Brunch at Feriza's

Now that I am on maternity leave, trips into Auckland's CBD are rare and far between. So, whenever I am catching up with friends, I grasp the opportunity to pick one of the new and interesting restaurants that are popping up faster than I can visit them!

I had seen many pictures of the beautiful dishes at Feriza's come across my instagram feed so I knew I had to visit.

Feriza's has a very welcoming interior with a high ceiling and a big open space. The floor is lined with beautiful Mediterranean patterned tiles, while the deep blue and green walls have quite a calming effect. We chose a seat by the window so we could enjoy the sunny day.

Perhaps it was because we had sat in the corner, but it took a while for our waitress to bring over water and menus. Our orders also had to be taken twice as she had neglected to write them down the first time. 

Salep - $7.50

I ordered a Salep, which was under the "something special" portion of the menu. The drink is a traditional Turkish milk drink that is thickened with starch, giving it a smooth, silky texture similar to watery porridge. It tasted like rice milk and was spiced with cinnamon. I enjoyed the flavour of the Salep but I didn't feel refreshed due to its thick texture.

Flat White - $4.50

The flat white was well made and had a robust flavour - as good as any great cafe on Auckland.

Feriza's Benedict with Bacon - $18.00 + $6.50

Feriza's Benedict was served atop pieces of spinach and feta gözlemes. The eggs were perfectly poached and the acidity from the grilled tomatoes cut through the creaminess of the dish. The highlight of the dish was the gözleme which was chewy yet delicate - I could have eaten dozens on their own! Feriza's Benedict is interesting enough without the addition of bacon and, at $6.50, I probably wouldn't do it again!

Feriza's Crepes - $18.00

The sweet gözlemes came filled with orange zest ricotta and decorated with maple syrup and pistachios. They had a wonderfully elastic texture and were quite delicate. I thought it was a nice, light alternative to the usual french toast or waffle dishes that can be quite heavy.

Menemen - $19.00

My favourite dish was the Menemen, which involved scrambled eggs with slow roasted capsicum, tomato, and onion. The warm savoury mixture had a delicate fluffy texture and very robust, inviting flavours that just danced on the palate. The soft turkish pide was the perfect vessel for scooping up the eggs - I would happily have this for breakfast every day!

Despite the average service, I would definitely return to Feriza's - after all, I am all about the quality of the food. 

Feriza's can be found at 7/12 Jellicoe Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland, New Zealand.

Kushi

During my pregnancy, the one thing I really craved was sashimi. Unfortunately, raw food was something I had to avoid so I spent a year watching longingly as others consumed bite after bite of delicious salmon and tuna. So large was my craving that, as soon as I brought Charlie home, I was on the hunt for the perfect place to have sashimi. I had heard about the excellent food at Kushi so I decided that this would be the place. 

Expectations were high.

Inside, Kushi was dimly lit, with high ceilings and a spacious interior. The dining area was cleverly sectioned to form a few different spaces - large private areas, smaller intimate areas for small groups, and booths for an even more private feel.

Suntory - $11.00, Plum Wine - $9.50

We started with some drinks while we perused the menu. Jason had a Suntory, a malt beer which was smooth and easy to drink.

I ordered a plum wine which was syrupy but not overly sweet. It reminded of a childhood cough medicine, but in a nice kind of way. 

Edemame - $6.95

We ordered edemame to have while we waited for our food although we didn't make much of a dent before our first dish arrived.

Takowasabi - $8.95

The Takowasabi involved little pieces of raw octopus marinated in a wasabi dressing. There was a sweetness to the octopus flesh which was complimented by the light dressing. I enjoyed each bite of the slippery yet chewy octopus that was accented by delightful pops of caviar.

Small Sashimi - $20.95

Our order of small sashimi came nestled within a Paua shell. We were treated to thick slices of salmon, tuna and kingfish. I closed my eyes and made sure to savour each bite - the fish was so fresh that it had a sweetness to it.

