In this regular new column, our Editor-in-chief embraces her long-held passion for food, sharing the unexpected, fascinating and delicious experiences from restaurants, bars, pops-up and cheap and cheerful spots all across the country.
Feeling a tad cavalier (with all the talk of Omicron on the doorstep) after arriving back in Auckland after four weeks of essentially isolating on our boat over the summer, my husband and I decided to hold our heads high and head out to support the world of dining. Our first stop, the newly christened Pōni to celebrate our wedding anniversary. In a supremely wise decision, the powers that be at Commercial Bay have handed over the reins to what was once Poni Room, to the immensely talented (and extremely busy) David Lee. With a fresh new interior that is light and bright, and a menu that’s taken inspiration from Head Chef Fred Wong’s Cantonese upbringing in Hong Kong, there’s a distinct mixture of Chinese and Japanese flavours that dance on the palate. New dishes like a ‘Hong Kong Vongole’ with Cloudy Bay clams speak loudly to the innovation that’s at play here.
Must order: The charred octopus, cauliflower, chipotle kimchi sauce and nam jim dressing. Sure I’d been eating a lot of seafood over summer, but the flavour combinations in this dish make it a taste sensation. It’s exactly the type of zing my palate loves.
I have been going to Ponsonby Road Bistro since it first opened under its original name Magnum, back when the dynamic duo of Mark Wallbank and Blair Russell were the stars of the show. Fast forward some 16 odd years and it’s Blair and his wife Gina at the helm of what is arguably one of the most consistently fantastic bistros in town. Come for the food, stay for the excellent drinks and banter with the highly entertaining Blair. He may like to bemoan how he’s too long for this hospo malarkey, but that’s what makes him so hilarious. The Russells still have some of the same loyal staff they’ve had for decades, which is a testament to how respected and loved they are. It’s probably also worth acknowledging that I met my husband here 12 years ago, so if you’re on the hunt for a fine young man, PRB could well be the place where dreams and futures are made.
I took my family on a Thursday evening. The menu here, while tweaks and substitutions are made, consistently remains the same. The majority of the dishes are variations on items that have been on the menu for as long as I can remember. Clams are a mainstay — typically served with a flavourful broth that certain members of my family can’t resist drinking straight from the bowl. Apparently it’s a German thing. The other hot contender every visit is the perfectly cooked scotch fillet served with a lob of exceptional herb butter and thick cut chips.
Must order: The incredible mescal and jalapeño margarita. If chilli margaritas are your drink du jour then this rendition has to go down as one of the most spectacular in town, thanks to the large muddled jalapeños and perfect use of mescal over tequila.
Hot tip: I love an early dinner as the sun is setting, and PRB is quite possibly the best place to enjoy the remaining hours of a sunny day. Many years ago before children, it was a common occurrence to sight a young Miss Sullivan holding court outside glugging endless bottles of Chablis. Hilariously, at the time a nasty food critic took umbrage at this, and made a dig at PRB for being the home of ‘ditzy blondes who sit outside all day drinking Chablis’. So true my friend, so true. But why the bad attitude?
I suspect by the time you read this, the infamous-to-boaties Pizzeria may have closed for the season. But it’s well worth noting it for the future. The sheer fact that one has to wait upwards of two hours for a pizza should be proof enough that there is some magic at work inside the confines of Alf’s pizza shack. Located just a short walk up from the beach, the pizza shed serves a small selection of utterly delicious wood fired Neapolitan style pizzas. The tomatoes and herbs are grown on the island, and the bases are crafted from a two to three day fermented dough. For those who don’t like their glass half full, I suggest the Paradiso, a margarita pizza topped with pepperoni, Italian fennel sausage, prosciutto, olives, anchovies, mushrooms, capers and red onion. It’s a taste sensation. Order two — the leftovers are always welcome the next day on the boat.
Hot tip: Follow Woody Bay Pizzeria on Facebook for updates on their opening hours. If the weather isn’t great they may be closed. It’s also worth noting that they often host bands or local singers to add to the good-times vibe.
While we may consider ourselves a cosmopolitan city, there are a few of life’s culinary necessities that are missing on many of the finer menus around town, and one of those is caviar. A rarity in these parts, perhaps due to our proximity to its source? But local French culinary purveyors Maison Vauron have been supplying me with their French sustainably farmed sturgeon caviar for many years, and now thankfully it’s available at Faradays’ resplendent Champagne bar. Here it is served beautifully on a polished shell and bed of ice with shell spoons, which you employ to dump a small pile of the delicacy on your hand at the base of your thumb and eat. Paired with a bottle of either Ruinart Blanc de Blancs or Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne Brut (169th Édition), there is no chicer way to spend the afternoon, or simpler passage to appease your yearnings for foreign lands.
A common addition to your morning coffee, the base for smoothies, vegan ice cream and even beauty products, oat milk is staking its claim everywhere. And while in New Zealand, there’s no denying that our love for dairy runs deep, an increasing number of people are opting for oat milk as a plant-based alternative.
Auckland-based entrepreneur Morgan Maw founded Boring, the country’s first 100 percent New Zealand-made oat milk to be sold on supermarket shelves. According to her, the uptake so far (which has been “overwhelmingly good”) is just a drop in the creamy ocean of potential for the beverage category. “I want New Zealand to become as synonymous with oat milk as we are with dairy,” she says. “We have good land and incredible scientists, and I think we have an opportunity to be a leader in this plant-based space.”
Boring was launched on the 19th of August, 2021, two days after Auckland was plunged into its longest lockdown to date. The timing, however, hasn’t hindered the brand’s success; now stocked in supermarkets and cafés nationwide, the response has been so ardent that the company experienced supply shortages after selling more than double their expectations.
While there are several oat milk brands to be found on shelves, none are both grown and manufactured here. Boring’s grain comes from Otago-based oat processor Harraways, and is then processed by Hawke’s Bay juice company The Apple Press. It is packaged in recyclable PET plastic bottles rather than Tetra Pak and, crucially, can be stored at room temperature before opening, which reduces waste and expands its shelf life.
Also crucial, is that it’s deliciously creamy and thick enough to ensure it’s a versatile accompaniment that doesn’t split when frothed for coffee or poured into tea. As for the Boring branding, Maw worked with Kelvin Soh of DDMMYY agency to create an identity that would stand apart from the rest. Eschewing cutesy cartoons and cliché images, the name is a nod to the fact that milk shouldn’t be the extrovert of the meal or beverage — it should be the trusty backup singer, not the lead.
Maw has long cultivated a love for oats and, more broadly, sustainable growing and farming practices. Having grown up in New Plymouth, she would help out on her Aunt’s dairy farm, doing riparian planting along the waterways to prevent run-off. “That sparked my interest in, and appreciation for, farmers and growers, and having a good understanding for what they do and how much they love the land,” she says.
Moving to Wellington to do a business course at Victoria University, Maw got a job in Coffee Supreme’s roastery. “That was when I really started to learn about a small business that could have a great impact — a business that creates a really good community. I knew that one day, that’s what I wanted to create.”
It was during a stint living in Scotland that Maw started noticing the widespread use of oats in the U.K., and recognized that Aotearoa could embrace this clever crop. “We grow oats super well in New Zealand. They’re such a sustainable grain, they’re good for you — why can’t we be using them for things other than just porridge and cereal?”
Back here, she founded and ran oatcake cracker brand Bonnie Goods, but wanted to expand into doing something more environmentally impactful. Seeing how well Scandinavian company Oatly was doing in America and the U.K., Maw travelled to Sweden to learn as much as she could about the process. On returning home, she received a Callaghan Innovation R&D grant and, along with excellent beverage technologist Jacqui Rota, began the journey of creating her own oat milk.
The process of developing and perfecting Boring took three years, a timeframe that even the most dedicated and tenacious would surely find trying. “There were many times where I was like ‘am I crazy? No one’s done this…’” Maw reminisces. “I knew it could be done, but it was just about really how long I was going to stick at it for.”
Working with the factories to implement all-new methods of creating excellent milk from oats was a challenging process. “There were a lot of failures. Every step was a failure, and we’d learn from that and do something different — then that wouldn’t work, and we’d learn something new again”.
At the time, when she wasn’t on the factory floor Maw was working out of Coffee Supreme’s shared office space. Each time she had new formulations, she’d bring them into the office to go through stress-testing on the machines, seeing how well (or not) the milk paired with the coffee.
“They were really great with what they thought, and brutally honest as well,” says Maw of the Supreme team. “Some times were just absolute failures and we’d be like ‘okay, back to the drawing board’.”
Eventually, the wins outweighed the fails and they had something they were very happy to release.
The beloved coffee company is a big fan of Boring as a premium oat milk option and even stocks it on its website. According to Coffee Supreme Auckland Manager Nat Guest, the recipe for a great cuppa lies in a pairing of the absolute best ingredients.
