Musings from a foodie…
At the start, I must share that I personally feel incredibly blessed. New Zealand is one of those special places in the world that we hear about but most of us never get to experience. As a kid born in a small Nebraska town, raised in North Dakota and lucky enough to have a wonderful career that included fairly extensive travel, I have felt incredibly blessed. As I enter my latter years, my desire for meeting and experiencing different people from cultures with different perspectives has only expanded. New Zealand has always been one of those “wouldn’t-it-be-nice” kind of places.
Furthermore, the people of New Zealand are warm, friendly, open and inviting. It was so very wonderful to experience their hospitality across the spectrum of experiences – from tours to commercial encounters to culinary engagements. New Zealand truly offers an exceptionally welcoming environment with its diverse history of Māori, European, Pacific Island, and Asian immigration. The blend of cultures, geological formations, and unique flora/fauna make it a place to definitely consider for your personal bucket list. So, I highly recommend travel to New Zealand if you have the opportunity. But, enough of my “ooooing” and “aaaahing” about New Zealand. Let’s get to the culinary side of the experience…
First, in my usual, companion blog, I noted that “New Zealand Lamb” is one of the trademark dishes for the country. And, I discovered that it’s not simply a trademark. It’s a reality. Therefore, you can imagine that lamb became one of the culinary areas of focus of my personal pursuits as I visited restaurants across the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
Second, at last count (June 2024) New Zealand had approximately 23.59 million sheep (NOTE: What I found interesting was the use of the word “approximately” to describe a precise number of sheep that appears to be more of a census than a guesstimate of sheep numbers in the country😊. Furthermore, the 2024 count represents a slight decrease from 2023 when the country had around 24.36 million sheep. They were everywhere on virtually every hillside from uplands to coastal areas – always spread across the fields munching their way through the day. It was a poetic and somewhat comforting experience.
Third, there are 5.223 million citizens in New Zealand or a ratio of just under 5 sheep per person! And, it’s important to note that the “people” of New Zealand are what makes the country. They are exceptionally wonderful. But, enough about people and the details of sheep. Let’s get started with the culinary experiences…
Advieh [ * * * * * * ] – On the first night, we happened to find a Persian restaurant just a few blocks from our hotel in Auckland and made the most treasured discovery on our very first night in New Zealand. In retrospect, it was absolutely the best restaurant experience not only New Zealand but also of the last couple of years. It started with Kataifi, seafood wrapped in shredded phyllo dough. It was wonderful. This was followed by Chicken Liver Mousse. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always enjoyed chicken livers. It was a staple on the farm where I grew up. But, this rendition was absolutely amazing. Not only the mousse but also the accompanying balsamic sauce were both outstanding. Then, we experienced the penultimate lamb experience of the entire trip – on the first night – with a serving of Lamb Neck with Zhug, a pickled and sliced pepper. It was my very first lamb “neck” experience and it was more than incredible. Oy!! It was served with Lobne, a soft yogurt in the pre-cheese state as well as some Cumin-infused Cauliflower which was equally amazing. This was followed for dessert with Pavlova topped with strawberries and custard and chocolate covered dates. It was literally one of the culinary delights of the last decade. If you go to New Zealand, you’ll most likely be traveling from the USA to Auckland. Stay overnight. Make reservations at Advieh – L1, 1 Queen Street – Commercial Bay, Auckland 1010 – www.adviehrestaurant.com – +64.09.304.0040.
Te Waonuci [ * * * * ] – Of the restaurants we had the chance to visit during our incredible tour of New Zealand, Te Waonuci was one of the exceptional experiences. And, it was primarily related to the fact that the ambiance, the flavors, the tastings represented the more traditional or classic traditions of New Zealand. It started with a Kiwi Fruit starter that at first seemed more like a green apple taste. Evidently, that’s a common experience. The soup was a wonderful Potato and Leek Creamed Soup with Sage. I personally love warm, thick soups so it was a delight for me. The salad was a bit unusual with Wild Rice sweetened with Orange and Beet juices over Spinach leaves. I followed that with a Crayfish Ravioli again with Sage. We share the main course with a Beef Filet (cooked medium despite a medium rare request) in the classic tradition and wonderful Lamb Chops with Lobneh Sauce and Couscous. On the whole a very good meal. We followed it with Crème Caramel Flan which made us want to return at some point down the road. Te Waonuci – 3 Wallace Street, Franz Josef – Westland Tai Poutini National Park 7886 New Zealand – +64.37.52.0555 – Te Waonuci Menu
Central Fire Station [* * * * *] – Chef Sam Clark has made quite a name for himself with the small bistro in Napier, NZ. It is ranked at the “Restaurant of the Year” for 2024 – and, I can see why. As usual during our culinary tour of NZ, I had lamb rump which was roasted and braised – and, exceptional. But, probably the most notable part of the restaurant was the wonderful staff – across the board from first meetings at the reception desk, to water glasses being filled, to wait staff and to others who made the experience a definite “restaurant-of-the-year” experience. Napier is a bit of travel from Auckland but there’s lots to see in the area. If you get there, definity consider Central Fire Station – 163 Tennyson Street – Napier, NZ 4110 - +64.06.650.1115 – www.centralfirestation.co.nz.
