Instagram: @joicejlau
Earlier this year, my mum and I visited New Zealand properly for the first time (airport transits don't count as visits!) with a long weekend getaway to Auckland. I know, I know...some of you out there might scratch your heads at the idea of just visiting Auckland. However, (a) I only had a few days' time - not enough to do the whole South Island thing, (b) the flights worked out cheapest, and (c) I have a mate in Auckland, who did a fantastic job showing me his city. And of course, NZ has an excellent reputation when it comes to wining and dining no matter which city you visit. As such, I thought it would be fun to do a miniseries of blog posts to share some of my musings and dining thoughts from my journey. To whet your appetite, here's my favourite photo from my trip:
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| The view from Devonport towards Auckland CBD |
Our weekend of flat-out eating actually commenced before we even boarded our mid-morning flight, with a breakfast stop at the Air New Zealand Lounge at Melbourne Airport (my Gold status on the Star Alliance airline network gets us into these lounges). Unlimited free food and alcohol are always welcome by me ;-) but I really do like Air NZ's lounge product - slick yet homely decor, generous food offerings, and best of all, self-serve fridges full of quality NZ and international beers, wines and ciders.
After a good night's rest at our lovely hotel, the Pullman Auckland, in the morning we went for a bit of a wander in Parnell - Auckland's "creative" district.
We started with a pot of Harney & Sons tea, high quality leaves which we'd last encountered at our hotel in New York. For savouries, my mum went for a baguette and picked the salmon filling. Big tick of approval for the beautifully baked baguette and equally fantastic cut of salmon, says mum - and look how meticulously it was presented.
As for me, ever the pasta fiend, I chose this fantastic pasta salad with a hint of everything, from greens and capsicum to apple pieces. I literally felt refreshed by its flavours and texture, which were a far cry from some of the oily messes of "salads" which I've been served at other places before. Oh and, I'm a big fan of fundamentally savoury salads which successfully incorporate a hint of fruit.
First up for dessert was a mouth-watering matcha (green tea)-chocolate cake. I'm pretty obsessed with green tea-flavoured things, but just because something is green tea-flavoured doesn't necessarily mean it will automatically impress me - I recently threw out half of a green tea-red bean crepe which I bought at Harajuku Crepes in Melbourne Central because it was of such poor quality that my stomach and taste buds couldn't handle finishing it. No such problems here; Vaniyé's take on French-Japanese fusion baking ticked every box for me and fell soundly into the "REALLY GREAT green tea-flavoured things I've tried" category. The matcha mousse dome was silky smooth and just the right level of airiness.
We wrapped up our meal in style by sampling Vaniyé's macarons, which I can highly recommended. Their gorgeous texture is highlighted by the wicked flavours on offer - gooseberry and blueberry-pomegranate were my picks of the day, and boy did they deliver. These flavours were real and high quality, not fake or chemical-tasting. The flavour roster also included salted caramel, green tea praliné and chai latte, among others, but my belly was out of space by this stage...
It's easy to tell that everything at Vaniyé is done with love and thought, from the development stage to the cooking and baking, right through to the plating and presentation. Every item I tried was delicately made and very "clean" in taste and texture. This is a small place - it can be a bit of a wait to nab a seat - and every detail matters to the (super friendly) people running it. Vaniyé is one of those true suburban gems which I'd be frequenting with my friends if I lived in Auckland. You lucky, lucky Aucklanders!
First up for dessert was a mouth-watering matcha (green tea)-chocolate cake. I'm pretty obsessed with green tea-flavoured things, but just because something is green tea-flavoured doesn't necessarily mean it will automatically impress me - I recently threw out half of a green tea-red bean crepe which I bought at Harajuku Crepes in Melbourne Central because it was of such poor quality that my stomach and taste buds couldn't handle finishing it. No such problems here; Vaniyé's take on French-Japanese fusion baking ticked every box for me and fell soundly into the "REALLY GREAT green tea-flavoured things I've tried" category. The matcha mousse dome was silky smooth and just the right level of airiness.
We wrapped up our meal in style by sampling Vaniyé's macarons, which I can highly recommended. Their gorgeous texture is highlighted by the wicked flavours on offer - gooseberry and blueberry-pomegranate were my picks of the day, and boy did they deliver. These flavours were real and high quality, not fake or chemical-tasting. The flavour roster also included salted caramel, green tea praliné and chai latte, among others, but my belly was out of space by this stage...
It's easy to tell that everything at Vaniyé is done with love and thought, from the development stage to the cooking and baking, right through to the plating and presentation. Every item I tried was delicately made and very "clean" in taste and texture. This is a small place - it can be a bit of a wait to nab a seat - and every detail matters to the (super friendly) people running it. Vaniyé is one of those true suburban gems which I'd be frequenting with my friends if I lived in Auckland. You lucky, lucky Aucklanders!
Rating: A+
Vegetarian Friendliness: 8.5/10
Price Range: $$
Vaniyé
1/7 Windsor St
Parnell, Auckland
New Zealand 1052
(Ph): +64 9-307 0839
(W): www.vaniye.com
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Instagram: @joicejlau
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