The Crab Shack, Wellington CBD

The first thing I do when going to a different city is check out the food offerings. So naturally, I got very excited when I discovered that there was a crab shack at Wellington's Shed 5. Like, the squealy kind of excited.

Even though I was only coming down for a conference, I was determined to make a weekend of it. I was also able to convince Jason to come down with me (too easy), and we wandered down to Shed 5 together.

The Crab Shack was absolutely packed when we arrived and we were told that there would be a 1.5 hour wait. I kicked myself for not booking ahead, but wasn't deterred. We put ourselves on the second page on a very long waiting list and went off for drinks. 

Luckily, the wait didn't turn out to be quite that long and we were seated while it was still light. The interior was dressed to look like a fishing boat, with crab baskets hanging from the ceiling and mismatched decking on the walls. Every table was packed and the kitchen looked super busy. The smell of garlicky crab wafted through the air -I couldn't wait to order.

Salted Lychee Höpt Soda - $4.00

I opted for the Höpt Soda because I'm a real sucker for anything Lychee flavoured. The salt muted the sweetness you would usually get from something Lychee flavoured, but still let the fruitiness through. It had quite an interesting taste and I noted that I never got sick of the flavour because it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet.

Kiwi Clam Chowder in a Jar - $10.00

We ordered the clam chowder based on reviews and boy, was I glad we listened! It had a perfect creamy consistency and its flavour reminded me a bit of salted caramel. As it was so rich, the small jar was the perfect size for sharing between two people.

Raw Fish Board - $16.00

The raw fish trio arrived on a coriander salad and topped with fried shallots. We had four generous slices of salmon, tuna and something I didn't quite catch -cronow? crowno? (I asked the waitress to repeat it three times before I got embarrassed and pretended to understand..)

Anyway, the fish was very fresh. My favourite part about this dish was the dipping sauce - lemongrass and chili, which had a fantastic tang to it. It went very well with the tuna and the mysterious white fish but we felt that it wasn't strong enough to combat the oily salmon.

1kg Nelson Paddle Crab - $30.00

My eyes widened as our server brought our 1kg crab pot and I began to wonder if we had grossly overestimated how much we could eat. I needn't have worried, however, as the the night was still young and the crab was good.

The paddle crabs were steamed in a garlic and chili butter and were incredibly messy to eat -although that just adds to the fun, don't you think? We were given bibs and all the proper tools to help us along, but they just got in the way and we ended up using our hands and teeth which made it more satisfying.

The aftermath

When we finally worked our way through all the dishes, we agreed that it was the most satisfying meal we'd had in a good while. There is something about getting your hands messy and having to work to get at your food that makes it so rewarding. We looked around the restaurant and had a little chuckle at all the other tables who were also enjoying the challenge (we were too full to move, you see).

As you can see from the above photo, it was well after sundown when we finally left the Crab Shack. We slowly walked back to our hotel, hands on our bellies, lamenting the fact we couldn't eat any more and looking forward to our next visit.

The Crab Shack is located at Queens Wharf, Wellington CBD

Live Fish Restaurant and Bar

Not to sound like a hipster, but my family frequented Live Fish Restaurant and Bar before it became posh and cool. 

As one of the only places in Auckland with a wide variety of fresh seafood, it was a favourite of my dad's -back in the days when it was a dingy place located out the back of the Auckland Fish Market. I must admit that I was a little saddened that Live Fish would no longer be the unassuming restaurant, with plastic outdoor furniture, that was always full of rowdy seafood lovers but I guess something this good would never stay a secret for long.

With the recent upgrade of North Wharf, Live Fish has moved up to join the new and more upmarket restaurants along Jellicoe St. The interior is super modern and has a most spectaclar view of the viaduct. The more formal dining area indicates we can no longer be as rowdy as we once were. It's menu remains much the same although the prices seem to have increased quite a bit to reflect its new location -much to the dismay of my parents!

Preserved Egg with Tofu - $12.00, Japanese Wakame Salad - $10.00

We started off with a Preserved Egg and Tofu Salad which had a great mix of different textures and a good balance of sweet and salty in the sauce. The Wakame Salad was pretty average and not really worth noting.

