If you follow us on Facebook, you'll know we've been a little crazy over desserts recently. And most exciting, over Auckland's first dessert bar and restaurant – Milse (Gaelic for “sweet things”). New Zealanders are known for being sweet tooths but there has never been such a dedicated dessert restaurant to boast an a la carte or degustation menu.

You can easily slip past without knowing. Nestled behind The Pavilions at Britomart, it's secluded from the central buzz but has a sophisticated atmosphere of its own. Rows of exquisite cakes, gelato on sticks and tarts are on display in tight glass cabinets.

We headed in to have a chat with the pâtissier heading up the place – Brian Campbell, originating from Scotland; prior to Milse, he worked in Michelin-starred restaurants abroad as well as honing his skills at Bracu, Tetsuya, French Cafe, and Kermadec. Remember the dessert with the nitrogen at Kermadec? That's right… he was the mastermind.

This idea of a dessert bar had always been brewing at the back of Brian's mind, until the opportunity popped up and for three months he was actually project manager – sorting out the logistics, design, and style of the whole place. And now it's finally open. Brian gets most of his inspiration from travelling and so you'll find both Kiwi favourites and intricate gateaus on display here. Also inspired by seasonal fruits, we can expect the freshest ingredients to be used. We're waiting for something feijoa influenced to appear in these cabinets!

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Because this is such a petite place, everything is pretty much custom designed so that boxes, equipment, shelves fit just right and no space is wasted. How petite you ask? Milse only seats 16 people.

The real exciting part about this little place isn’t the colourful macarons or fancy cakes in the shelves, it’s really the fact that soon Milse will be open for dessert degustation – so guys, if you really want to sweeten your lady’s night – this is definitely the place to be. I can just imagine a small dinner on the savoury side, then having a huge dessert degustation for the rest of the night. It wouldn’t be your typical fine dining at all!

The first treat to catch my eye was the rose and berry gateau. Not normally a fan of flower scented desserts, the sugared rose petals were hard to resist. It was beautiful inside and out – the light raspberry mousse and rich rose water brûlée melted in my mouth.

We also tried the different chocolate mousse cakes – those are highly recommended if you're a chocolate lover. The chocolate is dark and decadent and will make you keep picking up your spoon.

Raspberry rose chocolate and vanilla

Matcha green tea passionfruit and white chocolate

If you’re a fan of sweet cream and passion fruit, you’ll love this little thing. Cream on the outside, with a green tea sponge on the inside mixed with passion fruit. Though I must say, the sweetness of the cream and the sourness of the passion fruit did drown out the green tea quite a bit, making the green tea taste very subtle. One thing to notice about the sweets in Milse, all are vibrantly coloured and this can put you off knowing how much colouring was used in the creation process.

Milse is incredibly popular right now. Every time we're there, we find ourselves sucking our stomachs to let waiters and other customers past through the tight corridor that houses the sweets.  If you're planning to impress and dine in with a group of more than 4 – you'll be looking to wait at least half an hour on a late night.

Worth the hype? Yes, you definitely want to visit Milse. Just to see the beautiful lattice walls and spot the 5 air conditioning units that keep the desserts in tip top shape. Then you can agonise over what to try out first. Chances are, you'll probably take away some macaroons home to make someone's day .

Milse

27 Tyler Street
Britomart

Ph: 368 9487

There's plenty of places to have brunch in Auckland, but when you're paying $15 to $18 for an eggs bene, you want to be soaking up as much of the cafe atmosphere as you can. Ponsonby has always offered an edge to the traditional franchised shops – be it clothing boutiques or restaurants and cafes. The word was that this little cafe was like the Little&Friday of Ponsonby – and being lovers of the fresh and indulgent food philosophy of Little&Friday, there was no reason not to check out this Ponsonby gem.

Empire Eggs – Le Puy Lentils and cumin with chilli tomato, coriander, and soft poached eggs.

To me, brunch might as well mean eggs. In some form or another. Always a sucker for the smoked salmon bene, this was a change to the oiled salmon and hollandaise base I usually indulge in.

