Looking to sample a flock of unforgettably good burgers or a DIY dessert box? You’re in luck.
Fire up the grill, Burger Wellington is on the horizon
Buckle up burger fans (or loosen your belt), because the programme for Burger Wellington is being announced today. The festivities are set to
Visa Wellington On a Plate Festival Director Sarah Meikle says the appetite for Burger Wellington has snowballed over the years, inspiring the decision to turn it into a full-blown celebration in its own right. “Burger Wellington started back in 2010 with just over 30 burgers for people to try and this year we have more than 200 burgers on offer! Burgers are the ultimate equaliser, allowing restaurants, cafes, and even corner stores to demonstrate their creativity. Every year I am blown away by the imagination, skills, and sense of fun of Wellington’s chefs,” she says.
Some standouts from the programme include Hippopotamus Restaurant’s Not Your Grandma’s Pearls, which combines Black Origin Wagyu beef with a Whitehart Korubuta pork patty, charred cos, Over The Moon Galactic Gold cheese, McClure’s pickles, French onion marmalade, foie gras butter and housemade koji burger sauce in a brioche bun from Shelley Bay Bakery. Mmmmm. For all the delicious burgers on offer, head to Visawoap.com.
Bubbles and bumps at Faradays
For a dose of luxury during the working week, Faradays has launched its ‘Bubbles and Bumps’ offering on Thursdays, which is the iconic pairing of Champagne and caviar, and a browse through the racks of Loewe, Alaia and La Perla, if you’re that way inclined. Drink Ruinat Blanc de Blancs with a serving of Sturia Vintage Caviar for a special set price, for a limited time. There are two options to choose from: a half-bottle of Champagne and the smaller 15g caviar tin ($199), or a standard full-sized bottle with the larger 30g caviar tin ($399). As well as Champagne and caviar, Faradays Bar’s regular food menu is on offer if you’re after something more substantial. To make a reservation, visit Faradays.store/bar for an automatic online booking. Alternatively, email bar@faradays.store or call (09) 217 1017. 8 Faraday St, Parnell.
Pōkeno Whisky is the first to age its whisky in totara barrels
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Advertise with NZME.Pōkeno Whisky launched last year with a range of single malts made with New Zealand ingredients. Now it’s become the first distillery to age its whisky in totara barrels, a native wood that its founder Matt Johns says imbues some unique flavours like creamy coconut, sweet-scented sap, ripe white peach and freshly cut wood. Mike says totara is tricky to work with because it’s a seriously hard wood that’s difficult to bend into a barrel. His 200-litre totara barrels have been given a light toast and char.
The new range of whisky is called the Exploration Series, designed to celebrate “the essence of New Zealand. Totara is the tree that has built Aotearoa — traditionally used for waka, carvings, homes and food storage. Thanks to the unique skills of New Zealand’s only cooper, Mike Tawse, working here in Pôkeno in New Zealand’s only cooperage, we can now add whisky barrels to this list,” says Matt.
With less than 2000 bottles of each single malt made for global distribution, around a quarter of which have been reserved for the New Zealand market, the Pōkeno Exploration Series is an extremely special limited-release collection. Having presold the first 300 bottles to existing customers, only 100 bottles of the Totara Cask remain available for purchase. This can be done either at the upcoming Auckland Food Show or direct from the Pōkeno distillery shop, which is open Saturdays 11am to 5pm. 22 Gateway Park Drive, Pōkeno.
Who makes the best pasta in Auckland?
Sometimes it can feel like Italian restaurants blur together a bit: Mozzarella caprese and a rustic aperitivo board usher in generously sauced plates of gnocchi and cacio e pepe, giving way to a slice of tiramisu or a glass of affogato. But these Auckland institutions have the unceasingly vibrant feeling of knowing what they are and what they do well, and are where you go when you crave something carby and comforting but also something you definitely could not make at home. Some of our favourites are simple and devoted, hedging their merits on classics done well; others are loved most for their distinctive preparations: long, chewy noodles doused in torched cheese, parmesan and truffle. Find the best here.
Book in for a $45 set menu at East
With Auckland Restaurant Month around the corner (throughout the month of August), Auckland restaurants are beginning to launch their special set menus. We love the sound of plant-powered eatery East’s two-course set meal with a curated selection of their most loved dishes, plus a complimentary glass of Two Rivers Pinot Gris for $45. Begin with a bite of edamame and Crispy Cups, followed by either the pad thai, penang curry or Vietnamese rice noodle salad. East made it into Viva’s Top 50 Restaurants for 2022 thanks to its intensely flavourful menu of vegetarian, Asian-fusion dishes. The special set menu is available every day for lunch and dinner. Book here. 63-67 Nelson St, Auckland CBD.
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Advertise with NZME.Woop DIY dessert box
A delicious delivery landed on the Viva team’s desk this week — a compile-your-own tiramisu cup, called the Cone A’ Misu, from the team at Giapo, brought to us by food box company Woop. Inside the box we found all the ingredients needed to make a beautiful dessert, with a cup-shaped wafer cone, a piping bag full of sweet mascarpone, biscuits for dunking in coffee and liqueur, and chocolate for dusting. Giapo’s Annarosa says the idea for the Cone A’ Misu “was conceived through a reimagination of the cone as a cup. It all began with playful sketches and hands-on experimentation until we achieved perfection”. We can confirm, it tasted delicious. For a limited time, Woop subscribers can win this DIY dessert kit each week from today until August 6. Visit Woop.co.nz for more details.
New opening: Soda, Queenstown
From Republic Hospitality Group comes Soda, a new restaurant on Queenstown’s waterfront offering a Mediterranean-style menu with views of Lake Wakatipu that’s only just opened its doors. Viva understands the restaurant has been highly anticipated which has seen La Rumbla and Slow Cuts owners Penelope Johnson and Sam Gruar team up with Republic Hospitality’s Mike Burgess and Blair Impey. The eatery occupies the space once held by Prime restaurant, and can cater to 100 diners plus room on the balcony. The interiors have been crafted by design studio CNTRL Space (who are on a roll after creating interiors for Michael Meredith’s new Pacific-style restaurant in SkyCity) with a big circular bar, wooden floors, brick walls and hints of pink and sage. The menu is made up of antipasti, small and large plates, the likes of taramasalata, mussel escabeche, seafood paella and lamb shoulder. 2 Rees St, Queenstown.
