Auckland is a sprawling city and there are plenty of culinary gems tucked away, only known to serious foodies. Three women running food tour companies have made it their business to find the real food of Auckland. Alexia Santamaria convinced them to spill some of the city’s most delicious secrets.
Elle Armon-Jones
The Big Foody Food Tours Elle Armon-Jones came to New Zealand from the UK in 2003 intending to stay for six months. She's still here over a decade later. "I just fell in love with the food," she says. "Probably because some of the first people I met were a Laos and English couple who introduced me to the best combination of Asian and Western cuisine imaginable."
Armon-Jones has always worked in the hospitality industry - in hotel management, tourism and as a chef. She saw a huge opportunity here to show other visitors the wide array of culinary delights available in this country and five years ago launched The Big Foody Food Tours, taking groups around Auckland and other parts of the country, if requested.
Her passion for food has led her to all kinds of discoveries around Auckland, some mainstream and some less well-known. "We visit places like the Auckland Fish Markets and Farmers Markets, Millers Coffee and Sabato. Tourists are blown away by the quality of local produce."
But Armon-Jones says lots of places people don't know so well have fabulous food, too. "All the stalls at Hobsonville Pt market are incredible. The meat rubs from Wild Fennel, Farmgate meats, Line's Knaekbrod (Danish crackerbread), Earthbound Honey - in fact all of them are pretty amazing.
"One of my favourite things to do is go and grab one of the pies from Heavenly Pies and eat it outside by the water. I also like to take home some beautiful kumara bread from Pukeko Baker and smother it with Lewis Road Creamery butter when I get home - heaven.
Milse. Photo / Babiche Martens
"I live on the North Shore and lots of people who don't have no idea how many hidden gems there are in and around the suburbs. The dumplings from Haroobang Dumpling on Link Drive (don't bother with the other stuff, their speciality is dumplings); the incredible Korean BBQ at Bi Won on Wairau Rd; and the Lamb Burgers at the Burger Bach in Takapuna - those Southland boys sure can cook."
And Armon-Jones isn't just in love with Auckland's food, either. "There are so many fabulous drinking options, too. I love the Thompson's Whisk, the Cardamom Old-Fashioned cocktail at Cassia (and anything off their amazing wine list) and I'm just so impressed at the developing craft beer scene. Vulture's Lane is great and we've done some wildly successful beer and food matchings there for events - you wouldn't believe how well a Mahoe Very Old Edam goes with a good Pilsner."
And for sweet lovers? Armon-Jones' picks are Milse, Kohu Road, especially the dark chocolate, and Giapo. "Those products should be marketed by big pharmas as cures for depression. There's not much they can't solve, or at least improve."
Finding Flavour Lynn Huhtala had the idea for her company, Finding Flavour, in 2008 while looking at an overseas website of food tours that took people to ethnic and specialist food suppliers and producers in various neighbourhoods in that city.
"I thought, I wish we had that here in Auckland. And the more I thought about it, the more I felt I needed to make it happen."
The first series of tours she did were discoveries of parts of Auckland: the North Shore, central, east, south and west Auckland. Her research uncovered more than she had imagined, often hidden in far-flung suburbs. "Who would know that in Glenfield there are two excellent Middle Eastern businesses side by side on Archers Rd - North Shore Meat Centre and Barakah Foods - or that there is a fantastic German baker called Diehl's just a few blocks away making amazing authentic soft pretzels?
"You should see the queues coming out the door on Saturday mornings!"
Huhtala found South Auckland full of surprises. "I love taking people to authentic European producer Hungarian Delicatessen Smallgoods. People are amazed to discover this artisan business in the heart of suburban Manurewa and they just love his sausages and cured meats! People are so excited when they find gems like this in their own city."
Out east, most people know about friendly Jose and Maria and their authentic food at Mexican Specialties in Ellerslie, but Huhtala says not many know of the international range of food at sharp prices at the warehouse store of Davis Trading, close by in Mt Wellington.
Barakah Fresh Food shop in Glenfield. Photo / Martin Sykes
"And most people think of Newmarket for great retail and fashion shopping, but don't realise how many international food suppliers there are. On the same street as auto repair shops is a slice of France, Maison Vauron and L'Atelier du Fromage.
