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.

A SHOUT OUT TO BRUSSELS SPROUTS. It’s that time of the year. How about some Brussels Sprouts?!Wait. Don’t run away. If y...
14/06/2026

A SHOUT OUT TO BRUSSELS SPROUTS.

It’s that time of the year. How about some Brussels Sprouts?!

Wait. Don’t run away. If you cook them the way we do, all memories of those bitter, khaki vegetables from your childhood will be erased.

Instead of cooking them “to death” whole, we separate the leaves. This means they cook much quicker, resulting in a much brighter colour & livelier flavour.

Cut each sprout in half “lengthwise’ through the stem. Then make a “v” cut to remove the hard core & “pluck” the leaves. It takes a bit of time, but the result is worth it.

In a pot, put a generous k**b of butter & a splash of water. Add the separated leaves & put on a tight fitting lid.

Put on the element & let the leaves “butter-steam”. It only takes a few minutes to soften the leaves. They will still be a lovely bright green, just like in the photo. Toss with sea salt & black pepper. Ready to serve.

This results in a completely different vegetable to what you might have been used to & may mean you become a Brussels Sprouts convert.

That’s our shout out to Brussels Sprouts. How about you give them a try. Over & out.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

PS. This cooking method works equally well with thinly sliced cabbage too.

ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO. Last night, between serving diners at the Cashmere Lounge, we witnessed the remarkable removal of o...
11/06/2026

ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO.

Last night, between serving diners at the Cashmere Lounge, we witnessed the remarkable removal of one of the carriages from the weekend train accident.

What an amazing operation!

This will all be repeated again tonight, with the remaining carriage being removed.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

A ROAST WITHOUT ROASTIES. When you think of a roast, you automatically think of both roast meat & roast vegetables. But ...
07/06/2026

A ROAST WITHOUT ROASTIES.

When you think of a roast, you automatically think of both roast meat & roast vegetables.

But that needn’t be the case. A roast without roasties is still a roast.

We had exactly that recently. We roasted a plain chicken. We don’t like those flavoured ones. They taste so fake. Once cooked, we let it rest while making a chicken gravy. Vital. A roast without gravy isn’t a roast.

We boiled some potatoes & made a smooth, buttery mash. Nothing is nicer than mash & gravy. Colonel Sanders was onto something there!

Then we made a salad to serve separately on a side plate. Salad & gravy isn’t such a good combo! Baby cos, grapes, persimmon, parmesan, chives & a honey mustard dressing.

A roast without roasties. It’s still the most delicious roast dinner.

Gary & David. 👬🧡

EMERGENCY 🚨 Our diners at the CASHMERE LOUNGE got more than they were expecting last night. A serious train derailment j...
07/06/2026

EMERGENCY 🚨

Our diners at the CASHMERE LOUNGE got more than they were expecting last night.

A serious train derailment just on the city side of the Khandallah Station brought every emergency vehicle to Cashmere Ave.

The restaurant full of people, had front row seats to the emergency responders doing what they do so well. Quite a distressing scene to witness!

Our job was to keep the customers calm, safe, warm & informed, providing food & drinks while they waited for the road to reopen so they could get home. The show must go on!

Our thoughts are with all those affected by such a rare & serious incident right here in our neighbourhood.

Gary & David. 🚒🚨🚑🚨

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. 👬🧡

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Khandallah
Wellington
6035

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