Taking inspiration from the best of the Mediterranean, West Auckland’s delicious new dining destination clearly indicates the calibre we can expect in suburban dining across the city. Two Good Guys is the latest eatery that we anticipate will soon be the talk of the town. (Although if local reviews are to be trusted, it looks as though it already is.)
Co-owners Lovepreet Lubana and Vasu Pulka met when working together at Titirangi’s Deco Eatery, before going on to Point Chev’s Nomad and The Beekeeper’s Wife in Riverhead. Now, at Glen Eden’s Two Good Guys, inspiration is found in the kind of food that would feel right at home in Ottolenghi’s kitchen, offering fresh, South East Mediterranean-style dishes with mouthwatering flavours. And given that it is open from the morning until late into the night, Two Good Guys offers a wide variety of dishes across both its day and night menus — promising to cater to every persuasion.
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For brunch, we’re inclined to reach for something like the Two Good Guys wrap, where the Mediterranean influence results in a tasty morsel that will get any day off to a good start. Yet Singh confesses that the most popular dishes have been the unbelievably fluffy vanilla pancakes or the aptly-named ‘Hangover Breakfast’. And we have it on good authority that, come dinnertime, the 24-hour braised beef cheek is a clear winner, served with a butternut purée, horseradish parfait, onion jam, dates and a bordelaise sauce.
“Our food combines the best flavours of the Mediterranean with high-quality New Zealand produce,” Singh explains to me. “We offer a wide range of vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free dishes, and our meat is Halal, to ensure that we can cater to everyone.”
Mediterranean inspiration isn’t just left to the food, either. Even the space at Two Good Guys offers a summery sojourn. We recommend booking a table in the plant-filled brick courtyard, reminiscent of the kind of al fresco Italian dining we’ve been scrolling past enviously on our Instagram feeds of late.
When Singh first moved to New Zealand, Glen Eden was the first suburb he called home, although he quickly noticed that there were no places to go out for breakfast and dinner that were fully licensed. So, in conceptualising Two Good Guys, the co-owner was drawn back Glen Eden, and naturally, everything fell into place.
And while it might not be an obvious location choice for an eatery of this kind, for the Two Good Guys team, it couldn’t be a more perfect address. Most of the staff are locals and inherently passionate about catering to the growing hospitality needs of the community. But these delights shouldn’t only be shared among neighbours — if you’re looking to escape your regular haunts and try something new, it is the perfect pitstop on your way to the western beaches this sunny weekend.
