Restaurant Review: Aarth In Parnell Leaves Jesse Mulligan With Recommendations & Regrets

Things started badly at this new, modern Indian restaurant in Parnell, but did they improve?

Aarth, a modern Indian restaurant down a cobblestone lane off Parnell Rd, has a lot going for it but almost as much working against it. They’ve done their best, but the building’s layout is awkward: the “front desk” is outside because there’s no room indoors, and the toilets are across the courtyard. The courtyard itself was empty on the summery evening we visited and, despite having half a dozen tables, gave the strong impression it won’t often be used.

We arrived at 7.14pm for our 7.15pm booking and, after staring at his screen for a few seconds, the guy who greeted us reported that he needed to speak to his manager. She confirmed there wasn’t yet room to seat us, so we waited at the bar and I ordered what turned out to be the worst cocktail I have ever encountered.

Mysteriously billed as “blackcurrant, coconut, gin”, it was a pretty standard gin and juice at the bottom of the glass, but sitting on top was a mountain of stiffly whipped coconut cream. The only way to access the liquid was to let that tropical monstrosity rest against your nostrils while you swallowed. I eventually asked the waitress for a spoon to try and clear some of the obstruction.

“It’s something between a dessert and a cocktail,” she said apologetically. That being the case, it shouldn’t have been listed at the beginning of the drinks menu. The other options – amaretto, maraschino or carrot and honey – didn’t exactly scream “refreshing aperitif” either.

I took a long drink of water to wash away the taste of my drink/sundae but, unfortunately, the tap water had that chemical, slightly musty taste you sometimes get from the municipal supply. I took a long drink of cocktail to wash away the taste of my water.

Things were going badly, and it’s a shame, because the restaurant manager and the chef are both of the very highest quality. The former comes directly from running the floor at Ki Māha on Waiheke Island and has the assured charm of a real service professional. The chef has a good pedigree too, having cooked at Cassia, Kol and Sidart.

Here at Aarth, he has assembled a selection of colourful, modern-Indian delights, where you have the option of handing the menu back to the waiter and letting the chef choose for you. It is nothing like the traditional curry-house experience, though there is a lovely moment as your mains arrive when they bring out a surprise round of filled breads and biryani rice, creating a lavish banquet just as you’re starting to tire of art-on-a-plate.

After the experience with the cocktail, I was very suspicious of the oysters, which arrived in their shells but were entirely obscured by a bright pink sauce. That sauce had a fruit base (first time I’ve seen “mangosteen” used as a lead ingredient in an Auckland restaurant), but it was perfectly balanced by savoury spices and, of course, the brine of the oyster. I loved it and felt like my night was finally turning.

The oyster was one of a range of snacks, and I also liked the beef tartare, mixed with more fragrant spices and sandwiched between a couple of lentil flour crackers (I can’t see this dish on the online menu, which means it’s either been recently added or recently deleted). Once you get into the entree and main sections, they nudge you towards ordering individually rather than sharing plates, but were happy enough when we insisted on putting everything in the middle of the table and dividing it up.

It’s difficult to resist ordering the “lamb and too many chutneys”, though I might have made a mistake adding the duck, which was perhaps a little too similar for a feast: both were served lean and blushing pink, but delicious in their own right. The lamb has, as the title suggests, a selection of condiments representing different parts of India: southern, central, and a searingly hot mustardy sauce that is almost too spicy to eat but is impossible to stop nibbling at.

“We used to just give people a little dab of it, but they kept asking for more,” said the server. I totally get it: the best Indian has a “hurts-so-good” quality, and I’m so glad it hasn’t been lost in the modern approach that Aarth is taking.

I wasn’t quite so into the prawns, served butterflied and baked, but not enough for the flesh to detach from the shell, which makes it a challenging dish to eat. They’re heavy-handed on the vanilla, which is a bold move with seafood and not really for me, though technically it works and you might enjoy it.

The best dish of all is the pork chop, which is incredibly juicy and flavoursome and is served in a sort of Indian sweet-and-sour sauce. But you should order that lovely duck if only for the roast potatoes that come with it.

What shall we make of all this? I’m really not sure. I want to believe it’ll work, but it’s a very tough environment out there, and right now they may be giving diners too many reasons not to return.

Aarth

Cuisine: Modern Indian

Address: 1/333 Parnell Rd, Parnell

Contact: 022 654 5037; aarth.co.nz; @aarth_restaurant

Drinks: Fully licensed

Reservations: Accepted

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday from 5pm

From the menu: oyster 3 for $21, pumpkin puri $9, pork chop $34, prawn ghee $36, lamb $44, duck $46, broccoli $12

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.

Rating: 15/20

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