Bonita Brings Korean Spanish Fusion to Auckland
BY MAHI KUMAR
Ellerslie just got spicier with hot new addition; Bonita.
20 JAN - 2024
Ellerslie just got spicier with hot new addition; Bonita.
Bonita, brought to you by Shanay and Isaac Yu (the duo behind The Breakfast Club and SlowLane) fuses Spanish and Korean cuisine. The concept behind the dishes are that they are made to be shared (my favourite way to dine), with flavours inspired from both regions. We sampled the “Trust The Chef” menu for $75 per person, and I can honestly say that we rolled out the premises.
From the minute I walked into Bonita, the red low lit atmosphere brought a more demure and laid back ambiance. Full of people, you can tell that Bonita has been off to a smashing start, providing the perfect place to catch up with friends and either try an array of items from the menu. It isn’t pretentious, but it’s still a classier restaurant, so for me it hits that sweet spot of serving quality items at a reasonable price point.
I’m a big fan of both Spanish cuisine and Korean cuisine (like… I’m not kidding… I was in Spain earlier this year and I’m going to Korea in December so I could quite literally eat both of these cuisines all day), and I think this place delivers on the promise of a fusion. If you’re after a more traditional take of either cuisine, this may not be the place for you. But if you love fusion that embraces flavour in imaginative ways, then it’ll be up your alley; thankfully for me it’s the latter.
The menu is split into four sections - starting items, hot items, cold items and the mains. I thought I was immensely creative when coming up with this article name, just to open the drinks menu and see that there was a cocktail section titled “Do You Feel Bonita”. For drinks, we sampled the Makgeolli Margarita ($20) and the Hwachae Cobbler ($20). The Makgeolli Margarita is a take on a traditional margarita with a Korean twist; the inclusion of Makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice wine which is milky that tastes slightly sweet and tangy. I recently spent a few weeks in Seoul and I absolutely LOVE Makgeolli, so this was up my alley. Rimmed with chilli, this tequila-makgeolli combination was a great cocktail choice for those who enjoy a bit of a kick. The Hwachae cobbler was an alcoholic take on Hwachae, which is a traditional Korean punch, made with various fruits. This drink had a white rum base, with flavours of watermelon, peach and berries coming through. On the sweeter side, this is the ideal drink for people who like something fruity and refreshing.
For the “Trust The Chef” menu, we were served Sourdough with smoked paprika butter ($9) to start. I try not to fill up on bread, but the smoked paprika butter was definitely tempting (and a far superior alternative to regular butter in my view).
To follow came the Croqueta ($6 each) which is a beautifully crafted potato croquette, seasoned with kimchi and a dollop of aioli. I love a good potato based dish, and this felt elevated with the inclusion of some spice.
Another hit of a dish was the carne cruda tostada ($6 each) which is a tostada with NZ beef served on it, accompanied by capsicum, some sesame, cucumber and topped with a cured egg yolk for a saucy texture. This was a hit and the texture was interesting because it felt more like sashimi but with a more gamey texture. The tartare didn’t feel heavy despite the fact that it was thick and served in a cylindrical shape. This was such a unique tasting and would definitely be guilty of a repeat order.
The Tomato Carpaccio ($16) was next, and this was so fresh but had the perfect bite of citrus with every mouthful. It was heirloom tomatoes drizzled with perilla oil, with hazelnuts and coconut giving it an additional texture. I loved this, especially following the croqueta, as it was a great contrast of fresh and fried.
Next we had the grilled zucchini ($16) which we were quite literally scraping off the plate because it was lightly grilled, giving it a firmer texture, topped with cherry tomatoes that gave it the acidic addition, and lain on a bed of goats cheese which was just so soft and had that perfect spreadable texture so I could lather it all over the zucchini. The zucchini was also garnished with a salsa, giving it a spicier Spanish flare.
To follow came the Mandoo ($18) which are Korean-style dumplings. Resembling your typical dumplings, they had a twist as they were seasoned with a salsa vizcaina which is a classic red sauce that has a more garlic and peppery flavour. This was garnished beautifully with basil and a generous dollop of parmigiano which was a sexy mixture of the fried, spiced and cheese flavours. Would highly recommend devouring a plate of these when you visit Bonita.
This next dish really caught me by surprise in regards to how much I liked it. It was Oi Muchim ($16), which is a traditional Korean cucumber salad that’s typically seasoned with sesame oil, seeds, red peppers and other spices. This was elevated because it was also served with cashew cream, which gave it a richer taste to typical Oi Michim.
Next came the Chicken Thigh ($36) which was such a hit. It was served with leeks and a raspberry mole (which is a traditional sauce and marinade originally used in Mexican cuisine that comprises of dried chiles, peanuts, sesame seeds, chocolate, cinnamon and anise but in this case, also raspberry). We spent a while discussing what “mole” was, and learned that in fact it is pronounced moh-lay! This was so tangy and zesty, and the chicken was cooked to absolute perfection. It had so much flavour that it can’t be described any other way than moreish as the group fighting to lick the plate to devour all the sauce.
To follow was the Doenjang Pappardelle ($36). Now doenjang is a Korean fermented soybean paste made entirely of soybean and brine. It’s often described as a soy sauce byproduct, and the inclusion of it in the dishes here definitely gave it a light soy flavour, however the flavour was heightened by the addition of what I can only guess is a cashew cream, as the doenjang had a far creamier texture than I’ve ever seen. The pappardelle was slightly al dente and served with a plethora of mushrooms (and I loved the mushrooms including the various different types included) and topped with chives. This dish was definitely very rich, so it was perfect to share.
To finish, we were served with a Matcha semifreddo with berry granita and crumble on top. I love the matcha flavouring (which not everyone in our group was a massive flavour of), but as a matcha latte and mochi pursuer, it was right up my alley. The berry granita added zest and who doesn’t love a bit of crumble that’s sweet, tart and adds a bit of crunch? I would definitely recommend this dessert, particularly if you like Matcha based flavours.
The next dessert we were served with was the sweetened red bean paste pastry. This was also great, and whilst red bean paste is in most cases an acquired taste, I thoroughly enjoyed it as the pastry provided a crispy and flaky addition, and the red bean added an earthy yet sweet inside. This dessert wasn’t too sweet, and my partner absolutely devoured this.
The PQQ:
All of that food for $75 was definitely great value, and if you don’t want to spend $75 pp there are so many ways you can order a la carte and still get your fix. There’s no doubt that you get bang for your buck, seasoned with the right amount of salsa and doenjang, when dining here.
We have to give it an 8 for price, an 7.5 for quantity and a 7.5 for quality. Coming to a 7.67 on the PQQ scale, I definitely felt Bonita whilst at Bonita, and extremely satisfied.
Do I recommend Bonita? Hell yes. Bonita provides you with the perfect location to catch up with your loved ones in a beautiful, relaxed setting in which you can try food pairings you wouldn't expect to slap so hard.
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