Taking this year’s challenges in their stride as a chance to recalibrate, the team behind Viaduct Yacht Club has today relaunched the eatery as a vibrant Italian Trattoria. Known henceforth as VYC Trattoria Moderna, the offering will centre on the trattoria style of eating, which owner Rebecca Bradley describes as laid back, comprising generous portions and with plenty of delicious fresh pasta.
“We’re really focusing on delivering memorable and authentic Italian food and wine experiences,” says Bradley.
With Tuscany-born Camillo Bisaccioni at the helm in the head chef role, the kitchen team has been busy creating an enticing Tuscan spring menu, with several recipes having been passed down through generations of the three Italian chefs’ families.
While the selection is very comprehensive, fresh pasta is a highlight, handmade daily at the pasta-making station visible to diners from the restaurant floor. There are several iterations of the good stuff; golden ribbons of tagliatelle are heaving with a slow-cooked beef ragu, while delicate parcels of rabbit tortelli are served with a white sauce and asparagus.
It’s not all pasta (not that we’d complain) — a ‘secondi’ section includes the likes of First Light boneless Wagyu beef short rib in a rich chianti sauce, and squid stuffed with prawn, swiss chard and sundried tomatoes. Each secondi dish is served with mashed potato and broccolini, and the selection of sides spans comforting — more mashed potato, this time with chicken gravy — and light — green salad with grana padano cheese (similar to parmesan) and a lemon and anchovy dressing.
Every Friday, says Bradley, VYC will be getting into the true Italian spirit of things and celebrating aperitivo hour with cocktails and small bites, and the eatery also has an off-venue licence meaning they will be offering an evolving selection of Italian food and wine products to take home. This includes fresh pasta kits to cook at home, which Bradley says went well for them during lockdown.
To celebrate the re-launch of VYC, you could be in to win a pasta-making class for yourself and nine friends. This authentic affair includes a hands-on pasta tutorial under the guidance of VYC’s Italian kitchen team, followed by a sit-down dining experience for you and your guests. Terms and conditions apply. All guests must be 18 years or older. Dates are subject to VYC availability. Experience must be redeemed by 1st December 2020.
This giveaway is now closed.
VYC Trattoria Moderna
Cnr Market Place & Customs Street West,
Auckland
For over 30 years the acclaimed founder of Auckland-based practice Patterson Architects has been designing some of the most extraordinary buildings in New Zealand, including Kinloch Lodge, The Hills Clubhouse in Queenstown and the Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth — not to mention a hefty number of breathtaking residential projects across the country and offshore.
During his career, Patterson has won the New Zealand National Award for Architecture five times, and was awarded the New Zealand Institute of Architects 2017 Gold Medal. His gift for designing dwellings that respond to our country’s landscape has been documented in a 2018 book published by Thames & Hudson.
With a passion for Māori language, history and mythology, Patterson coined the term ‘form follows whānau’ — design is about the people. Here, the inspiring architect delves into some of the key lessons that have informed his career thus far, and his approach to life outside it.
Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth. Photo: Patrick Reynolds
“Working in lockdown, I learned I’m a 9pm to 2am in the morning kind of person — I didn’t actually know that about myself before.
My design style can be defined as an holistic connection between environment and people.
One thing guides a lot of our work: If you can create a building that feels like it naturally belongs in its environment, its ecology or its culture, then the people who that building is for will feel a sense of belonging there too.
Seascape. Photo: Simon Devitt
We have the ability to design our utopia here. We have an almost intact natural environment. For the first 100 years we just did copies of overseas buildings. I’d really like to be part of a change in New Zealand about our built environment — it would be a tremendous thing to leave and to have in our culture.
I’ve realised over and over again that simple is much harder to do. It’s really easy to make things complicated, especially in buildings, but to make them simple requires real effort and skill.
The three essential elements I consider when designing are light, love and longevity.
Seascape. Photo: Simon Devitt
Buildings are unique in just how long they last. They outlive any fashion or social development, or political development. They outlive landscaping, they even outlive countries sometimes. It’s really useful to remind yourself of that.
