I had the BEST foodie day in Britomart last Friday.

A couple of hours work in the morning and then lunch at Ortolana with fellow bloggers Ari Eats and Miss Charlotte Cake, followed by a gourmet pie masterclass, followed by coffee at Oaken (one of my favourite spots), followed by a food and wine matching class by Ostro, followed by dinner at Indochine with my bestie (and more wine).

Social Kitchen

I was invited as a guest to a couple of masterclasses at Fisher and Paykel’s Social Kitchen in Britomart, set up as part of Auckland Restaurant Month. With a covered seating area, stage and demonstration kitchen, these were presented by Kelly Gibney of Bonnie Delicious blog. Chefs, restaurants and food personalities represented included Paul Carmichael (Momofuku Seiobo), Kyle Street (Depot, Federal), Gareth Stewart (Euro, The Culpepper), Michael Dearth (The Grove) Jordon Rondel (The Caker), Giapo Grazioli (Giapo) and more. Each class was starkly different and there really was something for every level of foodie.

The weather was glorious so it was nice to see beanbags out on the grassy area outside and those who chose not to participate could still glean foodie wisdom from those on stage for free. A combination of entertainment, education and dining Social Kitchen fills growing gap in Auckland’s thirst for food-based entertainment. Over three days there were eight free sessions as well as ticketed masterclasses starting at $25pp.

Gourmet Pies

I joined pin-up baking blogger Miss Charlotte Cake for Scratch Baker’s Gourmet Pie Masterclass with Jonny McKessar. Jonny went through pie basics with is and showed us how to make our own pastries at home. With shortcrust underneath and a puff on top, our pre-cooked pie fillings included pork belly, waygu, and beef brisket. Gourmet indeed. There were vege options available though we didn’t partake in those.

Having been to lettering class the night before, I couldn’t help but put a big honking “G” for GENIE (or for GOURMET) on the top of my pie.

I loved my beef brisket pie with plenty of cheese which went down very nicely with a glass of pinot noir.

Food and Wine with Ostro

Shortly after that, my friend Miss A and I enjoyed the food and wine matching with Ostro. Five very different wines were paired with five tastings from Ostro’s menu. What a treat! The printed place settings gave us a look into what was to come and the menu had us very excited.

My favourourite dish would be Ostro’s beloved Seared Tuna dish. Line-caught seared tuna with fresh peas, edamame, karengo (seaweed) with wasabi mayo tasted like spring and was paired with NV Nautilus Estate Sparkling. A bubbles my friend adored.

Another favourite pairing would be the Babich Rose paired with Ostro’s roast duck ravioli. I don’t drink rose a lot and usually pair duck with pinot but this was a great match.

And finally, the cheese/dessert dish was the Man O’War Hellburner, a fortified wine in the style of a vintage port. This elevated the cube of blue goats cheese – which I would find challenging on its own – balancing out the cream and salt with spice and sweet.

A big thank you to Fisher and Paykel and Lemongrass Productions for having us as their guests. To find out more about Auckland Restaurant Month, visit their official website here.