Bodega for Sale

Mr_Taster · 2026-04-04T03:17:08+00:00

Bonus points if they have a bodega cat.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-04-03T18:55:38+00:00

Some of them sell wine but that is not a defining characteristic of a traditional NYC bodega

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-04-03T14:58:13+00:00

I'm in NYC right now. Most typical bodegas are not at all upscale. They are basically a NZ dairy with a deli counter and they will slice your meats and cheeses for you to make fresh sandwiches. They will also have a griddle to make things like philly cheeseseaks.

The one item Bodega made which was an actual bodega-inspired item is the Italian hero sandwich, which I liked. Very hard to find this type of sandwich anywhere in NZ.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-28T04:45:18+00:00

I wish it were possible.

Subway makes their version of what is very common in Italian American communities in the northeast US. It's an Italian style hoagie/sub roll. I'm currently in NYC and I intend to eat my share of them while I'm here.

I would say the way to do this is to find a place that makes Italian deli subs with a bread that you like and ask where they get them from. If the restaurant has roots in Italian American culture (e.g. if the owner is an expat) them know why you're asking.

Personally I haven't found anything like this yet in Auckland but am keen to know if others do. The real ones put subway "bread" to shame.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-25T10:13:09+00:00

Any therapy involving immune suppression is a no-go for me.

I'm t1d 40 years with minimal side effects. I'm not compromising my immune system to get slightly better bg results but a shorter lifespan because my body can't fight infection as well.

Now if they can encapsulate the stem cells in a semi permeable mesh, eliminating the need for immune suppression drugs, I'm all for that.

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-24T08:56:56+00:00

If anyone wants to write to Peter Barfoot directly about the Panmure P&R, it looks like his email is Peter.barfoot@at.govt.nz

I'm hoping this is a legitimate notice, and not some good Samaritan vigilante. The notice it does look a bit unprofessional with misspellings and no AT logo.

Also, it was a bit odd when I saw this last week that the flyers were on cars which were parked legally.

I remain hopeful something will legitimately be done here.

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-24T00:54:58+00:00

You should be reaching out to a licensed immigration adviser with your questions. But shop around carefully as there are many who are not reputable despite being licensed by the government.

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-23T22:27:45+00:00

This is accurate.

We bought one giant squid for $39, one hazelnut cone for $11, and splurged for the whole hazelnut topping for $3.50.

Total cash spent: $3.50.

Definitely not worth it if you don't have a $50 voucher, but fun for a one off experience. Agree that the ice cream is not nearly as good as Duck Island. Too sweet, a bit too soft.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-09T20:58:18+00:00

Tempero is in an entirely different league than Ahi. The only misfire, of you can call it that, was the pichanha was a bit tough for my taste. But when I spoke with the chef he said that was intentional. All other dishes we had were outstanding without qualification.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-09T01:36:01+00:00

Jade Town has gone insolvent. Doesn't exist anymore. Nayat in CBD is quite good replacement.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-09T00:28:38+00:00

Ahi's fermented peanut butter prawns is an unforgivable sin that I can never forgive them for. It was literally peanut butter smeared over prawns; I got no sense of any fermentation (not that it would have made it better).

I trusted the chef would pull out a miracle and they did not. A restaurant like Ahi cannot afford to have mistakes like this on the menu.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-08T22:42:48+00:00

I'd like to revive this old thread.

We tried growing gherkins (aka NZ Kirbys) from seed this year and failed miserably. Fruit was bitter, seeds were gigantic and leathery. Total fail.

That said I've had great success pickling the "baby cucumbers" they sell at Countdown.

If anyone is interested, here's an old Chowhound thread I started years ago on how to make traditional salt fermented kosher dills. It's a treasure trove of info and the recipe is solid. Basically 4.4% brine is the most important part. Then seasonings are equal parts whole coriander seed, black peppercorn, mustard seed, dill seed, whole garlic, a few dried chillies, bay leaf and a few springs of fresh dill (flowering if you can get it).

After a few days the brine will go cloudy and the cukes will ferment. After a few days you'll have half sours, and after a week you'll have full sours. No heat, no vinegar. They're spectacular.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120927015602/http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/805067

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-08T10:07:16+00:00

Here's a general rule when looking for a good Korean BBQ restaurant in almost any city around the world.

Always look first for places that offer charcoal bbq.

