The Monday Room

The Perfect Pairing: The Monday Room

At The Monday Room, cuisine is about so much more than food – it’s an experience.   Heavily influenced by her Finnish background, Head Chef Eeva Torvinen uses techniques that include curing, brining and pickling, while Finnish flavours such as berries, buttermilk, liquorice, rye and malt bring flavour to the ingredients. “I […]

Salted caramel nut brownies Recipe

Salted caramel nut brownies recipe

A decadent recipe that can be made ahead, even frozen – with or without the caramel sauce. So what are you waiting for?     INGREDIENTS 1 cup caster sugar 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup chocolate dots 1/4 cup cocoa powder 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 […]

Ugly Food

Ugly Food

The ugly food movement – this decade’s term to describe fruit and vegetables of the knotted, gnarly and spotty kind –is taking over our soils.     Although an unflattering title, ugly food is a new food group we can include in our shopping baskets. People are saving on pennies whilst simultaneously […]

Night Noodle Markets

Street-style eats back: Night Noodle Markets

The eagerly anticipated Night Noodle Markets will once again transform North Hagley Park into a bustling Asian street food festival this Waitangi Day as it hits the city for 12 delicious nights from 6 -17 February.     Coinciding with the Chinese New Year, Cantabrians can embark of a vibrant flavour journey […]

Chelsea Winter

Chelsea Winter’s Healthy Philosophy

It’s the season of resolutions; a time when we remain focused on the promises we vowed to keep soon after the clock ticked over marking the start of 2019, before our resolve starts to waver somewhere around Easter. Not surprisingly, many of these resolutions are centred around our culinary consumption.     […]

The Pedal Pusher

Rat Race: The Pedal Pusher

Christchurch is well known for its cycling history. Its flat landscape has always been ideal for recreational riding.   As far back as the 1870s, cycling clubs encouraged enthusiasts to take to the streets on the new machines. One such group decided one day to ride to the small railway junction of […]

Cô Ba Restaurant

Exquisite culinary fusion: Cô Ba Restaurant

Offering a beautiful fusion of Vietnamese and Thai cuisine, Cô Ba Restaurant uses the freshest local produce daily to create a range of delectable dishes. “Every single dish is made fresh to order,” says owner Long Nguyen.     Originally from Vietnam, Long’s love of Thai fare and a passion for high-quality […]

A bite of culture

A bite of culture

This Waitangi Day, the world of food and culture will be celebrated – bite by bite – at the 10th anniversary of the Multi Cultural Bite festival in Ashburton.     Previous years have seen a great turnout, with around 12,000 at last year’s festival. “It has now become the Waitangi Day […]

Peter Timbs

Metropol on a Plate – Steeped in Tradition

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a succulent ham on the bone and nobody knows the importance of tradition like Christchurch butcher and Peter Timbs Meats Ltd part owner Chris Timbs.       Like his father Peter, grandfather and generations before, Chris discovered a love for butchery, passionately carrying on the family […]

Boulder Burger

Hanmer’s 1950’s style diner: Boulder Burger

The ultimate 1950’s Americana experience is coming to Hanmer, so get ready for a blast of retro culture and a menu bursting with classic diner staples.     The eagerly-awaited Boulder Burger Bar at the Boulder Precinct – Hanmer Springs’ newest café and retail shopping precinct – will open its doors in […]