“Naturally, anything else that goes into a cup with our coffee has to be of the same great quality. Boring has got it all going for it — it’s delicious, pairs perfectly with Supreme Coffee and we love that it’s made right here in NZ.”
According to upcoming plant-based beverage manufacturer New Zealand Functional Foods, our country’s oat milk sales grew 230 percent in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods category, quarter on quarter as of August 2021.
Having successfully tapped into this growing market, Maw is only just getting started. “Complacency is the enemy of good brands in business, so I’m always looking to what’s next,” she says.
This year, rather than jump straight into trendy flavoured milk or overseas exporting (a challenge right now with Covid), she’s focusing on building awareness around sustainability in farming. She’s keen to be a driver in creating more biodiversity on the land, in ways that will also be commercially viable for local farmers.
It’s big-picture stuff but, as she’s demonstrated so far, Maw is more than adept at milking every opportunity for good — and we’ll be eagerly watching her progress as she continues to do so.
Craving a cuppa after reading this? We are delighted to be giving away an entire year’s worth of Coffee Supreme coffee and Boring oat milk, to be delivered to the home of one very lucky winner.
Head to our Instagram and follow the directions to enter the draw. Remember, we only have one legitimate Instagram account, and we will never ask you for your credit card details in conjunction with a giveaway.
It’s a little known fact that I was once anointed with the rather prestigious title of a “Bentley Girl”. Despite what you may be thinking, it did not involve the waving of flags, nor the use of silks to unveil cars, though I do have a striking Bentley driving suit with my name on it as a result.
Sometime back in 2014, when I was well into the pregnancy of my second child, I was invited on what was one of the most exhilarating journeys of my career, a visit to Crewe in the UK, the home of Bentley, to drive the storied Continental GT around the official Bentley race track with their official racing team. A group of glamorous women were plucked from all corners of the world, as representatives of some of the world’s loftiest magazine titles (Tatler, Vanity Fair, Vogue… and Denizen), to experience the thrill of driving these insanely beautiful vehicles around the race track, just as their creators had intended them to be.
The experience, which also involved touring the factory, where each Bentley is made to order, and in many areas, crafted by hand, left me with a lifelong desire to one day spec my own Bentley Continental GT, complete with the Sullivan-Kraus family crest emblazoned on the headrest, obviously.
Aside from the exquisite craftsmanship of each Bentley, what I really took from this memorable experience was just how damned fast (290km/h) these cars could go without losing the grip of the tarmac on the chicanes, leaving me with a sense of complete fearlessness. Though I do recall my daughter kicking my insides like crazy, no doubt fuelled by my body’s internal adrenaline.
So when presented with the opportunity to drive Bentley’s newly released 2021 Continental GT V8, I immediately rallied my daughter to see if she was up for a revisit of the experience, this time from the outside world.
Having already seen first-hand the expertise and precision that goes into crafting each and every car produced at Crewe, the new Continental is no different. It’s indisputably beautiful, sleek, refined, and pure class. The interior is so absurdly comfortable with its Beluga leather and contrasting red hand-stitched detailing that I am reminded of the person I met at Crewe whose sole responsibility was to use a fork (crafted from the finest silver, I expect) to make the small holes in the steering wheel leather, before hand-stitching the leather onto the wheel. It really is a study in pure craftsmanship, and adds to the overall feeling of being ensconced within the confines of the world’s chicest hotel room. The deep-pile overmats underfoot, the massaging seats, the convenient inductive phone charger, and the ambient lighting — this is a place you could easily stay the weekend and come home refreshed.
Almost everything is powered electronically, giving off an air of superiority over me. And for once, I am happy to be outwitted by a car, if it comes in the form of a well-trained butler, turning on the window wipers at the onset of rain, assisting me to change lanes without really even looking, and the best yet, ensuring that I don’t curb the wheels — an act from God really, if you saw the state of my current car’s rims.
From the expression on onlookers’ faces, I can tell this car has an extraordinary presence. The stunning, sculpted aerodynamic curves are a nod to the fact that this car was designed on aerospace principles to deliver genuine speed and power. And from where I’m sitting, just glancing in the side mirrors delivers a sense of road ownership with its aggressive stance thanks to the beautifully flared rear guards.
This new impressive incarnation of the Continental GT still honours the brand’s DNA. The digital display, for example, can at the push of a button, be rotated into a new facade that features the elegant dials of the original marques. So too with the air conditioning pulls, which are classic and chic. But despite the nods to the old, this is definitely a bold new ride. There are clear elements of evolution, like the fact that the GT V8 is powered by a new generation 4 litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that outputs 404kW, and reaches a swift 100km/h in just four seconds. Push the sport mode button, and you’ll really not just feel the ultra sleek quad exhaust pipe, your belly will rumble with excitement at the guttural roar one expects from a car of this calibre.
So has my love and devotion to this beautiful marque waned over the years you may ask? Unfortunately not — the magic, the majesty, and the hand craftsmanship all collide to make this quite possibly the most extraordinary car of my dreams.
From big-hitters on the hotel scene to exciting new hospitality hot spots, these are the places to add to your next Sydney itinerary.
WHERE TO STAY
Kimpton Margot From San Fran to Sydney, the five-star luxury hotel has just opened its doors in one of the city’s most exquisite Art Deco buildings. The corner site at number 339 Pitt Street has undergone a richly realised refurbishment to meld modern Australian style with characterful heritage, and the resulting accommodation is plush and harmonious for those looking for a sumptuous stay.
Ace Hotel For its first address south of the equator, the renowned Ace Hotel has set up in quintessentially impeccable style — comfortable with just the right amount of cool. Located in Surry Hills, Ace Hotel Sydney is accepting bookings for its 264 rooms from the start of May and, in keeping with its global counterparts, will have a stellar hospitality offering including both ground-floor and rooftop restaurants and bars.
Aiden For a central, compact yet utterly chic place to lay your head, look no further than Aiden — the newest accommodation addition to Darling Harbour. This boutique hotel features artful touches like original murals throughout, and thoughtfully crafted food and beverage offerings that reflect the freshness of Australia’s much-lauded cuisine.
WHERE TO EAT
Left: King prawns with roast pepper salsa and mozzarella with grilled nectarines from Margaret. Right: Lola’s Level 1.
Margaret Double Bay has welcomed an elegant new restaurant helmed by Neil Perry, the founder of Sydney institution Rockpool and one of Australia’s most prominent chefs. Margaret’s menu comprises plenty of seafood (there’s even a specialist oyster fridge), and contemporary Australian flavours with both Mediterranean and Asian influences. Seek out this polished gem in the Eastern suburbs for a delicious lunch or evening meal.
Lola’s Level 1 From the veteran hospo team behind 10 William and Fratelli Paradiso comes a relaxed yet expertly realised bar and eatery with plenty to love. Located right next to Bondi Beach, Lola’s menu riffs off the flavours of Italy, Spain, Greece and the Mediterranean Coast; combined with its excellent cocktails and substantial wine list, we’re predicting a sunshine state of mind.
Left: Ursula’s. Right: KFC hot cakes from Soul Deli Cafe.
Ursula’s Another acclaimed chef, Phil Wood has opened his first solo venture in Paddington. The menu invokes both nostalgia and innovation, and in the dining space, saturated tones of ochre (and blue upstairs) make the white linen tablecloths pop in what has become a neighbourhood favourite.
Soul Deli Cafe Head to Surry Hills for Soul Deli Cafe’s well-rounded offering of daytime-skewed Korean fare. The owners are husband-and-wife team Daero Lee and Illa Kim, whose modern Korean restaurant Soul Dining is nearby. Their deli’s aim is to be both a dine-in spot and a destination for takeaway jars of kimchi, sauces, ceramics and more.
Steamed savoury pancakes with kingfish from Lucky Kwong.
Lucky Kwong Kylie Kwong’s new South Eveleigh eatery caters to the lunchtime crowd. A Cantonese-style cafeteria that only takes walk-ins, expect a warm, energetic vibe paired with moreish dishes like steamed prawn dumplings with Sichuan chilli sauce, pork Sung Choi Bao (lettuce cups) and fragrant steamed Hokkien noodles.
Left: Smoked Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod from The Blue Door. Right: Bistrot 916.
The Blue Door At this 22-seat Surry Hills restaurant, you can be sure your meal has been prepared with utmost care and attention — from farm to plate. Chef-owner Dylan Cashman originally opened The Blue Door in the Gold Coast, where it garnered much praise, and has made sure it’s even better in its new iteration. It is hyper-focused on local producers, sustainability and ethical farming practices, as well as utterly delicious dishes.
Bistrot 916 Irreverent yet intelligent, this neo-French bistro is the place to go in Potts Point for rubbing shoulders with the cool crowd while dipping into some steak (or duck) frites. The dishes at Bistrot 916 are delicious and complex, while the intimate atmosphere will have you channelling your inner Parisian.
