A taste of Auckland

Taste of Auckland. What better way could we find to challenge hospo baby’s taste buds; some of Auckland’s best restaurants all under one roof. We started our expedition at Victoria Park with Toto. Their crispy pork in a bun was the perfect start to a great Sunday lunch.  Next we headed to their sister restaurant Poderi Crisci and Antonio, my husband’s former boss gave Zoya some organic mozzarella to try. Hospo baby struggled with the texture of the buffalo mozzarella. I guess some tastes will come with age. However, she devoured the duck cannelloni on offer, pulling out bits of shredded duck from the pasta.

Clooney and Kermadec fine were the next stops on our list. Hospo baby nibbled through Clooney’s offering of Razor back pig belly with apple, celery and faro. The taste of the pecan brulee with Pedro Xeminez was somewhat lost on our little eater. Zoya quite liked the fern curd, blackberry and malt soil that accompanied the wild deer served by Kermadec.

We are avid fans of Mexico and Molten and hospobaby has already been to the restaurants several times. Mexico’s fried chicken is by far the best of its kind and I was only too happy to not have to share it with Zoya as it is on the spicier side. Mandy Lusk greeted us at Vivace and quickly put a piece of flatbread into Zoya’s hands while we waited for their spicy Morrocan lamb and eggplant ragu. It was so moreish, that we would have gladly gone back for seconds.

Violet and Valrhona

Mine!

 But alas! Dessert has a special place in everyone’s tummy. Hospo baby has a very sweet tooth that is especially partial to chocolate. Nick Honeyman from The Common’s is a genius when it comes to dessert. Hospo baby’s favourite dish of the festival was Nick’s Violet and Valrohna: Valrohna chocolate delice, almond sandcastle, violet ice cream and violet meringue shard. Sid and I could not get a bite to ourselves and were told a strict “no mine” when we tried. Most toddlers are possessive about their toys ours is possessive about her food.

Our left over money was used to buy Collective dairy’s beautiful yogurts and some Ceres organic juice. Taste was not just a great way for us to expose hospo baby to different cuisine but also to celebrate being part of the wonderful hospitality industry in Auckland. We are so grateful that our little one can grow up and experience being part of an industry that is so welcoming and passionate.