Co-founder and director of McClure’s Pickles, Detroit-based Joe McClure recently toured across the motu with his Cook & Nelson distributor Nick Brown to judge the finalists in this year’s Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover. Anna King Shahab nabbed the prince of pickles for a quick rundown on how things went…

A few doors down from the intersection with Valley Road, Dominion Road’s Petaling runs like a well-oiled machine which is seriously impressive when you learn there’s only two people running the front of house, and four chefs in the kitchen who make a rather large volume of orders look like a cinch. The restaurant sits 50 up and 50 down and is very often full – booking is definitely a good idea if you don’t want to resort to takeaway, and the best way to enjoy what this Malaysian restaurant has to offer is absolutely by dining in, with a group if possible, so you can sample more than a few dishes from the very extensive menu boasting 150 items…

A beautiful thing to witness over the past decade or so has been both the diversification and specification of the dining scene along Dominion Road. Where once we had a good showing of simply Chinese restaurants, we now see outlets proudly specialising in fare from various regions and cities including Shanghai, Sichuan and Chongqing, Fujian, Guilin, Taiwanese, Xi’an, and Hunan, as well as Cantonese eateries flying the flag with roast duck and pork hanging up on display…

Rebecca (Bex) Smid and Dariush Lolaiy expanded on their second-generation restaurant Cazador a few years ago, opening Cazador delicatessen next door. A bustling daytime crowd is drawn to this section of Dominion Rd for the deli’s excellent coffee, sandwiches, pies, pastries, charcuterie, and its treasure trove of goodies filling every inch of shelf in the bijou space – including a colourful array of handsomely adorned tins of premium fish.

If we weren't a chef and restaurateur, Lesley Chandra might well be scoring on a different field. The owner of Ponsonby’s Sidart nearly pursued a career in rugby. As a winger he had to be nimble, clever, calm, persistent, and forward-thinking – and these are all qualities Lesley brings to the day-to-day running of his restaurant. Rugby was the dream for Lesley until…

Lillius is an oasis … It’s situated on one of the city’s busiest intersections, at the top of Khyber Pass, but the moment you slip through the door into the restaurant, the outside world appears to pause. The dining room is the perfect balance of plush and serene with its velvet booths, lush rich colour scheme…

When she turned to making hot cross buns to help see her business through the icy choke of Covid three years ago, self-taught baker Yael Shochat of Ima Cuisine sparked a city-wide frenzy for this seasonal baked good that has grown to fever pitch. 

We made our way behind the bar and into the kitchen at Huami, SkyCity’s signature Chinese restaurant and cocktail bar, and one of the most consistent and premium establishments in the city. As Huami’s restaurant manager Daisy put it to us, Huami isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a platform for culture…

Bon Kornwit and his partner Yok Rangsiwa opened Kiin in 2018 primarily as a way to give Yok’s father Somkiat Chatthai – a chef with decades of experience – his own kitchen to cook in. Bon’s family hails from Udon Thani and he grew up enjoying Isaan cuisine – this, along with Somkiat’s Central Thailand…

Lazy Susan has teamed up with Mt Cook Alpine Salmon. We love their products, approach to sustainable farming, and commitment to always be better, as they say ‘nature’s finest tasting salmon’ and the Lazy Susan test kitchen agrees. Here’s 3 recipes that deliver flavour with minimal effort… and no heat required…

A hospo couple have swapped city lights for suburban days, and more recently, nights. Jordan and Sarah McDonald’s eatery Duo in Birkenhead Point is growing a reputation for consistent fare that ticks boxes for diners seeking both classic cafe fare and something a little, or a lot, more interesting…

A young Auckland chef who proved to have a Midas touch with Chinese condiments shares his winning recipe for Crispy Pork Belly Noodles…

We’ve been tracking the process of KOL opening. The latest venture from Sid and Chand Sahrawat, KOL resides in a historic corner villa on Auckland’s Ponsonby Road. It boasts a cocktail-driven experience with cooking over fire at the heart of the affair, and Indian flavours and ingredients adeptly woven throughout…

Chef Jason Kim has introduced an elevated Korean dining experience to Milford – and if his vision comes to fruition, Tokki will be the foundation for a much broader Korean accent on the local scene….

It starts at the farm. Churly’s co-owner, butcher Hannah Miller Childs orders in a whole cow every fortnight from two farms. From Wash Creek’s organic farm she gets 100% grass fed beef, and from Michael Wright’s small herd comes Angus that’s finished for…

Every Wednesday evening is Prime Cut time at Churly’s – but what exactly is a prime cut? The most tender beef steak? Well, yes – eye fillet, scotch, and sirloin beef steaks are indeed prime cuts – but wait, there’s more, far more…

Soon Kiwis won’t need to pack the passport to get a MoVida fix – Auckland’s Savor Group and Frank Camorra have partnered to open an Auckland outpost of his Melbourne institution, with harbourside views to boot…

We dig deep into two of the most popular menu items at Eden Noodles – dan dan noodles, and the dumplings in spicy sauce. These two dishes sneak their way into almost every order, which is no surprise, as Eden Noodle’s chef…

Go for the lamprais and string hoppers… stay for the glorious symphony of so many more flavours and textures. Mayadunnage Mahesh and Madushani Mayadunnage (Shani) run the kitchen and front of house respectively…

Roast duck can be enjoyed at a plethora of places across the isthmus, but roast duck prepared in the traditional Beijing style is far rarer – perhaps only two restaurants in Tāmaki Makaurau can lay claim to serving true Beijing…