My partner and I went to Southland for a bit of a nice dinner out. I had been feeling a tad poorly, so we thought we'd treat ourselves to a meal we didn't have to cook. We decided on Groove Train. That was a mistake.
The menu options were not particularly inspired. Perhaps Groove Train, once well-intentioned has gone off the rails, and become stuck in a rut? I chose the insipid, curiously flavourless mushroom risotto; my partner had the desiccated mixed grill. The chips, however, were acceptable - once we added a dollop of tomato sauce.
As someone who enjoys a little culinary creativity from time to time, I am aware that risotto cooked-to-order can be a hard ask. Harder still were the lumps of pre-cooked Arborio rice, reheated and mixed with a variety of limp mushrooms. I am not saying that my partner's mixed grill was over-cooked, however I did propose a toast by clinking my water glass with a solid wad of bacon.
Once we had been hurried through our meal by the surly wait staff, I went to the register to pay. I was not asked how the meal was, or wished a good evening. I was however abruptly thrust a copy of the receipt after politely mentioning that the toilet door for the disabled stall was unable to be locked.
After finishing our meal, we meandered home. My partner required a generous dose of antacid and 6 whole hours before being able to lie down without severe pain. The service was lacklustre, the meals expensive and the aftereffects intestinally distressing. In closing, our meals were deeply disappointing, and perhaps in this case the light at the end of the tunnel is indeed an oncoming train. read more