The Dish: Visit A New Latin Eatery, Join A Chef’s Table & More Delicious Food News

This week we’re filling up our calendar with food events, eating octopus on Karangahape Rd and making chocolate fudge.

Auckland Restaurant Month line-up is announced

The line-up for Auckland’s Restaurant Month has landed, with an exciting calendar of events and menus that showcase how great Tāmaki Makaurau’s inner-city scene is. Heart of the City’s Auckland Restaurant Month runs throughout August, with over 20 dining events and hundreds of special menus. We have our eye on the Chefs Collab series, which sees international chefs paired with chefs from Auckland city centre restaurants for one-off dining events. We’ll be booking in for Duncan Welgemoed of Adelaide’s Africola and Jonah Huang of Odettes Eatery’s chef collab dinner on Wednesday, August 16, at 6pm. Tickets are $185pp for a menu showcasing Mediterranean, Levantine and African flavours at Odettes.

Also not to be missed is the Chef’s Table experience, which allows diners to get up close and personal with some of their favourite chefs for an evening of food and conversation. You’d be wise to book the Chef’s Table at Culprit, which sees chef Kyle Street invite some cheffing alumni like Al Brown, Culprit’s head chef Robertta Young, Hayden Scott (now owner of Champion Knives), Bossi’s Swati Karoabu and more for a six-course shared menu with drink pairings for $199pp on August 9 at 5.30pm and 8.15pm.

Those who are keen to learn about the history and tradition of some of the city centre’s eateries can book Lincoln’s Table walking tour with Viva contributor Lincoln Tan where they can discover everything from traditional Chinese hotpot in Guangzhou to Jungle 8, the newest addition to Elliott Stables. Taste of the City with Lincoln’s Table runs on Saturday, August 12 and Saturday, August 26. $75pp. Visit Heart of the City for more info.

The Food Show is back

Making a welcome return to Tāmaki Makaurau, just in time to alleviate the winter doldrums, is The Auckland Food Show. Following a hiatus last year, the event will descend upon the Auckland Showgrounds from Thursday, July 27, to Sunday 30, presenting a smorgasbord of culinary fare for all you zealous gastronomes and foodies out there from 10am each day. Running the gamut from health foods to high-value wine, exhibitors number over 250, and will have everything from ingredients to appliances, expert equipment and advice galore. Speaking of tips and tricks, the talent line-up has knowledge to share; it includes renowned chef and restaurateur Sid Sahrawat, MasterChefs Julie Goodwin and Sam Low, James “The Tattooed Butcher” Smith and Polly Markus of Miss Polly’s Kitchen. Quite the ticket! While there are door sales, $30 for general entry, you can also secure your pass early for a discounted price. Foodshow.co.nz

Did you know there’s a new InterContinental Auckland set to open at 1 Queen St in the Commercial Bay precinct? The world’s largest international luxury hotel brand is set to open its Auckland location later this year and has just announced it will be teaming up with chef Gareth Stewart on the menu for its signature restaurant. Gareth will also be tasked with designing the food for the Club InterContinetal lounge and the in-room dining menu (Gareth, we sincerely hope there’s a club sandwich on offer). Details of the restaurant are still under development including the name and concept — so stay tuned. Gareth was previously the national executive chef for Nourish Group (now Foley Hospitality), which includes Euro, Andiamo, Jervois Steak House, Pravda and more.

“I’m beyond thrilled to be collaborating with the world’s largest international luxury hotel brand and make my mark on InterContinental Auckland. I started my culinary career in hotels working at The Queens Hotel in Portsmouth, so it’s great to come full circle and land at this highly anticipated hotel opening on 1 Queen St. It’s an exciting challenge to work with a blank canvas and build a restaurant and kitchen team from the ground up. I can’t wait to welcome and delight diners when the doors open to InterContinental Auckland later this year,” said Gareth. Visit Intercontinental.com/auckland for updates.

Book in for a whiskey dinner at Milenta

In celebration of Glenmorangie’s first whiskey made with barley kilned with woodland botanicals, an experimental limited-edition whiskey that “evokes the scents and sounds of the forest”, Glenmorangie is inviting whiskey lovers to a special event at Auckland restaurant Milenta. The Glenmorangie Hideaway is an exclusive pop-up experience that recreates a “forest experience” inspired by illustrator Pomme Chan’s design for Glenmorangie. Glenmorangie ambassador Kurtis Bosley will host an intimate dinner on August 2 as guests enjoy a four-course shared menu, with each dish paired with a Glenmorangie whiskey. Limited tickets to Glenmorangie Hideaway at Milenta are available now for $150 per person. Ticket price includes a Glenmorangie highball on arrival, followed by a four-course shared menu paired with A Tale of Forest dome cocktail and three Glenmorangie whiskies.

Karangahape Rd has a new Latin bistro

We were all sad to see Peach Pit close its doors, a Karangahape stalwart serving great food and drinks for nearly a decade. But now, a new restaurant has opened in its spot. Tempero is a Latin eatery from chef Fabio Bernardini and his partner Tiffany Low, who have transformed the space with crisp blue and white walls and intimate tables down both sides of the long space. Fabio has cooked all over the world, working as executive sous chef at Pujol in Mexico City, Saison in San Francisco and D.O.M in Brazil. At Tempero, he’ll be channelling his passion for South American food on the menu with dishes like octopus, pipian and pico de gallo; Brazilian baked beans with pork crackling and tamal of potatoes with green salsa and bean salsa. Tempero is open Tuesday to Saturday. 352 Karangahape Rd, Auckland CBD.

Which recipe did Viva readers love the most this week? It was this coconutty, chocolatey fudge from recipe editor Angela Casley that requires a mere 15 minutes in the oven and is made in one pot. Its chocolate biscuit base is covered with a swirling chocolate icing and sprinkled with coconut. Find it here.

Buy tickets for Winetopia Auckland

Winetopia returns for its eighth season at the Viaduct Events Centre on Friday and Saturday, July 21-22. Winetopia brings over 50 wineries to Auckland’s waterfront with a line-up of talks, tastings and masterclasses, live music and entertainment. There will be food from Bar Magda, Duo Eatery and Gochu, as well as oysters from Mahurangi Oysters, plus other cheeky snacks. Sip wines from Northland to Central Otago, book in for a 40-minute masterclass or gather around the main stage for talks from visiting guest, chef Colin Fassnidge, or comedian Ben Hurley. Tickets are available here.