Jesse Mulligan Auckland Restaurant Recommendations: Where To Go For Great Vegetarian Indian; The Boom Of ‘No Bookings’

In this fortnightly series, Viva’s resident dining-out editor shares his sage advice on exactly where to eat. He’s eaten a lot of bad meals so you don’t have to.

Do you have any restaurant-related questions or dining-out conundrums? 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 what he told them.

Hi Jesse,

I was excited to read about Uno in Viva this morning, even if it’s still a fair distance from us in Coatesville to Birkenhead. But I see they’re doing “no bookings” which sadly puts it off the list for us. When are restaurants going to move on from this?

Brent

Hi Brent,

Plenty of restaurants followed suit but I’ve noticed in the past 12 months even the most staunch “no bookings” joints have quietly begun offering reservations on their websites. This trend is probably a reflection on the winter everybody has had — it’s been quiet at even the very best city restaurants and you’ll notice a few new value menus and casual offerings being dangled to try and get people through the door.

Let’s hope things pick up again for them over the Christmas season, but I wouldn’t expect a change in policy from Uno (which, by the way, looks incredible) any time soon. By all accounts decent suburban restaurants are still heaving — people are apparently happy to eat out, but coming into the city for a meal is (literally, for those on the Shore) currently a bridge too far.

Hey Jesse,

My English dad is coming up to stay for a week and he is pretty old-school. Anything you can suggest that might remind him of home? (No deep-fried Mars Bars, please!)

Callum

Hey Callum,

Why don’t you take him out for a Beef Wellington? The version they do at Moxie is just fantastic, though do book it in advance to make sure they don’t run out. The chefs and staff are great banter there too — I think your dad will enjoy settling in for a yarn and a kai.

If he’s here on Sunday take him to Josh Emett’s Onslow — where they do a Venison Wellington as part of a long lunch. It’s a great way to use a lean venison fillet, without being so weird that it’ll freak your dad out. Plus if he likes a drink (you said he was English, right?) they do a wine match along with this four-course menu — he’ll feel like a visiting king.

Dear Jesse,

Sorry for such a specific request but where can I get a great Indian vegetarian meal? My granddaughter is up from Dunedin and is desperate to eat something authentic and spicy, but she doesn’t eat meat! It doesn’t need to be fancy — in fact, I suspect the best places won’t be.

Jan

Hi Jan,

If you want a first-class, no-expense-spared Indian meal, check out my recent review of Cassia, a wonderful restaurant that has lots and lots of vege options (in fact, most Indian restaurants do). But if you’re willing to be more adventurous (and save a couple of hundred dollars), you could try Eggs and More, an inauspiciously titled Sandringham curry house that only does meat-free food — it specialises in egg curries. I loved the vibe and it was a brand-new cuisine to me — cooked eggs in gravy — though my Indian journalist friend and vegetarian food expert Gaurav tells me they have too much cream for his tastes (a concession, he thinks to local palates).

He recommends Hungrry-La (not a misspelling) and says, “I like their egg curry. Also, try their masala tea. One of the best I have had here. They don’t offer machine-made tea. They make it over gas as it’s made in India. They also have five-shot pani puri — as in India, different flavours. And their roti, freshly made of wheat. Different from naan, and healthier.”

A little further out is Maya’s Bistro in Flatbush, where they specialise in the (lighter, arguably healthier) South Indian cuisine. Gaurav recommends their breakfast if you fancy a morning adventure.

Good luck Jan, and thanks, Gaurav!

Previously Recommended By Jesse

What you’ve asked, what he’s shared.

Where To Go For BYO & A Lovely Birthday Long Lunch. Think a three-course set menu of beautiful cooking, and you’re welcome to bring a bottle.

Where To Eat In Commercial Bay; Where I Buy Indian Spices. “I fear the box of cumin I bought from Pak’nSave isn’t going to cut it,” says a reader.

Dining Rooms With A View; Best (Inexpensive) Lunch In Auckland’s CBD. Because eating a city lunch can sometimes feel like another work chore.

Where To Find Great Indonesian Food; Review Regrets. One reader asks: Do you ever regret writing a bad review (or a good one)?