All posts filed under: Degustation

Cocoro – Ponsonby

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If there was one word to describe Cocoro, it would be… well, to be honest, it would be many words. Exquisite. Superb. Spectacular. Faultless. Sensational. Perfection. In March of this year, I was invited by Pamu New Zealand to dine at Cocoro, one of the three finalists in the nationwide ‘Pamu & Cuisine Deer Milk Ice Cream Competition 2020’ where chefs were tasked to create their very first Deer Milk ice cream dessert. You may have heard of Deer Milk… it is like the caviar of milk. Rich and creamy, yet fresh and light. Fun fact: it is actually double the fat and double the protein of regular cow’s milk, making it the creamiest milk you will ever taste. It is also the first of its kind and is made by Pamu on their farm near Queenstown. Co-Owner and Head Chef of Cocoro, Makoto Tokuyama’s creation was Deer Milk with Shio Koji Ice Cream Manuka Smoke, inspired to reflect Pamu’s deer farm on a Spring morning. The combination of deer milk with shio koji (salt …

Meat Fish Wine

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Last week, I was invited to dine at Meat Fish Wine to try their five course degustation menu, matched with local and international wines. We had a fantastic night, thanks to the beautiful food, wine, ambience and service. Meat Fish Wine is located on the corner of O’Connell and Chancery Streets, making it a great central spot for dining. The menu changes seasonally, focusing on fresh New Zealand produce, in particular meat and fish, and it has one of the largest wine lists in New Zealand. With over 500 wines to choose from, hand-picked by a Sommelier, you are truly spoilt for choice. Walking in, the interior is stunning. We loved the inviting bar area with plush seating, the large heritage windows overlooking O’Connell Street, the open plan kitchen (with adjoining chef’s table), the unique bathroom (don’t leave without taking a peak!), the luxurious private dining rooms (named Waiheke, Rangitoto and Kawau) and most impressive of all, the chandelier display of over 2,000 Riedel wine glasses shaped to reflect a Hei Matau or traditional fish hook. Chandelier …

Dessert Degustation Walking Tour

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Dessert. My favourite word and my favourite meal. And what better way to celebrate it with a walking dessert degustation held in the Heart of the City? I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Tuesday night! Held as part of Auckland’s Restaurant Month* and with support from Auckland Transport, this Dessert Degustation Walking Tour is a brand new addition to Restaurant Month and one event that I have long been waiting for! We met the lovely food and travel writer, Delaney Mes, who was our host for the evening, at Aotea Square, and spent the next two hours walking through the city’s laneways, and shared spaces, and devoured three sweet delights (and a fabulous cocktail) at Giapo, Cornerbar, Miann and Milse. Our first stop was Giapo. This iconic ice cream shop opened in 2008 by creative genius, Giapo Grazioli (pictured below) and his wife, Annarosa, and still remains one of my favourite places in Auckland’s CBD. Their ice cream is different to that of the normal ones you would get at a dairy – Giapo’s are like works of art. I …

Huka Lodge, Taupo

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From the moment we drove through the gates of Huka Lodge, admiring the rows of autumn trees and the perfectly manicured gardens, we were wowed. Two men opened our car doors and took our bags to our room, while the manager welcomed us inside and gave us a glass of champagne each. He took us on a tour around the main lodge where he explained the history, the design and also showed us their many dining areas, for example the room where the Queen dined to the wine cellar room where you can dine surrounded by 6,000 bottles of wine. The lodge was charming, the ambience was warm and we were starting to feel right at home.

Aria Restaurant

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A few nights ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to dine at Aria Restaurant, where we tried 12 different dishes off their new winter menu. I was super excited, not only because I always enjoy a foodie night out, but because I have walked past Crowne Plaza many times, but have never ventured in, so it was a real surprise! Upon arrival, I first noticed how large the restaurant was. It was fairly quiet for a Wednesday evening, but in a way, it was nice having the restaurant to ourselves! The ambience was warm and inviting and the seating very comfortable. The new winter menu offers an amazing choice of dishes, from seafood to meat to vegetarian meals. For starters, we were served the following: – Hot Smoked Akaroa Salmon with cauliflower and roasted beetroot (a perfect start to the evening); – Pan Seared Scallops with braised lentils and cherry tomatoes (the scallops cooked perfectly); – Shiitake, Button and Portobello Mushroom Salad (not a huge fan, but my other dining companions loved it); …

Sweet Cuisine Dessert Pop Up

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Most of you would have heard of Milse. The amazing dessert bar and patisserie that opened up in Britomart a few years ago. Serving gelato on sticks, gateaux, chocolates, sweet tarts, plus their stand out macarons, Milse has become a bit of a phenomenon. Because really, who doesn’t love chocolate and dessert?!?! The mastermind behind creating all of Milse’s desserts is pâtissier, Brian Campbell. He has 15 years’ experience working in Michelin star restaurants in the United Kingdom and at award winning restaurants here in New Zealand, at the likes of Kermadec and The French Cafe. Most recently, Brian has left Milse and has started up his own company, namely Sweet Cuisine’ A Dessert Pop Up. So far, he and his partner, Roselle Campbell have hosted a dessert night at Fred’s Espresso in Ponsonby where they teamed up with Giapo to create ice cream sandwiches, sundaes and drinks and they also had a dessert pop up at Merediths last week. And, a few nights’ ago, I attended their second dessert pop up (however this one was special because all the …

Zomato Foodie Meetup: Sawadee

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  I had always heard great things about Sawadee, but sadly had never been, possibly due to the fact that I have only eaten Thai food twice in my life! So, when I was lucky enough to be invited to a degustation at Sawadee, held as part of Zomato’s Foodie Meetup, I was super excited, not only for the food, but also to meet fellow Zomato reviewers! Upon walking in, I was warmly greeted with ‘Sawadee’ and shown to our table. The table setting was very pretty, with royal blue being the main feature colour. I also loved the overall décor and ambience of the place – from the indoor waterfall and the beautiful flowers on our table, to the various pot plants dotted around the restaurant – it had a great tropical and summery feel to it! We first started off with a few drinks. Sawadee had compiled a new summer cocktail list, saying that ‘no one else in Auckland has tried yet’ which was quite exciting! I ordered the ‘Sunkiss’ which consisted of …