GPO Wellington opens with a nod to Temuka and the Post Office –
InterContinental Wellington has announced the launch of GPO, its new restaurant that pays homage to the iconic General Post Office which once occupied the same site.
The luxury hotel’s latest dining addition tells an exciting, culinary story of travel, discovery and culture. The restaurant is set to open on April 21, with bookings open now.
Under the culinary leadership of acclaimed Executive Chef Carl Maunder, GPO offers a contemporary spin on classic cooking techniques, with a menu highlighting seasonal produce from New Zealand drawing influence from the rich cultures of Southern Europe, the Levant and the Mediterranean, served in a relaxed yet refined environment.
General Manager, Scott Hamilton says: “The new restaurant adds to InterContinental Wellington’s reputation as one of the city’s top destinations for both business and pleasure.
“It is exciting to introduce GPO as a strong culinary concept that will appeal to both locals and visitors, giving guests even more reasons to stay with us. It feels good to welcome this new dining experience to enhance our luxury line-up.”
GPO delivers diners a culinary ‘souvenir’ of intrepid travel, evoking memories of overseas holidays to faraway shores. Expect an array of dishes that explore rich spices, fresh herbs, and seasonal bounties, with smaller plates inspired by the renowned tapas and mezzes of the Mediterranean, as well as larger dishes including hand rolled pastas, pasture raised meats and locally grown organic produce.
GPO’s menu will highlight the best of seasonal seafood, including a signature ‘fruits of the sea’ platter with market oysters, diamond shell clams, mussels, prawns, and crayfish.
Chef Carl Maunder is passionate about building meaningful relationships with local suppliers. This helps him to showcase and celebrate wonderful produce and seafood, which are connected to the community and their stories.
Diners are in for a treat with daily bread from Shelly Bay Baker, dishes dressed with the finest local olive oil from Olea Estate, sustainable Haku kingfish from Ruakaka, and the much-loved clams from Cloudy Bay.
Adding to the unique dining experience, renowned New Zealand brand, Temuka Pottery has thoughtfully crafted bespoke crockery for the new restaurant.
Elevating GPO’s vibrant cuisine is a hand-picked wine collection curated by in-house sommeliers, showcasing both well-known and some more unfamiliar varieties that express the best in regionality. The collection features wines from the Aegean through to the Riviera, Andalusia and back home to Australasia.
For intimate dinners or lively celebrations, GPO promises an enriching dining experience with a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. From flavourful snacks to decadent platters, every dish showcases the restaurant’s commitment to quality, sustainability and community, making it a must-visit destination for foodies in Wellington and beyond.
GPO opens from Friday April 21, – Tue to Sat, 5pm – late.
8 of the best local dining spots in Waikiki
A trip to Hawaii is surely memorable but not exactly cheap.
A 2023 analysis of a seven-day trip from Los Angeles to Honolulu during shoulder season for a family of four people staying at a three-star hotel can easily cost over $5,700 – including meals, transportation and activities.
Where can you cut costs? Food.
Most visitors who visit Hawaii opt for Honolulu, and chances are, they’re staying in Waikiki – home to over 900 lodging properties.
While many hotels have great dining options, they tend to be expensive, so you probably don’t want to dine there every night. You may also not want to hit up chain restaurants like PF Changs or Cheesecake Factory if you can find them back home. Wouldn’t you rather go to spots offering a more authentic taste of the islands?
If you know where to look, Waikiki has many hidden gems for affordable and delicious dining – many of which are owned and beloved by locals.
Here are some delicious, locally approved cheap eats in Waikiki. Everything on the list costs around $15 or less.
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Marugame Udon
If you’re wandering along Kuhio Avenue, you’ll likely spot a long line of hungry people on the sidewalk. They’re waiting for Marugame Udon, a longstanding staple of Waikiki. If you’re eating here, you want cheap and delicious food, not exactly a sit-down dining experience.
The Japanese chain restaurant serves authentic udon noodles in flavorful broths, served up cafeteria-style. Guests order their choice of udon in regular ($6.50) or large ($7.50), then grab whatever sides, like different tempuras, including shrimp, chicken and asparagus, and musubi (usually around $2.50 each).
