I had heard great things about The Musket Room, but the main reason I went was because it was described as New Zealand cuisine, which I thought was interesting. I don't know much about New Zealand cuisine except for their giant and delicious green mussels. I was hoping that they would have that on their menu, but the menu here is really much more high end than that.
Allison and I went to dinner there at 6:30 and we were the only ones in there for a while. We sat in the back room (which I would recommend if you had to pick either the front or back room) because it faces this lovely outdoor mini-garden/farm where they pick their own ingredients. It's very soothing and beautiful. As I mentioned the menu here is much more sophisticated than I expected and actually pretty limiting (there are only about 12 total items on the menu). We decided to split the cold smoked scallops for an appetizer ($15) and since we were both indecisive on which entree to choose, we decided to split the octopus ($24) and cod ($29). The meal started with our waiter asking us what kind of bread we wanted (instead of putting an entire bread basket down in front of us) and I opted for the bacon and cheddar brioche. The bread was nice and warm and combined with the sweet butter, incredibly comforting. I'm glad they didn't put a bread basket in front of us because I probably would have literally eaten my weight in bread before I even got my food.
The scallops came out first and were definitely not what I expected at all. It was served with cucumbers, black garlic, pears and sea beans. But the scallops were cut and almost diced in texture. I expected them to be served whole and if I didn't know what they were beforehand, I wouldn't really recognize them. The cold smoked concept was unique and the flavors combined were actually quite good. It was well balanced and a nice palate cleanser. Next came our 2 entrees, which were pretty decent sized plates. I tried the cod first - it was served lightly battered and fried on a bed of green pea puree blended with crab meat and topped with pickled oyster. Oh my. This dish was just stunning in taste and presentation. Seriously one of the best fish dishes I've had in a while. The pea puree was the perfect pairing with the fish and I wished that I could finished the whole dish. Luckily, the octopus dish was also fantastic as well. It was nice and tender and had the right amount of chew and give to it without being overly done. By the end of my meal, I was pleasantly full which is a bit unusual with these more complex, high brow dishes. While I still don't know if I would categorize this as strictly New Zealand cuisine, it's still a lovely restaurant with solid seafood offerings. Total bill: $65/pp with tax and tip
Photo Credit: Yelp
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