For one – lentils! And two slices of generously sliced wholegrain bread. Definitely a heart foundation tick in my books. To match with the hearty homemade feel, all presented with a rustic wooden platter and steel bowl.

Loved the tomato and lentils, but couldn't taste any chilli! Though I must admit, I do like quite a bit of spice in my dishes. There's nothing worser than cold toast and I happily dunked my warm and crunchy triangles into the eggs and lentils.

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Carrot cake

Lemon Meringue Tart

Lemon meringues aren't usually the first thing to jump out at me so I'm no expert, but this one was extra grainy – if you were expecting a smooth creamy meringue, you would be disappointed. I got a bit of a surprise when I tasted the unexpected grainy-ness. Having said that, this tart can't be the worst thing to happen to me – it was still a nice simple sweet treat for a Thursday morning!

There's nothing lovelier than sipping coffee from beautiful oversized teacup.

We love this new cafe find. Even on a regular weekday, it was bustling and we had to act quick to snag a table for three. Parking wasn't too much of an issue because of the carpark around the back that lets you sit for an hour free. The food was clean and fresh – not doused in oil or sauce. Best of all, it was great value at $15.50 for my empire eggs.

Basking in the artisan atmosphere of the markets next door, and surrounded by homemade goodies like jams placed proudly on shelves, it's easy to feel comfortable in their care.  The other glass cabinet delights include cakes, pastries and pies that I know I want to hold tightly to this winter.

We'd love to explore new places in Ponsonby! Tell us where to go next on Facebook, Twitter or comment below in good old blogging style. Good cafes deserve recognition, and I know we're not the only ones alone in our love for brunch!

Foxtrot Parlour

7 Richmond Rd (inside Ponsonby Central)

Ponsonby, Auckland

(Ph) 09 360 0014,

The last time we caught up with Al Brown for the launch of his latest book, it was clear his food philsophy was not flowers on pristine plates. Al Brown’s latest gastronomical offering once again proves you don’t need to have tablecloths on tables for people to love and rave about your food.

After winning the Metro Restaurant of the Year in 2012, the talk hasn’t died down and it doesn’t look like the line to go into Depot is about to get shorter any time. Best Ugly Bagels follows the same philsophy with delicious bites of well executed food in a relaxed setting.

But why bagels? As a young chef, Al Brown spent some time in Montreal, where he developed this love for Montreal bagels. The difference between Montreal bagels is the fact that they are rolled thinner, and contain no salt. These are then simmered in water sweetened with honey before firing them in the woodfire oven.

The result?

King – cream cheese, salmon, lox, capers, and red onion

I don’t know about you, but this sesame coated bagel is nothing but ugly. Seeing each one so lovingly handrolled in the open kitchen reminds me of the best homemade cookies – lumpy looking but filled with generous chunks of chocolate. Topped with cream cheese, salmon, lox, capers and red onion – that is a killer combination for a bagel.

There is a noticeable difference with a fresh golden bagel and these Best Ugly bagels are sweeter and chewier than other bagels I’ve tried.

The filled bagels are great for lunch, and choices like the Yodi with pastrami, Swiss cheese, pickles and Habanero mustard, the TAB with tomato, avocado and basil or the King with cream cheese, salmon, lox, capers and red onion as below.

I suggest getting a filled bagel for lunch but if you are heading there as an after-lunch sweet thought, there’s honey, peanut butter and jelly or homemade hazelnut spread.

One day after daylight saving ended and it already feels like the cold is suffocating my frolicking days in the sun. Right in the heart of CBD, The Hamptons is the new oasis for those who want to escape the air-conditioning chill to soak up the last of the sun, while eating food brought out from the beachside kitchen.

It’s the newest venture from Clooney duo Tony Stewart and chef Des Harris, a pop-up concept based on the seaside resort “Hamptons” of New York. Nestled in the middle of high rise office towers and glaring glass windows, you won’t be able to see the full beach side concept until you walk in – making it even more exclusive to those who don’t work near the area.

The menu is short and sweet, and takes the grind out of deciding what to order. Inspired by American cuisine, seafood plays a big role and almost makes you feel like you are on a mini holiday, knowing full well that you normally won’t have this selection at a regular lunch.

