The Candy Shop

Overview

Newmarket's latest opening The Candy Shop has all the markers of great success: it's owned by three hospitality maestros, has a coffee machine "made for coffee lovers" and is built around the idea of treating yourself.

Found down Osborne Lane in Newmarket, the all-day eatery is the work of David Lee (Major Sprout, Simon & Lee and ex-Dear Jervois), Woo Hyung Lee (Camper Coffee) and Tom Hong (Geeks On Sainsbury). The playful title comes not from an affinity towards candy shop loving rapper, 50 Cent, but in reference to where diners can go the full nine yards and indulge in guilty offerings. And rather than a space lined with sugary sweets, the trio has created the opening to showcase cuisine under the banner, "Kiwi food with a twist".

With that open brief you can expect a diverse menu across breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu comes split between smaller and larger plates, and currently features everything from Korean fried chicken, which is a tried and true recipe borrowed from Parnell's Simon & Lee, beef cheek dumplings encased in an almost-samosa-style pastry, loaded fries with kimchi, bacon chips and cheese, fall-apart braised short rib with pineapple salsa and chili jam, and the Korean fried pancake "Hotteok" served with granola Nutella mousse and seasonal fruits.

At the helm of the kitchen is a culinary team with roots in Baduzzi, Woodpecker Hill and Major Sprout, so you can expect a high quality plated experience. With the Italian crafted Sanremo Opera coffee machine "made for coffee lovers" and two-time New Zealand AeroPress Champion Woo Hyung Lee onboard as head barista, you can rest assured your coffee will be pristine. The team is also currently working own their own blend to complete the experience.

Elsewhere in the drinks department, you'll find wines from Mineral Wines and a concise beer list featuring Brothers and Garage Project — available all day. Cheshire Architects together with David Lee oversaw the interior to create a comfortable environment for chowing down. It's all cushy bench seating, neat lines, Scandinavian furnishings and pot plants. All that plus there's a pasta happy hour which kicks off from 4.30pm, weekdays.