Late night dumplings at New Flavour Restaurant, Dominion Road

I often tell S how lucky we are to live in Auckland whenever we go food hunting at night. At 10pm on a Wednesday night, you are spoilt for choice if you live in Auckland. At least, our choices are not limited to Maccas, Wendy's, kebabs and greasy pies from a petrol station.

We have walked past New Flavour on numerous occasions but have only tried it's food recently. We were often put off by the crowd but that's a good sign isn't it? This place is a real gem and you can tell words had spreaded like wildfire. About 6-12 months ago, you will only see mostly Asian people on this part of Dominion Rd but of late, it's transforming into a Ponsonby / K'rd 

All the dumplings here are handmade. We saw a woman making these by hand while we were waiting for our food. The menu is extensive, you can choose from a variety of meat and vegetable combinations i.e pork  & chives, lamb & fennel,etc, steamed, boiled, fried or combination of fried and steamed. We chose steamed pork and coriander dumplings. 20 morsels of these handmade goodies for only $8 ! They were delicious. Generous amount of pork meat and not just just fats with coriander, dipped in chilli oil and vinegar. The skin of the dumplings are really good too...NOT doughy and thick like some that we have come across.

Also on the menu are chinese pancakes. They come in sweet & savoury . We chose a savoury option - spring onion pancakes. 

These were stunningly good ! Thin and crispy and not greasy at all. Every bite is so light and the best surprise is they are only $1.50 per portion. Each portion are 6 pieces, enough for 2 to snack on while waiting for the dumplings. 

We also ordered a portion of cucumber and tofu salad and it was really good too. So light and refreshing. The tofu strips are not the usual soft cubes you get in Chinese restaurants, these resembles spaghetti and tossed with soy sauce, sesame oil and some chilli oil but not overly oily at all. 

If you are craving for dumplings after this post, the address is  541 Dominion Road, Mt Eden, ph 638-6880.

Opening hours are 5pm to 3am.

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A hearty vegetarian dinner from Revive Cafe !!

Whenever I try to be a vegetarian for a meal or two, I was always hesitant because the lack of options.
Often you can only opt for a carbo rich meal i.e  vegetarian lasagne that tastes like cheese on cardboards and
dodgy sandwiches with very little fibre. S and I try to have a few meat free meals a week because we think that it's good for us and eating less meat overall is probably a good thing for the environment.We went to Revive to take out 2 meals and 1 salad meal and then went for my short run in Cornwall Park before coming home without the stress of thinking what to make / buy for dinner.

I've recently bought a few $6 vouchers from Grab One and has been to Revive a few times to pack some dinners and I have to say that I really enjoy their food. Lots of veg, lentils and whole grains. I bought a hot pot of the day : Italian White Beans in a Romesco Sauce on Brown Rice which is Gluten Free too. I really enjoy the beans and sauce. I have only used white beans in salads and sometimes made into a dip but cooking it in a tomato base sauce is pretty good. I might cook mine with Barilla's Arabiata sauce for my pasta..yum!

Quinoa salad with broccoli. I never knew what to do with quinoa but making a salad with is so delicious and easy. Must try !

Moroccan Chickpeas (gluten free) and Fresh Vegetable Medley w Spinach, Carrot & Cauliflower . There was lots of food, no doubt but I don't mind refuelling my body with loads of goodness. Will definitely be getting more take-outs from Revive on weekdays. They different menu each day to keep the options interesting. Go to their website to view their latest updates: http://revive.co.nz/.  

p/s: I don't work for or benefit in anyway from them. Just an honest recommendation especially if you are vegetarian and lives in Auckland Central.

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Ombre Hair with Kevin Murphy Color Bug

I have been craving for something fun to do on my hair especially with summer coming up. But I have never been a fan of spending more than 5 mins on my hair in the morning when I can barely even get out of bed after

hitting the snooze button for the gazillionth time ! I found this photo on Pinterest and absolutely adore it. Recently found out that an Australian haircare hairdresser /company, Kevin Murphy that sells a temporary hair  call Color Bug that  you can DIY on the weekend and achieve pink/orange/purple hair and can be washed off easily to go back to work on Monday ! I have to get it soon! I am not really fond of pink hair but maybe orange? 

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Back in Action !

Sorry for the long absence. I have been so busy with work lately but that's not a good excuse I know.
Also, to top it off, I have so graciously-accidentally deleted some of my older posts. It was absolute horror. Sure I can re-post the blog but it's not the same. Thanks to a lot of dedicated geniuses out there who know how to retrieve silly mistakes like these. So in the case that you might have an unfortunate accident like this go
to this link for a life-saving tips: http://www.bloggertipsandtricks.com/2010/04/recover-accidentally-deleted-post-part.html. Thank you Peter @Enviroman.

I will be back soon with the next exciting post. Meanwhile, enjoy this short post about Fauja Singh who'd just competed in the Toronto Marathon at the young age of 100 !! Now there's no reason not to run ey ?

