If you’re thinking about taking in a show at the NZ International Comedy Festival, here’s our round-up of the best places to go for a great bite.
Kai Eatery
350 Queen St, central city
For a grab-and-go dinner, this fried chicken food container is conveniently located across from Aotea Centre. Huge hunks of Taiwanese-style fried chicken breast with the choice of original, spicy or special seasonings are the ideal nibble if you’re coming straight from work to a show.
Tanuki’s Cave
319 Queen St, central city
Tanuki’s Cave is a prime stop-off for a pre-show snack, with their fast paced service and three-litre cans of Asahi. Nearly everything on a stick here is good but the highlights are: chicken livers with salt; squid with soy sauce; and whole garlic cloves. Tables rotate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Madang
23A Wellesley St, central city
As Korean restaurants go, Madang has a shortish, well-honed menu. The bibimbap is full of interesting veges like angelica root and soybean sprouts, with some purple rice vanquishing white-rice monotony, and they point out that their stir-fries are fried in stock rather than oil, which means you don’t end up with that nasty bottom-of-the-bowl slick. That said, their fried chicken wings in spicy sauce are A+++.
Gusto at The Grand
90 Federal St, central city
For the duration of the Comedy Festival, Gusto is offering a three-course, $45 per person set menu between 5–6.15pm. Pastas here are lick-the-bowl good and to claim this sweet deal all you need is one friend and one valid show ticket. Bookings essential.
Queens Court
368 Queen St, central city
Central Auckland’s newest food court is also one of its smallest and best. The 10 or so stalls include well-known names like the Indian Bikanervala and Bombay Chinese, along with new outlets such as the Brazilian stall Bite. Best of all: Gui Rice Noodle, where the crispy fried pork is simply delectable. Queens Court is right opposite the Auckland Town Hall, but it’s not licensed, so if you want a drink, leave in time to get one at the theatre bar.
This article was first published in Paperboy magazine. Follow Paperboy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and sign up to the weekly e-mail.