We ordered with the intention to share the food. After all, it said Casual Bar, and Light Plates at the top. With the cutlery and napkins kept in their little wire baskets, it makes it feel like a mini picnic, completely oblivious to the towering buildings nearby.

Green Gazpacho

The light and cooling flavours complemented the dreamy and relaxed atmosphere. Dotted with icy sour creme chunks, the combination with the homemade bottled sauce that made the dish fresh and crispy.

Crab Roll

This was my favourite. A light sweet bun, crammed with crab and mayonnaise at every bite. Lightly teased with chives and lemon, the crab was deliciously sweet  and juicy. At $15 though, I found it a bit too petite and could easily balance the wee thing on the palm of my hand. Sharing was out of question!

Cos Shell Cevich – fish ceviche, green chili and lemon

This again reminds me why fresh produce is so important. Delicately crispy, the lettuce cradles went down effortlessly. The green chili and lemon gave me the punch I needed to slow down and appreciate the delicious morsels.

Everything about The Hamptons is anything out of the ordinary – even their chips. These springy latticed potato chips in their wire baskets make regular french fry counterparts look like limp greasy sticks in comparison. I’d recommend you order some along with the your food because of the light nature of the sharing plates.

Priced on the higher end for casual bar food/light plates, you can expect delicate and light bite-sized morsels of food. I guess the disappointing thing was really the portions – so if you’re a heavy lunch eater, be prepared – and if you are heading there for dinner, make sure you head into the mains! Open til the end of May, The Hamptons makes me want to squeeze every lasting ray of sunshine from the Autumn sun and forget about the Auckland traffic, computers and bask in the goodness of fresh food.

The Hamptons

41 Shortland Street

Auckland, New Zealand 1140

(Ph) 022 088 5965

On the website, Fukuko humbly calls itself a shōchū and snack bar, but you will find yourself more full than you expected with these pork buns. Stuffed full of pork belly, cucumber and spring onion, you’ll be smacking the sweet hoisin sauce with a satisfied sweep of your tongue against your lips.

And yet, everything is so elegant, styled into bite-sized morsels of deliciousness. The Fukuko chicken comes with a knife and cutting board so you can dig into the drumsticks with your company – without going Flinstones and seizing the food.

C’s favourite – Seared tuna tataki – cucumber, yuzu vinegar, wasabi tobiko

Everything I had was light and delightful, including the drinks. Having been there for after-work drinks and mid afternoon bites, there’s one thing that caught my eye on the menu. Their chocolate peanut butter milkshake and “Japa Dogs” – American hotdogs stuffed with options of teriyaki chicken, crumbed pork belly or braised beef.

To end on one last thing that will make your eyes widen and if you were there in person, a must Instagram moment. Yes, as the finger points – that is bacon lodged firmly in the ice cream sundae. Non-existent on the menu, this was a sampler brought out to make us squeal.

We’ll be back to sample those Japa-Dogs, and to tick off the cocktails. This is the new hangout spot for those in Britomart – perhaps more grown-up and sophisticated while brandishing the Early Grey martini. Come check it out if you haven’t already!

Ph: (09) 300 5275

Union Fish Company Building
48 Tyler Street
Britomart
Auckland

It’s a hot Wednesday afternoon – so hot, we figured even spicy Mexican food wouldn’t make a difference. Good thing we decided to drop in at lunch! It’s a mission to get a table after 5 at both the Takapuna and Britomart branch. If you’ve been to (or attempted to) Mexico, you’ll know that Mexico doesn’t take bookings – much like Depot.

If you haven’t noticed from the name yet, this is definitely a themed restaurant. Everything has that slight Central-South American taste to it, but at the same time it’s mixed with the casual Kiwi feel without giving in too much.

The decor is full of Mexican/Spanish art – Not that we would know much, but the vibrance of it all just reminds you of where you are.

