Auckland Diner's Diary: February 2016

Fabulous Food Trucks

• Wise Boys Burgers - tasty vegan burgers and beer battered fries
• The Rolling Pin - delicious dumplings with wrappers made by hand
• The Brûlée Bike - name pretty much says it all
• Late Night BJ's - Brooke and James serve up their favourites till 3am
• Mr Dog Frites - fusion hot dog cart
• Got Pasta - hand made pasta
• The Fab Truck - crepes and galettes
• [Added 23 July 2016: Mei Mei Food Store - Malaysian food market stall from two sisters] 

Captivating Cafes

• The Governor - cafe in Herne Bay where Zus and Zo used to be, with seasonal organic food, named after the former Governor-General of New Zealand, William Jervois
• Blind Basket - Takapuna cafe with ties to Dear Jervois and Major Sprout
• Hello Friends + Allies - cafe in Epsom from the former owners of Little Sister cafe, with references to the ANZACs
• NOTE Coffee & Eats - cafe which is part of Lewis Eady in Epsom
• French83 Cafe - Federal Street location has coffee and suits, with plans for a hairdresser/barber too!
• Atomic HQ Kingsland - these coffee roasters have upgraded to a slick modern space with table service  

Drinks & Bites

• Little Jimmy - laidback little brother to One Tree Grill in Epsom, showcasing NZ food and drink from small artisan producers (actually opened on 1 March)
• Pocket Bar & Kitchen - Grey Lynn local with a gabled glass roof, great cocktails, and a range of grazing dishes
• The Good Home Stanmore Bay - pub in the Whangaparoa Peninsula, presumably in the same family as the ones in Birkenhead, Howick (The Prospect), Hamilton and New Plymouth
• Dixie Browns - waterside restaurant from Taupo now has a branch in Devonport serving breakfast, lunch and dinner

Asian Eats

• Mulan - Southeast Asian cuisine in Birkenhead, from Malaysian chef James Balaksharian, former head chef of Takapuna's Madam Woo
• Madang - little Korean eatery on Wellesley Street, where the Middle East Cafe used to be
• Dumpling Box - container stall on Elliott Street, rebranded from BING&GO
• [Added 3 April 2016: Taiwan Snacks - dumplings, rice and noodle dishes, Chinese pancakes and milkshakes, from a little shop at the Sugartree Apartments]
• [Added 3 April 2016: Taksim - Turkish restaurant from a serial restaurateur has opened a second branch in Mairangi Bay]

Something Healthy

• Pintu - eatery in Ponsonby with a salad bar, sandwiches and breakfast items on the menu
• Paleo Cafe - NZ's first Paleo Cafe has opened in Westgate, with a gluten free and refined sugar free menu created by Pete Evans
• Jess' Underground Kitchen - wholesome fresh and frozen meals to take home, along with salads, pastries and more

[Added 2 April 2016:

Something Decadent

• Delish Cupcakes - this cupcake store now has a branch in the Chancery (as well as in Forrest Hill on the North Shore)]

]

Exciting Pop Ups

• The Cult Project - two young chefs who worked together at Matterhorn in Wellington then at Orphans Kitchen are offering a set three-course meal which changes each week for seven weeks, showcasing such passions as fermentation and sous vide cooking
• Jafa by Night - fine dining pop up at the Jafa Cafe, with the menu changing every two weeks, the result of a dentist's dream
• Queen's Wharf Village - container village on Queen's Wharf, with food vendors like The White Lady, to offer shoppers a retail hub for three years during the redevelopment of the Downtown Shopping Centre and the City Rail Link construction works
• Molenberg Sandwich Shop - pop up sandwich store with output from a sandwich design competition (Monday 14 March - Friday 22 April)

Coming 

Apart from places mentioned in previous posts:

• White and Wong's - Asian fusion restaurant at the Viaduct (4 March)
• Homestead - cafe in the Pah Homestead in Hillsborough, from the duo who brought us Ceremony (9 March)
• Madame Jojo's Foodstore - new branch opening in Parnell (June 2016)

• Al's Deli - Al's second store only opened late last year, but already there will be new purpose-built restaurant coming in the next few months

Events

• Pasifika Festival 2016 (12 - 13 March) - celebration of Pacific Island food and culture with 11 villages back at Western Springs
• International Cultural Festival (Sunday 20 March) - annual festival at the Mount Roskill War Memorial Park, with food from around the world
• Taste of Puketāpapa (30 March - 10 April) - a good excuse to sample a range of cuisines from "Auckland’s most ethnically diverse area"
• The Vegan Village Official Launch (Thursday 31 March) - a range of vegan vendors will be selling food and products at the New Lynn Night Market
• Japan Day 2016 (Sunday 10 April) - Japanese food and cultural festival at Queens Wharf
• Vegan Food Fair (Sunday 10 April) - vegan food, music and entertainment at the ASB Showgrounds
• Bake and Sweets Show (23 - 24 April) - event at the North Shore Events Centre, devoted to baking and the art of cake decorating
• Winetopia (20 - 21 May) - event for wine lovers at Shed 10
• Russian Days in Auckland (Saturday 11 June) - Russian dishes, dances and songs at Western Springs
• The Chocolate and Coffee Show (3 - 4 September) - weekend of indulgence at The Cloud