BACI , Rialto -Newmarket

Was craving for a brownie after dinner the other night. The weather was superb....warm and not windy at all. The thing about Auckland is that most cafes and shops are closed by 5pm or 6pm, leaving with little choice. There aren't a lot to begin with anyway.

So, to ease my craving for brownies without the prospect of getting one of those dry flakey ones from the supermarket, Baci was a clear choice for the location and also the opening hours.

I ordered a chocolate brownie, a mochaccino and S had apple walnut cake and a iced chocolate.
I like the Apple Walnut cake that S picked....it's pretty moist with generous amount of apples and walnuts but not too sweet either. I doubt that Baci made their own cakes....they probably bought it off somewhere. At NZ$ 6, it's rather steep but since they are the only one open at that hour....i should just count my blessing.
My brownies was great....but I think since my craving for it was so strong that I probably will agree with anything to looks like a chocolate brownie. Chocolate sauce is great but would have been better if they would have served it with vanilla ice-cream instead of whipped cream from a bottle. In Malaysia, most of the time when you order a cake they will garnish it with some fruit or chocolate sauce but I realise that here they give you whipped cream with every kind of cake. It was the same in Germany. When I was living there,they give you that every time, but that would cost an extra o.5 euro or more. Vielen Dank!

The drink was nice but unfortunately the picture didn't turn out well and I was a little impatient to drink it up.

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Indian Lamb Curry

Ever since I moved back to NZ last year, I am missing my dosage of Nasi Kandar from Kayu Nasi Kandar, Cheow Yang dearly. For some reason, I can't help but to believe that there's a certain truth that the cas-cas added into mamak food is some form of addictive like heroin. You keep wanting more and more....and you go back time and time again to feed your addiction.

Anyways, the thoughts of Nasi Kandar haunts and torture the living daylight out of me. The very thought of that nice blend of spices that cook the meat and rice makes me salivate incontrollably and the more I think of it, the louder I hear it calling my name. Therefore, I have no choice but to cook something similar but simplified to ease my pain.

I usually order lamb or beef curry with many other dishes like chicken,sotong (squid), fried egg,etc....but since I've been stripped of the luxury of having it as and when I wish, I have no choice but to cook a simplified version to curb my craving.

I bought some lamb shoulder chops, living in NZ, you are quite spoilt by the quality of lamb and beef as compared to Malaysia.Although the locals here know that the better lamb and beef are exported to the UK, but if you are willing to pay a couple more bucks buying from a good butchery or gourmet food store, you will get yourself very good meat. But even buying from the supermarket is not a bad choice a long as you pick a nice cut and they are fresh.

What I did was, adding some brinjals and lady fingers into my lamb curry....and then be very generous with my Baba's curry powder, star anise, ginger, cardamons, fennel powder, cumin powder, cinnamon and cloves. The lamb requires a short cooking time so cooking the whole dish requires less than 1 hour.

I also made some simplified version of Nasi Briyani with coconut milk, cloves and star anise. And to top it off with some poppadoms that I got from the Indian store.

The result?? Pretty decent meal for a Nasi Kandar amateur :) but at least it help in curbing my craving for a Nasi Kandar from Kayu Nasi Kandar which requires a 12 hours flight. Hmmm.....when is Kayu Nasi Kandar going to open a branch here in Auckland since they already opened in Melbourne, Brisbane and UK?? I hope you are reading this Mr Sirajuddin (MD of Kayu Nasi Kandar)!!! If you do, I volunteer to work for free !!!

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Zap 4

It has been a mystery for us of where do Thais go to get authentic good value Thai food in Auckland. One could easily spot a Thai eatery lacing the city of Auckland, most with stunning decor but pales in authenticity. Often, you find that Thai food in Auckland is on the sweet side and are only mostly available for fine dining.

So when my Thai friend recommended Zap 4 to me, I couldn't contain my excitement of finally having some well-deserved Thai food in a place where the food is cooked by Thais and eaten by Thais.

Wow!! Assured by the Royal Thai Goverment.......don't play play!!

Zap 4 is located on the dingy Commerce Street and not very appealing from the outside or if you have not heard about them. It looks like one of these forgotten food courts in the city with rows of rectangular canteen style tables and chairs and a counter where you order and pay your food.

Curry Puff with Sweet Chilli Sauce (NZ$ 7)

Our entree was the Curry Puffs .....it tastes like some frozen curry puffs you get in from the shops. The filling is a bit too sweet for my liking and I didn't enjoy it too much because I am very spoilt by the Karipaps at home with generous potatoes and curry chicken filling.

Pad Ped Beef (NZ$ 10)

The first dish that arrived was the Pad Ped Beef which is a spicy stir fried beef with phizom, green pepper seeds, bamboo and carrots. It the flavour is rather mild but gives more uummpph after you have swallowed it, that you get that tingle in your throat and tongue....it was very well cooked that none of the ingredient overshadowed the other...taking their turns to evoke your taste buds.

Curry Roasted Duck ( NZ$ 14)

I simply adore curries, and being a big fan of roast duck, this dish has won my attention amongst the long list of offerings at Zap 4. Unlike the version that I have tasted in another Thai restaurant that I went to couple of weeks ago, this one is a lot nicer because not

Pad Prik Grapoan (NZ$ 10)

My Thai friend ordered Pad Prik Grapoan; hot thai chilli stirfried with onion, basil and french beans. I personally think that this dish is the most interesting for the night. It may look like an ordinary stir fry but it packs more flavours than its looks. Would definitely go for it again during my next visit.

Chicken Nam Tok (NZ$ 10)

Nam Tok is a Northeast Thailand dish cooked with bbq meat with ground rice, chilli, lemon juice, spring onion and coriander. I have to say that this is the most ordinary dish of the night although it is rather good. Maybe because that I generally don't enjoy eating chicken breast that is why I didn't like this dish too much but I could imagine that if this would be pork or beef it would be much better just for the fact that these meats has more flavour than chicken breast. Perhaps, even if it was chicken thigh meat it would have been better.

I read in NZ Herald that there's a Zap 2 on Dominion Road. My Thai friends told me that they are the same as Zap 4, only with nicer decor for a proper sit down dinner. It's good to know because I am really looking forward to another trip for Thai food now that I have found something decent and not another cookie cutter Thai restaurants in Auckland serving overpriced food served by waitresses with ADHD.

Zap 4
6 Commerce St
Auckland City
10.30am to 9.00pm

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