I don’t think you can step into other people’s lives, and create environments and settings for those lives, unless you have a rich life of your own.
On my 50th, I wanted to see the sun rise on the Acropolis. I left a party in London to catch an Easyjet flight, got into Athens at 4am and took a taxi to the Acropolis. It’s all locked up at night, so I scaled the fence. What I didn’t realise is they have Alsatians and guards roaming, so I made it to the Roman gate, crawled around the big buttresses while the dogs barked through the gate and eventually the guards went away. I sat there on the steps of the Parthenon — the world’s most famous East-facing building — and watched the sun rise on my 50th birthday. And then promptly got arrested and spent the rest of the day in a Greek jail.
Local Rock. Photo: Simon Devitt
I’m a really keen skier. It’s about the only thing outside of architecture I can do well, I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. I love the mountains, and the sea too — I love boating. I have a 1978 30-foot speedboat, New Zealand-designed, called Shazan, which I really enjoy. I’ve had her for 25 years.
I got taught about the importance of planning from quite an early age. To review, and to plan. Other people call that manifesting, I guess.
I have unexpectedly found inspiration in meditating.
My Northland property near the Bay of Islands is an old pa, and I put together the archaeological site plan and worked out how the village had been laid out, how people actually lived there. I had to confront the fact that they were living a much better life than we are, with all our technology. A beautiful, wonderful life in the forest and in the land. The houses were beautifully spaced out for sunlight, in the most gorgeous places, and the views were beautifully exploited. There must have been, maybe, 500 people living on the wider version of my property, and living in total harmony with nature. It’s obvious when you piece together the human design and the architectural components. So, that’s a bit of an influence for me.
Inside the Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth. Photo: Patrick Reynolds
I’ve always avoided designing my own stuff from scratch. I like collaborating with a client. A lot of architects spend a lot of time designing their own house but I’ve never been able to do that.
My design icon is the white shirt.
I’m proud of living a balanced life, and having a lot of fun. Having great relationships is really important.
Awards are really nice of course, and very honouring, humbling and flattering. But the best thing that’s happened to me recently is when I was going to a meeting in the Len Lye centre a few years after we’d designed it, and there was an older lady sitting, crying in the lobby. I went over and said, “Are you okay?” She said “Oh yes, I’m okay, it’s just really beautiful.” I think of anything I’ve had, that’s probably the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me about our work.”
Does the team behind Daily Bread ever sleep? Safe to say they’re using their waking hours wisely with a brand new addition to the stable of bakeries. Now, even more Aucklanders can count themselves lucky to have Daily Bread’s artisan baked goods close by.
You’ll find the new location in the form of a clever inner-city kiosk, situated right next to the Saint Patricks Square in the CBD. Designed by renowned architecture firm Monk Mackenzie, it is a perfectly compact outpost for breakfast and lunchtime crowds to visit when the craving strikes for one of Daily Bread’s renowned pastries, sandwiches or pies, or just a coffee or cold drink.
Serving up the same delectable goods found at each one of Daily Bread’s locations, 33 Federal Street also sells loaves of bread to take away — pop out of the office, grab a sammy and a coffee, and a loaf to take home for later. What could be better?
Come summer, the grassy square is bound to be humming thanks to all the surrounding buildings and offices, and with the friendly Daily Bread team on hand to take care of lunch, we can say with certainty the compact cafe will be in hot demand.
When the impulse strikes to add variety to your daily outfit rotation, why not look to our local burgeoning designers? Not only are you supporting the next generation of New Zealand fashion talent, but chances are you’ll also find something utterly unique.
