All posts filed under: Dining out

10. Star Thai

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Hey Aucklanders, do you like free food? In conjunction with review website Zomato.com, I’m giving away a $20 voucher to be used at Star Thai. To enter, fill in the entry form at the end of this post. In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. The atmosphere is… The glitzy Hollywood decorations could be over the top but thankfully they have kept the decorations to the walls only. The rest of the layout is understated and classy. The night we went, it was very quiet. Come here for… Delicious Thai curry. Mild and sweet which was perfect for our tastes, though I’m sure you can request “HOT” if you prefer. The most interesting thing on the menu… BBQ duck Unexpectedly wonderful… Baeng Bped Yang (BBQ duck red curry) I would come back to try… Larb Pla (chopped fish salad) Catering to… All diets. The vegetarian dishes are clearly marked. Gluten free available on request. Expect to spend… $25-$35 per person The …

9. Bolaven

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In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. The atmosphere is… Simple, light, warm, inviting with Laotian inspired touches. Love the floor to ceiling display of dried ingredients. Come here for… Laos food and regular cafe food by day. Laos food only by night. The most interesting thing on the menu… Sticky rice with fried egg and Jeow Mak Len (Laotian style salsa) Unexpectedly wonderful… Their hand drawn, hand written menu (swoon) Sticky rice in baskets (just like in Laos) Eclairs I would come back to try… Pho with all the trimmings Pork belly with sticky caramel, anise, braised egg, crackling & watercress Catering to… South East Asian food lovers, but also a couple of regular cafe dishes and plenty of pastries and baked goodies at the counter. A couple of options for vegetarians and gluten free, marked on menu. Expect to spend… $20-$30 per person The service is… Friendly and warm. Avoid if… You are in a tight …

8. Tom Tom Bar and Eatery

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In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. The atmosphere is… Quiet on the night we visited but the space has many areas and is well set up for groups. A bit flasher than your average pub. Come here for… A range of all purpose pub meals to please most picky eaters. Great for groups. The most interesting thing on the menu… Crispy eggplant with massaman dip Unexpectedly wonderful… Chocolate velvet molten lava pudding The unisex toilets with area for stylist on Fridays. Yes, ladies, get your hair done by a professional with a glass of Moet in hand. I would come back to try… Their weekly specials such as the $20 paella and a beer on Wednesday nights. Catering to… Lactose free, gluten free and vegetarian menu items clearly marked. Expect to spend… $20-30 per person The service is… Knowledgable. Avoid if… You can’t eat in front of a TV. Auckland Restaurant Month special: $55 FOR THREE COURSE DINNER …

7. Mexico

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In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. The atmosphere is… Very cool. A dimly lit treasure trove of eclectic Mexican and Day of the Dead trinkets and artworks. Come here for… Tasty Mexican food, cocktails for reasonable prices. The menu changes regularly so be warned that your favourites, might disappear. The most interesting thing on the menu… Hard to pick the one. Their snacks menu is pretty interesting: Queso fundido A dedicated tequila menu with over 70 premium tequilas They also have a cute kids menu Unexpectedly wonderful… Ceviche (past menu item) Fried chicken (permanent menu item) Grilled squid (current menu item) I would come back to try… Their regularly updated menu. They also have Caramba Pink Reposado here which I first fell in love with at a Tequila bar in Wellington…haven’t seen it since. Catering to… Everyone. Gluten free and other food intolerances. Plenty of vegetarian options. Expect to spend… $25-$40 per person The service is… Mostly …

6. Cazador

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In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. The atmosphere is… A charming kitschy restaurant complete with round archways, plastered walls and more taxidermied beast and fowl than some diners will feel comfortable with. The bar area was packed and boisterous at 6pm when we arrived, the dining area quietly well behaved. Come here for… Game meat (and vegetable) dishes served in an unfussy style. Simple clean flavours using unusual ingredients. The menu of about 5 starters and 5 mains changes frequently with daily specials to entice. The most interesting thing on the menu… Crumbed lamb’s brains with sauce gribiche (current menu) Poussin hearts with pancetta and parsley (daily special) Unexpectedly wonderful… Braised ox tail Crumbed lamb’s brains with sauce gribiche I would come back to try… Everything. They menu is updated every 2-3 weeks to keep things interesting, though favourites will re-appear in various forms. Catering to… Omnivores and adventurous meat eaters. Free range, ethically sourced meat eaters. …

