Left to right: Jervois Steak House, Ahi & Cassia

From pop-ups and new menus to high teas and more, our April Dining Guide has exactly what to book for the month ahead

Words Sjaan Askwith | 3 Apr 2024

With April’s arrival and the packed calendar of holidays that come with it, there seems to be no end to the delicious, enticing happenings taking place on our local dining scene. And while you may be making the most of the holidays and heading out of town (we’ve got you covered there, too), our April dining guide showcases just how tasty Auckland is looking for anyone sticking around. From exceptional new menus to transportive pop-ups, indulgent high teas, and where to find the best of the season’s Bluff Oysters, we’ve got the intel on exactly what to book for the month ahead.

Sample Ahi’s Delicious New Probiotic Wild Sodas

This month, Ahi has introduced an incredible selection of probiotic wild sodas, naturally fermented with ingredients from the Ahi Garden. Bar manager and founder of Bayside Rum Co., Egor Petrov, is behind the libations, carefully selecting herbs, fruit, and flowers from the Ahi Garden, and pairing these incredible ingredients with raw honey and water to brew gut-loving, healthy tonics perfect for the inclement seasons ahead.

Left: Kingi serving up a special drinks list. Right: Balmoral Street food market

Get Your Cultural Fix at Kingi’s DJ Sessions

Live DJ sessions at Kingi continue on Wednesday 17 April from 5pm, with DJ Nick Takashima playing a set of soul, funk, house and jazzy beats to enjoy alongside a special drinks list featuring Unico Zelo, and the Kingi plates you know and love.

Balmoral Street Food Market

Mount Eden locals are no strangers to these now-famous food markets. And with a host of impressive vendors in the mix, this month’s promises to be one of the best yet. Think delicious woodfired pizzas, biscoff-loaded doughnuts, low and slow BBQ, and everything in between from some of the city’s most-loved vendors — this a foodie affair not to be missed. On Friday, April 26th from 5:30pm — 9pm.

Left: Jervois Steak House’s new Roasted Bone Marrow. Right: Siso’s ‘Sapore di Malfy’ pop-up

Indulge in Jervois Steak House’s New Autumn Menu

Everyone’s favourite stalwart steak house, Jervois Steak House, knows a thing or two about comforting, cosy fare, and their new menu is a shining example of their specialty. Here, you’ll find delicious new cuts alongside a host of inventive additions such as the must-try Roasted Bone Marrow with pickled onion gremolata and sourdough. Book a table for the weekend ahead to sample some of JSH’s best dishes yet.

Be Transported to the Amalfi Coast at Sìso’s Convivial Pop-Up

Síso is harnessing the essence of the Amalfi Coast with its ‘Sapore di Malfy’ series. Running for a second year (after being met with such fervour the first time around), from now until the 14th of April, Sìso’s Sapore di Malfy menu will offer a raft of exquisite bites and thirst-quenching cocktails not to be missed.

Left: Pacifica fare at Metita. Right: Cassia’s Tandoori Chicken Taco

Spend Sunday Feasting on Delectable Pacifica Fare at Michael Meredith’s Metita

Fresh and seasonal ingredients are cooked to perfection at Metita’s To’ona’i Sunday Long Lunch — an homage to the Pacific tradition celebrated all over the world. Some of Michael Meredith’s most cherished memories are centred on Sunday to’ona’i and seeing his aiga connect, reflect and come together, and here, he invites city-siders to join in on the tradition.

Feast on Flavourful Indian Fare at Cassia’s Prix Fixe Lunch

Chef Sid Sahrawat’s award-winning SkyCity venue, Cassia, has a lunch special on offer this month featuring some of the stalwart chef’s most-loved dishes. The Prix Fixe (multi-course) lunch features a starter and main for a modest $39 per person, with the option to add on sides, desserts and, of course, drinks — all at great prices. Start with a Tandoori Chicken Taco, before moving on to the utterly delicious Lamb Seekh or Market Fish, or opt for the Pani Puri followed by the Mixed Mushroom with green chilli cream or the Tandoori Chicken with madras sauce. Here, there’s something for everyone. Parking at SkyCity is free when dining, too.

