6 reasons why you should up your kitchen game and invest in a Sub-Zero refrigerator

Homes which advertise a Sub-Zero fridge in the listing, net a 38% premium over other high-end listings.

We all know about ‘investment’ wardrobe pieces, but investment kitchen appliances are another thing altogether. When it comes to the crème de la crème of culinary hardware, Sub-Zero’s famous refrigeration specimens might just be worth every penny.

It will increase the value of your entire home
You might sooner think of a lick of paint as being the best thing to improve saleability, but recent surveys have shown that homes which advertise a Sub-Zero fridge in the listing, net a 38% premium over other high-end listings (zillow.com). This is an asset that will clearly pay dividends.

It’s an iconic design
Function might come first for Sub-Zero but there’s no denying form weighs heavy in terms of this fridge’s appeal. The classic, bold appliance with its louvred grille is a transcendent style that has become one of the most imitated home product designs ever. And you know what they say about imitation…

It’s more durable than most
Most homeowners might be satisfied getting several years of service out of an appliance but when it comes to Sub-Zero, it’s a product that will last you decades. One of the marque’s enduring commitments is ’to build the best’; Sub-Zero’s appliances are constructed in their own American facilities where they can control every step of the manufacturing process. Only premium grade materials are used, the technology is state of the art and the craftsmanship is of the highest calibre (every fridge is handmade, hand finished and 100% quality tested.)

Your grocery bill will thank you for it
Sub-Zero pioneered the dual refrigeration system, which relies on two separate, self-contained cooling systems to keep fresh food fresher and preserve frozen food longer (thanks to a more consistent temperature throughout.) They also developed an air filtration system inspired by NASA technology that scrubs the air of ethylene gas (which speeds up food spoilage) and also reduces odours by removing bacteria, mould and viruses. Everything about the fridge, right down to its ultra-effective seals, encourages food longevity.

Your power bill will thank you for it
Sub-Zero equipment meets high energy efficiency tests and even the largest refrigerators consume less power over a year than a 100 watt light bulb. Foam filled doors help insulate the unit more efficiently, and the dual refrigeration system means less energy is used overall.

It’s easier to clean
The fridge’s 18-gauge stainless steel exteriors are not susceptible to denting and are easy to keep clean due to the thicker graining in the steel. Need we say more?

Design

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Left: Mini Lady Dior bag, small Diorama ultra black bag and J'adior slingback pumps from Dior (09 373 4849) | Right: Valentina trench coat from Paris Georgia; Mini Lady Dior bag and Dioramour shoes from Dior (09 373 4849); Odin chair by Resident from Simon James Design

Denizen after dark: The outfits we wear once the sun has gone down

When the light begins to fade, and the calls of a long day morph into the quiet intimacies of evening, we don our favourite designers and decide who to become once night falls. From glittering fabrics to precise suiting, these are the clothes, shoes and accessories we adorn ourselves in after dark.

Left: Helen Cherry Cameron jacket and cigarette pant and Alexander Wang Rina heels from Workshop; Lady Dior ultra black bag from Dior (09 373 4849); Odin chair by Resident from Simon James Design | Right: Headline Cross pumps and Trunk clutch from Louis Vuitton; Missoni maxi dress from Muse Boutique
Left: Small shoulder bag from Gucci; Stuart Weitzman Mira mules from Scarpa | Right: Alice McCall The Future is Female skirt from Superette; Sidone bag from Prada; Odin chair by Resident from Simon James Design

 

Left: Wool and silk tuxedo jacket and Corea Borg Jasper navy shirt from Dadelszen; Mid-fit shirt from Workshop Denim; Bow-tie from WORLD; Solferino derby shoes from Louis Vuitton; Odin chair by Resident from Simon James Design | Right: Saint Germain loafers from Louis Vuitton; Marquess silk and wool grosgrain jacket and Vincenza tuxedo shirt from Dadelszen; Bow-tie from WORLD
Image credit: Styling: Margie Cooney, Art Direction: Fran King

Coveted

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The iconic Auckland Zoo is now serving delicious, bistro style food

When someone mentions a trip to the zoo, food wouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind, it may even be the very last. Well, the Auckland Zoo is about to change that with the revamp of the Old Elephant House. This building has been around since 1922, the very beginning of the Auckland Zoo. Now, instead of being home to the elephants, it is open to the public with a sophisticated food menu and comprehensive drinks list.

