White House Te Puna — Restaurant in North Island

Very disappointed for the second time. Four of us went a few months ago, and were not happy with our meals, owner said they had a new Chef. We went back today, and the menu again was different, I chose the Chicken liver parfait, as some time ago I had the chicken liver pate, and it was absolutely beautiful with baby cornichons, caramelised onion relish and walnuts, with ciabatta bread too. This time the parfait was white, not the usual pinky colour of cooked chicken livers, had no taste whatsoever, in fact I got the other three people with me to taste it and they all said the same, and it just came with a small dollop of fig relish, 3 small caper berries, and brioche bread. So I asked the waitress what flavour it was supposed to be, she went away and asked the Chef, came back and said, "As the menu says , it is chicken liver, but it has a lot of dairy in it." It was really embarrassing the way she spoke to me, as if I was stupid, and different recipes I have used for this are pinky in colour some with brandy, or red wine maybe garlic or thyme as well to give a nice flavour, that is why I asked, as it was white, and sadly lacking in flavour. We all agreed we will not go back again, as they keep altering ingredients in the various dishes. I know all restaurants change their menu at times, but in this case, as they say, " If it ain't broke...

We have always had good experiences when dining at the White House, but recently they went above and beyond anything we could’ve ever expected with the service and empathy for the reason we were gathering. Our family experienced the untimely death of a much loved 44-year-old cousin and nephew. On the night before his funeral 13 family from out of town booked in to the White House for dinner as a means of having family time together before the funeral. We were seated in the Minden room that provided privacy and comfort. Two family members flew in from Australia and were Held up at the airport, arriving very late. The staff took their orders over the phone and then prepared the food as they arrived much later than everybody else. All this was done with sensitivity and just the right amount of banter. I am sure I’m speaking for all of the family that attended that we couldn’t have gone to a better...

My husband & I ate at White House on Saturday 22 Oct 22. It was the 2nd time we had eaten there this year. Penny & Jo along with their team run what we would describe as probably the best restaurant around - by a long shot. Without doubt one would find it hard to find anything that did not exceed the expectations of the diner. Right from the greeting when we arrived, then chilled water delivered to our table, the wine order was taken promptly, entrees were divine (scallops & calamari) - as were our mains (pork belly & chermoula chicken). No room for desert. Both Penny & Jo AND 2 Waitresses took the time separately throughout the evening to come & chat at our table despite the restaurant being full. It appeared there were a good number of regulars and local diners - it's no wonder why. Thank you to all the team at White House for another most enjoyable evening. See you again soon! Raewyn &...