The reason for the turnaround, we heard, was the threat of receivership brought on by the recession. An insolvency adviser had been called in. And the result was amazing: suddenly Allely House was producing the best cuisine and service to be had out that way.
As always it was a pleasure to drive up to the gracious white villa and be shown into one of the prettiest dining rooms in Auckland. Our waiter was welcoming and authoritative. When I couldn't find a familiar name on the largely local wine list, she immediately brought two generous samples in glasses they obviously have for just such requests. One, the Oyster Bay gewurztraminer, was so great I downed the sample as well as the generous glass ($8.50) that arrived later.
By now we were well into the food: a seafood platter for two ($29) and the ostrich ($15), presumably from the ostrich farm just up the road. Both were excellent, but the platter, which was crammed with succulent scallops, prawns and mussels, was a knockout.
The ostrich was seared and sliced blood-rare. Served with a berry sauce it tasted more like meat than poultry, and was, we decided, surprisingly tasty. Well worth a try as a main course.
Next came the duck dinner ($27), a confit leg, which Tonia, herself an accomplished cook, found surprisingly good, despite the untidy pile of vegetables that came with it.
In fact, all our meals arrived plopped on top of some great-tasting but rather runny scalloped potatoes, studded with a couple of brussels sprouts and what looked like carrots.
My "famous" eye fillet was tender, but could have done with a tastier sauce - but at $20 for a huge slice, who's complaining?
The lamb rack ($25) and venison ($26) were both excellent, perfectly cooked and came in satisfying, enormous portions.
My downfall arrived, wedge-shaped and topped with whipped cream - the best pecan pie I've ever eaten. It was caramelised and gooey on top, bursting with pecans and resting in a crisp pastry case. At $11 it was incredible value. The fudge cake, lemon tart and creme brulee (also $11) were apparently excellent too. And no, we couldn't look at coffee.
According to our waiter (who's been getting up at 5am the last few Fridays to stuff fliers in the letterboxes around Riverhead, Coatesville and Hobsonville to drum up business), the restaurant's adviser insisted the pecan pie stayed on the menu. He's right. It's brilliant - and the restaurant he's underwriting is pretty darned good too.
In this metamorphosis Allely House certainly deserves to ride out the recession. This is the best dinner we've had in Kumeu for years. The service is upbeat and efficient and the prices are low. Added to that there's the cosy feeling that comes from a restaurant that reflects its place in the world.
The wine list bristles with names of local winegrowing families - Corbans, Selaks, Brajkovich. And while some of them are made from grapes now grown in Hawkes Bay or Marlborough, the Brajkovichs' Kumeu River vintages are harvested and bottled just up the road, the ostrich place is even closer and surely the chef buys his excellent vegetables from the neighbouring orchards.
Rating out of 10
Food: 7
Service: 8
Value: 7
Ambience: 7
Our meal: $231 for three entrees, four main courses, three desserts and six glasses of wine. Wine list: A nice, rounded list offering many West Auckland wines plus some well-priced New Zealand and exotic offerings served in decent-sized glasses.
Verdict: A restaurant that's lifted its game in the face of recession by offering delicious country food at sensible prices.
