Lunch has landed at No5
Fresh and Healthy were our watchwords when we were working on the new No5 lunch menu. Given the blustery nature of Spring, we’ve come up with a variety of dishes to suit all conditions; from a comforting pea and ham hock soup for a rainy day, through to our crudites dish – a plateful of fresh crispy vegetables with all my favourite zingy dips, perfect for enjoying in the sun with a chilled glass of wine.
We’ve really gone to town on our sandwiches. Inspired by Katz’s Deli, we’re making our own pastrami – we cure Wakanui Blue beef brisket, then marinate it in a dry spice rub before smoking with manuka woodchips and finally slow-roasting it for 5 hours. This 5-day process at least makes our bread-baking technique look quick; we make our own sourdough every day, which requires daily feeding of our wild yeast starter. Our dough is made 24 hours in advance and risen extra-slowly to help develop that authentic complex sourdough flavour. When it’s finally time to assemble our pastrami sandwich, we serve it hot and filled with thick slices of peppery pastrami, tomato, pickles, lettuce, aioli and our homemade wholegrain mustard. It’s a labour of love but the result is worth it.
If you’re having a hard time settling on any one dish, you can always let the chef choose a few for you – we’re offering a lighter lunchtime version of our classic No5 Mezze Menu, this one over two courses rather than three and featuring a variety of light and zesty options to share. Our lunches will leave you feeling energised rather than bloated, and so virtuous you’ll certainly deserve that dessert you’ve had your eye on.