Crayfish Sashimi (POA)

The Crayfish Sashimi arrived on a icy plate with soy sauce and wasabi for dipping. I was first struck by how small the portion size was (surely you could get more meat off a crayfish?) but that was probably due to the size of the crayfish we picked. The meat was fresh, had a good bite to it and possessed a hint of freshness although I thought it could have been cooled a little bit more.

Crayfish Stir Fried with Ginger and Spring Onion and Noodles - extra $12.00

One thing I liked about the menu at Live Fish was that there were many ways to cook each item. In addition to sashimi, we were able to choose to fry our crayfish in a variety of sauces, steam it or have it in different soups! We went with the more traditional method of stir fry on a bed of noodles which soak up the yummy juices. We were left with the awkward shells and legs for this dish which are always fun to eat. Again I was surprised by the portion size but the carved vegetable decoration was a very nice way to fill up the empty part of our plate. 

Beef Stir Fry with Sweet Mushroom Sauce - $25.00

We found the beef to be quite chewy and flavourless despite the generous amount of mushroom sauce. I left this dish alone after my first bite.

Blue Cod, Plain Steamed and Served with Soy Sauce (POA)

As with the crayfish, we were able to choose how we wanted the fish to be served. We chose plain steamed as it seemed the only way to show case such fresh seafood  -deep frying would be such a crime and we would never even think of smothering it in a strong sauce. The Blue Cod was well cooked. The flesh easily came away from the bone without falling into little bits. However, I thought the dish could have done without the vermicelli as it overcooked and became a bit gluggy.

Stir Fried Beef with Seasonal Vegetables - $25.00

I found that this beef stir fry had the same issues as the one before it. The meat was tough and didn't really taste like much. I stuck to the vegetables with this dish which were actually quite well seasoned and well cooked.

Diamond Shells Stir Fried in Spicy Black Bean Sauce - $28.00

The Diamond Shell Clams were a favourite of mine and it was great to see that the Live Fish kitchen still remembers how to cook them well. The sauce had the perfect amount of heat and the clams were chewy without being rubbery. 

Stir Fried Eggplant with Stewed Salted Fish on Sizzling Plate - $28.00

The only criticism I had for this dish was that there wasn't enough. The fishy sauce had the perfect amount of spiciness to it and the sizzling plate gave the eggplants a nice char. The pieces of eggplant were very tender inside the papery thin crispy skins and I could have easily eaten double the portion size just on my own. 

Si Gua (Gourd) in Garlicky Salted Soup - $22.00

The lightly flavoured soup was a nice way to finish off our meal. The pieces of gourd were still firm and sauce was not overpowering (which can happen when you let Chinese people near garlic).

Fancy new menus

Although Live Fish Restaurant and Bar have moved from their humble starting place to a more upmarket location, they certainly haven't forgotten how to cook good seafood. Instead of dining in a small marquee by the Auckland Fish Market carpark, its patrons are now treated to stunning views of the viaduct. With the move, the portion sizes became a little smaller (and pricier) and the presentation became a little more delicate.

The one tip I can give to you, dear readers, from my most recent trip is to stay away from the beef. This is a seafood restaurant so order the seafood!

Live Fish Bar and Restaurant is located at 39-47 Jellicoe Street, North Wharf, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland

Prawn and Cheese Risotto

Approximately every 4 years, I tell myself that I'm going to take up running or swimming or a competitive team sport. It probably won't come as a surprise to you that these moments happen to coincide with the Summer Olympic Games every year.

I get super inspired, go for runs and join gyms until my enthusiasm inevitable fizzles out (which just happens to coincide with the end of the Olympic Games) and I'm stuck with a gym pass that I will only use once a month.

Sauté prawns with garlic until just before they're done.

This time I am 4 years older and, hence, 4 years wiser. Instead of rushing out to buy a gym pass or new running shoes, I stayed in bed and made a mental list of Olympic sports I could seriously consider and then reasons why it would never work:

1. Diving - don't like heights or deep water.
2. Equestrian - not rich enough to own a horse (and I don't understand this sport).

note: anything that requires large amounts of movement or generally being fit has automatically been taken off this list on the account that I have no stamina whatsoever.

