Miss Clawdy has been on my foodie wishlist for so long! Having been to New Orleans for their take on South American food, I was more than keen to get some glorious Miss Clawdy in my belly.
Much like the Creole influenced state of Louisana, this North Wharf eatery got my attention with the dark wood and warm red and yellow hues from the overhanging lanterns. We were lucky to be seated straight away at 6:30pm on a Saturday night, there was a constant row of diners coming in soon after us.
The open kitchen took centre stage in front of us. I love watching the chefs at work. I don’t know how they do it, constantly keeping the beat and moving so purposefully in such a confined space. There was great camaraderie in the kitchen too, genuine smiles while keeping each other entertained. So it was with great reluctance that I had trade seats to have my back to the kitchen, the cushiony sofa just swallowed up my petite frame too much!
Almost as if we were watching the open kitchen show, we were given complimentary popcorn to start with. Sweet and punchy with a bit of paprika and cinnamon, it was addictive like my favourite Sweet and Salty popcorn.
Grilled chicken w avocado mousse & corn salsa
Pulled pork w green apple, pickled cabbage slaw & micro coriander
Priding themselves on soul food and bright colourful flavours, we chose tacos to start with. Whilst the taco was soft and meat was well cooked, it lacked the promised punch and attitude. That problem was taken care of with a generous dousing of hot sauce from the table.
Braised lamb shoulder with roast pumpkin, a tomato & andouille sausage cassoulet with chipotle “dirty” gravy
We chose the special of the night as a main to share and I’m so glad we did! The lamb was succulent and flavoursome with just enough gravy to soak up. Combined with the comfort of the roasted vegetables, it filled us up well and proper.
Green tea mojito; bacardi rum, appleton’s rum, briottet creme de manderine, orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon
A special mention goes out to the generous cocktail list. It was hard to nail down one to order because each sounded as enticing as the other. The two we tried were delicious and quickly went down before the ice had even melted and diluted the drink.
What I looked forward to most in the evening was the dessert. Even more than usual because I spotted a chocolate and chilli pressed souffle running as their special. With my recent love for the dark chocolate and chilli combo, it could only be a match in heaven as a souffle.
Dark chocolate cookie & vanilla bean ice cream mini sandwich w chocolate milk
We ordered this out of the novelty of having cookies and milk. It was cute, but nothing to rave about.
Chilli and chocolate pressed souffle
The night ended beautifully with this number. My high hopes were met and even surprised me a little with the strength of the chilli. It was chocolatey and dense, and should be shared between two people. Good thing the burn from the chilli stopped me from otherwise scoffing it down unnecessarily. Such decadence was the dish that meant the previous cookies and milk combo was quickly put to the side..
I loved dining at Miss Clawdy. The atmosphere was buzzing but comfortable. The name is inspired by Lloyd Price’s 1952 New Orlearns hit single Lawdy Miss Clawdy. Have a listen below, the song pretty much sums up the chilled and fun atmosphere you’ll find at Miss Clawdy!
Miss Clawdy
T6/12 Jellicoe Street
North Wharf, Auckland
09 969 6986