Beef Tataki - $14.90

The beef in this dish was very nicely marbled and sliced delicately. I felt that it was a little light on dressing so the beef tasted a bit bland. The flavour of the beef was lifted when eaten in conjunction with the salad but I thought the dish would have been nice with some sort of dipping sauce specifically for the beef.

Kani Tempura - $20.95

The tempura batter for the soft shell crab was incredibly thin and crunchy. The crab itself was quite meaty and well seasoned. The mild wasabi mayo made for a great dipping sauce. The fresh radish slices were a bit bland compared to the rest of the dish and may have been a nicer addition if they were pickled (this, of course, is a very minor issue in an excellent dish). 

Buta Ko Kakuni - $16.90

The pork belly was our favourite dish of the night. Kushi's special soy marinade fully penetrated through the pork. Each piece was impossibly soft and melted as soon as it reached my mouth - it was actually made it a little difficult to pick up with chopsticks! 

By the end of our meal, we were in a near food coma. Each dish was impeccable in both presentation and taste that, at times, we couldn't decide what to have for the next bite!
My very high expectations were certainly met.

Kushi can be found at 22 Durham Street West, Auckland.

Ampersand Eatery

One of my last outings prior to having baby Charlie was to the newest, and hippest addition to Orakei Village. Ampersand Eatery had been showing up all over my social media pages and I was dying to know what the fuss was all about.

Although the space is large, Ampersand is filled to the brim with brunchers and lunchers. The restaurant doesn't take reservations for lunch so I put our names down on the 30 minute wait list. It was the first time I had been to the newly constructed Orakei Village so I was happy to have a wander around the boutique stores that fill up the little complex. 

Iced Chocolate - $5.50, Spicy Chai Latte - $5.00, Hot Chocolate - $5.00

We started off with some warm drinks to combat the windy weather outside. The chai latte was lightly spiced and not too sweet while the hot chocolate was rich but a little watery. Not pictured is a ginger latte which I enjoyed the most.

Sourdough and burnt butter - $3.90

The littlest bruncher in our group was being fussy that day and only wanted to eat bread. Luckily, there was some soft pieces of sourdough accompanied by some beautiful burnt butter. We loved the butter so much that we spread it on anything bread-like on our other dishes!

Smoked Trevally and Potato Omelette - $19.00

I was quite impressed with the serving size of the omelette when it arrived on the table. The smokiness of the fish gave off a lovely aroma and paired well with the saltiness of the pesto. I felt that the egg could have been seasoned a little more as the dish as a whole tasted a bit bland, even with its salty components. 

Benedict with Bacon - $19.00

The eggs benedict came with a generous amount of bacon and lashing of spiced hollandaise. The eggs were poached perfectly and the bread was nicely toasted without being difficult to cut through. 

Colombian Corn Cake - $19.00

The Colombian Corn Cake was soft and creamy. The mushrooms imparted a great earthy flavour while the feta provided some much needed saltiness. The best part was the perfectly poached egg which tied the whole dish together.

Fresh Pasta Stuffed with Sweet Potato - $22.00

My favourite dish that day was the stuffed pasta. Everything about this dish was just perfect. Texture wise, the light pillows of pasta, creamy apple sauce, and yoghurt were offset with crispy bacon pieces and pinenuts. The sweet components were balanced with bacon, parmesan, and dots of pesto. The little pops of chili were also a welcome surprise. 

Caramel Slice - $4.90

By the time we were ready for dessert, one of the only sweet items in the cabinet was a caramel slice. The buttery base and gooey caramel made for a deliciously rich dessert. It would go perfectly with a bitter cup of coffee but, as we all ordered sweet drinks, splitting the slice into quarters turned out to be the perfect portion size.

