Absolutely devastated to find out this place has shut up shop! I hadn’t even made it through a single page of their delicious phonebook of a menu.

Does anyone know what happened - I see Thorntons listing their equipment for auction so assuming liquidation also any recommendations for alternatives in the area.

Hi fam,

Looking for a decent place for our work Xmas dinner in Auckland. We have around 10 people in our team, one is vegan, one doesn’t eat beef. Budget would be roughly $100 per person + drinks. Anywhere in the central Auckland area will be fine for us.

Previous years we’ve been to Mekong Baby in Ponsonby (rip) and Xoong in Mt Eden. We tend to like to order sharing plates and bonus for private room.

Any suggestions please? Thank you all ❤️

TL;DR the food was seriously good, the service was seriously bad.

Baba ghanoush of grilled eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, pomegranate molasses (NZ$16)

Muhammara made with roasted peppers, panko crumb, walnut, pomegranate molasses (NZ$15)

Dagga Gazawiya has fresh tomatoes, tahini, green chilli, garlic, lemon, herbs, lemon, olive oil (NZ$18)

Tabouli had bulgur wheat, parsley, lemon, tomato, mint, pomegranate, olive oil (NZ$18)

Musakhan was a traditional Palestinian sumac roasted chicken, caramelised onions on shrak (Palestinian flatbread) garnished with toasted pinenuts & almonds (NZ$30)

Mansaf was a slowcooked lamb shank with fragrant yellow rice & shrak(Palestinian flatbread), toasted almonds, jameed (sour yoghurt sauce) (NZ$38). I didn't get a good photo of this but the lamb was a decent size & fall-off-the-bone tender. The bowl of jameed yoghurt sauce can be seen in the Musakhan photo.

Zaiton Lemonana (mint lemonade) (NZ$12). Refreshing!

Traditional knaffeh was a shredded pastry, Akavi cheese, sugar syrup, pistachio (NZ$15)

Caught up with friends at recently opened Zaitoon for dinner. We arrived on time for our reservation but our table wasn't ready so we chatted outside for a bit. It was a while after seating before someone came to take our orders, & once given we carried on chatting & lost track of time. Our drinks order never arrived & we asked a couple of times for water but were told they had run out of clean glasses. Eventually, a different front-of-house person came over to apologise: our orders never made it to the kitchen & the one who took our order had finished for the night.

So we had to order again, but one of the dishes we'd ordered had run out, so we had to choose something else. After this, drink & food arrived promptly. The food was seriously good. Flavours are familiar if you've eaten Middle-Eastern food, but were different enough to stand out as special. All were great but the Muhammara, Dagga Gazawiya, Mansaf, & Knaffeh were my favourites.

Issues:

- failing to get our orders to the kitchen.

- once our original waitperson had left, nobody noticed that we'd been sitting at our table for nearly an hour & nothing had arrived. What happened to the handover?

I know they haven't been open long, but they need to fix their systems to avoid these sort of basic lapses. Apparently they've been flat(bread)-out since opening about a month ago. I would go back (the food is that good), but they need to sort out their front-of house soonest.

Looking for a really good sandwich, with nice bread, quality ingredients, made with love and care. Don’t care for price!

The katsu set will set you back about $28 which is pricey, but this place is so decadent and rich that you'll definitely leave this place stuffed and happy 🤤

Rice and miso refills are free, and my chicken katsu was mixed with eggs and onion- perfectly juicy, sweet and paired amazingly well with the rich teriyaki sauce. Every individual item is made with care, so my date and I had a lovely time. Great treat for special occasions

I'm keen to hear others recommendations for food on Door Dash. Thinking good quality and taste, value for money, and somewhere you keep going back to.

Recently, I've tried Kudos Fusion and was so impressed that I've been back three times since. It got me thinking, what other little-known gems are there on Door Dash in the West Auckland catchment?

I’ve been missing Provecho’s birria (rip) so l had to try the Birria AKL food truck for dinner.

$53 for 3 beef birria tacos with consommé, 3 beef birria tacos with jalapeños, avo and sour cream, and a side of corn chips and salsa.

My thoughts:

Not enough cheese
Only got 1 consommé for 6 tacos and it was about 1/3 oil but under the oil the flavour was amazing
The beef was super tender and had a great flavour
The tacos themselves were a little on the oily side

Overall not great but not bad either 3/5

To be honest, I'm a person who gets annoyed easily at things, but this place heals me and keeps me focused on what's really important. This place has cleaned up my food when I was in the bathroom, forgotten to make parts of  my order,  and  mis-made my drinks a few times. The reason I keep coming back is the fact that their food is so delicious that all sins are forgiven immediately. Every mistake was promptly fixed too, so the service itself is great. 