Left: Kisuke. Right: Sweet pork betel leaves from MuMu.
Kisuke With just six seats, you’d do well to make a reservation at this Potts Point Japanese restaurant as soon as you book your flights, such is the demand. Helmed by chef Yusuke Morita, Kisuke just serves omakase-style — a sublime set menu through which he demonstrates his decades of experience, love and passion for Japanese cuisine.
MuMu Australian hospitality behemoth Merivale needs no introduction, and its latest outing is a cheeky eatery that joins its multi-faceted Ivy Precinct on George Street. Slinging South-East-Asian-inspired street food and seriously sippable cocktails, MuMu is designed to play host to late night parties — make sure you’re wearing your dancing shoes.
If there’s one design trend that transcends all shifts in time, it’s the value of a truly comfortable sofa. When you can find one that’s both beautiful and user-friendly, you’ve struck interior gold. That’s the reason why Living Divani’s Extrasoft Sofa has remained a much-loved home addition for 14 years; it’s as versatile as it is pleasing on the eye, and you can sink into it while the hours turn into days.
The Oak House by Alexander & Co.
Truth be told, it’s unusual to find a sofa that thrives in so many interiors. From a bach by the beach to an industrial loft in the heart of the city, there’s nowhere that this modular sofa isn’t at home. Since its release in 2008, the sofa has found its place in a magnitude of spaces, reflecting its adaptability, while remaining the centrepiece of a room.
From Left: Light Play House by Mariele Cluyse; Amélie, l’Atelier by Batiik Studio.
This lends itself to the modular composition of the sofa, where design elements of the 70s have been introduced to the low-slung furniture found in the Middle East, creating the ultimate ‘upholstered landscape’. Given its nature, the sofa can easily be arranged to suit any space, or any need; from a cosy reading nook to a place for unexpected guests to rest. In retail showrooms, it can be used to divide and section the space, while remaining a focal point for clientele to gather.
Villa Mandra by K-STUDIO.
Yet the shapes are not the only versatile element of the sofa. As endless as the options are for shape and purpose, there is a list just as long for upholstery. Linen typically lends itself to the laidback nature of a bach or open home, where leather offers a sharp contrast to polished concrete floors and pared-back joinery.
In a world where sofas have become staple pieces of interior design, many of the market’s offerings value design over usability. Ultimately, that’s what sets the Extrasoft Sofa apart from the rest. And its versatility is what will ensure the design remains timeless for decades to come.
As we see a return of the classic Sunday roast regaining popularity in the city’s bars and eateries, newcomer Goldie is a concept that simply makes sense.
Good comfort food is hard to come by. Yet when I think of the foods that nourish my soul, mum’s lazy night pasta and my grandma’s Sunday roast immediately come to mind. After all, what feels more like home comfort than a hot roast dinner and a bottle of wine, shared between loved ones.
Goldie’s Pork Belly Roast.
Capturing that fuzzy feeling was what Angus McLeanhad in mind when Goldie began as a pipe dream some 18 months ago. He had built a 26-year career as a chef, starting his career working in London under the guidance of Yotam Ottolenghi and Peter Gordon. And while you’ll taste the flavours of these celebrity influences at Goldie, the idea began out of something more simple — elevating the classic Sunday Roast. In the chef’s own words, he just wanted to make “good, healthy, comfy food”.
The Dominion Road outpost was born to be fuss-free. The offering is simple in nature but rich in flavour; a daily roast, where you can choose to take the lot, or mix and match the menu with your favourite sides. But don’t expect to be served out of a bain-marie, Goldie has elevated and modernised the traditional roast. McLean has looked to harness local produce and free-range meats and draws inspiration from the culturally diverse surroundings (making use of the ingredients on offer at nearby Dahua Supermarket).
The roast chicken comes in quarter, half or whole offerings — the tandoori is an inspired take, the lamb shoulder is slow-cooked and the pork belly melts in your mouth, with crackling of course. Non-meat eaters are covered with crispy fried squid, grilled halloumi, deep fried spicy cauliflower and your favourite roast veggies. Think duck fat potatoes, honey roasted parsnips and classic cauliflower cheese.
A selection of Goldie’s salads.
A cabinet offers an abundance of salads, where Ottolenghi’s influence truly shines, fresh charcuterie from nearby Cazador and lunchtime offerings like fresh pork belly rolls. And naturally, like all good Sunday roasts, there’s dessert to follow. Think sticky toffee pudding, a homemade apple crumble and Duck Island ice cream to drown it in — because what else.
Goldie’s roasts are designed to be taken home and shared around the family table, but there are also long communal tables where you can sit down and enjoy the food in-store. Our destination of choice is anywhere with comfort and company.
Entrenched in the upper echelons of fashion design, update this classic coat with playful proportions, and a focus on the waist, to pull rank. The star of the season (worn by the street style set) is Loewe’s backwards trench with a metallic chest piece.
For those after more subtle twists on the classic, we suggest Alexander McQueen’s romantic over-blown silhouette, and Fendi’s belted number with silver hardware. Of course, Burberry is always a fighter for the trench coat — this season, it’s worn with long lapels and soft epaulettes on the shoulder.
From left: HELEN CHERRY TRENCH COAT from Workshop, TRENCH COAT IN GABARDINE from Saint Laurent, The Long Waterloo Heritage Trench Coat from Burberry.
From left: Hybrid Military Trench Coat from Alexander McQueen, Lee Mathews Hudson Jacket from Muse boutique, ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER Runway Trench Coat from Faradays.
Hand on heart, we all thought 2022 would be the year many of us would get to return to some sense of normality. Alas, with omicron still thriving in the community, it looks like another year where much of our days will be spent working from home offices and kitchen tables. But when the four walls of your own home start to get too much, where do you go?
Our laptops aren’t the only things that have taken a hit in the last couple of years; the local hospitality industry has too. That’s why we’re always an advocate for taking your work to these nearby cafés, where you can revel in the small luxuries of barista-made coffee and the dining experience you’ve missed so much, all while clocked in for the day. As long as you can hotspot, in 2022, you really can work from anywhere.
Ozone, Grey Lynn A one-stop-shop for great coffee and delicious breakfast, this industrial venue makes for the perfect workspace if you need hustle and bustle to find your motivation. The ‘lockdown feta’ makes for a perfect mid-morning snack, and with cold brew on tap, you’ll never go short on stamina. (1/18 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn)
Daily Bread, Ponsonby Of all the outposts across the city, Daily Bread’s Ponsonby café makes the perfect spot to set up for remote work. With a long communal table where anyone’s welcome, and a cabinet of fresh croissants, there’s no need to go anywhere else. (108 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby)
Amano, Esther.
Amano, Britomart Britomart’s Amano is one of those transcending spaces that can be whatever you need, when you need it most — including your new office. From a quick bite and a couple of emails to meeting a client for a long lunch, there’s really nothing the team at Amano can’t do well. We would probably move in there if we could. (66-68, Tyler Street, Britomart)
Esther, QT Auckland, Viaduct Esther may seem an intimidatingly beautiful space to work for the day, but the nature of this hotel restaurant makes it the perfect space to get some peace and quiet, while still feeling among the thick of it. Nestled into the incredible QT Auckland, Esther plays host to a blend of locals and travellers just passing through, and the juxtaposition of open space and cosy nooks caters to every need. (4 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland CBD)
Bestie Cafe, K’Road If you find yourself in need of an office around the K’Road area of town, your first and last stop should be Bestie Cafe. The tables at the end of St Kevin’s Arcade offer an almost iconic view of the city you can draw on for inspiration, and the Towpath cheese toastie rounds off the best work lunch. (179/183 Karangahape Road, Auckland)
Allpress Caffetteria, Freeman’s Bay For open spaces, an inner-city location and an everlasting scent of roasting coffee, the Allpress Roastery & Studio in Freeman’s Bay couldn’t be a better place to work for the day. With lots of space to accommodate your set-up, and a seemingly endless supply of coffee (and great sandwiches too), the Caffetteria is the perfect blend of inspiration and action. (8 Drake Street, Freeman’s Bay)
Williams Eatery, Kind Stranger.
