Coco at the Roxy

Just as we might have hoped, when Weta Workshop turned its talents to rebuilding the 1928 Capital Theatre in Miramar, they presented Wellywood with a period film set.

Pull the bronze fish that form the front door handles and you cross a portal into the Golden Age of Hollywood.

From the classic sweeping staircase with twin statues on the banister ends to the giant chandelier, the patterned carpet and the frosted glass, the interior positively drips with art deco splendour.

And this fantasyland is even better than a film set, since for once Weta Workshop got to construct everything with permanent materials.

Be on guard for Gollum, whose statue regularly pops up in new places, and proceed upstairs. After passing through giant wooden arches you can contemplate the fully frescoed ceiling while enjoying a cocktail and some internationally inspired sharing plates from Coco at the Roxy.

The salmon sashimi with fennel, orange and wasabi cream has been on the menu since Coco opened in April, proving consistently and deliciously fresh on numerous occasions.

Equally sophisticated and well executed is the grilled veal tongue with goat’s cheese, puy lentils and vinaigrette.

As for the target clientele for such dishes, we need look no further than those who already pack out Cafe Polo, the other Miramar property of Coco co-owner Valentina Dias.

Although screen stars including Sir Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman and James Cameron have already trodden the boards here, Coco’s core clientele, besides the Weta folk, is the new class of moneyed, well-travelled residents of Miramar, along with those living in the other nearby Wellington suburbs.

Until Sir Peter Jackson and Weta came along, Miramar was a fairly middling suburb, famous mainly for its light industry, its street after street of Californian bungalows, the sound of the airport and the smell of the former gasworks (which still emerges from the soil if you excavate near the site today).

Such a mixed catchment explains Coco’s seemingly disjointed menu: it’s not schizophrenia, just expedience in the face of wildly divergent tastes.

Coco doesn’t do popcorn, but the fact remains that it’s the cafe attached to a suburban cinema, so old-school Miramar customers are duly fed big breakfasts, doughnuts, fries, burgers, steaks and mash.

On its sharing plates menu though, Coco reveals that it also does much more than these crowd-pleasers, including a particularly good range of vegetarian dishes. Even meatarians might be distracted by the strange deliciousness of the deep-fried feta with honey and thyme, and similarly with the flavourful pumpkin, walnut and feta koftas with sumac yoghurt. The roast mushroom arancini are also worthy of mention: rich and beautifully textured, they come topped with a punchy rocket and almond salsa.

The Sichuan-crusted venison osso buco with white bean puree and gremolata was good, but would really have scared the horses if only the chef had added enough Sichuan peppercorns for us to properly experience the spice’s lip-tingling qualities.

At the safer end of the edgy sharing plates menu are the orange and ginger roast pork ribs with pickled cucumber: good old sweet ’n’ sour in fresh clobber.

The Roxy is Miramar’s newest and greatest asset, serving as a focus for the community and a glittering symbol of Wellywood: Coco more than ably rounds out the top-quality picture.

5 Park Rd, Miramar, Wellington, ph: 04-388 5555, roxycinema.co.nz

Mon-Sun 10am to late
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