Jesse Mulligan: Bria In Grey Lynn Takes Over Where Honeybones Left Off

You can’t book at Bria but Reginald Richard’s food is worth the wait. Bria is small and doesn’t take reservations. This combination works well for places like Den Ramen, where you can show up and join the queue knowing that you’ll get a spot as soon as the guy in Bria has taken over the site of Honeybones in Grey Lynn. Photo / Babiche MartensThey had room for us, just, when my wife and I rocked up one chilly Wednesday night, but they were short of one chair and, I suspect, one chef. The server warned me they were busier than expected and that our food might take a while, and he was right; I was well into my second glass of (the breathtakingly good) Collaboration chardonnay when my first dish arrived, and this slow pace continued until the end, even after the dining crowd had thinned. I don’t criticise them for this – they spotted a bottleneck early and were honest about it – but I did feel for the two young staff who were forced to front the operation. When Auckland’s most popular restaurateurs open up a new dining room, I’d have expected at least one of them to be around for those crucial first weeks. We joined a shared table with a couple and their newborn on one side and a dad with three young kids on the other. The fact that all of them felt comfortable will tell you something about the relaxed nature of this new day/night eatery, which takes over the Honeybones space on a sunny corner of Richmond Rd. Plates are sharing-style, the service is no-fuss and the only issue with the layout is that you have to go outside and round the back to use the toilet. It’s Grey Lynn, so not a particularly dangerous area, but there’s always a danger you’ll take a wrong turn and stumble into a Greens Meet-the-Candidates evening.Photo / Babiche MartensThe pork chop on the menu at Bria. Photo / Babiche MartensThe menu has been created by Reginaldo Richard, one of my favourite Auckland chefs, whose brilliant cooking you formerly had to drive to Helensville to sample. He is still running the Butcher Baker out there but has taken this on as a side project, presumably because he hates sleep. His dishes are unexpected, bordering on adventurous. Take crudo, Auckland’s most crowd-friendly dish, for which he dials up the savoury flavours so much it becomes almost challenging: ruby-red tuna, diced small and served with whipped bone marrow; if you closed your eyes it could be steak tartare. There is citrus on the ingredients list but barely detectable on the tongue. It is garnished with a variety of winter leaves I didn’t recognise but together looked like the sort of bouquet you send to an ex-lover you want to curse on Valentine’s Day. It all works, but it’s far from easy-going. Bria's crudo. Photo / Babiche MartensThere are strong vegetarian options including an agria gnocchi, a lovely barbecued eggplant (not seasonal but always delicious) and, best of all, “mushroom donuts”, a unique idea made with mushroom-flour dough and served with a variety of wild fungi, sweated and seasoned in the pan. Whipped feta brings some salty colour contrast and it’s finished with a scattering of Thai basil leaves, giving your tastebuds and brain a tiny piece of geographical context. Faced with a mains choice of steak, market fish and pork chop, we made the unexpected decision to choose the latter and were so glad we did. Pork remains the best-value meat (partly, I’m sorry to say, because the market is flooded with less-regulated overseas product) but at its best is just as delicious as the more familiar beef and lamb. This one was cooked simply, just beyond medium (don’t freak out, things have changed and you no longer have to treat this protein like chicken) and spiced with harissa. It was hidden by a heap of julienned raw apple and sat on a base of garlicky skordalia dip; creamy, juicy, crunchy … it was a textural treat. The eggplant on the menu at Bria. Photo / Babiche MartensI almost forgot one of the best and simplest elements of the meal. Richard’s bread is possibly the best in the country – a labour of love that rewards his patience with sourdough that is truly wonderful. Properly fluffy and lightly sour inside, it has a crunchy crust that is just this side of burnt. With a knob of creamy butter, it is one of Auckland’s great taste pleasures. Butcher Baker missed out on our Viva Top 50 last year because including it would have meant pushing our judging catchment area out 45km. The locals won’t have minded – they know what a treasure they have – but, midway through a fuel crisis, I’m pleased that those who don’t live way out west can now find Richard’s food within biking distance.Bria Cuisine: Bistro Address: 480 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn Reservations: Accepted for groups of 6+ Drinks: Fully licensed Hours: Monday to Friday, 7am-2.30pm; Saturday to Sunday, 8am-2.30pm; Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm-late From the menu: bread and butter $5, tuna crudo $29, barbecue eggplant $28, pork chop $39, mushroom donuts $26Rating: 16/20 Score: 0-7 Steer clear. 8-12 Disappointing, give it a miss. 13-15 Good, give it a go. 16-18 Great, plan a visit. 19-20 Outstanding, don’t delay.More restaurant reviewsAccording to Dining Out editor Jesse Mulligan.