The Eight Restaurant, Langham Auckland

I was tipped off about the modern interactive lunch experience at the in-house restaurant of the Langham in Auckland's Grafton precinct, especially its ala carte offerings.   Due to time scheduling and logistics one weekend, we could only try breakfast - but I was sufficiently impressed.

Omelette met my expectations, although the lady making this was not chatty and reserved towards customers.  My benchmark for breakfast omelettes are those made in Vietnam, fluffy, delightful, with many ingredients and full of flavour.   There is a usual  queue to the omelette making place but i did not notice this on that Saturday morning.

Dried fruits, cheese and other nibbles; waffles and pancakes; and the several choices of fresh morning juices made me happy.   The croissants and breads came from a good baker in practice, for I loved their brown colours and crispy textures.   Presentation was paramount; at times I thought i was at a corner of a village bakery, at others at a garden party's spread.

Oh yes, there were pork and chicken sausages, hash browns, baked beans and other reminders of a New Zealand breakfast from not too long ago.  Add to this the variety of colourful and varied fruit cuts and slices that only a successful agricultural nation can bring - peaches, plums, Kiwis and more.

The variety of muesli and breakfast cereal at the Eight astounded me.  What caught my eye most were the NZ produce and brands which I do not normally see in Australia.  And the accompanying milk, what a treat!  I especially treasured the Bircher muesli - that Swiss concoction that combines currants, chopped dried apricots, rolled oats, grated apple with skins on, seasonal berries, chopped crispy almonds before garnishing with fresh orange or apple juice,ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon.

Most of the staff attending to our table were alert and responsive, but one did forget to bring a tea blend requested, as opposed to the rest of us having the ubiquitous coffee.  We did get good seating, a private corner removed from the main traffic going to and fro from  the tables with the food spread.   There was even soup, fried rice and what you may call brunch items as well - that is generous. What was missing if I may say so was sushi and sashimi, but hey this is still breakfast time.  The staff cleared our plates diligently on a regular basis.

There are five hours every day available for guests to relax and partake in the offerings in the main hall, but outside in a kind of sunken lobby area, one can have ala carte breakfast but for shorter hours.

The ambiance at the Eight is just nice for a meal get together.   There is no outdoor dining but think of smoked salmon, pickled offerings like "mops", ice cream available for breakky and platters of cheese and other dairy products.

And now for lunch and dinner!


The Langham Auckland is located at 83 Symonds Street, Grafton, Auckland.
Opening hours for the Eight Restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel are 6am to 11am every day for breakfast.
Contact +64 9 379 5132.


 

Viet Kitchen, Mount Eden - Auckland

Rolls packed with brimming freshness and delicate taste.

A new player in Dominion Road's food scene offers a lilting menu and a variety of yummy Vietnamese dishes for take away or for an easy time out.  The Viet Kitchen has a modern decor, has a spacious interior and friendly staff.   My group was seated in an friendly and efficient manner and staff made sure to ask if everything was going all right with the food after we had started taken them. Young Kayley was captivated by the framed paintings and photos on the wall - and took time out to also check the bamboo plant with her Mum.  The restaurant is sited in an already existing hub of food outlets and not far from the Countdown supermarket in Mount Eden.

Grilled offerings are popular in Vietnam - the Viet Kitchen provides this entree which is flavourful, authentic and  wholesome, grilled pork on lemongrass sticks.

The egg noodles in soup are a must to try.  The day the four of us visited, with an infant in tow, the stringency, freshness and texture of the noodles stood out positively.  The other test for such a delicate and simple dish is the satisfaction the soup gives you on the palate - this one for dinner time was not over whelming, not salty and you could taste the chicken in the stock.   In contrast, to my palate, I found the tomato based soup with vermicelli and garnishing (photo above) did look colourful but in taste lacked a certain oomph.

Other recommended items to try are the duck flavoured soup with egg noodles, the traditional iced coffee using condensed milk, grilled beef skewers, Pho noodles, combination plates of grilled meat with rice and salad and deep fried spring rolls.
The menu pricing is moderate and practical.  I suggest this place to keep in mind after a busy day, when no one feels like cooking and is suitable for couples, families or friends gathering.


The Viet Kitchen is located at342-344 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, Auckland 1024.
Opening hours are 11am to 10pm every day.
Contact numbers are  +64 212787999 and +64 96302218

TLC Cafe, Wollongong NSW

Eggs Benedict with fresh and yummy cherry tomatoes and herbs.

There can be Eggs Benedict in so many versions, but that morning I realised I had a good looking , flavourful version on the table.   The garnishing also stood out and the bread nicely toasted.  The Hollandaise sauce stood out.  A bite on one half led to a gratifying taste on the palate, the eggs particularly good.The coffee is strong but hearty.

An option for a hideaway seating.

There is a large fern leaf incorporated into the bricked wall along a narrow enclave on one side of the back of the cafe.   Even if the space is compact, I noticed regulars heading straight for this alcove-like
corner.  The beauty of this is that this is smack in the middle of Wollongong city centre, a stone's
throw from the IPAC auditorium and across Burelli Street from the Council.   If you like, you can enter through a lane beside Lee & Me Cafe on lower Crown Street.

Emphasis on coffee but also a practical menu for breakfast, brunch and lunch.

What seems to be city centre workers come in and out regularly even early on a weekday morning.
The menu is limited but easy, all for daytime snacking or a meal.  There are sweet stuff in the lit display.  The sunlight is kept out on the bricked plaza outside, whilst inside it is a refuge in a cottage surrounding.

The coffee blend is in house.   The staff that day were friendly, smiling and passionate about their business.   It is relaxing to come to this cafe whether for a short while, a take away or to linger on a while more.  The street is not in your face, the barista is knowledgeable and the rustic feel envelopes you with a comforting embrace.


The TLC Cafe is located at Town Hall Place, Wollongong NSW.