Ok, I need some tea to calm my nerves until the next post!

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Little & Friday Newmarket

If there is anything that had made my life sweeter (and waistline wider) recently, it has to be the
Little & Friday cafe on Melrose St, Newmarket. At first I was reluctant to share information of this little piece of gem to others but it will be known to all sooner or later so I might as well ..

The coffee is from Supreme Coffee...my favorite and the talented bakers here uses  free range and organic ingredients in their kitchen. Not to mention that the staff here are really friendly most of the time.

The tables were decorated with more goodies to entice you !  

      The pear tart is so delicious...the pear was just the right texture and the pastry was just so damn    good. After I've finished I just wanted another because it's just too awesome.

Lemon & coconut cake is one of their best sellers.

I also love their grilled haloumi cheese, tomato and leek pastry.

This is one of the rare cafes in Auckland that I think will make non Aucklanders jealous (I am just being sour grape of the cafes in Wellington) and wish they had one too. 

There's really nothing to complain about this place other than some selfish patrons who'd rather let their designer handbags sit on a chair than you (Grrrr!!) The coffees here are pretty great too and prices are around $5-$8 for their cakes which I think is a really good deal for the quality, taste and quirkiness.

Little & Friday
12 Melrose St.
Newmarket

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A whiff of Eritrea in Auckland

The very first time I had African food was during a trip to Vancouver and I fell in love with the flavour, texture and the smell of my fingers after the meal. I was hooked. Since I am back in Auckland, I kept googling and finally found an Eritrean lunch outing through a food tour organiser, Finding Flavours.

This is not just a lunch outing, we are going to be served a meal cooked by an Eritrean family and followed by a coffee ceremony. There were about a dozen other foodies on the day and we were warmly welcomed by Aklilu and his sisters Rahel and Tsehaines in their family home. The smell of the food was making me hungry.After an introduction to the family and Eritrean food and culture, the dishes were presented to us on a table and we were encouraged by the family to eat as much as we like.

The meal starts with injera, a flat bread made from fermented rice flour is the base of a meal much like rice or pasta. The fermentation process created the airy soft texture of the injera.

Derho is a chicken and hard-boiled eggs in curry. The chicken was so tender, it fell off the bones.It was not very spicy, just a little hint of chilli with a nice gingery aftertaste.

Zigni is a lamb curry cooked with the family made from scratch curry paste. Very good too.

Alicha : stir-fried carrots, beans, potatoes ,garlic and onion with spices. It was so delicious that I ate almost half the bowl. No kidding.

Ades is a spicy lentil dish that goes really well with the injera.

Our lovely foodie, oops! I mean guide Lynn from Finding Flavours

Tsehaines & Aklilu generously shared their food and culture with us

Aklilu presented us Hmbasa bread to go with the coffee. Popcorn was also served and it's a common practice to have it before coffee is served.

Freshly baked Hambasa bread to go with the aromatic coffee

Green coffee beans are roasted over charcoal fire by Rahel


The roasted coffee grinds are then transferred to be boiled

If only I can have this coffee every morning..strong but not overpowering with a nice cardamon flavour lingering in your mouth.

We've spent almost 3 hours in the family home and it was one of the warmest occasions that was motivated by food but continued by sharing some of the families' stories in a group of like-minded, well-traveled foodies. I personally think it's a true privilege to share an amazing meal cooked by the people who eat it everyday at home themselves. Nothing can get as authentic as this. The experience was really memorable and kudos to Lynn from Finding Flavours for organising such a special occasion and am looking forward for more to come.

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First race of the year

Just collected my race pack after work last night and going to rise up early tomorrow to run the half marathon with an unwilling knee. Up until last Friday, I was still very uncertain if I should do it because my knee was still in agony but I received a lot encouragement and will show up with the best spirit tomorrow and see how far I can go. On somedays I thought I won't make it but I did and hopefully tomorrow is one of them. Heck, if I really can't go on anymore I will just find the nearest cafe to have my cuppa and get S to pick me up.

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O.P.I No Room For The Blues

A little bit of nail polish talk to kick off August blogging! I got this as a gift for Christmas and loved this shade to bits. It's also one of the best O.P.I shade that I have come across. It goes on beautifully and won't chip for a good 3-4 days without top coat and that means a lot to me

because I cook and wash a fair bit during the week. Coincidentally, I also have a ukulele in almost

the same shade. How matching is that ?

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Mamak in Chancery Square Auckland

I have been longing for a 'Mamak' style restaurant in Auckland for so long and always envious of Sydneysiders for having a very good one. So when I found out from a friend there is one, I was excited and enthusiastic! Mamak refers to Indian Muslims in Malaysia and Mamak style cooking and eateries are very much a big part of the Malaysians' eating / leisure culture because of the convenience , taste and great bang for your buck. Mamak stalls are popular throughout the day and to many Malaysians, the day starts with a Roti Canai or Nasi Lemak washed down with Teh Tarik ( Malaysian Pulled Milk Tea). Roti Canai ( Flaky Bread) is the star of any given mamak stall.