Taco – Beef brisket braised in coconut & ancho w green onion, chilli, papaya

It doesn’t look very big, and it’s not. When I first saw this and being a bit of a carnivore, I thought “I wonder how much meat is in there…”. To my surprise, it was actually quite heavy. The taste turned out to be quite meaty, accompanied by very subtle flavours of the onion, chilli, and papaya – too bad I couldn’t get the scent of the coconut. It’s probably one of the few things on the menu that gives a good value for price – $6.

Mexico’s fried chicken w jalapeño mayo and chipotle mayo

This dish gave me the biggest surprise. Having being told that Mexico offers more tapas style dishes already, for $12 I was expecting a bigger dish. But don’t let the price or the size fool you, the fried chicken with the jalapeno mayo is to die for! It really shows you difference that you would get between this and KFC. The chicken wasn’t overly greasy or salty. The only downside was the price.

Quesadilla – Prawn, smoked paprika, chilli & orange w corn salsa

Now this was an impressive dish that gave both value and taste. I was interested to see how prawn would be played out in this, and as I expected, the prawn was chopped rather than having whole prawns splayed out. The one thing I would’ve liked – more chilli! But then again, I’m quite into my spicy and hot stuff. The corn salsa was a perfect match – especially when the quesadilla got slightly dry as you conquered the dish. For $12 I would say it’s pretty good as well.

So there’s a quick lunch at the famous Mexico. It is definitely hard to find a table at night, but lunch is always perfect. And for the guys, if you prefer heavy portions for dinner, Mexico might not be for you – but for lunch it’s quite worth it. It’s a different place to talk, have a drink and eat. We’ll be back for the drinks!

Mexico – Takapuna

4 The Strand (McKenzies)
Takapuna, North Shore
Google Map

T: +64 9 280 1487
E: takapuna@mexico.net.nz

Restaurant Manager – William Walker

OR

Mexico – Britomart

23 Britomart Place
Britomart, Auckland CBD
Google Map

T: +64 9 366 1759
E: britomart@mexico.net.nz

Restaurant Manager: Kate Barnes

Vietnamese has always been a favourite for the fresh clean taste and I learned how easy it is to prepare from one of Sachie Kitchen’s Brigade 6 classes where TriBeCa’s Hayden McMillan was our host and teacher.

Out of the 3 dishes we made, this one was my favourite – and when you try this in the kitchen – you can see why!

Vietnamese Prawn and Rice Noodle Salad

Ingredients (serves 4):

200g rice vermicelli noodles

1 large carrot, cut into thin matchsticks

1 telegraph cucumber, seeds removed, cut into thin matchsticks

1 long red chili, seeds removed, cut into thin matchsticks

300g peeled cooked prawns (tails intact), deveined

1 cup (75g) bean sprouts

1/4 cup each of mint, coriander and Thai basil leaves

Nouc cham dressing:

2 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs fish suace

1/3 cup (80ml) lime juice

1 long red chili, seeds removed, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Method:

1. For the nuoc cham, stir the sugar, fish sauce and lime juice in a bowl to dissolve the sugar, then stir in chili and garlic. Set aside.

2. Prepare the rice noodles according to packet instructions, drain well, then place in a large bowl.

3. Add the carrot, cucumber, chili, prawns, bean sprouts and herbs to the bowl of noodles. Add the dressing, toss well to combine, then serve.

Super easy! The nouc cham dressing is the secret to the recipe. You can even make more of the dressing and pop it in the fridge for more homemade Vietnamese glamour another time.

* Extra tips from the chef himself:

- Add the dressing before the vermicelli cools, otherwise it can stick together

- Add the carrot and cucumber at the end for that fresh crunch

- Don’t worry about chopping up the herbs, using your fingers to bruise it will get the flavours out

If this worked out for your lazy night in or dinner party, we want to hear about it! Stick a photo of it on the Ultimate OmNoms Facebook Page or leave a comment if you tweaked the recipe to make it work better for you!

First up is the Tasting Shed. The atmosphere isn’t the most romantic and elegant. But if you want to get away from the city and enjoy a bit of the rural air, then the Tasting Shed is the place. The one thing that puts the Tasting Shed on the list is because the dining style is in the form of shared entrees – There’s nothing more romantic than sharing the same plate of fine food with the special one right?