The Old Elephant House’s new interiors have a timeless aesthetic with smooth, curved walls painted in a crisp, clean white that catches all the rays of the sun. The high ceilings give an ambience of grandeur and the outdoor courtyard is the ideal spot to take a break from animal watching and enjoy some downtime in the fresh breeze.


With an extensive menu that includes entrees, mains, sides and desserts, it’s clear that The Old Elephant House is the perfect place for a long sit-down lunch, offering a pleasant change from the usual zoo option (grazing on snacks.) The stand-out dish was the beef brisket burger — a steamed, pillowy bun filled with tender and juicy meat that was topped melted cheese which oozed out of each bite we took. The dish was served with a side of crispy, golden fries and a finished crowd favourite condiment, truffle mayo.


If you’re looking for something lighter, however, the tomato bruschetta was another highlight and also a great option for any vegetarians out there. The toasted rye bread had a thick layer of whipped feta and was topped with fresh, juicy tomatoes bursting with flavour. In my opinion, there’s always room for dessert and even on the odd chance there isn’t, just make it happen because The Old Elephant House’s apple crumble is a must-have. The buttery pie pastry is filled with caramelised apples and topped with brown sugar and cinnamon-spiced crumble to lend it the necessary crunch. Pour over some warm custard and let it soak into cookie crumble topping to finish things off on a sweet note.

Whether you’re wanting a coffee and cake break or a long wine and dine session, the reinvention of The Old Elephant House is the perfect excuse to get down to the zoo. They’re also planning on building a separate entrance for those only wanting access to the eatery without having to go through the zoo itself, so keep an eye out. 

Opening hours:
Monday – Sunday, 10am until 5pm

The Old Elephant House

Auckland Zoo
Motions Road
Auckland, 1022

09 360 3805

www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/experiences/old-elephant-house

Gastronomy

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Gut Instinct — is kombucha really as good for us as we think?

When kombucha is made the traditional way, and is kept raw and unpasteurised like Remedy, it means it is full of live cultures, organic acids and antioxidants, which all have proven health benefits.

For anyone who thinks that kombucha is nothing more than a drink for hipsters, this effervescent tonic was around well before that word made its way into common parlance. From its conception 2,000 years ago in China to its prevalence on the supermarket shelves of today, the presentation and packaging of kombucha might have changed since its ancient beginnings, but its nature has remained largely the same. Thought to aid digestion and gut health via the billions of good bacteria cultivated in the fermentation process, this bubbly beverage has been credited as a kind of miracle drink in health circles. Not as widely discussed, however, is how the various processes and ingredients that go into creating a bottle can vastly affect how beneficial it really is for us. With more and more companies jumping on the bandwagon and the market becoming saturated with brands more focused on profit and less on health, we spoke with the founders of a recent arrival on the scene, Remedy Kombucha (one of the only labels on the market to boast no sugar naturally), to understand just how much one kombucha can vary from another.

Kombucha is fermented tea, so naturally, the process of creating it must start with a brew. At Remedy, they use organic, single origin tea leaves to ensure the health benefits of the final product start with the first step. During this time, polyphenols — a type of antioxidant — are produced in high quantities. Different makers use different methods, but as far as ensuring the kombucha retains the probiotic qualities that make it so important to our digestive systems, it pays to look out for brands that keep their ‘booch’ raw and unpasteurised. Pasteurisation, often used to save time and money when bottling and storing, kills the live cultures and bacteria, draining the drink of its essential goodness. Remedy’s Co-founder Emmet Condon explains that their raw kombucha is “the healthiest because it is brewed in small batches according to old-school traditions.” It’s a process that allows them to brew out all the sugar and end up with a drink that is packed with live cultures and organic acids which, according to the experts, ‘are proven to improve gut health and overall wellbeing’.

