TASTE after TASTE

TASTE after TASTE A taste of our life, after our life at Taste. We hope you’ll keep coming back for more.

KING’S BIRTHDAY. It’s official. Today’s the day we celebrate the King’s Birthday. What better excuse is there to have a ...
31/05/2026

KING’S BIRTHDAY.

It’s official. Today’s the day we celebrate the King’s Birthday.

What better excuse is there to have a day off work & eat cake?!

Just put a candle in it, make a wish & have a right royal Monday.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

MARIPOSA MEMORIES. Over the years, we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy many holidays in Hawaii. You won’t be surprised to h...
24/05/2026

MARIPOSA MEMORIES.

Over the years, we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy many holidays in Hawaii.

You won’t be surprised to hear that we didn’t go there for the surfing! Not quite our thing. No. We went for the relaxing, tropical, resort/big city vibe. And the shopping!

Just outside Waikiki is the Ala Moana Centre - a huge multilevel open air shopping mall that houses every big name designer brand, local brands & several department stores.

For us, no visit there was complete without lunch at Mariposa, the glamorous restaurant on the third level of the high end department store Neiman Marcus.

We’d ride up the stores three levels on the escalators that surrounded a skylit void in which hundreds of strings of elegant silk butterflies & coin sized mirrors were suspended from high above, passing down through all three levels, moving gently in the breeze. Magical.

The huge open air restaurant space spanned the entire frontage of the third floor, with a large lanai overlooking Ala Moana beach park & views looking back towards the high rises of Waikiki.

It was a space that was somehow both busy but calm & casual but elegant, with rows of paddle ceiling fans turning slowly overhead, creating a gracious tropical feeling. Instantly relaxing. Ahhh.

The menu featured a lot of regionally inspired cuisine, local specialties, seafood dishes & the usual sandwiches & burgers.

The things that we still remember though, are the complimentary, giant, fresh-from-the-oven, “popovers”, served with strawberry butter, plus the cup of chicken consommé that arrived at the table once seated, for you to enjoy while perusing the menu. Fabulous.

But now, all of this will have to be just a memory. We were sad to read of the closure of the Honolulu branch of Neiman Marcus, along with the much loved Mariposa Restaurant, earlier this month. But reading about that, bought back so many wonderful memories. We’re so happy we got to enjoy such fabulous times there. Maybe you did too?!

Ho’omano’o. Mahalo for the Mariposa memories.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

VIBRANT. After the gloomy weather we’ve been having, we felt like something to brighten our day. Something a wee bit vib...
17/05/2026

VIBRANT.

After the gloomy weather we’ve been having, we felt like something to brighten our day. Something a wee bit vibrant.

This vibrant salad did the trick. Vibrant colours. Vibrant flavours.

Persimmon, Pickled Red Onion, Goats Cheese & Shredded Spinach.

The red onions are easy to prepare. Slice & add to a mixture of wine vinegar, water & sugar that you’ve brought to the boil. Simmer briefly & set aside. They turn a vibrant pink colour.

Vibrant orange persimmons are a favourite at this time of the year. Use them when still firm. They’re not nice when soft & overripe. No need to peel. Perfect in place of a pear in a salad.

Goats cheese has a vibrant tang. Its strong flavour means you don’t have to use much to achieve a vibrant flavour. Simply crumble it over your salad.

Instead of lettuce, we shredded some baby spinach leaves that we had in the fridge. Finely sliced like this, we find them easier to eat than the stalky leaves. Plus we love the vibrant green colour.

Add some vibrancy to your gloomy evening meals too. And by that, we’re in no way suggesting that it’s your evening meals that are gloomy! 😜

Gary & David. 👬🧡

PORCHETTA. This week, it’s another casual suburban eatery in another high end Auckland suburb. We like suburban!Non Solo...
10/05/2026

PORCHETTA.

This week, it’s another casual suburban eatery in another high end Auckland suburb. We like suburban!