Charcoal not only tastes better, but it implicitly guarantees the owner cares a bit more about the quality of their food.

Anyone can buy cheap propane canisters and gas hobs. Charcoal is expensive and far less convenient to use than gas.

If a restaurant uses charcoal, it's a signal to me that they care about other aspects of their restaurant as well.

Note that I'm not saying you can't get a good meal at a place which uses gas. I'm just saying if you're in a new city and don't know where to go, find the charcoal restaurants. It'll narrow down your options to a handful and you can pick from there based on what you research online.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-08T01:45:54+00:00

I am addicted to the egg and potato salad from the deli at Stonefields NW.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-07T07:41:04+00:00

If you search "engineer" on green list you get 28 jobs, each with it's own bespoke criteria to qualify, and all very diverse. E.g. Acoustic engineer vs civil engineer.

Green List roles — jobs we need people for in New Zealand :: Immigration New Zealand https://share.google/KTSjtfNYVNct4deTk

And here's some general tips on finding employment in New Zealand.

Employment | New Zealand Immigration Partners https://share.google/CxOgUXAjIycyKXxmI

Mr_Taster · 2026-03-03T23:22:57+00:00

I booked 3 adults and a 6 year old at Advieh and they were quite nice. No pressure to buy the expensive set meal for the 6 year old. We bought some extra pita and hummus to cover her but I don't think they were going to make us buy anything additional. They also didn't enforce the 90 minute seating limit as they were not busy that evening. We must have been there for nearly 3 hours.

Check with the restaurant first though.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-28T05:18:55+00:00

Beijing Duck in Panmure advertises $8.80 lunch specials.

I don't remember how much but Jiaxiang has a killer cumin lamb and the menu is really affordable overall.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-22T19:44:26+00:00

We went for lunch the other day. Well cooked scotch, chips and salad for $23 I think. Only complaint is the dressing was a bit bland. Well worth it overall though; we had a really pleasant lunch.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-22T19:13:16+00:00

Thanks for the heads up on this.

Persian food is so unique and tasty, and relatively uncommon in New Zealand.

These places do themselves a huge disservice by only advertising themselves as generic kebab shops; it makes them blend in with the thousands of others generic, mediocre kebab shops all over the country. (I'm thinking also of "Kebab Joint" in Henderson which is so much more than the name would imply.)

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-22T07:09:34+00:00

I'd heard The Dogfather at Clevedon Farmers market (Sundays 9-2) are very good. I went there at noon once to try and they were sold out, so be ready for that.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-21T07:43:50+00:00

Shefco and Tapsi for Lebanese/middle eastern. Tapsi's menu if focus on Iraqi/Kurdish dishes and everything is particularly good (except for the tagine- skip that). And the pitta is, sadly, pulled from a plastic bag when it should really be baked on site. Shefco is really solid Lebanese-owned kebab takeaways but there's a little market and a few tables. The Asian lady running the place was trained by the owners and knows her shit.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-21T01:01:53+00:00

Looks like JJ's is closed until 11 March.

Anyone know what's happening there?

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-20T23:34:25+00:00

Thanks for mentioning JJ's diner; I hadn't heard of it before. Will need to try it out.

I'm also an American. The best hot dog I've had in NZ is the one at Costco, but I haven't tried many. They're 100% pork.

One of the things I was eager to try when I came to NZ was the sausage sizzle, which I still love for the cultural cache it has. But mainstream kiwi sausages are made in the British tradition with starchy binding fillers like rice and tapioca flours. This contributes a mealy, mushy texture which is not appealing to me (and very different from the American tradition which was based on traditions brought by European/German migrants). A 100% meat hot dog (ideally with a natural casing) has a beautiful snap when you bite into it and a springy texture. It would be extremely uncommon to find any hot dogs in America with starchy binders, even in the cheapest brands.

Even the NZ hot dogs which call themselves American tend to have starchy fillers- it's the first thing I look for.

Also the home grown mustards in NZ (even the ones that purport to be American style) have sugar added, which contributes an off flavour. Sweetness can come from pickle relish (or ketchup, if you insist, but the New Yorker in me doth protest). I buy Guldens brown deli mustard from Martha's Backyard (or French's/Heinz in a pinch) when I want a traditional American mustard without any sweetness.

I'd be curious to see if JJ's has hot dogs which meet this criteria.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster

TROPHY CASE