New Zealand is the producer of some of the world's
tastiest fresh food. It's 'Pacific Rim' cuisine style takes its inspiration
from Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Polynesia, Japan and Vietnam. This
unique blend of influences has created a mouthwatering range of flavours and
food available from cafes and restaurants nationwide. New Zealand's abundance
of meats, seafood, vegetables, fruit, cheese and wines makes it a gourmet's
paradise. While the main cities support a few elegant, silver-service
restaurants, the trend is towards more relaxed cafe-bar dining. There are more
than 900 Asian restaurants throughout New Zealand.
For dishes that have a distinctly New Zealand style, look out for lamb, pork
and venison; salmon, crayfish, Bluff oysters, paua (abalone), mussels and
scallops from New Zealand water add an important sea food element to any menu.
kumara (sweet potato); kiwi fruit and tamarillo; and pavlova, are national
dessert, made from meringue and lashings of fresh whipped cream topped with
fresh fruit or berries compliment them to perfection. New Zealand dairy product
is famous and the butter, cheese, fresh milk, yoghurt and cream are produced to
the strictest standards of quality and hygiene.
The raw ingredients of New Zealand meals could hardly be bettered. Animals are
pasture-fed rather than grain-fed, giving beef and lamb more flavour. Venison
and lean pork are also farmed. Fish, rock lobsters (known as crayfish),
oysters, scallops, mussels and squid from New Zealand waters add an important
seafood element to any menu, with fresh fruit and vegetables to complement them
to perfection. Avocados, apricots, asparagus, kiwi fruit, cherries,
blueberries, boysenberries, raspberries and strawberries are among the many
tasty options. A distinctively New Zealand vegetable, brought by Maori settlers
from their pacific island homeland is the kumara, a form of sweet potato. New
Zealand honey includes some delicious varieties from native flowers. Maori
delicacies include seafood such as pipi and tuatua shellfish, muttonbird and
freshwater eels.
Kind of Restaurants :
There are two main kinds of restaurants in New Zealand: The licensed
which sell wine, and the BYO (bring your own) Most BYO are located near bottle
shops where restaurant customers can buy their wine, beer or spirit for dinner.
Late night and 24-hour cafes and bars/ restaurants are gaining popularity in
New Zealand. Some are run by major hotels. They have live entertainment,
especially on Thursdays and Friday.
Auckland
Befitting its international reputation for style, Auckland has
established a name for itself in gastronomic circles with world's finest and
freshest cuisine. Aside from the burgeoning number of first-class restaurants
there are a range of eateries diverse enough to satisfy all tastes and budgets.
Most restaurants are in the older inner city suburbs, such as Ponsonby and
Parnell, and along the waterfront. The restored colonial villas of Parnell
house an amazing number of good cafes and restaurants. For Asian fare, try the
Chinese market at the Viaduct Quay on the downtown waterfront, or sample some
wonderful local seafood in the specialty restaurants of the seaside suburbs
Mission Bay and St Heliers, where water views are as much a feature of the
dining experience as the gourmet food. Sample the spice of an
authentic Oriental, Mexican or Indian restaurant, or for that romantic dinner
for two, slip away to an island café overlooking moonlit golden beaches.
Pacific Rim Cuisine is big news for New Zealand and Auckland Chefs, they do it
better than anybody. There's no limit to the flavours you can experience.
Pacific Rim cuisine offers everything from a Kumara, a local sweet potato to
the unique shellfish, greenshell mussels, pipis, tuatua and that delectable
morsel the New Zealand crayfish.
Auckland is home to over 900 restaurants, food-lovers know that
Auckland is one of the tastiest places in the Southern Hemisphere.
INDIAN RESTAURANTS IN AUCKLAND
Freiya's Indian restaurant
Corner Ponsonby Road and Pompallier Terrace, Ponsonby, Auckland
Rotorua
Rotorua is a food lover's delight and sampling the gastronomical
offerings is a must. Dining options range from inexpensive taverns and local
bars to cosmopolitan cafes and brasseries, smorgasbords to a la carte family
restaurants and some elegant dining establishments. Even the most travelled
visitor will find some new and delicious local delight. When it comes to
tantalizing taste buds, the region is truly a connoisseur's delight. Rotorua
offers a wide range of eateries that specialize in numerous ethnic cuisine -
enough to tempt even the most traveled palate. Throughout the city there are
hundreds of dining options ranging from inexpensive tavern meals at local bars,
cosmopolitan cafes and brasseries, inviting smorgasbords to a la carte family
restaurants and elegant fine dining establishments.
Every country has at least one LIP-SMACKING DELIGHT at the
centre of its culinary heart, that special dish you simply must try - at least
once. Here in New Zealand that delight is the Maori Hangi (traditional
feast) and Rotorua has been sharing this culinary wonder with international
visitors for over 100 years.
The Hangi is succulent and juicy mixture of lamb, kumara
(sweet potato) chicken, wild game, potato, pork and beef cooked in a deep hole
dug in the ground, is lined with red-hot stones and covered with vegetation.