Williams Eatery, Wynyard Quarter Wynyard Quarter is an often-forgotten area of the inner city, especially as the offices that surround it are offering their employees the opportunity to work from home. But it does make this hugely popular Eatery all the easier to find a spot at. And when knock-off time comes around, you can order a glass of rosé, because why not celebrate a successful day. (G03/85 Daldy St, Wynyard Quarter)
Knead on Benson, Remuera Remuera’s newest dining experience brings so much more than just great pastries to the table. The outdoor dining area is the perfect place to set up your laptop and watch the world go by — if you need a momentary distraction. (76 Benson Road, Remuera)
Kind Stranger, Eden Terrace You’ll be forgiven for driving straight past Kind Stranger, given its spot on New North Road, but next time you need a new backdrop call into this city-fringe café. Here, the coffee is always delightful and the strangers are always kind. Dogs are an added bonus. (66 New North Road, Eden Terrace)
Honey Bones, Grey Lynn Brainchild of a rising hospo hero, Hugo Baird, the Grey Lynn café is the ideal home-away-from-home-office. With the signature dishes that the city knows and loves, it’s nearly impossible to fault a WFH day at Honey Bones. (480 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn)
Words Claire Sullivan | PHOTOS Olivia Kirkpatrick | 18 Mar 2022
In this new regular column, our Editor-in-chief embraces her long-held passion for food, sharing the unexpected, fascinating and delicious experiences from restaurants, bars, pops-up and cheap and cheerful spots all across the country.
Let me start by introducing myself — well, not myself exactly, because that would be silly, but rather let me regale you with a plethora of reasons as to why this new column of mine has come to exist. A little under 14 years ago, I created a ‘blog’, titled Denizen. Launched on the back of a career in publishing both online and in print in New York, I returned to Auckland with an insatiable appetite for the hospitality scene. Life in New York, you see, was just as it was told in the (only then) brilliant Sex in the City. I ate out at every meal possible, and as such, having an acute understanding of the latest breathlessly cool and trendy hot spots in which to be seen became a full-time vocation and a large part of my New York publishing career.
My passion and understanding of the hospitality sector started much earlier however — without putting a date on it, because ladies don’t reveal their age — while funding myself through university, I secured my first restaurant job, as a silver service waitress at the Christchurch Town Hall restaurant. These were very haughty times indeed, and knowing your duck l’orange from your chicken cordon bleu was of the utmost importance. It was at this impressionable and tender age, that my love for food and service became deeply ingrained in my psyche. But after one too many (narrowly avoided) #metoo moments with overly excitable travelling Japanese businessmen, I moved on to what was then one of Christchurch’s most iconic hotspots, Bardellis (if you know, you know). Here, I absorbed every fine detail of the food construction from the magnificent chefs, I learnt how to make delicious cocktails and I educated myself on the nuances of wine varietals. It was at this time that hospitality began to fill me with the most immense pleasure, and working among it, navigating the balancing act of all parts working in unison to create harmony, was where I truly felt the magic happen.
My love of food and the people associated has been long and fruitful. Moving to Auckland, prior to escaping to New York, I ingratiated myself with the city’s finest eateries, and can proudly say that the owners of each of these stalwart restaurants are some of my very closest friends today. Spending my weekends in the company of these incredibly passionate and fun-loving people has given me the opportunity to learn more than your average foodie, not just about the nuances of food, but an educated insight that goes far beyond the food itself, to consider such things as the viability of running eateries, particularly in the era of Covid.
Thankfully, the last two years has seen the horrid restaurant critics put down their poison pens (momentarily, I imagine) while we all just got on with the business of supporting the small miracles that were being proffered by our favourite eateries.
But this year, Omicron, or not, I’m planning to make up for lost time. I shall be swilling chilli margaritas, devouring the best burgers, ‘snorting’ lobs of caviar, and dining on the finest cuts of steak, shellfish, broths, noodles, street meat and everything in between. This shall be my year of magical eating.
After all the restrictions, this old restaurant veteran will be celebrating the very best our city, and our country, has to offer in my usual upbeat, humorous, yet never negating manner. I’ll be embracing the comfort and simplicity of a freshly baked loaf of bread, or a bowl of hearty broth, with just as much gusto as an authentic street-side taco stall. I’ll be scaling the upper echelons of the city’s finer establishments too, taking my tastebuds to countries I long to visit, yet still cannot.
There will be plenty to cover, and I aim to cover it all, because if there is one thing we’ve all learned from the last two years of restrictions, the one salve that keeps us connected is our appetite for a good meal.
Image credit: Hair & Makeup: Alexandra Stanworth. Claire wears Christian Dior off-the-shoulder jacket and beret with veil, Bulgari Serpenti Viper necklace, earrings, bracelet and rings. Krug Champagne and Caviar from Faraday’s Bar.
In this regular new column, our Editor-in-chief embraces her long-held passion for food, sharing the unexpected, fascinating and delicious experiences from restaurants, bars, pops-up and cheap and cheerful spots all across the country.
Since opening its doors back in 2018, Stu and Emma Rogan’s Viaduct Harbour eatery, Hello Beasty, has been garnering widespread acclaim, albeit in a quiet and subtle manner. When you have food and service that’s this good, you really don’t need to shout it from the rooftops, the people just come. And this Friday was no exception. As per usual, my husband and I were at a loss as to where to spend our child-free evening, and with no plans in place, we rocked on up to Beasty, assuming we would get a table. How wrong we were. By 5.30pm the place was at capacity. Lucky for us, we could dine at the kitchen counter — a favourite spot to watch the culinary masters at work. Rogan’s creative employment of Japanese, Korean and Chinese flavours culminate in magic both on the plate and the palate. There are very few dishes here that I don’t enjoy.
Must order: The potstickers are quite simply one of my favourite dishes in town, as are the extremely decadent prawn and crab toasts. Artfully presented with seared Wagyu eye-fillet with Japanese mayo and sweet n’ sour sauce on top — if you like turf with your surf, this dish is guaranteed to knock your socks off.
The children are on a playdate so we embrace the freedom and make like the youthful and the wise, and escape to a bar for some much needed respite from our reckless minors and the relentless humidity. This is my first visit to Beau, a small local Ponsonby Road bar with a sweet little courtyard out the back. At 4pm, the place is already full, a good sign in these times I do believe. To beat the heat, a refreshing cocktail is all I want, and the ‘Drink Your Greens’ is a standout. A delicious concoction of gin, cucumber, yuzu, coriander, chilli and soda basically covers all of my favourite flavours in a drink. Why imbibe a plain old GST (gin, soda and tonic — my usual) when you can pimp it up with fresh Asian-inspired flavours. After swiftly downing a couple of these — because they really were the perfect heat antidote — we ordered ‘The Freaky Chicken’. Quite possibly the most freakin’ delicious fried chicken I’ve tried since my youthful days of worshipping the almighty Colonel (a university dietary staple, might I clarify).
Hot tip: The cocktail list is teeming with enticing rifts on classic tipples. I suggest expanding your horizons and trusting the bartender for a drink that’s sure to tantalise.
Widely considered by most to be a special occasion eatery, for the Kraus family — who, as you are probably garnering, dine out regularly — adding some pizzazz to your palate becomes a necessity. I’ve been a fan of Ben Bayly’s work for many years. And I get the feeling that Ahi has given him the much longed for chance to truly showcase his impeccable talent. The menu is Kiwi-centric with a tongue-in-cheek play on classic comfort food; corn dogs filled with scampi and served with a ‘Big Mac’ flavoured mayo, lasagna toppers, completed with soft slow roasted beef, even the classic Trumpet ice cream gets a moment in the limelight thanks to Bayly’s genius use of buffalo milk. Each dish is executed with precision and perfection, and with Bayly’s love for provenance, each ingredient here is the star of the show. Flavour is paramount, but so is the back story. I recently took my 80-year-old-father to Ahi, where we sat at the kitchen counter while Ben talked us through his process from sourcing the ingredients to conceiving each dish. To hear his passion first hand elevates the experience that much further. And I’m so grateful that my dear old dad embraced this chance to banter with Ben.
Hot tip: If you are dining as a couple or even three, take a seat at the bar. It’s akin to watching an excellent cooking show live.
My husband LOVES pizza. If he could, I’m pretty sure he would eat it every single day. So despite the fact that we had already indulged in an enormous lunch at Ahi, it was Commercial Bay’s Green Door Pizza that was delivered to the Kraus Haus for dinner. Merging two classic styles, Green Door sees the New York pie married to Napolese pizza for what can only be described as a matrimonial triumph. Chef Rennie (whose provenance is Melbourne’s famed Leonardo’s Pizza Palace) has most definitely refined the art of the perfect pizza pie boasting delicious ingredient combinations that don’t skimp on flavour, served on a base that retains an essential puffy yet crunchy texture.
Must order: The Mortadella, combined with stracciatella, roasted red peppers, and finished with guindilla chillies. It’s a taste sensation.
In this regular new column, our Editor-in-chief embraces her long-held passion for food, sharing the unexpected, fascinating and delicious experiences from restaurants, bars, pops-up and cheap and cheerful spots all across the country.
