only kind of bacon and eggs I want to eat from now on. Silky yolks and just set whites lurk beneath the surface of a light as a feather aerated tangy cream richly infused with the flavour of bacon. Luckily all orders come with instructions from the waitstaff on how best to tackle this unusual dish: take a piece of sourdough, and plow and scoop through all the layers. I’ve always been partial to a soft boiled egg and toast soldiers, and this is the Rolls-Royce version of it.

The other must-order on their menu is the fried chicken sandwich, which really showcases all those fine dining culinary skills, turning an increasingly common food into an uncommonly gourmet dish. Every element that makes up this sandwich is thoughtful and stands alone well but put together the results are nothing short of spectacular. The milk bread is made in house and is gorgeously soft and fluffy and bordering on a brioche. The finely shredded cabbage, an homage to the Japanese katsu sando, is sharp and lemony and would make a fine side salad on its own. The fried chicken has a thick and uber crispy coating. They use dark, thigh meat here so the chicken is real juicy and, correct me if I’m wrong, has been finished in the Nashville hot chicken style with a sprinkling of spices which again has a great tangy finish that counterbalances the richness of the fried chicken. Then it is all the other little details, the fresh dill (a herb I am obsessed with), the thinly sliced cucumber, the cheese and mayo. It’s East, meets West, meets Scandinavia in a sandwich and it is the best fried chicken sandwich you can find in Auckland right now. 

The coffee is supplied by Havana Coffee Works and was chosen for their darker flavoured roasts. Needless to say, the coffee was also good. Those two dishes were ample for two hungry adults, but my husband who is ever the sweet tooth, felt it was our duty to investigate and inform on the state of the cookies at Rhu. I can happily report that their chocolate chip cookie is dark, chewy and delicious.

Rhu
235 Parnell Road
Parnell
Auckland 1052
Ph. 0220591967
@rhu_akl