10.288
20 (Sun) October 2019
Te Mana Frenched Lamb Rack
3.0
at Coene’s Bar & Eatery
-Oriental Bay, Wellington, New Zealand-
solo
Mission to New Zealand, Day 2.
In Wellington. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and National Ethics Advisory Committee, I’ll be coordinating the proceedings of the Second Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting for National Ethics/Bioethics Committees, Tuesday to Wednesday. I coordinated the first AP-NEC meeting two years ago in Seoul (see 8.292 Grilled Lamb).
LUNCH
The itinerary included a second layover in Christchurch from 1000 to 1300 – just in time and just enough time to grab lunch.
Generally, I try to avoid layovers of any kind, any duration, any where, but I did appreciate the opportunity to expand the KOREAN ABROAD list with a new city.
The driver of the airport shuttle happened to be Korean, and he recommended Mum’s 24.
Even at 1100 on a Sunday, I couldn’t resist ordering a draft beer – branded by the restaurant!
From the MAIN IN POTS section, I ordered the soft tofu pot with seafood (sundubu jjigae), as I typically do in these situations. It was okayish.
And so, Christchurch becomes the 34th city outside of Korea where I’ve had Korean food (see KOREAN ABROAD).
DINNER
Among the various dining options near the hotel, Coene’s offered a simple menu of seafood and meats. Located along the boat harbor, the view of the water was a bonus.
I appreciate a restaurant that is frequented by the locals, which suggests authenticity – here, I was the only non-white person in the place.
Te Mana Lamb is a branded/trademarked breed of lamb native to New Zealand. In the Maori language, “te mana” means “the power.”
First night in town, I wanted to eat something local, to the extent that New Zealand has its own cuisine. The Te Mana lamb and New Zealand Scallops, by definition, seemed close enough.
The food was fine if unremarkable.
MIDNIGHT SNACK
Next door to the hotel was New World supermarket.
Dropping by to grab some water, I was happy to discover a fully stocked deli with wide range of cold cuts and salads.
Back in my hotel room, I enjoyed a snack of tandoori chicken, beef pastrami, coleslaw, and broccoli salad.