I’m informed by my colleague — who knows these sorts of things — that Bar Magda’s location used to be called the Doll House… though I don’t think they sold dolls as such, perhaps more the services of doll like ladies. Anyway, that’s the wonderful thing about life around K’ Road, (Bar Madga is on Cross Street), it’s a continuing evolution of diversity, and of late, it seems to be home to a variety of exceptionally good eateries, Magda being one of them. Embracing his Filipino and Peruvian roots, co-owner Carlo Buenaventura (alongside partners Craig Thompson and Matt Venables) has turned this below-street-level spot into a charming space that feels like it’s straight out of Melbourne. The inimitable Buenaventura has really brought the magic here. After a decade long career at some of the city’s brightest eateries, it’s clear he’s found his footing with his own unique style, which he describes as “seasonal produce through a Filipino lens”. The night we dined, Bar Magda is already buzzing with a varied crowd of old and young, all of whom have clearly cottoned onto this utterly delicious, yet somewhat hidden secret. Cocktails are inventive and creative and the food is nothing short of a gastronomic sensation. The cat is most certainly out of the bag, Bar Magda could well be a contender for one of the city’s best new eateries.
Must order: The lamb ribs ‘pyanggang’ with herbs and green sambal. The ribs are cooked until tender, meltingly soft and slightly charred and topped with a pile of herbs that cut perfectly through the fat.
Auckland’s unequivocal home to the finest of good times, Soul Bar & Bistro has played host to some of the city’s most memorable evenings for decades. Helmed by one of the city’s brightest hospo stars, Olivia Carter, it’s no surprise that French Champagne house G.H. Mumm chose Carter to be the New Zealand ambassador for their exclusive RSRV collection; a reference to the mark used by Cellar Masters to select and identify the best wines only from the Grands Crus during harvest and bottle ageing. The RSRV stands for ‘ReSeRVed’ and is a limited release only for a privileged circle of Maison Mumm’s friends. To celebrate her newly anointed and enviable role, Liv hosted a black tie dinner for some of Soul’s most infamous female patrons. Myself being one. It’s been a long time between glamorous dress-up occasions for some, so no holds were barred for this spectacular affair.
The evening unfolded with an introduction to just how special and exclusive these Champagnes are, an exceptional RSRV Blanc de Blancs 2014 paired with freshly shucked oysters and smoked trevally toasts was a testament to the unique characteristics of the Champagne. It’s times like these when this old hack takes stock of her life-long vocation and appreciates the opportunities it affords her. Yes goddamn it, my life can be truly bloody glamorous at times.
Hot tip: If you want to ignite some serious surprise and raise a few eyebrows on your next visit to Soul, I suggest you order the scotch fillet with a bottle of Mumm RSRV Rosé Foujita non vintage. What, you say? Trust me, the pairing of this pinot-based Champagne with an expertly cooked steak will blow your mind, and convert even the most critical of wine snobs to this unlikely combo.
It’s my daughter’s delayed birthday party, and at the ripe old age of seven, her adventurous mother decided it was a stupendous idea to take her and several of her friends for High Tea at Park Hyatt Auckland to channel their inner Fancy Nancys (if you know, you know). There’s a spectacular array of treats from savoury tomato flavoured marshmallows and black bao buns filled with seared beef to start, to utterly delightful ‘strawberries’ filled with a deliciously creamy filling, the teeniest soft doughnuts and much, much more. This is the sort of fantastical abundance served upon pretty plates that any spiffy Tiffany would devour with utter delight in seconds.
Hot tip: Call ahead and employ the services of the award-winning Executive Pastry Chef Callum Liddicoat to create a masterfully decadent birthday cake, just to make sure the sugar spirits are at their highest peak. You will not be disappointed by his spectacular creations, nor the madness that ensures in children thereafter.
After all the care, attention and detail that goes into a harvest, the moment when you can sit down and share a bottle of the best is incomparable for a winemaker. As a nod to pioneer Tom McDonald, Church Road’s TOM range captures the Hawke’s Bay region as it has been respected and refined for 125 years. For 2022, Church Road has realised three age-worthy bottles of exceptional character and quality — the Chardonnay Vintage 2020, Merlot Cabernet Vintage 2018 and Syrah Vintage 2019. It’s the first time in years they have felt satisfied enough with the quality to put out the full range.
When Church Road’s Chris Scott and Andiamo’s Gareth Stewart got together recently, it was a chance to converse about their comparable passion for craft, as well as revel in the latest vintage of Church Road’s TOM range.
From left: Gareth Stewart, Chris Scott.
Gareth: I’m not just saying this because you’re in front of me, Chris, but Church Road is definitely our favourite wine in our house. When it comes to wine, I definitely know what I like and what pairs with food, but I’m still so green, it’s unbelievable. With food, when I taste something, I can tell exactly how the chef was standing while he was making it.
Chris: I think that’s part of the experience of honing your craft, isn’t it? You see nuances that only come from the experience of having done it over and over again.
Gareth: It’s the repetitiveness that makes you better. You need to cut yourself at least 10 times to know where not to put your finger. You need to peel an onion a thousand times. It’s about getting that right way of doing something, and that only comes through repetitiveness. And you’re right, you build a relationship with your craft and it’s almost an obsession. Are you in your vines daily?
Chris: I am, particularly at this time of year. Once we start harvest, I drive around the region and walk rows in the vineyards — tasting fruit and looking at their condition. There’s a whole lot of work that leads up to getting the fruit into a condition that’s going to make the best wine possible. And a lot of it is still done on foot and by hand for those top blocks.
Gareth: It’s similar for me, it’s about touching the products. I try to get out to all the suppliers to make sure I’m happy with what they’re sending me — because once it gets to me, it’s almost too late. I think that’s what is similar to winemaking, you don’t accept anything but the best.
Chris: It’s so important. One of the things that I always contrast being a chef versus being a winemaker with is that you get pretty much unlimited goes with it. The average winemaker gets 40 goes in a lifetime. That’s it. And everything happens in that harvest, so if you don’t get it right, then you basically wait ‘til next year and you try again.
Gareth: No pressure.
Chris: Understanding your vineyards is so key because every year the weather behaves differently and every vineyard behaves differently in those weather conditions. There’s no replacement for experience in your region.
Gareth: We tasted the wines yesterday and took some notes. I think that you could almost link the TOM range with any restaurant. But with Andiamo being an Italian restaurant, it’s all produce-driven, and it’s about simplicity and bold flavours, and it’s seasonal too. So we got quite excited, certainly about the TOM Chardonnay. It’s got quite a lot of creaminess in there with toasted cashew and it was just dripping with peaches — and all these flavours work perfectly for Andiamo.
Chris: Hawke’s Bay Chardonnays are stone fruit and citrus-driven. Ultimately, the TOM range is the culmination of everything that we know about our craft, everything we know about the region, everything we know about our vineyards, and it’s no expense spared. We’re pretty fussy when it comes to TOM and we’ll only put out a variety if we think that it worked particularly well in that vintage, and that we’ve got something pretty special.
Gareth: Wine adds so much to food. It changes the palate level — rather than just being horizontal, it’s vertical as well. It keeps that mouth feel going. But it’s about getting that smart match. And having the staff knowing exactly what to choose and help customers not feel intimidated by wine, but to learn how to enjoy the experience, because it’s always a journey.
Chris: Every now and then, if we do a really, really good match, the wine pops things in the food that you don’t normally see and vice versa. It makes the wine sing in the glass. It’s fascinating.
Gareth: Because you don’t want either one to overpower the other. But they come in harmony, like you say, when you get those good matches. When you get it right and you’re singing, it’s something to be celebrated.
To celebrate Church Road TOM’s latest release, we are giving away the ultimate TOM dining experience for four valued at over $1,300. The winner and three guests will enjoy dinner at Andiamo, including both food and drink.
This competition is now closed.
The latest vintage of Church Road TOM wines are available to taste and explore at Andiamo Eatery in Auckland, and can be purchased at retail stores nationwide and online.
If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, there’s something to be said for the pieces that hold them together. The latest in diamond jewellery has a platinum lining, with thoughtful designs that reflect the beloved stones.
For those who consider themselves classic, Partridge’s White Diamond Ring is home to a cluster of sparkle, and Sutcliffe’s Gorgeous In Graphic Bracelet lends its design to the tennis bracelets of ages past. Partridge’s Sunflower Drop Earrings offer an ethereal take on traditional diamonds, and, of course, the Open Hoop Earrings from Tiffany & Co. are effortlessly cool.
However you take your diamonds, make sure they’re worn with platinum this season.
Clockwise from top left: Schlumberger Sixteen Stone Circle Pendant from Tiffany & Co., GORGEOUS IN GRAPHIC BRACELET from Sutcliffe, lucky in love earrings from Sutcliffe, Open Hoop Earrings in White Gold with Diamonds from Tiffany & Co., SERPENTI VIPER NECKLACE from Bulgari, Piaget POSSESSION OPEN RING from Partridge jewellers, vienna star ring from Sutcliffe.
