Oct 20, 2023 Metro Eats
Hi all,
Firstly, a very warm welcome to great friends of Metro, Stella Artois, who are now installed as the sponsors of the Metro Eats! newsletter. They’ve been hugely supportive of Metro over the past year and have also been fun collaborators on events like the Sam Low Cooking School and the recent Townhouse Ramen pop up at Ozone as well as sponsoring our Best Dishes and Best Late Night Dining features in the magazine. Thank you so much to them and we hope you will enjoy their product responsibly whenever possible.
Another week without a professional food writer, but you’ll be glad to know that Jean seems to be settling well in her new life but is still sending screenshots of new openings to include in the newsletter while we all await her replacement (thanks, Jean!). We had a guy in at the office on Wednesday who builds interiors for new hospitality businesses and he seems very busy so hopefully there’ll be a raft of new places to try as we roll into al fresco season – and also hopefully we (and absent but textin’ Jean Teng) will be able to corral most of them into this newsletter for you in the weeks to come.
We’ve had a lot of really nice feedback about the new issue which has been very gratifying – thanks to those that take the time to say something. I also badly over-ordered the copies for our office so if you want one but also don’t want to go out to get it, you can do so at our web store here. Free shipping!
– Simon
P.S. Next issue we’re back into Metro Eats (née Cheap Eats) – so if you are aware of any outstanding new places serving meals under $25 that should be tried and listed please send your tips to contact@metromagazine.co.nz
Metro x Veuve Clicquot
— The Veuve Clicquot Burger Challenge is on now!
Classic
Until the 12th of November select restaurants around the country are putting on special pairings of the greatest of all food and beverage pairings, Champagne and burgers. This is in honour of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label and inspired by their iconic 1964 ad in the New Yorker which introduced the world to the high/low Champagne/Burger match.
Notable Auckland participants include: Bivacco, Bar Céleste , Milenta , Non Solo, Oyster Inn and Oyster and Chop — a full list is available here.
Bar Céleste appears to be upgrading the Filet’o’Fish for the occasion which seems as good a place to start as any.
Enjoy!
What’s Happening
There’s a pet-nat party at No.7 on Beresford St behind the subway construction, this Sunday from 2pm with Tawhiti, Halcyon Days, Marathon Do and WNS.
Another Koren Toasty place – called Toasty – is now open above the Countdown Metro on Lower Albert St, across from Commercial Bay.
The Balmoral Street Food Market is back, next Friday 5:30—9pm across from Potters Park.
Folds Patisserie on Dominion Rd has Gelato Sandos, this weekend, 10am—Sold out.
Lilian on Richmond Rd will be opening for lunches Fridays and Saturdays from next week.
Lazy Susan is having an brunch event at Jungle 8 on 5 November – five dishes for $88 with booze/$58 without. Seatings at 12 and 2pm.
Tacoteca has a Day of the Dead Dinner Fiesta on 2 November from 6pm.
Homeland has a Flavours of India dinner for Diwali on 9 November.
What’s Good
On Tuesday we went to the preview of the Bon Appetit with Stella Artois movie event happening next month at Osteria Uno Eatery — next to and by the same people as Metro Best Cafe, Duo on Hinemoa St in Birkenhead — Jordan Macdonald and his partner (in life and in business) Sarah. Tickets are now sold out but if you are amongst the ticket holders, a warning: the food is delicious but also very generously proportioned – make sure you are hungry when you turn up.
Earlier this week, Henry went to the opening celebration of Gilt, the new restaurant from Josh Emett and his partner (in life and in business) Helen by the Chancery chambers on O’Connell St. It was not a dinner (he misread the invitation and had prepped himself for a pre-opening media-type dinner) but a real celebration — trays of champagne, trays of martinis, trays of oysters, trays of canapes. Having saved an appetite to be there, he stationed himself near the kitchen to ensure a sampling of everything on offer. Highlights were the oysters in a sauvignon blanc vinaigrette and the chicken parfait on fry bread (soft, sweet and unbelievably moorish). We’re looking forward to a proper dinner there soon. He also expressed considerable pleasure about his Martini on instagram.
We finally went to Katsu Katsu (near Selera in Newmarket) by the people behind Metro fave Waku Waku on Wednesday for lunch and it was great, we had a seat at the bar facing the kitchen, which is recommended given the hypnotic precision of the food prep there and we took some pleasure from the schnitzel drying racks. The Katsu was perfectly cooked — not dry at all, and the lunch box was nicely presented with rice, miso, coleslaw, pickled stuff and condiments. Henry went for the chicken katsu with cheese option which kicked off a long overdue conversation about his cholesterol levels.
What’s New
One wine you won’t read about in the pages of Metro is Halcyon Days, the Hawke’s Bay winery of Amy & Olly Hopkinson-Styles. Not only is Olly our wine writer, but Henry has known Amy and Olly (partners in life, business and winemaking) longer than he has worked at Metro. All of which is to say, just because their wines never appear in our Top 50, they consistently make some of our favourite wines, and we’re super excited to try their newest release, a chenin blanc called Big Little Things. You can buy it direct or look out for it at your favourite wine bar.
Open cafe on K Rd (by the gas station on the corner of Ponsonby Rd) is launching Open Late, a bar, in the same space but at night time. Will be open on Thursdays and Fridays from 4—11pm.
We went to the new Receptionist coffee space on Thursday morning, on Exchange Lane, by the Oakley store, downtown and it feels a bit like standing in the nicest gym shower imaginable while waiting for your coffee – probably the brownest room in the city with the floor, walls and ceiling all tiled in a heavy ochre colour with pops on black and white in the appliances and staff uniforms. Coffee and pastry were both excellent.
Our beloved Jomaru, the delicious, peaceful oasis of Korean food under Lorne St has disappeared and been replaced by a Hong Kong food place called Kowloon Cafe .
Hash’n’Smash is officially open this Sunday at Eastridge in Mission Bay. 12pm—8:30pm. Free Hashies with purchases over $30 when you enter the code HASHIES at the ordering thing.
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