Harbour Society — Restaurant in Waitematā

I think alot of reviews confuse this place with the Harbour Side restaurant in the old Ferry Building. This is the restaurant in the Sofitel. We make a point of eating in as many of Aucklands fine dining restaurants every year as part of restaurant month when they run tasting menus in winter. We decided to give this place a go as before COVID it was quite good. Sadly we were disappointed..... The service is ok though water wasn't provided until asked and wine arrived after our food. The restaurant was quiet and this was a Saturday night. The staff were friendly and I have to say the young lady leading the team handled the issues we had with professionalism. The restaurant is pitching itself against the greats of Auckland, Ahi, Kingi, Metita, Onslo, etc etc. Sadly it's well off the mark. We started with crab taco and parfait. The parfait was pretty good but nothing spectacular, the bread served with it is standard white toast cut to neat squares. The crab taco was cold and soggy. Though it was very tasty, it would be better with some crunch or perhaps as a warmed dish? The mains are where things took a turn and prompt this review, we had sirloin steak and I had the spinach and mussels risotto. We were asked how the steak should be cooked, and all steak was delivered medium rare. Despite people asking for a range from med rare to well done. One steak was sent back and was put back on the grill, it didn't reapear for at least 15 mins. Unacceptable. The streaks themselves were tiny I reckon 50g, no carbs with them and a sprinkle of broad beans. Not good enough. In other restaurants similarly priced they upsell sides with dishes like this. Nothing offered or recommended here though. The risotto was equally poor - first problem they were out of mussels at 7.30pm swapped to squid, awesome. But when it arrived there were 4 small slices of squid in the risotto, and the rice was under by probably 5 mins, crunchy... Dessert was a Whittaker's chocolate and coconut mousse and yoghurt panacotta. The mouse was coconut with a dusting of chocolate. It was ok. The people who had it expected more in the chocolate. The panacotta was frozen solid and pretty much inedible. The restaurant is warm and inviting with a nice view. Over all not good enough and hugely disappointing. We will not go back. If you're staying at the hotel, Kingi, Ahi, and Mr Morris are much better (what this place pretends to be) and a...

Not a very pleasant experience at all. I have been a loyal customer of Harbour Society before pandemic and this is the first time I dining here again after a long waiting time. I expect nothing but the usual. Menu is dramatic changed and innovative some asian-fusion dishes, which is ok but only if you are doing in right way. With all due respect, I can see chef put lots of thought trying to make some difference but as an asian, I can tell the starter, steamed buns, is cheap bun that you can pay $5 for a bag in asian market, and steamed bun with some sesame blended butter? Definitely way below Harbour Society's standard. You used to have ciabatta served with the BEST truffle butter that most of us would come only for that! Maybe it is due to the supplier chan or some other reason, what a shame. However, the hygiene and food safety is really concerned, which I thought it will not be an issue for a fine dinning restaurant like Harbour Society. After me and my friend made order, I found there are some spring onion stick on both of my entree and main knives then I asked waiter if I could have those changed. Surprisingly the waiter asked me, which one I would like to change? Of course, both of them. Before main, I found a piece of sth was on the plate again, and our waiter just flipped it and trying to serve me that plate. Again, I nicely pointed out that, and he responded me, "sorry that's a rice", like it was not a big deal and it is OK to do so and it would be the proper way to do so when you are in a fine dinning restaurant. Then I respond, "well, it's not a part of my meal and I am not going to eat with that, so could you change that plate for me please?" For hygiene reason, I believe all cutlery and plates need to be washed properly and polished before you present on table. At least, nice and clean would be the basic standard for all restaurants under council regulations. I do not want to talk about how the wagyu beef tataki (picture 3 and 4) was not fresh and it was like a piece of beef that has been defrosted in room temperature for a day and cut in finger-thick pieces. Not mention it is not quality wagyu beef at all. Same as the speckle park beef, we've been told it is eye fillet and it taste gross and not like a piece of freshly cooked. This meal really made us sick after we ate that....Really hope no one have the same...

We were fortunate to be dining through the first table service and ordered the sashimi platter, burrata, venison, duck, and the bunny on the moon for dessert. The service was impeccable. However, I must say that the complimentary buns were not particularly enjoyable. I would have preferred a more traditional sourdough or lighter bread to pair with the sesame butter spread. The bun itself was dense and cakey, and there was far too much of it relative to the spread.

The sashimi platter, on the other hand, was excellent. The venison, unfortunately, was not up to par. The pepper crust was overpowering, and the kumara puree did not add any flavor or provide a counterbalance to the strong pepper flavors of the venison. The dish was underseasoned, but a sprinkle of salt helped to improve the taste. The crust, however, was a major letdown and detracted from the overall dish.

The Burrata was ok, the sauce used was very similar if not exactly the same notes as the kewpie sesame salad dressing I had for lunch on the same day which caught me off-guard. Would have been good with some bread.

The duck was generally good, though it could have been more tender. The flavors were well-balanced, but the accompaniments were somewhat underwhelming. The cucumber slices were too thick and could have been finely shaved or shredded, and the spring onions were too long for the bao. The bao itself was also a disappointment, as it was made with the same dense bun as the complimentary buns, rather than a thin Beijing-style wrap or being served on its own.

On the positive side, the highlight of the meal was the dessert, the bunny on the moon. It was delightful and the pastry chef deserves...