Okay I promise this is the final post on Wellington. Sure my trip to New Zealand was bordering on two months ago, but this meal, the last hurrah before my taxi to the airport, was so delicious and good, I remember it like yesterday.
Besides look at the photo above. Plump Toulouse sausages, how they glisten so! This meal, long since digested, deserves to be shared.
Le Metropolitain was a cute little French bistro halfway up Cuba Street. For someone who eats at a French restaurant perhaps once a year in Sydney, this was to be my third French meal in Wellington in a matter of six days!
Frosted glass windows let in plenty of light to the dining room. Ochre red walls, polished floorboards, dark wood bistro chairs and Parisien prints set the mood. The menu, typed in typical French curly cursive script, was a hungry wishlist, but it was hard to go past the value of the formule dejeuner, two courses with coffee for only NZ$20!
Flat white coffee
The charming French waitress manned the coffee machine after delivering a complimentary bread basket with a dish of olive oil and salt flakes. The sourdough was soft yet dense; my flat white coffee was robust and sweet with crema.
Potage forestier
Wild mushroom soup
Potage forestier was a huge soup tureen of wild mushroom cooked in cream and brandy. Soup isn't usually my thing (unless it's winter and the soup is homemade with chunks of carrot and smoked ham hocks) but I finished every last spoonful of this rich and elegant offering resplendent with leeks and mushroom.
Even the waitress smiled with surprise when she collected the empty vessel.
Saucisse de Toulouse, Lentilles, Confit d'Oignons et Lardons au Jus
Toulouse sausage with lentils, onion confit and lardons jus
The saucisse de Toulouse arrives in heady plumes of steam, sturdy plump pork sausages gathered on a mound of aromatic puy lentils. The smoked bacon, wine and garlic in the sausages is mirrored in the flavours of the lentils, firm yet yielding, and garnished generously with lardons (smoked pork belly) and meltingly soft ribbons of caramelised onion.
It's a glorious end to a gastronomic high in the tasty streets of Wellington. And in spite of the altitude I'm brought back to earth with my return flight dinner on Qantas: curry chicken with rice anyone?
Qantas dinner: curry chicken with rice, salad and bread roll
Le Metropolitain Restaurant
146 Cuba Street, Wellington, New Zealand
Tel: +64 (04) 801 8007
Monday to Friday: lunch and dinner
Saturday: brunch, lunch and dinner
Sunday: brunch and lunch.
Formule dejeuner / lunch set menu NZ$20
2 courses with coffee
Available Tuesday to Sunday 11.30am to 3pm
Related GrabYourFork posts:
Wellington, NZ - Cafe Bastille
Wellington, NZ - Kai in the City
Wellington, NZ - KK Malaysian Restaurant
Wellington, NZ - Le Metropolitan
Wellington, NZ - Mr Bun
Wellington, NZ - Schoc Chocolates
Wellington, NZ - Simply Paris
Wellington, NZ - Supermarket spree
Wellington, NZ - Sweet Mother's Kitchen
Wellington, NZ - Tasting Room, The
Wellington, NZ - Victoria Street and Waitangi Park Markets
Wellington, NZ - Wholly Bagels
The prix fixe looks yummy - all glistening and porky. I honestly don't know why Qantas bother with hot meals in economy, they are always rubbish and they can do a nice sandwich or pie. (The penne is an exception as it isn't bad). It doesn't get much better out of economy either.
ReplyDeleteOn the glistening porky front, have you been to Bistrode in Surry Hills?
aww i for one really enjoyed your Wellington reports! and i have since added quite a few things to my list of things to do during my trip to NZ in December!
ReplyDeleteHi Mr_Gimlet - I haven't been to Bistrode altho' I have heard good things. Mmm... glistening pork fronts...
ReplyDeleteHi Lindsey Clare - Ahh I'm glad you got your Kiwi kicks :) Hope you enjoy your trip. I'm sure you'll have many tasty adventures!
Hi!! I'm actually going to be in Wellington for the day in a couple of weeks (as part of a pretty ambitious new zealand vacation) and was wondering if you would say any particular restaurant you had been to there was the most "can't miss" of them all. I know its hard to pick, especially when you have all different things to choose from! Thanks soo much!
ReplyDeleteAs a side note I am so glad to have found your blog - your descriptions and pictures are wonderfully done!
Hi Tania - That is a very hard call! I really did enjoy Sweet Mothers for its unusual menu (for Sydney anyway). Make sure you get their key lime pie!
ReplyDeleteI also think Simply Paris is worth a look-see simply because it's a French cafe plus a patisserie all-in-one (double happiness surely?).
If you get the chance, I'd also pop into Schoc Chocolates for their amazing flavour combinations (and wicked chilli hot chocolate as well).
This place goes from strength to strength. The Poulet Basquaise is superb and the Fondant au Chocolat dessert , made to order, is worth the few minutes wait. Looking forward to our next visit with friends from overseas. The French speaking staff are efficient and welcoming. Highly recommended.
ReplyDeleteHi John Jolliff - Oh I do miss my French adventures in Wellington :) I'll have to return sometime soon!
ReplyDeleteFrom my recent experience I can confirm that two and half years on from the writing of this article Le Metropolitain is still authentically producing exquisite french style food from superlative NZ ingredients.
ReplyDeleteTry the baked onion soup.
Hi Christo - It's always heartening to hear of a restaurant maintaining consistency and quality over the years. Thanks so much for the update. I'm sure the onion soup is fantastic :)
ReplyDelete