The restaurant moves quickly: once you get your food, snag an empty table, slurp up the noodles then hustle out for the next set of diners.
Maguro Spot
Maguro Spot is a hole in the wall with a wide selection of poke, which is marinated raw fish over a bed of rice, at reasonable prices – it’s the perfect pre- or post-beach meal.
You can make your own poke bowl or order one of their recommended combinations. Definitely go for the creamy sesame sauce, which isn’t offered at other poke shops around the island.
A medium poke bowl goes for $12 and is enough to fill you up for lunch or dinner.
K Street Food
On Kalakaua Avenue is the recently opened food hall called STIX Asia, where CEO Frank Clark said he wanted to educate guests on different Asian foods at approachable prices.
“Our goal was to have a family of four eat for under $100,” he told USA TODAY.
K Street Food is a casual restaurant serving authentic Korean street food. For something filling but not heavy, the kimbap – Korean sushi made with savory ingredients like spam, fish cake, egg and cucumber – goes for $12.99. If you really want a Korean street food experience, opt for a rice dog ($8.99-10.99, depending on what kind you get), which is a corn dog made with rice flour.
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Baikohken Ramen
Fellow STIX restaurant, Baikohken Ramen, is the sister restaurant to a Hokkaido location that was recognized in the Michelin Guide Hokkaido 2012 and 2017. Its shoyu ramen is filling and has a deep soy sauce flavor ($15.48). The portion is pretty big too, topped with chashu pork that was marinated in soy sauce overnight, and bamboo shoots.
Musubi Cafe Iyasume
If you’re headed to the beach, stop by one of three Waikiki Musubi Cafe Iyasume locations for this beloved musubi shop for a quick, handheld meal.
Onigiri, or musubi, are Japanese rice balls with ingredients like Spam (a Hawaiian favorite), cooked fish, shrimp tempura, egg, fried chicken and more wrapped inside.
Once you enter the small shop, you’ll see rows of countless types of onigiri. Depending on what kind of musubi you get, it can range from $2 to $5. Grab two or three for a beach day, throw them in your bag, and you’re all set.
Topped Waikiki
In 2015, Honolulu chef Justin Sok was serving up bibimbap cups and kalbi short ribs at a food stall at King’s Village farmer’s market in Waikiki before opening up a restaurant in Chinatown in 2017. While that location has closed, you can now find his satisfying Korean. -inspired dishes at Topped Waikiki, many of which are under $15.
The spicy pork mayo bowl with juicy braised pork, a scrambled egg and pickled onions over a bed of white rice is drizzled with teriyaki, Korean chili sauce and mayo ($10.99).
Vegetarians, or those who want something a bit healthier, opt for the tofu bibimbap, which uses tofu instead of meat ($11.99).
Rainbow Drive-In
If you’re willing to go on a longer stroll, head off the main strip of Waikiki to Rainbow Drive-In on Kapahulu Avenue. Since 1961, this eatery has been offering residents and visitors alike a plate lunch fare, a hearty meal consisting of rice, macaroni salad and meat like BBQ pork or fried mahi-mahi fish ($11.75-$13.50).
If you’re really hungry, opt for the loco moco, another local favorite, consisting of rice and a hamburger patty topped with a fried egg and gravy ($11.75). Take some time to digest and snap a picture of the iconic neon sign before heading back to Waikiki.
Kids will love cooling off with a slush float, a Strawberry Icee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ($4.75 for a small).
Sunrise Shack
If you have a big breakfast, have plans for a nice dinner, or want something lighter but still filling, head over to the Sunrise Shack at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, located steps off Waikiki Beach since 2018.
Owned by a few North Shore surfers, this shop serves healthy tropical-inspired smoothie bowls and smoothies. The classic acai bowl ($11.95) is a decently sized frozen blend of acai, topped with gluten-free granola, banana, coconut flakes, dragon fruit sauce and honey.
