Goodness Gracious

Goodness Gracious opened a few months ago now; a small but perfect little bagel shop on an unlikely corner of New North Road. We popped in for lunch on Saturday, and despite not even being hungry (a rare event) I couldn't resist trying one of their now famous bagels. 

Allie went for The Kransky while Alice and I both chose The Vege Bagel. Again, an uncharacteristic decision but the temptation of fried haloumi had me sold.

The bagels were delicious, though I don't think they quite stood up against the mighty bagels at Best Ugly. In saying that, at Goodness Gracious they are very good and are served completely differently, so probably shouldn't be compared too closely.

It is the perfect place to stop in for a coffee too, though I bet if you go for coffee you'll walk out with a bagel!

Pinky's

Another burger joint has graced the streets of Auckland, slowly bringing to reality the possibility of eating a burger for every meal. Life. is. good.

This new burger heaven is called Pinky's, and it is a pop up menu within Tyler St Garage (which has pretty awesome food as it is!).

The girls and I visited Pinky's on a stormy weeknight, and we didn't hold back. There were burgers of every sort: beef and cheese, fish, chicken- you name it, we ordered it. I ordered the beef with double cheese and it was unbelievably good- perfectly cooked pink, dripping with cheese, and a pickle to top it off. I know I've been raving about a few burger joints lately, but so far this beauty has topped the list.

We didn't just stop at burgers though, and so onion skins, potato fries and kumara fries were jammed onto the table. They were all great, but the onion skins were outstanding, and the first to disappear.

Feeling not quite full enough (sarcasm), we strolled over to Milse, a perfect little dessert restaurant in a tiny nook in Britomart. The desserts at Milse are just as beautiful to eat as they are to look at, and we quickly satisfied our sweet tooth on the delicious treats.

For the burger-holics out there I know that the choices are overwhelming at the moment. But Pinky's has the big fat tick of approval from me, and it is seriously worth a visit.

Bluebells Cakery

Last weekend the girls and I jumped into the car and headed west to Bluebells Cakery. A tiny store, amongst a nondescript block of shops, Bluebells is the perfectly quaint cakery serving up treats to die for.

There are a few seats to enjoy your coffee and cupcake, and we quickly grabbed a table outside where we could gaze over the beautiful Bluebells cookbook.

After a few delicious supreme coffees, we all had some of the savoury sandwiches and rolls, followed up of course by a selection of sweet treats. We missed the famous salted caramel doughnuts this time, but made do with chocolate caramel slice and a doughnut on the side (which I thought was pretty clever).

If you're a city dweller like myself, heading out to Hillsborough for a slice of cake may seem like a tall order, but Bluebells is definitely worth the visit.

Rosie

On opening week, Georgia, Emma and I whisked ourselves over to Parnell on a sunny Saturday afternoon to try out the newest, coolest cafe in the 'burbs. Aptly named for it's position perched opposite the famous Rose Gardens, Rosie is a new venture from the Hip Group team who have given us Ortolana, Richmond Road Cafe, and Takapuna Beach Cafe, to name a few.

The cafe occupies the spot where Rosehip Cafe used to reside, and the transformation of the small space is genius. Light pours into the little cafe, with patrons spilling onto the footpath.

We tried the delicious beetroot and goats cheese salad, which tasted every bit as beautiful as it looked, along with the mouth watering spatchcock served on a bed of kale and spelt. Both dishes were outstanding, and the refined and balanced meal was a perfect late afternoon lunch.

Rosie is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and if the other Hip Group ventures are anything to go by I can only guess the breakfast menu would be a show stopper too. Whatever time you go, make sure you try some of the beautiful Milse desserts, which warrant a visit themselves.

The girls and I all loved Rosie, and agreed that it is breath of fresh air for a beloved, but sometimes forgotten corner of Parnell.

P.S. This story was initially commissioned for The Denizen. Check out the original here
 

Recipe: Pork Buns

For those of you who have tried the famous pork buns at The Blue Breeze Inn, you'll understand why I was overcome with an urge to recreate them at home. After all, what's better than a pork bun? UNLIMITED PORK BUNS.

Making the buns themselves isn't exactly a piece of cake, but if you follow this recipe closely you should be away laughing.

Ingredients:
Steamed buns (see here for recipe)
Pork belly
1 Tbsp 5 Spice powder
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Sushi vinegar
Spring onions
Coriander
Hoisin sauce
Crushed peanuts

The filling is where I start really enjoying myself though- succulent pork belly topped with crunchy peanuts and tangy pickled cucumber. Oh my.

Order of events:

1. Prepare the dough for the buns
2. Slice the cucumber thinly, and then soak in sushi vinegar for at least an hour
3. For the pork belly:
• Heat the over to fan grill 175C
• Score the skin
• Pour boiling water over skin (easiest done on a rack)
• Pat dry
• Rub 5 spice powder, along with salt and pepper on the underside of the belly
• Salt the skin
• Cook for about 50 minutes
• Turn the oven onto grill, and blast the skin for 5 - 10 minutes until it has a good layer of cracking
4. Prepare your condiments, and chop the spring onion and coriander
5. While the pork is resting, steam the buns 
6. As soon as the buns are cooked, pile them high with the hoisin, pork belly, cucumber, coriander, spring onion, and the crushed peanuts.

The last step is easiest of all: eat, eat, and eat some more.