Once the tea is brewed, a mother culture or SCOBY (symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast) is added, which kicks off the fermentation. The quality of the SCOBY will have a bearing on the kombucha’s final pH, residual sugar and alcohol content. “We are still using the very same mother we started with which has been brewing kombucha in Australian homes for the past 40 years” explains Condon, clarifying that the longevity is “a sign of a very healthy culture.” It then takes 30 days for the drink to fully ferment, before natural flavour (from organic fruits, roots and spices) is added and the bottles are sent on their way.

Other ingredients are also important to consider before determining which kombucha to pluck from the fridge. Some brands take a less holistic approach to their product than others, and it can be easy to find yourself sucked into the idea of it all without actually checking if something is as good as it claims to be. So it pays to be a bit discerning and check the ingredients before jumping on the bandwagon. “Consumers love the health benefits” explains Condon, “but we also consistently hear that they love the taste”. For Remedy, the aim of the game is to “offer consumers real and healthy alternatives to sugary drinks and fake-healthy drinks with no nutritional value” by using all-natural and organic ingredients, which not only make for a much cleaner brewing process, but also result in a kombucha that is truly committed to health — rather than just the trendy nature of it.

This idea is furthered when it comes to the contentious issue of kombucha’s sugar content. With some basing their claims that the drink isn’t all it’s hyped up to be on the sugar content of each bottle, this doesn’t apply in every case. Yes, some brands do end up with a fair amount of residual sugar in their product, which not only wreaks havoc for the obvious reason that too much sugar is bad for us, but can also mean that the kombucha continues to ferment on the shelf. The amount of sugar left in a batch of kombucha really comes down to how long it has been fermented for. Because Remedy allows its kombucha to ferment for 30 days, all the sugar added at the start (necessary for the SCOBY to feed on) is entirely consumed, resulting in a final product that naturally contains no sugar (Remedy’s product even has the ‘I Quit Sugar’ tick of approval). If a kombucha is fermented for, say, five days, there will naturally be more of the sweet stuff left over.

There are a number of factors that go into creating the bottles of kombucha we happily sip on. What Remedy Kombucha has illuminated for us, is that not all kombucha is created equal. As Condon puts it, “kombucha isn’t a ‘cure’ but it can help return your body to balance by improving gut health and overall wellbeing. When kombucha is made the traditional way, and is kept raw and unpasteurised like Remedy, it means it is full of live cultures, organic acids and antioxidants, which all have proven health benefits”. So be wary of the booch you buy into. While brands like Remedy have made health their mission, others may not be as beneficial. Our advice? Trust your gut.

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Meet Lily, the new eatery dishing up bright, fresh fare and seriously good sweets

Tucked away on Devonport’s Wynyard Street, a stone’s throw (practically) from the water, sits Lily Eatery — the area’s newest drop-in for a delicious breakfast or lunch. Established by husband and wife duo Jason and Lily Ng, the latter boasts an impressive resume working in some of the best kitchens around Wellington and Auckland including Matterhorn, Baduzzi, Clarence Road Eatery and Stafford Wine Bar, making her — beyond being the inspiration for eatery’s name — the driving force behind its flavoursome fare.

Despite the fact that her family is originally from China, Lily was born in New Zealand and grew up with a fascination for Western food — particularly French cuisine. It’s a fascination she has weaved into her new venture via a cabinet of beautifully cooked pastries and treats, including an outstanding custard loaf. An impossibly fluffy filling is ensconced in a crunchy, buttery crust and piled with poached plums that cut through the sweetness to deliver the perfect balance of sweet and tart. “It’s my favourite,” Lily tells me, and I can see why.

