It’s been a wee while between posts…

My birthday falls, as it does every year, in June.

This year, rather than take myself out of Auckland to spend time in Raglan or Taupo, it was decided to stay in town, and return some money to the local hospitality industry. Not paying for accomodation allows for indulging in more restaurants than usual.

I figured it would be interesting to make a note of the experiences had.

As I’m slightly OCD, I’ve created a list of Auckland restaurants to visit – it’s an amalgam of a couple of Metro Top 50 lists, plus others I’ve added. I also have a list of Auckland Iconic Eats and dishes I’m working through. And I am compelled to tick off all the things! (I recommend Evernote as the means to record such things).

First up, Amano.
I’ve eaten here before, but in a bit of a rush before a concert. So this visit was a chance to relax into the vibe. And that’s what Amano has. It’s a fabulous venue, the interior design is fabulous. The staff are fabulous.. The ambience of a full restaurant humming with happy diners is palpable. And the food was great. I walked home happy.

Onslow was next. I’ve been wanting to eat at this Josh Emmett restaurant for ages. It was my choice for my actual birthday day. I wanted it to be amazing. We arrived with much anticipation. First impression, nice setup. The staff were outstanding (and got a tip because of their outstanding-ness). It was busy when we arrived. A number of boisterous work groups clearly celebrating successes of the day (Side note: it’s so great to see people winning and then celebrating the wins). This unfortunately is kinda when the wheels started to fall off for me. We were seated in a corner of the restaurant where it felt like all the ambient noise, conversations, and music was directed to. The tiled floors and tiles walls ensured that sound levels were bad. I spent the most frustrating 90 minutes of my life trying to converse and utterly failing. The food was ok, but with the exception of the salmon trolley and the team member presenting it, there’s nothing I can really recall from the meal. No standouts. Sadly, I can’t recommend Onslow and won’t be returning. I hope Josh’s new restaurant is better.

A few days later and for something a little different, we went to the Trip Advisor-rated Sri Pinang on K’Rd. This is an old-school, utterly authentic, Malaysian restaurant. It’s not pretentious. It just delivers fabulous food. Coming off my Onslow experience, the meal at Sri Pinang was just perfect. Simple and appropriate ambience, conversation-capable seating and wonderful flavours that lingered for days. I definitely recommend this place.

Kingi rounded off the birthday restaurants. I’d heard mixed reviews of this Hotel Britomart-located destination. First impressions, I loved the fitout. The decor is really interesting and appealing. Again, the staff were welcoming and very interested. Kingi is a seafood restaurant and I loved everything about it and the food I tried. I will definitely be returning.

I’d also like to add Kol to this blog. This was visited after the birthday explorations, and it deserves a special mention. It’s Sid and Chand Sahrawat’s latest venture and it doesn’t disappoint. Balanced dishes, interesting flavours and fantastic presentation. The restaurant itself is tasteful and the staff are great. Interested and enthusiastic about their diners and their food. Loved it. Would love to return and try the rest of the menu.

I’ve deliberately not mentioned the dishes I tasted. I’ll leave those for you to discover and to experience.

And someone mentioned Restaurant Month is coming up… good times! Shall we, Anna?

^SJD