April 2014
A couple of weeks ago I found myself, largely glee-filled, on the doorstep of our most populous city, Auckland, in search of a series of uplifting, stomach-filling, mind-enriching and uniquely memorable culinary experiences that many might suggest are available only in a city large enough to make such exceptionalisms commercially viable.
With a mere three days to play with and a plethora of immovable negatives and slippery impediments such as psyche damaging business appointments and a full day seminar I knew I’d have to compromise in some way.
One certainty prevailed, however, and that was my intention and my fervent desire to flee the Viaduct, albeit for a moment in time, to meet one of the nation's most gifted and remarkable young women, an up and coming star in the world of Wholefoods, Holistic Health and, yum yum, raw foods! Amelia Mckenzie was my lunch companion at the Little Bird Cafe, the Unbakery in Summer St, Ponsonby. What an experience – a very busy establishment with all tables occupied when I arrived at about noon with a twenty minute wait for a ‘space’ and maybe longer for a table.
The food being enjoyed by those already seated looked more than appealing, dazzling natural colours artistically arranged on plates alongside texturous mounds of goodness knows what...and goodness I’m sure it had to be...palatable packages of unadulterated foods, full of vibrancy and verve, all complete in their essential rawness. Add to this the company of a lovely young lady and Mr Lu was a happy man indeed!
When our turn came I was very excited, perhaps more than I am usually! I had dined the evening before at Sean Connelly’s The Grill and loved beyond all belief the beautiful steak I had but at the Little Bird my expectations were at their highest level. I knew from comments that had been made to me and recommendations from many in the hospitality industry that Little Bird was something special.
Amelia and I shared several dishes, Raw pizza, a “Bird Bowl” and a Raw Mexican plate, accompanied by, in my case, a pot of Imperial Yunnan Silver Needle tea. (Yunnan Province in China, of course, being the home of some remarkable teas including Pu Er, arguably China’s finest.)
The raw Mexican plate resplendent in its coat of many gentle colours, muted greens, pale oranges, browns, creams and reds. So many textures from the thick, soft consistency of the avocado(Little Bird’s guacamole) to the piquancy of the pesto and the sharp hatchet of the jalopeno, the delicate leafiness of the sprouts, the juiciness of the capsicum, the fresh zestfulness of the yoghurt and the lemon and the almost flavourless but entirely fitting contrast of the ‘Mexican Crackers’ - soft raw corn tacos. I’m sure I jumped around with joy at the delightful texture of the dirty rice, in fact, a blend of macadamia and parsnip I was later advised. Top all this off with a sprinkling of cashew nut cheese and you have nothing less than a magically macoronic, very mesmerising, soundly based and somewhat simple yet strangely complex feast of inestimable value. Nothing heated over 46 degs C, nothing cooked, no nutritional value lost in ‘transformation’.
Let us now pay homage, no less, to the Raw pizza, another of the Unbakery’s delightful offerings to the culinary world. A raw pizza bread topped with “marinated courgette strips, fresh basil pesto, pomodoro sauce, herbed cream cheese, olives, pinenuts and rocket and a side salad .” Amelia tells me that the base is essentially made of activated flaxseeds, almonds and sunflower seeds; the herbed cream cheese most likely made from soaked cashew nuts with probiotics added before fermentation to achieve a savoury taste. This is so far from the ‘cook it and serve it’ philosophy of so many commercial kitchens in New Zealand at the moment and is a resounding success with already converted customers and those, like me, who relish opportunities to experience culinary excellence in all its forms. There’s more than a modicum of thought, care and effort that goes into these dishes and it’s undeniably exciting to experience the fruits of the ‘chefs’ ‘ labours and savour the flavours in their various forms. Too good to be true for anyone interested in food.
What could be more appropriate at the Little Bird Unbakery than to order a ‘Bird Bowl’? Described by the establishment as a nutritious bowl of cumin spiced quinoa, wild rice and red canihua (baby quinoa)pilaf surrounded by an assortment of delicious salads – avocado & fennel, shaved kale with preserved lemon, herbed cashew cheese & activated walnuts, marinated beet , Granny Smith noodles with mint and parsely.....and, housemade kraut slaw with celery, apple and dill.
Is this cutting edge stuff? Maybe, maybe not as the raw food movement has been around for some time but I think Little Bird has effectively taken it to the next level and given us all an insight into how potentially tasty and flavoursome raw food can be. Fear not my fellow carnivores – see the emergence of this exceptional culinary step forward as just that – a step forward. Enhance your dining experience by going at once to the Little Bird and wrapping your blood-stained beaks around their appealing creations, tittup like there’s no tomorrow and expand your gustatory horizons in a most delectable way!
I went but once and from Summer St, Ponsonby, dashed to the airport. I have missed Little Bird since and lament that there is not a raw food cafe of this calibre in Christchurch.
I will, of course, return, beak at the ready, when next in Auckland.
