Takapuna Beach Cafe

Needing to go somewhere hip and with good coffee while the summer lasts in Auckland, New Zealand?  Why not venture to the Takapuna Beach Cafe located at the end of the Promenade Parade, literally right next to the Takapuna beach - perfect location on a sunny day.  They have a great selection of breakfast/brunch food (including many gluten free options), fantastic coffee and what is more important is their big selection of Gelato including the classics as well as the exotic flavours like coconut, which is amazing by the way!

Coffee lovers, you cannot leave this place without a proper ice coffee - two generous scoops of vanilla ice cream, a shot of espresso and a small pint of milk to go with it (otherwise you just have an affogato which is also fine by me).  It comes in 3 separate vessels so you can choose to eat your ice cream first or have it as an affogato and then wash it down with milk or you can combine them all! - the choice if yours, you have the power :)

For many years now, one dish has drawn me to Takapuna Cafe - their pan fried sole with garlic butter served with grilled sourdough.  Unfortunately 2 years ago it seems to have disappeared from the menu which is a HUGH disappointment to me as it was delicious, reasonably priced and you get a whole sole to your self!  Since the disappointment I had to find replacement, so here it is below, Crispy Agria rosti with baby spinach, feta, free range poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, served with crispy organic bacon and greens - delicious! The bacon is cripy, the rosti is crunchy and you have the egg yolk slowly oozing out that get mixed up with the hollandaise sauce, this is my kind of heaven :) 

This place could be overwhelming for those not used to the crowds. They do try to squeeze as many people in as possible, so you will be very cosy to your friends and families as well as your new found neighbours.  They had approximately 15 waiters on deck on a busy sunny Sunday afternoon, and it took all 15 waiters approximately 20 mins of walking pass a group of us to realise that we existed and needing service.  But after the first encounter, their service was great, tentative and the food came out fast.  So if you find it hard to get their first attention, don't feel it's personal.  What I love is on a sunny day, the waiter goes around and offer people hats to wear - though from a hygiene point of view I wouldn't accept the hat, but it is good to know that the option is there.  Lastly, if you do want a more personalised service, avoid rush hours and you would be fine, or just come for the coffee and gelato and enjoy what Takapuna Beach has to offer.

So why not try something different and try the Takapuna Beach Cafe, and what is great is you get to walk along the white sandy beach and enjoy the gorgeous view of Rangitoto Island and maybe some sailing to aid your digestion :)

OVERALL

FOOD: Great cafe food.

PRICE: Moderate to high  for cafe food price.

SERVICE: On a busy days (sunny Sat and Sun afternoon) you can be ignored but other days they are very good with their service.

ATMOSPHERE: Noisy but lively inside and great outdoor area.

Summary: Sunny day spent in Takapuna Beach Cafe is just great over a cup of delicious coffee and finishing it with even more delicious gelato.

Cute Find - Nor'Wester Cafe Amberley, New Zealand

Nor'Wester Cafe is a little gem in Amberley that is not to be missed if you are in Christchurch and do not mind a relaxing, flat 30min drive north.  On a sunny day this cafe offers large outdoor sitting area, and what is more exciting here is their food!  Year after year, I have returned here several times since 2008.  I found this gorgeous cafe by accident while wine tasting in Wairapa, and it is very exciting to see that this cafe sells many of the local wine (sometimes at a cheaper price than at the cellar).  I have been here for lunch and dinner previously and have never been disappointed.  Their menu is short and concise, and offers many gluten free options.  Wonderful friendly staff here and it is very child friendly.  Without babbling on too much further, here I like to share with you the three dishes we had for alight lunch for two, enjoy!

Natural Clevedon Coast Oysters - with balsamic vinaigrette

Caesar Salad - cos lettuce, bacon, egg, anchovy, croutons & Parmesan

Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab (Malaysian) - cucumber & pickled ginger salad, sweet chilli, aioli

The oysters was super fresh and very tasty and I wished I had got some more, yum!  Unfortunately the Caesar salad took me by surprise by their interpretation of "crouton", for me it wasn't crouton but large slices of toasted bread - hope they will change that as texture wise it wasn't quite there.  The soft shell crab was done beautifully, kudos to the chef!  Soft crunchy crab with the zingy cucumber & pickled ginger salad, this was a winner for me!  Wish I was back there right now, but if you're down at the South Island of New Zealand and new Christchurch, go there this weekend!

OVERALL

FOOD: Great cafe food.

PRICE: Reasonable.

SERVICE: Friendly.