First picture is lemongrass pork with broth- a massive $23 bowl of hearty gorgeous soup which you can mix the staple sirarcha and hoisin sauce with, and delicious chewy noodles waiting inside. their pork is sinfully good- lots of flavor and not too fatty

Their coffee game is fantastic too.

 Coconut, salted, vietnamese, and egg coffee can be found here for around $8. Pictured in the third slide is the egg coffee. Ive tried every flavor and they're all amazing in their own right. 

The standout of their menu for me is the Vietnamese spring rolls which set you back about $12 for a standard portion

(i got a few extra rolls for $3 each). This thing is unfathomably crispy on the outside, chewy under the upper layer of crust, and filled with this deliciously juicy mince/taro/carrot stuffing and comes with this perfect sweet/sour dipping sauce, along with a side of pickled Daikons and carrots. Absolute texture and flavor paradise- I go FERAL for these.

Highly reccomend hitting up this joint, its a great place to relax and study or eat with friends or read. 

The Instagram story post caption just said 'furious'... Fraser, you on here? What happened?

Part of their daily soba of the day for $17.50. Super rich and creamy sauce enriched by the egg yolk. Roast beef slices are stunning, and the noodles are the right amount of chewy to me, not too bouncy but not mushy.

So glad they’re back! Got pepperoni, sausage without the rocket (I don’t like it) and a garlic knot. As amazing as it’s always been, maybe better since it’s been a while. Their new Instagram handle is rosalias_lives

I have a friend having a very bad day, and Tiramisu is his favourite thing on earth, so I'd like to take him some after work.

Parnell or CBD area (as that is close to where I am), open to great Tiramisu flavoured items also.

Thank you for your help!

Pici in St Kevin's Arcade... ricotta stuffed courgette flower!

If you are near K Rd, or want to try out the CRL, then definitely give Pici a go, it's hard to get in but their pasta is next level and I've never been disappointed.

Have a cocktail next door at Definitely Maybe while you wait for a table...

Prego (Ponsonby Road):
Pizza bread with confit garlic & aioli (NZ$18)
Arancini with black truffle, pine nuts, white mozzarella, grana Padano, date mayonnaise (NZ$26)
Crudo of kingfish, green chilli, coriander, orange & lime juice, Colonna lemon olive oil dressing, salted lemon salsa (NZ$32)
Caesar salad with Romaine lettuce, garlic anchovy dressing, egg, croutons, bacon lardons (NZ$32). Asked for no added cheese.
Roast duck & mushroom risotto, aged balsamic, grana Padano, (main size NZ$42). Asked for no added cheese.
Agnello: Coastal Hawkes Bay lamb loin, potato au gratin, sheep milk labneh & feta, chargrilled broccolini, salsa verde, lamb jus (NZ$52)
Filetto: chargrilled beef eye fillet, chicken liver parfait, potato au gratin, port wine jus (NZ$55)

Went with friends for a birthday dinner. We asked to dine family-style so we could share everything & they were very accommodating: brought us all small plates plus cutlery, and all the food was placed in the middle of the table to share. One of us wasn't keen on cheese, we asked for no cheese to be added, so no grated cheese on top of the risotto or Caesar salad. They were busy on a week night which is a good sign. The food was excellent, service professional. Easy to see why they've been going for 40 years.

(Sorry probably quite a boring question if you're not invested in my digestive struggles).

In search of a nice wholegrain or wholegrain-heavy cracker - ideally from a supermarket.

*Not* keto. Gimme grains, just gimme their husks as well.

Ideally not too much oil or seeds - not that I'm avoiding fats, they just reduce the longevity, which seems to me the whole point of crackers. But hey, if they're delicious maybe I'll eat them up fast.

Hypothetical toppings incl. chutney, df "cheeses", hummus, babaganoush, tahini, tomato.

Please note these menus are set and cannot be changed to suit dietary restrictions.

Seats are limited, so please email through your reservation requests to amanda.rogers@aut.ac.nz.

Please specify which day(s) you're booking for.

Location: Four Seasons Restaurant AUT (55 Wellesley Street East, Auckland)

-----

Wed 28th Oct 12 noon | Buffet Lunch - $40 pp
Prepared and presented by our students, along with Chef Paul Yao and FOH Lecturer Mario Basnayake.

• Salads
  • Asian Cucumber
  • Bocconcini | Tomatoes | Baby Spinach | Micro Basil
  • Beetroot | Orange | Balsamic Dressing
  • Smoked Chicken Waldorf
  • King Prawns | Fregola | Roasted Red Peppers | Dill
  • Smoked Salmon & Asparagus | Seaweed Rolls
• Mains
  • Freshly Carved Hot Roasted Sirloin of Beef
  • Salmon Coulibiac, Bearnaise Sauce
• Vegetables
  • Baby New Potatoes
  • Broccolini | Toasted Almonds
• Desserts
  • Treacle Tart
  • Tropical Fresh Fruit Salad
  • Pumpkin Pie

-----

Fri 30th Oct 12 noon | 7 Course Italian Degustazione - $70 pp

ATTENZIONE! ATTENZIONE! 

