The middle east, China... and Vespa

Had an opening for a casual byo for two on friday night, so I got to indulge in that favourite hobby of mine: trawling the internet/the street for a place that suited! The boy said he didn't want Asian and didn't feel like a curry... "maybe something fresher". I swiftly entered this into my BYO computer and suggested a platter of iskendery/salady goodness from a middle easty type place. Istanbul's always full and Cafe Pasha has this awful rule they don't tell you about where everyone has to order a $27ish mains, (they told us this after we'd popped our bubbly cork and settled in - for shame!).

Anyway after a few review searches on the net I decided to take my picky dinnermate to Sahara on Courtenay Place. Its that one kind of next to Arashi. It looks like a seedy kebab joint but behind the kebab counter is this adorable little restaurant, barely bigger than my old haunt Temptation in newtown. It was so good! The service was really quick and friendly, and the food was sooo good. And they didn't bat an eye when we just shared one bread and dip thing, one entree and one mains. Which was still too much food by the way. This genre of restaurant always give you hefty sizes.

I wanted to stay there all night but we moved on, finally darkening the doors of Ancestral, the Allistar Cox designed Matterhorn of Courtenay Place. No shit - I think Cox just xeroxed the blueprints of the horn and handed them over. It was pretty nice though. The entrance especially was pretty sweet - both embarrassingly confusing and hideously exclusive, (tick tick). It was way too crowded though, being a Friday night at 10pm, so we just squeezed up at the bar, which was actually kindof cool cos we got to watch and listen to all the snobby bartenders conversing. One Asian guy was clearly really new (possibly even on his first shift/ atrial). The older bartender called him "shanghai". 

The real excitement came when I turned to my right at the bar and who would be supping a martini but Allistar Cox himself! I was quite starstruck, and really wanted to sidle up and murmur in his ear "nice bar", referencing the seedy comment he made to me when he guest critted my final year at Massey. He probably wouldve just offered me a job for my siftiness.

With about the money and awakeness (yeah Im old an' shit) for one more wine we met up with another couple at Vespa to play some pool. Great night.