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Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Budget travel to Hawaii: 8 best cheap eats in Waikiki under $15
Flourishing Food Truck future on the horizon –
At high school in Wellington, Jes Howes was struggling to thrive and fast losing self-esteem. By Year 13, Howes decided it was time to move on and find a different pathway. With the encouragement of her parents, who knew she had a passion for cooking, she researched options at Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pukenga and embraced a new future.
Jes quickly immersed himself in his new, hands-on, practical study in the Commercial Kitchens of the hospitality campus and qualified in bakery, cookery and hospitality management. This experience cemented her ideas about pursuing a career doing what she loved, cooking, and Jes wanted to start her own food truck business.
“I love cooking and baking and it was while I was doing the courses that I came up with my food truck idea,” says Jes.
“I had this vision of a cool truck serving burgers and chips to people out on a Saturday night on Courtney Place. It will be fun and I know everyone loves hot, fresh food when they have a big night out.”
To complement her hospitality qualifications and to help her set up a new business, Howes has returned to learning at Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pūkenga to gain the accounting and management knowledge she needs to get going with her plans.
Howes is now in the process of completing this qualification and recently spoke about her experiences to almost 700 students at the recent graduation ceremony held by Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pukenga.
“When I was at school I had low self-confidence and really did not know what I wanted to do,” says Jes.
“When I started at Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pūkenga I met such lovely people in my class and I realized there was a student support team, who helped me with my learning difficulties.”
Howes described the student support team as being a big encouragement to her, having helped her navigate through her studies and explaining her situation to her tutors.
Disability advisor at Whitireia and WelTec | Te Pūkenga, Rebecca Burns said Jes Howes is an inspiration and despite potential learning barriers, she has achieved both personal and academic success.
“The importance of seeking and receiving support is strongly evident and I know that Jes is a strong advocate for our support services which extends to both students and staff. We have been privileged to walk this journey alongside Jes,” said Burns.
Looming $160m excise tax hard to absorb says NZABC –
The year has just got more challenging for producers, hospitality businesses and consumers of beer, wines and spirits with the announcement that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is 6.7%.
“The 6.7% rise in the CPI is used as a benchmark to increase the excise tax on beer, wines and spirits. The excise tax was $1.24 billion in June 2022 and is forecast to be $1.4 billion the following year[1].
This will mean an extra $160 million in new taxes which are paid by producers and ultimately consumers. In this time of rapid inflation and a cost of living crisis, extra taxes are extremely hard to absorb,” says NZABC executive director Virginia Nicholls.
Excise is a duty imposed on locally produced and imported beer, wine and spirits products.
The annual excise tax adjustment is based on movements in the CPI (up to 31 March 2023) and starts on 1 July 2023.
“The continuing inflationary pressure, including rising ingredient and packaging costs, skill shortages, higher interest rates, and recent flooding and cyclones means that an increased excise tax will more than likely need to be passed onto consumers,” Mrs Nicholls said.
“It is not well known that the majority of beer, wine and spirits producers, hospitality providers and retailers are small and medium sized businesses”[2] [3]Mrs. Nicolls said.
“The wine, beer, spirits and beverages industry provided much needed jobs, including all important entry level opportunities in every small town, city center and suburb in between. This includes 1,865 businesses across small, medium and large businesses”[4]says Mrs. Nicolls.
The more than 10,000 directly employed in the industry[5] do a whole variety of jobs from orchard workers, involvement in winemaking/brewing/distilling, manufacture and packaging, scientists, accountants, marketing, transport and logistics, salespeople and retail. Indirectly 20,913 kiwis are also employed.
The industry also sustains a productive and innovative domestic market and a growing export market.
“Only half (50%) of all kiwis realize that in addition to GST, there is an excise tax on beer, wine and spirits”[6]Mrs. Nicolls said.
Notes: [1] NZ Customs Service Rīpoata ā-tau Annual Report (June) 2022, p 167. Year ending June 2022 actual customs and excise duty on alcohol $1.24 billion and year ending June 2023 unaudited forecast of $1.4 billion, accessed 20 April 2023. https:// www.customs.govt.nz/contentassets/01619abba6a748e98ce7282629484d0c/2022-annual-report-print.pdf
[2] NZ Winegrowers (NZW) categorizes wineries by size, with small wineries classified as those who sell less than 200,000 liters of wine each year. In 2022 this accounts for 88% of wineries. NZW Annual Report 2022.