Caitlin Crisp Having launched her eponymous label just over a year ago, designer Caitlin Crisp has already displayed an aptitude for creating feminine, wearable and timeless pieces for the modern woman. Utilising largely natural fabrics and with an aim to support the New Zealand fashion industry wherever possible, Crisp engages the services of local fabric and trimmings manufacturers and craftspeople. We’re in love with the linen summer suiting from her new collection, which is set to be released in early October. caitlincrisp.com
Kaiso Self-taught machinist and leather worker Summer Gribble creates versatile and elegant accessories by hand at her Auckland studio. Inspired by her Fine Arts training and background growing up in Barbados, Gribble uses fashion to tell a story and her pieces are designed to combine aesthetics with functionality, quality, versatility and longevity. The Griot bag (pictured) can be worn multiple ways, with magnetic closures that enable it to be expanded or compacted, and the option to affix either a long or short strap. kai-so.com
Layplan Friends and co-designers Talia Soloa and Lavinia Ilolahia are the duo behind Layplan, a made-to-order brand based in Auckland. Working with joyfully voluminous silhouettes and statement shades, Layplan has built a loyal following on social media, and a newly-launched website makes this clever pair’s designs even more accessible. layplanstudio.com
Leo Leo Specialising in limited runs of well-made streetwear staples, designer Leo Pagani’s use of colour and unique graphics sets Leo Leo apart from the crowd. For his latest collection, Pagani was inspired by the fashion, music and architecture of the noughties. Reinterpreting the Y2K era for our modern times, he utilised futuristic typefaces and ‘blobjects’, rendered in vivid colours on his signature T-shirts and sweatshirts, introducing the brand’s first knitwear piece and style of trousers. leoleo.co.nz
Dominique Healy New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based designer Dominique Healy founded her self-named label three years ago, specialising in trans-seasonal and carefully considered separates, dresses and knitwear. Her background in the fabric wholesale industry spurred her love of fabrications, in particular deadstock fabrics from mills in Japan, Hong Kong, France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, the use of which prevents them from entering landfills. A curated selection of Healy’s signature voluminous-sleeved pieces is stocked locally at Muse Boutique. museboutique.co.nz
When it comes to self-care and beauty treatments, that fresh out of the salon feeling is hard to beat — especially if you’re blonde.
The process by which our hairstylist of choice achieves the perfect creamy, but never yellow, colour, usually involves a toner in the latter half of the treatment to counteract any brassy tones. As anyone with blonde hair knows, brassiness is to be avoided at all costs.
If, between appointments, warmth starts creeping back into your strands, a tone-correcting shampoo is one of the best ways to help keep the dreaded yellow at bay.
Sulfate-free and non-drying, Moroccanoil’s Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo is a formidable friend for your golden locks. It uses deep violet pigments to counteract yellow tones found in blonde hair and grey hair, as well as orange tones in lightened brunette hair.
Better yet, the Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo promises to strenghen your hair at the same time, containing argan oil which helps to repair and seal the cuticle, preventing breakage.
While there’s nothing wrong with re-watching Friends for the fifth time, there is something undeniably exciting about sinking your teeth into the shiny, new and unseen. From sci-fi series to breakout comedies, there are plenty of riveting new shows to have on your radar.
