PLUME Noun: A long soft feather or arrangement of feathers used by a bird for display or worn by a person for ornament. A long cloud of smoke or vapour resembling a feather as it spreads from its point of origin.
Restaurant and vineyard, Plume, is situated in beautiful Matakana, nestled among rolling hills.
Lush green vistas, their own wee vegetable garden and quaint wooden tables that grace the courtyard were my first impressions of a lovely, long lunch.
We were welcomed into the restaurant by the service manager, Sebastian Milles, who seated us at a table that overlooked the vineyard. We had a phenomenal view of the countryside and there were no other buildings in sight.
Plume produces their own wines under the name Runner Duck and I was very excited to try them being a bit of a wine enthusiast. I was blown away by the complex and delicate flavours produced at their boutique winery. My personal favourite was the sangiovese which paired perfectly with the food. Being soft and supple it was not overpowering, but instead complementary.
Our starters were absolute bliss. Fish kokoda is my soft spot and this particular dish was a definite winner for me. Made to perfection, I was reluctant to share with my mother. She opted for the goat’s cheese timbale which was served with the most heavenly orange marmalade that balanced out the goat’s cheese beautifully.
Snapper was their fish of the day and was served with a kind of lentil stew which created a super creamy and delicate flavour when eaten with the fish. Prawn peri peri came with a vegetable fried rice and a soft and sweet glazed pineapple. The heat of the prawns gave us a fantastic kick and went down nicely with the supple Runner Duck pinot gris.
I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the array of options that Plume boasted on their menu, something to please everyone, flavours coming from all over the world and a definite Indian undertone to many of the dishes.
Dessert was particularly special, we finished off with a vanilla rose panna cotta and the vineyard trio. The panna cotta was spectacular. Restaurant manager Farida showed us how to test panna cotta by shaking it. Of course it stayed together perfectly passing the test with 100%. The vineyard trio was a complete treat, all made with the grapes from their own vines, it was surprisingly versatile in flavour.
With very full stomachs I was already looking forward to the next time I would be able to make it out there and sample the menu further.
I would recommend setting aside a couple of hours to gain the full experience of the food, wine and heavenly views. If it’s a sunny day you could even pop for a post lunch swim at Omaha beach which is only a short drive away.
Words: Mya Cole