Mamak Malaysian in Chancery Sq is the only establishment that make their own Roti Canai fresh everyday and not reheated frozen ones you get from Asian supermarkets. Sorry to burst your bubble if you think that all the Roti Canai you have been eating all these while is made fresh. Mamak is one of the very few Malaysian eateries that make fresh Roti Canai in their premise. Like all other food, nothing beats freshly made option. I cringe when I read food critics goes on and on about how different they are from one restaurant to another because they are all from the same manufacturer.

Our meal started with a compulsory order of roti canai served with curry chicken. The roti was crispy but moist and has a nice chew unlike frozen ones. The serving was generous too. Definitely worth coming here just for the roti canai. They have roti telur (egg roti) too but they were a little too generous with the eggs and made the bread a little heavy.

A good meal at a Mamak always include a good milo ais which without much guessing means Milo with ice. This is the best milo ais I have tasted in Auckland that's not from a bottle.One might ask "aren't Milo the same everywhere?" No. The Milo in Malaysia is more chocolatey .

Mamak Mee Goreng is tangy and superlicious. It reminds me of the great mee goreng from the Mercury Plaza many many years ago. Good balance of sambal chili and tomatoes. The noodles are nicely covered with gravy but not sticky and gooey. Absolute winner !

I find this sign above their kitchen door hillarious.

Once the wet winter season is over, I will be looking forward to going to Mamak and eat in the courtyard area. The owner is a jolly host this is as close as it gets if you want to have a taste of mamak style food in Auckland, not to mention that they are the only one making Roti Tissue!

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Sunday Brunch at La Cantine du Torchon Ponsonby

I don't know how I came across the idea of visiting this little gem in Ponsonby. It's one of those places that you have driven pass dozens of times but never took notice of and then one day you decide to give it a try and asks yourself afterwards " Why haven't I been here before?" Well, never too late I guess.

La Cantine du Torchon is owned by the same management of as Pastis and Torchon. Pastis is one of my favorite restaurants in town and I find both Torchon and La Cantine du Torchon really good as well.




I ordered a galette (buckwheat crepe) with mushrooms cooked in cream and herb. When the waiter brought the dish to our table, it smelled so good and when I took my first mouthful, I wasn't disappointed at all. It's really good. The crepe was light and there generous amount of mushrooms cooked beautifully in cream and herbs.



S ordered a galette with ratatouille and it was really good although upon seing my dish he'd lost interest in his choice. But to be fair, this dish is also very good.



I love the rustic decor in most restaurants especially if they are original not new furniture pretending to be older than their age.



The cafe has a garden courtyard and more dining space upstairs. Will definitely check out the courtyard in the warmer months.

Coffee is decent although I personally would prefer something stronger.

I have returned twice since my last visit and will continue to be a fan to this great little crepe cafe.

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Revel Cafe, K'rd

When my office was close to K'rd, I never paid much attention to the surroundings except to get my kebab fix from The Turkish Cafe, flat whites from the now defunct Brazil Cafe and sushis from nearby foodcourts. About two weeks back, I felt an urge to check out the new gems in this part of town especially attracted to the idea of going back to Revel for brunch. This place is a real gem for great honest food.

It's always so cosy in here, unlike some cookie cutter style cafes that has sprung up sporadically across Auckland. This place oozes character at every corner.

After staring at the menu board for a wee bit, I chose a vegetarian option of Huevos Rancheros (yes, almost everything hee comes in carnivorous,herbivourous and omnivorous options) which came with two free range sunnyside ups, sweet corn, chilli beans, cheese, salsa and a minty dip. The flavors are very sharp too. I down all these goodness with a good strong Supreme coffee. For $16.50, this meal is pretty good value for money because I struggled to finish all of it and was very full and went on without a dinner, no joke.



S, being the disciplined eater as always went for a homemade muesli. Revel serves the best muesli we've come across so fat. It's a huge portion with rhubarb compote, creamy yoghurt , honey and served in a coconut husk bowl. It had a generous amount of mixed nuts too. Very often when he orders a muesli, he gets just that and milk. On a few occassions, he was shocked that he was given only a small packet of muesli in a bowl and milk ! Revel's muesli has set a new standard of expectation and for only $10, it's a real deal.

After stuffing our faces full, we went for a stroll along K'rd and on the way back to the car, we came across a metal reclaim shop just around the corner from Revel which displayed some really cool larger than life 'models' made from car parts. According to the owner, these beasts weights about 500kg and requires an average 100 hours of assembling !


Last but not least, what a cool sign on a Sunday morning. Yup ! His almighty needs a rest too.

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