Nest [* * * * ] – This place came highly recommended by our hotel staff as a “wonderful experience”. In part, the recommendation no doubt involves the view high above Lake Whakatipu. There’s a deck that surrounds the restaurant and the view is quite wonderful. For starters, I had a “Mochito” or, a “Virgin Mojito” – a non-alcholic rendition of the traditional Mojito. As for the food, it was very good as well. As usual, we had braised Lamb (very good) – three ways roasted, seared and braised – all served on top of a mashed sweet potato base. It was quite good along with the best Sauteed Snapper which was done perfectly with a very good lemon sauce that had something else in it I could not quite identify. Regardless, it was very good. The staff seemed a bit “pushed” throughout the entire dining experience which diminished my rating of Nest. It may have been that our wait staff were new to their tasks. Those deficiencies; however, we all overcame when we walked onto the balcony overlooking the lake. If you can imagine a life-sized painting hanging from someplace off in the distance with mountains, clouds and such behind a beautiful blue lake…well, that’s the scene at: Nest KiTchen & Bar – Kamana Lakehouse, 139 Fernhill Road – Queenstown, NZ – +64 (03) 901-0284 – https://www.nestqt.co.nz/
Rata [* * * * ] – In Queenstown, Rata – like Nest – is considered a “go to” bistro. So, we went! It seemed to be off to a slow start with the staff arriving only shortly before our arrival. However, they were friendly and helpful, after 15+ minutes of waiting at our table for the first query of the evening. I started with another “Mocktail” that was VERY good. It was called an “Aporo” consisting of Seedling Garden (a blend of spices), cucumber and apple flavored juices. It was accompanied with crackers and cheese but, how can you fail with crackers and cheese 😊. On this evening we did a “sharing” of the entrees of Pork Scotch which was very good and Roasted Lamb Shoulder with a plum sauce that was excellent. On the whole, it was a good experience – once we got rolling. I’d go back. Our server was very attentive and engaged which made the recovery of the long wait at the beginning worth the trial. Rata – 43 Ballarat Street – Tu Nuku, PO Box 810 – Queeenstown 9348, NZ – +64.03.442.9393 –This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – www.ratadining.co.nz.
The Dishery [* * * * ] – Outside of Queenstown, about 20 miles away, is a small town, Arrowtown. It is a must visit location on the South Island. It’s the kind of place you would consider for settling down – if you decided to move to New Zealand (😊). But, even if you don’t move there and only visit – you need to consider a stop in Arrowtown. The Dishery is a small eatery located in the parking area for the downtown shops which are focused on all things “tourist”. The Dishery hosts a wonderful breakfast and luncheon experience hosted at picnic tables with lots of large umbrellas for sun coverage. It’s casual. It’s usual. It’s delightful. The crowds range from small gatherings of friends, to locals, to visitors like me, to wedding parties in search of fun in the sun at an eatery – and, everything in between. The menu changes periodically and the seating is mostly outside. If you stop by Arrowstown, breakfast, brunch or lunch at this place is highly recommended. The Dishery – 4 Buckingham Street – Arrowtown, NZ – +64 3 441 1849 – www.thedishery.co.nz/book
The Bunker – Queenstown ( * * * * ) – The place was originally established in 1997 as an up-market bistro and bar in a popular ski town on the South Island of New Zealand. It was a humming place and good old rock n’ roll music playing in the background although a bit too loud for someone wearing hearing aids so that it disrupted the conversation at the dinner table. However, that problem was solved by turning down the level 😊. Regardless, I would describe The Bunker as a classic steakhouse with a classic menu of starters, mains and desserts. We had the Paua (a larger shelled oyster-like delicacy) Tortellini with chowder cream and crushed crumbs. It was quite good. We followed with the Royalburn Lamb Rump with Shank Ragu, Aubergine and a white balsamic/pinot noir jus sauce. It was quite good – as was all of the lamb of New Zealand. The ragu was quite tasty. And, we followed with a Classic Caesar Wedge served with a parsimonious (my perspective) dressing. It was a good but not great dinner. It’s worth a try – especially if you’re into the lamb servings across the country. The Bunker – 14 Cow Lane, Queenstown, NZ – +64.03.441.8030 – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Buzzstop [ * * * * * ] – And, finally, I wanted to share a coffee shop that was not a restaurant but an absolute requirement for a visit if you get to Queenstown. As I noted in my regular blog released earlier this week, the special honey of New Zealand is “Manuka Honey”. It is revered in the honey world not only for its flavor but also for its medicinal, healing properties. We wanted to bring some back home and therefore on the last day of our NZ experience, we found this little shop that only focuses on Manuka honeys from all across New Zealand. They have a “tasting” experience. The shop handles more than 50 different types of Manuka honey from all over the country. Through the tasting experience we winnowed our selection down to three types with lots of “oohs” and “aahs” that required a cup of coffee before making the final decision. If you get to Queenstown, Buzzstop is a definite place to visit. It’s outside the main town in “FrankTown”, a suburb where all of the malls are located. Buzzstop is off the main drag in a small, unassuming shop. The two staff are more than wonderful and will help you through the Maunka selection process. Buzzstop – 26 Hansen Road, Frankton, Queenstown 9371, New Zealand – +64.02.194.2808 – www.buzzstop.co.nz – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
