Three weeks in New Zealand - 4/12 - 5/4/2024

Day 17-Dinner at Panorama room, Mount cook-4/27/2024

Tonight we are dining at the Panoramic room located inside the Hermitage hotel.  The Panorama room is the only upscale restaurant in Mount Cook National Park. At the helm of the Panorama Room is the award-winning Executive Chef, Marc Soper. Marc’s career has spanned three continents, working in Michelin star restaurants in the USA and Germany. Winning New Zealand Chef of the Year twice, Wellington Chef of the year three times and representing New Zealand in Singapore and Australia with the New Zealand National cookery team, and the Chef Soper brings to the team a fresh approach and a wealth of experience. Chef Soper's food philosophy is to create dishes that are a contemporary with a blend of locally sourced seasonal produce. 

From the dinning room in the day time, you can see the Aoraki/Mounbt Cook from the floor to ceiling glass window.  At night time, it is too dark to see outside but the room is still amazing with a warm, elegant, soft lighting, and polished wood finishes.

Sitting in the lodge, waiting for our table to be set up.

Pictures of the Heritage hotel throughout the years are hang along the wall.

The hotel is fancy but the ambiance is cozy and warm.

We got a nice table right in the middle of the room.

We selected the 3 course Chef's Menu at 119AUD.

Hoa ordered a Manhattan and I ordered a glass of red wine.

Starting with freshly baked dinner rolls and butter.

Seared Scallops, Cauliflower cream, Chorizo, sauce verge, parsnip and apple remoulade, seaweed granola, and Martinborough olive oil.

The scallops were perfectly cooked and I love the different textures in this dish.

The dish is also beautifully presented.

Wild pork and ham hock terrine, pistachio puree, Medjool dates, Butternut, fresh pear, broad beans, feta, crispy chicken skins and truffle aioli

Hoa really enjoyed the Pork and Ham hock terrine which is very satisfying and tasty.

Lumina lamb loin, beetroot and goats cheese puree, pressed shoulder, smashed peas and baby carrots, roasted fennel bulb and radish with mustard jus.

I selected the Lamb loin and it did not disappoint.

Pure South 55 day aged beef, truffed kumara gratin, soubise puree, green beans, vine tomato, sauté oyster mushrooms, and brunt spring onion, jus gras.

The aged beef was cooked to Hoa's satisfaction and the sauce has a lot of umami.

We definitely eat with our eyes first, very nice presentation.

Hoa ordered the hand selected local Whitestone and Barry's bay Cheeses with lavash, Conterbury honeycomb, crackers, dried fruits, and fresh pear.

Whittaker's 72% warm chocolate lava cake, salted milk chocolate ganache, caramel popcorn, textures of banana, goats cheese & vanilla ice cram, chocolate crumbs.

I enjoyed my dessert even though I could not finish the whole thing.  Overall, we had an excellent experience, the staff was friendly, attentive, and the food was top notch and we were glad we had a chance to eat here.

NEXT... Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park