Our other starter, boned rabbit from Marlborough, was artfully combined with candied carrots, slivers of soft shitake and a sweet sherry emulsion. The dish was underpinned with the gentle flavour of cardamom, that wonderful spice which manages to find a home in both savoury and sweet dishes. We sighed with contentment as our plates were cleared.
Where starters had seemed playful and inventive, the mains were a much more serious affair. The menu offers no choices for side dishes as each plate is considered complete in itself. Razorback pig - the shoulder, the belly and the head - was beautifully combined with puha, Granny Smith apple puree and gingerbread and for me, this was a heavenly creation, accompanied by a glass of Te Whare Ra gewurztraminer. I didn't want it to end.
The aged beef, sliced and fanned out over a crisp potato galette and spinach, was served with a bone marrow quenelle and pressed oxtail, and these accompaniments were astonishingly good. The beef, however, was not as good as I'd expected. There was no doubt it was tender enough, but it lacked the full flavour and either had not been aged well enough or - I suspect - the method of cooking used had been sous vide. Chefs may well disagree with me, but I firmly believe that it doesn't suit some preparations of red meat if it's flavour you're after. Then again, perhaps we should have just requested some salt and that would have remedied it.
The desserts at Roxy are as miraculous as the other dishes. The baba was a beauty. Sweet and soft, soaked in orange and served with citrus, candied fennel and, interestingly, olive oil and salt, it was more evidence of the brilliance of Roxy's kitchen in successfully combining ingredients in an unpredictable manner.
A raspberry souffle with cocoa icecream, tasted like a summer's day in Nelson. The classic combination of raspberries and chocolate is dreamy and I only tentatively added the liquorice sauce, intended to be poured into the souffle, as my preference was to leave these two lovers alone.
Roxy is the sort of place where you want to move into and never leave. Chef Marshall has a great feel for food, the wait staff are impeccable in their service and the knowledge of what they are providing and the whole experience is exhilarating and soothing at the same time.
My kind of adventure.
From the menu: Marlborough rabbit $27, poached crayfish $27, razorback pig $42, aged beef $42, raspberry souffle $18, baba $18
Drinks: Fully licensed - extensive wine list