Night On Earth No one does nature documentaries quite like the British. So it’s hardly surprising that the latest one to land, a vivid, dynamic series using high-tech infrared cameras to capture the hidden lives of animals after dark, has been deemed a ‘must-watch.’ Watch on Netflix
Away Set to land soon, this highly-anticipated new sci-fi series, starring Hilary Swank, follows astronaut Emma Green as she leaves her husband and daughter for three years to lead a treacherous mission to Mars. Watch on Netflix
The Third Day This miniseries, starring Jude Law, follows the separate but interconnected journeys of a man and a woman as they arrive on a mysterious island at different times. The production will unfold in three parts, the first and third played out on screen, and the second materialising as a one-off, immersive theatrical event, live in London — allowing viewers to inhabit the story as it happens. Watch on Neon
The Duchess Comedian Katherine Ryan stars in (and created and wrote) The Duchess, a new comedy series based loosely on her experiences as a single mother. Fans of Ryan’s standup will be well-acquainted with her raunchy, irreverent humour, which provides perfect fodder for her character (also called Katherine) as she tosses up her chances of having another baby, and with her deadbeat ex nonetheless. Watch on Netflix
I Hate Suzie Starring Billie Piper, this recently-released eight-part drama series centres around Suzie Pickles, a ‘celebrity’ who is no longer famous, but whose life disintegrates apart when her phone is hacked and a compromising photo surfaces. A riotous, ruthlessly honest and riveting series, this one isn’t for the faint-hearted. Watch on Neon
Ted Lasso Jason Sudekis plays an American football coach who moves to England to manage a Premier League soccer team, despite having no experience in the sport. It’s a hilarious, underdog dramedy that delivers comedy with complexity and a little bit of soul. Watch on Apple TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvamPJp17Ds
Lovecraft Country Racial tension meets cosmic horror in this gripping new series, streaming on Neon. Based on a book by Matt Ruff, and co-produced by Misha Green and Jordan Peele, the story follows Atticus Black as he embarks on a roadtrip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father. Watch on Neon
[Un]well Seeking to uncover the truth behind the products and treatments sold to us by the trillion-dollar wellness industry, this compelling series delves into a vast array of topics from apitherapy to extreme fasting and even tantric sex, to understand whether any live up to their promises. Watch on Netflix
Ratched Serving up serious American Horror Story vibes (with Sarah Paulson as Nurse Ratched herself and Ryan Murphy as producer), Ratched is an origin story of sorts for the seminal character from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. With gorgeous costumes and lush sets, this dark series is worth watching for the optics alone. Watch on Netflix
This year, most of us have become used to working differently. Chances are, it’s involved converting a dining table into a desk, and sharing it with other members of the household.
Now, an exciting addition to the heart of downtown Auckland promises to redefine the way we work in a way that couldn’t be further from this experience.
Aspirational, flexible and economical, Alberts is a private tenant’s club that aims to offer environments for professionals to thrive and succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Encompassing four types of tenancies over five properties in downtown Auckland, including a range of office types, Alberts aims to allow tenants to foster a culture of connection and collaboration by creating a modern workplace, with a combination of private and shared environments.
An original model for New Zealand, but inspired by the likes of Soho House and the Neuehouse Clubs, Alberts supplies fully-fitted secure office spaces combined with shared meeting rooms, common areas and a generous hospitality offering. The all-inclusive leasing model offers access to high-end amenities, design and functionality that’s usually only affordable for larger companies.
In this way, Alberts is an ideal solution for small to medium businesses to thrive within workspaces that lower expenses and manage risk, keeping the bottom line healthy in this new world.
“We believe the future of workspace needs to provide a platform for human interaction and collaboration to fuel a positive work culture and successful businesses,” says the company’s chairman, Andrew Saunders.
The project’s flagship building is 1 Albert St, with its striking Neville Price-designed exterior. It is home to Alberts Members Club which includes state-of-the-art boardrooms and meeting rooms, ‘The Library’ for when quiet moments are required and ‘The Commons’ where more casual meet-ups can be hosted.
All tenants are welcome to use the club as an extension of their private office, an inspiring atmosphere to nurture growth, ideas and connectivity and bringing a slew of opportunities to connect with like-minded peers.
Many of us will spend a third of our lives at work, and Alberts is promising to make that time worthwhile.
The barrier between makeup and skincare is becoming increasingly non-existent. When we spend so much time and money caring for the base upon which we apply makeup, why then should makeup products potentially detract from this effort?
The new True Match Super Blendable Foundation from L’Oréal Paris embraces this philosophy, with an improved formulation dedicated to caring for the skin.
The new formula contains hyaluronic acid, making it even more comfortable to wear as it delivers hydration and plumpness to the skin.
Working with every skin type — even sensitive skin — this foundation is non-comedogenic, meaning it’s created to avoid blocking the pores and creating breakouts, and scientific studies have shown two weeks of wear to result in skin that looks more unified, radiant and hydrated.
The True Match Super Blendable Foundation is, crucially, available in a diverse range of 36 shades with warm, cool and neutral undertones, meaning more people than ever can find their perfect match.
