lunch: Wellington Hospital Cafeteria

It's a pleasant relief to discover cafeteria food isn't always as hideous as portrayed in the movies. Today the Wellington Hospital Cafeteria included butter chicken on the menu. The chicken was tender and an attractive golden (buttery) colour. It was lightly spiced - probably safest for a hospital environment - but by no means bland. I especially appreciated the inclusion of coriander - so easy to exclude the little touches when serving a mass of humanity on a budget. The rice was a little on the moist side for my liking but, again, this is serving for hundreds. The warm naan bread was very acceptable.

If butter chicken isn't your meal of choice there was also an interesting looking penne with roast vegetable sauce, a lamb with demi-glaze dish, pizza, quiche, and salads - easily as good a selection as in central. Lamb with demi-glaze! In the Hospital Cafeteria!

I was struck by how many comforting touches there were for a hard working staff member, stressed family or friend, or even a patient who's managed an escape. The small things make all the difference in a world where people are bored, frightened, tired, or sick. And sometimes, all of the above.

The service was warmer than I've experienced in many of the more la-te-dah places, with the staff managing to smile just a little despite obviously working a long hard day. The cafeteria is open for breakfasts as well.

Indoor or outdoor eating, and actually, it was quite fun watching the churn of people swirling through - there's some (real) plants, some art (for sale) on the wall, some music (well, a radio) - they're doing a good job. The furniture is pseudo-danish wood grain, thankfully not formica and chrome.

I did have a couple of nervous moments as I broke up the naan and ate using my hands - omigod - it's the hospital - do you know where your hands have been? Everyone else seemed comfortable so I thought I could be too. It was also reassuring to note a senior microbiologist leaving with a takeaway lunch as I walked in. Hey - if he'll eat there I can.

There was another nervous moment when my coffee arrived with a flat stick for stirring. I wondered (briefly) if this was part of the hospital's recycling programme and it was actually a tongue depressor. In case you're now wondering, it is. They take 'em from the used ones upstairs and use 'em a second time for inspections, kakkhead.

Very pleasant butter chicken on rice with warm naan bread : $8.50 latte $3.50 - this was the large one as 'we don't have bowls'. So why's it on the sign? Another fine example of hospital signage I guess.

Big advice: Take the bus (12 from Lambton Quay/Courtenay Place), or get an ambulance. The parking is a disgrace. Get used to the idea that a cross section of humanity is going to be dining using plastic cutlery with you. If this offends you, pretend you're in a Pieter Bruegel painting. You'd fit right in.

8/10
points off: shamefully abysmal parking, signage throughout the hospital by the same person who designed the parking - fire the mongrel!
points on: big points on for being perhaps the only place in town where you can show up wearing your jim-jams and moth eaten slippers, any time after 7 in the morning, and not look out of place! How cool is that? Clean and tidy despite the churn of people, having a more interesting selection of reasonably priced food than many of the central cafes, having comfort food and coffee and proving it can be done well in a cafeteria. 'Onya chefs and team.

Wellington Public Hospital Cafeteria
Riddiford Street
Wellington
They don't take bookings, it's the hospital. Kakkhead.