Aug 23, 2024 Metro Eats
Kia ora,
Something I often reflect on in this role, especially at a time where it seems to be at the forefront of headlines and the current discourse, is the ethics of the existence of restaurants. I wholeheartedly believe that being out and about in a city – engaging with its various dimensions – is a requisite for creating a flourishing and healthy place to live. That’s by no means limited to dining at restaurants, though, to me, they’re a vital piece of that harmonious puzzle.
And so, in a time when the closure or looming threat of a restaurant’s closure are discussed in stark terms – either as tragedy or with complete indifference (“So what? I never went there anyway!”) – I find myself uncomfortable with the oversimplification of what actually feels like quite a complex web of a situation. True to my personality, I’ve got conflicting thoughts on it all, and I think several things can be true at once:
- In a free market, no business – including restaurants – is guaranteed survival without demand.
- It’s genuinely disheartening when good restaurants close. Especially those trying something imaginative or that hold a cultural value.
- We have a saturated restaurant market and perpetual growth isn’t sustainable.
- It is both expensive and hard work to run a restaurant.
- If a restaurant can’t pay its staff wages they can live on, it shouldn’t exist.
- People are struggling financially, which limits their ability to dine out, especially at a time where unemployment is a deliberate outcome of government policy.
- Many have fallen out of the habit of dining out, and are instead opting for staying in and ordering takeaways.
- Takeaways are fun.
- Some have fallen out of love with dining out because restaurant experiences feel monotonous and formulaic.
- We are in a bit of a culinary death spiral where our boredom with dining out leads some restaurants to play it safe in order to aim for experiences with the broadest appeal.
- In this day and age, us consumers have quite high, perhaps untenable, expectations around novelty.
I’ve found myself wondering how anyone would even begin to untangle all this? The lack of money people have leftover after paying for basic necessities is a glaring issue. And yet, I don’t think it’s especially desirable to guilt people into going out, whether they can afford it or not. This is to say, there’s no easy fix.
While I was at an NZIFF screening last week, I started to wonder whether one of the answers lies in breaking out of our creative rut. Admittedly, I don’t see films outside the house often enough, but the novelty of the festival served as a sort of circuit breaker, and now I can attest that I’ll be going to more films beyond the festival. Perhaps that’s akin to the value of restaurant pop-ups, where you get to experience new collaborations, risks being taken, and the all important element of surprise in the restaurant experience. It makes me think of Roses Dining Room, where change and variety is embedded in the very concept of the place by way of a changing roster of chefs and wines. I think there’s a kind of symbiotic relationship between those experiences, and your more steady version of a restaurant.
At the film festival, I saw a stylish Chinese thriller, another about an animated cat, and a documentary about the CIA-backed coup in the Congo – three films that I’d picked, largely on a whim. There’s so much to be said about stepping out of the house, trying that weird thing you didn’t think you’d like, being adventurous – these things remind us that the world outside, while often bleak, still holds a lot of good.
Comings and goings.
I’m all about sandwiches at the moment, so I’m excited to announce what looks like three very solid sandwich openings across Tāmaki Makaurau:
- Happy Vietnamese in Kingsland: A very tiny daytime spot specialising in takeaway bánh mì – it’s on my weekly to-do list to visit, so I’ll report back.
- Cuban Sandwich in the city centre: I mentioned in a previous newsletter that I’d spotted some signage for this place, and can confirm that it’s now open, and also on my list of places to visit this week.
- Northside Bakery in Manurewa: This place has been around since the 1980s, but reopened this week after a bit of a facelift and a menu overhaul; they’re still doing the usual pies, breads and pastries – but also, sandos.
On the topic of sandwiches, you should watch this video of New Yorker food writer (and genius) Helen Rosner talking about the art of making sandwiches, plus the secret ingredient to a great sandwich (spoiler alert: it’s air).
I have a real fondness for Durham St, and its latest addition, Hazy Tiger has caught my eye. It’s pitching itself as a “Korean restaurant and bar, offering a unique Korean food experience with a contemporary twist.” Think, Korean flavours applied to the tapas-format, with dishes categorised into $8, $11 or $16 price tiers.
