What’s new in food? We’ve rounded up new openings, special cheffy collaborations and exciting fundraising efforts.
Church Road is in residence at Somm Cellar Door this month
Church Road Winery has announced a month-long residency within Somm Cellar Door on Princes Wharf, bringing its Hawke’s Bay drops to Auckland
A new bar has opened in Ponsonby with an analogue accessory
The team behind Korean restaurant and wine bar Ockhee and sandwich joint Swings have opened their newest venture, Nami Record Bar, on Ponsonby Rd. In their distinct approach to hospitality, the team behind Ockhee and Swings have reliably referenced “tasty beats” and “jazzy things”. The pivot to this music-focused bar will see the founders - Dan Bali, Lisa Lee, Paul Minkyu Lee and Kevin Cho - moving to a similar rhythm. This new spot occupies the space that previously housed Conch, which also dabbled in a sonic sensibility before transitioning to a bar and restaurant. The menu consists of salty, saucy and spicy bites (think deep-fried fishcake chips and la galbi). Both beer and wine flow on tap (there are a few classic cocktail options too, if that’s your preference). Each weekend, the bar also announces a new fresh lineup of DJs. If you’re in the mood for a dance, lit by a spinning disco ball, this is the spot. Nami Record Bar is open from 4pm until late. 115A Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby.
Lebanese Grocer’s inner-city courtyard is now open
Lebanese Grocer, Pitt St’s popular Middle Eastern deli and store curated by chef Elie Assaf (who was previously chef at Milenta and before that Williams Eatery), has announced the opening of a new courtyard dining space. The “greenhouse” is painted sage and teeming with plants, providing a fresh feeling among the persistent greys of the inner city. The new space grants the Lebanese Grocer the opportunity to host a dine-in service, as the kitchen serves reliable favourites from the menu (we’ve previously enjoyed its house-made lemonade, shawarmas and pita chips). 61-65 Pitt St, Auckland CBD.
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Advertise with NZME.A new coffee spot is coming to Parnell
Young Dandy, a new cafe, is set to open in Parnell this month. The owner-operated cafe will be helmed by James Prendergast, whose expertise lies in coffee and wine, while Amy Barrowclough will steer the kitchen as head chef (both worked with Ozone Coffee, as general manager and head chef respectively). Prendergast promises the spot will be “serious about the execution of simple things”. Barrowclough relays that the menu will centre on New Zealand produce, with highlights including caldereta toast with kahawai, Vadouvan spiced mushrooms and beef brisket (to be paired with cornbread and smoked cheese). Prendergast also shares ambitions to welcome other chefs later this year, after acquiring a liquor licence: “Young Dandy is excited to introduce some chef series pop-ups into the space and look to enhance our community presence.” 118 Parnell Rd, Parnell.
Paris Butter will host an exciting culinary collaboration
As a part of Paris Butter’s ongoing chef collaboration series, resident head chef Zennon Wijlens and Jack Cashmore of The Chef’s Table at Blue Duck Station will be showcasing their fine-dining expertise this month. On Tuesday May 21 and Wednesday May 22, the chefs and their respective teams will present six courses and a series of snacks comprising New Zealand produce. Tickets are priced at $250 per person and optional wine pairings are available for an additional $150 per person. You can book a reservation now at Parisbutter.co.nz. 166 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay.
Eat Drink Love Ponsonby is celebrating the suburb’s hospitality
Ponsonby’s bar and restaurant festival is running this month and dining rooms along the hub are plating up special dishes and set menus to mark the occasion. The refreshed dining room at Farina is serving up antipasto and vino in the early afternoon, Sidart has a five-course menu for $90 (think Ruakākā kingfish, a fish curry from a family recipe and wagyu beef) and Daphnes is hosting diners with shared plates that include sourdough flatbreads, halloumi fritters and tuna carpaccio for $65 per person. More than 50 restaurants are taking part in the celebrations this month, so there’s certainly a plate to suit every palate. See the full list of events at Eatdrinkloveponsonby.co.nz.
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Advertise with NZME.The Candy Shop has a new breakfast offering
The Candy Shop, Newmarket’s cosy all-day brick lane cafe, has announced some fresh additions to an early-bird breakfast menu. From Monday until Friday from 7am to 10am, the cafe will offer a breakfast and coffee combo for $15. Among the food offerings, The Candy Shop will be serving an eggs benedict atop a hash brown with herby hollandaise, egg and avocado toast, gravlax, cream cheese and capers on toast and a sweeter stone fruit and ricotta toast. 2/8 Osbourne St, Newmarket.
Yum Granola and Lake Hāwea Station launch a locally sourced granola
A collaboration between the breakfast specialists at Yum Granola and the eco-conscious farmers at Lake Hāwea Station has seen the release of a new locally sourced granola. The ingredients are exclusively grown and sourced in Aotearoa — the creators relay this is an effort to reduce the climate miles of the granola. The mix includes South Island oats, Nelson gala apples, Marlborough sea salt and Lake Hāwea bee pollen and honey (the packaging is also sourced from Aotearoa). The granola is available online, as well as in-store at Farro and other selected stockists for $21.