Left: Bluff Oysters at Andiamo. Right: Swings breakfast

Early Birds, Make for Swings to Try Their New Breakfast Menu

Swings, the modern Korean eatery in the city, has added to its quirky, delicious menu, opening its doors bright and early throughout the week to serve breakfast. Swing by in the a.m. and you’ll find all manner of delicious toppings on toast, from exceptional eggs to smoked salmon, radish, cream cheese and dill labneh spread, and avo with garlic, tomato, sesame and pumpkin seeds, plus perfectly brewed coffee.

Get Your Bluffie Fix at One of These Lively Locations

It is at this time of the year that ocean delicacies that are Bluff oysters, in all their delicious, refreshing, slurpable glory, are finally in abundance, and we plan on making the most of it. For those who are partial to a Bluffie or two, we suggest you take a look at our extensive list to discover where in Auckland is doing the season justice.

Gastronomy

Win two tickets to The Wine Room’s Le Club, an evening of Champagne, caviar, and late-night extravagance

Gastronomy

Somm’s latest Guest in Residence sees the best of Central Otago brought to the table

Gastronomy

Grey Lynn newcomer Mother brings soulful, European-inspired hospitality to the table

Azabu Ponsonby & Mission Bay unveil delicious new menus, giving us every reason to book a table now

Words Sjaan Askwith | 3 Apr 2024

While Azabu‘s two outposts in Ponsonby and Mission Bay are distinct, each boasting its own unique vibe and offering, the two venues do have one thing in common — utterly delicious fare. Two of Auckland’s most consistently popular and universally beloved dining spots, the signature blend of Japanese and Peruvian flavours and dishes at Azabu hit the mark every time, and trust us when we say that we have visited enough to say this with conviction. Just last week, we were lucky enough to sample their delicious new menus for the season ahead, and they may just be their best yet.

Grilled Courgette & Snapper Katsu Tempura

Adding to the menus that we all know and love are a raft of tantalising dishes that play into Azabu’s slightly lighter take on Japanese cuisine, dreamt up and perfected by the talented chefs and designed for the cooler, cosier days ahead. Across both venues, fresh additions include a 250g scotch fillet Yakiniku, served with Japanese chimichurri and wasabi salt, as well as a particularly delicious Japanese Cross Breed wagyu that is paired perfectly with truffle sesame ponzu and yuzu kosho soy.

Perfect for those who seek out seafood, an impossibly fresh Snapper Katsu Tempura paired with chilli sesame soy, ginger, coriander and lemon has been added to the menu that is truly melt-in-the-mouth delicious. A Tuna Tiradito has also joined the ceviche & tiradito menu — a dish that sees the freshest tuna served with smoked tosazu wasabi soy, ginger, green chilli, radish and sango.

Elsewhere on the menu, a delectable, flavour-packed Honey Soy Pork Belly features, and is the dish that comes most highly recommended by the clever chefs. This super saucy take features perfectly cooked pork belly which is paired with pickled daikon, red cabbage and yuzu mayo, and is a taste sensation that must be ordered.

Left: Tuna Tiradito. Right: Rozu Cocktail

New sides include a delicious Grilled Courgette with garlic soy butter, red miso glaze and black sesame, which, while relatively simple, certainly delivers on the flavour front, and is a delicious addition to a sharing table.

Of course, Azabu’s new dishes are best when enjoyed with an ice-cold Asahi, a sake, or a satiating cocktail — and luckily, a number of the latter have been imagined to pair beautifully with the new menu. The Spicy Mango Margarita, served on tap, is a subtle but tasty drop that suits the umami flavours well, while the Rozu with vodka, lychee puree, rose liqueur, lime and vanilla boats more complex flavours that work well with light, fresh fish and sushi. Our preference, though, was the unique and utterly quenching Celestial Dragon — a heady mix of spiced tequila, dragonfruit puree, amaretto and yuzu. Not for the faint of heart, this lively libation is sure to fire up your tastebuds.

