All posts filed under: Culinary Adventures

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 …

Our Growing Edge July Round Up

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Hello lovelies, just a quick invitation to check out the round up for Our Growing Edge over on Organic Ash. Some very cohesive cooking last month. Definately some colour co-ordination. It’s almost as if we bloggers were on the same wavelength. Hive mind if you will. Lindsey from Sneaks and Sweets 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. More information here.    

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 …

Late at the Museum: The Cult of Food

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In conjunction with Auckland Restaurant Month, Auckland Museum will be hosting LATE at the Museum: The Cult of Food on Monday 11 August from 6pm until late. Tickets $20, Members $10. Food and drink will be available for purchase. I have my ticket, currently going solo if anyone wants to join me. The ever-evolving Late is a series of curated evenings, which include special guests, live performances, drinks, food, and special late-night exhibition tours. Over the course of an evening we delve into the culture of food, past, present and beyond, we also look at local eating habits and attempt to answer the ever popular question: “What is New Zealand’s national dish?” If you are what you eat then who are we as New Zealanders? First up in the this year’s LATE series we take a bite out of the mouth-watering topic of food. Chaired by Jesse Mulligan your expert panel for the evening features chef and restaurateur Al Brown, AUT Professor of Public Health Grant Schofield, Anne Thorp from the popular TV series Kai Ora and Rod Jackson, Professor of Epidemiology …

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 …

1 pâté, 18 cheeses and 3 soups

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Cheesey leftovers We had quite the cheese fest in the weekend and ended up with 7 different kinds of cheese leftover. Leftover cheese!? What is that? I hear you ask. I know, it sounds strange to be the owner of leftover cheese. To be fair, we sampled 18 different kinds of cheese and most of them were finished. I’ll be posting more about the cheese fest later. We had a shit ton of crackers, baguettes and antipasto bits and pieces. I made 3 cups of chicken liver pâté for the occasion and have a little leftover. It is amazing spread on hot toast. If you’ve never eaten pâté on hot toast before, you are missing out. The moment that buttery goodness touches heat, it starts melting. It’s amazing. The Honest Truth This week The Honesty Box delivered spuds, kumara (sweet potato) and a big pumpkin among other goodies. This all screams SOUP to me. Since we had no soup last week, this week we’re having 3 kinds of soup! I’m cutting down on gluten for my Graves’ …

Crispy Roast Pork: Cantonese style

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This post is part of Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event to encourage bloggers to try new food related things. Ash from Organic Ash 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. More information here. Crispy roast pork (siu yuk) can be found hanging among roast ducks and slabs of shiny red BBQ pork in the windows of Cantonese BBQ restaurants everywhere. Traditionally, pork is roasted with seasoning in a charcoal furnace and is served as an appetiser* with your choice of dipping sauce. Soy sauce and hoisin sauce are popular but I love it dipped in mustard. Served with a bowl of rice and some Chinese greens, it’s a simple and delicious dinner. It’s interesting to note that the words “siu yuk” directly translates to roast meat, not roast pork. I guess pork is so ubiquitous in Cantonese cuisine that meat equals pork by default. While I have made English-style roast pork on many occasions, I’d never considered cooking the …

Pop Up Macarons

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Last weekend, a couple of friends and I checked out the J’aime Les Macarons’ pop up shop at Bloc in Mt Eden. The Bloc is a design retail hub with stores such as BoCocept, Citta Design, World Beauty, Collected by LeeAnn Yare and Douglas and Bec. Swoon-worthy stuff and reasonable prices. My go-to stop when ever I want to buy a gift, though I haven’t actually bought anything for myself there…until now. J’aime Les Macarons means I love macarons in French. A pop up shop a temporary shop and a great way for new businesses to get feedback in unfamiliar waters. Amanda Marchant and Bridget O’Sullivan are in charge and are two passionate, creative foodies with an eye and palate for some stunning flavour combinations. J’aime Les Macarons currently have two stores in Christchurch as well as stockists scattered around the country. If you prefer, you can buy a box of 12 from their website and they also do cakes, weddings and corporate events. They have a range of 6 classic flavours and their Winter …

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. …

Getting back on track menu

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Results I had a blood test on Saturday and the results weren’t so flash. I hadn’t been feeling quite normal lately and I should have guessed that I was back to being hyperthyroidic. My last few blood tests had been great so this setback feels like a slap in the face. The pendulum swings both ways, so let’s hope it swings back in my favour with adjusted meds and diet. I haven’t done a menu plan for a few weeks and as a result, maybe I’ve been slacking off on my self-imposed diet. There is controversy about diet and auto-immune diseases. My endocrinologist (frustratingly) says diet has no influence on my condition. But I think eating better makes sense and surely it cannot hurt. I guess being able to control at least one aspect of my life helps. Diet I’m going mostly gluten-free and eating lots of whole foods. Proteins, vegetables, dairy are up. More juicing. Minimal alcohol and refined sugar. I’ll allow myself 1 glass of wine per week (medicinal purposes) and use honey in my hot drinks. I’m going to invest in a …

Our Growing Edge July Intro

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        Phuong of My Kitchen of Love who is currently in Vietnam has just posted the round up for June’s edition of Our Growing Edge. Check out the sumptuous 13 item feast here.   July’s edition is being hosted by Ash from Organic Ash.   Our Growing Edge is the part of us that is still learning and experimenting. It’s the part that you regularly grow and improve, be it from real passion or a conscious effort. This monthly event aims to connect and inspire us to try new things and to compile a monthly snapshot of what food bloggers are getting up to. If you have a blog and are trying something new with food this month, come and join us!

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 …

Our Growing Edge June intro

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Apologies for being late this month with this post. First I’d like to direct you to Eva from Kitchen Inspiration’s round up of May’s edition of Our Growing Edge. It’s so lovely to see a good mix of regular contributors as well as new faces. Next I’d like to invite you to join us for June’s edition of Our Growing Edge. Phuong from My Kitchen of Love is our host for June’s edition. If you have a blog and are trying something new with food this month, please submit your post to the link below.   Have a delicious week!

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 …