Ampersand 'Snickers' Bar - $15.00

I'm a sucker for house specialties and the Ampersand 'Snickers' bar jumped out at me as soon as I opened the dessert menu. The peanut parfait was as good as any I've had before and the chocolate mousse was incredibly smooth. As with the caramel slice, I'm glad we split this between four as there wasn't quite enough of the bitter mousse to counter the sweet parfait.

Ampersand is a nice space to catch up with friends. Based on my visit, some of the dishes could use a tad more seasoning but the stuffed pasta is just perfect. 

Ampersand Eatery can be found at Orakei Village, 228 Orakei Road, Auckland.

Fika With Me

Tucked in the heart of Birkenhead is the most delightful little place. What was once one half of Dutch Delight has now become one of my favourite cafes. Judging by the amount of regulars that visit, it is obvious that it has become the new favourite in the area.

The interior is simple and welcoming. The wooden tables and white stools are inviting. The big chalkboard explains their dining philosophy:

"'Fika' to us. It is a social phenomenon, a legitimate reason to set aside a moment for quality time. It is a window of opportunity to appreciate good things in life."

Below are a few of our favourite dishes.

Spicy Chai Latte - $4.50, Orange Juice - $5.00

The coffee here is always on point. The spicy chai here is the best I've had in Auckland - creamy and not too sweet. The juices and smoothies are also great picks - Green Power is my favourite.

Chili Scrambled Eggs - $17.00

Your usual scrambled eggs gets a makeover with the addition of chili peppers. The chili adds a touch of freshness to the creamy eggs but does not add an excessive amount of heat. The eggs are well complimented by the gourmet pork sausage and crunchy ciabatta. I must admit that I didn't touch the tomato relish very much as I thought the dish didn't need it.

Good 'V'agel - $14.00

The second page of the menu has a great selection of toppings for Best Ugly Bagels. The option of halloumi, vine tomatoes, basil pesto and cream cheese is one of the better vegetarian options I've seen around Auckland. The pesto and tomatoes are full of flavour and the ciabatta is perfect to soak up the delicious juices.

Fika Bene - $17.00

The Fika Bene is Jason's favourite dish. The eggs are perfectly poached and the creamy hollandaise goes well with the streaky bacon. Despite all of these wonderful tasting components, the homemade hash brown is the hero of the dish. The incredibly crunchy outer shell is thicker than normal and covers a roughly mashed potato with varied texture. Mmmm...

Hot Chicken Bagel - $15.00

Lastly, my favourite dish - the Hot Chicken Bagel. No matter how much I want to branch out, I mostly always end up ordering this dish. The seasoning on the crispy chicken is better than the Colonel's secret spices and is accompanied by a fresh mango salsa. This is what I would recommend to anyone who visits for the first time - whether you are there for breakfast or brunch.

Fika With Me is definitely worth a visit. The food is fantastic, the coffee is great and the staff are super friendly.

Come and say hi to the friendly owner and barista :)

 Fika With Me can be found at 5 Birkenhead Ave, Birkenhead, Auckland.


 

Cocoro

I've always thought that the trick to a great meal is to drag others along so you can try more dishes. I have found that 4 is the magic number for a meal - this gives a nice variety without having to wait an age for your food to arrive. This is also the best number for great conversation without having to shout across to the other end of the table.

My recent outing confirmed this when I, along with three others, 
tried the set lunch menu at Cocoro. For $49, we could order an entree, main and a dessert from 4 options - so of course, we opted to order every single thing on the menu to share. Not only did this rule out any potential food envy, it vastly sped up ordering time!

Amuse Bouche - Tempura Fish

We started with an amuse bouche consisting of a soft fish (I didn't catch the name) in a very light tempura batter -a great way to start the meal.

Amuse Bouche - Teriyaki Tuna

The second amuse bouche was a grilled teriyaki tuna which was cooked just right. There was just enough teriyaki to give it flavour, but not overpower the tuna.

Entree - Chicken Nanban

The Chicken Nanban was crunchy on the outside while still being moist and tender on the inside. I found the tangy Nanban sauce was a great addition to the usual karaage dishes I love so much. The fresh salad was a nice side, adding a bit of colour to the plate.

Entree - Tempura Salad

The tempura salad at Cocoro has one of the lightest batters I've ever had. Each piece was super delicate, with a crunch that could be heard from many tables over. 

Entree - Traditional Sashimi

The traditional sashimi was very fresh, with generous slices of salmon, blue fin tuna and john dory. The highlight for me was the fresh wasabi on the side.

Entree - New Style Sashimi

The new style sashimi was sliced thinner than the previous dish and cured in a vinaigrette. The partially cooked flesh had an interesting texture while the radish and cucumber added a freshness to the dish. The small balls of light tempura batter provided a nice crunch to the soft fish, like having popping candy in your mouth.

Main - Tofu with Vegetables

The Agedashi Tofu was served under a pile of sauteed mushrooms so the batter had fully absorbed its earthy flavours. I loved how saucy and hearty this dish was - I could have had it all to myself!

Main - Angus Teriyaki

The Angus Teriyaki was flavoursome and tender. Although the serving size looked to be slightly smaller than the other mains, I assure you it was quite filling. The mushrooms and the bean sprouts also tasted amazing after they had soaked in the sauce.

Main - Nigiri

As expected, the nigiri was fresh and it was great to see such a variety of fish. I'm told that nigiri is supposed to be served at room temprature (to fully appreciate all the fishy flavours) but I have to say that I would have preferred it on a bed of ice like the sashimi. 

Dessert - Miso and Yuzu Brulee

I was incredibly excited when I saw the brulee on the menu. The miso flavours stopped the brulee from being overly sweet while the yuzu gave it a hint of freshness. The sesame sablé  was the perfect pairing  -light, crumbly and melt in the mouth.

Dessert - Ume Granita

The granita was a very refreshing end to the meal. There was a good balance of sweet and sour and no flavour overpowered the others. The stewed plum and rhubarb were nice additions. 

We found that each dish was meticulously prepared and the serving sizes were generous. The wait staff were attentive and super polite. Cocoro has a very extensive menu and I felt that the set menu was a good introduction to their offerings. 

Cocoro can be found at 56A Brown Street, Ponsonby, Auckland

Ramen Auckland

Ramen is the ultimate comfort food. You may remember a previous post I made, where I shamelessly gushed about how I could happily eat it for the rest of my life. Since then, I have taken it upon myself to sample lots of ramen to find the top 5 ramen/soy egg/broth/charsiu ratio in Auckland. 

Below is the result of months of "research" undertaken by myself, along with friends, work colleagues and family whom I dragged along so I could sample more food. 

Welcome to my Ramen Safari.

Shoya Japanese Cuisine

Our first stop was Shoya Japanese Cuisine on Upper Queen Street. We arrived at lunch time to a quiet shop with a few small tables lined up in a row. The smell of ramen broth radiated from the kitchen and made my mouth water. 

The broth is rich, leaving a light film on your lips. Shoya Ramen had the best noodles out of all the eateries - chewy, with a good thickness to them. The noodles were also the perfect length to fit into the spoon and prevent any awkward slurping. 

Clockwise from top left: Negi Hell Ramen - $13.90, Miso Tonkotsu Ramen - $12.90, Shoyu Ramen - $11.90

The Shoyu Ramen broth had a clear taste, while the Miso Ramen had a deeper flavour. The charsiu was melt in the mouth and I really enjoyed the marinated bamboo shoots. The soy egg had a deliciously runny centre but unfortunately the marinade did not penetrate to the middle of any of our eggs.

The restaurant special is a Spicy Hell Ramen which is essentially a ramen broth drizzled in copious amounts of chili oil. There are three levels, each with a little hotter than the last. We were only brave enough to try level one which had a heat that creeps up on you and leaves your tongue a little tingly after each mouthful.

Clockwise from top left: Tonkotsu Ramen with Egg - $12.00, Tantanmen - $12.00, New Tonkotsu Ramen (without egg) - $10.80, Red Dragon - $14.00

Being so close to my workplace, Maruten Ramen was my usual lunch haunt for a long time. You may remember my previous post about some of their offerings. 

Maruten Ramen has the best soy egg out of all the places we visited and being able to choose your noodle thickness is a nice touch. The portion sizes are generous and there are an ample amount of toppings. The broth, however, sometimes has a tendency to be too salty, but the staff are happy to provide extra soup base to dilute the soup.

Kitchen at Ramen Daikoku

We step into Ramen Daikoku Noodle Bar on a particularly cold winter's night. Although it opens out on the street, the restaurant has a very exclusive, intimate feel to it - low roof, close seating and upbeat Japanese pop playing in the background made it seem as if we had been let into some great secret. 

Clockwise from top right: Tonkotsu Ramen - $10.00, Gyoza - $6.50, Spicy Miso Tonkotsu - $14.00

The thin noodles at Ramen Daikoku reminded me a little of an instant noodle packet but the flavoursome broth made up for this. The tonkotsu broth is a bit runny, without the fatty film you would expect, but the kick from the spicy broth is exactly what you need on a cold night. 

I found the egg quite disappointing (plain boiled eggs aren't really my thing), but I was very pleased with the amount of charsiu we received - tender and cut into thick slices -yum!

The sides at Ramen Daikoku are worth ordering. There are a number of ramen + side deals that are offered on their menu. Our favourite is the gyoza, with a crunchy base and yummy pork filling. 

From Left: Tanpopo Ramen - $14.00, Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen - $11.00, Gyoza - $6.00

Tanpopo is an institution among the resident Japanese crowd in Auckland. It is always busy at meal times, often serving more than 2 or 3 rounds of guests per table at each sitting. The owners seem to know most of the people who come through the doors and greet them by name.

The broth at Tanpopo is my favourite - very rich, thick and full of finely chopped garlic and sesame. The charsiu is tender and almost melts into the soup. I enjoyed the marinated seaweed which provided a nice crunch to the dish.

The portion sizes here are quite generous so sides are probably not necessary, but the gyoza is quite light if you want something to go with your ramen.

Clockwise from top left: Tonkotsu Ramen - $13.00, Tan-tan Ramen - $15.50, Lotus Root Chips - $6.00

Lastly, we head into Ramen Takara in trendy Ponsonby. It is definitely the most well presented of all the eateries we visited and has a great selection of sharing plates. It feels like a place for friends to sit down and have a chat rather than somewhere to have a hasty meal.

The noodles here are second only to Shoya Ramen and the cloudy pork broth is light without compromising on taste. The egg has been over cooked on most of my visits here but, fortunately, the marinade penetrates to the centre. The Tan-tan Ramen here is unique -the sour and spicy sesame base awakens the palate while the crunchy mince and stir fry is a nice alternative to your usual ramen toppings.

A must order here is the Renkon chips - crunchy deep fried slices of lotus root. A great alternative to potato crisps, these lightly salted snacks are perfect with a cold beer while you wait for your meal.

Ramen Takara Ponsonby

Whether you are a seasoned ramen enthusiast or wanting to try some great comfort food, I would recommend these great eateries around Auckland. If you know of any other great ramen eateries, please comment below - I would love to try them out!

Shoya Japanese Cuisine (best noodles)
478 Queen Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland

Maruten Ramen (also known as Japanese Kitchen, best soy egg)
Mercury Plaza, 23-32 Mercury Lane, Karangahape Road, Auckland 

Ramen Daikoku (cool underground vibe)
Britomart, Corner of Britomart Station and Taylor Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland

Tanpopo Ramen (best broth)
13 Anzac Avenue, Auckland CBD, Auckland

Ramen Takara, Ponsonby (best environment and sides)
272 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland

All meals were independently paid for by Lucy and her companions.