The Dish: Samoan Fine Dining, Rooftop Bars & More Delicious Food News

We might be heading into winter, but the hospitality scene is heating up, with Hawke’s Bay crowned a Great Wine Capital of the World, a sleek new noodle bar for Newmarket, and some snacks to try.

Experience Samoan food with a twist at Tala pop-up

Anyone who thinks fine dining is the domain of European cuisine should think again. Chef Henry Onesemo is showcasing traditional Samoan flavours with Tala — a new series of pop-ups at Bar Magda in June. On June 13 and 20, diners can sample Henry’s three-course menu inspired by his Samoan heritage and childhood, but reimagined and refined into what he calls “modern Samoan cuisine”. The pop-ups are a taste of what’s to come, as Henry and partner Debby plan to launch Tala as a restaurant later in the year, with more pop-up dining events planned in the coming months. For updates, see Tala.co.nz

The Samoan word “tala” means story or tale. For Henry (ex-Meredith’s, Apero and East St Hall), Tala is an opportunity to tell his own tales of Samoa through familiar ingredients presented with a twist. “Dishes like ‘raw ramen’ were inspired by my childhood, where eating raw ramen noodles was a beloved treat,” says Henry. “Drawing on that food memory of the crunchy, salty noodles and sweet, chewy dehydrated vegetables has been the inspiration for a fun, modern twist on a childhood favourite. My goal in showcasing Samoan food is to retain the food memory but refine the dishes and make Samoan food fashionable. I want to remove the stigma that Samoan food belongs in a takeaway container!”

Tala at Bar Magda is on Tuesday, June 13 and June 20, $90 pp. Book at Barmagda.co.nz

Try some of the country’s hottest toasties

Here’s some news on the sandwich front: the finalists for this year’s Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover have been announced. After some stiff competition — 185 eateries submitted an iteration of a toastie, all with cheese and McClure’s Pickles — three of our local eateries in Tāmaki Makaurau have made the finalist round: Cazador in Mt Eden with “The Badabing”, featuring gabagool made in-house; Ōrākei’s Good Day is serving up free-range smoked ham with bechamel in its “Croc MonShaw”; while Lord Kitchener in Sandringham has the rich, aromatic “The Lord Truffle Pig”.

Further afield (there are 14 finalists nationwide), the 2022 incumbent Okere Falls Store in Rotorua is in the running again this year, while other finalists include New Plymouth’s Shining Peak Brewing with a smoked eel entry (also incorporating the intriguing McClure’s pickle caviar); Huxleys in the capital with aged beef, two kinds of cheese and French onion dipping sauce; a lamb and baba ghanoush-based entrant from Sprig & Fern Tavern in Nelson, and more.

Raglan Food Co has a new flavour of yoghurt

A limited seasonal release, Raglan Food Co’s new coconut yoghurt flavour was happily downed at the Viva office recently. It was so good we ate it straight out of the jar. Raglan Food Co describe their Feijoa & Pear Yoghurt as “subtly sweet and teeming with flavour” and we’d agree. It has a lovely amount of fresh feijoa flavour with hints of that familiar granular texture, plus a subtle amount of pear in a light and luscious coconut yoghurt. Feijoa & Pear is the first of Raglan Food Co’s seasonal releases this year, which are inspired by seasonality, customer requests and local ingredients. Available in Countdown, New World, Pak ‘N Save and independent supermarkets, $13. Viva team tasting notes: “An unexpected but pleasing final hurrah for feijoa season,” says Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist. “Interesting consistency, very good served with some type of warm fruit crumble,” says Dan Ahwa, fashion and creative director.

Bar Albert turns one

If you haven’t made it to Bar Albert on Wyndham St, you really need to get up there. It’s Auckland’s highest rooftop bar, located on the 38th floor of the Voco hotel (an IHG hotel) with views of the Harbour Bridge, uptown and the surrounding suburbs, which are truly magical at sunset but also at night when the city is lit up. The interiors are luxe yet comfortable with leather booths, parquet wooden floors and touches of gold, and there’s a good-size outdoor courtyard for maximising those views. This month it turned one and threw a party to celebrate with special cocktails like the Vulcan Lane, a mix of tequila, peach liqueur, pina colada-infused tea, pineapple shrub and lime juice. To eat there were canapes of gnocchi on pumpkin puree, and mushroom vol au vents. Bar Albert is set to revamp its cocktail and food menu for the winter months, but always on offer are single-batch spirits and a great range of local wines. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm until late; and Sunday, 2pm until late. 13 Wyndham St, central city. To book, call (09) 883 2999.

Book in for a special dinner at The Oyster Inn

Josh Emett and The Oyster Inn team are hosting a special dinner in collaboration with winery Poppies Martinborough to showcase its wines alongside beautiful food from head chef Valentina Adornato, and Josh. A four-course menu has been designed to pair with Poppies wines, with Josh and winemaker Poppy Hammond guiding diners through each course. Tickets cost $195 per person and cover four courses and five wine pairings. Thursday, June 22, 6.30pm to 9.30pm at The Oyster Inn. 124 Ocean View Rd, Oneroa, Waiheke.

