“I do love food, and I love atmosphere. The theatrical side of dining out is important to me. It’s a combination of food and ambience. The reason I chose The Ambeli is because the waiting staff are the best in Wellington. A good waiter is like a good actor; they need to know timing, they need to know what you’re interested in and they need to know when to shut up. They need to find that balance perfectly so they’re not too invasive. Here, they have that great balance, they’re sensitive, and that’s something to admire. That creates an atmosphere. You’ll have a conversation but then you’ll get a lift from a knowledgeable waiter who can also be funny and amusing”

For the full article, check out the Dominion Post’s website or follow this handy link
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/6419816/Ross-Youngs-favourite-table-The-Ambeli

As for our second addition, we are excited throw Kris into the fires of the Ambeli Front of House team. While only on a trial at the moment we are sure he will rise to the challenges that lay before him. His Texan charm and marvellous wit really impressed us and we are sure he will be both a joy to work with and be served by.

“I was beginning the annual falling back in love with wines produced from the grape Sangiovese”

Ambeli, situated at 18 Majoribanks St, Mt Victoria, Wellington, is a “smart dining” organic restaurant that writes its’ menu according to the season: so imagine our activity right now! Spring is happening! In fact in Wellington we are now in the height of it.
This is important and noticeable to me, not least of all because I am last of the bloodline of “Ian” son of “Vince” Moleta to say goodbye to the farm and move to the city. Even so: I have an immense consolation in my choice of Wellington as home. Trees grow here, the kinds that bear fruit. I noticed that even as those few dark fruits of last year’s olives were relished by the starlings, the trees themselves were already in blossom, sending their love letters to one another on the wind – olives are wind pollinated, and do not look for the help of bees what so ever.
So it is to be a son of Ian, son of Vince: I not only smile at the faces of the people I know in the street, but at my others neighbours -even the olive trees.

This week the Ambeli Chefs released two new dishes. The undercurrent is this: it struck me, some three weeks ago that “this spring” Ambeli needed to reaffirm its connection with a special place! One that we all know about: but which too few have a relationship with. We can all have a home away from home! In fact we can have innumerable numbers of such!
I sought out good vintages from Tuscany. I was beginning the annual falling back in love with wines produced from the grape Sangiovese, a grape whose name is to say The Blood of Jove.
This grape is special: also its place, people, and heritage. It represents a love affair that cannot wholly be related here.
When I saw the new dishes: I knew that I had been given fair warning by intuition to have the right wine on the list! Which comes first at Ambeli, the food or the wine? I have to sometimes wonder: it is easy to understand when I see a finished dish that I know what to match it to. Perhaps, though, the ever-strengthening rapport of the Crew Ambeli is now such that our creative energies align without the need for speech.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that the for me the wine and food world is a wonderful and exciting place– but there are few food items, and fewer wines that I feel a real romance for. Some winesd command a certain respect; some are prestigious; some arer complex and draw the mind into a deep inflective place. Sangiovese produces a wine that gets your thoughts, feelings, and meaningful words out loud. Look at the faces of the people that produce these wines, and on sight they affirm this. The moment I see the face of the likes of the Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano -Heiress of the wonderful Argiano legacy, I am consoled in my confidence in the Tuscan people as custodians of this grape, and the place it grows best. The Countess’ blue eyes and blond hair always surprise me. Blond haired as some of my tribe are as children, my folk don’t grow up to look like that! But she is “of the North”, a gorgeous kindred of Italians where pale hair and skin is to be expected -as opposed to my Stombolani  bloodlines, which are distinctly Greek & Saracen. Perhaps it is important that the Countess’ people are like so, or else (where I only turn more brown and swarthy) she would not exhibit the touch of the sun in her bronze complexion, her cheeks as red ripened as apples. And the best Sangiovese are not compact darkling wines –as my tribe are powerfully built and dark skinned. There is weightlessness to the texture – like drinking nostalgia, which perhaps makes sense – as we have been producing these wines for a long time! Since Rome in fact.
In Roman society, this was a wine to make an oath, or to set a promise into action by. “By Jove” is an expression we still recall in our own culture. Jove, which is to remember the old name for Jupiter in Roman theology, equivalent to Norse Thor, or Zeus in the Greek, is the principle deity behind good-faith and the success of plans made. In ancient Rome it was auspicious to lay the evidence of one’s greatest victories at the foot of Jove’s patron tree, the oak. In light of that fact, isn’t it just beautiful that the best sangiovese’s mature for an uncommonly long period in oak barrels? A lovely talisman-like synchronicity in my imagination!

Culturally, romantically, intuitively -sangiovese is just a brilliant choice for spring. Often at this time of year the taste buds want something lighter – moving away from the denser reds that were such a joy over winter. But often white wine and the bottled beer feel too light. Also it is Spring! In a sense the real start of the new year, at least on nature’s terms. What better way to set out into the future than to raise a glass, make your oath, and feel the gentle assurance of centuries of culture behind you as you do so? A toast to your good health –by Jove! And to all your endeavours!

Shaebodine Moleta.