If you want somewhere a bit more romantic but still keeping the atmosphere slightly casual – The Commons won’t disappoint. Combine fine food with fine service, in addition to that, take a stroll on the beach after for the sunset; you can’t get any more romantic. Just make sure you make your seating upstairs where a noisy bar and kitchen is no where near you.

This next restaurant isn’t exactly fine dining, but at least this one has table cloths on their tables (contrary to the previous two). Similar to The Commons, Long Bay Restaurant also sits next to a beach. The place is definitely not big, but not too small either. The moment you walk in you’ll find the place very cozy. The food is more casual but this doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be able to compete with all the other fancy places.

If you’re really looking for fancy, romantic, quiet, then Vinnies is the place. Situated in Ponsonby, Vinnies is the combination of fine dining with fine dining atmosphere. Dimmed lights, white table cloths, it’s the perfect place for girls to dress fancy and for the guys to suit up. The food is very fine and fancy, but just be prepared for portions being on the smaller end, though I’m sure the guys will be too busy impressing the ladies to complain about small portions.

One last place on the list is Kermadec Fine. This would definitely be one of the places that you can’t go wrong with. With the new head chef, Anton jumping in last year, and also the revamp, the ladies will definitely be impressed by the food and view. It’s definitely a place you can’t go wrong with on Valentines Day. The menu is always elegant and impressive, guys just be prepared to either fork out for parking or take a longer walk.

Hope that helps you on your Valentine’s Day out this week! Have a look on the Fancy section and Casual Dining section for more foodie inspiration.

And..The venue hasn’t been decided for us so help me in the comments below or on Facebook!

Every time we cross the bridge from the Shore, we’re greeted by this first restaurant on “the other side”. If you’ve been following us on Twitter and Facebook, you’ll notice that we’ve been obsessed with something recently. From waking up at 4am to run to Marsden Point, fishing up a monster octopus (we’re on 4 now since Jan!), to the Auckland Seafood Festival - we just can’t get enough of seafood!

Sails Restaurant really captures the essence of Auckland is – from the name, to the gorgeous panoramic view of the Auckland Harbour, and it wouldn’t be complete without a nod of approval for the food.

I couldn’t get enough of the cauliflower soup -this photo was taken before I sank my hungry fangs into it so the crumbed scallops was really teaser for everything ahead.

Salt and pepper squid, cucumber, coriander and mint, sweet chilli caramel, peanut nam jim

I really would’ve thought this dish as a shared platter rather than an elegant entree dish. Why? There was too much salt! I found myself downing glasses of water half way through the dish – which was a great pity, the coriander and mint worked really well with the calamari. Salt aside, this dish does represent Auckland quite well with the salted calamari, while dusted off with refreshing herbs.

Rare raukumara venison, poached cherries, celeriac, dark cocoa crumbs, watercress

Having seen “rare” on the menu, I was expecting thinly sliced pedantic pieces of venison carpaccio to come. Not to complain though, the two chunky venison pieces were more than enough for a normal entree. The cherries and cocoa gives the meat a dark touch and intensifies the flavour on the palate.

Angus beef fillet, potato espuma, truffle onion flan, crisp sweetbreads, parsley puree

Entering Sails Restaurant, it makes sense to order something seafood oriented and I chided myself a little for giving into the temptation of a juicy steak. But when I saw that perfection on the plate, that feeling was all gone. And don’t worry, that was not a blood bath on the plate. Even though we also ordered a side of beans, it wasn’t necessary at all. I’m not a complete meat monster so I thoroughly enjoyed the truffle onion flan which was the other highlight on the dish. There’s nothing worse than dining out and thinking “I could have cooked this…better” and with this, there was no way I could have done it at home.

Crispy skinned terakihi, green herb and prawn risotto, Alaskan king crab, preserved lemon, petit herbs

I was actually very happy with this dish, the only thing a bit off was that I saw a lot of prawn, but not much king crab. The terakihi wasn’t too oily, skin was crisp – this chef clearly wasn’t sloppy. Risotto wasn’t undercooked, working well with the prawn and crab. Though my biggest impression off this dish was the scent of lemon – instead of smelling something greasy and heavy for a main, the lemon gave the whole dish a sense of refreshment – it really opened up the appetite for the dish itself.

