GET TO KNOW YOUR BYO with Kellie Larson

Wrapt In Raviz!

Like a bee to a flower, like a bear to honey, like a fat kid to cake – in the past few weeks I haven’t been able to get enough curry if my life depended on it! And, the only place that has truly made me happy is Raviz in Takapuna.
Located at 178 Hurstmere Road, Raviz Indian Cuisine is a new restaurant on the Shore that has come to us through the popularity of its other Auckland locations. The restaurant occupies the space above Dida’s that was previously Chow, and it was the possibility of this posh venue that motivated me to initially visit Raviz and sample its cuisine.
As you walk up the stairs to Raviz, the first thing you notice is the modern interior and balcony seating. Whether you want an intimate table for two, a large enclosed booth or a table on the sunny balcony – Raviz’s atmosphere will make you feel comfortable with is sleek white and bamboo decor.
For entrée, we started with prawns in chili and garlic and vegetable pakoras (fried vegetable and chickpea fritters served with a delicious yogurt dipping sauce). Both were tasty and fresh – and served in generous portions.
A testament to the service at Raviz, as our waiter took our entrée plates away, we were asked if we were ready for our mains – ensuring that we had an enjoyable and relaxed meal.
For mains, we were quite delighted to be presented with a variety of options beyond the regular curries. Wanting a bit of the familiar and a bit of something new, we shared Chicken Tikka Raviz, Lamb Saagwala and Lamb Kadhai Gosht.
The Chicken Tikka Raviz, chicken tikka cooked in an almond and cashew sauce, was fabulous. The chicken in the curry had excellent flavour – more flavour than your typical chicken curry – and has become a new favourite dish.
Lamb Saagwala, always my personal favourite, had a wonderfully rich spinach sauce with large quantities of melt in your mouth lamb. And, the Lamb Kadhai Gosht, which I still cannot pronounce, was recommended by our server and featured the unique flavours of a slightly bitter fenugreek and fresh coriander. A nice alternative to lamb rogan josh.
Finished up with a few garlic naan – and we had an incredibly delicious, fresh and satisfying meal.
With a great atmosphere and even better curries, the only thing that could make Raviz better is the special they run Monday through Wednesday night of $10 curries. As Monday Night Mussels at Takapuna’s Belgium Bar is a staple to the local community, soon too will Tuesday Night Tikka Raviz be a staple in Takapuna as well.
I would highly recommend this as a great local BYO.

BYOs are often viewed as the “cheap” alternative, not a dining experience. I’d like to think this isn’t entirely true. BYOs on the North Shore are integral to the local restaurant scene that we love to rely on for great food and a friendly atmosphere. Relaxed, in a good way. Not lacking in flavour. Just delicious, enjoyable dining experiences in our local communities. But these BYOs aren’t always easy to find. Online searches produce very little for the North Shore, and personal references tend to only take you to someone’s local Thai restaurant. So I have placed it upon myself to seek out the best BYO experiencesto add to my “black book” of restaurants.

Kellie Larson is a local ‘foodie’ who lives in Takapuna. Email: kellie@channelmag.co.nz