To see what sangiovese-treats I’ve already uncovered look to our Old World Red wine list, looking for the Chianti, Brunello, Rosso di Montepulciano & Montalcino. There are myriads more of famous Sangiovese producing villages, but these are the select few that are both readily available and drinking beautifully right now.

Article by Cuisine Magazine Aug 2011

The building is small; the dining experience expansive. Inside the colonial cottage on Wellington’s Majoribanks St lies a world of charm and originality. This is due, in no small part, to the vision and quirky enthusiasm of co-owner and maître d’ Shae Moleta.

As a descendant of the Italian farmers who settled on d’Urville Island, a reverence and understanding of all things epicurean is in Moleta’s DNA. Ambeli operates under a broad “Mediterranean” theme, with much weight placed on local and organic produce. There is a dynamism and sense of adventure at play; a recent change of chef (enter Josh Evans) has brought new taste combinations to the menu, such as the entree of smoked beetroot carpaccio with pine nut panna cotta.

Among the mains, there is always something freshly pulled out of Cook Strait; the bluenose served on a pearl barley risotto cooked in red wine and laced with roasted pancetta may change your thinking forever on how to serve
a white fish fillet. Moleta’s wine list is adventurous; his recommendations invariably spot on.

Reserve your table now . . . and taste for yourself The Ambeli award winning menu.

Tel: 04 385 7577
Email: reservations@ambeli.co.nz

WE LOVE . . . everything, really. But especially the fact that in the last year, despite a changing of the guard in chefs (welcome Josh Evans), Ambeli has retained its quirky brilliance yet also evolved to another level. The clever menu draws on loosely Mediterranean influences to produce delicious, wholly unique food, while the service, thanks to co-owner Shae Moleta, is humorous, helpful and downright entertaining.

THE VIBE . . . The ambitious, well executed menu, smart setting and stunning wine list (Moleta has phenomenal wine knowledge) mark Ambeli out as a smart dining destination. But Moleta’s wit and vivacity, along with the intimate red-walled dining rooms, also make it eminently welcoming.

A FOOD HIGHLIGHT . . . The wonderful fusion of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences is exemplified in the quail dolmades stuffed with porcini and chorizo, accompanied by Jerusalem artichokes and leeks.

Taste for yourself THE Ambeli award winning menu.

Tel:        04 385 7577
Email:   reservations@ambeli.co.nz

We celebrate our passion for smart, seasonal and organic cuisine through the eight wine matched courses
of this Dessert Degustation, from OUR hearts to YOUR plate.

“Dolce é la notte” – sweet is the night

-8 courses & 8 wines -

Amuse bouche:
Olive Oil Ice Cream with Balsamic Pearls
Rocaforte ‘Bianco dell’Emilia’ Lambrusco

Gingerbread Toast, Buerre Noisette, Cream Cheese & Marmalade Sorbet
Cantine Pellegrino Passito di Pantelleria

Buttermilk Panna Cotta, Lime Curd, Candied Fennel & Granny Smith Sorbet
Urlar Noble Riesling 2009

Whipped Rhubarb Gel, Pink Peppercorn Meringue, Yoghurt Gelato & Vanilla Syrup
Alluviale Tardif 2010

Goat’s Cheese Semifreddo, Warm Lavender Honey, Fig Paste & Almond Crumble
tbc

Pine Nut & Olive Oil Cake, Pumpkin Mousse, Rosemary & Citrus Honey & Pumpkin Seed Nougatine
Campbells of Rutherglen Tokay Muscadelle 2009

Whipped Blue Cheese, Smoked Date Fritter, Pear Syrup & Walnut Crumble
Millaman Zinfandel 2007

Valrhona Chocolate Terrine, Madarin Curd, Caramelised Kalamata Olive Ice Cream & Cocoa Nibs
NV Esk Valley 1/10 15year Muscat Solera

~

$90
Book now: reservations@ambeli.co.nz
or phone 04 385 75 77

18 Majoribanks Street,
Mount Victoria,
Wellington

www.ambeli.co.nz

We are so pleased to announce Ambeli’s Dessert Degustation “Sweet is the Night”. Eight wine-matched courses of mouthwatering and provocative desserts from our Legendary Chef Patissier, Kate Myles.

Like all great degustation, “Sweet is the Night” is a journey through sweet and savoury with gestures of taste and sensations of temperature and texture that will set mouths to watering and tongues to wagging!

Smart, Seasonal & Organic Dessert Cuisine!

The Ambeli family goes to enormous lengths to reflect our passion for smart, seasonal and organic cuisine in our dessert menu. Cuisine Magazine Restaurant of the Year Head Judge, Kerry Tyack, sought us out at the Awards, affirming for us how impressed they had been regarding the desserts.
If only they knew the half of it!

Experience Heartfelt Service & Wine Matching

Degustation is as much about talking about what you’re experiencing on the night, and long sweet memory of the occasion afterward. We all know that divine hubbub of a restaurant alive with the delight of food and wine. It’s the joy of people spending time with their best friends and loved ones, “Sweet is the Night” is all about this exact experience.