The menu is at once simple and sophisticated. Anchored by fresh ingredients, the dishes express the skill of the chef herself through their complex, interesting flavours and expert execution. Lily explains how she wanted to focus on seasonal, bright ingredients like the herbs she sourced weekly from Eat Your Greens and the in-season plums she was getting from a local source. Setting down the corn fritters Lily revealed that, because most of her family eats gluten-free, many of her menu items have been made to follow suit. The gluten-free fritters were light where you’d usually expect a more grunty, batter-like texture, and made for a dish that wasn’t too heavy but punchy when it came to flavour. The salmon was a similar story. Cured overnight and accompanied by fried eggs, sumac, and eggplant chutney it offered an appealing interpretation of earthy, Middle-Eastern flavours and was the ideal size to satiate our lunchtime cravings.

Though the interior is distinctly industrial with open space aplenty and rough, concrete floors, the experience of eating at Lily Eatery felt cosy and personal. If you’re in the area or are looking to eat somewhere slightly further afield, this new opening is one to try.

Opening hours:
Monday – Sunday, 7am until 4pm

Lily Eatery

12 Wynyard Street
Devonport
Auckland

09 445 0243

www.lilyeatery.co.nz

Gastronomy

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Five enterprising Denizens share the book that changed their thinking and left a lasting impression

Reuben Bonner — Founder & Organiser, Wondergarden Festival
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time is the ultimate mystery adventure written in such a simple, wondrous voice that it is hard not to feel endeared to Christopher John Francis Boone, the story’s protagonist. He is a 15-year-old amateur detective who is hell-bent on finding who in God’s name has speared his next door neighbour’s dog, Wellington, with a garden fork! This book serves as a poignant reminder of how different we all are as human beings, and how we should be patient and compassionate of those around us following a different path. Christopher — who has Asperger syndrome and is ensconced in his own reality — has just as an important quest to complete (finding Wellington’s killer), as we might with our daily lives getting the bills paid, the children fed, or replying to a list of unanswered emails. It’s easy reading, but very fulfilling and shrouded in mystery and intrigue, and is also peppered with some excellent humour.

Max Patte — Artist
I’ve read all sorts of books on art, artists and the art market but The $12 million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art is hands down my most dog-eared, underlined and loaned out book on the shelf. More than any college tutor or trip to a gallery, this book helped me really understand and appreciate what happens to a work once it leaves the studio; how the lasting success of that work is influenced and controlled; the role of the dealer, gallery and collector; who sets the value and what makes it rise. With tales from the auction house, mega dealers, private jets and inside trades, this is a fascinating and engaging look at the phenomenon of an unregulated, sometimes murky and constantly surprising art world. It’s the book I wish I’d read at school.

Paul Huege de Serville — Founder, Servilles
Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish was a book that definitely changed my perspective. After listening to the author (an entrepreneur and founder of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization) and reading his book it gave me a deeper understanding about culture, value systems and structures that help you get clear pathways to run a business. Before that, I used to operate mostly by instinct and past knowledge, so keeping that and adding his way gave me lots of clarity in our business.

Peter Cullinane — Founder, Lewis Road Creamery
I’m not a big fan of business texts, I much prefer learning by example. The stand-out book for me is Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. It’s not a lesson in how to be a kind spirit but it is the best insight into the singular attitude that created the world’s most successful company. Steve Jobs believed everything was important, from the biggest ideas to the smallest details. He was relentless in his pursuit of perfection. For him, business was personal. He created a business that reflected what he wanted, not what others might want. This biography is a riveting read.