Trivet is the new restaurant in the JW Marriott hot (formerly the Stamford Plaza) on Albert St by chef Wallace Mua. We were hosted at the restaurant this week for lunch and were taken aback by how luxurious the restaurant felt: there’s a grand central raw bar with fresh kaimoana on ice, ample plush seating and plenty of tables that catch the afternoon sun. I really liked the ultra pillowy house-made flatbread with coconut butter and the Pied Piper cocktail (essentially a cucumber and kawakawa-infused gin martini).
While we were walking to the aforementioned lunch at Trivet this week, we wandered past Frittaly, a new little kiosk on Elliot St specialising in the venerated Napoli street food, pizza fritta. They’re making the hand-held snack in four flavours (all of which contain some kind of cheese) plus fritto misto. As the weather, hopefully, starts to ease into something balmier, I can’t think of a better thing to eat while wandering around the city centre, pretending you’re on the cobbled streets of Naples.
There’s a new Chinese restaurant on Mayoral Drive, right next to Volt Convenience called Timeless Taste of China. I’m fascinated by the life-sized astronaut statue (I assume it’s a statue?) that is positioned next to the entrance. From a quick survey of the menu, I can see influences from Zhejiang, Sichuan and Xinjiang cuisine, and some of the dishes sound super intriguing and unlike anything else I’ve ever seen on a local menu; like a butterfly pea flower sour gourd fish or a wagyu mousse (on the dessert menu).
The Grey Lynn space that was until recently Smokin Cole BBQ (whose owner gained some infamy for their tumultuous responses to negative Google reviews) has been refitted as a new barbecue specialist restaurant called Smoking Shack. They opened yesterday, so watch this space.
As of last weekend, there’s a new branch of Fut Puku’s at Wynyard Quarter. They’ve gone with a familiar colour pink and black scheme and 1980s-inflected touches as their older sibling store on Queen St – and the same menu of smash burgers, fries and big drinks list (inclusive of the “boozy milkshakes”)
Hot.
Oklahoma Dreaming at Baby G.
Bún bò Huế from Hanoi Eatery .
The new series of Takeout Kids. (Watch the first episode here)
Soufflé.
Loh see fun noodles from Shelley’s Kitchen.
This beautiful piece of writing.
Making a little chimichurri-esque sauce with any herbs you need to use up, or herb stems you’ve saved. Here’s a basic formula. This freezes really well (in fact, my freezer is filled with little pottles of the stuff) and is delicious with almost any kind of protein or vegetable.
Not.
That supermarket checkout workers and packers (most often) don’t get the option to sit down…
Where we’re going.
This week at Roses Dining Room, co-owner Karl Bayly will be running the kitchen. And the menu sounds delicious. Rose water ricotta, roasted onion, pickled sumac onions, chives, onion flowers? Chicken schnitzel, endive, buttermilk? Pistachio cake, white chocolate cremeux, marmalade? Yum.
Calling all aspiring food entrepreneurs! The Kitchen Project is accepting applications for its part-time, 20-week programme. Guided by industry mentors and partners, the programme covers everything from regulations, food safety, business planning, finance, branding, and marketing. Plus, the option to access commercial kitchens at subsidised rates. To apply or to find out more click here.
Thursdays are now “Taco Thursdays” at Tempero on Karangahape Rd. You’ll get three tacos (mushroom, pork, fish), and a choice of a Michelada or Horchata for $40pp. Fun!
From the archive.
Aw. (Metro 280/ October 2004)
Giveaway: Metro X Horizon by SkyCity
The Grill
To celebrate the highly-anticipated opening of the new 5-star hotel, Horizon by SkyCity, and the reopening of SkyCity’s infamous “The Grill”, Metro has partnered with SkyCity for an exciting giveaway perfect for those heading into Auckland or those dreaming of a one-night staycation in the city.
Offering locally-sourced produce from New Zealand owned and operated suppliers, the winner of this giveaway can expect to indulge in the best of New Zealand beef, lamb, and seafood at The Grill. Relax post-meal by taking in the unique views of the city and Waitematā Harbour in the Superior King Room at the Horizon by SkyCity and enjoy breakfast for 2 the next morning at The Grill. Valet parking included.
Total value of the giveaway is $659. Comp T&Cs apply. The winner will receive a physical voucher by postal mail which is to be redeemed within 6 months, black out dates apply. This draw is in no way affiliated with Instagram.
Click here to enter.
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