All posts filed under: FoodieMeetup

#NZContentCollective Margarita Masterclass with Mexico

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Last Thursday night, #NZContentCollective and I hosted a Margarita Masterclass at Mexico in Britomart.  One of my other loves (besides food) is T E Q U I L A! I mostly like it straight, and of course, in Margaritas – my favourite cocktail! Since travelling around Mexico two years ago (including visiting the Jose Cuervo Distillery in the town of Tequila and learning about the history and how it is made), my passion for all things Mexican (hello calaveras!) has grown and I am an even bigger fan of the spirit.  So, when the opportunity arose to collaborate with Mexico by organising a Margarita Masterclass with Herradura and El Jimador Tequila, we were in! Plus, the idea of becoming a master in the fine art of making and consuming margaritas simultaneously sounded like our type of evening, so why not share it with 37 other like-minded people, namely content creators, bloggers, foodies, and business owners! On a chilly Thursday night, we arrived at Mexico in Britomart and were led upstairs to their super cool Mexican-style …

Bottomless Brunch at Wu & You

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A few weekend’s ago, #NZBloggers and I hosted our Xmas Soiree at Wu & You in Mount Eden. This was our last #BRUNCHCLUB for 2019, so we celebrated it in style! Wu & You are known for their exciting, dynamic and delicious Asian-Fusion dishes, and on the weekends, they offer Bottomless Bubbles and Brunch🍾🍾 Prior to the event, we loved the sound of their WFC Burger with Wu fried chicken, kaffir lime mayo, lettuce and coriander, the Five Spiced Pork Hawker Roll with hoisin and star anise glaze, Malaysian slaw, fried garlic and peanuts, and the Chili Scrambled Eggs with spicy mayo, fresh herbs, crispy shallots and toasted sourdough. YUM. Check out the rest of their menu here. On the day, we were seated in their outdoor courtyard and had this to ourselves! We priced our tickets at $40 which included Wu & You’s Bottomless Bubbles & Brunch (usually $49), sweet treats during the event (like Sweet Little Favors Christmas cookies and Krispy Kreme doughnuts), plus a FABULOUS Goodie Bag to take home at the end. …

Bread & Butter Bakery and Cafe

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Last month, I organised #NZBloggers October #BRUNCHCLUB which was held at Bread & Butter Bakery and Cafe in Grey Lynn! Owned and run by Isabel Pasch, Bread & Butter Bakery specialises in making traditional European and naturally leavened sourdough breads. All of their bread is certified organic and tastes delicious! You may have tried their bread before, especially because Bread & Butter generously donated their sourdough loaves, bagels and cinnamon brioche for our Pink Ribbon Carnival back in May of this year!  Bread & Butter have three bakeries in Auckland – Ponsonby Central, Milford and Grey Lynn. At the Grey Lynn branch, this is where all of their breads are baked onsite, and this is where we had our brunch. We were seated in their ‘Plate Room’, a private dining room, where the sun poured in (great for pictures!) and it had the most lovely feature wall (below). At our brunch, Isabel spoke to us briefly about her background (she is a trained scientist and science journalist, but after moving to New Zealand with her family, …

Meadow – Auckland

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After a successful #NZBloggers Pink Ribbon Brunch last month (more details here), we are back doing our usual brunch clubs! #NZBloggers is a group encouraging, supporting and enabling networking for bloggers and influencers. We host a monthly #NZBloggers #BRUNCHCLUB event, where a few of us take turns organising (I previously organised March’s one at Ozone Coffee Roasters). A bunch of bloggers and influencers meet up to have brunch and learn more about blogging. The thing I love most about these events is meeting people whom you follow on social media, but otherwise wouldn’t get the chance to meet.  This June, our #BRUNCHCLUB was held at Meadow in Meadowbank! Meadow is a sophisticated and modern bistro and bar, taking local neighbourhood dining to the next level. Offering a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere, plus elegant interior and an expansive courtyard – perfect for al fresco dining! Meadow put on a beautiful morning for us – we were seated outside in their courtyard under a private marquee (surrounded by plants and trees), and they decorated a long table with a navy blue theme in mind. …

