Madam Sunset and Master Kong are bringing colour to the local food scene
WORDS NICKY ADAMS / PHOTOS CALEB WALSH
A group of friends happened to mention that they had just tried the newly opened Master Kong and Madame Sunset bar/ restaurants. Located downtown the Mount, these sister venues bring something fresh to the area, just in time to carry us through the winter slump. An exciting addition to the already deliciously diverse Tauranga food scene, anticipation was high to check out what these venues are adding. Straight away it’s clear to see that both Master Kong and Madame Sunset have an appeal that will span genres and age groups.
While Master Kong offers an Asian street food menu in a relaxed, quirky-styled restaurant, the adjoining Madame Sunset caters to a modern Pacific-style cuisine in an uber-cool bar and drinking space. Situated next to each other but joined by an indoor/ outdoor sheltered courtyard area, the beauty of this setup is that you can tailor your experience to cover o! two totally different venues or menus without having to move very far at all.
Living vicariously through my friends’ fun Saturday night out, I was eager to hear all the details. They had based themselves at Master Kong, and feedback was a resounding thumbs-up. Four funky mums of young children (who don’t get to go out as much as they would like) can be a tough crowd to please, so my interest was piqued when the rave reviews covered all bases from the fast, friendly service to a fun, buzzing atmosphere. The décor immediately gives you a feel for the kind of experience expectation. The layout is clever, with lots of nooks and areas that give just enough privacy for groups, while still feeling connected to what is happening all around you. Modern, bright and fresh, the vibe is reflected in the menu. With food designed to be shared, there is a mix of flavour-packed Asian-fusion street food dishes, offering everything from dumplings and fried cauliflower (delicious, and reasonably priced) to banquet-style meals. All sound tasty and there’s enough variety to make sure even the pickiest eaters (I’m including myself in this) can find something. Then of course there were the limited-edition handcrafted cocktails, which again caused a bit of excitement in the retelling – “quite delicious” by all accounts.
Spurred on by the reports of the latest hot spot, I thought I would check out the appeal of the eateries as a lunch option. I walked straight into the Madame Sunset side of the complex and was quickly seated on the plump velour cushions of a cosy, brightly coloured booth. The feel is of retro Hawaiian tiki – kitsch, but tastefully so. There’s so much to look at, whether you’re facing over towards the Mount main street, across at Master Kong, or towards the bar area that bursts with exciting possibilities, it’s hard to move from all the visual stimulation and concentrate on the menu.
For drinks and an easy meal Madame Sunset is super-seductive; it’s easy to see that this is the perfect place to start at lunch, and yet you could still find yourself chilling out as the sun sets over your Mai Tai. While the food menu is pared down, the tantalising cocktail/drinks menu dazzles with options. The smaller menu doesn’t hold you back, though, as you could order dishes off the menu from either venue.
The Pacific vibe of the food style at Madame Sunset was, for me, tempting a few taste buds, and I couldn’t move past The Kamano Poke Bowl (which, incidentally, was deliciously zingy). I also noticed that a late-night menu is offered, again servicing both restaurants, but particularly handy for Madame Sunset when you need a snack to tide you over as the night progresses. There were plenty of friendly, helpful staff on board to cater for an impressive service too. The feel from both restaurants is that these guys are bringing something exciting to the table, and not just in a literal sense.
