Aug 11, 2023 Metro Eats
Hey all,
There was news this week that The Caker is closing down her Karangahape Rd bakery, which for some reason I started feeling sad about. The “naked cake” trend was sort of an inescapable movement for girlies who spent all their time on the internet and liked food and liked looking at pictures of food. I remember the first time I got a Caker cake, somewhat determined to be contrarian about it due to its popularity at the time (I was extremely annoying, especially as a teen). It was the flourless dark chocolate one, which to this day is my favourite Caker cake I’ve ever had – dense, indulgent, moist, nutty, delicious. It was in some ways the antithesis of the light and fluffy crumbed cakes I had every birthday from the Asian bakeries, and so I felt grown up, like my taste buds had finally transcended my upbringing (very problematic thing to think, but whatever).
Since then, I’ve never had a cake experience quite like that first forkful of that chocolate variation, despite searching for it in many bakeries and micro-bakeries around Auckland. (For my brother’s birthday, I ordered the ‘Twice as Chocolate’ cake from Amano , which was classic in its buttercream and chocolate ganache drip but not as good as the Caker’s.)
When I got home and told my flatmate the news, she was all like, “Who’s going to take that corner?” And I don’t know the answer because, as I encountered last week when trying to source a birthday cake for my brother, I always struggle trying to settle on a place to order a cake from.
If you do want a Caker-aesthetic cake not from the Caker, I did see these guys, Sunday the Baker, on Instagram recently. I’ve not had a cake from there but I do find the scalloped petal edges very adorable.
– Jean
What’s happening
Long Vacation and Yeram Ceramics present a Petite Market at Ark Coffee this weekend Saturday 12 August from 9am. If you haven’t been to Ark Coffee since its revamp, it’s definitely worth stopping by.
Williams Eatery is throwing a party next Friday 18 August to launch Benny the Jet, its new burger pop up. The party will also celebrate Petra Leary’s new works (of highly satisfying drone photography fame). It will hopefully become a regular night, with live jazz every week – and a 10% discount for all hospo workers and suppliers.
If you want to try the Impossible Foods chicken nuggets, they are giving away 10,000 of them across the North Island this Tuesday 15 August from 11am. You can get yours in Auckland at the RE Burger shop on Whittaker Place in Grafton. I have been on the record about being an Impossible Foods chicken nuggets fan before, which delivers all the same things as a normal chicken nugget does.
Try the Cherlato collaboration at the Auckland Central Giapo from now until 13 August. Of most interest: ‘SoCal’s Coldest Avocado on Toast’ (avocado and breadcrumbs), and ‘Snap Out Of It! Kefir & Cardamom’.
What’s good
I ate at Katsura Japanese Cuisine, the seafood buffet restaurant at the Grand Millennium Auckland for the first time last week. It seemed clear to me that most of the people eating with us were veterans, as most just started piling up on the raw fish and the raw scampi in amounts that I would deem, at my nicest, “unfair”. But do you really have to be good sports at a buffet in which you paid $110 to attend? I’m not sure, except to the couple that took four plates of scampi: boo. The buffet is very worth it if you’re a raw seafood eater: there were 6-8 different types of raw sashimi, plus nigiri, and as I have mentioned twice already, raw scampi, plus raw prawns and crab and big oysters. It is definitely not worth it if you don’t like raw seafood, as the teppanyaki and hot food offerings are much less than its closest competitor at Eight.
I had a pain au chocolat from Mor Bakery (the cabinet had almost all been cleaned out by 12.30pm when we swung by) and would urge you to try a pastry from here if you have not already. There is limited dine-in space so be prepared to takeaway.
What’s new
When I went to get my hair permed at Style Garage at Mt Roskill a couple months ago (would recommend) the hairstylist there, Sho, told me that an ex- Kazuya chef was opening a ramen shop in my old neighbourhood of Browns Bay. I WhatsApped my family, who still lives there, excitedly about the news. Zero, a Japanese Ramen Sake Bar, will be open early September on Clyde Rd. With Ramen Takara around the corner, Browns Bay will become somewhat of an unexpected ramen hot spot.
By the Bottle is opening up its first bricks-and-mortar store in Mount Eden, which I’ve deduced is next to Wild Wheat at 811 Mount Eden Rd (where My Lovely Little Grocer was). We are big fans of By the Bottle at Metro HQ so look forward to its opening soon.
On the radar: Shio Bakery, which I know nothing about except that Carly Black from Mille did the branding, and Small Mercies, which I’m intrigued about because I like Korean donuts (kkwabaegi) a lot.
