Forget bacon and eggs – here are six Auckland eateries that offer delicious escapes from standard-issue breakfast fare.
Ima Cuisine
Fort Street, downtown. Opens 7am weekdays, 8.30am weekends
Lighting fixtures fashioned from cheese graters, whisks and teacups all add to the warm, homely vibe at Ima, where the home-style Israeli cooking is generous in both size and flavour. The shakshuka (pictured above), a slow-cooked stew of tomatoes, studded with chilli, hunks of housemade merguez sausage and eggs that are simmered in the sauce, will certainly not leave you hungry. Neither will the bourekas, golden puff pastries filled with a salty mix of kashkaval, feta and ricotta cheeses and served with poached eggs, harissa, pickles and a simple salad of tomato, cucumber and herbs. For a refreshing start to your day, try the Israeli breakfast: a chopped salad served with labneh, olives, tahini and egg.
Signature dish Shakshuka, slow roasted tomatoes with homemade merguez sausages, eggs and charred toast.
Best drink Freshly squeezed orange, carrot and turmeric juice.
Amano
66–68 Tyler Street, Britomart. Opens 7am
You can’t get pasta any fresher than at Amano, where the flour is milled on site and you can watch the silky sheets of dough being rolled before your eyes. In keeping with the Italian spirit, the food at Amano is simple, with a focus on the freshest ingredients and a menu that changes often according to the seasons and what’s available. Currently on the breakfast menu, you’ll find Italian flourishes such as prosciutto in the hash, salsa verde and salted ricotta on the eggs, and a breakfast pasta dish of bucatini, pancetta and a soft egg. In the adjacent bakery, you can get a slab of breakfast pizza, topped with fried egg, or a savoury rendition of a cinnamon swirl, made with rocket and parmesan, to take away with your coffee.
Signature dish The freshest handmade pasta in the land.
Best drink Amano owners Hip Group do drinks so well, and the cocktails – Kumquat Spritz, Strawberry Bellini, Limoncello Margarita – all sound suitable for breakfast.
You might also like Buy freshly made pasta and sauces to take away from Pasta & Cuore (409 Mt Eden Rd) to whip up breakfast pasta at home. Or better yet, school yourself at one of their pasta-making workshops. (Opens 11am. Closed Mon)
PappaRich
Shop 2.01–2.03, 291–297 Queen Street
If you’ve ever spent time in a kopitiam in Malaysia or Singapore then the organised chaos at PappaRich will feel vaguely familiar. Although it doesn’t open until noon, this Malaysian chain import offers classic breakfast dishes that can be enjoyed any time of the day. There’s crispy roti which is stretched, flipped and fried to order, served with a trio of curries for dipping; simple congee with a side of steamed chicken; and pan mee noodle soup, a salty broth topped with a soft egg, crispy anchovies, greens and pork mince. They also have kaya toast: thick slabs of white bread served with a coconut and pandan jam. Order it with a side of half boiled eggs and cover them in soy sauce, before dipping your buttered kaya toast into the runny yolks. It’s sweet, salty, creamy and crunchy all at once.
Signature dish Roti, made fresh and crispy and served with a trio of curry gravies for dipping.
Best drink Teh tarik and kopi, strong and sweet tea or coffee served hot or cold.
You might also like Visit Uncle Man’s (277 Karangahape Rd) for murtabak stuffed with chicken mince, onion and egg and served with dhal curry. For something sweet, the roti pisang is filled with banana and served with condensed milk. (Opens 11am)
Kiss Kiss
1 Rocklands Avenue, Balmoral. Opens 7am Tue–Fri, 8am Sat–Sun. Closed Mon
The lofty palms, bright umbrellas and pink neon that fill the space at Kiss Kiss are enough to transport you to the streets of Thailand before you’ve even laid eyes on your fresh coconut adorned with a cocktail umbrella. Here, Northern Thai flavours are cleverly paired with recognisable breakfast classics. Thai fish cakes are topped with poached eggs and sriracha hollandaise; crispy pork larb with a fried egg; and baked beans are given a Burmese curry treatment with pork belly and a crumbed soft egg. We love the sides you can add to your cooked eggs that you won’t find anywhere else, like punchy green papaya salad and fragrant Northern Thai sausage, made in-house.
Signature dish Chicken and kaffir lime scotched egg, pickled red cabbage, spiced pumpkin purée and a coriander pesto.
Best drink Housemade ginger fizz, peach iced tea and Thai milk tea.
You might also like The brunch menu at Kingsland’s Farang Cafe (503 New North Rd) offers simple, satisfying Thai breakfast dishes. Try the Khai Krata, soft eggs with minced chicken, fresh herbs, soy sauce and a slab of buttery toast; and the ginger pork noodle soup with kale, fresh chilli and chunks of fall-apart pork with crisp edges – a true elixir. (Opens 10am. Closed Mon)
Venky’s South Indian Cuisine
535 Sandringham Road, Sandringham. Opens 11.30am
In the interest of keeping things light and fresh for a late breakfast (as it opens 11.30am), avoid the fried vada and bhaji – although delicious any other time of day – and veer towards the lighter selection of upma, dosa and pesarattu. You can consult the pictorial menus on the walls, or the owners will happily help you choose. On our visit, we are told dosa are made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils that is “good for your tummy”, coupled with a lassi (also good for the tummy). The Venky’s special dosa is well-suited to breakfast, with the addition of egg cooked inside, and arrives at the table rolled into an impressive golden flute. Rip off chunks with your hands and dip into the fresh coconut and ginger chutneys, and subtly spiced lentil sambar it is served with.
Signature dish The impressive selection of dosa, all served with sambar and chutney.
Best drink Mango lassi.
You may also like There is so much to discover on this tiny little strip in Sandringham. Try Mumbai Chaat (1 Kitchener Rd) for street snacks (opens 11.30am), Paradise Indian Food (591 Sandringham Rd) for some of the best curry in town (opens 11.30am), and the little grocery stores where you can buy spices in bulk.
This article originally appeared in Paperboy.
Follow Paperboy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and sign up to the weekly e-mail