"All the staff are French or speak French, and the upstairs wine cellar makes you feel like you could be in Paris. They do platters, wine and a plat du jour, too, so you can have the whole French experience."
Huhtala also does a Mt Eden walking tour. "I love taking people around Mt Eden Village because locals and visitors can experience so much quality New Zealand food in such a compact area. Tucked into a small shop in the village is a business now called Chapter, which is one of Auckland's first tea specialists.
"Not only can you try literally hundreds of types of international teas, but also New Zealand's own homegrown brew from Zealong, or tea infused with our own indigenous herbs from NZ Live.
German delicacies from Diehl's Bakery. Photo / NZME.
"And of course there's the award-winning fish and chips for lunch at Mt Eden Village Fish Shop next door, always popular."
Huhtala also hunts out cheap and cheerful places to dine for a regular blog. "While researching for Finding Flavour I find so many great lunch and dinner spots. My latest favourite would have to be Nanam for Filipino food in Royal Oak. Even thinking about their Tacopao makes my mouth water - sticky pulled pork in house-made buns with chopped peanuts, pickled ginger, pickled shredded carrot and pork crackling. Heaven!
"The Auckland food scene just seems to get more exciting every day."
Tanah Jane Dowdle
Gourmet Joy Tanah Jane Dowdle knows a thing or two about food after more than 40 years in culinary roles such as chef, restaurant owner, sommelier, wine consultant, food stylist, radio and TV food presenter and caterer. She spends a lot of her time taking food classes and tours for keen Auckland foodies with her company Gourmet Joy.
"One of our most popular tours is the Avondale Market, shop, cook and lunch. We get there early, have a look around and leave with bags bulging with things to cook at my kitchen in Grey Lynn.
"Everyone loves the Thai sweets stand - Mrs Sun who makes them is so talented. We bring a whole lot back and serve them on a platter with lemongrass tea before we start cooking."
Dowdle says Avondale Market is a treasure and laments that many Aucklanders haven't visited it. "The produce is amazing and the diversity of cultures is great. Aside from Anne's Thai sweets I think everyone who goes there should visit the Lao Street-Food Stalls and John's Tofu - he offers free tasting of 10 different styles. I often bump into well-known Auckland chefs there.
Maldito Mendez in Ponsonby. Photo / Chris Gorman
"I'm loving K Rd at the moment, too. Clever Lesley Hottiaux at Apero makes killer French sausages, duck terrine and rillettes and with Mo (ex Merediths) behind the wine list, you're guaranteed to drink something you've never seen anywhere else in Auckland.
"There's a great little food scene kicking off around there. I love Uncle Man's Malaysian and Pok Pok Thai across the road and it's always fun to finish an evening with baklava and a "hubble bubble" pipe at one of the authentic Middle Eastern cafes on the strip."
Even though she covers all cuisines at Gourmet Joy, Asian food is one of Dowdle's favourites and she says Auckland is an amazing city for it. "When we do the Dominion Rd tour I take people to Tai Ping Supermarket as they have all kinds of mini-stalls of great ready-to-eat food created fresh onsite.
"Look out for Mrs May, her dumplings are amazing - they have to be because Asian shoppers are discerning and an average pork bun or xiao long bao would never cut it. There's also a place that does wonderful Korean side dishes. So nice to pick up something to snack on after you've done your shopping."
Pastry from Vaniye in Parnell. Photo / Doug Sherring
Dowdle also runs a little B&B and sends people to Ponsonby Central if they don't know where to eat in Auckland. "It's not a hidden gem, but it has such a great range and it's popular for very good reason. One of my favourites is Maldito Mendez for sizzler cocktails, tacos and fabulous ceviche. Uruguayan food is divine. And they do some amazing desserts."
Speaking of sweet treats, Dowdle's picks are Vaniye in Parnell for French cakes that "taste amazing and look like art", or for a more rustic look and feel, the "gorgeous croissants and patisserie from La Voie Francaise" on Dominion Rd. "Completely different but equally exquisite - it's no wonder so many top restaurants use their bread and pastries."
Join the conversation on the Herald Life Facebook page
