CAPTIVATING PLACES CAPSTONES* : TRAVEL 2023. {2}

 

Auckland - New Zealand

Pastries that rival France's best, with a side of adventure tourism on the North Island.

Auckland is usually considered the entry point for the rest of New Zealand's natural attractions, but travellers just passing through can miss that it's also the culinary capital [ sorry, Wellington ].

Restaurants that have been germinating while the country's borders were closed are now ready to be sampled by all.

Just 10 minutes on foot from the newly renovated downtown, for instance, takes you to Hugo's Bistro, where a regular clientele, including many lawyers, dines on unfussy French inspired food that that takes advantage of New Zealand's fertility : Saffron, wasabi and truffles, among other delicacies, are grown in the country.

Cazador, a long time staple of the residential neighborhood Mt. Eden, serves local games in its restaurant and house-cured meats in its delicatessen.

The city's famous multiculturalism also plays a part : Omni, which opened in 2020 and whose head chief worked at Yardbird in Hong Kong, makes high-end yakitori, and Little French Pastry's founders, originally from France, serve-up mille-feuille rivaling Paris's finest. [ Brian NG ]