Quiet Corner Table

Author: Michael Harrison

  • Little Finch Espresso, Milford: A Marina Coffee Worth the Early Start

    Some coffee spots are about the room. This one is about the view.

    Little Finch is a small coffee van parked beside Milford Marina. It’s perfectly placed if you’re heading from the North Shore into Auckland, and it opens early, from 6:30am on weekdays. You can pull up, grab a coffee and be back on the road without losing any time.

    Parking is never a problem. The marina has plenty of it, so there’s no circling and no stress. A couple of tables sit out the front of the van, looking over the water.

    My usual order is a flat white with coconut milk, and it’s a good one. The shot is strong, the milk is well made, and it’s the kind of coffee that makes the early start feel worth it.

    The sweet treats are all handmade and fresh, and the owner is lovely. There are also thoughtful selection boxes, which make this a clever stop if you’re heading to the office or visiting someone. Or pick one up for later and treat yourself.

    Here’s what I like to do. I take my coffee and walk for less than three minutes, over the little bridge at the marina and into the nature reserve. It opens out nicely. There’s a kids’ playground if that’s your thing, and plenty of benches facing the sea, with Rangitoto standing out on the horizon.

    I trade my quiet corner table for a quiet bench, and it works just as well.

    A good coffee, a handmade sweet treat and a view like that. Little Finch is well worth the stop, and with the beach right behind it, worth making a small destination of.

    Details


    Little Finch Espresso
    Inga Rd, beside Milford Marina, Castor Bay, Auckland


    Hours: Weekdays, 6:30am to 12pm


    Tried: Flat white with coconut milk

    Little Finch Espresso coffee van beside Milford Marina, and a takeaway coffee cup held up at the beach

  • KS Chicken: Juicy, Crispy and My Go To on Late Nights

    Some evenings leave no time to cook. The working day runs late, the weather turns, and the idea of standing at a stove loses all appeal. On those nights I go to KS Chicken.

    I found this little chicken shop a few months back, and it has become a quiet favourite. My order never changes: the boneless quarter quarter, split between Korean and soy garlic, with fries. I add a salad to the order for a bit of freshness.

    What stands out first is the quality. Everything is cooked fresh, and you can taste it. The chicken is juicy and firm, wrapped in a crisp, golden batter that holds its crunch even after the drive home.

    Then come the sauces. The Korean chicken is sweet with a slow building heat, finished with chopped peanuts that add a satisfying crunch. The soy garlic is the counterpoint: salty, savoury and deeply moreish. Together they balance each other, sweet and spicy against savoury, and I find myself going back and forth between the two. Coleslaw comes with it too, though it isn’t in the photo. The whole feast is $39.

    I’ve never eaten in. It’s often a bit cool inside, so I take my order to go and sit at my own table at home, which suits a meal like this just fine.

    It really is a cracking chicken, and it earns the Quiet Corner Table Great Takeaway Award.

    Details


    KS Chicken
    33B Triton Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632


    Cuisine: Fried chicken
    Tried: Boneless quarter quarter, Korean and soy garlic, with fries and salad, $39

    Award: Quiet Corner Table Takeaway Award

    Korean and soy garlic boneless fried chicken with fries and salad from KS Chicken in Rosedale

  • Moo Moo Smokehouse, Takapuna: Where the Salad Stole the Show

    I called in on a Saturday afternoon. It was quiet, with just my table and one other table of four. The decor is what you’d expect from a smokehouse, with a very well stocked bar and plenty of tables for larger groups.

    The menu is big and promises lots of smoked meat goodness. I settled on the NZ Wagyu beef short rib ($55). On paper it sounds brilliant: a blend of secret spices, smoked for 12 to 14 hours over native woods.

    By the time I ordered I was ravenous, and the service was extremely slow. With only two tables in the room, that wasn’t great. Once the order was in, the wait was fine and the food arrived soon after.

    I was underwhelmed when it landed. The rib meat was already off the bone, and the bone looked sorry and dry. The salad was bright and well dressed. The mac and cheese looked like it had been made a few days ago.

    The taste test matched. The salad was the high point, with a zingy dressing that cut nicely through the rich meat. The meat was “ok”. The fat was mostly rendered but had turned jellied, and the meat was warm, just. The flavour was fine but not the wow I was hoping for. The mac and cheese was genuinely not great. It was dry, with no gooey, creamy cheese, and it had congealed into what was close to one ball of macaroni.

    For me the whole plate was sad, apart from the salad. The headline act and the support act were both severely lacking.

    You could argue it was a quiet time. My answer is that if the doors are open, the food should be good. A real shame, because I had high hopes for this one.

    Details


    Moo Moo Smokehouse
    7/1 The Strand, Takapuna

    Cuisine: Smokehouse
    Tried: NZ Wagyu beef short rib, $55 on the menu

    NZ Wagyu beef short rib with mac and cheese and salad at Moo Moo Smokehouse in Takapuna

  • Troy, Torbay: A Warm Welcome and a Lamb Stew Worth Braving the Rain For

    It’s been very wet lately. Summer is nearly here, but the weather hasn’t got the message, and it had me craving proper, warming home cooking. Troy, a local spot that never misses, was the answer.

    It’s a small place. Walking through the doors felt like stepping into a taverna on a Mediterranean holiday: warm colours, low romantic lighting and a relaxed, welcoming feel. Around the room there are imported pieces for sale, from lovely serving bowls to handmade cushion covers. They make a nice memento if you’d like to take a little of the night home.

    I was greeted by an attentive host. The kitchen has an open hatch where you can watch the action, with just one chef cooking what I can only describe as wonderful home food. The menu is a blend of Georgian and Turkish. It’s a select menu, not an overwhelming one, and everything on it feels done well.

    I went for the Chakapuli, a Georgian lamb stew ($41), and it was stunning. The lamb was succulent, slow cooked for hours, then finished in the oven in its sauce so the pieces above the sauce charred slightly. That gave wonderful flavour and texture against a rich, sweet sauce with real layers. Tarragon, plum, white wine and fresh herbs all come through. I mopped it up with fresh toasted Turkish bread. A real stunner.

    That’s why Troy earns the Quiet Corner Table Great Restaurant seal. It’s reserved for places that deliver something special, and this one did.

    A real North Shore gem.

    Details

    Troy
    4/1056 Beach Rd, Torbay


    Cuisine: Georgian and Turkish
    Tried: Chakapuli, $41

    Chakapuli Georgian lamb stew with toasted Turkish bread at Troy in Torbay

  • Saving You a Seat: Why This Blog Exists.

    I’ve always loved food. When I was young I wanted to work with it, most likely as a cook. I never went after it. There wasn’t anyone around to give me that nudge, so it stayed a quiet daydream.

    It never went away though. These days it lives in my kitchen. Nothing beats cooking for my family, whether it’s a midweek staple we all know or a weekend spent trying something new. I cook a bit of everything.

    Food also takes me places. I’m lucky enough to travel, and wherever I end up I go looking for the local gem instead of the obvious choice. You don’t have to leave home to find them, either. Troy’s in Torbay blends Georgian and Turkish cuisine. It’s cosy, welcoming and the food is to die for. Places like that are why I’m doing this.

    Whenever I walk in, I ask for the quiet corner table. It’s the best seat for taking in the food, the room and the people.

    Here you’ll find real photos of what I ate and a straight account of how it was. When something is great, I’ll say so. When it isn’t, I’ll say that too, politely.

    I’m doing this because I enjoy writing about food. If a post sends you off to try somewhere new, even better.

    Pull up a chair.