By now, many of us are dab hands at working from home, but that doesn’t mean a home office has to become drab. Creating a dedicated working space with thoughtful furniture will make clocking in something to look forward to, as you smooth your hands over a welcoming walnut desk.
The Tanis desk is a classic. First released by acclaimed French furniture designer Pierre Paulin as the ‘CM 141’ in the 1950s, the desk was re-issued by Ligne Roset in 2008 under its new name. The Tanis desk stays true to the respected design, but the ‘self-effacing’ finishes of its era have been updated and enriched for a timeless feel. The writing surface is made from soft-touch, scratch-resistant Fenix laminate, in black to match the black lacquered steel base, whilst the two drawers are finished in natural walnut veneer. As such, sitting down at the Tanis is always conducive to good work.
The Ursuline desk by Pierre Paulin from Ligne Roset.
Another Paulin, the Ursuline desk is a feminine and graceful take on the usual wooden workhorse. The cross-shaped base and the soft curves mean this apartment-appropriate desk can carve out its own space when placed in a shared room. The desktop is available in walnut veneer or white lacquer and paired with a satin chocolate or white lacquered steel base respectively, with matching niches for storage.
When your desk looks this good, no run-of-the-mill desk chair will do. While it’s technically a dining chair, the Ettoriano by Claudio Dondoli and Marco Poccioffers is a comfortable and contemporary seat. An enveloping piece that is moulded to support and hug the body, this chair is menial yet sumptuous. The cushion seat is optional, made to order, and highly recommended by us.
In terms of accessories, the Temoto desk pad from Ligne Roset will ensure your tasks continue running smoothly with its full-grain leather surface, vegetable-tanned at the Degermann in Alsace. Completed at the French luxury leather craftsmen Le Feuillet in Lyon, with a microfibre suede backing, every exacting detail will ensure you perform at work peak.
Forget WFH, we’re all about the HHO: Haute Home Office.
It truly feels like Easter when we begin to indulge ourselves in treats of every egg shape and colour (with a freshly baked hot cross bun thrown in for good measure), and it’s just our luck that this time of year is popping up in the Auckland hospitality scene again.
Our go-to Easter inspiration place of the moment is The Pantry at Park Hyatt, where after last year’s successful season, Executive Pastry Chef Callum Liddicoat has given the traditional hot cross bun a makeover in his signature extravagant style. It’s best served with lashings of Lewis Road Creamery butter, alongside his fresh take on the popular crème egg that just begs to be shared.
The Pantry’s Traditional Hot Cross Buns.
While many good hot cross buns are beginning to pop up around the city, when looking for a truly great one, Liddicoat’s hits the mark. Made with a buttery brioche base that quite literally melts in your mouth, the bun is packed with Earl Grey-soaked currants and sultanas, and spiced with the traditional cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. But it’s the welcome surprise of lemon zest, citrus peel and a hint of tonka beans that elevates these buns to a heavenly tier.
And if the traditional twist leaves you hungry for more, The Pantry’s new bun, the Pecan Valrhona Dulcey Chocolate and Caramel, promises to soothe even the sweetest tooth.
The Pantry’s crème egg.
Liddicoat and his team have gone on to create an egg to share, a fresh take on the popular crème egg. Reminiscent of fine French pastries, the egg has a centre of salted mango caramel and a lightly whipped caramel chantilly. This is then delicately dunked in a 55 percent Valrhona Itakuja chocolate, and the egg is adorned with colourful chocolate designs in an artistic touch.
A Good Friday Feast For the ultimate in Easter elegance, reservations are now open for Onemata’s Seafood Feast. The menu pays homage to the tradition of the holiday for both those who observe the traditional seafood meals and those who simply appreciate good food. And this seafood feast is like no other; a six-course set menu of mouth-watering seafood dishes at the Park Hyatt’s signature restaurant. Think green-lipped mussels, whiskey cured salmon, scampi risotto, whole fish with lime beurre blanc and more — with all seafood sourced from local fisheries.
Lunch and dinner courses will be served on Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th of April, at $95 per head. For bookings, contact Mai on (09) 366-1234 oremail here.
Details make the difference when it comes to looking head-to-toe polished. Here, find a selection of essentials for your kit.
Forest Fresh For its first foray into fragrance, it seems only right that Moncler should draw from the great outdoors. The Pour Homme eau de parfum channels an aromatic woodiness, led by clary sage, moving into cedarwood, sandalwood and musk — and topped with vetiver and hints of citrus. The bottle is suitably innovative, calling to mind the brand’s emblematic puffer jackets, and overlaid with an LED screen.
A Cut Above Better than a tired pair of nail clippers, this leather-bound, German-made manicure set by Czech & Speake makes an elegant ritual of nail care with a tidy selection of clippers, cuticle tools and a file.
From the latest podcast from the Obamas (featuring Kendrick Lamar) to psychologist Esther Perel’s newdating show, these provocative audio series cover cultural phenomena, while investigating why we are so drawn to them.
Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy Big hair, big cats, and even bigger egos. Over the course of nearly half a century, the illusionists and pop culture icons, Siegfried & Roy, performed shows for over 50 million people — until disaster pounced. For his very first podcast, Emmy- winning filmmaker and journalist Steven Leckart takes us behind the velvet curtain to reveal the hidden truths and shocking moments from Las Vegas’ flashiest magic show.
Sweet Bobby There are a lot of provoking podcasts about love cons out there, but the one that should be in your AirPods is Sweet Bobby. Delving into the craziest case he’s ever come across, investigative reporter Alexi Mostrous uncovers one of the world’s most sophisticated catfishers in one truly twisted true story.
The Big Hit Show From the production studio founded by the Obamas (Higher Ground), The Big Hit Show investigates pop-culture obsessions. While the first season covered the love-hate phenomena of Twilight, the next covers the success of Kendrick Lamar’s album To Pimp a Butterfly, with the rapper himself taking the mic.
This Is Dating From the makers of the captivating and consoling Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel comes This Is Dating. Exploring modern romance over a series of virtual first dates, think of this podcast as a classic reality TV show, but with a relationship psychologist, and a lot more earnestness, in the sound mix.
Hooked From three years of conversations between Tony Hathaway and journalist Josh Dean, Hooked tells the first-hand story of one of the most prolific recent robbery streaks. As a top design engineer at Boeing before hoodwinking the FBI, Hathaway takes us on a journey through his high life (before it crashed).
It’s high time we ventured out and enjoyed ourselves. As we gradually return to our cosmopolitan way of life, in style, Auckland has two highly-anticipated openings to add further to our already exciting dining scene — the exceptional new eatery Milenta and its exclusive club The Shy Guy.
Nestled under the historical Pōhutukawa trees in Victoria Park Market, Milenta draws on the elements of land and sea within what feels like an outdoor space, that seamlessly transitions to indoor should the situation require it. Under the deft design guidance of Izzard Design, Milenta emits an authentically cool South American air with hardwood floors and organic woven chairs softened by floor rugs and hanging plants — there’s definitely a sense of being in foreign lands when you’re here.
After gaining experience at a number of leading Auckland restaurants, Executive Chef Elie Assaf is at the helm of the modern kitchen, where many of the dishes are cooked traditionally over the wood coal fires, emitting a comforting and delicious waft into the dining area. Influenced by the flavours and traditional South American cuisine, and incorporating only the best local, seasonal produce, Milenta’s ever-changing menu is intuitive, and the restaurants service as attentive.
Bringing energy and excitement back into Auckland city, Milenta’s neighbouring cocktail bar and club The Shy Guy is set to open next month with an international membership. Designed for indulgence to the highest degree, the stunning interior — also the work of Izzard Design — includes velvet booths, graphic tiling and a custom light display over the dance floor.
The Shy Guy.
Denizen Reader’s Exclusive First Look This week, Milenta will open exclusively for Denizen readers only to discover the magic of Milenta with a chef tasting menu or à la carte from Thursday to Saturday — before opening its doors to the general public next week.
Denizen readers who book this week will also have the one-off exclusive opportunity to experience the private club, The Shy Guy, which will be open for cocktails pre-and-post the dinner bookings — before it officially becomes the members-only bar it is destined to be.
Milenta is opening exclusively for Denizen on Thursday the 17th of March from 6pm to 8pm, and on Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th for lunch (at 12 or 1.30pm) and dinner (6 to 8pm). For Bookings, please email hereand note Denizen in your booking request.
Milenta
Victoria Park Market,
210-218 Victoria Street West,
Auckland
At 15 years old, Melanie Lynskey was plucked from her life in New Plymouth to star alongside Kate Winslet in Peter Jackson’s 1994 film Heavenly Creatures. Her performance as Pauline Parker was critically acclaimed, and the film itself eventually nominated for an Oscar. Since then, Lynskey’s varied and intriguing career has proved a strong exception to the rule of eventual burnout that so often hangs over actors who enjoy early success.
