NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Review: Salt, Castor Bay

NZ Herald
27 Apr, 2013 01:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tempura lemon-feta risotto stuffed in inari pocket, served with pickled vegetable salad and pistachio-pink pepper labne from Salt in Castor Bay, Auckland. Photo / NZH

Tempura lemon-feta risotto stuffed in inari pocket, served with pickled vegetable salad and pistachio-pink pepper labne from Salt in Castor Bay, Auckland. Photo / NZH

Address: cnr Beach Rd & Castor Bay Rd, Castor Bay, North Shore
Phone: (09) 410 4488
Rating out of 10: Food: 8, Service: 7, Value: 8, Ambience: 7

No matter how often small business experts warn of the short life span and high risk of new hospitality businesses, there never seems to be a shortage of candidates to take over established premises.

So it was no great surprise when the building formerly occupied by the Indian restaurant Aroma in quiet Castor Bay was transformed into Salt, though perhaps what was unusual was the nature of the new venture. This is a neighbourhood restaurant and on our visit the early diners included a fair sprinkling of families with children.

It is also a place with ambition, rare on the North Shore where the tried and familiar dominate the eating landscape. Here, for instance, the chicken is offered with pumpkin and ricotta cannelloni, a sweetcorn emulsion and candied pepitas. We are not talking flights of fancy, just a menu that displays some originality and imagination and, as it turned out, the execution matched the concepts.

In keeping with the prevailing trend, there is a range of little plates and entrees and even a children's menu, but there are also substantial main courses, which means plenty of room for choice.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

An unexpected sort of amuse bouche of little bread rolls with a pesto and a fish pate was not exactly standard fare for your local eatery.

Lamb meatballs are a regular offering and here they hinted at the quality to be delivered, spiced with some subtlety and in a rich sauce. The seared tuna was just right, with shaved fennel, black olive cream, a basil puree and dainty dots of tomato jelly.

The salmon fishcakes with remoulade and sweet tomato jam were excellent, and the seven-hour braised beef was as succulent as it should be, while the roast black grapes were a nice touch.

We had decided not to stick to the small plates and were glad we tried the mains.

Two of us went for the prawn and panko-crusted hapuku, not always the easiest fish to get right in large chunks, but here our sternest judge of fish cooking announced his satisfaction. Similar verdicts came for the pan-roasted beef fillet with a parmesan polenta, smoked paprika butter and fried capers. Probably the most unusual main course was the lemon feta risotto, stuffed into inari pockets of tofu, fried tempura-style and served with pickled vegetables and yoghurt. This would not usually appeal to me, but my sample mouthfuls, with a strong citrus flavour, were delicious.

The desserts were similarly well judged. The chocolate torte was not outstanding but the cappuccino creme brulee and the passionfruit panna cotta were more than satisfactory, well flavoured and of appropriate consistency.

Discover more

Lifestyle

Review: Chihuahua, Takapuna

02 Jul 05:30 PM
Lifestyle

Review: The Commons, Takapuna

21 Aug 05:30 PM
Lifestyle

Review: Mexico Takapuna

20 Sep 05:30 PM

This very decent food is delivered in simple but comfortable surroundings and in the style you associate with a local restaurant, not impersonally polished but amiable and efficient enough.

Although it is a fairly new arrival, it was obvious that Salt - and its Little Salt annexe - has already picked up an enthusiastic following and we wouldn't hesitate to return, if we can get in.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.


Our meal: $300 for four first courses, four mains, three desserts and one glass and one bottle of wine of wine.

Wine list: A routine list of mainly New Zealand wines but with other choices and good by the glass.

Verdict: A welcome arrival to the North Shore, providing good food to suit everything from the quick drop-in girls' night out to the relaxed, blow-out occasion.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Travel

What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

Lifestyle

The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

08 Jul 10:00 PM

Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

09 Jul 06:00 AM

Telegraph: Battling sugar cravings after giving booze the boot.

What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

08 Jul 10:00 PM
King Charles hosts state visit with burst blood vessel in eye

King Charles hosts state visit with burst blood vessel in eye

08 Jul 08:59 PM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP