This week we’re immersing ourselves in an Italian holiday without leaving Aotearoa, eating burgers by the beach and celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori with a new cookbook.
Pretend you’re in Europe with Esther’s new lunch series
We’re hearing reports that “everyone is in Europe” and to ease the disappointment that we’re not among them, this new lunch series from Esther is just the ticket. ‘Food of the Sun’ is happening every Saturday throughout October, right through until March 2024 (we suggest booking in now for a summer of fun and food to look forward to), promising to take guests on a flavour journey through the Mediterranean, from the Amalfi Coast to Saint Tropez, Tel Aviv, Mykonos, Marrakesh, and Ibiza, with the menu changing every week.
Esther’s chef Sean Connolly is all about celebrating the flavours of the Med with his award-winning food (Esther is a Viva Top 50 Auckland Restaurant) and to kick off the series, he’s been inspired by the abundance of the Amalfi Coast with dishes like oven-baked focaccia with roast tomatoes and mozzarella, eggplant parmigiana, and linguine vongole. Excitingly, each lunch event will include a themed feasting menu based around a different location, plus a cocktail on arrival, so expect the dishes to change.
Tickets for Food of the Sun are priced at $85 per person. The lunch runs from 12pm-4pm at Esther at QT Hotel. 4 Viaduct Harbour Ave, Auckland central. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
Burger Burger opens a new Torbay location
Burger Burger has announced two new locations, one in Auckland’s Torbay, due to open this week, and the other in Hamilton’s MADE development, set to open early November. That means eight locations for Burger Burger, which began as a 40-seat restaurant in Ponsonby Central in 2014. Restaurateur and owner Mimi Gilmour Buckley created Burger Burger with a mission of serving great burgers made with premium local ingredients, which was a rarity 10 years ago, and served alongside a drinks menu of craft beer, cocktails and even Champagne if that’s your thing.
The Torbay location in Waiake Beach Reserve is a 100-square-metre space that can seat 120 diners. The interior continues Burger Buger’s signature retro feel with vintage-inspired posters, neon lights, booths and custom artwork by Hayley Brown. Best of all, your burgers are served up with a sea view.
As well as Burger Burger, Tuckshop by Burger Burger is also opening at the same Torbay location, selling Supreme Coffee, Wild Wheat pastries, Bowl & Arrow smoothies, Two Islands sodas, Fix & Fogg toasts, and more.
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Advertise with NZME.Burger Burger Torbay, 932 Beach Road, Waiake, open daily from 11.30am. Phone (09) 448 5544.
On the shelf: Zeffer introduces a new range of alcoholic lemonades
Hawke’s Bay-based Zeffer is usually known for its ciders — shout out to the feijoa-infused one — and now Zeffer has introduced a new string to its bow: a range of hazy alcoholic lemonades. Combining Hawke’s Bay lemons with a touch of premium spirit, the Zeffer team say this beverage is crafted from nothing but real fruit.
“We’ve been experimenting with how to craft the most refreshing alcoholic lemonade and we’re excited to share our twist on this classic. It’s a true celebration of New Zealand ingredients, Kiwi ingenuity and our commitment to sustainability,” says Jody Scott, head of cidermaking and operations at Zeffer.
Wait, what kind of booze is it though? The team say the spirits used in this blend are produced through the making of 0 per cent cider and 0 per cent wine and through some experimentation they’ve found a way to turn what would otherwise be a bi-product into a subtle alcohol.
“We’ve created a unique blend of spirits made from Hawke’s Bay apples and sauvignon blanc grapes, resulting in a deliciously tropical, light spirit,” says Jody.
There are three flavours — the original Hazy Alcoholic Lemonade, and one with NZ-grown boysenberry and another with pineapple flavours. $25 for 6, from all good supermarkets.
It’s Organic Wine Week next week!
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Advertise with NZME.Ahead of Organic Wine Week from September 18-24, we’re here to encourage you to try an organic drop from New Zealand’s growing number of organic winemakers. Timed around the spring equinox, the sixth annual Organic Wine Week is a celebration of organic wines from Aotearoa organised by Organic Winegrowers NZ (OWNZ). The aim is to showcase and raise awareness of the importance and quality of organic wine in the country.
On Thursday, September 21, head to East Street Hall from 5.30pm until 8pm for an opportunity to try 60 different bottles, poured by 20 organic wineries, accompanied by some snacks from the East Street Hall kitchen. You’ll need tickets for this event ($38), available here Organicwinenz.com/downtoearth.
Viva’s wine editor Jo Burzynska says organic wines are made without synthetic chemical fertilisers, pesticides, or herbicides, with a focus on working with nature rather than against it to foster the biodiversity that supports healthy soil and vines. These encompass biodynamic wines, which additionally work with special plant, animal and mineral preparations, and the rhythmic influences of the sun, moon and planets. Find five of her top organic wine recommendations here.
Edmonds launches its first te reo Māori cookbook, Edmonds Taku Puka Tohutao Tuatahi
Edmonds My First Cookbook is an illustrated step-by-step cookbook designed to teach children how to make classic New Zealand recipes like pikelets, Afghan biscuits, pizzas and much more. Now, it’s available in te reo Māori. Edmonds Taku Puka Tohutao Tuatahi not only makes learning te reo Māori fun, but it’s also a tool to encourage whānau to cook and bake together.
Edmonds Taku Puka Tohutao Tuatahi is published in partnership with Kotahi Rau Pukapuka Trust (KRP) and Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand. Kotahi Rau Pukapuka aims to commission and translate 100 books into te reo Māori to encourage speaking, reading and writing the language.
Edmonds ambassador Stacey Morrison is thrilled that such an iconic New Zealand brand is embracing the use of te reo Māori in an everyday way. “Being in the kitchen with my kids has long been a joy and a learning experience for me. When they were little, I learned many of the Māori words in this book so I could share the reo and the cooking experience with them,” says Stacey.
Edmonds Taku Puka Tohutao Tuatahi is available from all good bookstores, $28.
East Street Hall has a new menu for summer
If you’ve been wondering what’s happening with the East Street Hall kitchen lately, we have an update for you. The team is working on a new collaboration with Italian Dan Pinto of Passa Passa, which means a new Italian menu until the end of the year. Dan has given the menu a refresh with his spin on ‘summer in Northern Italy’. That means light pizzette with in-season toppings like leek, lemon, taleggio and pancetta, or anchovies, tomato and pickled cucumber. There are small plates like rosemary potatoes and stracciatella with sourdough crumb. A cocktail never goes amiss at East Street and carrying on the Italian summer vibe is the Sbagliato Blanco (bergamot, mandarin, bubbles) or the ESH Garibaldi (gin, Campari, orange).
As well as the new menu, East Street Hall is bringing back its jazz nights every first Thursday of the month to coincide with Karangahape Rd’s First Thursdays, which means markets stalls, bands and more (organised by the K Rd Business Association).
A highly subjective guide to Auckland’s best doughnuts
The Viva team dove headfirst into the challenge of tasting some of Auckland’s best doughnuts, sampling examples from 14 different establishments, in an attempt to highlight the greatest flavours from each location and consider what each bakery might be best suited for (party? Weekend treat? Bringing joy to a corporate lunch? Maybe all three?). Find out all the delicious results here.
What The Viva Team Has Been Eating This Week...
Michelin-star hawker noodles from Tai Hwa Eating House
“I was lucky enough to visit Singapore recently, something you can read all about in this week’s issue of Viva (and online, of course). While it’s hard to pick a favourite from a plethora of tasty meals — this city is mad about food — but I must say, visiting some of the city’s iconic hawker centres was rather special. They’re a unique part of Singaporean food culture, and foundational to each neighbourhood. Eating at these dining institutions was a highlight of our visit, particularly the open-air Tai Hwa Eating House in Kallang. It’s there that you’ll find some of Singapore’s famous Michelin-starred street food; Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle serves up an incredible gan mian (dry noodles), a spicy dish with several incarnations of pork — including crackling, which soaks up the sauce nicely. A side of zha bian yu (salted fried fish) doesn’t go amiss. Nor does a cup of kopi, traditional Singapore-style coffee regardless of the hour.” — Emma Gleason, commercial editor
Salmon and labneh bagels from Daily Bread, Britomart
“Last week, perhaps spurred by the arrival of genuine, sustained sunshine, I ventured a little further for a workday lunch. I wandered down to the new Daily Bread in Britomart to meet some friends for a speedy Friday lunch and was chuffed with the new fit-out and extensive lunch-appropriate menu. I tucked into a labneh-laden sesame bagel, generously topped with salmon, red onion, capers and chives. As a cream-cheese loyalist (I love heaps of tang and heavier texture), I still loved the lighter helping of labneh. I’d happily return for this bagel (maybe even take the train into the city for it on the weekend?). I am also determined to eat my way through the cabinet salads and sandwiches.” — Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist
Vegan yum cha from East
“I took East’s vegan yum cha for a spin and found it a nice way to spend a Sunday (it’s on every Sunday in September). East is known for its plant-based menu and its yum cha offering is the chefs’ take on yum cha classics, made without meat. That means jackfruit instead of pork in the char siu bao and wood ear mushrooms instead of pork for the sheng jian bao. While I didn’t miss the meat, I did kind of miss the trolleys (you order by ticking items off a menu with a pencil, which also has a fun novelty factor) and East would be wise to supply soy and chilli oil for the table but overall, the menu was great and I left feeling significantly less bogged down than a usual yum char session. Be sure to order the spring onion pancakes (which are always on the East menu), which are hot and crispy and come with a flavourful chilli sauce and the fried wontons with sweet chilli dipping sauce. Bookings are recommended, and the yum cha sitting runs from 12pm-3pm”. — Johanna Thornton, deputy editor
