Spend A Day At The Sculptureum
BY MAHI KUMAR
Talk about an underrated local gem: the Sculptureum delivers as an exceptional full day outing.
4 DEC - 2023
A Sunday full of seafood, sculptures, eclectic art and wine. Could you ask for anything more?
The Sculptureum, located in Omaha, Auckland, is brought to you by Anthony and Sandra Grant who have created a gallery, garden and restaurant on their 25-acre property. Anthony, a Barrister in Auckland, has a deep love and passion for art and glass artwork. Both himself and Sandra have travelled the world and garnered a significant collection from all over the world. This growing collection is for show at their Omaha Flats property which is known as the Sculptureum, comprising sculpture gardens, art galleries, a vineyard and a restaurant called Rothko.
I cannot rave more about our day at the Sculptureum; from the moment we walked in we were greeted with friendly staff, and Anthony himself (although at the time we didn’t realise it was Anthony!). We had a brief discussion about some of the art he was unpacking, and it was so interesting to hear from him; he was talking about Jean-Michel Basquiat and how Basquiat’s artwork dealt with the themes of racism, classicism and other power struggles but his work was only sold for millions after he passed away. The perfect way to sum it up is by describing it as an insightful yet relaxing day.
Rothko at the Sculptureum
We had a lunch booking for the Seafood Sundays menu at Rothko so we headed from the main entrance and ticketing office toward the restaurant. The restaurant, led by executive chef Josh Hazel provides a perfect long lunch dining experience in a gorgeous outdoor setting. The weather up in Matakana always seems to be incredible, so we were delighted to be seated on the outer deck facing the gardens and basking in the sun. The Seafood Sundays menu, which can be found linked below, was a luxurious way to spend a Sunday afternoon. What I thoroughly enjoyed about this menu offering was that it felt light and fresh, but simultaneously indulgent.
Between four, we had both option 1 (priced at $99 for two) and option 2 (priced at $139 for two). The difference between the options was the crayfish offering. Something that I quite liked was that the entire menu was served together all at once, which meant that we could really try parts of everything and go back to other dishes. This helped balance out flavours, textures and the fresh verse fried aspect. To accompany this, we also had a glass of the Camille Rose 2022, which was a fruity Rose that was on the sweeter side, but still had a sharpness to it. It felt like the perfect drink for a gorgeous day, and was light so well-paired with the seafood.
As sides we were served with a generous bowl of fries (which were thick cut - my favourite) and Matakana salad leaves (which were fresh and only lightly seasoned), and an assortment of sauces.
The first dish was the Tuna Carpaccio. This was one of our favourite dishes, because the tuna was fresh and light, but the seasoning comprised black vinegar and soy, which gave it a more Asian flavour than most Tuna Carpaccio that I’ve had. Topped with Kimchi cucumbers, the entire dish felt clean and refreshing, which really helped to balance out the meal.
The next dish was a platter comprising three items; salmon skewer, grilled prawns and fried squid.
The torched salmon skewer, which was a smaller portion of salmon on a skewer, with an aioli-like cream on top of it and chopped onions. This was the perfect portion, and as a person who always prefers sashimi salmon rather than cooked salmon, I found the dish delicious!
The lemon pepper squid was more of a traditional calamari offering with freshly squeezed lemon at your disposal to add zest. I have no complaints about this dish, and as there were other dishes like the salad leaves to break this up, it made it very enjoyable for me (as I generally struggle with battered dishes). The grilled prawns were also a godsend. I love prawns, and these were grilled and placed on a sauce made of chilli crisp and vinegar, giving it a perfect and balanced taste of being citrusy, but the chilli flavours bringing a spice and earthy taste. I was scraping the sauce up, because the flavouring is one of my personal seasoning flavours.
Next, for option 1 we received a crayfish salad. This was absolutely delicious and so fresh. It was served on lettuce leaves, topped with a buttermilk sauce that gave it a sweeter and lighter texture, candied walnuts which added a sweet crunch that was to die for, and garnished with horseradish and brioche crumb. I could definitely eat this salad daily, as the general slightly salty and sweet flavour of crayfish was elevated by the additional produce and textures.
For option 2, out came a char grilled crayfish tail. This tasted a lot more like a traditional crayfish dish that I’ve had in Europe. It felt more classic and rich, as it was served with Café de paris butter which gave it a rich buttery flavour mixed with herbs and spices.
To say that this food was a hit was an understatement. The food felt fresh, well balanced, and incorporated seasonal produce in a way that felt lavish yet modest. From the ambiance at Rothko, to the impeccable and friendly service, to the home-grown wine offerings, I couldn’t recommend Rothko more. The seafood provided felt high quality, so at the price point felt very reasonable. In addition to the seafood menu, Rothko has an a la carte lunch so if seafood isn’t quite your thing, there are plenty more options.
The Galleries and Gardens
What I loved about our visit to the Sculptureum is that it felt vast and sophisticated, but there’s also a very homely touch brought to you by the fact that Anthony has collected art that he’s interested in.
After lunch we strolled through the sculpture gardens. This was such a lovely experience, and on a day where the sun is shining you really can’t ask for much more. What I found was that the sculptures in the garden just seamlessly blended tradition and eccentricity.
We walked past a wisdom garden with empowering quotes serenely placed amongst flowers, to a piece called “girl on a swing” which invoked a childlike happiness in us, to a creative piece called “Emperor Penguin” by Jack Marsden-Mayer who creates sculptures during driftwood. Amidst the carefully curated collection, there are also a range of other sculptures and monuments. One that transports you to the temples of Japan, vibrant pink snails that inject a playful whimsy into the atmosphere and an orange teddy bear by a Milan sculptor. One of the garden's unique features is the inclusion of 5 aviaries throughout, adding an auditory layer to the experience. The collection is fascinating and fun to walk through, because the more you walk through you feel extremely tranquil but your senses are also evoked as the garden serves as a living canvas. I thoroughly enjoyed the balance of serenity yet stimulation this brought us as a group, forcing us to have impactful conversation about pieces whilst also simply appreciating the beauty.
You also have the indoor gallery which is extremely exciting. You can tell that Anthony loves his glass works, but he also has an eye for great prints and posters with some Picasso posters, Andy Warhol pieces and Basquiat prints. The collection is sophisticated, but also feels unpretentious. You can tell that effort and time has gone into collecting the art, but it also feels intimate and like you’re a close friend being shown an intimate yet prized art collection.
From start to finish, the gardens and galleries feel like a visual exploration where nature converges with art, providing you with a chance to feast on delectable food and subsequently embrace creativity.
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