Spring has sprung, and with it comes delicious new seasonal ingredients! Whether you want to have a sit-down lunch or are looking for something to grab & go, we've pulled out some picks of dishes to enjoy this season in the city centre.
Billypot | Hot Pot mussels $12 | 22 Jellicoe Street
Across the board, the Auckland Fish Markets creates simple, stunning fare that heroes our world-class seafood. Billypot is a great example of this philosophy, taking the freshest mussels and serving them with your pick of tomato and herb, white wine and coconut curry sauce.
Hello Mister | Baby or Madam Mi, $7.50 - $12 | 100 Halsey Street
Come lunchtime, there’s always a queue at Hello Mister and if you’ve taken a bite of their bánh mì (pronounced bun mee), you already know why. Speedy sandwich-making aside, this is a healthy lunch packed full of flavour. It comes in two sizes - Baby for when you’re feeling peckish, Madam for a heartier bite. Each bánh mì comes filled with pork pate, cucumber, pickled carrots, coriander, spring onions and mayo, and you choose your protein - lemon grass chicken, braised pork, crispy pork, lemon grass beef, tofu.
Taco Medic | Handcrafted tacos, $8 each | 188 Quay Street
Taco Medic is your one-stop shop for all your taco cravings. All corn tortillas are handmade every morning, and filled with local, fresh and tasty ingredients from land to sea, plus, they're 100% gluten-free! Not sure how many tacos to order? For a light meal, two is ideal, for a decent meal, go for three and if you're looking for full satisfaction, four is the magic number! Our current top three flavours are the Al Pastor (pork), Bajaman (fried fish), and the Producer (black beans & kumara).
Swings Cafe | Korean Toasties, $13 - $17 | 18 Kitchener Street
Forget what you know about toasties, Swings take them up a notch packed full of delicious ingredients and layered with sauces for maximum flavour! The toastie pictured above is the Rocker, filled with egg, mozzarella, condensed milk and gochujang sauce ($13).
Goodlife Super Food Co. | Smoothie Bowl, $15 - $17 | 47 Fort Street
Mid-day sweet tooth kicking in? Grab a smoothie bowl from Good Life! Right now, we're loving the green bowl which packs a punch with nutritious ingredients like spirulina, fresh avocado, spinach, pineapple, mango & coconut water, then topped with fresh kiwifruit, chia seeds, almond flakes and freeze-dried raspberries.
Milenta | Chatham Island Blue Cod $36 | Victoria Park Markets, 210-218
Bringing you South American flavours and traditions, Milenta has an ever changing menu, with all dishes made over coals in an outdoor kitchen from the freshest suppliers in Aotearoa. Our current favourite has to be the Chatham Island Blue Cod in banana leaf, banana & amarillo curry.
DeBretts Kitchen | Rosemary Rubbed Lamb Rump $29 | 3B O'Connell Street
Enjoy elegant, creative dishes made from seasonal and local produce at DeBretts Kitchen. It is hard to choose a favourite from their menu but we keep coming back for the rosemary rubbed lamb rump, served with artichokes, seasonal vegetables, salsa verde and mint labneh.
Alma | Pork Pinchitos $32 | Corner of Gore & Tyler Street
There’s something deeply comforting about all of alma’s dishes, Their low and slow approach to cooking means they all taste amazing, but we reckon their pork pinchitos with pear and cocoa are always a hit for the whole table, followed by the Bay flan for dessert.
Hello Beasty | Spicy Sichuan Noodles $38 | 95-97 Customs Street West
A waterfront favourite, the Hello Beasty menu offers a contemporary fusion of Japanese, Korean and Chinese cuisine. This is a perfect place for sharing menus and to experience bold, clean flavours; next time you are looking for a lunch spot get their spicy sichuan noodles.
Federal Delicatessen | Toasted Ruben sandwich $23.50 | 86 Federal Street
If you want to pretend you’re in NYC without the airfare, slide into a booth at the ‘Fed. They’ve got bottomless cups of Joe and made to order sandwiches that always hit the mark. We’re a fan of the toasted reuben with pastrami on rye, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, mustard & Russian dressing for lunch. (McClures pickles on the side make it even better!).