Osaka Café and Le Plonk: Christchurch eating and drinking with a difference.

Even though I liked my room at Christchurch, New Zealand’s Hotel Grand Chancellor last week, where I spoke at the first Tourism Tech conference, I opted (as I usually do) to eat out.
   One place that I was put on to two years ago during Style Christchurch was Osaka Café, inside the Gloucester Arcade (129 Gloucester Street). This is a great place for a cheap eat, but the service is always top-notch, and you always see plenty of Japanese—and a few open-minded Chinese, like yours truly—there. It shows that the cuisine is authentic, in my mind, and is as good as some of the expensive Japanese places I’ve found.
   You return your own plates, but that adds to the charm.
   On the other end of the scale, Le Plonk is a charming and nicely decorated wine bar at 211 Manchester Street (64 3 377-7724), which even serves stuff from the Monk himself. Dom Pérignon* 2000 was available by the flute and there’s great live music as well. Perfect after a meal and very comfy seats.

* The Air New Zealand in-flight quiz states that this is spelt Dom Prignon (sic).—JY

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