You know how there are key economic, financial, social, and environmental developmental indicators…read morethat demonstrate the stage of a country? Well surely the presence of kale chips and kombucha is the indicator that a nation has surpassed first world wealth status and is now so wealthy that they can focus on making cheap ingredients delicious and trendy. I love kale chips, kombucha and those crazy activated nuts and pleasingly Waiheke Fruit and Veg stocks them all, along with a great selection of fresh fruit and veggies, deli items, gourmet cheese and jars of locally made chutneys and preserves. This is a lovely store to stock on on produce for a picnic or packaged goodies to take home for gifts. It's a little on the pricey side but hey, you can afford it right?

If you can get over the prices, Waiheke Fruit and Vege is a charming, old-fashioned shopping…read moreexperience, except with very modern fruit, vege, and specialty ingredients. It's a sort of corner shop with two entrances, with distinctive chain-link, fly-screen curtains at the doors (but it's not as scary as it sounds!). The fruit and vege here are as good as you'd find at any market, and they specialise in organic produce too. There's a huge selection alongside other bits and pieces like nuts, herbs and spices, and dairy products. They also sell some delicious artisan bread, including gluten free, although like the fruit and vege, it's rather on the pricey side, so I wouldn't recommend doing your whole shop here unless someone else is paying.

I was a bit suspicious because of the name. Federal? I eventually realized that is the name of the…read morestreet they are located on. It was open at the time I was in the area and it did look inviting. I perused the menu and decided to give it a try. Walking in I saw the old-fashioned furnishings, metal chairs, display cases, wall shelves, big bar in the middle all in a long and narrow room. Yessss, this looks lie something out of the 50s and I like it. After a long hard look at the menu I opted for the Salami platter... Strangely enough there wasn't salami, but more like a smoked ham, prosciutto like meat. It tasted great, so what's in a name. Delicious heirloom tomatoes, capers, salami impersonator, cream cheese, capers, pickles and your choice of bread. I had chosen crumpets and regretted that . Not because they weren't delicious, because they were so yummy, but they were also so buttery that I couldn't get the cream cheese to stick and everything I tried to put on the crumpet just slid right off them. I got the bottomless cup of coffee and I must say, this is really good coffee and the refills kept coming also. I love the atmosphere in here and there are so many great choices on the menu. If I ever come back tot Auckland, I will definitely stop by this place again.

Busy place with a lot of indoor seating and limited outdoor tables. Service was good, never had to…read morewait. It's a popular place and they were crowded but we didn't have to wait for a table. There was plenty of food for each order. My wife had a street dog and fries and I had a Ruben. They were pretty decent. I wasn't as happy with the fries. They were like the bottom of a pile and mostly little pieces with very few full length slices. Prices were extremely reasonable. I would definitely eat there again.

One of the best burgers I've had. Period. Why?…read more Al Burger flavor was succulent with lots of flavor on every bite. The meat was cooked perfectly. The bun was had the right amount of crisp. Al's sauce was the bonus that took it all over the top. I added the combo for a complete meal. The coleslaw had enough a unique tangy taste. The pickle and fries were ok. I will try the poutine fries next. Service was solid. I didn't know you pay at the register, but I was really satisfied with my meal that the extra time waiting to find out didn't matter. Al's Deli is a solid spot for a 5-Star burger.

New owners now, sadly it is not the original owner, Al from Montreal…read more Unfortunately the food and customer service has gone downhill and they no longer offer a genuine Canadian experience when it comes to their food.

The $5 Deli at Ponsonby Central is genius! Firstly, who doesn't love a shop where everything is the…read moresame price?! Choose 4 items, hand over a twenty and you're outta there. Perhaps more importantly though, everything I have ever tried from the $5 deli has been absolutely delicious. The pate is light and silky smooth, the chunky beetroot relish is packed full of flavour and is the perfect addition addition to any sandwich, the tahini paste is great as a dip or generously smeared on grilled flatbread (which they also sell FYI). Seriously, whether you're hosting a dinner party or going to a friends for drinks, it's the perfect pitstop for pre-dinner snacks so do yourself a favour and check it out next time your in the area.

