Rātā, Queenstown, New Zealand

We really loved Queenstown, and after driving pretty much the length of New Zealand, it is the area we would return to. This was the place we had our first meal in country and it did not disappoint. We had two small plates, two main dishes and a side. The two small plates were spectacular. One was an octopus dish that was slices of octopus that had been marinated and were served cold in a salad that had crunch from pumpkin seeds, had crunch from vegetables, and an incredibly balanced dressing that had equal parts acid, sweet, salt, and heat. Just amazing. The other was a kingfish crudo that was one of the best crudos I had ever had. We ate something similar to this dish whenever we saw it on the menu, and I am salivating just thinking about it. And I am not a huge fan of raw fish! That good!

The potato side dish was dressed with miso and honey, which is a trick that I could take home with me--so often when we are on a seafood heavy trip (we live in a land locked place, so when in an island nation, the choices are pre-determined) I get no take home tips, but this is something I can use. We had duck, which was a bit risky because my spouse makes it quite well, but it was delicious and cooked perfectly for me. The other main was black cod (the fish of the South Island) with seaweed and abalone--and quite balanced and unusual. We tried glasses of two different white wines from New Zealand and kicked off the trip right.