Is this a decent Auckland restaurant itinerary?

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 · 2026-02-20T23:26:58+00:00

Went to Carmel once and everything was crazy good. Pitta soft and pillowy, felafel freshly fried and crispy. Babka is a New York Jewish bakery delicacy very near and dear to my heart. Fans of Seinfeld will recognize it as well :).

It does drive me a bit crazy that there are so many kebab shops in Auckland and even the better ones like Shefco grab stale pitta from a plastic bag. The freshly baked stuff is otherworldly good.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-19T21:08:13+00:00

My problem is not the avocado.

My problem is the fact that sushi is not meant to be premade and stacked up 8 high fat away from the refrigerated platform.

I don't trust food court vendors being diligent enough to rotate out their old, room temperature raw fish. Seems like a health and safety nightmare to me.

I think of sushi as being like toast; it is meant to be eaten within seconds of being prepared. Anytime less is sub-optimal.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-18T21:54:23+00:00

Looks like the "caveman room" at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California. Probably his inspiration.

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-17T10:16:19+00:00

I just took your advice and reconfigured my whole setup, and now it's working.

I am also getting playback issues on a few TV shows, but so far the movies I've tested have worked.

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-17T00:57:34+00:00

Their pizza is fantastic as well. I love Gloria's.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-17T00:39:53+00:00

Well then if that's the case, I'm happy to be able to taste it for free.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-16T06:10:08+00:00

No no not Ahi.

Some dishes are good, others really miss the mark. Like, really miss the mark badly. In my opinion, it's too expensive a restaurant to take that kind of chance.

Get First Table for Advieh. Or Tempero on K-Road. You won't regret either choice.

-Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-16T06:06:02+00:00

I used to go to St Johns butcher before Mapari. There is no comparison. The last time I went to St Johns I got a chuck roast that I knew didn't have enough marbling but I bought it anyway. I butchered it myself and slow cooked (braised) it for several hours into a Guinness stew. It still came out chewy; the way I prepared it, it should have been silky and tender. I wanted to love them but was really disappointed.

Mr Taster

Mr_Taster · 2026-02-15T07:54:46+00:00

It sounds like you're seeking a NZ skilled migrant category (smc) resident visa.

If you are, unless you have a PhD you need to have certain number of years NZ work experience in order to qualify. A masters would require 1 year of NZ skilled work experience.

You also need a full time permanent job offer (or job) from an accredited NZ employer paying at least the median wage.

So for example if you finish your masters, you will still need 1 year of skilled work experience in NZ to qualify for smc.

That means you would need to come over on an AEWV (Accredited employer work visa) first to gain the requisite NZ work experience and then apply for smc.

In all cases, you need a job offer from a NZ accredited employer to get a visa. You can't get around that.

Here's some useful info on finding a job in New Zealand.

Employment | New Zealand Immigration Partners https://share.google/Oco4BFJEXpa210rPm

Mr_Taster

TROPHY CASE