Sensational dining at new lakefront restaurant

Media release from Good Group Ltd
22 August 2008

Sensational dining at new lakefront restaurant

Outstanding menu, huge walk-in wine cellar, plush interior, and a prime lakeside location – Queenstown’s newest restaurant believes it’s hit on the perfect recipe for success.

Botswana Butchery, which opened to rave reviews in Wanaka last June, launches onto the Queenstown entertainment and dining scene today (22 August).

Located in the historic Archers Cottage at 17 Marine Parade between the new Eichardt’s Cottages and Williams Cottage, the premium restaurant is the latest addition to the Good Group’s stable of highly successful entertainment venues.

Partners Al Spary of Queenstown and Botswanan head chef Leungo Lippe [pronounced Luno Lippy] are aiming to knock the socks off locals and tourists with a dining, drinking and entertainment experience that tantalizes all five senses.

“The location alone is amazing – right in Queenstown’s historic precinct on Marine Parade and just metres from the shores of Lake Wakatipu,” says Leungo.

“It’s a fantastic use of a heritage building – the restaurant is modelled in the style of an old villa with lots of rooms, cosy nooks and outside seating, plus it incorporates all the classic Goodbars touches - granite bartops, leather couches, patterned wallpaper, lots of velvet, white linen tablecloths and fireplaces.

“Our Wanaka restaurant has been very successful and a good testing ground so when we came across the Queenstown location we jumped at the chance to expand,” he says.

With lots of rooms and living, dining and entertainment areas, Botswana Butchery is endlessly versatile for individuals, events or conference and incentive groups. It seats 180 for lunch or dinner and can cater an elegant cocktail party for up to 250. There are also private dining rooms for two, six or up to 30 guests.

Chef Leungo has created an innovative and diverse menu with a strong emphasis on fine cut beef and wild and organic foods. There are a la carte options as well as a ‘build your own plate’ concept for meatlovers.

The menu can be matched to superb Central Otago and international wines from the restaurant’s private 1800 bottle cellar and expert advice is on hand from knowledgeable staff and floor manager Penelope Jane (PJ).

For Leungo it’s all about flavours and fun. “It’s about freedom to create the perfect individual flavour combinations based on diners’personal preferences. People can choose to have their meat cooked on woodburning grills which I think gives it the real X factor.”

The 34 year old exhibits an inherent knack for putting flavours together and has spent the last 15 years honing his culinary skills. After leaving Botswana at 19 to study hotel management in Switzerland, Leungo moved on to New York’s culinary institute where he also worked at the ultra-cool Lenox Room. After a stint in London, he arrived in New Zealand and took on the role as Head Chef at Pegasus Bay winery in Christchurch. From there he moved up to the Portage Resort in Marlborough Sounds, and then on to Wanaka’s exclusive Whare Kea Lodge. It was there he met Al Spary and the rest is history… six months later they opened the first Botswana Butchery.

Leungo’s mouth-watering appetisers include Alaskan king crab claws with lemon, aioli and clarified butter, a feta parcel with roasted beetroot and pickled red onion, and tempura battered prawn cutlets with cauliflower, curry purée and pancetta crisp.

A la carte mains include wood grilled West Coast crayfish with steamed sticky ginger rice, sautéed bok choy and a sherry vinegar jus, and a braised shoulder of Cardrona merino lamb, carrot, celeriac galette, creamed silverbeet and rosemary jus.

The meatlovers’ selection ranges from a 300 gram Black Angus rib eye grass fed for 200 days to a 450 gram prime steer whole rib of beef. These prime cuts can be accompanied with a choice of eight sauces including béarnaise, thyme and Rippon Pinot Noir jus, and blue cheese, shallot and chive butter.

The potatoes and side dishes are a symphony of flavours and include streaky bacon and caramelised onion boulangere, kumara, apple and parmesan mash, wood grilled mushroom medley, and buttermilk onion rings.

The Botswana Butchery is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, between 11am and 11pm (last orders will be taken as late as 11pm). Reservations are recommended – please call 03 442 6994 or e-mail botswana@goodbars.co.nz.

ENDS

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