The food is then placed on top. The whole oven is sprinkled with water and
sealed with more vegetation. The hole is then filled with earth and left to
steam for several hours. The end result is succulent and juicy with a subtle
smoky flavour - delicious! You'll find most Maori cultural experiences include
a Hangi meal as part of their cultural interpretation.
Another unique delight, which does require a little work on your
part is the fresh water Trout. As its illegal to sell Trout in New Zealand, the
most likely chance you'll get to taste this scrumptious morsel is by catching
your own. Then any of the restaurants and their chefs will be glad to prepare
the trout in their traditional style. But don't despair, Rotorua's 14 crystal
lakes offer some of the best Trout fishing in the world and the professional
fishing guides will assist you every step of the way. In fact, on some Rotorua
lakes, guides will guarantee you a catch - or your money back! So unwind, cast
a line and enjoy the chase.
Myvaluetravel
Note:
Don't let your taste buds miss out rotorua food,
they'll never forgive you.
INDIAN RESTAURANTS IN ROTORUA
Mr India restaurant
45 Amohau Street, Rotorua
Christchurch
Christchurch has exploded into a buffet of varied and exciting
eateries. Traditional New Zealand dishes, seafood and vegetarian restaurants
are found easily besides other culinary delights from Latin American to Middle
Eastern. Asian Restaurants are plentiful and include Malaysian, Thai and
Chinese. The cafe society from fine dining to country fare is booming in
Christchurch and many outlets are open to the "wee small" hours. Christchurch
involves a whole new experience for the palate. The fresh, natural food and
great wines tickle the taste buds and leave you wishing for more. In-fact
Christchurch has more restaurants per head of population. A visit to
Christchurch is incomplete if one does not try out the famous Canterbury lamb,
venison and seafood. Salmons from Akaroa, olives and nuts from the Waipara
Valley, fruit and berry and their products from Geraldine in South Canterbury
and wine from award winning wineries add the icing to the dining scene of
Christchurch. A very healthy and active café, bar and night club scene also
exists in the region.
Myvaluetravel Note:
Many of the restaurants allow guest to bring their own wine to drink with
their meal.
Wine or any other drink can be purchased at places which are fully licensed.
INDIAN RESTAURANTS IN CHRISTCHURCH
Raj Mahal Indian restaurant ( central city )
Corner Manchester & Worcester streets, Christchurch
Little India restaurant (suburb of Merivale, 10 minutes from city)
158 Leinster Street, Christchurch
Queenstown
Give your taste buds a treat when you sample Queenstown's
excellent restaurants. The range is truly staggering. So loosen your belts and
prepare for a taste sensations! Dine on a vintage steamer, in a historic stone
cowshed, or in a restaurant 450 metres above Queenstown. From kitchens waft the
tantalising smells of Chinese, Italian, Thai, Texan, Japanese, Mexican,
European, Lebanese, Indian, American, Vegetarian and Malaysian restaurants are
all within the town centre. Enjoy the cuisine in a cosy restaurant or in fine
hotels, sampling local delicacies like rainbow trout and quinnat salmon,
prepared in tasty Asian or European styles, and sipping on the southern wines.
Queenstown is a culinary melting pot, where East meets West, fine dining
establishments rub shoulders with good family takeaways, where hotel,
restaurants win awards, and the cafe culture is buzzing. At the most recent
count, Queenstown and nearby Arrowtown boasted over 60 licensed restaurants and
cafes, around 20 hotel and motel restaurants, half a dozen pubs, 10 coffee
houses, sandwich bars, takeaways and sushi bars, and two ski area restaurants.
There is also an indoor food court in O'Connell's Shopping Centre and a
collection of fine dining establishments in The Steamer Wharf offering
everything from a cheap, quick snack to a full three-course dinner. In summer,
adding a distinctly continental ambience to the resort, streets and balconies
are crowded with 'al fresco' diners, catching the last of the day's rays or
enjoying the warm evening air. In winter many restaurants have roaring log
fires. There are 100 restaurants located in Queenstown.
One of the most surprising discoveries for many visitors on
their way to Queenstown is the sight of the lush vineyards clinging to the
sides of the valleys in this rugged mountainous region. Vineyards in the
Queenstown area are part of the world's southernmost wine making region. When
in Queenstown be sure to tickle your taste buds with some of the region's own
wines. Central Otago produces some of New Zealand's best wines. Join the
Queenstown Wine Trail and discover award-winning wines from the World's most
southern vineyards. Return to town and sample the delights on offer in the many
shops, cafes and restaurants. As night falls, get ready to experience the
resort's buzzing nightlife.
Myvaluetravel
Note : Visit the annual Central Otago Wine and Food Festival, a
connoisseur's delight, held every February.
INDIAN RESTAURANTS IN QUEENSTOWN
Little India restaurant
11 Shotover Street, Queenstown
Freiyas Indian Restaurant
33 Camp Street, Queenstown
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