Overview
The problem with dining in Auckland nowadays is that there are so many options to choose from that any indecisive individual is sent into a tailspin every time the opportunity to eat out arises. You've got a fine dining mecca on Waiheke, but it means braving the ferry over there and catching another one home again. You could opt for Ponsonby/Herne Bay's line up but it means either dressing to the nines or dressing so badly that you cross the line from unfashionable to fashionably unfashionable. The shore seems to be breeding new eateries if you're up for some bumper-to-bumper fun on your way over the bridge, or you can stay in the city, which is street-food savvy right now, and spend hours circling the block for a car park before finding one that costs your left kidney for an hour. Ah, the joys of eating out in Auckland. The good news is that once a year the good citizens this side of the Bombays are presented with the most magical gift. It's not Christmas, it's the annual Taste of Auckland culinary festival. And, here are the five most exciting features of this year's favourite foodie event.
The Food
No surprises here. The reason hundreds of foodies, Aucklanders and those from further afar, head to Western Springs once a year is not so much to do with the proximity of Auckland Zoo or the myriad plant species surrounding the park as it is to do with the promise of finding bespoke menu items created by the masterminds behind our favourite restaurants in Auckland. This year you'll find Depot Eatery and Oyster Bar serving their famous Virgin Oyster Shooters that are a perennial crowd favourite, as well as Italian eatery Farina who took out Best Dish last year. If that doesn't fix your Italian cravings, Non-Solo will also be serving up some authentic cuisine this year, and Miss Moonshine's is back with an oath to serve us wood-smoked meat. Everyone's favourite Japanese fusion restaurant, Kazuya, is in the lineup, along with seafood-centred FISH, Maldito Mendez, which is planning to use us as guinea pigs for its summer menu release, and, last but not least, Bracu will be heading up from the south to show us townies how it's done.
Gourmet Hangi
Why this has never happened before I have no idea. Of course Taste of Auckland should have a gourmet hangi. For the first time, each lunch and dinner session will see a different chef or team cooking up their own take on what a hangi should be. Watch as culinary connoisseurs step our of their high-tech kitchens and use the ground as their oven, practising traditional hangi cooking techniques to produce the fanciest Maori-inspired feast you ever did see. Catch Makoto Tokuyama from Coccoro giving it a go on Friday at lunchtime for an Asian spin on the traditional meal, or see Tu Fearn from Harbourside throwing some seafood into the mix on Saturday arvo.
Producers Market
If you forgot Christmas was a thing or feel like the '-ber' months all blended together this year, leaving you little to no time to suss gifts for your loved ones, have no fear. The TSB Bank Producers Market is an ideal opportunity to fill some hamper baskets that will have your family electing you as 'Relative of the Year'. From Echo Valley Olive Oil, Relish The Thought, Macarons.co.nz, Tahi Honey and The Hungarian Artisan, pick up products straight from local producers and save yourself from that Christmas Eve shopping mall bedlam.
Brew Street
What is a food festival without some brews to cleanse the palate? Let your stomach settle and head over to Brew Street to find a line up of craft brewers gathered under one roof, where you can meet the brewers, learn about the industry and taste each brewer's favourite blend. On show this year will be: Good George, Liberty Brewing, Sweat Shop Brew House, Renaissance, Hawke’s Bay Brewing Co, Paynter’s Cider and Croucher Brewing. If you're more of a wine-o, Babich Wines are celebrating 100 years of family winemaking in New Zealand, and holding casual masterclasses throughout the event, showcasing a range of their most loved award-winning wines.
Food Photography Workshop
Because you should always make time to up your 'gram game, the Canon Food Photography Studio is popping up at Taste, run by food photography legend Lottie Hedley, known for snapping the shots shown in The Great New Zealand Cookbook and Little Bird's The Unbakery recipe book. A dozen sessions are scattered throughout the festival, so take your pick. You need not bring a camera, Canon will provide everything you need for the lesson including lenses and cameras, and, you know, knowledge beyond the effects of Insta filters.
Taste of Auckland is taking place at Western Springs Park from November 5 – 8.