Duck Island and Everybody Eats have released a charitable feijoa icecream
Feijoa fans will be excited to see a sweet extension to the much-too-short season, as a new scoop hits waffle cones at Duck Island. The icecream is a swirl of whole feijoas, cinnamon-spiced doughnut dough and feijoa jam (with some sourcing of the fruit achieved with the help of imperfect fruit purveyors at Wonky Box). It will appear on the menu at all Everybody Eats restaurants in Auckland and Wellington, alongside their carefully repurposed restaurant desserts. Fifty cents from each Duck Island scoop sold in-store and $1 from each pint sold in stores will also be donated to support the social enterprise at Everybody Eats.
The French Cafe and Anise are fundraising for Breast Cancer Foundation’s Pink Ribbon
Pink Ribbon Breakfast Month has been running throughout May. To mark the occasion, we canvassed a range of foodies for their favourite breakfast of the year. Sid Sahrawat and the team at Anise and The French Cafe will also get involved with the fundraising efforts on May 18. The event will warm up with a low-impact Pilates class at The French Cafe, led by fitness instructor Kim Harkness. Then, the kitchen will welcome diners to Anise, serving up a fixed menu of kingfish with coconut, cucumber and kaffir lime, wagyu beef with mustard, ginger and almond, chicken or coconut rice and black rice, mango, pavlova and jasmine icecream (plus a Seedlip cocktail or mocktail to quench the post-workout thirst). In addition to the Pilates class and lunch offering, the event will host a silent auction. All guests will also be given a goodie bag (packed with chocolates, soda and coffee, among other treats). Tickets are $145 per person, with $50 of each directly benefiting the Breast Cancer Foundation of NZ. To book and see the full menu, head to Anise.co.nz. 210 Symonds Street, Eden Terrace.
Where can you find the best cookie in Tāmaki Makaurau?
Feeling extra snacky with the encroaching cold, Viva taste-tested a range of chocolate-chip cookies from local bakeries, cafes and restaurants. And because the best chocolate-chip cookie depends on your personal preference, we’ve highlighted how each bakery adjusts the recipe to make the treat its own. Auckland bakeries didn’t disappoint in their offerings.
Viva’s Julia Gessler recounts a sense of surprise upon a sampling of Rhu’s iteration: “I went into this tasting process thinking that I would never have a favourite based on the fact that all cookies are more or less delicious. But I was wrong, Rhu’s chocolate-chip version is the best. Crispened on its edges, soft in the middle, molten when heated. I could never make this at home, which I think is the barometer of success when it comes to biscuits.”
See the full selection, including great gluten-free and vegan bites, here.
The Starship Foundation is fundraising through a Big Bakeoff
The Starship Big Bake Off is set to kick off in June, as home-bakers don their aprons and flour their benches in support of community fundraising efforts for the children’s hospital charity. The charity is encouraging both novice and seasoned bakers to showcase their best bakes and invite friends and whānau to support their efforts. These hours in the kitchen will culminate with Big Bake Day, on June 23. Great Kiwi Bake Off finalist Jonathan Willows is among the keen bakers looking to take part.
“I will be trialling some interesting flavour combinations on my gooey chocolate cake recipe, looking at everything from an aerated cappuccino buttercream to roasted Doris plums and black pepper. The good news is, this time my mistakes won’t be on TV.”
Every dollar raised throughout the month will go directly to the Starship Foundation, to support the work at Starship hospital. You can now sign up to take part in the challenge and launch a fundraising page at Starshipbigbakeoff.co.nz.
What the Viva team has been eating ...
Steak and cheese pie from Beabea’s Bakery
“If I’m being honest, I’m not really a pie person. The singular exception, I have recently learned, is Beabea’s steak and cheese pie, a golden square where the cheese is melted in a just-thick layer and the filling has the kind of depth that comes with spending a good amount of time letting something cook in wine and sauce and a certain degree of magic. Grab a pink bun while you’re there, too.” — Julia Gessler, multimedia journalist
Roti canai with dahl curry from Uncle Man’s
“Seeking comfort on a slow Saturday afternoon, my partner and I trekked up to Uncle Man’s on Karangahape Rd (a reliable favourite on the busy street). Perched in that fishbowl front window, we tucked into the mee goreng, the roti canai with dahl and a couple of the mixed vegetable curry puffs. The food was, of course, warming and wonderful. But, unexpectedly we were treated to a show too — the chefs were portioning and rolling roti throughout our meal. We slipped into a satisfied, sleepy trance. Whether that was the meal or the chef’s hypnotic movements, I couldn’t say.” — Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist
Madeleine Crutchley is a multimedia journalist for Viva and premium lifestyle and entertainment at the New Zealand Herald. She covers stories relating to fashion, culture and food and drink, from her hometown of Auckland. Recently, she’s written about the countless chocolate-chip cookies in Auckland, food trucks moving to brick-and-mortar restaurants and lolly-inspired jackets made in Matakana.
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