Devouring the beast

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  Last Saturday, my friends Coco, Miss A and The Koala and I enjoyed a day of activities related to the beast. Observing the beast First, the girls and I joined up mid-day and went to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Auckland Museum. 100 photos from both professionals and amateurs wielding professional cameras amazed and inspired us. Devouring the beast Later that day, we joined up again, this time with The Koala in tow and feasted on beasts at Cazador – Auckland’s only game meat restaurant. I’d been dreaming of this animalistic day for a while. Looking at photos of beautiful birds and beasts and eating birds and beasts later. It’s a macabre pairing so I’m glad we let a good 6 hours pass between the two activities. Cazador comes highly recommended by anyone that visits and was a wonderful experience. The food is cooked simply, letting the unusual ingredients shine. More on Cazador in my dedicated quick-fire review later today. Like any good food blogger, I had studied Cazador’s latest menu prior to our visit. Their …

5. Tanuki Sushi and Sake Bar

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In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. Tofu Tuesday is on hiatus this month but in its place I present this delicious Tofu Steak! The atmosphere is… Alive and well. Cosy wooden dining room with plenty of cute Japanese decorations. A tanuki is native Japanese racoon dog that is popular in Japanese folklore. The fellow is well known for his rather large family jewels. Spot them on the various tanuki idols around the restaurant. Most people might not notice, but well, I did! Come here for… Japanese plates to share, Japanese beer and/or sake. Basically Japanese tapas (food to eat with drinks). The most interesting thing on the menu… Deep fried cheese sticks – with fresh pineapple and sesame sauce Takowasa – raw octopus with wasabi Unexpectedly wonderful… Broccoli – in sesame and mayo sauce Tofu steak I would come back to try… Sake Soft shell crab Catering to… Omnis and Vegetarians. Some of their best dishes are vegetarian. Gluten …

4. Mondays

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 In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, throughout August I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. The atmosphere is… Sweet, light filled, like a well executed home reno. Come here for… Organic, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and whole foods. The most interesting thing on the menu… Kombucha Unexpectedly wonderful… Their darling little leafy courtyard Beetroot cheesecake (especially the gingery base) I would come back to try… Some cake…nothing too substantial. Catering to… Vegetarians, vegans, allergen and intolerance diets, tiny appetites. Expect to spend… $20-$30 per person The service is… At the counter. Efficient. A little shy. Avoid if… Portions are small so avoid if you are hungry or don’t want to pay premium for whole food. This place is tiny so avoid if you really want a seat or don’t want to wait for one. Mondays 503B New North Road, Kingsland Open til 4pm every day but Wednesday http://www.mondayswholefoods.com

3. Miss Clawdy

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In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, throughout August I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. The atmosphere is… Casual, busy, well decorated, a little girly and comforting. Come here for… Southern food, cocktails and desserts. The most interesting thing on the menu… Green eggs Oyster po boys Unexpectedly wonderful… Chargrilled baby kumara Key lime pie and torched meringue Coconut fried banana I would come back to try… Oyster po boys Catering to… Mostly Omnis. All pork and chicken is free range. Gluten free options. A few vegetarian dishes. Expect to spend… $20-40 per person The service is… Wonderful. We were kept well watered (and liquored) and our waiters remembered exactly who ordered which drinks. Avoid if… You don’t like bold flavours or sharing. Avoid if you are on a diet. Auckland Restaurant Month special: $25 FOR TWO COURSES, AVAILABLE FOR LUNCH OR DINNER Courses include beef & goats cheese empanadas with a green Mexican pesto, a side of sautéed okra with chili, garlic, …

2. Orleans

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In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, throughout August I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. The atmosphere is… Rambunctious, smoky and seedy like a New Orleans jazz club on Bourbon Street. Come here for… Live music, cocktails and sharing many small tasty plates with friends. The most interesting thing on the menu… Chicken and waffles Roasted bone marrow Unexpectedly wonderful… Seasonal dish: Fig and blue cheese on toast. So good I was inspired to recreate it. Curly fries Desserts – all of them I would come back to try… Grilled salmon collar Roasted bone marrow Catering to… Omnis mostly. Not many vegetarian options, but if you are vegetarian, you could probably find 1 or 2 from each category and then go hard on dessert. Gluten free and gluten free on request menu items clearly marked as well as full intolerances list on request. Expect to spend… $30 to $40 per person The service is… A bit snobby and elitist, but gets the job …

