What We're Eating and Drinking: Issue 105

There’s no rest for the food-obsessed... when the dish team isn’t bringing you delicious recipes, we’re out there trawling far and wide in search of tasty fare. Below, we share our latest favourite haunts.

Sarah Tuck, Editor

Weave Eatery, Hamilton: Just in case you miss my Waikato round-up (page 126), I’d like to wax lyrical a little more about the incredible food at Weave Eatery. On our visit we sampled four different options from the menu, and all were equally faultless. It is such a treat to go somewhere where every dish is a banger with amazing seasoning, texture and flavour combinations. Ash’s Chilli Scram is the most popular thing on the menu, but by crikey the Mushroom Toast was bloody good with its miso and onion purée, mushroom cream, nori and togarashi… sensational! weaveeatery.co.nz

Claire Aldous, Food Editor

Ooh-Fa, Auckland: I love having restaurants that are a short walk from my house, especially if they’re serving delicious sourdough pizzas with Italianish but not strictly traditional toppings. Ooh-Fa (fans of The Sopranos will recognise this) is the latest offering from the team at Pici in St Kevin’s Arcade. There are no bad choices on the small, perfectly curated menu of five snacks, five pizzas and two desserts. The pickled veges with warm bagna cauda dip and smoky wood-fired carrots nestled on whipped ricotta with pistachios are two of the simple sides that you absolutely must order and from the pizzas, it’s the ‘nduja, ricotta and mozzarella with garlic honey that’s my current fave. The restaurant is tiny (22 seats), welcoming and inclusive – the perfect neighbourhood wine bar and eatery that I’ll be dropping into on a regular basis. oohfa.co.nz 

Liam Carr, Digital Editor

Yoku Ono Ramen + Sake, Melbourne: In the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, there are literally lines out the door for the best restaurants – even on a Monday night! Take a quick tram ride south, however, and you’ll find that Prahran/Windsor offer the same quality without all the fuss. Yoku Ono is one of those places, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Just as you would expect in Tokyo, this ramen bar is neatly tucked away down a quiet side street, serving up high-quality dishes in a very casual and comforting atmosphere. The chicken karaage is pure comfort food, but the swordfish bao is a total revelation. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. You’re here for ramen, though, and the Yoku Ono ramen with pork belly is among the best I’ve ever had. Period. yokuono.com.au 

Maddie Ballard, Deputy Editor

La Voie Française, Auckland. This French bakery run by Paris-trained viennoiserie wizard Tetsuya Namekawa is impossible to miss despite its quiet Dominion Road location: there is literally always a queue. And for good reason. It’s become a Saturday morning routine for me to drop in for more than I intended to buy – usually a still-warm baguette, one of their famous apricot danishes and an absolutely perfect croissant. Cancel your plans and go this weekend. @lavoiefrancaise 

Karrin MacLeod, Business Development Manager

Donna Chang, Brisbane: Seinfeld fans will recognise this restaurant’s name from an iconic episode – and even the fortune cookies here have quotes from Seinfeld. But that is as far as the joke side goes. Donna Chang is a stunningly beautiful Chinese restaurant inside one of Brisbane’s magnificent heritage buildings. I sat staring with my mouth open at the ornate, chandelier-lined ceilings – and the food totally lives up to the surrounds. Some of my faves: Prawn + Scallop Wontons with Black Vinegar + Chilli, Moreton Bay Bug Dumplings, School Prawns with Chilli + Sichuan Pepper – and the house pickles are SO good. Take me back! donnachang.com.au

Chrisanne Terblanche, Art Director

Burgernaut, Auckland: My husband and I have been trying to crack making smash burgers at home. We’ve spent multiple weekends tackling each element – creating the perfect bun (baking multiple batches of Japanese milk buns), finding a pickle that’s not too sweet or sour, sourcing the right tools for smashing the patty. We were so close to achieving perfection and then we found Burgernaut had beat us to it. Burgernaut (the burger division of Urbanaut Brewing) serves the most delicious smash burgers in town, so we never have to make our own again. They offer meat, vegetarian and vegan options. I’d recommend starting with the classic smash and pairing it with one of the brewery’s tasty beers (ask for Floyed behind the bar, he gives great tasting notes and advice). urbanautbeer.com