The Dish: This week's vital food finds

Activated charcoal. Photo / Morihata International Ltd.

FANCY SOME CHARCOAL?

The benefits: Activated charcoal has been used for health and healing purposes for more than 3000 years. It is known for its ability to filter toxins out of water and the human body. High-quality activated charcoal can be used to filter tap water (place a stick in your drink bottle or water jug), remove toxins from the skin, capture moisture and odours from the air, enhance blood circulation in a hot bath and deflect negative ions in your home.

How it works: Binchotan charcoal, from Japan's Kishu region, is activated by burning oak branches at extremely high temperatures for several days, then rapidly cooling them. If using in water, prior to use rinse charcoal and place it in boiling water for 10 minutes; let dry. May be used for up to three months. After use, break into small pieces and add to plant soil to improve drainage.

Where to get it:

Kishu Binchotan charcoal sticks, $22.50 per pack, from The Tonic Room, Kingsland.

tonicroom.co.nz

Petite Kitchen has been pegged as the host for Kinfolk dinners. Photo / Greta Kenyon.

KINFOLK x PETITE KITCHEN

The latest instalment of the now legendary Kinfolk dinners is soon to take place in Auckland, and Petite Kitchen has been pegged as the host. The three-course dinner will be held at Mondays Wholefoods Cafe, themed around the Japanese notion of "wabi-sabi", the acceptance of transience and imperfection. It's entitled "A Messy Meal", tickets cost $85, and as do all Kinfolk dinners, is likely to sell out outrageously quick.
See Petite Kitchen's website for details.

• 503B New North Rd, Kingsland, petite-kitchen.com

TIP OFF

Soon to grace City Works Depot is Odettes Eatery, the latest project from Clare and Joost van den Berg of Zomer Cafe in Takapuna. Due to open mid-October in Shed 5, the eatery is sure to lure people from near and far with its fresh and healthy produce.

Informal Tea. Photo / Supplied.

THE DETOXIFIER

Those who feel sluggish and could do with a reboot should turn to Informal Tea Co's new detox tea. A collaboration with wellbeing adviser Kim Reshaw, the tea is blended from organic dandelion root, liquorice root, milk thistle, ginger and star anise, and is designed to flush out any nasty business from your liver and kidneys. Buy online at informaltea.co.nz

MENU PICKS
Our favourite dishes around town . . .

1. The Hot Bird Salad at Boy and Bird - hot bird, black lentils, kumara, feta, peanuts, citrus and sultanas. With a generous portion and good balance of protein and carbs, it should keep you going well past dinner time.

2. Mozzarella fior di latte, olio nuovo, apple, sorrel at Ortolana. No need to ask the waiter to translate various words, for us it was a delightfully stringy mess of mozzarella in a pool of olive oil and citrus.

- VIVA