Reborn as a Total Sucker in Wellington City
Who on earth said this restaurant is good?! Charley Noble is a relatively upscale fine dining spot in Wellington. The ambiance is nice and the service is decentâstaff check in periodically to refill drinksâbut they come off a bit cold by not acknowledging customersâ thanks when serving food. đ„© Eye FilletThis dry-aged Angus beef is tender with just the right amount of marbling and juiciness. The open-flame cooking adds a lovely wok hei (smoky charred aroma). Of the 5 extra sauces we ordered, the spicy sauce and the creamy white sauce on the side were passable; the others had weird, overpowering flavors. The raw radish greens on the side were also spicy and didnât pair well at all. đ· Woodfired Rotisserie New Zealand Pork BellySmoked with a blend of manuka and apple wood, the pork belly has a delightful smoky, fruity aroma. About 40% of the meat was tender and succulent, but most of the crackling was tough and chewy (I hated wasting food, so I ended up taking the dry leftover meat home for my dog). While the accompanying apple gravy, house-made bread sauce, and apricot chutney boosted the flavor, the dish wouldâve been more balanced and less greasy if the sweetness was toned down to let more acidity shine through. đź Classic Beef TartareA boring, underwhelming cold dish. It tasted like I was eating raw beef mince mixed with egg yolk and pickled cucumber cubes. Most shocking of allâ the beef, which should be raw, was pale and almost cured. To make it worse, itâs not truffle season, so they didnât add any black truffle, yet they didnât lower the price. Total sucker move! đ Chicken Liver ParfaitThe pork trotter jelly on top felt pointless. If its only purpose was to prevent the parfait from oxidizing and discoloring, they really shouldâve figured out a way to integrate it better into the dish. Not to mention, there were obvious unfiltered bits in the jelly. The parfait itself wasnât smooth enough, had a strong gamey offal smell, and lacked distinct aroma or seasoning. Also, the portion was way too small. The chicken liver parfait at Lilian in Auckland is chefâs kissâtotal perfection! đŠ Seafood ChowderThe seafood was fresh enough, but this chowder was INSANELY salty! Iâve never tasted a clam chowder this salty in my life. The overwhelming saltiness drowned out all other flavors, ruined the dishâs balance, and there was barely any creamy richness. I seriously suspect the chef has lost their sense of taste, or theyâre just trying to make customers order more drinks. Overall, this restaurant is somewhat skilled at cooking meatâbut thatâs it. The quality of the other dishes we tried was totally subpar and not worth the price. Serving such disappointing food is nothing but a waste. Major letdown! #MyFoodDiary #FoodieAdventure #WesternCuisine #FineDining #TotalSucker #DisappointedAF #InternationalStudentEats #MyStudyAbroadStory #StudentLife #StudentLifeMatters
