2023 Wrap Up

Our wrap up 2023s food happenings in the Waikato,  Denise highlights her most memorable plates while Vicki gets on her high horse.

From Vicki

Te Kauwhata based winery, Invivo, were recently awarded the supreme prize at the Waikato Business Awards.  We’ll take the win in what has been a pretty quiet year on the food scene in the Waikato.

Over the hill, the Bay of Plenty food scene has been going from strength to strength thanks to the support and work from Tourism Bay of Plenty.  This was reflected in the massive increase in eateries making the Cuisine Good Food Awards and their recent wins at the NZ Events awards for their Flavours of Plenty Festival.  Back in the Waikato the expensive food and beverage plan commissioned during covid collects dust in some forgotten cupboard at Mighty Waikato.  Opps, sorry you may have enjoyed the berry festival, or more likely you missed it like everyone else!

Meanwhile the Hamilton City Councils liquor licensing department continues to live up to their reputation as being the most difficult in the country, stifling events and causing no end of delay and unnecessary expense for those wanting to reinvent Hamilton’s hospitality scene.

The one glimmer is Julia Clarkes Progressive Dinners supported by Hamilton Central.

Times are tough and Waikato people are doing what our farming stock heritage has taught us, and that’s to hold tight.

Bucking the trend and giving us a glimmer of what our city could look like and have is Made in Hamilton East.  Three years in the making this beautiful space, (as you would expect from Mat Stark and Co) is offering locals and small businesses a great opportunity.

Is Hamilton East destined to be the new Hamilton Central?  If the flurry of openings (Made, Rice Rice Baby, Sage, Reburger) adding to the already quality offering and the fully tenanted main street is anything to go by, I think so!  As a lifelong Westie, even I am considering moving to the other side of the river.

Don’t get me wrong Hamilton Central has had some glimmers of hope.  Whangamata’s famous pop up bakery, Rudi’s found a permanent home in the Riverbank Mall.  And most recently La Promesse Bake House opened on Ward street. 

Earlier in the year Sushi Chew Chew Train pulled into town and if you haven’t already been to this fun spot you must!  It’s my 8 year olds favourite spot.  Up in Smoke opened in the Bryce St dining precinct while Kapadoyka brought some tasty Turkish to Victoria St.  Sky City welcomed the Shanghai Restaurant and Dot & Winnies opened in the old Mr Miltons space. 

Further afield Rototuna got a flash new library complete with cool café, Chapter.  Morrinsville got the gorgeous Oak Eatery in the Lockerbie Estate and Camina is about to open in Whangamata.

The Waikato Farmers market has recovered from the Covid hurdles and has gone from strength to strength this year.

From Denise

I was in Hamilton East this week and I overhead a woman say, “it’s all about eateries here now, isn’t it?”  Yup, welcome to Grey St, the city’s new eat-street, where Made Market, Sage, Rice, Rice Baby, The Lyonaise Fern and a few others have joined the line-up this year in a neighbourhood already well served by the likes of the excellent Hayes Common, Grey Street Kitchen, GGs, the ever-popular Babaganush, Winner Winner, Two Birds, and more.

The rise and rise of the east side is flagged as the biggest change in a year of writing about what’s on my plate.  That’s not to say there isn’t good food to be had in the CBD and beyond. Favourites like Mr Pickles, Gothenburg, Palate, Kopi Café, Cream Eatery, Demi Urgos, CBD Dumpling House and Café Centrale continue to deliver fine plates. Rudi’s artisan bakery and the Grumpy Baker are worth a trip into town alone for their excellent breads and pastries, Casabella Lane on Barton St has a cool little cluster of ethnic eateries, and suburban spots like Ginger and Honey in Beerescourt, Rain Forest Malaysian Kitchen at Horsham Village, and Cinnamon at St Andrews have their own loyal following.

So a shout-out to all players in Waikato hospitality who have navigated another tough year, and a few memorable plates from 2023:

Sashimi snapper at Sage Restaurant (above Duck Island Ice Cream), Grey St, Hamilton East. The sashimi was a starter, plated with cucumber, kaffir lime, Sichuan sauce and baked nori, divine flavours and freshness. I also loved a larger plate of pan-fried snapper with (the best ever) spicy sambal, papaya, chilli caramel and a glorious medley of fresh herbs. Welcome to the ‘hood, Sage.

Early evening drinks and sushi roll at the Mess Hall, Made Market, Hamilton East, at a sunny window table overlooking Waikato River with a few friends, the wine from Amphora Bar, the sushi from Omo Omo, no frills night with a good vibe, highly recommended.

Peking duck at Canton Hong Kong, 32 Alexandra St, Hamilton. A beautifully presented rendition of this Chinese classic by owner-chef Jack Liu who prepares the golden ducks in-house. We wrapped the slices of tender meat and crispy skin in light-as-a-feather pancakes, along with sweet and salty hoisin sauce and julienned carrots, cucumber and spring onion to cut the richness.

Plump fillet of crumbed snapper, T&S Takeaways, 447 Grey St, another great addition this year to Hamilton East’s eat street. You get decent-sized fillets, perfectly cooked, the real thing, not been bulked up by batter.  I love T&S’s lightly crumbed fish but others in the family rate their battered fillets (almost tempura-style), as well as the crunchy fries and double-decker burgers (bursting with beef patties, cheese, bacon and salad).

Kāwhia snapper served with lentil dahl, spicy carrot puree and crunchy kale, at Palate Restaurant, 20 AlmaSt, Hamilton. This was a generous bowl of perfectly judged ingredients. The snapper was the hero, beautifully fresh, lightly golden and caramelised on the outside, moist and flaky on the inside. A pleasure to see local West Coast fish on the menu, with not many too food miles gobbled up on the trip across the Kāwhia hill to Hamilton.

Thai green curry prawn toast with nuoc cham dressing at Alpha Street Kitchen & Bar, 47 Alpha St, Cambridge. A perfect lunchtime plate of fusion flavours and textures, and a spicy hit from a bowl of Sichuan smashed cucumbers on the side. Loved it.

Creamy cauliflower soup, Acuppa Café, 529 Grey St, Hamilton East. Off the menu in summer but mentioned as my regular winter lunchtime treat, $16.90 for a generous bowl of cauli soup, topped with microgreens, parmesan, and crispy bits of bacon for texture and extra flavour. The creamy consistency came from the cauliflower itself rather than lashings of cream, served with sourdough toast on the side. And the friendliest staff across the counter!

Pan fried pork and prawn dumplings, Dumpling House, 698 Grey St, handily placed within walking distance of home. Arguably the best dumplings in town, handmade in-house, tender and full of flavour, lots of other good dishes as well as dumplings, and more friendly staff.