Jesse Mulligan Auckland Restaurant Review: Birkenhead’s Bon Pinard Completes The Set With Duo & Uno

Truffle lovers, rejoice. This North Shore wine bar serves up indulgence with a flavour-packed menu and truffle-laced dishes that don’t hold back.

I went to this dinner with a mate who works in finance. He has an unusually large brain inside an unusually large head and talks with an effortless sort of intelligence that makes you want to take notes but, because that would be weird, instead you nod along and agree and hope he doesn’t notice that you’re contributing almost nothing to the conversation.

The world of business is his speciality and, as we got out of the car next to Bon Pinard, which is next to Uno, which is next to Duo, he rubbed his chin and said: “I’m not sure opening a third competing restaurant on a block you already control is in the playbook.”

He was probably right, and perhaps only hospitality couple and young parents Jordan and Sarah MacDonald truly understand why they’ve done it, but Bon Pinard is indeed their third successful venture, to go with their pasta joint Uno and all-day eatery Duo.

I found an interview with Sarah online in which she describes her average day, and even reading it made me feel tired. But if they’re feeling the strain, there’s no sign of it. There’s a saying in showbiz, “Never let them see you sweat”, and that seems to be a good approach to hospitality, too. Whenever I’ve seen Jordan or Sarah on the floor, it always seems like there’s no place they’d rather be.

The locals look even happier. Some have worked out that they can order whatever they like from whichever kitchen, no matter which dining room they are in. So it’s not uncommon to see a group of new waitresses arrive at the door carrying plates that were prepared at another restaurant: four individual cheeseburgers on the night we visited, which came from a Duo brunch menu that wasn’t meant to be available in the evening, even if you were in the right restaurant for it.

I silently judged the customers for their lack of restraint, but then chef Jordan came to our table and said, “Dessert is creme brulee, but if you like I can see if they’ve got some truffle tiramisu left at Uno,” and of course I immediately folded and said, “Yes please.” It’s rare to see truffle served with a sweet dish but, in theory, it goes well with anything white, so I can see why he may have first folded it into the mascarpone as an experiment.

That would have been enough of a twist but, standing tableside, he took out a fresh truffle the size of a lump of coal and grated it vigorously all over the dish. The intoxicating vapours filled the restaurant, and the tiramisu, already a pretty sexy dish, became something almost pornographic. The addition really worked: perhaps you wouldn’t have it this way every time, but it is something you should try in your lifetime – indulgence upon indulgence, luxury upon luxury.

He is a really ace cook, this guy, and though the geography of the wine bar is quite straightforward – a few tables downstairs, a little step up to the bar, then a door out to some semi-alfresco seating – the food has the same high standard you find at his more traditional-style restaurants. I guess, for a while, the proposition may have been wine-plus-snacks while you wait for a seat next door, but this is a fully-fledged menu.

The “bar” part of it is most noticeable in the excellent selection of wines by the glass. We chose a pinot and an albarino, both from Neudorf Vineyards (pretty near to where that lumpy truffle was unearthed, in the north of the south) and made our way through a few plates.

I loved Bon Pinard’s crudo on sourdough – not just the bright tuna fillet but capsicum, fermented for acidity, then chopped with the tuna for a vivid red, vaguely smoky carpaccio, spread over buffalo curd. There’s a similar construction with the anchovy – a single salty fish on lemony ricotta, balanced on a tiny brick of polenta.

If you’re trying to choose between the pork and the duck, please do what I did and get both. They are very different to each other but both completely delicious, and at a great price. “Where else can you get pork schnitzel for $32?” asked my guest, to nobody in particular. It’s $44 up the road at The Engine Room (not a criticism, things are intentionally a little fancier there), which shows you how hard the owners are working to make this bar an everyday option. Hot and battered, served with a cold celeriac slaw and a black garlic emulsion so intense you could really only take a lick of it at a time, this is a perfect main course. Then there is the confit duck, served with inky braised lentils, that falls apart to the fork.

“I’m going to stop in here next time I’m walking the dog,” said my guest, and it’s hard to imagine how anybody could stroll past at dinner time without being tempted in for a bite. Three restaurants in one spot is unusual, but think of Uno, Duo and Bon Pinard like properties in Monopoly: valuable on their own, but game-changing once you’ve got the whole set.

BON PINARD

Cuisine: Wine bar bistro

Address: 134A Hinemoa St, Birkenhead

Reservations: Not accepted

Drinks: Fully licensed

From the menu: Baguette and butter $11, tuna crudo $25, anchovy $18, venison tataki $25, brussels sprouts $18, confit duck $32, pork schnitzel $32, truffle tiramisu $15

Rating: 19/20

Score: 0-7 Steer clear. 8-12 Disappointing, give it a miss. 13-15 Good, give it a go. 16-18 Great, plan a visit. 19-20 Outstanding, don’t delay.

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