Tongariro Lodge
Reviews · · · ·Rating: 2
We ate dinner here in January 2021.
John Dory on Israeli couscous with salsa
Lamb rump, roast root veggies with red wine jus
This fish was the worst meal we have had in a long time. Bearing in mind that this establishment is part of a fishing lodge, you’d think they would know how to make a tasty fish meal. So colour us shocked when, for forty dollars no less, we were served a tasteless, clammy lump of fish. The waiter said this was pan fried. Bull. Shit. The skin on the fish was so slimy there was no way it had been in a pan. More like boiled by the taste of things. The couscous and salsa were no help. They were flavourless so the whole thing just ended up tasting like the goo you scrape off a fish. Also, would it kill you to open a window? Upon entry the restaurant was stifling hot, and we found ourselves frantically opening windows to tempt in a breeze. It felt like they’d had a fire going in there all day. Saving Tongariro Lodge from the lowest possible rating was the surprisingly good lamb rump. It was moist, flavourful, well cooked, and the root vegetables were the perfect accompaniment.