Dark Chocolate – raspberry gel, honeycomb and toffee snow

Well somebody had to order the chocolate option on the dessert menu! I’ve recently been in love with Valrohna chocolate, having tasted a spectacular Violet and Valrohna creation from Nick Honeyman at The Commons. This is great for chocoholics like me but I found that it melted so quick in the summer heat that I was sent scooping the chocolate dish up way too quick. And it wasn’t too long before it got too overwhelming and sweet. It would be a great delight if we were able to enjoy it slowly while watching the summer sun disappear on us.

Chilled Coconut Rice – mango sorbet, compressed pineapple, star anise & pepper

This is one of those dishes where you desperately want to see what it’s like but no one has the guts in case it’s something so out of the comfort zone. I’ve been inspired lately by the sudden interest in adding herbs to desserts. This is of no exception. Star anise is used widely in my kitchen for making one of my favourite comfort foods – beef noodles. Seeing it hand in hand with mango and pineapple is something out of the ordinary. This is a beautiful dessert – your tongue is slightly numbed by the mango sorbet but the fragrant rice gently nudges away. The addition of the coconut and star anise is the winning combo in the dish that gives it the stand out flavours.

Sails restaurant is a great overall restaurant. There’s a couch area for drinks after dinner if you like, and the decor was posh enough to make it an occasion. The location is also secluded enough if a quiet evening is on your agenda. As a seafood restaurant, it didn’t disappoint, almost all the dishes were close to perfection. We’ll definitely be back for more.

Sails Restaurant

Ph: 09-378-9890

Westhaven Marina, 79 Westhaven Dr, Westhaven, Auckland

So it’s no surprise that high tea in Auckland has risen in popularity. The best thing is, you don’t have to go to some fancy hotel to for a luxury afternoon tea. Many cafes have also picked up on this trend to serve tiered cadies topped with delicate savoury and sweet treats.

The beautiful ritual of high tea lies not just in the food but the beautiful silverware, porcelain tea sets and the luxury soft seats. You have the perfect excuse to don that dress you’ve hidden in your wardrobe for that unknown occasion.

As an obsessed lover of high tea, I’ll bring you the best of high tea in Auckland- there’s bound to be one that you’ll love!

Click on the photos or place to get the full review.

Stamford Hotel

Classy atmosphere with a range of choices including child-friendly options. There’s live music playing in the weekend so it’s a must for classical music lovers.

Review – Available: 11:30am to 4pm

Monday – Friday $35 | $42 with bubbles
Saturday to Sunday $39 | $46 with bubbles

22-26 Albert Street, Auckland CBD

Britomart Country Club- Best Value

Great value in a great location at Britomart. Relaxed atmosphere with a full bar and other pizza choices so it’s safe to go with the blokes!

Review- Available from 12pm

All Days $20 | $35 with bubbles

Galway Street, Auckland CBD

Prohibition/Nostalgia- Best atmosphere

Impeccable service and a beautiful representation of the times in 1920′s. Complete with jazz music and delicate delights on the table.

Review - Available: Friday – Sundays 12pm-4pm

Price: $34 per person | $38 gluten free | $47-57 with bubbles

108 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland

Langham Hotel- Best overall

Calling all dessert lovers. This is the ultimate place for indulgence.

Review – Available: 12 noon to 4.30pm

Monday – Friday $36 | $61 with bubbles
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays $39.50 | $65 with bubbles

83 Symonds Street, Auckland CBD

Parnell Rose Gardens

Beautiful location with the rose garden just outside. Food definitely leans towards the favour of sweet tooths though! Parking won’t be a problem – there’s plenty of all day parking close by.

Review- Available from: 1pm and 4pm Wed to Sun

Price: $35 per person

85 Gladstone Road, Parnell, Auckland.

Hectors Restaurant

Loved the open atmosphere of the restaurant – best way to spend a Sunday afternoon without being too posh!

Review

Price: $32 per person

35 Hobson St,  Auckland CBD