Time to call your oldest friends; time to come and experience the happiness and harmony the Judges have dubbed “The Ambeli Way”, heartfelt service and wine-matching that is “invariably spot on!”. So snap up a table, it’s time for a girls night out!

Only 35 places. $90 per ticket
6:30 arrival for a 7:00pm Start

Tuesday 6^th September
Book now 04 385 75 77 or online with Ambeli reservations
www.ambeli.co.nz

Now in its seventh year, the CUISINE NZ RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR AWARDS, proudly supported by Mercedes-Benz, is the only national restaurant competition in New Zealand. “Ambeli with its full-flavoured Mediterranean menu, cosy red walls, dark wood and great service is a nurturing kind of place. It’s a restaurant you want to linger in, not least because of the charm of owner Shae Moleta and his exceptional wine list.

The food’s fantastic and the atmosphere’s warm: it’s the quintessential neighbourhood restaurant” – Cuisine Magazine.

Reserve your table for our STAR GRAZING DINNER! Mon-Sun $127.We look forward to welcoming you . . . from OUR hearts . . . to YOUR plate.Tel: 385-7577 or email reservations@ambeli.co.nz

To celebrate the Cuisine NZ Restaurant of the Year Awards 2011, Ambeli is offering a special lunch or dinner STARGRAZING MENU from Sat 18th June, 2011. These dishes are matched to award-winning Villa Maria Estate wines.

Reserve your table online or call 04 385 7577. Offer available till the 17th July 2011.

Cost:  $127

Honeyed-Milk Curd & Marcona Almonds

with Lomo Iberico & Truffle Oil
2010 VILLA MARIA CELLAR SELECTION – Hawkes Bay Arneis

…………………………………………………………………………………….

Dukkah & Feta Crumbed Baked Veal Sweetbread

with Roasted pumpkin with Black Pudding Stuffed Date
2008 VILLA MARIA SINGLE VINEYARD – Ihumatao Auckland Gewrztraminer

…………………………………………………………………………………….

Slow-cooked Pork Shoulder with Celeriac Puree

Mushroom Ragout & Preserved Lemon Gremolata
2008 VILLA MARIA RESERVE – Hawkes Bay Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
(inside word: reserve a bit of the Cab Sauv Merlot – this red is also amazing with the cheese!)

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Gorgonzola Dulce with Candied Fennel

2009 VILLA MARIA – Late Harvest Marlborough Riesling
(be sure to reserve a splash of this for the dessert)

………………………………………………………………………………………

Olive Oil & Poppy-seed Cake with Beurre Noisette

Ice Cream & Manadarin Curd

………………………………………………………………………………………

PRICE
Set menu & matching wine
$127

Additional glasses of wine

1st course – $9
2nd course – $12
3rd course – $18
4th course – $9

This is done in the most humorous and unassuming way. I resist the dogma and “refinement” of the wine world. In the same way that MacGyver (my hero) only needed his Swiss Army knife and some duct tape to work his way out of any bind, I have made a few resolutions about wine that I’m only too happy to share.

Our jeep driving and mulleted hero reaches for his utility knife, I reach in my memory for vineyards situated upon ash, clay, limestone and a nice hill. I love clay, this wonderful stuff can really bring a wine to life. It can draw water to itself when times become too dry, moderating stress on the vines. The freshness of a wine, ensured by its balance of acid, is immensely supported when the vines have grown upon clay soils. Limestone does wonders in this regard too! Thanks to New Zealand’s vigorous seismic heritage, and the last ice age, there are a number of wonderful spots boasting these attibutes.

Waiheke has a collage of soils. Ash from the volcanoes of yore, clays pushed up from the sea beds and in places salty crystalline soils blown in by the winds of time. This gives us the joy of Man o’war! If you’re flush at the moment grab Ironclad, or else the White Label Merlot. This differs from the flagship largely in that it will not cellar for as long, but drinks beautifully right now.

The soil-symphony I mentioned above is also true of Central Hawkes Bay’s Lime Rock Winery. Yearly I anticipate the release of a Pinot Noir worth waiting for! I mention quickly that Rosie Butler is truly a God-mum of New Zealand wine production. She was there when Montana produced their first two vintages in Blenheim and she’s still at the cutting edge today, presenting the Lime Rock Pinot Noir and the reserve “White Knuckle Hill”.

The third and truly beloved site is in Marlborough with those sun and wind balded hills behind the Woodbourne Air Base. Rank upon rank of loess-capped hills where Fromm Winery boasts a very fine vineyard of Syrah, which they co-ferment with a touch of Viognier. If I had to elect just one wine, it would be La Strada Syrah. All the better if you have one laid down somewhere, but even if you dash to the nearest bottle store. Pull the cork, breathe in violet notes of a pepper tree after rain. Wrap yourself in velvet tannins and the persistent piquancy of a wine that is at once warming and yet still refreshing to the taste.

And remember, if you’re wondering what to drink, come down to Ambeli and put me to work –it keeps me out of mischief.