All posts filed under: LateNight

Orleans – Britomart

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I have visited Orleans on a few occasions – mainly for their Waffles with Fried Chicken and Maple Chili Syrup (a special lunch deal on Wednesdays, which, by the way, is awesome) and at night when they have live jazz music. You can also sit at their bar and have cocktails and small plates, or go there for a delicious Southern meal, complete with dessert. Orleans, located on Customs Street East in Britomart, does all this and more. A few weekend’s ago, I met a friend for drinks and small plates – we were there to check out Orleans’ new menu and were super excited to try some different dishes, as opposed to just ordering fried chicken and waffles.  Firstly, the drinks. Orleans serve an extensive range of drinks – they have an excellent cocktail menu, plus serve bourbon cocktails, Hardshakes (milkshakes with liquor), wines by the glass, bubbles and a few beers. On the night my friend and I dined at Orleans, they had a special cocktail of the week – ‘Kill Bill Vol. 2‘. I …

5 Reasons Why I Love GIAPO

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  GIAPO. The best ice cream in New Zealand. Here are five reasons why I love GIAPO (and why you should try their ice cream!): 1. Owner Gianpaolo (Giapo) Grazioli. Giapo is the creative mastermind behind all the wondrous ice cream creations. He is very passionate about his ice cream and is the most enthusiastic person I know! You will often find him at the store, talking to customers and/or taking orders. Not many hospitality owners do this around Auckland, so I think this is pretty awesome. Also a special mention to Giapo’s wife, Annarosa, who is lovely, kind and always a joy to see at the Giapo store. 2. The ice cream flavours and the different options to ‘hold’ your ice cream. The menu at Giapo is extensive, with many flavours to choose from. All of the ice creams are gluten free, with four being vegan – definitely something for everyone! Their ice cream is different to that of the normal ones you would get at a dairy or supermarket – Giapo’s are like works of art. …

Velvet Burger, Federal Lane

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Up until last month, I had never tried Velvet Burger, despite the burger brand being around since 2006. So, when my Christchurch-based cousin mentioned that Velvet Burger do a 2-for-1 deal every week, I rushed to their Fort Street store, keen to try out their burgers – and I loved them! Now, thanks to the Cook Brothers Bars, who own and operate Velvet Burger (as well as the likes of The Glass Goose, Fort Street Union and La Zeppa), a second branch has opened in Auckland’s CBD, conveniently located near the Sky Tower, in Federal Lane. The new Federal Lane store offers indoor and courtyard dining, table service (there is only counter service at the Fort Street branch) and an express lunch option. I was fortunate to dine here last week and I loved it – from the menu, to the open kitchen, the hanging lights in the courtyard and the friendly staff. The menu features 17 gourmet burgers (with your choice of beef, chicken, venison, lamb or vegetarian), wine, local beers (brownie points for …

ArtWeek Auckland

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The past ten days have been great. And it is all thanks to ArtWeek Auckland, an annual festival held in October which showcases art in many forms, and organises various art events around Auckland. I went on a street art walking tour, checked out a few galleries, and of course, ate some delicious food! There were many artworks displayed around the city, there were guided art walking and cycle tours held on Karangahape Road, Parnell and Newmarket to name a few, there were light installations, free gallery exhibitions, sculptures, food and artist collaborations, and my particular favourite, Late Night Art, where for one night only, galleries and art installations come alive after dark. It is one of my favourite non-foodie events of the year… having said that, this year saw the new edition of streetARTdego, where art meets food. It was definitely a highlight! Check out my photo diary below of my highlights at ArtWeek:   Street Art Tour with Jonny 4Higher One of the best Saturdays I have had this year✌🏼️ Thanks to Artweek and one of New Zealand’s most experienced street …

Miann Britomart

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Heads up dessert lovers, chocoholics, and gelato stick/macaron fans, Miann has just opened up their second store in Britomart!

If you are any of the above, then I guarantee you will love Miann, a sophisticated dessert bar and patisserie in Auckland CBD.

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 …

Xuxu Dumpling & Bar

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Cocktails, Dumplings and Dessert. Three of my favourite things. And three things that you will find at Xuxu Dumpling & Bar, making it one of my favourite eateries in the city. I have been frequenting Xuxu numerous times over the years, and each time, I struggle to find something negative to say about it. The service is consistently good, their cocktails and food are fantastic and the atmosphere is always buzzing. Xuxu also serves one of my favourite drinks in the CBD – a virgin passionfruit mojito. It is sweet, refreshing and the perfect accompaniment to plates of never ending dumplings. They also have a great cocktail list, along with a selection of beer, wine and cider. But, the main stand out is of course, their handmade dumplings. They are light, full of flavour and trust me, you will want to order one of everything! My favourites include the Prawn Har Gao (with ginger, onion and garlic), Chicken potstickers (fried dumplings with shiitake mushroom), Beef & Cabbage (with onion, ginger and garlic) and for extras, their sticky and spicy …

Lucky Lucky Dumplings

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If someone asked me where they could get lucky tonight, I would tell them to head to the Las Vegas Club on Karangahape Road. But not to the actual club itself… but rather to sip on cocktails, eat plates of dumplings and groove to the music in your seat. Enter through a bright red door, up a few stairs, through a bead curtain and you will find yourself at Lucky Lucky Dumplings, a new pop up bar and eatery situated inside the Las Vegas Club. The first thing that caught my eye was the decor. Plush red booths, bar stool style seating, black carpet, red curtains, Chinese lanterns, and on the tables, Lucky Fortune cats, food court style chopsticks and laminated menus – very funky and cool. And if you are into the eighties era (like my dining companion) you’ll love the music – think hits from The Clash, Pink Floyd and Cyndi Lauper to name a few. Cocktails are the star drink of choice, with only three options to choose from. And most surprising of all, they are served in plastic …

Milse

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[As you can see, I am addicted to Milse!] I remember hearing about this one of a kind dessert restaurant that would be opening up in a few weeks time (this was back in 2013). I was so excited that I stopped by the restaurant every week to ask when they were opening their doors! First time walking in was quite a surprise! The inside is quite a small space, with only a few tables so it is quite hard to get a seat! My friend and I arrived about 11am and managed to get a table, but every other time I have been of late, it is always fully booked. I would love it if Milse moved to bigger premises but we will just have to wait and see! I highly recommend trying a verrine, gateaux or chocolate tart. These are all delicious treats. However, the macarons were a stand out. Milse has many macaron flavours to choose from and I always love popping in to try out the new ones. My favourites are …