Some of our favourite foodie finds for the weekend. Photos / Viva, Bite, Instagram @akemisgyoza
Hiding indoors from the thunderstorm this weekend? Whip up some of our winter comfort food suggestions including a classic cordon bleu or try pimping up your cheese on toast with chilli veg or creamy mushrooms.
If you're still keen to head out, we reckon the Street Eats festival at Shed 10 is a must-do. For something a little more intimate, ladies you can try your hand at learning the art of charcuterie with A Lady Butcher, Hannah Miller.
Read on for all our foodie suggestions for the weekend and happy eating!
Cheese on toast is a classic; any time of the day, any season of the year. But sometimes it can get boring. Pimp up your cheese toast with chilli vegetables or cover with sauerkraut and smoked cheddar.
For more fancy cheese on toast ideas see Warren Elwin's column over on bite.co.nz.
Comfort food in winter is one of life's little joys. This recipe by Kathy Paterson combines chicken schnitzel with a layer of thick ham and oozing cheese in the centre.
A late-night chocolate craving had Viva's Eleanor Ozich searching through her pantry, only to find she had next to no ingredients.
She found rolled oats, coconut sugar, cocoa and a few other simple items to whip up this chocolate cake that turned out to have a deeply rich and pleasing texture. Adding in a teaspoon of cardamom adds a nice complexity to the cake.
Walking into Happy Boy feels like entering a music video, writes Viva's Jesse Mulligan, the lighting is electric-blue and pink, making everybody in the room look young, mysterious and sexy.
The writer sampled the bao burgers - a mix between a steamed bao and a burger - along with some of the simple-sounding but deliciously mouthwatering desserts.
Now we're craving their chocolate brownie with miso butterscotch sauce. Drool!
There's no eggs bene on this brunch menu. Coffee and Durum is a Turkish restaurant offering up Middle-Eastern fare specialising in house-made borek, a savoury pastry stuffed with mince or mozzarella and potato or various combinations of leek, feta and silverbeet.
Grab a Turkish Plate for breakfast with the borek accompanied by a fresh Mediterranean-style cucumber and olive salad and a hot plate of salami.
Honeybear occupies the repurposed premises at the northernmost end of the Ponsonby Central alley. It's a slick spot, with a pink neon tube around the ceiling edge and a cool soundtrack.
The place purports to offer Indian-Burmese street food, although is mostly Indian with dishes such as the pakora and their signature dosa that comes in a big roll, ready for ripping and dipping into one of their fragrant curries.
Vitamin B is crucial for energy, mood and brain power but do you know which foods contain each sub-type of vitamin B?
From eating macadamia nuts and black beans to boost your B1 intake or mango, spinach and lentils to get more folic acid or B9 into your diet, there are plenty of foods rich in B vitamins.
There's no need to feel bad for having a "sneaky wine" with dinner each night, studies suggest indulging in a glass or two of wine with dinner can lower one's risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
While alcoholism and excessive drinking has been linked to a host of health issues, recent studies are proving the benefits of enjoying moderate amounts of alcohol.
Are you the type of person to go for a veggie burger over a hamburger because you think it's healthier? Well, think again. Hamburgers can be as simple as meat and salt whereas a veggie burger can often contain more than 20 ingredients including thickeners and protein substitutes.
Learn the art of charcuterie with chef and butcher Hannah Miller. New Zealand charcuterie producers A Lady Butcher will host "Chick Boss" - a girls-only charcuterie and pit boss masterclass. A Lady Butcher uses traditional methods to create cured and preserved meats from ethically raised Kiwi animals and other locally sourced ingredients.
The masterclass will take place at Miss Moonshine's, and includes beer cocktails from Behemoth Brewing Company.
Upskill in the art of foodography with a dinner where chefs and bloggers will be sharing tips on how to style and capture amazing food images on your phone.
Over six courses you will create Instagrammable meals perfect for sharing across your social media channels.
If you are struggling to get to all the great restaurants around Auckland this Restaurant Month, head to Street Eats at Shed 10 this weekend to experience a selection of bites from some of the city's best restaurants and food trucks.
Some of the eateries offering up meals at Queen's Wharf include Crab Shack, The Culpeper, Monsoon Poon, IMA Cuisine and Cafe Hanoi. Food trucks and pop-ups will include eats from Judge Bao, Lalele Organics, Langos Hungarian Fried Puffs and Scratch Bakers.