ATMOSPHERE: Great outdoor dining area and it is also cosy indoor.

Summary: Summer here in Amberely for me means food at Nor'Wester Cafe, I enjoy nothing more than enjoying good food on a sunny afternoon :)

Spectacular View - Pegasus Bay Restaurant, Wairapa

On a fine sunny day in summer, if you happen to be in Wairapa, South Island, New Zealand (40min drive north of Christchurch), you have to come here to Pegasus Bay Restaurant/Winery, either for some wine tasting or a sensational lunch.  Booking is essential here especially in summer.  I have always arrived early to sample the latest harvests follow by one of those 3 hour lunch.  The service here is wonderful, staffs are lovely and the food is just amazing!

The complimentary appetiser is always different.  The most memorable ones that I have sampled throughout the years were the lightly smoked fish ball and the amazing creamy asparagus soup.  This time the chef prepared a light and refreshing berry soup with a hint of mint, absolutely delicious and a great way to welcome summer.  Entree was the smoked hapuka (a white meat fish) carpaccio with shallots, sorrel, grapefruit, truffle dwarf peaches and house made fennel pollen accompanied with grissini. this was a flavourful and well balanced dish.  The light smoky flavour on the tender hapuka contrasting the sour grapefruit finished off with the salty crunchy grissini, yum!

Now for the famous main, duck for two!  Muscovy duck, braised & crisp fried, kirsch cherry jus accompanied with rocket, butter crunch, mint, pomegranate, ricotta, pistachios, aged balsamic with new season potato, aioli, olives.  Year after year I have returned for this dish, it is a good thing that it is made for two so I always had an excuse to invited good company to share this amazing duck with :) crispy duck skin with enriched flavours of pinot noir and cherry, absolutely amazing!  A great wine to accompany this is the Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir, since the chef from memory used the same wine to marinate and braise the duck for two days. 

Lastly desert, my favourite part! Cassis and pinot sorbet with polenta shortbread.  Passion fruit soufflé with anglaise. To me there's nothing more exciting than a fluffy soufflé accompanied with fresh creme anglaise and this one is definitely a winner, so delicious! The Cassis came in an ice vessel, took us a while to decipher how it was made - I'm thinking two balloons, one filled with water with the other air-filled balloon inside it? How do you think it could be made?  I had the 2007 Pegasus Bay "Aria" Late-Harvest Riesling.  Aria is a very fragrant wine that tastes fruity and not too overly sweet like other Late-Harvest Riesling on the market which goes well with sweet desert like my passion fruit soufflé, absolutely heavenly together! 

OVERALL

FOOD: Fantastic food and delicious wine.

PRICE: A bit on the pricey side, but it is worth your every penny.

WINE SELECTION: Very good selection.

SERVICE: Super friendly.

ATMOSPHERE: Great outdoor dining area with a spectacular view.

Summary:  Dining here is definitely a treat, you will enjoy every minute of it, so be sure to make this your next destination while you're in the South Island, New Zealand while the summer is still smiling at us :)

Meredith - 9 Course Degustation

If I ever leave Auckland, I believe Meredith will be the restaurant I will miss the most.  They only serve degustations at Meredith, with the option of 6-, 8-, or 9-courses and as always, there is the option of matching wines.  For several occasions now, I have fallen in love with every single dish except for the desert...and since desert is the last dish of the evening, sometimes makes me feeling a little bit empty feeling. However, if you forget the desert part, you would almost think you have just woken up from the most unbelievable dream having sampled all the mouth-watering creations from chef Michael Meredith.

Factors which I have found vitally important in dining are the atmosphere and service.  Inside the restaurant is very dimmed, while some people find it overdone, I have found it just the right amount to let you forget that you are in fact surrounded by other diners.  There are limited seating in the restaurant with a handful of staff onsite, so at any given time you are very well looked after by their staff members and yet they don't over do it.  Danny, who has been our waiters on several occasions has mastered his skill to perfection.  You will never hear him clinking the cutlery on the plates, and he will ninja away empty glasses and dishes without you even noticing and most and above all, makes you feel very relaxed making it the most enjoyable experience.

Without going on too much, I will let your eyes do all the talking with the 9 course degustation and matching wine, enjoy!