Going on to play a raft of crucial supporting roles in films like Coyote Ugly, Sweet Home Alabama (with Reese Witherspoon), Up In the Air (with George Clooney) and The Informant! (opposite Matt Damon), before landing a recurring role on Two and a Half Men, and the leads in a number of acclaimed indie films like Hello I Must Be Going, I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore and Sadie, Lynskey is one of those rare actors in ‘Hollywood’ whose work is not only consistent but of a truly high calibre.
This is something the industry has also recognised, rewarding the actress with a Sundance Special Jury Award, a Hollywood Film Award and Critics’ Choice nominations. For Lynskey, it seems, the love for her work lies in the process as opposed to the outcome, which explains the way she has managed to steer her career through a notoriously fickle industry with such understated grace.
Having recently finished filming her role in upcoming blockbuster Don’t Look Up (with a cast that includes Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and more) and about to start production on an exciting new series for Showtime (with Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis), Lynskey continues to go from strength to strength — a pattern we’re sure will continue to define her impressive career, well into the future.
Here, the actress divulges some of the lessons she has learned along the way, from listening to her instincts to the importance of diversity in film.
Lynskey (left) as Pauline Parker in Heavenly Creatures.
I am very much an introvert and I was painfully shy as a child, but the first time I was on stage in a school play, I felt this freedom being somebody else other than Melanie. It gave me a crazy confidence and it was such a powerful thing for me. I think I got addicted, because as soon as I would stop acting I’d go back to being that shy little girl. So I started to say it was what I wanted to do for a living and everybody was like ‘you’re crazy,’ and then I got Heavenly Creatures [with Kate Winslet and Peter Jackson] when I was still in high school.
You don’t just get a breakout role and become a ‘movie star.’ The people around me at the time, because they knew how hard the industry was, didn’t want me to get carried away. Everyone was like ‘go back to high school, get a degree and get on with your life.’ And I read it as a knock on my talent instead of them being protective, so I took some time to determine if it was what I really wanted to do.
I once auditioned to play Janis Joplin and I still sometimes wake up in a cold sweat thinking that there’s a tape of me auditioning to play Janis Joplin out there somewhere… so mortifying. It was when I was younger, and was auditioning for everything, so there were roles that I would go for that didn’t resonate with me, in my soul, and that was torturous. I mean I wish Janis Joplin was in me, but she really isn’t. Now that I’m older and am able to have a little bit more say, the roles I gravitate towards are the ones where I connect inherently with the character. Where there’s a part of me that understands this person and that needs to get their emotion out of my system. So the actual acting part becomes easy.
I know, when I read a script, if I can do it or not. The only thing I really do to prepare is something called creative dream work — it sounds very ‘woo woo’ but it works for me. You sort of channel the character and ask yourself for a dream, and whatever comes up in your dream you write it down in the morning. I get a lot of invaluable information that way, it could be a physicality or someone will be in the dream and I’ll realise how much of that person is in the character I’m working on.
I’ve only had one job when I didn’t have a dream. I was going through a horrible breakup and the script was about a horrible breakup, and my subconscious was like, I think you’ve got this.
It helps that I have good instincts and that I have learned to listen to them. I only do projects I am truly interested in. I have stopped letting myself consider movies that I don’t like because of the actors or directors that were apparently attached… the last time I did that, the actor I thought I would get a chance to work with (and the reason I did the movie) dropped out.
I had a therapist once who said,‘why are you so good at advocating for your characters and not for yourself?’ It’s hard for me in my life to say that I feel upset about something or that I feel angry, and I don’t like being confrontational. But at work, if I get a note that I don’t like I’ll just say no, very clearly. And it can cause tension. Some directors want you to do exactly what they say but I know my characters so well, they’re a part of me, and I’ll stand up for them. I wish I could do it for myself too, but I’m not as good at that part.
I recently filmed a movie that my very dear friend Justin Long and his brother wrote and directed together and it is the silliest comedy. I played this woman who is a stoner and is visited by a ghost from the 1800s who teaches her how to be a lady. I had been doing a lot of intense stuff, and the thought of being in sweatpants and just acting like I was high for a whole movie was so freeing.
Lynskey as Molly Strand in Hulu’s ‘Castle Rock’.
People think that all actors are millionaires. It’s so funny. Most actors are really struggling. There’s this website that publishes people’s net worths and they say mine is five million dollars and I’m over here thinking, ‘give me that money then, like where is it? Wherever it is, I’d love to have it.’
Often as an actor, if you dare say anything political, people get very upset and they say ‘oh well you’re one of the Hollywood elite and you live in your ivory tower.’ Most actors have come from nothing, and have had to work super hard to make their own way in the world. That perception that actors are out of touch and don’t understand what real people go through, it’s so strange to me. It’s not like we were just formed and put on the earth at 22 years old, we’ve lived life, we’ve had upbringings, we’re friends with a lot of different people even if we are working in film.
I try to use my platforms to draw attention to issues I care passionately about and I follow a lot of smart, politically active people on Twitter. Unfortunately, basic human rights are still something that need to be stood up for right now, for people of colour, for women, for gay people and trans people, and it’s nuts to me that we’re in 2021 and we’re still having to have this conversation.
Diversity is a big issue in my industry. But I do think people are starting to make changes. Especially in television, I’ve been working with so many more female directors. It makes the working days shorter because they’re more decisive — they don’t feel as though they’re allowed to take all the time in the world to make a decision. Not that all male directors are like that, many of them are empathetic and kind and collaborative, but in my experience, almost all female directors are those things. So that’s been a really nice change. I did a show a few years ago, Mrs. America, that was entirely directed by women, every episode. Having diverse voices and perspectives are so invaluable when you’re making art and for so long we’ve only seen the worldview of white men.
I have pinch-me moments all the time. I did a movie a few years ago that Steven Soderbergh directed, and he has always been one of my favourite directors. I’ve seen everything he’s ever done. So to have him think I was doing a good job and to be in that film with Matt Damon, playing Matt Damon’s wife, every day on that movie I was like… wait what?
I did a scene with Leonardo DiCaprio the other day… it was bizarre. He’s one of the very few famous people I’ve met who just seems like a guy, I really was not expecting that. There are famous people like George Clooney (who is one of the nicest people, by the way) who walk into a room and there’s an energy shift… and it’s not something he means to do — he doesn’t have a trailer, he doesn’t have a makeup artist, he hangs around with everybody on set —but there’s something about him.
Reese Witherspoon is another one — they’re movie stars. And so it was really interesting with Leo, that he came into the room and I didn’t notice for a minute. He carries himself with such modesty. It was inspiring to work with somebody who really is at the top of their game, but who was also so generous as an actor. His performance off camera for me was exactly the same as when the camera was on him. There was no holding anything back or trying to save it for his close up.
Lynskey as Michelle Pierson in HBO’s ‘Togetherness’.
My favourite directors are the ones that trust me. I don’t like being micromanaged. Jay Duplass, who I did the show Togetherness with, said that if he went onto set and told his actors exactly how to do it and how to feel their emotions, it would throw them off so completely because they’re ready to let everything out they’ve been holding onto for months, and it confuses their instincts. If you let an actor do whatever they want for the first take, then you can give a million notes — but chances are, you won’t need to.
It’s a bummer to have to say this but the biggest challenge I’ve faced in my career would be my own body image and the way that the industry views people’s bodies. There’s sort of an implicit expectation of perfection because everybody looks the same but I had a bad eating disorder for 10 years and even when I was like 58 kilograms I would still be shamed in wardrobe fittings for not being sample size.
Or now that I’ve had a baby it’s like, ‘you should be proud of what your body has done’ and it’s upsetting that the only way women are allowed to not look perfect is if they have given birth. Plenty of women have never given birth and they should be allowed to look however the fuck they want.
I did a movie once [Hello, I Must Be Going], where I had a young love interest and a lot of the reviews were just men trying to process how I could realistically be sexually attractive to someone younger. Roger Ebert, god rest his soul, who was a wonderful reviewer, spent his entire review trying to understand how this man would want to have sex with me. He said that Chris Abbott (my co-star) was almost a good enough actor to make him believe it and that I was cuddly and sweet BUT… And I was like seriously? You don’t think that a bored 19 year old would want to have sex with me for the summer, like really? Is it that dire of a situation?
Recently I was on set with an intimacy coordinator. It’s something that’s around more after MeToo, someone who is on set to make sure the actors feel comfortable with an intimate scene. I wish I had had that when I was younger. There were a couple of times early in my career when I didn’t have enough agency to say that I was uncomfortable. I once had to do a scene where a man attacked me and tried to force himself on me and we had choreographed the whole thing with the stunt coordinator and then at the last minute, the actor and the director changed the choreography so it would look more ‘real,’ and it was so scary. I wasn’t even good in the take because I was so confused.