1. Al’s Deli

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In celebration of Auckland Restaurant Month, throughout August I will be posting 31 quick-fire reviews on 31 restaurants and cafes in the Auckland CBD and city fringe. The atmosphere is… Vintage industrial diner chic. Probably awesome when they are busy. Come here for… Montreal slanted bagels, grill and diner food. First dates and good company. The most interesting thing on the menu… Moose ears – wholemeal Canadian flat doughnut Poutine – Fries topped with homemade cheese curds and gravy (vegetarian option available) Unexpectedly wonderful… A range of gluten free bagels (not just plain). I would come back to try… Ribs, poutine, burgers, hard shakes. I like the sound of Caramel Bourbon, or Nutella Irish Cream hard shakes. Catering to… Red blooded omnivores. Not many vegetarian options here, though vegetarian poutine is available. A range of Gluten free bagels. Expect to spend… $20-$30 per person The service is… At the counter, friendly and efficient. Avoid if… You are on a carb-free, dairy-free diet. Al’s Deli 1/492 Queen Street, Auckland CBD (entrance on City Road) Open 7 days …

Dinner and a Movie: NZIFF Food Matches

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The New Zealand International Film Festival is currently on in Auckland. Next week it will start in Wellington and Christchurch will follow that. The Koala and I LOVE watching movies. Like, love it to bits. We have varied tastes in what we look for in a movie but we can usually both recognise a good movie, even if it’s not our favourite genre. I like anything thought provoking or whimsical and The Koala likes anything with action. We both enjoy thrillers and scares. Recently, we invited a group of friends to watch the cult classic Tampopo. It is a 1985 Japanese film about a woman, her ramen (noodle) shop and her search to make the perfect bowl of ramen. A foodie action comedy with some very innocent characters who contrast with some freaky food erotica. Naturally, we followed the movie by feasting at our local ramen shop. Sorry, we didn’t partake in food erotica. That pairing may have been obvious, but I like to pair food with activities. It’s like wearing shoes that match your bag. A little bit fancy. …

Auckland Restaurant Month 2014 – top picks

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August is Auckland Restaurant Month and the menus for the 100 participating restaurants have been posted already. I know it’s a whole month away, but a month is good time to make dates with friends and tick off a few restaurants on the way. There are some fabulous specials and this is a great way to try out some of Auckland’s best restaurants on a range of budgets. It was hard (and hungry) work, but I’ve picked out 10 of my favourite specials which  range from $25 to $100 per person. Auckland Restaurant Month top 10 picks: (In order of budget) 1. Fukuko Britomart, Cocktail bar $25 for 2 snack courses and a shochu cocktail of your choice. Includes a steamed pork bun and 2 tacos (your choice of braised miso short rib, sticky pulled pork, spiced roast duck, sole tempura). http://www.fukuko.co.nz   2. Besos Latinos Elliot Stables, Latin American gourmet $25 for cornchips, your choice of taco and a classic margarita. Taco options: Pork, beef, chicken, vegetarian or fish. http://www.besoslatinos.com   3. Kushi Durham St West, Japanese …

Fig and Gorgonzola Rounds

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This post is part of Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event to encourage us to try new food related things. Phuong from My Kitchen of Love is the host for this month’s event. If you have a blog and you are eating or cooking something new this month, click below to join.   Orleans I’ve been obsessed with New Orleans since I was an angsty teenager. Long, long before I had any interest in food, I fell in love with the people, the French influence, the mystery  and the vampires. I blame Anne Rice novels. I’ve yet to visit New Orleans but it is number 100 on my bucket list. When I “grew up” and my interest for food developed, my obsession with New Orleans deepened. At the start of March, on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras celebration day in New Orleans) my friends and I converged on the newish Auckland restaurant, bar, speakeasy, smoky blues and jazz club called Orleans, in Britomart. Traditionally the day of debauchery before Lent starts, Fat Tuesday is all about living large with …

The Last Summer Barbecue

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I have been meaning to share this post for a while. When I was first diagnosed with Graves’ Disease at the end of summer, I did a lot of reading about what to eat. Being able to take control of something, even if it’s just diet made me feel less helpless about my health issues. Eating whole foods has been one positive change I’ve been making, dining out I usually make an exception but at festivals, where things like hot dog on a stick and greasy chips rule, it can be difficult to find something suitable to eat. A bunch of friends and I went to see The Opensouls reunion show mid-March at Phoenix Fest at Nixon Park, Kingsland. Back in 2007 and 2008, Phoenix Fest was just around the corner from our flat and a group of us would shake our asses off at the park and return home for further festivities. Phoenix Fest was on hiatus for 6 or so years and came back this year with a reunion show. How fitting! A …