	Crispy Rice Cracker This from the chef has always been different, and this time it was a very flavourful thin rice cracker, something to nimble on while you wait for your first course :)
	Side Bread This is their homemade bread, I love a dense warm bread, and I like to eat it with olive oil and even more with butter!
	First Course: Beetroot & duck meringue The meringue is beautifully done, it is soft and fluffy and goes very well with the duck pate. Matching Wine: 8 Ranges Pinot Rose 2011, light and crisp, matched the slightly sweet beetroot meringue and rich pate well.
	Second Course: Golden Bay crab, Akaroa salmon, asparagus & daikon A gentle light dish that was well balanced. Matching Wine: Fairbourne Sauv Blanc 2011, dry and fresh, and took off the edge of the fatty salmon without taking over the dish.
	Third Course: Yellowfin tuna, mirin & bonito This was all our favourite, harmony in your mouth with the fresh tuna, and the light mirin & bonito stock. Matching Wine: Ellero Gewurztraminer 2011, fragrant with a bit of spice, delicious combo with the tuna.
	Fourth Course: Scallops, smoked eel & cauliflower The smokey eel was beautifully done and together with tender scallops, yummy! Matching Wine: Seifried Gruner 2011, complimented the smokey eel very well.
	Fifth Course: Pork belly, calamari, pomegranate & peanuts Tender pork belly contrasting the nutty peanut and fresh pomganate, amazingly good. Matching Wine: Willm Reserve Pinot Gris 2010, gorgeous light crisp pinot gris, matched heavenly with the pork.
	Sixth Course: Hapuka, paua, shitake & pumpkin Nice and crispy fish skin, fresh and crunchy greens served with the delicate fish, delicious. Matching Wine: Villa Maria Reserve Chardonnay 2010, this is a great Chardonnay, not too oaky, a great choice to go with the fish.
	Seventh Course: Poussin, cauliflower & onion Oh I love Poussin, tender and delicately soft chicken meat and it was well flavoured. Matching Wine: Urlar Pinot Noir 2010, was surprised by the Pinot Noir, but it complemented the heavy flavouring on the Poussin very well.
	Eigth Course: Rhubarb, raspberry, mint oil & yoghurt A great refresher, beautifully done. A hint of mint with the sweet and sour raspberry, t'was a great combo as the palette cleanser.
	Ninth Course: Bread & butter pudding Sadly this is not what bread and butter pudding should be, this was a light and fluffy sponge and the obvious lack of a creamy egg/milk/cream based sauce, I was very disappointed :( Matching Wine: Osawa Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2011, this was a delicious wine on its own, not overly sweet and very fruity.
	Have you tried this ginger beer? Highly recommend to all those ginger beer fans out there, not sure where you could get it from, but it was made from the Hawkes Bay Indepedent Brewery Limited

OVERALL

FOOD: Fantastic!

PRICE: Reasonable ($150 for the 9 courses).

WINE SELECTION: Very good selection, and the matching wine were great.

SERVICE: First Class!

ATMOSPHERE: Dimmed room, cosy and relaxing.

Summary:  Fabulous food and absolutely awesome service. This is a great place to treat yourselves :)

Christmas Eve Dinner 2012

It has been a while since I posted any of my cooking, so I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you what our family was feasting on Christmas Eve.  For many years now, Christmas Eve to me has meant cooking up a wonderful feast for my family and spend hours enjoying it with a couple of glasses of wine, and this year was no exception.  With careful planning in advance I made it easy and straightforward, and everything was a hit with everyone's tummy.  Enjoy :)

Entree

	Smoked Salmon Terrine and Baked Camembert The smoked salmon was served with capers and thinly sliced apple.
	Garlic Bread This was served with the Baked Le Rustique Camembert, the strong garlic flavour goes very well with the cheese.

Acompanied Wine: Pegasus Bay Bel Canto (Dry Riesling) 2010.  This is a newly released dry Riesling which I find matching very well with seafood and cheese, it just takes off the oiliness of the fatty salmon and the creaminess Camembert, leaving your palette nice and refresh.

Main

	Roasted Duck Butterflied, de-boned and cherry and pinot noir marinated (for 2 days) duck that was then gently simmer in the marinate in a pot in low heat.  For th finish touch, the duck was then grill in the oven (to crispy up the skin).
	Side Dishes The duck was accompanied with creamy mashed potatoes, caramalised onions and carrots, garlic butter asparagus, fresh cherries and duck jus.

Acompanied Wine: Rockburn Pinot Noir 2010.  The pinot noir from Rockburn has always been my favourite, although the 2010 vintage is delicious, but I find the 2007 and 2008 much better.  It is quite a fruity pinot noir and goes very well with the duck.

