Eateries crying foul over attack

Rotorua restaurants are crying foul over a public gripe about an unamed local establishment which they say casts them all in a bad light.

They reckon they offer diners a good variety of high quality local restaurants and even respected New Zealand food critic Michael Guy is defending the Rotorua restaurant scene.

An item in theNew Zealand Herald's Sideswipe column this week had a couple bemoaning a romantic weekend they say "turned into a Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmare".

They complained the award-winning restaurant they went to was empty except for them, was out of the champers and oysters they ordered, the seafood chowder was too salty, the mains had a piece of steak in place of a lamb shank and there was only enough Drambuie for one.

But the couple refused to reveal where they had their bad experience, telling the Daily Post they didn't want to "over-expose the affair".

Locals in the industry say that's unfair because it potentially makes them all look bad in the eyes of punters.

Mac's Steak House has won a Hallmark of Excellence in Beef and Lamb award for the past three years but owner Bob Macfarlane is certain the couple weren't complaining about his establishment because he doesn't serve lamb shanks.

However, he was horrified to read about their experience and thought it was unfair they didn't name the restaurant.

Rotorua was generally good for service and food but people should constantly be striving to improve.

"We should be providing the quality products and services people expect.

"We probably have a mix of restaurants, like any city, where some are very good and some are not so good," Mr Macfarlane said.

Rotorua Restaurants Association president and chef Damon McGinniss said the city had high quality restaurants.

"It is unfair that they didn't name the restaurant because they have put everyone in the same basket.

"In any industry, faults can be found."

Mr Guy rated the quality of Rotorua restaurants as "generally good". However, he said the coffee could be better and he wanted to see more made of the region's cultrual identity, Rotorua being the one place in New Zealand where tourists and locals alike should expect more of a cultural influence in the food.

Freelance local chef Charles Royal said restaurants in Rotorua were good at using Maori ingredients but customers didn't realise.