Jesse Mulligan Auckland Restaurant Recommendations: Where To Find A Drink In Ponsonby & Dine On Delicious Steak

In this fortnightly series, Viva’s resident dining-out editor shares advice on where and what to eat.

Do you have any restaurant-related questions or dining-out dilemmas? Jesse Mulligan is here to help.

Email Jesse at Viva@nzherald.co.nz and tell him what you need. Where and what do you like to eat? How much do you want to spend? If you’re just visiting, where are you staying while you’re in town? Who are you eating with? Does anybody have access issues?

Here are some questions he’s been asked lately and his answers.

Hi Jesse

I’ve just moved into a flat in Ponsonby and was thinking we should find a bar to call our local. The problem is most of the ones we’ve tried don’t have much of a neighbourhood feel – they seem more angled towards the Saturday night crowd. Any suggestions?

Olivia

Hi Olivia

Have fun and let me know how you go!

Kia ora Jesse

I have a question for you regarding MSG in Japanese food.

As someone who is sensitive to MSG, I would be interested to know if you have any insider knowledge/tips about how to navigate eating out in Japan.

My husband and I would love to go to Japan but we have been told by a friend who is fluent in Japanese and who has lived there that MSG is used widely in cooking. My experience in New Zealand has been that mid-range Japanese and Asian/fusion restaurants are happy to pick out items on the menu that do not contain MSG (either in sauces or added afterwards), but high-end restaurants are not interested in accommodating me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Sally

Hi Sally, please do go to Japan! Check out my numerous NZ Herald articles on how to make the most of your trip, and leave plenty of room to find your own favourite spots.

READ: Jesse Mulligan’s Kyoto Travel Guide Is Largely Unplanned, But Supremely Serene

For help with your inquiry, I consulted Clovis Peryer, Air New Zealand’s man in Japan for a number of years and someone who has immersed himself in the culture. Clovis has told me that Japan is like an onion – every time he feels like he completely understands some aspect of it, he discovers there is another layer underneath to uncover (he has one advantage in this regard – he’s married to Michiko, a master of various cultural rituals, including kintsugi, which she teaches here and in Tokyo).

Anyway, Clovis has some advice for you on MSG which I hope you’ll find reassuring:

“Yes, there is a lot of MSG used in cheap chain restaurants in Japan, like it is used in cheap Asian restaurants here in NZ. You can taste it when it is used – it makes my tongue tingle a little bit.

MSG (aji ni moto) is not used in better places though – or with the likes of sushi. Cheap yakitori places are prime candidates for MSG usage.

So, if Sally is thinking “wow, this meal is so cheap”, chances are MSG is being used.

People know it is used in cheap izakayas so don’t really ask, as if it is a problem, they probably shouldn’t go.

And in the medium-to-better places it is known that it is not used so you don’t need to ask, especially as it would be somewhat rude to ask.

But, if Sally can’t keep away from the cheap chain restaurants, perhaps she could get a card made saying, “Please let me know if anything I order has MSG”. I had a friend who was celiac who visited Japan and she got a card printed from the internet which she showed to the wait staff – they all understood quickly and were helpful.

Hope that helps.”

Dear Jesse

My elderly father is visiting next month from the UK. He has somewhat traditional tastes, but he loves steak tartare. Where do you suggest we go to get him a good one?

Carol

Hi Carol

You won’t have trouble finding a decent steak tartare (or version of it) in Auckland. Ten years ago it was a rarity – now it would be easier to find a restaurant that didn’t serve it.

Perhaps we can thank chef Sean Connolly for turning this into a mainstream dish. He famously used to make it tableside at The Grill and while he’s moved on from that restaurant now I’m delighted to report it’s still available at Esther, on the ground floor of the QT.

I had the QT version just the other night and it is wonderful! Unadulterated by fusion-istic additions, it features all the classic condiments: mustard, capers, gherkins and onion. The waiter arrives at your table with a trolley full of goodies and then creates the dish for you fresh. Your dad will love it, though if he wants the traditional toast points he’ll have to ask for them – Esther’s version instead comes with a side of fries and crisp, bitter leaves.

Previously recommended by Jesse Mulligan

What you’ve asked, and what he’s shared.

Where To Find Japanese Food You’ll Love & What To Do About The Bill. Plus more on pet-friendly dining.

Where To Take A Vegetarian & Accessible Eateries. Get out of the city centre to find some of the best accessible eateries.

Great Chinese Food & Where To Go To Impress A Chef. A restaurant packed with heart, soul and a lifetime of experience that is surprisingly fun too.

Where To Go For An After-Work Drink; The Strangest Things I’ve Found In My Food. Plus, news from a beloved bar on Karangahape Rd.

Auckland’s Top Thai Spots; Where To Go For A Quiet, Romantic Dinner. From big menus and a sublime satay sauce to lovely lighting and good acoustics.

Where To Go For Good Gnocchi; A Drink In Mt Eden. Try three different styles of gnocchi cooked traditionally, and Jesse’s current favourite.