Ozone Coffee Roasters

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About a month ago, a few foodies and I went along to the opening of Ozone Coffee Roasters in Grey Lynn, where we sampled some of their menu dishes and got to know more about their brand. At the opening, I came across a long table at the back of the eatery and thought “this would be perfect for the #NZBLOGGERS #BRUNCHCLUB!” So, a few weekends’ ago, I hosted my first #NZBloggers #BRUNCHCLUB at Ozone Coffee! There were about 20 bloggers in total, and it was lovely to welcome some new faces along, as well as catch up with old friends. Ozone Coffee has been roasting coffee and building relationships in New Plymouth, London and beyond for the past 20 years. Ozone’s latest venture in Grey Lynn is an all-day eatery, with seating for 100, complete with an open kitchen, and a dedicated coffee bar, with many brews on offer and their beans are roasted on-site – make sure you take a peek at the back to see all the action! The space is beautifully designed, …

Bottomless Brunch at The Lula Inn

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Last weekend, I strolled down to Auckland’s Viaduct to have brunch. But not just any old brunch…. Bottomless Brunch at The Lula Inn! Here is the lowdown of what is included: 2 hours of Bottomless Brunch – check out the menu here. Choose a brunch meal, plus receive unlimited Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas, Prosecco, Pineapple Mocktails and Citrus Boost Sodas. Access to discounted food and drinks (additional to the cost of the brunch) on the day, like $15 espresso martinis and $10 cocktail of the day. Live music / DJ set while you brunch! Sounds awesome doesn’t it? I was there for the monthly NZ Bloggers Brunch Club event, where a bunch of bloggers meet up and brunch together! The thing I love most about these events is meeting other bloggers whom you follow on social media, but otherwise wouldn’t get the chance to meet.  I arrived around 11am, took my seat and started with a cocktail… a Bloody Mary! While this is not usually my drink of choice, it was surprisingly good. But, it was so spicy! At the …

Bedford Soda Mixology Masterclass

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One of my all-time favourite activities is making cocktails, watching other people make cocktails and of course, drinking them – whether it be a homemade margarita, a rum concoction in a coconut, or a flaming volcano. So, I was pretty excited to attend a Zomato Foodie Meetup last Sunday afternoon at Bedford Soda and Liquor where we learnt about the science of mixology and also took part in a cocktail masterclass. To get the afternoon going, we all started with a refreshing cocktail which reminded me of summertime – a Vanilla Vodka Daisy (pictured above), with strong hints of passionfruit and decorated with lettuce leaves and edible flowers, while the manager, Kieran, talked about the history of Bedford Soda, in that their inspiration comes from the cocktail bars in Williamsburg, New York, where simplicity and creativity play the most important part in cocktail making. Bedford Soda has adopted this style and they are also passionate about serving simple food done well. It certainly doesn’t disappoint! We were then introduced to Mixologist and New Zealand Bar Champion of 2015, Phil Spector, who showed us how to make four of Bedford Soda’s amazing cocktails, …

Zomato Blogger Meetup: Le Chef

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We are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to dining out in Auckland, in particular the CBD. But I suppose there is one cuisine which is lacking – French. Thanks to Le Chef, that void has now been filled! At Le Chef, they are all about using fresh and seasonal produce and you can sample their delicious food for breakfast, lunch and dinner! On Monday night, I dined at Le Chef, as part of Zomato’s Blogger Meetup. It was lovely being in the company of four other bloggers – Carli from The Enthusiastic Cook, Maddy from Madicatt, Genie from Bunny Eats Design, Laura from Laura Laura and a huge thank you to Chanelle from Zomato for organising the event. We were there to sample dishes from Le Chef’s dinner menu, as well as a few preview dishes from their upcoming Friday event, La Longue Table Du Chef*. Translating to ‘The Chef’s Long Table’, 120 people will dine together at one big outdoor table, devouring three courses of French food and drinking French wine – to me that sounds like a …

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); …