Aug 30, 2022 Metro Eats
Hey everyone,
First of all, apologies for being out of your inboxes, and your lives, for the last few weeks. I could make a lot of excuses for it, but the truth of the matter is I was a little busy getting the Metro Top 50 Restaurants of the Year (with much-appreciated support from Estrella Damm) together. Which I did! Together with a panel of nine other judges, we released the list yesterday. Hence this Monday Metro Eats! special.
Deciding the Top 50 is difficult every year, and I always look forward to and dread it in equal amounts. It’s something you have to consciously take seriously, in order to produce a list and an awards event that does what it aims to: acknowledge the very best of Auckland. How do you decide what the best of Auckland is? Short answer: a lot of debating, eating, judging, agonising. Long answer: we haven’t, really. The best of Auckland is a subjective endeavour, and it’d be impossible to declare that we’ve definitively done it. But what we have done is put together a very good list, populated, entirely, by 50 excellent restaurants – 50 reasons Auckland is the best city in New Zealand to dine in; a food city that can stand up to the rest of the world, no matter how much we do our best to try and deny it. The Top 50 reasons.
I hope you scroll through the Top 50 and find something interesting for your next meal out, or, at least, to put on the wishlist. We’ve also got a handy dining portal which allows you to filter out restaurants depending on location; what style of restaurant you’re after; whether you feel like a set menu, or a la carte and more. It should help make some decisions, if you struggle with that sort of thing.
Again, sorry for the interruptions to your regular scheduled programming of Auckland food news – it won’t happen again!*
If you’d like to join us on our awards night, you can absolutely do so, by the way. Our Metro Restaurant of the Year event, presented with Estrella Damm, is open to everyone, and is on Monday 19 September at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. You can get tickets here.
— Jean
*It will happen again.
What’s New
MoVida is opening in Auckland soon, on 31 August taking over the old Ostro space in the Seafarers building. For those unfamiliar with the Melbourne restaurant, you should know this is considered a Big Deal – MoVida is a very iconic and very acclaimed Spanish institution that has been open for nearly 20 years. Paella. Anchovies. Etc.
Jason Kim, the head chef of Gochu , is opening his own modern Korean restaurant in North Shore’s Milford called Tokki , opening on the 30 August. From the menu on the website, I’m particularly intrigued by the savoury egg souffle with anchovy broth, the raw fish with mustard and minari, and the flat noodles with chilli pork. Yum.
Cazador ’s hosting a Fathers Day Feast on Sunday 4 September, with a multi-course lunch featuring a nose-to-tail menu and a drink on arrival from Hallertau . Tickets are $95 and there are two sessions, at 1pm or 4pm.
I had a really good breakfast at Duo in Birkenhead Point – I recommend the raw fish dish, which is a great choice for a lighter brunch; so bright and fresh.
I went to Ooh-Fa, the new pizza place from the team behind Pici . It was my last meal out before I was struck by the ‘vid (co-vid), and found it was very similar in vibe and concept to Pici, but with pizza instead of pasta. The pizzas are small and designed to share – I enjoyed my potato and proscuitto one and wanna go back for the spicy sausage and/or nduja.
Actually, the last meal I had out before I tested positive was at Kuta Bali in Albany, which was a very reliable Indonesian takeaway that I really liked – it was, sadly, a Last Meal situation, since they’re now closed and no longer operating. I think it’s nice to acknowledge that they existed, though.
There is a new rooftop bar, Bar Albert, which is apparently the highest rooftop bar in Auckland. Located on the 38th floor of the voco Auckland, I imagine it will have very good views.
This Devil’s Fried Chicken place looks set to open soon on Karangahape Rd, in the K’Rd Food Workshop space (where Electric Chicken used to be).
Patiently waiting for this sando place on Dominion Rd, to open.
Also on Dom Rd (sorry, everyone), we went to the new neighbourhood cafe (as in the Balmoral neighbourhood), Gray’s, recently, and had a very nice time – great coffee from Rich Coffee Roasters. There’s some things from local businesses you can buy, and it intends to open as a wine bar by the end of the year.
I get major envy whenever I see someone I follow on Instagram get a delivery from this micro bakery Mor – its croissants look especially good.
Treat yourself to a Shirl + Moss x Kōkako dark chocolate bar, a collab of shared commitment to this planet and its people, with ethically-sourced cacao/coffee. It is very nice (#gifted).
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