A couple of weeks ago I found myself, largely glee-filled, on the doorstep of our most populous city, Auckland, in search of a series of uplifting, stomach-filling, mind-enriching and uniquely memorable culinary experiences that many might suggest are available only in a city large enough to make such exceptionalisms commercially viable.
With a mere three days to play with and a plethora of immovable negatives and slippery impediments such as psyche damaging business appointments and a full day seminar I knew I’d have to compromise in some way.
One certainty prevailed, however, and that was my intention and my fervent desire to flee the Viaduct, albeit for a moment in time, to meet one of the nation's most gifted and remarkable young women, an up and coming star in the world of Wholefoods, Holistic Health and, yum yum, raw foods! Amelia Mckenzie was my lunch companion at the Little Bird Cafe, the Unbakery in Summer St, Ponsonby. What an experience – a very busy establishment with all tables occupied when I arrived at about noon with a twenty minute wait for a ‘space’ and maybe longer for a table.
The food being enjoyed by those already seated looked more than appealing, dazzling natural colours artistically arranged on plates alongside texturous mounds of goodness knows what...and goodness I’m sure it had to be...palatable packages of unadulterated foods, full of vibrancy and verve, all complete in their essential rawness. Add to this the company of a lovely young lady and Mr Lu was a happy man indeed!
When our turn came I was very excited, perhaps more than I am usually! I had dined the evening before at Sean Connelly’s The Grill and loved beyond all belief the beautiful steak I had but at the Little Bird my expectations were at their highest level. I knew from comments that had been made to me and recommendations from many in the hospitality industry that Little Bird was something special.
Amelia and I shared several dishes, Raw pizza, a “Bird Bowl” and a Raw Mexican plate, accompanied by, in my case, a pot of Imperial Yunnan Silver Needle tea. (Yunnan Province in China, of course, being the home of some remarkable teas including Pu Er, arguably China’s finest.)
The raw Mexican plate resplendent in its coat of many gentle colours, muted greens, pale oranges, browns, creams and reds. So many textures from the thick, soft consistency of the avocado(Little Bird’s guacamole) to the piquancy of the pesto and the sharp hatchet of the jalopeno, the delicate leafiness of the sprouts, the juiciness of the capsicum, the fresh zestfulness of the yoghurt and the lemon and the almost flavourless but entirely fitting contrast of the ‘Mexican Crackers’ - soft raw corn tacos. I’m sure I jumped around with joy at the delightful texture of the dirty rice, in fact, a blend of macadamia and parsnip I was later advised. Top all this off with a sprinkling of cashew nut cheese and you have nothing less than a magically macoronic, very mesmerising, soundly based and somewhat simple yet strangely complex feast of inestimable value. Nothing heated over 46 degs C, nothing cooked, no nutritional value lost in ‘transformation’.
Let us now pay homage, no less, to the Raw pizza, another of the Unbakery’s delightful offerings to the culinary world. A raw pizza bread topped with “marinated courgette strips, fresh basil pesto, pomodoro sauce, herbed cream cheese, olives, pinenuts and rocket and a side salad .” Amelia tells me that the base is essentially made of activated flaxseeds, almonds and sunflower seeds; the herbed cream cheese most likely made from soaked cashew nuts with probiotics added before fermentation to achieve a savoury taste. This is so far from the ‘cook it and serve it’ philosophy of so many commercial kitchens in New Zealand at the moment and is a resounding success with already converted customers and those, like me, who relish opportunities to experience culinary excellence in all its forms. There’s more than a modicum of thought, care and effort that goes into these dishes and it’s undeniably exciting to experience the fruits of the ‘chefs’ ‘ labours and savour the flavours in their various forms. Too good to be true for anyone interested in food.
What could be more appropriate at the Little Bird Unbakery than to order a ‘Bird Bowl’? Described by the establishment as a nutritious bowl of cumin spiced quinoa, wild rice and red canihua (baby quinoa)pilaf surrounded by an assortment of delicious salads – avocado & fennel, shaved kale with preserved lemon, herbed cashew cheese & activated walnuts, marinated beet , Granny Smith noodles with mint and parsely.....and, housemade kraut slaw with celery, apple and dill.
Is this cutting edge stuff? Maybe, maybe not as the raw food movement has been around for some time but I think Little Bird has effectively taken it to the next level and given us all an insight into how potentially tasty and flavoursome raw food can be. Fear not my fellow carnivores – see the emergence of this exceptional culinary step forward as just that – a step forward. Enhance your dining experience by going at once to the Little Bird and wrapping your blood-stained beaks around their appealing creations, tittup like there’s no tomorrow and expand your gustatory horizons in a most delectable way!
I went but once and from Summer St, Ponsonby, dashed to the airport. I have missed Little Bird since and lament that there is not a raw food cafe of this calibre in Christchurch.
I will, of course, return, beak at the ready, when next in Auckland.
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