Chowder Reviews NZ

Some big hitters in here but no chowder!! Where would you rate it?

One of our admin made the most of the abundant Marlborough Seafood last night by pulling together a classic seafood chowder.

Okiwi Bay snapper, greenshell mussels, Smokehouse smoked mackerel and king prawns were brought to life again in a rich and creamy sauce to form a stunning rendition of the kiwi classic.

Served with freshly baked ciabatta as per usual.

Chowder Sampling Expert George Westenra was quoted saying “this is as good as a fancy restaurant chowder, if not and probably better”. His flatmate who doesn’t eat seafood was last seen mopping up the sauce.

Rating a humble 10/10, what a great way to kick off chowder season!!

Get sampling and submitting folks.

Throwback Thursday

It’s been a rather chowderless winter here at Chowder Reviews NZ, however, they are never too far from our mind.

On today’s edition we have a wee takeaway number from The Smoke House in Mapua.

Relatively hard to come by is the takeaway chowder but this one did not disappoint. Made with all the best seafood and produce the Tasman Bay has to offer this was certainly no frozen vege/prawns operation.

Nicely balanced sauce with a PH of 7.5 meant this one slid down really well with a half brewed pale ale.

The only criticism would be the brick-like bun but it’s a chippie, not a bakery and those chips (no argument the best in the top of the south) make an ideal dipping companion.

Overall this is getting a solid 8.5 out of 10 and ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ health rating.

As the warming months approach be sure to get out and support your local and get those reviews rolling in!

THE BEST INLAND CHOWDER IN THE COUNTRY

Many chowder enthusiasts become reluctant to indulge in their favourite seafood delight as they travel further from New Zealand's bountiful coastline. Well, this should not be the case if you are in the Lakeside town of Wanaka. Get yourself into the fine establishment by the name of Federal Diner to try what we believe to be the best chowder of inland New Zealand.

Often the first to be criticised when dining inland is the freshness of the seafood, need not worry in this case as this is what sets it apart. The content includes fresh trevally and monkfish alongside succulent prawns and stunning greenshell mussels. All in generous quantities to give this chowder a great base flavour and texture.

The base is a traditional creamy yet smoky accompanies the seafood content well and as with Lake Wanaka, the tide is certainly not out. On top are some fresh herbs and a Jamie Oliver-generous drizzle of olive oil. And finished off with some crunchy sourdough and of course, a smudging of butter (not in those stupid little plastic packs!!).

Stunning, simply stunning all up.

9.5/10 – still something about eating a chowder this far inland that just doesn’t quite sit right.

P.S – with summer approaching, start to get those reviews and pics flowing in.

The Speights Ale House ‘Burley Bomb’.

Went for a midday feed at the Speights Ale House Tower Junction not expecting to have a Chowder, but lo and behold there was one on the menu. Two of the Chowder Review admin team decided to indulge.

Initial impressions were that this is a poorly executed rustic Chowder. Served in a bread bowl, it came across a bit gimmicky and a tad sloppy, with presentation not being at the forefront of the chefs mind when it was plated.

Viscosity- we were very impressed with the consistency of this chowder, heavy on the cream, it slid down the gullet with ease.

Variety - It was lacking in seafood variety and it seems as if a pelican had regurgitated its lunch and pecked a hole in a loaf of bread.

Flavour - Needed a bit more of a seafood punch.

Accompaniments - The bread was nice, possibly made in house, but has been brought down by the bread bowl gimmick.

Overall I’d rate it a 5.25, an average chowder, however one I would most definitely go back to after copious schooners.

Hi everyone - welcome to Chowder watch! The hunt is on for NZ’s best chowder so get out there and get into a few creamy ones.