Kohi Cafe

“Really wanted to give it a better score but can only offer a second chance”
7/10******

Oh no. I really like Kohi Cafe. Usually they have fantastic service and brilliant food. This review was one of my ‘so gonna enjoy this’ destinations that unfortunately let me down. We arrived to be greated by a lovely girl on the front counter. She looked a little like the current American Idol favourite Chrystal, and everyone likes her. She was very friendly and accommodating. She sat us, informed our ‘waitress’ and went back to being the bubbly first point of contact.

Our waitress then came to take our coffee order, she was... efficient. We looked over the menu and noticed a few yummy changes... as with all their cafes (Richmond Road, Rosehip and Takapuna Beach) the menu read extremely well. Everything sounded good. A charming waiter checked to see that we had in fact ordered coffees/drinks and that we hadn’t been left hanging. Goodman, we had ordered drinks but good checking, we liked him. Our coffees arrive and they are fantastic! Yay a well trained Allpress Barrista serving Allpress coffee to perfection!

So far so good, but then...we waited. 5 minutes passed, 10 minutes passed. I rearranged the menus on the table so it was abundantly clear ‘we had decided.’ 15 minutes passed and as a waitress zipped passed, Sophie tried to grab her attention, but she continued to the kitchen like someone was handing out free skittles... To my count, the third table that had arrived after Sophie and I were ready with our food decision just had their order taken. Rrrr. There was another guy (yes they have a lot of staff) who was not on brand with his attire. I wasn’t sure he worked there until he was fully in the kitchen. I saw him, he saw me and our game began. He spoke into a waitresses ear. Either he was telling her we were waiting to be served or asking why the really, really, really good looking guy (yep... me... haha) was giving him the eye.

The waitress didn’t then come directly to our table - how odd - and now I am instantly worried he may have thought the later? Finally I am relieved when she whizzes through a few tables checking meals and then stands over us asking what we would like to eat. Again ever efficient, I am worried my complicated order of the Mushrron and Onion Baguette with a side of bacon may not have registered fully... did she get the side order? I hope so, need that bacon. I feel uneasy about people that are efficient with me as it makes me have a little lack of trust over their competence.

After the long wait to place the order it would seem the chef is making up for lost time as the meals arrive very quickly - less than 5 minutes quickly. Usually I would find this a little weird but after such a long wait I was actually quite hungry and I think the mysterious mufti wearing chap who spotted me waiting from the kitchen may have bumped me... up the queue. Or perhaps he is telepathic and placed our order before we did?

The meals arrive and mine looks and smells amazing! The photo really doesn’t do it justice, in fact it makes it look a little horrific but in reality it is quite something. Sophies Rosti with warm cured Salmon and a poached egg unfortunately looks arty (as though made by a chef with sideburns in a vintage tee) but tasted a tad bland. As she kicks herself and wishes she stuck to her guns and ordered the Granola (not good when Granola seems like the better option but then their Granola is normally pretty good... for GRANOLA!) she glances at my master piece which I have to add (a few mouthfuls into it) is utterly amazing. The cream sauce covering the mushrooms has a hint balsamic, garlic and as stated on the menu onions cooked two ways. Yum! this is brilliant. Sophie tries a mouthful and concurs and now we are sharing.

But then... it happened... in slow motion as though a cyclone of crazy just swept through this biatch! (the cafe that is, not the waitress) The waitress clears my empty coffee cup... AND SOPHIES HALF FULL ONE! Oh Snap!... Oh no she did-ent!

We pause in shock and watch in anticipation - waiting to see that moment of 'Uh-oh' when she realises what she has done... but she doesn’t? Sophie and look at each other perplexed? that’s new. About 5 minutes later she returns to ask “would you like more coffees or drinks?” Oh hell no! Oh no she did-ent! (wait have I used that already?) - Homie don’t play dat!

We politely say no, finish our brunch, pay at the counter and leave. Not quite that quickly, we did enjoy a carafe of chilled water and look out towards Rangitoto for a while mixed in there somewhere.

As we left I decided it was good except for some key errors that let me down. Waited way too long to order food, but then my food was amazing (1 out of 2 ain’t bad... is it?) and they cleared a coffee that still had a substantial amount of coffee in it. I think these are fairly minor things though, forgivable, which is why I have still given them a seven. I will definitely be back and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they gave me a nine on return. We still like you Kohi Cafe, despite your moments of... efficiency.