…at Taste of Auckland presented by Electrolux (PLUS A GIVEAWAY)

Taste of Auckland  presented by Electrolux turns 10 this year and I have a double pass to give away. For entry details, scroll to the bottom of this post.

So Taste. I am a long time fan girl.

I’ve been to every Taste since they started way, way back pre-blog. Haven’t missed one yet. It’s my favourite food festival and the last few years, I’ve been going to multiple sessions so I can sample even more of the restaurant menu offerings. There will be cooking demonstrations, countless artisan and food stalls, bars and villages, live entertainment (including Holly Smith – Duo, Laughton Kora, Sola Rosa Sound System). If you’re interested, check out some of my previous festival review posts here, here and here.

I adore Taste. It’s a casual, build your own walking feast. You mosey about and eat all the dishes that you like the sound of. Heaven. Bring a friend or two and double or triple your quota.

Held over 6 sessions, this year Taste will be at Queens Wharf on the waterfront from 1 to 4 November. This central location makes me very happy. Handy to bus, train, ferry or pop by after work. I might even walk. Tickets are $25-30 for General Admission or a Premium Ticket which includes $40 festival currency and a festival glass is $65. This year there is also the option of multiple season entry (from $120) which allows you entry to all six sessions of taste plus $50 festival currency.

This year’s restaurant veterans are Baduzzi, Farina, Vodka Room and Paris Butter. Plus 8 restaurants new to Taste: Culprit, Gerome, Little Bird Organics, Lowbrow, Miann, The Shucker Brothers, The Smoko Room at The Sawmill Brewery, and Xoong. Dishes typically cost 8 to 12 Crowns, crowns are the festival currency which are loaded onto a card. If you overload your card, that’s fine, your balance is refundable so load it up without worry. Restaurants also offer a limited number of icon dishes over 12 crowns.

Electrolux Chef’s Secrets

Electrolux Chef’s Secrets is one of my favourite parts of Taste. If you enjoy cooking or getting up close with your favourite chefs, then make sure you check out Electrolux Chef’s Secrets. Tickets sell out quickly and can only bought during your session. In previous years, 15 crown ticket price gets you a cocktail, a cooking demo, a signature dish (that you prepare yourself) a matched wine pairing. Yes, all that for 15 crowns! At time of writing, ticket price yet to be announced.

Hanging out with Monique Fiso at Electrolux Chef’s Secrets 2016

I made this!

Work in progress

The menu

I’ve salivated all over the menu so you don’t have to. Below are my picks from the menu.

Please note, I’ve tried a few of the menu offerings in the past so won’t be trying them again. However, this isn’t a good reason for YOU not to try them. Ones I recommend in the notes below.

10 dishes I’m dying to try at Taste

Caveat. I don’t know what happened but four out of ten dishes on my wishlist are from The Smoko Romo at The Sawmill Brewery. I might just have to go there so they don’t eat up all my Taste crowns.

1. The Smoko Room at The Sawmill Brewery: BBQ pork cheek on sourdough with BBQ Sauce and fermented beetroot $8
2. The Smoko Room at The Sawmill Brewery: Smoked spicy venison ribs with buffalo blue cheese ranch $12
3. The Smoko Room at The Sawmill Brewery: Kingfish tataki with toasted nori puree, apple and fennel $12
4. The Smoko Room at The Sawmill Brewery: ICON DISH: Masterstock glazed beef short rib with slaw, barley and puffed malt $25
5. The Shucker Brothers: Raw fish salad chilli, lime, coconut & noc cham $10
6. Gerome: Lakerda of Leigh market fish, citrus, pomegranate (GF, DF) $12
7. Xoong: Soft Shell Crab Gua Bao, Gochujang Mayo, pickled shallots $10
8. Culprit: Lamb shoulder corn dog with apricot mole, coriander, feta $8
9. Vodka Room: Pork belly, chargrilled, shashlik spices, pickled carrots, Russian ketchup, scape pesto, sour cream (GF) $12
10. Farina: ICON DISH: Spaghettoni Parmigiano E Gamberi Spaghettoni pasta tossed in a parmigiano reggiano wheel, aromatic king prawn salsa $16
    

Other recommendations

Some dishes I’ve tried before and loved:

1. Xoong’s Ruakaka kingfish tartare, ICON DISH smoked bacon congee
2. Lowbrow’s fried chicken and pretzel sundae
3. Baduzzi’s Karitane crayfish (pictured)

WIN!

I have a double pass to give away. To enter, simply tell me What you are most looking forward to at Taste of Auckland presented by Electrolux.

Giveaway terms and conditions

• One entry per person.
• Open to NZ only.
• Passes are valid for a Thursday or Friday session of Taste of Auckland.
• Passes will be posted to the winners and it is the responsibility of the prize winners to redeem their prizes at Taste of Auckland.
• Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Crowns (festival currency) to purchase meals and drinks are not included in this prize. Travel expenses are not included.
• Entries close 11 October 2018 and a winner will be drawn on 12 October, contacted by email and announced here and on Facebook.
• In the event that any winner is not contactable within 48 hours, Bunny Eats Design reserves the right to redraw a winner.

Key info:

• Taste of Auckland
• Queens Wharf, Auckland CBD
• 1-4 November 2018
• For more information about Taste of Auckland visit their website here.

This post is not sponsored, however the good people at Taste of Auckland presented by Electrolux and Lemongrass Productions have provided the tickets for this giveaway. All opinions are my own.