My measure of success was always whether or not I would have to pick up a second job. Being able to make a living in this industry without having to ‘fall back’ on something is an amazing thing, and I’m very grateful for it. Especially now, being in a position where I don’t have to audition as much and have a bit more choice. Sometimes, people on Twitter write to me saying ‘you should have a better career!’ but I feel good about it, myself.
Lynskey as Amy Minsky in ‘Hello I Must Be Going’.
My guilty pleasure is reality television. My fiancé and I watch The Voice, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Million Dollar Listing and all seasons of The Bachelor — even the first season of the New Zealand one. My fiance loved it. He couldn’t get over how low key the production was…. like when a girl had to drive herself to a date, he was shocked.
People would probably describe me as anxious. I had a therapy session with all of my siblings once, and they all said that I needed to worry less. My siblings make fun of me because ‘be careful’ is the last thing I say to them in emails or over the phone.
I would like to be remembered for being kind. That’s always my hope when I interact with anybody, that I could have made their day a little bit better. I just hope that when people think about me they think, ‘she was nice.’
Of everything I have done, I’m most proud of my daughter. I had her when I was 41 so I was a little late getting started but she’s two now and she is so funny and weird. It’s been a really corrective experience for me.
I’ve just finished doing a movie called Don’t Look Up which has this ridiculous cast [Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet and more] and then I’m doing a drama/thriller series that has been picked up for Showtime called Yellowjackets with Christina Ricci, Juliette Lewis and Tawny Cypress. Half of it takes place in the 90s as our younger selves and half of it is today and we’re survivors of this plane crash where a lot of crazy shit went down.
At the moment I’m getting tested three times a week [for Covid] and while it’s weird standing close to another person without a mask on, I do feel very lucky to have a job this year. I guess you just have to keep going when the world seems terrible. You have to hold on to some hope that more people are good than bad and things will get better.
For the uninitiated, the metaverse can feel like an unassailable concept; complex and ever-evolving. And while Facebook’s recent name change to Meta (which many have argued is a strategic move by the company’s embattled CEO to pivot from scandal) has dominated headlines, the metaverse is broader than what one social media juggernaut alone is offering.
The central idea of the metaverse proposes that virtual worlds (digital havens in which people can purchase products, buy land and socialise with one another) are the future of the Internet, but its development gives rise to the question of how blurred the lines will become between our ‘real’ world, and the one we can inhabit online — and how the two can coexist.
So what is the metaverse, exactly? Broadly, it refers to the ways in which our interactions with technology are changing, and it will affect how we socialise and how we do business. To look at it structurally, the metaverse comprises virtual worlds, augmented reality and a growing (and thriving) digital economy. According to Cathy Hackl, a prominent tech futurist who helps brands prepare for this new technological frontier (she has been called ‘the Godmother of the metaverse,’) it is “…a further convergence of our physical and digital lives… It’s about shared virtual experiences. It’s about breaking free from two dimensions into a fully 3D environment.” For Hackl, the metaverse makes the impossible possible. It is the successor of the Internet, and it promises the kinds of opportunities for businesses and creators that have never existed before.
The Internet of old is set to transcend the tools we use to access it (phones, tablets and computers), and is morphing into something immersive and truly omnipotent. More than something we can see, it will become something we can experience and feel. Which will probably make it much harder to switch off from. And perhaps that’s the point.
‘The Gucci Garden’ on metaverse gaming platform Roblox
But before we get carried away, it must be said that the metaverse is still more or less a fictional space. A wealth of ideas but a distinct lack of infrastructure (the software and hardware both have a way to go) means that it doesn’t really exist yet. And because the metaverse is still in its infancy, any attempt to define it would be like someone in the 80s waxing lyrical about the Internet — pointless and destined to be proven wrong. Really, the virtual spaces that do exist now, in games like Fortnite and on platforms like Decentraland are simple and rudimentary. And despite there being a lot of speculation (including some pretty serious financial speculation) around the potential of the metaverse, no one really knows what it is, or crucially, what it could become.
We can only really discuss what we’ve seen already, which has included the rise of cryptocurrencies, the proliferation of NFTs and the beginnings of what some are calling the new goldrush — a virtual real estate boom. In 2021 alone, over USD$500million of real estate was sold on metaverse platforms, and that is predicted to reach USD$1billion this year. Let that sink in. Brands re-evaluating their footprints are quickly realising the commercial potential of virtual land. Not only will it open them up to literally millions more customers, but it offers a level of versatility and freedom that any brick-and-mortar storefront could not. This has huge implications across a number of industries, including luxury fashion, arts and culture — all sectors that have traditionally relied on real-world interaction for their bread and butter.
Fashion, in particular, seems to be embracing the metaverse wholeheartedly, with luxury labels rushing to make their virtual mark early. Major metaverse players like Decentraland are already boasting fashion districts in which people can shop, as well as creating virtual events like Metaverse Fashion Week, which will see platforms teaming up with big-name designers to create virtual shows and sell digitally-rendered collections. Jonathan Simkhai and Roksanda are two labels that entered the metaverse for their most recent fashion week outings after a number of successful events last year proved the profitable potential of this new frontier.
Balenciaga x Fortnite
One example was Gucci’s ‘The Gucci Garden’ on metaverse gaming platform Roblox, which saw the brand selling virtual products for real money. A classic Dionysus handbag sold for around USD$4,000, which is actually above the retail price on the ones that can be carried around in real life. Balenciaga also released a collection last year with gaming platform Fortnite, for which the luxury house created a series of ‘skins’ that players could purchase for their avatars. And Dolce & Gabbana at its Alta Moda show released a separate collection alongside its real one in which each piece was attached to its own NFT. The combined sale price of the collection at auction was USD$5.7 million. There are even metaverse department stores being launched like British start-up The Dematerialised, whose founder envisages a future where consumers’ virtual wardrobes are bigger than their actual ones.
For fashion brands, the metaverse is an exciting (and very real) new revenue stream that promises big margins with minimal resources, and no pesky leftover stock. It also offers ultimate freedom. In the metaverse, a dress or a t-shirt doesn’t have to abide by the laws of physics. And when functionality is no longer a requirement, clothes can be whatever their designer wants them to be.
It is a similar story in the world of arts and culture, which has seen the rise of NFTs, (Non-Fungible Tokens, digital identifiers recorded in a blockchain that are used to certify authenticity and ownership) open a hugely profitable new market for artists and auction houses. Sotheby’s recently established itself in the metaverse by creating a permanent space in Decentraland, while Christie’s teamed up with the world’s largest NFT marketplace OpenSea, to offer curated auctions to NFT collectors around the world. Even New Zealand artists are getting involved. Last year, Auckland-based auction house Webb’s sold the NFTs of two original glass-plate negatives of a photo of Charles Frederick Goldie for a combined NZD$127,000 — a sum far higher than expectations. And beyond the auction houses, it’s artists who are able to really capitalise on the NFT craze. This month, a new NFT marketplace called Glorious is set to launch in New Zealand, which will team up with well-known artists and creators to help them sell NFTs of their work.
Justin Bieber’s metaverse concert
But it isn’t just NFTs that are drawing people in. Virtual art experiences and concerts are offering a whole new way for people to engage with culture. At the end of last year, Justin Bieber held a metaverse concert on the virtual music platform Wave, where audience members could interact with the hitmaker’s avatar. Elsewhere, renowned museums and art galleries around the world are looking to see how augmented and virtual reality might enhance visitors’ experiences and interactions with their exhibitions.
Beyond the bottom line, the metaverse promises artists more control over their work and how it is consumed and sold. It could also see a fascinating new subsection of digital creators coming up with art forms that have never previously been possible, and bringing with them a new demographic of collectors and critics from outside the traditional body.
This speaks to the broader picture of why the idea of a metaverse is an appealing prospect. It not only promises creativity and an escape from the bounds of reality, but it offers a chance at transformation. It democratises spaces that, in real life, can feel inaccessible and elite. That’s the idea, anyway. It will be interesting to see whether this vision of egalitarianism can hold true once more and more people enter the space. Money still talks as loudly in the metaverse and there, profit is power.
Importantly, most discussions of the metaverse leave out crucial questions of governance, surveillance, data security and personal safety — one woman reported having her avatar groped within minutes of her being in Meta’s metaverse and there are apparently issues arising with young children using platforms they shouldn’t and the related risk of sexual predators. None of those things have been addressed yet. In short, there is still a long way to go before the metaverse lives up to the vision of its proponents, beyond all the marketing hype.
But as technology weaves itself more deeply into the fabric of our everyday lives, we can’t help but wonder how far-fetched the idea of us living in a virtual world is, when our current reality is already so augmented. And as we become more reliant on artificial intelligence for connection, socialisation and business, the metaverse feels less dystopian and more like our next evolutionary step.
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