The Hungry Bunny

Opened barely a few months ago earlier in the year, Sofitel So Auckland is the "new kid on the bloc". Just a street behind the Viaduct Harbour foreshore where the ferry terminal is, the neighbourhood is noticeably quieter than the Hilton. Which is the good thing. On the down side, the rooms in this newbie don't have the expansive vantage of the rooms in the Hilton. Taking over the structure previously run by the Westin group, the building originally housed the New Zealand Reserve Bank. Which probably explains why the hotel is so "inward-looking", and not many of its rooms have sea views. Most overlook the internal water feature, which is meh, or have city views, which is so blah. By virtue of it being the newest hotel in Auckland, the Sofitel So is currently the prettiest. And also by default, the most luxurious. The French aesthetic is evident immediately when you walk through the lobby. Swathed in shades of taupe, rich jewel tones and dark wood, the ho...

We'd also heard about Little & Friday , a confectionery-cafe churning out the most delectable baked goods. The good: they make beautifully scrumptious pastries and sweets. The bad: they only offer 1 type of pie per day, in limited quantities, which sells out within minutes. We got to their Newmarket branch half an hour after they put out their pies, and were left with just 2 lonely little sausage rolls, which the staff had to rustle from the back kitchen. Of course we snapped up them all up.  The shortcrust pastry of the Sausage Roll (NZ$9 each) was fantastic, but the filling of minced free-range organic pork laced with parmesan, tomato relish, and fresh garden herbs, unfortunately included a bit of parsley, which wasn't enough to make me hurl, but enough to have it fall short of my list of must-tries. I think, a few of my parsley-loving friends like Izzy and Vin and Ms Smarty-Pants would absolutely adore this. The cafe front. It's a chic space swathed in white a...

Auckland may, imho, be New Zealand's most boring city, but it appears to harbour an extraordinary number of the most incredible restaurants. I think, gastronomically speaking, Auckland is top dog in all of New Zealand. We had a wonderful induction to New Zealand cuisine at The Grove , but that was surpassed by the sublime Clooney . Tempering innovative haute cuisine with comforting flavours, Clooney distinguishes itself from other molecular gastronomy outfits with a uniquely heartwarming appeal. It's like the restaurant takes you out of your comfort zone, but then puts you in another comfort zone that's wholly unexpected. And while the flavour compositions are, at first blush, novel and unfamiliar, it quickly becomes familiar in a way that we found ourselves asking how no one ever thought to put them all together before. It's been a while since we had fine dining like this, and it's mind-blowingly exciting and we were absolutely enthralled. The chef's Japan...

No visit to Oz or NZ is complete without a serving of pie. It's the one food we crave when we think about either country. It features as one of our favourite comfort foods, so much so that it's become a mission of sorts to hunt down the best pies in whichever antipodean city we visit. And I think we've found the best pies in all of Auckland. The brainchild of a Cambodian immigrant who's found his second home in Auckland for 15 years now, Whenuapai Bakehouse & Cafe (pronounced "fenuapai" because the Kiwis pronounce the "wh" sound like an "f") serves up a gamut of pies, spanning the traditional like steak and mince to the more hipster ones like chicken, cranberry & camembert. The baker-owner, who still helms the deck in his intrepid little cafe, really knows his pies. And clearly the locals agree: Whenuapai Bakery was awarded the coveted gold at the Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards.  My personal favourites are the Mince (...

Auckland is, to us, simply a port in which to enter the North Island of New Zealand. We hardly ever spend any time in the city, as we're frequently driving off to its more scenic surrounds. But, because the only SQ flight out of Auckland back to SG is at 12noon, we usually opt to stay overnight in Auckland the day before our flight just so we wouldn't have to drive 4 hours, blurry-eyed, in the wee hours of the morning just to check in at the airport at 10am. So, when we're in Auckland, we usually stay in the Viaduct Harbour, which is only a 7-minute walk to the ferry terminal where we hop onto the ferry over to Waiheke Island. Also, the area offers the most impressive views in Auckland, with most hotel rooms boasting a breathtaking panorama to the surrounding Waiheke or Rototua islands. We stayed at the Hilton Auckland , even though, to be honest, we're not big fans of the Hilton brand. We think they're overpriced and underwhelming. Like Paris Hilton. And while ...

The Sugar Club is frequently touted as a tourist must-visit in Auckland. Perched at the top of the Sky Tower landmark, it's perhaps the prettiest restaurant in all of Auckland. But, I'd say that The Sugar Club is one of those once-and-done places. And if you're scared of heights, don't even bother visiting this skyscraper spot. Save for its spectacular, expansive view of the Auckland plains, and low-lit romantic setting, the food at The Sugar Club was pedestrian and entirely forgettable. The saving grace: price points were wallet-friendly:  2-course dinner cost (NZ$70), and while the wines weren't the cheapest I'd seen in NZ, it was surprisingly reasonable for an upscale place like this.  The amuse bouche of raw kingfish cubes was given a refreshing lift with fresh mint, radish, green apples, and a lively citrus puree. The sweetness of the Grilled Nelson Scallops was contrasted against tamarind chilli caramel, sweetcorn puree, peppery freekeh, and ea...

Celebrated chef Al Brown is probably New Zealand's most prolific culinary ambassador. A multi-hyphenate cookbook author, tv star, and restaurateur, Depot Eatery & Oyster Bar was his first solo venture after founding Wellington icon, the fine-dining Logan Brown. The buzzy, casual eatery, located at the foot of the Sky Tower landmark, is also next-door neighbour to Federal Delicatessen, another concept under the Al Brown empire of eateries. Despite the no-reservations policy, at the full-house of a bistro, turnover was high and we didn't have to wait very long for a couple of seats to open up at the counter. Depot's approach to food is easy-going, crowd-friendly and communal, so plates are hearty and rustic, with lots to go around for sharing. A must-try, the Wood Roasted Free-Range Chicken (NZ$32) was succulent and flavoursome. The smoky char of the marinade set off beautifully against the spice of the Israeli cous cous and grilled aubergine, and cooled by the t...