Karen Walker — Founder, Karen Walker
When I was 12, I discovered Evelyn Waugh and devoured everything he wrote, but it was his satire, his scathing, sneering reflection upon the English sitting-room, that I especially loved. Through his lens, he questioned and ridiculed the establishment but also, somehow, despite the curled lip, showed his love for it. This was an embrace with a slap, a pinch, a shin-kick thrown in for good measure and that really appealed to me. He questioned automatic, given, expected respect. He challenged and poked fun at the establishment and I loved that. And don’t even get me started on Brideshead Revisited, which still makes me weep!

 

Culture

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This adorable new book is showing off some special houses via their four-legged residents

A new book by Nicole England, Resident Dog is a beautifully realised photographic journey through some incredible homes via the dogs that inhabit them. Through her lens, England gives a unique perspective on aspirational houses that, while breathtaking by themselves, are given life when explored with their most important resident as the guide. Showcasing magnificent architecture and inspirational interiors, the 25 residences that make up the book are juxtaposed with the curious, endearing and idiosyncratic personalities of their pooches, showing how a home is always about more than just four walls and a roof.

Cookie the Labradoodle’s favourite part of the Brisbane home he lives in is the back garden. Or the rooftop, where he will often sit and take in the views of the city skyline.

Charlie, the laid-back Spoodle, is resident of this five-level, Melbourne home. Modelled off a 1960s case study, the house is bathed in natural light and boasts a colour scheme that allows his cocoa-toned curls to blend seamlessly into his surroundings.


Left:
The minimalist aesthetic, natural wood floors and raw concrete walls of this Melbourne residence get a touch of much-needed warmth from its four-legged resident, Canela.

Right:
Eric is the cheeky Yorkie who lives in this Sydney penthouse. Despite the home being surrounded by beautiful gardens and an abundance of nature, Eric doesn’t like getting his paws wet, preferring instead to enjoy it from the comfort of the living room.

With a black and white coat that makes him almost melt into the monochromatic background of his Sydney home, Skipper is the Border Collie with an enthusiastic personality that affects all who enter this contemporary abode.

Resident Dog is currently sold out online but will be available again from March with the second print.

Design

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5 minutes with Art Consultant Paul Baragwanath

Fifteen years ago, Paul Baragwanath established ARTTFORM, a platform which specialises in independent art advising. Here, we ask about the benefit of his services.

Tell us about your role as an art consultant — it can’t be easy dealing with such a subjective topic. In my view, a good art consultant is like a good psychologist. He or she should be able to understand you, how the spaces in your place need to work and what the art needs to contribute. In other words, to anticipate and to develop what you will not only like — but what you will love.

Is it better to have prior knowledge of art before engaging with an art consultant? Not if you have a good, honest one! An inspired art advisor will expand your knowledge and the way you look at art. Acquiring art with the support of someone who dedicates their life to it can be very rewarding.

You have an array of different clients from private individuals to corporate, institutional and not-for-profit organisations. Is there a ‘minimum scale’ of job you would undertake? There’s no ‘minimum’. If people seek art advice, and I am able to help, I will. Or, I’ll introduce them to someone else who can.

Is there one type of client with whom you most enjoy working and why? Ideally, one who senses art’s potential to enhance their daily life. Or, someone who is willing to take a leap of faith. And art does take a certain amount of bravery, regardless of the scale, budget and type. Public spaces are rewarding because the art will have an impact on the lives of many. But there is nothing more rewarding than working for a private client who values the art you bring into their life.

What do you think people are challenged with most when it comes to the task of buying art? In this instance, how do you help? Probably the biggest issue — and perhaps the least known — is that actually finding truly great art is a challenge. Always. Not ‘everyone is an artist’. Not all art is created equal. A good name is no guarantee of good art. And every artist has bad days, good days and days when they really fly. It’s the job of your art advisor to discern the difference. And if he/she does so, your art will go the distance. For you, and for posterity.

Culture

Give the gift of culinary inspiration this year with our edit of the new cookbooks worth perusing
‘Tis the season for getting out and about — consult our December Culture Guide for everything to enjoy this month
Six ways to give back to those in need this Christmas