Jervois Steak House

Have you ever seen Masterchef? More specifically, have you ever seen Masterchef New Zealand?

Well one of the chef judges is Simon Gault and I am fast discovering that I am a fan of his work.

Mr Gault is the more cheerful looking chef in the middle

Before coming to New Zealand, I have followed the first first season of Masterchef US and continue to be amazed with how many "amateur" chefs can cook the average man's pants off. Upon arriving in Auckland, it didn't take long for me to discover that there is an Australian, Kiwi, and a Junior version of Masterchef airing on local television. 

While the second season of Masterchef NZ captivated the hearts of many, I sporadically caught shows whenever I could, got invested in some of the cheftestants but never really got to point of learning anyone's names. So imagine my surprise when on our Taupo trip we had dinner at Bistro Lago at the Hilton Hotel and discovered that it was one of Chef Simon's restaurants.

At Bistro Lago, both PIC and I had fish dishes, he had a grouper in spicy miso with moving bonito flakes on top and I had the salmon with the corn puree on the side. Our meal was gorgeous and I absolutely loved the ambiance and how they did their food, so we decided maybe when we got back to Auckland, it was time to visit Simon Gault's other creations.

Earlier this evening seemed the perfect time for that (for no particular reason other than a whim) so off we went to Jervois Steak House (JSH) on Herne Bay, and hello Simon!

JSH was as steaky as steak houses can get. It was brick, with the bull's head for a logo, dark and had that very "Texan" appeal from the outside. Once in, the decor continues to be dark but very minimalist, accentuated with a few copper pieces on display, faux candles, and a very inviting fireplace in the middle. The space is not too big but it wasn't cramped either, it was just perfectly intimate for a quiet meal. 

We were seated at a table downstairs, against the wall just between the fireplace and the kitchen window where all the dishes were finished and picked up by the wait staff. While I probably wouldn't class this place as a "date place" for PIC and myself, I think this could become one of our favorite steak haunts similar to how we were regulars at Marco's in Dublin. Yes, I could definitely see us finding a corner to own in this place for the times I have a very distinct craving for a good steak.

Indeed for a steakhouse, the menu was pretty extensive. The beef ranged from plain ol' rib eye, to angus, to wagyu in many different ways, shapes, and sizes. There were about 12-15 options for mains, another 10-12 sauces to choose from, and at least eight sides. For tonight, we picked the 1kg rib eye for two, a side of creamed spinach, crab mashed potato (yes crab, i know! who knew?!), four peppercorn jus, a simple syrah and truffle jus, a glass of pinot noir for me, and a glass of coke for PIC.

By the time PIC was halfway through our bread and I got tired of making the chef feel self conscious each time he handed a plate out to a wait staff, our steak finally arrived. We were in for another pleasant treat, because what we got was a pretty hefty size of meat, plus they  served it table side and carve it for you. I loved it!

Novelty aside though, I'd easily class this as one of the great steaks we've had to date. We had just the right amount of fat on the meat to tease our cholesterol addiction, bits that were almost well done, but overall, the smooth, tender and juicy goodness of a medium cooked beef was all we needed for the plate to sing to us. We were so happy with the steak we hardly even bothered with the jus (although the syrah was perfect with just a hint of sweetness to bring out the meatiness of the steak).

We were soon done and ready to head home. I would have wanted to try out one of their desserts but PIC and I have both had long days and we were just wrecked. I would say this little expedition is a success, Simon still has our marks and it looks like we may have found another steak haunt to replace our old Dublin habits.

Our sides - creamed spinach and crab mashed potato

they don't joke about steak knives here, and that's our simply syrah & truffle jus

Our Ribeye carved and ready

Two yummy cuts with a different sauce each

love the logo on the glass

Our bread with pate, olive oil, and balsamic

On a side note, PIC and I did have a little excitement on the way home. It seems that every Friday night an alcohol checkpoint sets up camp a few meters from where we live. I've tried their alcohol test once before and while I was excited that first time like a kid taking out her new bike, this time I wasn't so sure.

I had my one glass of wine so when asked to speak into the contraption I did register positive for alcohol and was asked to pull over to take the breathalizer test. That was probably one of the worst feelings ever, I knew I only had one and would be fine but I kept thinking of the thing f''ing up and suddenly declaring you're over the limit even if you're not. 

Call me paranoid, but I would much rather err on the side of caution than with reckless abandon.