Restaurant Weeks Review: Aurora At Newstead

[Written by Mikaela Ian Pearman]

For my final stop for Restaurant Weeks, I decided to try a brand new restaurant – Aurora at Newstead.

Because this is the sister restaurant to Blu and is a new ocean to table concept from the MEF Group, I was expecting to be wowed. And I absolutely was.

My husband and I arrived at 7:30pm on Friday night and were promptly seated by Bermudian hostess Jasmine, who I remembered from her excellent service at Tempest Bistro.

Within minutes of sitting, our drink order was taken, and Chef Adam Thompson came to greet us with a special mini appetizer – Hibiscus Cured Salmon with Jonah crab, seaweed salad and horseradish cream.

I will preface this by saying I wouldn’t have ordered this appetizer and after tasting it, I would’ve missed out. The presentation was gorgeous, and it was the perfect small bite.

The cream paired beautifully with the cured salmon and the seaweed salad added great texture. I absolutely could’ve eaten more of this.

For my actual appetizer, I went with Burrata Zucca – fresh burrata, steam grilled pumpkin, roast figs, raspberry balsamic and crushed hazelnuts. This dish was as beautiful as it was delicious. The burrata was creamy while the hazelnut nuts added depth and crunch, the pumpkin gave it a fresh veggie element, the figs added sweetness and the balsamic pulled it all together. It was an excellent appetizer.

For the main, I decided to try Faroe Islands Salmon En Croute with mascarpone whipped potatoes, buttered asparagus and bernaise. This was the perfect dish to enjoy on a super cold Friday night as it was comforting and decadent. I was surprised by the portion size [I assumed I would get a small portion because of RW] and delighted by the dish overall.

The salmon was moist and well-seasoned, the pastry was flaky and light, the potatoes were close to perfect mashed potatoes and the bernaise was a nice addition to the salmon. This was something I would absolutely order again.

Limoncello Souffle was what I ordered for dessert and salivating over it when I saw the menu. It which was light, sweet and the perfect ending to a wonderful meal. I had to go wit the souffle because the best souffles in my opinion are at Blu and this is the sister restaurant. As much as I prefer a chocolate souffle, this lemon version was wonderful.

Overall, this was an incredible meal. The service was top notch and I really appreciated Chef Adam coming out to check on us and explain what we were eating. I also loved the fresh décor in Aurora. It is much brighter and inviting with white walls, shades of blue for the carpet and large mirrors flanking one side of the room.

I highly recommend you book Aurora before RW ends. The value, service and the food are all incredible.

*Aurora is in the $52 category.

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