Non Solo Pizza has been operating on the Parnell strip since 1997. It’s an Auckland institution. Tried & true. Such longevity is a sign that they do things right here.

We dined on a Saturday night & had to wait for a table to come free in the “preferred” popular courtyard. It was buzzing.

From a menu of Italian classics, we shared the Calamari Fritti first, followed by a simple Margherita Pizza & a tasty Porchetta dish. Doesn’t it look tasty?!

Porchetta stuffed with sundried tomato & herb crumb, apple compote, kohlrabi & green apple remoulade & grain mustard jus.

Porchetta is an Italian style roasted pork. It combines the pork belly meat rolled around the loin or fillet & a tasty aromatic stuffing. It’s slow roasted until the rolled meat is succulently tender, with a ring of golden crisp crackling surrounding it. Yum.

If you’re dining at NSP, let us suggest you get the porchetta. There’s nothing better.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

PIE & PINOT.While in Auckland last weekend, we went to an interesting suburban restaurant. Situated in the high end subu...
03/05/2026

PIE & PINOT.

While in Auckland last weekend, we went to an interesting suburban restaurant.

Situated in the high end suburb of Remuera, this was not the high end restaurant that you might expect. It was a simple suburban eatery. Yay.

“Pie & Pinot” serves just what the name suggests. As well as a “Small Plates” & a “Bangers & Mash” section, their menu focuses on “lovingly crafted” pies & pinot - noir & gris. Naturally.

There were a choice of eight different pies, all served with a flavoured mash & a gravy to complement the fillings.

So guess what we had. Ummm. A pie. Naturally. A Chicken, Leek & Mushroom pie with smooth, buttery mash & chicken jus, plus an Angus Beef Brisket & Guinness pie with horseradish mash & a rich, dark port wine gravy. Both were absolutely delicious.

From a selection of ten side dishes, we chose some cauliflower cheese & some fat hand cut chips. The chips weren’t needed but someone had to have them!

Plus, after an arrival cocktail, we needed a bottle of wine. Guess what we had. Ummm. A Pinot Noir. Naturally.

And guess what we had to finish? Funnily enough, a pie. Naturally. A tasty individual warm apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream.

While going out for a pie might not be everyone’s idea of a night out, we thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity, homeliness & generous, tasty food offered here. No pretensions. Just honest food you want to eat. Right up our street. Just wish it was in our suburb.

Guess where we’ll be going again, the next time we visit Auckland!

Gary & David. 👬🧡

SECOND CHANCE. We all deserve a second chance. Sometimes we don’t always get it right first time. When we stayed at this...
26/04/2026

SECOND CHANCE.

We all deserve a second chance. Sometimes we don’t always get it right first time.

When we stayed at this Auckland hotel last year, we came away feeling short changed. It wasn’t quite the luxury stay we had hoped for.

Our main quibble was that the advertised & anticipated Executive Club was in fact not completed. Hmmm.

But now that the hotel refurbishment is complete, including the Club Lounge, we decided to give it a second chance.

They say things are better the second time around. We agree. We checked in on Saturday for a bit of hotel hospitality.

The addition of the Club adds that other level of luxury that was missing last time. It’s somewhere to enjoy breakfast, relax with a cup of tea or an evening cocktail, in a slightly more private & comfortable setting. An extension of your room. We’re enjoying it. Often.

We’re pleased to say we’re pleased we gave the JW Marriott Auckland a second chance. It now provides all those little extras that, for us, make a hotel stay oh so special.

This time we came away feeling we’d be quite happy to stay another day. Horray.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

ANZAC DAY. What a way to spend Anzac Day!While in our taxi on the way to the airport, we received a notification that ou...
25/04/2026

ANZAC DAY.

What a way to spend Anzac Day!

While in our taxi on the way to the airport, we received a notification that our flight had been cancelled. No reason given. Cancelled. Very last minute. Very. Air New Zealand

Rebooked on a later flight which has now been delayed. Twice!