These were the ones I was left with:

1. Shooting - Pro: doesn't seem like there is an age limit. Con: have terrible eyesight and not very good at keeping still for long periods of time.
2. Under 58 kg Women's Weightlifting - Pro: I fit the criteria. Con: cannot lift anything over 15kgs. Extra Pro: would be awesome if I could lift Jason.

Waiting for the wine to evaporate.

So in conclusion, I stopped myself before rushing out to buy weights or a horse and, instead, have started going swimming with Jason. We actually started a couple of months before the start of the Olympic Games so the chances of keeping this activity up is quite high (and besides, Jason is a great motivator).

Mixin' in the goodies.

It's probably best that I leave the real athletes to it. Meanwhile, I'll be sticking to what I do best -eating. This creamy risotto is one of my favourites to make when I have a bit of time on my hands.It is packed with all sorts of goodies and is a great way to get little kiddies to eat their veggies=)

Prawn and Blue Cheese Risotto (Serves 4)
(An original Lucyeats recipe)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock (or veggie)
1 Tablespoon olive oil + 2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Zucchini, sliced into rounds approximately 0.5cm thick
4 Brussel sprouts, chopped
6 or so medium sized button mushrooms, sliced (or use portebello if you're feeling fancy!)
2 cloves garlic, chopped roughly
200-300g fresh prawns, shelled and deveined (you can chop them up if you like, but I think they look nicer whole)
80g good blue cheese, crumbled
Handful of fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and add garlic until fragrant. Add the prawns and sauté until just before they're done (approximately 1-2 minutes). Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add the rice straight away and stir to coat with oil. Allow this to 'toast' for a minute.
3. Add the wine. Allow to evaporate before adding a ladle of stock and stirring until it is absorbed by the rice. 
4. Add another ladle of stock and continue to stir until absorbed. Repeat this step until you have used up 4 cups of stock.
5. Before the 5th cup, add in all your veggies and stir.
6. Continue stirring and adding stock until you have used it all up. Check the rice is translucent - if there are still white specks in the rice, you may need a few more ladles of stock.
7. When all the stock has been absorbed, take it off the heat and mix in the blue cheese and prawns immediately, allowing the heat to finish off cooking the prawns.
8. Divide the risotto between 4 bowls and top with a grinding of pepper and some fresh basil to serve.

Live Fish Da Pai Dong

Growing up in a coastal town meant that my parents and, hence, I fostered an unnatural and unquenchable love of seafood. Some of the greatest memories of my recent trip to China involve being taken out each night and sampling the weird and wonderful sea creatures displayed in the restaurant tanks.

They don't even need fancy signs to attract customers. Their food says it all.

One of my fondest (and only) memory of growing up in Fuzhou was when my dad scoured the markets buying up the city's entire supply of crabs for my poppa's birthday! Yes, we take our seafood very seriously.

It was quite lucky that when we did immigrate, we chose a place equally close to the sea, although I would frequently hear my parents complain about the lack of variety and the local's apparent aversion to shellfish -"You mean they use clams for fishing and not for eating?!" I would often hear them say. 

Frankly, I have to agree with them. I often find myself craving a nice plate of clams or whelks so I was pretty excited when my parents informed us that we were going to Live Fish Da Pai Dong -the country's only Chinese alfresco seafood dining experience. It is modeled on Hong Kong's "Da Pai Dong," a type of open air food stall, and one doesn't bother looking at the menu because all the prices are based on the season and the day's catch. As per Chinese tradition, everything is priced by the pound and a waitress takes us to different tanks where we can choose our food along with how we want them cooked.

Somebody's lobster

My father, deciding what to order

It's as big as my arm!

The kitchen is open till very late (2am late) to suit the hardcore seafood fans while its dining area is furnished with plastic tables and chairs only -because, after all, they're not a furniture store, they do food! And boy do they do it well! 

