Ladies Lunch at Soul Bar

Soul Bar deserves more than a few snaps on my phone, but I couldn't resist telling everyone about the Ladies @ Lunch deal on there at the moment. So, until I head back when the sun is shining with my camera in hand, here is a quick snapshot of yesterday's lunch at Soul.

In celebration of beautiful Allanah's birthday, a group of us from work braved the storm and headed down to the Viaduct to Soul Bar. An institution on Auckland's waterfront, Soul Bar has a reputation for great seafood, flowing Moet champagne, and being the place to be during the America's Cup (hmph...).

The ladies lunch deal is awesome, we ended up sharing the entrees, so each had a three course meal, a glass of wine, tea and coffee to finish for $29.50 each. Not bad! To make life easier I did some sweet menu copying and pasting below.

MENU
To start
Crushed avocado, jalapeno, warm jou jou bread

Main_Choice of
Skillet seared chicken, broccoli orzo salad, goats' feta, pistachio
OR
Ora King salmon fillet, citrus risotto + new season asparagus

Dessert
Salted caramel ice-cream, dark chocolate ganache and toffee popcorn

Espresso coffee or tea selection

WHEN:  Thursday September 5th to Sunday 6th October
TIME: 11am onwards
PRICE: $29.50 per person
STATUS: Bookings available

The meals were all surprisingly delicious for under $30, but the dessert - oh my the dessert was absolutely amazing (I may have eaten two servings of it).

The deal is on until the 6th of October, so before time runs out, round up your girls and make a booking. Chop chop!

Shaky Isles | Terrarium Kingsland

I usually prefer going out for lunch or dinner, but over the past few months I've found myself returning to Shaky Isles in Kingsland for breakfast over and over again. It does help that it's about a minutes stroll up the road from home, but in saying that, Kingsland is bursting with great cafes, yet it's Shaky Isles that has won my heart.

The menu is big, and full of surprises. From childhood reminiscent soft boiled eggs with soldiers to Huevos Rancheros, this menu will knock the pants off your Vogels and Marmite.

To kick off I chose the Acai Super Berry Smoothie, possibly one of the best smoothies I've ever had. No, not possibly, definitely the best. With a sharp tang from the yoghurt, the sweetness of the bananas, and sour berries, this match made in smoothie-heaven is definitely one to try.

James said his flat white was OK, but not fantastic. As a former coffee addict I know how a coffee can make or break your day, so maybe go for a smoothie (did I mention the berry one is good?), or else try their cold brew coffee if you're not willing to risk it.

On a better note, the food was, and always is fantastic. This time I chose the soft boiled eggs with bacon, while James went for a classic eggs benne on brioche, which he reckons is one of the best benedicts around (and I'd believe him because it's the only thing he ever orders).

After gobbling up the last bit of toast, and slurping down my smoothie, it was time to leave. I wasn't quite ready to go back home and do the washing (not at all procrastinating, of course) so I popped into a few of my favourite shops on the way home. I got a surprise heading to one of the stores, discovering that it had been transformed into a new shop named 'Terrarium' by some very talented ladies.

Terrarium is where Lisa from My Deer Fox and Georgia Jay have set up a workshop/retail store showcasing their beautiful handmade bags, bracelets and other amazing treats. The shop is still in the early stages, and they are hoping to get a few more creative types into the space, so it's definitely worth keeping an eye on. Most importantly though, the bags are absolutely beautiful, and while I reined myself in by not buying one, I ended up walking out with one of the gorgeous My Deer Fox bracelets which are made to custom order.

I may be biased, but Kingsland is pretty damn awesome, and with more and more places like Shaky Isles and Terrarium popping up, it's certainly worth a visit.

The Fairy Shop Cafe

All of us have a hidden 5 year old in us wanting to come out and play every now and then. When that time strikes me, I make a beeline for one of the most delightful places in Auckland; The Fairy Shop Cafe.

In an effort to blend in with the other patrons we tried to borrow a friend's child to take there, but sadly no one would lend us one. But, accompanied by a child or not, The Fairy Shop Cafe is a regular of mine, and the fairies (employees) don't bat an eye when a group of 20-somethings stop in for a shopping break tea.

Aside from the racks and racks of amazing costumes and trinkets, they have an adorable spread of sweet treats on offer to accompany your tea (or strawberry milk in the case of Alice and Hannah).

But, perhaps the best part is that you get your tea served by a life sized fairy- the girls working there must be the happiest people in Auckland!.

 

After finishing our drinks we wandered around the shop, resisting the temptation to buy pint sized dresses for children we do not have. And when it was time to resume being adults we sadly left the magical place, promising ourselves (and our inner 5-year olds) to return soon.

Clevedon Farmers Market

On Sunday I drove out to the wop wops to meet up with Mum, Humphrey and Julie at the Clevedon Village Farmers Market. Central Auckland is pretty spoilt for markets these days, but it's nice to venture out a bit further sometimes, and since the first time I visited the Clevedon Markets earlier this year I've been hooked.

As much as I love the busy, bustling markets in town, heading out to Clevedon is pretty special for the acres of picturesque farmland surrounding the markets- not to mention the amazing food on offer. 

There's a lot of your usual suspect market fare like fresh bread, cured meats, fresh produce, artisan sauces and all the rest, but unlike our inner city markets, most of the produce and products in Clevedon are sourced from the surrounding area. 

I was starving by the time we arrived, so headed straight for the Clevedon Cuisine stall for a bacon and egg bap. With a dollop of each of the sauces on offer, this was the perfect breakfast, and is my staple meal every time I go.

I also grabbed a couple of things to take home- a pot of bocconcini from the Clevedon Valley Buffalo Company and loaf of sourdough from Pukeko Bakery to accompany it. Not to mention the free range pork roast from Harmony Meats to take home for dinner that night. Sorted!

One thing I've noticed about the Clevedon Markets is their incredible value for money. Most of the hot food is only $5 a pop, and all of the other goodies on offer seemed pretty reasonable too. More bang for your buck! 

Because it was such good value, I decided I should probably have another meal. I was still  absolutely stuffed, but couldn't resist the delicious Pomodoro Soup with Spicy Meatballs. If you can spare the space I seriously recommend this soup, perfectly warming for a chilly spring day like last Sunday.

On our way out Julie and Mum grabbed a whole lot of plants to add to their gardens. They were looking much more sophisticated with their straw baskets and coffees than I was with pomodoro soup all over my face (it was worth it). 

So with laden baskets, a tired little Humphrey, and one very full stomach (mine) we were satisfied and ready to leave. Until next time Clevedon!