Aporo gets off to a very fresh start

PHIL REID/Dominion Post

APORO CAFE AND BAR: True to a philosophy of "fresh, healthy high quality" food.

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Food & Wine

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Fennel? In a salad? In a downtown cafe at lunchtime? Blimey.

But wait, there's more. Lots more. Radish, zucchini, asparagus, broad beans, broccoli . . . the list goes on. It could have been overkill; thankfully, it wasn't. Each ingredient in the horopito lamb ($18.50) was just-picked fresh, the lamb (seared rump) perfectly cooked, and the artichoke and feta flatbread that came with it a feast in itself. The horopito was perhaps a little too subtle, but points for the greens not being doused in over-oily vinaigrette.

New Wellington eatery Aporo was, until about six weeks ago, the Ground Floor. Chef Kuini Hall (claim to fame - she cooked for Body Shop founder Anita Roddick) is still in the kitchen, but the rest of the staff are new, as are the owners, Tracey and Jan Debecker.

Hall is a genial, generous chef. She's very much into the Debeckers' philosophy of "fresh, healthy, high quality" food. As is Wellington menu maestro Frank de Roos (Lido, Penthouse), who has had, and will continue to have, a hand in developing Aporo's dishes.

Organic and free-range products are used where possible (milk, eggs, chicken, tea, juice) and Tracey explains they are looking to add a more traditional Maori "flavour" to the menu once a customer base has been established.

Back to the food. The lunch menu is short - there's a soup, a big green salad that includes aporo (Maori for apple) and macadamia dukkah, chicken (with asparagus and a pistachio and chervil pesto), fish (home-cured salmon) and beef options, plus several vegetarian and gluten-free options, including a baked gnocchi dish.

Prices range from $10 to $18.50. A salad of grilled chevre (goat's cheese) with fresh strawberries and an oat and walnut crunch catches our eye for its clash of sweet and savoury ingredients, if nothing else.

A counter cabinet holds the usual cafe standards - paninis, ficelle (the swiss cheese is gruyere from Petone importers OnTrays), and bagels, but at least they look fresh and fillings are plentiful. A free-range egg and tomato sandwich ($6.50) comes with a pile of yolky egg, greens, sunflower sprouts and two thick chunks of wholemeal bread.

A bottle of water is brought to the table and the coffee is delivered asap, and, hooray, it actually tastes like coffee.

We have to have a slice of the chocolate cake, because the other options (carrot cake, date loaf, date scones or citrus slice) are a bit ho-hum. We are offered cream or yoghurt.

Aporo opened for dinner (Thursdays and Fridays) last week, offering the day-time menu and $35 set menu options, which includes a glass of wine. There are plans to introduce a range of cocktails to the in-house bar's drinks list.

If you're looking for a quick, cheap, easy eat and go, Aporo probably isn't it, but if you're happy to linger (and that's no reflection on the speed of the service) and don't mind paying a little more for your midday meal, then it's definitely worth a look-see.

What and where

Aporo Cafe and Bar Cnr Customhouse Quay and  Waring Taylor St, Wellington.  04 894 3630 Open: Monday to Wednesday and Saturday 7am-5.30pm, Thursdays and Fridays, 7am- later. Coffee: The trim latte (People's organic fair trade) was on the table pronto. Try this: The grilled haloumi  ($17) - it comes with roasted kumara, chickpeas and tahini, plus an apple and avocado salad.

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