9 items

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The Food I thought I would do a separate post for the meal I enjoyed with ten other bloggers at The Paddington, Parnell. There were 9 dishes (10 if you include the fries) and I ate every single one of them. I started with a glass of Rabbit Ranch (of course) pinot noir and stuck with the reds for the evening. Even though it was pretty much an open bar, everyone was on their best behavior. It was a school night afterall. From The Paddington’s Finger Food Menu Hoegaarden cured salmon in cucumber ribbons Confit vine tomato bruschetta From The Paddington’s Appetisers Menu Homemade mushroom wontons with chili dipping sauce Honey soy beef skewers with a chili lime dressing The Paddington’s Signature Dishes Mini portions of Seafood chowder Caesar salad to share with options, chicken and calamari to taste From The Paddington’s Mains Menu Slice of Pizza: Salami chicken and caramelised red onion with bbq sauce Sliders: Pork Belly Burger with Japanese mayonnaise slaw and fries From The Paddington’s Functions Menu Guinness & Baileys Cheesecake …

The most photographed wontons in the world

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Last night, tucked away in a pub in Parnell, ten Auckland bloggers gathered and feasted upon a nine dish tasting menu. Hosted by restaurant review website Zomato and The Paddington, this was an opportunity to show off the venue and a new menu. Zomato Zomato (rhymes with tomoto) launched here mid 2013 and is the newest review website in New Zealand. Zomato are gaining a good market share of reviews with their easy to navigate, clean design. As a graphic designer, I love a sleek website and I’m sure you do too. Their data collecting technique is mind boggling. Their data collectors have included over 3000 Auckland restaurants with more added weekly. I signed up to Zomato earlier this year and use it to get a feel for unfamiliar restaurants. With a tiered points system, reviewers on Zomato gain social status based on their activity. Almost any activity on Zomato will gain points and you can choose to follow reviewers with similar tastes. For those that love sharing and looking at food porn, you upload photos to restaurant listings and …

Go to a Korean BBQ

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It was a cold, wet and wintery night, part way through Auckland Restaurant Month. My parents, The Koala and I were in for a nice Korean meal at Faro on Lorne Street in Auckland City. First impressions: the restaurant is beautifully fitted out. There are a several dining areas and we were seated at the back in what we called a dining pit. The sunken tables hover just above be near the wooden floor, but our legs disappeared into a recess under the table. Getting up can be difficult, but made for a cozy meal. The staff were friendly and when we walked through the restaurant to our table at the back, we were greeted by many of their staff. Nice touch. The atmosphere is great here and they play  modern dance music, it’s upbeat but not loud. When dining with my family we usually share dishes. We ordered two set meals and two barbecue meals and it was the perfect amount of food. The set meals are great if you want authentic Korean cuisine without having to cook …

Mamak

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We spent last Christmas and New Years in Malaysia (Borneo) and I’ll never forget the food we ate there. I can’t believe almost a year had gone by already. One fond memory of indulgence was our first day in KK. Upon seeing the tiny prices on the menu, we assumed the dishes were starter sized, so we ordered 2 dishes each. They were main sized. Generous. We ate till our eyes glazed over. I’d been reading about a new place called Mamak from various local Malaysian food bloggers. The word mamak refers to Malaysia’s Tamil-Muslim who run food stalls serving tasty snacks at all hours. Mamak Malaysian is a fairly new addition to the Chancery in Auckland city and it’s been operating under the radar (or at least my radar) for most of 2011. The first time I visited, there were lots of Malaysian people dining and this is surely a mark of authenticity. The Chancery has always been had a European feel about it and with posh retail on all sides, al fresco dining …

Friday Favourites: Meat Feast

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Vegetarians, look away now. My favourite carnivorous experience in Auckland city has got to be Wildfire Churascaria. The style of eating is Churrasco, Brazilian BBQ. The idea is that various cuts of meat are brought to your table and you have a stop/go toggle to indicate if you are ready to feast or prefer a break. Here’s a review of my experience from last October: Despite the below average reviews from a local restaurant review website, we went to Wildfire night for dinner. We had a great group of carnivores and we opted for the early session (10 clams cheaper). The Koala and I arrived a little late (parking woes) and bread and dips were already at the table. We were all briefed on not filling up on bread and vege so we didn’t tear into them like crazy monkeys. The bread I did have was really hard so I could only eat 1 piece anyway. That’s fine. I wasn’t here for the bread. We ordered our drinks and the first meat – the smoked salmon – …