Dessert

	Praline Souffle Served with chilled Creme Anglaise.  I made my praline with macadamia nuts and it was delicious.
	Pavalova Served with fresh whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries.  Christmas in NZ will not be the same without one of this :)

Acompanied Wine: Alana Estate L'Aperitif 2007.  This is a slightly sweet Riesling, not your traditionally late harvest Riesling and it accompanies very well with the sweet Pavalova and nutty praline.

If you would like any of the recipes that is not on my site, keep an eye out for my future blogs :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND I HOPE EVERYONE HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!

Affogato

Now that summer has finally arrived in NZ (sorry for those in the Northern Hemisphere), it is time for my all time favourite Italian desert: Affogato.  It is so simple that it'll be a crime not to go and make it right now! Affogato in Italian means "drowned", basically you just drown the ice cream or gelato with a shot of hot espresso. Some people like to make this with a shot of liqueur like Amaretto or my personal favourite Baileys, and obviously this is the"big kids version". Yes I know what you're thinking, what can go wrong with the combination of ice cream, coffee and liqueur :D

To be honest, I love eating Affogato even on a cold wintery night...while sitting very close to the heater or a fire place of course! I know not everyone has a fire place at home or have the luxury to crank up the heater in the middle of winter to enjoy a tasty late-night treat, but oh boy, this is so worth it!

Fear you may not sleep afterwards, then why not use decaffeinated coffee? It is fun to try out different flavours of ice cream, you may be very surprised by how some weird combinations works like a charm, for example: mint chocolate chips ice cream with espresso - weird huh! But I assure you, if you love mint like I do, this combination is the great union of strong flavours! With this recipe, you never have to slave hours in the kitchen to make a WOW ending for your dinner parties!

Affogato

2 generous scoops of ice cream 1 shot of espresso 1 shot of liqueur (optional)

Place the ice cream in a cup. Add espresso (and liqueur if you choose to). Done! Now eat it before the ice cream melts!

Enjoy :)

Chocolate Boutique - Parnell

The delicious Italian Denso!
Served with whipped cream 

Chocolate Boutique is a well hidden treasure on 1/323 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland and specialises in...CHOCOLATE!  From hand-made chocolate to chocolate drinks and desserts, ice cream and lollies, you won't be disappointed here.  I thoroughly enjoy having my 'guilty pleasures' here after a meal in Parnell with their traditional Italian Denso - which is basically a thick melted dark chocolate drink with cream, oh it's heavenly!  The smooth warm rich dark chocolate contrasting the cool light whipped cream, it is so good that words cannot describe how good it is.  For the adventurous type, they do the chocolate drink with chilli and it's really lovely to have in the winter times.  If dark chocolate or chilli isn't your thing, worry not, they have a wide range of other chocolate drinks available as well as sundaes for a hot summer day, so why not try them all, no all at once of course ;)

The shop is surprisingly small and the layout just doesn't make sense resulting in big queues and chaos in the shop, reasons why I dislike sitting inside - unfortunately outdoor area isn't as pleasant on a cold and/or raining day.  NOTE, do not go have a hot chocolate first thing in the morning, had a couple of very bad experiences as they weren't prepared, instead of refusing the order they ended up making very bad chocolate Italian denso...other than that, every other times when I had their chocolate, it has been delicious and I ensure you the chocolate is worth every minute of your waiting time!

From the left: Hazelnut Chocolate; Lemoncello Cup; Bailey Cone

I have never left this shop empty handed, taking home with me a couple of my little bro's favourite chocolates; hazelnut chocolate, lemoncello cup and bailey cone.  There is a huge variety of hand-made chocolates on offer and you need to be lucky to get this delightful lemoncello cup, as it is an all time favourite and their supply is limited! These little chocolate treats are really great gifts for special occasions and especially with Christmas coming soon!

For a lazy afternoon indulgence, there is no option other then their cake, LOVE their chocolate mud cake, moist and dense on the inside with not overly sweetened chocolate icing served with fresh whipped cream - it is heavenly!    Be sure to try out their Tiramisu as well, equally delicious.  Coffee with a piece of chocolate cake, what else would you need on a sunny lazy afternoon?

So if you're in Parnell next time, be sure to check out this little chocolate shop and I'm all your guilty pleasures will be satisfied and be left wanting for more! :D

OVERALL

FOOD: Good

PRICE: Moderate

SERVICE: Good and can be improved

ATMOSPHERE: Cosy with limited seating

Summary: A great place to fulfill you guilty pleasures, but do take-out unless you're lucky enough to find seats.

Delicious Tiramisu with fresh cream