And if, after all of that, there’s still space for more, the chocolate tart with miso ice cream is as flavourful as it looks, and is the perfect high note on which to end an entirely satisfying meal.

Left: Chocolate Tart with Miso Ice cream. Right: East Meets West Cocktail

So, get some friends together and make for one of Azabu’s venues to experience its delightful new dishes for yourself. Consistently delivering inventive, delicious new menu items drawing us through the doors time and time again, Azabu continues to prove why it’s one of the City’s top eateries. And we wouldn’t expect anything less.

savor.co.nz

Gastronomy

Win two tickets to The Wine Room’s Le Club, an evening of Champagne, caviar, and late-night extravagance

Gastronomy

Somm’s latest Guest in Residence sees the best of Central Otago brought to the table

Gastronomy

Grey Lynn newcomer Mother brings soulful, European-inspired hospitality to the table

Start your morning at Metita, where exceptional fare and the warmth of Pasifika culture collide

Words Sjaan Askwith | 3 Apr 2024

Michael Meredith’s Metita opened its doors last October and has since become a go-to for long lunches and convivial dinners with friends, so consistent is the eatery’s offering. But make for Metita in the morning, and you’ll find something else altogether.

From 8am, Monday through Friday, the South Pacific-inspired venue also acts as the perfect, laid back spot in which to enjoy a coffee and sweet treat fresh from Meredith’s kitchen. Here, the inventive Pacific flavours that make up the daytime and evening menus take on new life in Meredith’s inventive sweets, pastries and cakes, which sit as part of the eatery’s $10 ‘Grab & Go’ offering — including a sweet treat and coffee to either enjoy at Metita or take away.

Delivering a true taste of the South Pacific, and promising fare you won’t find elsewhere in the City, the menu boasts the likes of Lole Popos or ‘coconut lollies’ — a delectable, nostalgic treat from Meredith’s childhood that sees coconut paired with a heady mix of spices, resulting in a tasty treat reminiscent of a coconut Mackintosh’s toffee.

Alongside these lesser-known treats, specific to Pasifika cuisine, you’ll find inventive takes on the classics. Metita’s now-famed coconut lamingtons — soft, fluffy and addictive, are a must-try, while the fresh banana bread promises something familiar. All perfect when paired with a cup of expertly-made coffee.

Giving us yet another reason to visit Metita, the eatery’s coffee menu offers something unique, with a menu that takes Pacific cuisine to new heights. Here, traditional treats are elevated with modern culinary techniques, all with Michael Meredith’s magic touch.

skycityauckland.co.nz

Gastronomy

Win two tickets to The Wine Room’s Le Club, an evening of Champagne, caviar, and late-night extravagance

Gastronomy

Somm’s latest Guest in Residence sees the best of Central Otago brought to the table

Gastronomy

Grey Lynn newcomer Mother brings soulful, European-inspired hospitality to the table

Antipodes’ specialised hydration range is exactly what your skin needs this season

3 Apr 2024

Once again redefining the boundaries of clean beauty, Antipodes’ exceptional hydration range comprises five key products that your skin needs to remain radiant as we head into the colder months. Filled with hyaluronic acid, alongside a raft of specialised and entirely naturally-derived ingredients, Antipodes’ Hydration Range will feed your skin at a time it most needs to retain its moisture.

From Antipodes’ new Maya Hyaluronic 72-Hour Hydration Serum, which sets a global benchmark for natural-origin ingredients by pairing plant-based hyaluronic acid and clinically proven marine botanicals (its particular dose of hyaluronic acid is capable of holding 1,000 times its weight in water), to its Harmony Hyaluronic Manuka Honey Night Cream, a light but luxurious moisturiser that harnesses Manuka honey, Vinanza® Grape, kiwi and the same incredibly powerful, natural hyaluronic, every product in this range has not only been designed to revive and improve your skin, but in the absence of nasty chemicals or fillers, to also put your health first.