So instead of getting into Auckland at 1pm, we’re now scheduled to land at 4:35. Fingers crossed.

So a whole day spent sitting in the Koru Lounge. Not quite what we had planned. There was shopping to do!

Gary & David. 👬🧡

“A+” FOR PRESENTATION. As we’ve mentioned on more than one occasion, we do like a club sandwich. You know the ones. They...
19/04/2026

“A+” FOR PRESENTATION.

As we’ve mentioned on more than one occasion, we do like a club sandwich. You know the ones. They appear on every Hotel coffee shop or room service menu.

They usually feature 3 layers of toasted bread with 2 layers of filling - chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce & tomato. They’re usually cut into neat fingers or triangles, with the crusts removed.

But how about these ones that we saw online. The neatest of neat, cutest of cute, cubes of deliciousness.

Each sandwich cube laid alternately with toast side & layered side showing, in a checkerboard pattern. Each cube secured with a skewer.

Don’t they look fabulous? We’re sure they taste as good as they look too.

We give this an “A+” for presentation.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

A BIT OF A HIT. A new item caught our eye on the menu at a restaurant that’s always a bit of a hit with us. Beer Battere...
12/04/2026

A BIT OF A HIT.

A new item caught our eye on the menu at a restaurant that’s always a bit of a hit with us.

Beer Battered Potato Fritters with onion & chive crème fraiche.

One of us ordered them as a starter, even though they were listed as a side dish. They would have been great as “a bit on the side” as intended too. Something just a little bit naughty!

Crispy batter, soft smooth potato medallions & a creamy sauce which was slightly reminiscent of the classic Kiwi onion dip. Chips & dip. Updated. What’s not to like?!

These mini versions of the potato fritters that we all always order from the fish & chip shop, provided a bit of food envy at our table of four. We had to order more!

Guess you could say that these little fritters were a bit of a hit. And an interesting fit on a posh restaurant menu.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

EASY EASTER ENTERTAINING. A couple who are great friends, gifted us an Easter Food Box they had ordered from The Welling...
05/04/2026

EASY EASTER ENTERTAINING.

A couple who are great friends, gifted us an Easter Food Box they had ordered from The Wellington Club.

It had been ordered in advance, not knowing that one of the two was going to be away over Easter. Their loss was certainly our gain!

A three course meal, in a box, arrived at our door. All designed for easy Easter entertaining. All the necessary ingredients were neatly packaged with clear instructions on how to produce an effortless meal for 4 guests.

4 guests. OMG. We felt a dinner party coming on. We can’t remember the last time we hosted a “DP” at home. We were nervous! Oh well. The friend who was still in town, was invited to share in his gift & another mutual friend said she was certainly available to make up a foursome.

Getting a main course & a pudding to the table is hard enough these days, let alone an entree as well. So we tweaked the menu a bit. The entree became “pass-arounds”. With drinks! Naturally.

Apple & Fennel Cured Salmon, Poached Satsuma Mandarins, Citrus Creme Fraiche & Pink Onions on fresh baguette.

This was all we remembered to photograph. Being a host didn’t leave time for photography as well! But doesn’t it look fabulous in its ‘60s colouring?! Groovy Baby.

It was followed by twice cooked (pre-braised then roasted) Lamb Shoulder, Panzanella Salad, Crispy Cos & Ranch Dressing. We substituted mash for the potato salad that was provided.

We also made the delicious redcurrant, orange & mint jelly that you may remember. We often served it with our lamb dish at TASTE. It was devoured!

Dessert was a warm Cherry Clafouti with vanilla brandy mascarpone & almond praline. Some also had ice cream. Not naming names!

What a wonderful Easter treat. Our Good Friday consisted of good food, good company, good wines, good conversation & good fun. A really good Good Friday.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

PS. Thanks to the Wellington Club for making our Easter entertaining easy & to Jane & Greg for their generosity. Sorry you missed out Jane. Next time!

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Khandallah
Wellington
6035

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