[3] According to Ratebeer as at 2021 there were 199 breweries in NZ (NZIER February 2022)
[4] NZ Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) report February 2022
[5] Ibid
[6] Conducted by Curia Market Research, December 2022, with 1250 respondents across NZ
Visa launches $30,000 hospitality scholarship –
Visa, supported by Visa Wellington on a Plate, has launched a new hospitality industry scholarship open to candidates across New Zealand, valued at NZD $30,000.
The Visa NZ Hospitality Scholarship aims to attract and retain more young people into the industry and support them to take up hospitality as a fully-fledged career. It includes a five-day placement at a top international hospitality venue, professional development, a one-year mentorship, business training and future participation in Visa Wellington On a Plate.
Visa’s Head of Marketing for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific Natalie Lockwood said, “As a proud partner of Visa Wellington On a Plate since 2009, we are excited by this new opportunity to inspire and uplift the wonderful young emerging talents across the country.
By providing access to a unique scholarship with international reach, this will have a positive impact not only on the scholarship winner, but on the wider hospitality industry as a whole.”
Wellington Visa On a Plate Festival Director Sarah Meikle says, “The scholarship is a welcome initiative that will help to attract and retain talent within the industry by providing hands-on industry training and ‘money-can’t-buy’ international experience.
“We know that working in hospitality can teach people so much, from people skills to finance, marketing and more. Whether you’re back or front of house, it’s an industry that can be incredibly rewarding and we are here to encourage that.”
The Scholarship Prize
The 2023 Visa NZ Hospitality Scholarship winner will win a prize tailored to their career interests, stage, and progression, including:
- A five-day work experience placement internationally at a restaurant or hospitality establishment (Including flights and accommodation).
- Attendance at an international professional development forum such as Food on the Edge or Tales of the Cocktail (including flights and accommodation).
- Professional skills development including a year-long mentorship. The experience will be catered to the Successful Applicant’s area of expertise within the Hospitality Industry.
- Access to a Social Media specialist for personal brand development coaching.
- Access to virtual business skills training, which includes access to EAP (mental wellbeing support), physical well-being support, career coaching and financial advice.
- A trip to Wellington for the 2023 Visa NZ Hospitality Scholarship Announcement including flights and accommodation.
The total prize value is NZ$30,000.
The scholarship is open to hospitality workers who are NZ residents, aged between 22 and 35 years of age at the time of their submission and have a minimum of two years’ experience working in the hospitality industry. Applications close at 11.59pm NZST on Monday 15 May 2023.
The scholarship winner announcement will be made on Thursday August 24, 2023.
For more information and full details on application criteria visit www.visawoap.com/visa-wellington-on-a-plate-hospitality-scholarship
Ready, get set, say cheese toastie please at 185 eaters! –
Ready to titillate tastebuds around the country, the annual Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover is back for 2023 and kicking it up a gear, with a record number of toasties on offer from Kororāreka to Invercargill.
A firm feature on the culinary calendar, this annual celebration of the humble toasted sandwich keeps growing, with a record 185 eateries participating for 2023 – an increase on last year’s competition which saw a massive 140,000 toasted sandwiches consumed.
With this year’s competition now officially underway, toastie fans can look forward to three glorious months of sizzling sandwich goodness and some fierce competition at the grill, as venues battle it out for the title of the nation’s top toasted sandwich between now and late June.
Open to all New Zealand eateries, this year’s participants range from sandwich specialists, to fine dining restaurants, breweries and food trucks, with a vegan fast food chain, a subterranean cocktail bar, Wellington Airport, the Bluebridge Cook Strait ferry and even a retirement village in the mix.
Competition rules remain the same as previous years. Each toastie must be sandwiched between two slices of bread and able to be eaten by hand if necessary. The toasted sandwich must contain cheese (or an acceptable vegan substitute) and pickles from the McClure’s Pickles range. Everything else is up to the maker’s imagination.
