Cha chow down: A food comic about Courtenay Place’s cosiest cave
In the first in a series of Wellington-focused food comics, Liliana Mañetto Quick illustrates why she loves Cha, a haven of calm on Courtenay Place.
Chinese food
Why we eat mooncakes today, and how to make them yourself
Mooncakes are a traditional rich pastry eaten for the Mid-Autumn festival in East-Asian communities. Sherry Zhang shares a few recipes for mooncakes from her friends and family. October 1st is the Mid-Autumn festival for the East-Asian community and, like many harvest festivals around the world, it’s about having a big ol’ feast with your family. … Read more
Why I love: Mr Hao’s spicy chicken wings
On a Saturday night on Dominion Road, Sonya Wilson discovered a dish so gastronomically monumental it can only be described as life-changing. I’ve never been someone who knows how to wax lyrical about food. I love food, more than I love fitting into my jeans, but I’ve never slung around words like provenance or piquancy, … Read more
In defence of tofu, the maligned culinary chameleon
Jean Teng has had a lifetime of people telling her they despise tofu, when really they just don’t know what to do with it – or it’s been cooked for them by someone similarly clueless. While everyone else was breaking their back kneading for crusty sourdough during lockdown, all I wanted to do was make … Read more
How a global pandemic has impacted a single strip of Dominion Road
Tourism and hospitality industries are buckling under the weight of the Covid-19 response. With the government set to announce a relief package, small businesses on Auckland’s Dominion Road describe just how needed it is. At a small travel brokerage on Dominion Road, five or six staff members sit at their desks taking calls. The phone … Read more
Auckland restaurants struggling as coronavirus fears keep diners away
The cancellation of this weekend’s Lantern Festival isn’t the only knock-on effect from the novel coronavirus outbreak to reach Auckland, with the city’s Chinese restaurants reporting a decline in custom. The ban on inbound travel from China combined with overly cautious local diners avoiding their establishments has hit Auckland Chinese restaurateurs hard, with some even … Read more
Recipe: Five-spice pork shoulder with crispy skin (and a cultural journey)
Simon Day learns about the history and power of Chinese five-spice. Both the origins of Chinese five-spice and the flavour itself are a little mysterious. My internet investigations revealed the powder’s name could be in reference to the use of five spices (although this often grows to six or seven), or it could refer to … Read more
Why I love: Gogo Music Cafe
Introducing our new series “Why I love”, where friends of The Spinoff share their favourite eating and drinking establishments. First up, Business is Boring host Simon Pound introduces one of his happy places, Gogo Music Cafe in Balmoral, Auckland. I don’t like to exaggerate, but I have been known to say that Gogo Music Cafe … Read more