J and I are on holidays for 10 days in  the lovely New Zealand.  This is my third trip to NZ and J’s sixth!  We’re off to Blenheim in the Marlborough region tomorrow but tonight we stayed in Christchurch.

I did a bit of research before we left Brisbane and found a new restaurant close to our hotel that had been favourably reviewed.  The prices were mid-high end, but the AUD is fantastic at the moment, so they are really very reasonable.

We’ve just come back from a 3 course meal at Edesia and I cannot recommend  it highly enough.  As  this is a food blog, I thought I’d give you a quick run-down of our meals.

Firstly, we were favoured with an amuse bouche of a pumpkin ravioli with toasted almonds, capers, baby basil leaves and goats cheese.  This was a delight – each element complemented the others, and the goats cheese in particular helped cut through the sweetness of the ravioli.  A delightful, and unexpected start to the evening.

My entree was tortellini filled with slow-braised ox tail and served with broccoli, some kind of purple flower leaves, parmesan and more capers.  I could not stop raving about this dish. The pasta was clearly fresh and beautifully made, the ox-tail just melted as you cut into the tortellini.  The capers cut through the richness, and importantly weren’t too salty.  Broccoli is one of my favourite vegetables, so I was always going to love that part!

J enjoyed the prawns, with a sweet corn puree sauce, sweet corn and avocado salsa and finely grated parmesan.  I stole a bite and it was also incredible.

For main I enjoyed the mushroom risotto, which was from the “light mains” menu.  Perhaps this was the boring option (although it was also amazing!) as I am always drawn to mushroom risotto!  J was more adventurous and enjoyed some NZ lamb, cooked two ways and served with pumpkin and minty peas.

I often find that dessert is where restaurant’s let me down.  It is sometimes like dessert is an afterthought – something chefs are required to provide but don’t really enjoy making.  Fortunately at Edesia, the dessert lived up to the rest of our meal.

I had a beautifully cooked chocolate fondant.  It was served with a cocoa flavoured sugary confection – sort of like fairy floss, as well as peanut brittle pieces, a peanut paste spread across the plate and a milk sorbet.  I savoured every rich bite, and left feeling content but not stuffed.

J had a boysenberry “tartare”, so-called because it is piped through a sieve, and frozen with liquid nitrogen.  It was served on a sponge, with a spoonful of sherbert and topped with an egg y olk.  No, not really, it was actually mango nectar in a casing designed to look (and act) like a runny egg yolk.  It was very unusual and cleverly presented.  It was a reasonably small portion (especially compared to mine!) but perfect after J’s larger meal.

In case you can’t tell, this was a wonderful dining experience.  If you’re ever in Christchurch, make the effort and head here. It’s a bit off the beaten track, tucked away in a business estate, but take the time and find it!

Edesia
12 Show Place
Addington
Christchurch
03 943 2144