Their kitchen is so open that it's basically in the ordering area so one can inspect the chef's skills -and by inspect, I mean stare and drool from afar. It took everything in me not to leap across the bench and start digging in.

From this...

...To this: Diamond shell clams -$12/lb

Luckily for me, I did not have to wait long for our food to arrive. I've decided that's the beauty with Chinese cuisine -almost everything is stir fried so one's food arrives without having to wait hours for an oven! We started off with some diamond shell clams in a black bean and chilli sauce. The sauce provides some welcomed heat without overpowering the taste of the clams which were very fresh. 

Whelks -$15/lb

And this is how you eat one

My friends will probably cringe at this next picture, and then make some sort of face when they find out that whelks are actually a delicacy in China (especially Francesca, who used to have a pet sea snail). Whelks are simply cooked in boiling water and served with a simple dipping sauce (usually soy sauce and vinegar) so one can appreciate its natural flavour and they taste pretty good with a nice bottle of beer as accompaniment. These delicious morsels are quite similar to escargot but infinitely better because they provide more bite and don't taste like my garden.

Steamed crab -$25/lb

Another thing revered for its natural taste is crab. My father taught me that the best way to enjoy fresh crab is to cook it in boiling water so you can fully appreciate its natural taste -don't trust restaurants that try to deep fry it or mask it with chilli sauce (although I have to admit, I do enjoy a bit of chilli crab now and then). With such a simple cooking technique, there can be no doubt of its freshness.

Surf clams -$8 each

One particular item that wasn't priced by the pound was the surf clam. They were each steamed with vermicelli and minced garlic and served piping hot. The clams were crunchy and were very nicely offset with the soft, garlicky vermecelli. 

Geoduck -$43/lb

For all you Pokemon lovers, let me set this straight right now: we did not eat the offspring of geodude and psyduck. For those who have never tried this before, geoduck is a species of very large saltwater clam with large trunk-like bits and has quite a rubbery but crunchy texture when cooked. There were quite a few large slices of geoduck which lent their sweet flavour to the rest of the dish -the mushrooms were especially tasty as they had soaked in the geoduck flavour as well as the sauces.

Steamed wrasse -$48/lb

Despite my love of seafood, I have to admit that I'm not really a fish person. I'm just deeply in love with shellfish -perhaps it was the fact that my parents fed me a whole fish everyday when I was a child? Or maybe it's because we've just had fish for dinner every day for about a week? Or maybe none of the fish I've had compare to this particular dish of steamed wrasse?


This was probably the best steamed fish I've had in Auckland. The flesh was incredibly soft and flaky and quite oily without being sickly. Steamed fish at Chinese restaurants are generally done the same way, with some oil, soy sauce and a large heap of ginger and spring onions so it's really the fish that decides the calibre of the dish -the fresher, the better.

Stir-fried rice noodles with beef -$22

Sizzling venison -$28

If you've studied the previous photographs carefully, you would have noticed that there isn't much in the way of carbohydrates -as in, the stuff that actually fills you up. This prompted us to try some of the non-seafood dishes and were quite happy to learn that this seafood dedicated restaurant actually produced some very yummy meat dishes. The stir-fried noodles with bean sprouts and beef was very hearty while the venison (mum's fav) was so tender that it almost melted in my mouth with each bite.

"Liang Ban" Whelk with cucumber -$15/lb

"Liang Ban" literally means "cold mix" in mandarin and is basically like a salad. We ordered the whelk and cucumber salad to finish because we decided that dessert is for the weak. That, and the the fact they don't do desserts here. The whelk and cucumber was tossed (well, drenched) in a sweet vinegar sauce and was full of crunch. It had sharp and strong flavours and was actually a very refreshing end to the meal.

Marquees -the benefit of being outside, but with the comfort of being inside

If you, too, want to experience the freshest seafood Auckland has to offer then come to Live Fish New Zealand at the Auckland Fish Markets on Jellicoe St, Freemans Bay, Auckland CBD, New Zealand. Come with your pockets full though as it is pricey -and leave with your  bellies satisfied =)




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