🍝 CANCEL YOUR AFTERNOON APPOINTMENTS.

📅 Clear your diary.

🥐 No breakfast? Probably wise.

🥡 No takeaway containers. There will be no leftovers.

👖 Elasticated waistbands are entirely acceptable.

😴 A post-lunch nap may be required. Consider it part of the experience.

Our AUT culinary students are preparing an Italian degustazione.... a little taste of Italy, with plenty of courses, a lot of amore, and absolutely no intention of sending you home hungry!

Organised in the kitchen by our Chef John Kelleher, this is a menu NOT to be missed!!

7 courses of Italian taste sensations, prepared by our Chef Students and served classically by our FOH Students.  We are SUPER excited to share this experience with you all.

Wine pairing $25 additional

Aperitivo
Da Luca NV Prosecco

I — Vegetale
Charred aubergine · peperonata · cannellini · salsa verde · hazelnut
Cecchi ‘La Mora’ Vermentino

II — Arancino
Saffron risotto · mozzarella · ragù · tomato sugo

III — Burrata
Roasted grapes · fennel · vincotto · basil
Pasqua Chardonnay/Fiano

IV — Pasta
Squid-ink linguine · calamari · garlic · chilli · lemon · parsley

V — Carne
Braised beef cheek · celeriac · roasted onion · gremolata
Cecchi Chianti Classico

VI — Pre-dolce
Lemon granita
Canti Moscato d’Asti

VII — Dolce
Tiramisu · raspberry

There you have it...

• Afternoon productivity has been officially cancelled for you on Friday 30^th Oct!
• Meetings will need to wait. Pasta cannot.
• Do not make plans for 2 pm. Or 3 pm.
• This will not be a light lunch. You have been warned.
• Bring your appetite. Leave your restraint at home.
• The only thing you'll be running afterwards is a nap
• No doggy bags. You're finishing what our students have lovingly prepared!

MANGIARE! MANGIARE!

❤️🤍💚

As the token American in this forum, I wanted to say how hilarious I find it that the international item from Macca's "Great Britain" menu is a PHILADELPHIA cheese steak.

I mean, I'm in to any Philly cheese steak giving a go in NZ but wtf Maccas? And for America the menu item is a new dipping sauce?

-Mr Taster

Best bahn mi I’ve ever had - and decent price too! ($12 for the tofu bahn mi). Highly recommend.

$21 OG Chicken burger. Yummy as ways

Kia ora all,

I haven't been back to Auckland properly since 2000, and this January I'm finally bringing my wife and two teenagers over to show them my old patch. We land on New Year's Eve and we're staying in Mt Eden before heading south.

Back in the day my eating was pretty simple. A trip to the movies on Queen Street wasn't complete without the family stopping at the American doughnut shop first. Cobb & Co and the Hungry Horse were regulars for us, and the Baron of Beef did a huge roast pork roll I still think about. I worked more graveyard shifts at the Highland Park Denny's than I'd care to count, and I haven't had a Wendy's Big Bacon Classic in over 25 years, they don't have them in Australia. Not fine dining, just honest food and plenty of it. That hasn't changed much.

So two questions. Are any of those classic places, or others from that era, still open and still good? I saw The Mexican Cafe on Victoria Street was looking for a buyer earlier this year, is it still going? And what are the newer local favourites, the places Aucklanders actually go rather than the ones in the travel guides?

Around Mt Eden village and Dominion Road we're keen on a good pie, decent coffee, noodles and a relaxed dinner. We'll also spend an afternoon out east around Pakuranga, Howick and Half Moon Bay, so anything worth stopping for out there would be great.

One more, with it being the first week of January, will much be shut for the holidays?

It's been a long time, I suspect a lot has changed. Cheers in advance

I know he said he’s dividing his time but they all say that til they get their footing 🤣

I really enjoyed our breakfast here. We shared the Smoked Eggplant Curry and Mini hot donuts.

Reall loved the uniqueness of the dmoked eggplant curry dish. Excellent if you are someone who enjoys vibrant flavours and not your standard bacon and eggs. (I enjoy standard breakfast too but I prefer this vibe whrn going out)

My partner is the sweet tooth of the two of us, I wouldn't notmally have anything sweet for breakfast, but these donuts were HEAVENLY!

We went there this weekend and I can't stop thinking of those donuts. I would like to try the bubble and squeak hash next time!

Does anyone know what happened to The Natural Chip Company's Feta & Garlic Lentil Whirls? Looks like they're out of stock EVERYWHERE!

I could absolutely SMASH an entire bag of these in one sitting 🤣. Really addictive and easily one of my favourite snacks.

Please tell me they haven't disappeared for good 😭