When we stop thinking of foundation as something to cover our skin, and more as something to enhance it, we can feel even more confident within ourselves. Having a product that actually works to improve the skin’s quality doesn’t hurt, either.
While the iconic artworks of Vincent Van Gogh are undoubtedly spectacular viewed on a traditional museum wall, an exciting exhibition along Wellington’s waterfront is set to create an even more immersive experience.
Digital Nights Wellington — Van Gogh Alive sees works by one of history’s most famous artists projected via more than 3,000 images onto shipping containers at an 8-metre high scale, and synchronised to a classical score.
Famous works like ‘The Starry Night’ and ‘Sunflowers’ are presented at a crisp yet massive scale, with viewers invited to feel as if they’re walking right into one of the masterpieces. The whole family will interpret the works in their own way, with little ones bound to be just as enthralled as older attendees.
Upon the Government’s announcement of Wellington moving to Level 1, more tickets will be released at 9am, Wednesday 23rd September.
Van Gogh Alive is on until 30th October 2020, find tickets and more information atwww.ticketmaster.co.nz
Hotel restaurants can be tainted by the misconceptions of offering diners who are not guests a predictable, tourist experience. Not so with Onemata, the highly-anticipated flagship eatery within the newly-opened Park Hyatt Auckland.
Executive chef Brent Martin has been part of the Hyatt ‘family’ for 23 years, and is a crucial aspect of the hotel’s gastronomic success, developing new food concepts to play an integral role in the Hyatt’s restaurant openings in Maui, San Diego, Seattle and the Bahamas.
From left: Onemata interior; Toffee apple dessert
With a rich knowledge of gastronomy and cultivated insights around creating a curated restaurant, he has personally prepared dinners for a number of world figures, from the Dalai Lama to Bill and Melinda Gates.
Despite having lived abroad for much of his life, Martin relishes his Wellington roots and is committed to showcasing the best of New Zealand cuisine in each of Park Hyatt’s four hospitality venues — in particular, Onemata.
The restaurant’s name, in Te Reo, means ‘rich, fertile soil,’ and reflects Martin’s determination to highlight the people behind the produce. Headlining food producers as the heroes, the menu offers an array of mouth-watering dishes that showcase the best of New Zealand’s fresh and seasonal ingredients.
From left: Executive chef Brent Martin; Paua risotto
Within the selection of small and large sharing plates, Onemata head chef Jonathan Pasion oversees the preparation of inspired interpretations of our country’s unparalleled produce. From 6:30am, breakfast diners can opt for classics like a create-your-own omelette, or something more adventurous like cured pork belly with kumara, pineapple kimchi and fried farm eggs.
Lunch encompasses the likes of salmon poke, a fish of the day with lemongrass dashi and kaffir lime, and brocolli with Clevedon yoghurt, nori hokey pokey and bacon jam. Dinnertime sees a risotto that sings with paua, miso butter, shiitake mushrooms and a soft-cooked onsen egg. Te Mana lamb is cooked Filipino-style in an Adobo sauce, paired with a coconut lamb jus, baby carrots and coriander.
For dessert, a varied selection of enticing sweets includes a nostalgia-inspired toffee apple served with parsnip crisps, and sage and rosemary ice cream, and a honey and thyme cake with burnt butter, Mexican chocolate ganache and Eighthirty Coffee ice cream.
The ambience of Onemata is also crucial. Breaking down barriers between chefs and patrons, the open kitchen sits at the restaurant’s centre, creating a theatrical dining experience around its state-of-the-art equipment and world-trained chefs. Inspired by the at-home dinner party togetherness of cooking, imbibing and eating, guests are invited to walk through the kitchen, glass in hand, and interact with the chefs as their meal is prepared.
Although a luxury brand, Park Hyatt Auckland is dedicated to being anything but exclusive. Martin has worked to create an inviting, welcoming environment where locals will feel as welcomed for a meal as the hotel’s guests.
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