The Māori Foodie Blog

#2 The Māori foodie-põneke

14/10/2019

12 kai spots in põneke

Street Beat Must eats

Before we begin I recommend downloading the Flamingo or Uber app and searching for a scooter. If you’re like me then googling how to ride one.

Chuck these locations into your phone and see how you go! I made it a personal challenge to find places outside of my norm with a few exceptions.

All these spots tell a story. They have their own charm, don’t break the bank and serve up some mean kai too!

In no particular order lets get started x
FYI scootering around the waterfront was my fav thing to do :)

-The Māori Foodie

Little penang: Bihun Goreng (medium)

The restaurants aesthetic is based around Malaysian street food (a bit of me!) The textures & flavours of this dish make it my #1.

Raglan Roast- Abel Smith, Te Aro: Coffee

Hidden down an alleyway I must admit, their sign caught my attention.

They bring the beach to the city with Raglan roasted beans enjoyed in a pretty cool looking cup.

Goldie Milk Bar & Eatery: Apple fruit tea with coconut jelly

Its Asian, paw waving cat charm caught my eye. The fruit tea tastes like Mogu Mogu and they have some funky decor.

POUR & TWIST: Teh TARIK

The orange choffee offers a fun gimmick (below) and the grey marble has a refreshing twist however it was actually my friends Teh Tarik that I liked.

Malaysian style tea enjoyed on either a warm or cold day.

Wellington Chocolate Factory: Salted Caramel Brownie

From bean to bar this place tells a story & their Brownie has you listening. My suggestion before you enter is to take a breath first and then walk in. Just do it ;)

SUSHI BI- WOODWARD STREET: Torched prawn + salmon sushi

We sat outside until it hit 4pm because that's when HALF PRICE sushi starts!

Watch them torch Salmon and taste that hinu/fat slathered over everything.

Tommy Millions- Courtenay Place: Mushroom pizza crispy base, add oregano + chilli flakes when ready

One of my fav Pizza joints. The slice I love isn’t cheesy but there's something about it that has me going back every single time!

Hey Ramen- Willis Street: #11

I watched the Ramen Girl once and always had a fascination for this dish. It looks simple but when it's windy and cold it's exactly what you're looking for.

The best ugly bagels- Swan Lane, Te Aro: white rabbit

I'm no vego but there isn't one thing I would change about this bagel.

You see the heart beating through the rolling of the dough and wood fired flames.

Burger Liquor: The Smokey + Salted CARAMEL SHAKE

Dangerously good! I’d rate this in my top 3 burgers. #1 Fergburger- Queenstown, #2 Palace Burgers- Rarotonga.

Not massive but it hits the spot!

The Greek Food Truck: Lamb Souvlaki

In Greece the Gyros was one of my fav street foods. The Souvlaki is similar.

Go to the Harbourside Market (open Sunday’s) buy a Basil Hummus (from the Hummus stall) then order a Lamb Souvlaki. Bite + dip!

SCOPA caffee cucina: hot chocolate

An oldie but a goodie. Ask for a large hot chocolate to dine in, sit at the bar, and give it a good stir :)

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#1 The Māori Foodie- hiakai

4/10/2019

3 Comments

HIAKAI

FOODIE BUCKETLIST TICK

HIAKAI Time Magazine’s 100 greatest places of 2019. After watching Monique Fiso cook on Netflix’s series The Final Table and knowing she was featured on Gordan Ramsay: Unchartered her restaurant HIAKAI hit the top of my Wellington MUST DO list.

We booked for the 8-course meal and it was clear to me that local produce foraged where possible featuring Māori ingredients like kawakawa, horopito, mamaku, and tarata was the restaurants ethos.

I've been to fine dining restaurants and there tends to be a snobby vibe when you walk in. From face value you act the part when the reality is you were looking forward to coming weeks ago. You starved yourself all day, you researched the menu, and you’ve weighed up whether you buy a drink prior to arriving because this is one of the most expensive meals you will ever eat.

I never got that vibe once last night. It was like eating with whanau. The intimacy created with service and storytelling between dishes added to the homely experience and deep connection felt with the kai.

Hands down I loved the granny smith and kawakawa sorbet, please give me a one litre tub of that! The oyster appetizer was delicious, I just needed one dozen of them, and the seventh course milo dessert melted in my mouth while making me laugh.

In my previous life I was a poor Uni student and the only thing I had in my dorm room one hungry evening was a tin of milo. I ate the whole tin!

The $125, 8-course version of me last night giggled as I ate that milo and potato skin ice-cream dish while thinking of that milo tin.

Happy to report I thought I’d need a cheeseburger after it but kao/no I was FULL! Monique Fiso + the HIAKAI team did an outstanding job!

Any Māori featured on an international stage is not just an individual achievement but collectively all of ours.

Kua ngata te puku. Full. Content. Happy. Foodie bucket list tick.

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natasha whitewood