Good wine loves food. Thankfully, Auckland has plenty of it.
For this year’s Winetopia Auckland, we wanted to complement the stellar wine line-up with some of the hottest new restaurant offerings that are popping up around the city. From 21-22 July, you will be able to enjoy signature dishes from restaurants that we consider part of the exceptional “new wave” in the Auckland dining scene. They all have something especially delicious to offer, and naturally they all share our love of good wine.
Bar Magda
The menu at Bar Magda, which opened just behind Auckland’s Karangahape Road in between the lockdowns of 2021, offers an inventive menu with strong Filipino influences based around a charcoal grill. There is an undeniable love of wine and food steeped through the menu. The atmospheric dining room and artworks have customers flocking back for more.
Originally from the Philippines, owner Carlo Buenaventura is no junior on the hospitality scene, having worked extensively across some of Auckland’s most progressive hotspots including Culprit, Gemmayze Street, Lovebucket and Orphans Kitchen. Carlo took an unusual path serving customers in front of house almost as often as he could be found in the kitchen. His pop-ups under pseudonym “The Cult Project” became the stuff of legends. We asked Carlo and his team for one more pop-up.
Bar Magda dishes at Winetopia:
Bbq lamb ribs green sambal $18
Bbq pork spicy coconut vinegar $16
Spicy potato gnocchi mee goreng $16
Bar Magda, Cross Street, Newton
Duo Eatery
Neighbourhood eateries really came into their own during the past few years and we think we’ve found one of the best in Duo Eatery of Birkenhead. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given Jordan and Sarah Macdonald are behind it (Jordan being a former co-owner and chef of Culprit and Lowbrow and before that in the kitchen at Depot).
If it is modern kiwi cuisine you are looking for then, with a sense of effortless quality, then look no further. It’s the sort of place we all wish was around the corner from home, so we could visit more often for a bottle of wine and a table of delicious plates to share with friends.
Duo Eatery dishes at Winetopia:
Raw fish with oyster cream & sturgeon caviar $16
Paua Donut with horseradish mayo $14 each
Crispy Eggplant with ndjua and buffalo curd $10
Duck Frites duck breasts rolled with duck leg sausage (slices) served with duck fat and pecorino fries $20
Duo Eatery, 138 Hinemoa Street Birkenhead
Gochu
There is a strong Korean food offering in Auckland. Recently there has also been an exciting movement that re-interprets Korean flavours in a New Zealand context. The people behind Gochu (David Lee, Oliver Simon, Jason Kim & Nathan Lord) are some of the leaders in this space and we are excited to have this innovative team with us at Winetopia.
Originally from South Korea, chef Jason Kim’s leads the menu development following time at some of Auckland’s top kitchens like Cassia, Sidart and Clooney. Since Gochu first opened in 2020 it has been turning heads, and many of those heads have been attached to some well-respected chefs. We think you’re going to like it.
Gochu dishes at Winetopia:
Cured kingfish, apple & anchovy consommé, chilli, shallots, crispy seaweed $15
Korean pork XO noodles, cashew cream, pickled radish $15
Gochu ‘Doubled down’, perigord truffle, duck liver parfait, hash, raclette $20
Gochu, Commercial Bay, 21 Queen Street
Still peckish?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! The restaurant line-up at Winetopia will be complemented by some fabulous artisans including Mahurangi Oysters, Olive Black, Cranky Goat, Savour, Kiwi Artisan Co, Passa Passa and Foundry Chocolates...