As always originality and innovation are on show in this year’s entries, with smoked eel, gabagool, crayfish, wagyu steak tartare, pork belly, lamb pastrami, smoked prawns, wild deer, beef short rib, braised ham hock, smoked brisket, apple cider pulled pork, and sustainable line caught fish all featuring as hero ingredients.
Equally adventurous condiments range from kawakawa aioli, to blueberry balsamic jam, pinot noir jelly, banana chips, consommé dipping broth, pickle juice gel and McClure’s pickle caviar. While notable breads include gold leaf brioche, ramen noodle buns, pickle brine sourdough and beef fat brushed New York deli roll.
The trend towards vegetarian or plant-based entrants continues, with 10 vegan and 5 vegetarian entries, with ingredients like crispy tofu schnitzel, roasted ‘duck’ cheese, housemade ‘not salmon’, and ‘faux shore tuna’ made from lemon roasted chickpeas on the menu.
Also notable this year is the multitude of cuisines on offer – everything from Korean, to Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Cuban, Jamaican and American – and of course Māori and Kiwiana-style entries.
Last year’s winner, Chef Rich Johns from Rotorua’s Okere Falls Store and Craft Beer Garden, is hoping to take out the top award again with a whiskey BBQ glazed smoked brisket, Swiss, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, leftover pickle chilli wholegrain mustard, McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles, Pantry D’or pickle brine sourdough brushed with whiskey compound butter and dusted with dill pickle salt. Served with a pickle shot of brine to wash it down – road-trip anyone?
In Ponsonby, Sid Sahrawat’s KOL is serving the ‘Eel-legal Toastie’ – smoked eel mixed with fennel, capers and McClure’s pickles, Evansdale Tania smoked cheese, on white bread toasted on fire in an Indian jaffle maker.
Also in Auckland, Brothers Brewery is offering its take on a ‘Turducken Toastie’ – buttermilk fried chicken, smoked turkey breast, duck bacon and housemade cornbread stuffing, with mozzarella, Swiss cheese, McClure’s sweet and spicy pickles and house made garlic aioli, all sandwiched between crispy buttered slabs of sourdough and served with a beer gravy for dunking. And extra pickles on the side of course for a palate cleanser.
In Havelock North, Te Mata Figs’ The Figgery Cafe has taken its gluten free ciabatta-style bread and packed it with succulent fig molasses hot smoked salmon, McClure’s garlic and dill pickle infused cream cheese and fresh baby spinach, topped with a dollop of sweet and savory green fig jam and served with a crunchy McClure’s garlic and dill pickle spear.
While in Ashburton, The Fine Lion is serving Lumina lamb katsu, McClure’s sweet and spicy pickles, daikon, sour plum, pecorino, sheep camembert and smoked kawakawa kewpie mayo on Harvey’s special bread, all served with togarishi spiced spud skins and a pipette of McClure’s pickle hot sauce.
With participating eateries vying for a spot in the competition’s final round, it’s now up to the team of 30 judges – overseen by head judge Kerry Tyack – to eat their way around all 185 venues, in order to decide which sandwiches make it to the final 12. Finalists will be revealed late May, and after a second round of judging – and more opportunity for the public to sample the judges’ top picks – the supreme winner will be announced 20 June.
Kiwis also have the power to vote for their favorite toasted sandwich with the return of the People’s Choice Award. Voting is open now, with the winner announced late May.
Judge and co-founder of McClure’s Pickles, Joe McClure, says he is looking forward to returning to Kiwi shores in June for the final round of judging.
“Every year I am blown away – 185 entries, what an incredible turnout. I love New Zealand and after three long years of being unable to visit, I can’t wait to get back in a few months’ time to help judge this year’s top toastie.”
As the competition’s toastmaster royale, McClure has a message for toastie fans.
“If you’re a toastie lover like me, here’s your chance to support your favorite eateries and sample some of these very innovative and no doubt delicious toastie creations. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice Award.”
With school holidays in full swing, now is also the perfect time to check out a few entries while out and about or on the road, says judge Kerry Tyack.
For a list of competing eateries and a description of their toasted sandwich creations, see below or head to toastietakeover.com.
