There are a number of new eating options in Coromandel Town this summer. I am aiming to get round as many of them as I can and give you my views (terrible job I know, but someone has to volunteer for this sort of thing!)

 

The first review is of Liz’s Kitchen (catering for smaller groups and events, and cooking classes). Liz lives in an absolute waterfront property on the edge of Coromandel Town and she recently hosted a small group of seven adults and one baby celebrating my husband’s birthday.

We chose a fixed price option in advance with a Moroccan theme. Liz was really happy to work around all our dietary requirements (one vegetarian, one dairy-free and one gluten-free) with a menu that sounded amazing.

Entrée

• Smoked fish briouats
• Roasted chickpeas
• Moroccan spice seared scallops with a green grape and lemon relish

Main

• Fish Tagine, chermoula, tomatoes
• Moroccan roast veg
• Green lentil tabbouleh
• Quinoa and carrot salad
• Green salad
• Flat breads with zahtar

Dessert

• Orange and almond cake
• Orange sorbet
• Orange salad
• Coconut yoghurt

And the food didn’t disappoint… Here’s a few photos:

There were two stand-out dishes for me. The scallops served with a green grape and lemon relish were amazing (sorry, no photo). The Moroccan spice mix on the scallops didn’t overwhelm and the relish had a lovely bright fresh taste that worked very well with the richness of the scallops. The second stand-out dish was the dessert. Orange and almond cake, as a gluten-free option, appears on lots of menus so it could have been a predictable end to a good meal. However, it was a beautifully balanced plate. The orange salad was slices of fresh orange, the orange sorbet had a hint of star anise and the candied peel added lovely textural appeal.

As we sat down to eat, the light was just fading outside on a stunning harbour-side vista. I wasn’t sure how it would feel to host a dinner party at someone else’s house as Liz is a friend as well as a great cook. However, I can’t recommend the experience to you enough. It was all easy and warm and the quality of the food was exceptional. We’ll be back…