The name Salmon and Bear conjures mixed signals about the food that the restaurant serves. Does the menu revolve around fish (the 'Salmon' component), or does it have more of a hunter-gather wilderness theme (the 'Bear')? Or does it...
The name Salmon and Bear conjures mixed signals about the food that the restaurant serves. Does the menu revolve around fish (the 'Salmon' component), or does it have more of a hunter-gather wilderness theme (the 'Bear')? Or does it go surf and turf and offer both? The answer is in the 'Salmon' part of the name. Salmon and Bear relies on the humble fish as the hero and main focus of the menu.
The fish that they source is sustainably caught and cooked simply. It's grilled in the eatery's hot Mirabasa oven, fried, or served raw, and features in burgers, tacos, poke bowls, as well as their signature 'Grizzly Plate', a build-your-own style meal which pairs your choice of grilled fish with a sauce and a side from the extensive menu.
There are five different varieties of fish to choose from, along with a range of sauces which include salsa verde, yoghurt and dill and peri peri. The sides, which can also be ordered on their own, are hard to choose from, with something that's sure to suit everyone.
Salmon and Bear has
an outdoorsy, American feel about it. The dining space is decorated in the
style of a lakeside log cabin, with wooden furnishings, adventure-like décor
and fishing posters which adorn the walls.
Tacos (3 for $15): Salt & Pepper Calamari (front), Sticky Glazed Salmon (back left) and Crispy Hoki NZ Fish Taco (back right)
All three seafood tacos are topped with fresh shaved cabbage, salsa verde, pickled slivers of onion and sriracha mayo, atop a soft, pliable corn tortilla. The salt and pepper calamari is tender and light, as is the golden battered finger of NZ hoki. The salmon taco is also faultless; it comes as three caramelised cubes of glazed salmon that are a finger-lickingly messy mouthful.
Original grizzly plate: Ora King Salmon, Salsa Verde,
Sweet Potato Fries ($27.95)
The fish in the
grizzly plates is grilled simply over hot coals in the Mirabasa oven, which
lends fragrant, smoky flavour while allowing the flesh to remain deliciously
soft and moist. It also imparts the skin with a lovely charred look. The Ora
King Salmon here is superb; it's cooked perfectly and goes well with the salsa
verde that we choose for the plate. The sweet potato fries are also a winner -
they're long, crinkle cut chips that have caramelised edges and a gorgeous,
fluffy interior.
Original grizzly plate: Blue-eyed Cod, Peri Peri
Sauce, Pan-fried Brussel Sprouts ($27.95)
This firmer fish has
a crispy skin and we choose to pair it with peri peri sauce and brussel
sprouts, the latter of which is the special side dish of the day. They're sweet
and tender, pan-fried with chilli and spring onion, and have scorched, gnarly
outer leaves.
Original grizzly plate: Barramundi, Oyster &
Sesame Sauce, Roasted Veg ($27.95)
A thin, wide fillet
of barramundi is sweet and soft. The oven-roasted veg consists of charred
pieces of zucchini, pumpkin, carrot, potato and onion. The mellow flavour of
the veg is echoed by a sharp, sweet honey mustard dressing, and crunchy flaked
almonds add a nice textural layer.
Salmon Poké ($21)
Salmon and Bear have
certainly taken advantage of the poké craze - there are six different kinds of
this Hawaiian sushi salad on the menu. Two of these are vegetarian options, and
the remaining four can be ordered with either raw or grilled fish. The Ora King
Salmon poké is fresh and plentiful, with corn salsa, avocado and thin strips of
roasted nori atop coconut basmati. The soy and sesame dressing on the fish is
perfectly balanced.
Salmon & Bear is
filling a niche in the market by specialising in top quality seafood, cooked
honestly in a cosy, casual setting.
Website:
