Thanks to the America’s Cup, boating culture has come to the fore in a big way. After all, there’s nothing like spending a beautiful, bluebird day out on the water, particularly when the entertainment is high-speed, high-stakes yacht racing. And given that things are really only just starting to heat up in the America’s Cup arena, and there are many more opportunities for boat days on the horizon, we thought it high time we rounded up all the essentials to ensure any boating adventure is a success.
The best way to avoid a faux pas on the water is to keep things simple, sleek and elegant. From practical considerations to a touch of necessary glamour, these are the essential pieces you should have on hand before stepping foot on a boat.
The most romantic day of the year is almost here. Chances are you’ve sourced the perfect gift, booked the best table in town or maybe just taken the liberty of planning a lovey-dovey activity or two. Whether you’ve done all of the above (or none at all), this sweet dining experience is sure to be the cherry on top.
Miann Chocolate Factory is serving up dessert with a difference this Valentine’s Day, with special sittings available at its Wintergarden Glass Houses on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th February.
The glasshouses, which opened last year at Miann’s Morningside location, offer an intimate, Insta-worthy dining setting like no other in Auckland.
For the pretty price of $50 per person, couples can expect an a la carte dessert, drink, a cake each to take home and a bar of Miann’s craft chocolate — all to be enjoyed inside the chic surrounds of the glasshouses.
With bookings available for parties of two, it’s the ideal opportunity to celebrate love in all its wonderful forms with your better half, best friend or beloved family member. Sharing a sweet with your sweet has never been so, dare we say, sweet.
Sittings are limited, so best be in quick to secure your spot. Book online here
As we re-emerge from another stint of working from home, there’s no better time to treat yourself and support inner-city businesses the tastiest way we know how: by showing some love at lunchtime. From sandwiches and salads to dumplings and noodles, these are the best places to grab a work lunch in Auckland’s CBD (and surrounding city suburbs). Tools down, forks up.
Obar Snack Bar Inspired by the lunch bars of Seoul, Chancery Street’s Obar Snack Bar is the perfect midday pit-stop, whether you’re dining solo or as part of a co-worker crew. Specialising in gimbap (Korean-style sushi), Obar Snack Bar’s offering sees it paired in a combo meal with tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), ramen or fried chicken and dumplings. The checklist menu makes ordering a breeze, and with prices starting at under $10 for a combo, this is one delicious lunch deal that will keep your wallet and your tummy happy.
The Humble Canteen
The Humble Canteen If no-fuss nourishment is what you seek, make a beeline for Wynyard Quarter’s wholesome new offering. The Humble Canteen is on a mission to offer tasty food that nurtures the body and the planet, with a variety of healthful dishes that can be eaten on-site or to-go. Choose from the likes of flatbread wraps, soups, curries and build-a-bowl salads, complete with help yourself ‘flavour bombs’ such as pickled green tomatoes, almond dukkah and crispy shallots.
&Sushi Located cityside at City Works Depot and Britomart, &Sushi has carved out a reputation for serving some of the most delicious, intricate pieces of sushi around. Build your dream lunch box from the enticing cabinet of sushi, nigiri and inari, or order a bowl of teriyaki chicken donburi or tofu yakisoba. Eat in or take away, &Sushi will have your lunchtime looking good and tasting even better.
Mr. Taco
Mr. Taco Blink and you’ll miss it, this tiny hole-in-the-wall spot on Federal Street has captured our attention for serving some of the tastiest, most authentic tacos in town. With a succinct menu of traditional Mexican favourites, Mr. Taco is a compact operation, perfect for a trio of tacos or a burrito on the go. We highly recommend both the cactus and jackfruit tacos — a flavourful, delightfully spicy choice that will please herbivores and carnivores alike.
Goodlife Superfood Co. For healthy eating that is enjoyable and delicious in equal measure, try Goodlife Superfood Co. Those looking to refuel for a productive afternoon ahead will be more than pleased with its fresh, imaginative mason jar salads such as jerk mango chicken and red grape, walnut and chicken. With dietary requirements well and truly catered to thanks to vegan, dairy-free, nut-free and gluten-free options, it’s no surprise this Fort Street lunch bar is constantly bustling with customers.
Daily Bread
Daily Bread City dwellers rejoice, our favourite sourdough slingers have set up shop in the CBD. Tucked away right next to Saint Patrick’s Square, Daily Bread’s new outpost comes in the form of an architecturally designed kiosk. Serving its signature sandwiches, pastries and pies, you’ll also be able to grab a loaf of bread to take away, ensuring your next homemade office lunch is a lot more impressive than the last.
Hero Sandwich House Speaking of sensational sandwiches, it would be remiss of us to speak of such things and not mention Hero Sandwich House, which just last year brought its legendary deli-style sandwiches to the CBD. Located inside multi-functional workshop, gallery and workspace The Tuesday Club, a visit would not be complete without the famous Philly Cheese (a brioche bun stuffed with skirt steak, jalapeños, buttered onions, pickles and cheddar), plus you can add on Proper Crisps, extra pickles and a cold drink for only $5.
Bang Bang Kitchen If dim sum, fried rice and Peking duck are more your speed, be sure to head to Auckland Fish Market’s Bang Bang Kitchen come lunchtime. Inspired by the Hawker markets in Singapore and Malaysia, Bang Bang Kitchen is expert at Asian-fusion flavours. Choose from dishes such as warming laksa, lobster fried rice and prawn har gow, or take advantage of lunch specials like crispy pork or Peking duck on rice.
Sunny Town
Sunny Town Don’t be put off by the queues at this Lorne Street hot spot, Sunny Town is just the ticket when you’re in need of some noodles, stat. Once you’ve secured your seat and ordered, food arrives almost instantaneously in the form of soft, pillowy pork and vegetable buns, juicy prawn shao-mai and numbingly good dandan noodles. Eat eagerly and exit with intent, ensuring the next lucky luncher can have their fill.
Caffetteria Allpress There’s something to be said about the classics, like having a good old fashioned sandwich for lunch. Drake Street’s Caffetteria Allpress has the sando down pat, with fillings changing daily plus a few favourites like the Reuben and the tuna, egg and mayo gaining mainstay status. We can recommend the chicken sandwich if it’s available — a feat of sandwich engineering combining moist, mayo-y chicken with crunchy salad and sourdough for a fresh, never soggy sandwich.
Spectra
Spectra Situated in the expansive Sky Lobby of Commercial Bay’s impressive PwC Tower, Spectra is a recently-opened daytime eatery providing the perfect space to sit down for a business lunch or grab something on the go. Peruse the array of tasty cabinet treats, or choose something from the thoughtfully refined all-day breakfast or lunch menu. Our pick is the ‘The Plate’, a simple, healthy option where you choose your protein (sirloin, chicken or market fish) and pair it with the salad of the day. Easy as that.
Paper Crane If you’re near Wynyard Quarter, you’ll find delicious Asian-fusion offerings at Paper Crane. The menu showcases many Asian favourites, from steamed baos, to sashimi, donburis, and of course noodles. Our recommendation is the misoyaki salmon on rice. Both takeaway and dine-in-friendly, Paper Crane offers local workers a reliably excellent eatery, and also a great location for meetings.
Hello Mister Vietnamese cuisine is associated with quick, fresh, light, yet very tasty food, which explains Hello Mister’s popularity, with locations on Hardinge Street and Customs Street West in the city. During the hot summertime, we opt for the rice paper rolls, particularly with tofu or Peking duck fillings. If you request them to go, you can take a short stroll and enjoy their succulent flavour in nearby Victoria Park. By contrast, when winter rolls around, it’s the phở that calls us to pull up a chair and dine-in.
Toss
Toss Specialising in healthy salads, Toss’ wholesome bowls make it easy to eat your greens. The ‘Post-Workout’ salad is a virtuous choice with or without the aforementioned exercise, combining several varieties of salad greens, free-range chicken, avocado, feta, quarters of perfectly boiled egg and green goddess dressing. With a range of warm bowls, wraps, smoothies, toast and a soup of the day, there’s a lot to love at this Wellesley Street West spot.
Luna Cafe & Eatery If a lunchtime craving for bánh mì strikes, look no further Luna Cafe in Chancery Square. From the bread to the pâté, everything in this Vietnamese sandwich is made from scratch, making it one of the best bánh mì in Auckland.
Yume
Yume Hidden away on Vernon Street, Yume (formerly known as Haru no Yume) provides all manner of fresh and tasty Japanese favourites for inner-city workers. Inviting to dine in and easy to take away, Yume has an irresistible cabinet of sushi and tempura available per piece, plus bento boxes, ramen and udon. We can’t go past the tuna poke bowl with rice, pickles, salad and spicy gochujang sauce.
Food Truck Garage On days when you’re feeling totally uninspired come lunchtime, trot along to always trusty (and tasty) Food Truck Garage in City Works Depot. Along with the signature burgers and tacos, we rate the Redergize bowl, a virtuous combination of baby spinach, quinoa, beetroot, carrot, flax seeds, cranberry and miso dressing. Add free-range chicken and this health-conscious lunch will see you satiated and ready to spring over that afternoon slump.
Best Ugly Bagels Typically this New York staple leans on the heavier side of the lunch scales but it’s a different story when it comes to Best Ugly Bagels. Instead of the usual dense Big Apple-style, the bagels here follow the Montreal method with a lighter texture of bread that is topped, rather than filled. The classics are as good as the first day we tried them, with the likes of King Salmon (salmon, cream cheese, red onion, capers) and Yodi (pastrami, habanero mustard, grilled Swiss and an obligatory pickle) remaining forever favourites.
Scarecrow With a florist located right next door, the combination of the warmly-lit cafe and grocery store makes you feel as though you’ve entered a small village when you visit Scarecrow — a charm that is hard to come by in the heart of the city. As a favourite breakfast destination, lunch at Victoria Street East’s Scarecrow shouldn’t be overlooked. Simply yet deliciously executed, the menu spans the likes of fancy toasties (think artisanal cheese and heirloom tomato), pasta, risotto, potato latkes and tomato tarte tatin.
A sweet, petite caravan out West is serving up tasty bites and excellent coffee to Avondale locals, and it’s proving humble set-ups can be deceiving (and delicious). Named Ol’ Mate, this unconventional cafe-on-wheels offers both sweet and savoury baked goods, sandwiches and salads that have already drummed up a host of loyal regulars since it opened in November last year.
Co-owned by pastry chef Claudia Long and barista Bree Bauer, with Long’s partner Ryan Pearce (also a chef) helping out as needed, Ol’ Mate can be permanently found at 1855 Great North Road, Tuesday through Saturday. Long and Pearce previously owned another Avondale cafe, Te Whau, where Bauer worked for them as their barista, and the three enjoyed working together so much that collaborating for this project seemed like a no-brainer.
From left: Famous cheese scones; Date Welsh cakes with cream cheese and roasted apricot
They all have a lot on their plates — Long also has Sweet Cheeks NZ, another small baking business she runs on Instagram, and Pearce is the full-time chef at The Mercury Plaza Refreshment Room, where Ol’ Mate’s food is also prepped by Long. “It’s all a very unique situation outside our comfort zone,” says Long. “But, if anything was learnt from 2020 in our industry it’s getting creative with whatever opportunities come your way!”
The idea behind Ol’ Mate’s offering is “simple done well, with a few boundaries pushed here and there as we go along.” Long’s cheese scones often sell out by 10am (she’ll usually come across town with another batch), and she says both her ginger crunch and burnt white chocolate and tahini blondie have ardent fans. A new take on a Welsh cake has also proved popular, sandwiched with cream cheese and roasted apricots.
From left: Ryan Pearce, Claudia Long, Bree Bauer; Cheese and pickle toasted sandwich
From a perfectly juicy chicken and mayo sandwich to a cheese and pickle toastie, wholesome yet filling salads and bacon and egg pies, customers have all manner of delicious morsels enticing them from inside the cabinet. Washed down with Bauer’s excellent coffee, we can’t think of much else we’d rather eat for breakfast or lunch.
The Ol’ Mate team aims to link with local community food initiatives like Kai Avondale whenever possible, donating leftover food and baking for events when time allows, and this is something Long says they’d like to grow. Avondale is home for the trio, who have enjoyed being able to reconnect with diners who were fans of Te Whau. “It’s been really nice to welcome back all our old customers who used to come to the last spot,” says Long. “It’s like we never left!”
A concept that bloomed when YongWoo Shim returned to Korea to visit his family, Mighty Hotdog was the realisation of a dream to bring Korean-style hot dogs to Kiwis. So passionate was the founder about his idea, that he left his career as an ex-professional golfer and golf instructor, to spend a number of months in Korea (sometimes working in kitchens for free) mastering the art of making these unique delicacies before returning home with a new set of skills and a delicious vision.
From left: Mighty Kumara with sausage and kumara; Cheese Rocket with cheese and sausage; Mighty Potato with sausage and potato
A beloved street food in its country of origin, the Korean hot dog has been gaining a global following for its mouthwatering balance of sweet and savoury flavours. More like a corndog in appearance, the Korean iteration is typically coated in batter, deep-fried and usually finished in sugar for an effect that is perfectly indulgent.
At Mighty Hotdog, YongWoo Shim wanted to perfect his version of the Korean hot dog by replacing the more traditional ingredients with locally-sourced ones instead. Originally launching Mighty Hotdog at the Glenfield Night Markets and cultivating an enthusiastic following, YongWoo Shim has finally set his concept up with its own permanent space in the CBD — where it has proved an instant hit with hungry punters.
From left: Mighty Potato; Inside the Crunch Bites; Choose from a variety of self-serve sauces
On the menu, simple hot dogs like the Cheese Rocket (a bestseller, comprising half cheese, half sausage) and the Mozzarella (filled with gooey mozzarella and nothing else) sit alongside more complex options like the Mighty Potato (sausage coated in chunky potato), the Crunch Bites (with a melted cheese filling and coated in cornflakes) and the Nacho (also cheese-filled but this time covered in crispy nacho pieces). All hot dogs come with the highly recommended option of a sprinkling of sugar on top, as well your choice of self-serve sauces such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and barbecue.
For anyone who sits at the sweeter end of the sweet-savoury spectrum, Mighty Hotdog’s Chocolate Hotdog (filled with melted Moro) and Choc Peanut Hotdog (filled with melted Snickers) are also a must-try. And we aren’t the only ones who think so.
Since Mighty Hotdog opened, its tasty morsels have accrued such a following that queues have come to be expected around the lunchtime and early evening rush, and people seem more than happy to wait. Our suggestion? Get down there close to opening or mid-afternoon, and if you have to wait, rest assured that it will all be worth it.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 12pm — 9pm Friday and Saturday: 12pm — 10pm Sunday: 12pm — 9pm
Looking to deliver a modern twist on traditional Indian cuisine, Mr Spicer is Ponsonby Road’s newest resident, located on the Grey Lynn end of the popular strip in the space of a previously abandoned Indian restaurant. “We wanted to change things up,” Darshil Patel says, explaining the approach he and his family took when they started to put their idea for a new type of Indian restaurant into action. “We thought it was important to speak to contemporary Indian street culture, while still capturing the traditional flavours we knew and loved, but we still wanted it to feel like a casual dining experience.”
Indeed, Mr Spicer is shaking things up with food that packs the kind of flavourful punch we would expect, but in a fresh and original way. The menu ranges from sharing plates like aromatic Roadside Samosa Chaat, Masala Chilli Corn, Goan Fried Chicken and Buttery Street Fries (fries with butter sauce, onion and melted cheese) to larger dishes like Lamb Vindaloo, Dal Makhni and Mr Spicer’s signature Makhan (Butter) Chicken. From the grill, Gunpowder Prawns, Spicy Lamb Chops, Tandoori Chicken and more offer hearty bursts of chargrilled flavour which pair perfectly with sides like garlic or cheese or butter naan, Masala Papadum or Tandoori Roti.
This idea of Indian with a contemporary twist continues on the drinks menu, where Patel tells me his father (a strong proponent of traditional Indian flavours) insisted on including beverages like ‘Thumbs Up’ and ‘Limca’ (both classic drinks from his home country) alongside a raft of delicious and refreshing cocktails.
Inside, Patel and his family have transformed Mr Spicer’s space into a lively affair, reflecting the vibrancy of its food in a fit-out teeming with colour and texture. Inspired by traditional Indian design, particularly the colours and architecture of Rajasthan, the walls are drenched in vivid azure blue (a common pigment found in early Indian architecture), while pops of electric yellow and chilli red are speckled throughout the space. “The fit-out was a family effort,” Patel says, “if you look closely, you’ll be able to see brush strokes in the vintage matchbox posters painted to the bar-front, and a pile of discarded paintbrushes out back from the many evenings spent painting together.”
From great hardship often comes great resilience and wisdom, and the sentiment could not be more true for Jazz Thornton. The 25-year-old has fought and overcome mental illness, childhood abuse and multiple suicide attempts to become a force for positive change in the mental health sector, both locally and abroad. Now working tirelessly as a mental health advocate and activist, Thornton has co-founded the Voices of Hope charity with Genevieve Mora, bringing awareness and destigmatising mental illnesses that are, unfortunately, far more common than we might realise. An award-winning filmmaker (Jessica’s Tree), Thornton this year was the subject of another social impact film titled The Girl on the Bridge, released worldwide.
She also published her first book, Stop Surviving Start Fighting, in March, and has co-written another with Mora, due out in January; has presented in front of the World Leaders of the UN General Assembly; was invited to have coffee with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle; and, if that’s not enough, Voices of Hope received the Commonwealth Points of Light award this year, which was created by the Queen, as the Head of the Commonwealth, to thank inspirational volunteers for making a difference in their communities.
Far from resting on her laurels, Thornton is just getting started — here, the inspiring activist shares pearls of wisdom from her journey in life thus far and in advocacy, from advice and goals to key comforts and tools.
Happiness is waking up excited for life.
It’s okay to be down. Everyone feels down at times. But it’s always important that you speak up if you are.
It’s not about battling your past, but fighting for your future. We can spend so long battling the things that have happened to us, and that can prevent us from looking forward and moving forward, so once you start to learn to fight for your future it becomes a lot easier to fight through.
The biggest thing I learned through the process of filming The Girl on the Bridge was that it’s not our job to save people. I think, especially being in advocacy like I am, and even just with our friends — when someone tells you that something is wrong, often our first instinct is to fix it, and to save people. But, I figured out through the filming process that we can’t save people, what we can do is walk alongside them and help them save themselves.
My friends would describe me as outgoing, bubbly, but also very aware of what’s going on. When I see people in pain, I recognise it a lot more, because of my work and because of my life.
The three most important tools I rely on for good mental health are a good support network, exercise has been really big for me recently, and routine. Routine is everything. I know that when my room starts to get messy my mind is a mess, and especially through Covid, being able to stick to a routine is so important for my mental wellbeing.
One of the most important things I’ve learned this year is that people want vulnerability. For a long time when I was advocating I would do my best to portray the strong, brave person that had gotten through everything and was fighting for everyone else, but there were times when I would be struggling and I would never share that because I had this perception that the public and the people following me needed me to be that person all the time. But, for people to know that actually, everyone, (even those who are out advocating for others), still struggle as well, is important.
I’m most proud of being able to fight through to have the life that I have now. The accomplishments, the awards, the movie and all that stuff is great, but for me, waking up and knowing that I can be excited for life is something that I had to fight really hard for, and I think if everything else went away and I didn’t have the external awards et cetera, I would still be so content.
When I want to have a laugh, my favourite thing to do is binge-watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
The biggest goal for me at the moment is being able to get global funding secured for mental health. The budget that we spend on mental health globally is less than the budget of one Avengers movie. For me, it’s going from just talking about it to going back in front of the UN and demanding tangible change.
Something I wish was more commonly accepted about mental health is that mental health is more than just anxiety and depression. They are the most commonly talked about, but when we talk about mental health we can also be talking about bipolar and borderline eating disorders. At the moment we still see them as just “crazy”, but those are also mental health conditions and they need to be talked about as such.
I think we need to be putting more funding into early intervention. We’ve seen a lot of budgets allocated, but not a lot of it spent, which is like saying “oh I’m going to buy a new car”, but until you actually buy a new car, the money’s just sitting there and you don’t have a new car, right? It’s the same thing, the government is saying “hey, we’ve got all this money for mental health” but without actually spending it and putting it into systems, nothing’s changing. So, more action on their promises that they’ve put through.
My ultimate comfort meal is anything to do with potatoes. I love fries, baked potato, mashed potato, all forms of potato. I was on Instagram Live recently, and said that I liked potatoes, and about ten minutes later there were about 50 fan accounts that were like @potatojazzthornton.
When I want to relax, I have a phone lockbox which I love using. Because all my work is on my phone and we are attached to these things, I put my phone away in a lockbox for an hour. I love going for forest walks, going to the beach, hanging out with friends and doing things that aren’t intensely work related.
I’d like my legacy to be one in which people can see that I didn’t just talk about change, but created it. I don’t want to be the person who blasts on social media or will stand up on a stage but then won’t go out and be part of activating the change.
It’s trending to be an advocate now, which is a great thing, but I think that if you’re advocating on social media but you won’t pick up the phone and call a friend, then what are you really doing?
I consider myself to be real. I aspire to be, and I hope I fulfill that. I’m someone who isn’t living a curated life.
When I look back over the last couple of years, I’ve done a TV show, a movie, two books, and it just keeps going but I love it because I’m just seeing hundreds of thousands of people around the world finding hope, and as long as people are finding hope I’ll never stop.
My advice to anyone struggling is: the current world crisis doesn’t dismiss anything you’re going through. In a time like being in a global pandemic, we can feel like we aren’t justified in feeling the way we’re feeling, or it’s not as bad, but you don’t have to do this by yourself, you’re deserving of help, and it’s okay to reach out.
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