Hawke’s Bay has been indited into a special hall of fame that’s well worth crowing about. It’s officially one of the 12 great wine capitals of the world, alongside prestigious wine areas like Bordeaux in France, Napa Valley in America and Adelaide in Australia (stay tuned for Viva’s trip to the special region later in the month). Admission into the Great Wine Capitals programme doesn’t come easy, with a stringent selection process that considers not only its wine-growing industry but its history, wine tourism, educational opportunities and more. “Hawke’s Bay’s inclusion as one of just 12 Great Wine Capitals of the world is of regional and national significance. It is recognition that Hawke’s Bay wines are among the world’s best, and that our nation’s wine-growing industry, while still young, offers quality to rival the world’s oldest,” says Hawke’s Bay Tourism CEO Hamis Saxton. It’s a major boost for a region heavily impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, home to some of the best wine-growing soils and climates in the country, with more than 200 vineyards, 125 wine producers and 30 cellar doors. Hawke’s Bay Wine Chair Sally Duncan sums it up well: “The passion and persistence of our wine community and this special place at the bottom of the world has propelled Hawke’s Bay to sit alongside the best in the world.”

Experience the wine capital for yourself at this luxury Havelock North retreat, part of Black Barn’s portfolio of properties; at one of Hastings’ hot hospitality spots; and at one of Hawke’s Bay’s vineyard restaurants.

Have a mid-winter Christmas dinner at Eight

Cordis’ Eight restaurant is ensuring winter is a little less dreary by celebrating with a mid-winter Christmas dinner for two weeks in June. Guests can dine on a Christmas buffet of roast ham and turkey, duck-fat potatoes, Brussels sprouts and Christmassy desserts for lunch or dinner sittings. The mid-winter Christmas celebrations run from Tuesday 6 June until Sunday 18 June, beginning at $79 per adult for a Friday lunch session, or $109 for a dinner Monday to Thursday. Book a table now for Eight’s mid-winter Christmas by calling (09) 300 2924 or emailing cdakl.eats@cordishotels.com. Eight, 83 Symonds St, central city.

Where to go for a great sandwich and coffee in Auckland

The basis for any great sandwich is great bread, and it’s no wonder many of the eateries who offer the best sandwiches also bake their own bread in-house, or consider bread their main specialty. Fort Greene’s Liam Fox and Andrea Mulhausen are passionate sandwich people, who believe any meal can be made into a sandwich and is probably the better for it. Amen to that. Their Karangahape Rd bakery and cafe specialises in sourdough, Vienesse-style pastries like croissants and pain au chocolate, and sandwiches. “I’ve always loved being in kitchens but I felt I wasn’t going to be doing it forever until I started baking sourdough,” Liam told Viva. “It got under my skin and made me realise this is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life.” As for those sandwiches, it’s a tight edit of tried-and-true favourites like the Grilled Cheese ($18.20), which mixes four cheeses with pickles on Fort Greene country sourdough. Try it Italian-style with Napolitano source and parmesan, or with homemade kimchi. We’ve always been partial to The Fish One ($23.90), which nestles kahawai fish fingers, mushy peas and tartare sauce between Fort Green’s New York rye bread. Find out where else to get a great sandwich here.

Top chefs head to Sydney for Vivid Food

Sydney is serving up an enticing new happening for the culinarily inclined, unveiling the programme for Vivid Food, part of Vivid Sydney, a celebration of multiculturalism, innovation, skill and ingredients. There’s a lot going on in the city each year, so a new event needs to swing big, and Vivid Food has an impressive line-up: NYC chef Daniel Humm will do a two-week residency at Matt Moran’s Aria; the Vivid Chef Series includes Mmabatho Molefe, Rishi Naleendra and Jeremy Fox; while Vivid Fire Kitchen showcases grill stars like Pip Sumbak, Jess Pryles and Dave Pynt. Just as much of a spotlight is placed on Sydney’s own food scene (good news for loyal locals and visitors alike). The Vivid Food programme includes special menus, pop-ups, rooftop occasions and harbour events — plus the must-try Warakirri Dining Experience with renowned chef and Ngemba Weilwan custodian Sharon Winsor, celebrating First Nations food knowledge and ingredients sourced on Gadigal Land. Read Viva’s Emma Gleason’s full round-up here. Vivid Sydney runs from May 26 to June 17. Vividsydney.com

Aigo opens in Newmarket

David Lee’s Aigo restaurant on Ponsonby Rd has been solidly busy since it opened its doors last year. When Viva restaurant reviewer Jesse Mulligan paid a visit, he was impressed not only by the service and interiors, but the food, saying. “Wow, the food is good here. When you’ve become used to reading menus where nothing sounds quite like what you want, it’s overwhelming to visit Aigo, where every dish looks like a must-order. I think I’ll need to return twice to try everything that I want to, let alone eating some things again.” It’s clear diners feel the same, with Aigo opening a new second outpost in Newmarket, taking over some of The Candy Shop space. Here, Aigo serves up the same winning formula, combining Korean flavours with Italian dishes, alongside a decent selection of natural wines. Aigo is open from 5pm Wed-Thurs, Sat from 12pm and Sunday from 5pm, closed Mon/Tues. 2/8 Osborne Lane, Newmarket.

Celebrate Chenin Blanc Day at Vic Road Wine Bar

In celebration of International Chenin Blanc Day on Sunday, 18 June, Vic Road Wine Bar is offering a week of Chenin Blanc tasting flights covering several different wine regions. Sample four chenin blanc wines for $25 from Monday, June 12 until Sunday, June 18 and get to know this special varietal which covers the gamut from sparkling to crisp and dry, oaky styles and even sweet wines. Vic Road Wine Bar & Cellar is a newish offering from the Vic Road Kitchen team, which offers some of Devoport’s best food and wine. The wine bar-meets-bottle shop is a charming spot for a drink and a snack, with an inviting interior lined with wine bottles (which are available to take home), and a sun-soaked courtyard out the back. The last time we stopped by there was live music happening in the courtyard outside, which went down beautifully with bread and pate, and a bowl of ripe tomatoes with basil and olive oil. 53-55 Victoria Rd, Devonport