Previous competition winners include Rich Johns from Okere Falls Store and Craft Beer in Rotorua (2022), Steve MacDougall from Mollies, Hotel D’Urville in Blenheim (2021), Romeo Dowling Mitchell from Hungry Hobos Dunedin (2020), and Joseph Walker from the Hokitika Sandwich Company Hokitika (2019).
$1.00 meals this weekend in Christchurch & Wellington –
A selection of popular food hotspots in Wellington and Christchurch have joined forces with DoorDash to provide a menu of items for just $1.00 each – this weekend only.
“We’re excited to launch $1 meals this weekend and urge Kiwis to get behind their favorite hospitality outlets,” says Rebecca Burrows, DoorDash General Manager New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
“We’ve got some amazing local eateries behind us and together we’re hoping to get their delicious food out to more Kiwis this weekend for only $1.”
From Friday 14thth to Sunday April 16, there will be a rotating roster of restaurants and $1 meals available, offering something new each day for fans to get their teeth stuck into. Some of the mouth-watering highlights in Wellington include legendary:
- Reburger and their Smashed Prince burger
- Hutt Rubs with pulled pork loaded with fries
- Gerry’s Charcoal Chicken and the infamous chicken and chips
- Mama Brown’s infamous southern fried chicken burger
- Lord of the Fries and their sampler munch box
- Abrakebaba and their classic go-to, meat on chips
Popular Wellington diner Mama Brown chose to join the promotion to encourage Kiwis to support locals this weekend and to help them celebrate a massive milestone for the restaurant.
“The $1 deal aligns with our 10-year anniversary, so what better way to celebrate and share the good vibes than treating people to our best-selling Southern Fried Chicken Burger for just one dollar?” says Queenie Lai, Mama Brown General Manager.
Further down the country, Christchurch’s $1 deals include:
- $2 Dumpling Rice’s famous lunch box
- Burger Station’s chicken burgers
- Lazeez and their fan favorite grilled chicken souvlaki
- Pot Sticker Dumpling Bar and their dozen matter dumplings
- Empire Chicken’s scrumptious tender box
Plus, many more options up for grabs exclusively on the DoorDash app.
New and existing DoorDash customers who order via the app from participating eateries between 2-5pm on Friday 14th to Sunday 16th April can claim $1 menu items.
B&B operators getting ‘back in the swing’ –
Reconnecting New Zealand’s valuable Bed and Breakfast sector with the international travel trade will be the key focus of its first annual conference in three years.
Industry operators are keen to reunite for the first time since 2020 at the Bed & Breakfast Association New Zealand conference, taking place at the Copthorne Oriental Bay, Wellington, on 19-21 June 2023.
“The 2023 conference is about getting all geared up for the return of our international visitors. We’ve continued with domestic travelers during the pandemic but our members are excited to get back into the swing of hosting our international visitors. So the theme of our conference is appropriately Back in the Swing,” said BBANZ president Donna Brooke.
The conference begins on June 19 with a Travel Trade Afternoon which will facilitate connections between B&B operators and inbound tour operators. The session is already attracting a lot of interest from agents and wholesalers in New Zealand and in Australia, Ms Brooke says.
Participants will include bed and breakfasts, homestays, farm stays, luxury accommodations, self-catering properties as well as small commercial sized bed and breakfasts.
Operators participating in the afternoon will meet BBANZ minimum quality standards and are assessed at three yearly intervals, providing assurance that they offer a first-class quality experience and are ready to work with international travel wholesalers.
“This will be an excellent opportunity for inbound tour operators to meet both established and new ‘product’, with plenty of opportunity for them to get to know the people behind the business,” Ms Brooke says.
The B&B sector is helping meet the demand from international travelers for high quality accommodation in New Zealand, especially after the loss of so much accommodation due to the impacts of the pandemic, she says.
“We provide a boutique and genuine Kiwi experience to our visitors. Having the opportunity to meet and stay with their hosts offers an unforgettable chance to live like a local.”
For more information about the conference and registration, go to: 2023 CONFERENCE, Bed & Breakfast Association