Eating Out in NZ

NZ is known to the outside world more for its natural beautiful landscape rather than its food. Still, there are food and delicacies that visitors would find unique and worth tasting, just like in any part of the world!

Back home in KK, we have eaten mussels imported from NZ. So when friends who are familiar with NZ food knew our intention to visit NZ, they reminded us not to miss trying out the mussels in NZ.

We did a bit of price checking of mussels sold in NZ and learnt some tips on the nutritional benefits of eating mussels - low fat, low calorie, low cholesterol, high in Omega 3 fatty acids and other essential minerals such as Selenium, Iodine and Iron.

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Our search for mussels finally ended at La Dolce Vita, an Italian Restaurant in Te Anau. Not only once, we ordered the same steamed Greenshell Mussels twice in two outings at the same restaurant. The Boss was so pleased with our re-visit that he moved us to a table next a window with exterior view - an area reserved for frequent and special guests!

First Visit

Second Visit

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We searched and tried out various types of pies: minced meat, pork, beef and Venison. We still find the beef pie in "Miles Better Pies" in Te Anau unbeatable. Their pie is sufficiently big and the meat is chunky and flavorful!

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We were not disappointed when we decided to try out the Indian Restaurant called The Spice Room in Wanaka. This is authentic Indian food but modified to suit local taste particularly the degree of spiciness.

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Just before flying off to NZ, I was reminded by a friend who visited NZ last year to try out the "famous" burger in Queenstown. Somehow, by the time I was in Queenstown, I could not recall the name. So after dinner, we walked around town and saw the "Devil Burger" outlet. We bought the smallest size just to try out. I could not say whether it was exceptional but probably rank it at 8 out of 10!

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Whenever we checked into a Hotel or Motel and had no idea of where to eat, we would ask the owner or staff for some suggestions as to where are the good places to eat.

In Picton, the owner of the Motel suggested us to try out Jolly Roger Bar & Restaurant which is just a short walking distance away. We were told that we would be entitled to a 10% if we mentioned the Motel's name.

The ambiance of the Restaurant was good. Part of the restaurant is an external outdoor deck built over the edge of the Waikawa Bay just next to a Mariner. We had Fish & Chips that evening.

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After exploring Auckland City and while on our way walking back to our Motel late evening of 6 March, we saw these two men who manned a road side food outlet urging us to buy probably the last Baked Lamb Shoulder at NZ$40. We were debating among ourselves in front of "Pedro's House of Lamb" whether the portion was too much for us. Finally, we took the offer and it turned out to be the best baked lamb we had ever tasted!

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While waiting for the opening time of Paqocha Alpaca at Gibbson Valley in Queenstown scheduled at 2pm on 25 February, we found this little "General Store" by the road side selling NZ wines. Gibbson valley is one of the winery areas in NZ. We stopped for a short break to enjoy a cup of the coffee as well as the vast scenery of the hilly landscape and wineries.