Having been hanging out a lot on this street in Remuera area. The Deli is a spot for friends and…read morefamily's catching up. Homey, Cozy, full of breakfast and lunch options. You can find from regular scones, slices, pie to meat loaf, Turkish bread, beetroot salad, fish cake etc. of course there is a menu to add your hot dish desire. Sitting by the French door outside, you will find running people pop in for takeaway coffee, new tourists coming sitting down for a relaxed coffee. or people living in the neighbourhood bringing their family for lunch treat. That's always vivid scenery for a Cafe recognised by its local people. Next time swing by for a flat white and carrot cake. You won't be let down. Just stay open minded and try!

Ok scrambled eggs and coffee for myself but the dairy free scrambled eggs came out swimming on a…read moreplate full of water with toast sodden in it. We sent the plate back to have water removed and new toast, eggs came back nicely stacked but the sodden toast was retoasted resulting in an inedible crispy mush - unacceptable. Still can't figure out why the eggs came out in so much fluid???

OMG I just ate a butter chicken pie from this place ! It was $8 !!!…read more But it's going on my list of top ten pies ! Home made and chokka full of perfectly cooked chicken pieces with a rich tomato butter chicken gravy , and crispy pastry . I was hoping for their custard square but no luck , they had other slices on offer but no custardy heaven . I'll admit when he said "that's $8 " I thought to myself this had better be the best damn pie EVER ! Lucky it was and nicely hot as well . They have a beautiful selection of salads and filled rolls . Coffee here is so so , but this isn't a coffee destination . If your ever in the village stop here .

essential - Absolutely necessary, extremely important, indispensable, fundamental…read more Not quite. Don't get me wrong, it's nice European styled deli that I hope to see more of opening around Auckland. Maybe a little competition will do their prices some good. Here, they stock some healthy looking food that's nice for a picnic treat, and friendly service to cope with the constant stream of people. Everywhere I look these days, food is boutique and gourmet and organic, or has some redundant gold medal. If Essential Deli gets rid of the tables blocking their product, I might find something worth buying. For now places like Nosh will fulfill my "essential gourmet" requirements.

Right next to the amazing Diehl's bakery is a specialty store that imports European food and sells…read moreit to Auckland's community of Europeans who are looking for the taste of home. When I went there with my partner (who lived in Austria for a number of years growing up), he went straight for the Milka chocolate and grabbed bar after bar like it was going out of fashion. I played around in the candy section too and came away with some weird and wonderful treats... like salted liquorice! What the hell is this stuff?! At Edelweiss there's also a cabinet of fresh and refrigerated food - my partner bought a liver and cheese roll, which is apparently a delicacy in Germany. They make these rolls in Austria too, except they are cheese, liver and more cheese!

Yes Nosh in Matakana is not the discount supermarket, however the supermarket for the foodie who…read moreknows there food. If you're passing through Matakana Village or perhaps spending a weekend up the coast close to Matakana why not give yourself a big splurge with fresh and packaged gourmet food. I was in the mood to do some cooking, and thought I would get some courgettes which were tempting me from the outside stand for my stir fry. Once inside, I just wanted to grab a whole bunch of moreish foods just because. My reason got the better of me, and I decided on a few loaves of Coupland's Bakery pre packed sliced bread, a container of deli olives and and the courgettes. They have a really neat variety of products from all around the world, so really an international food shopping experience. You must be warned that after a few chosen pieces from Nosh your bill does add up fast, so make sure you know your budget because you may just splurge without realizing.

A splendid place to get all your delicatessen and gourmet food needs. A great cheese and small…read moregoods selection, excellent dry goods like pastas and canned/jar foods, a nice variety of fruits and vegetables and helpful friendly service. If you need food items that are exotic or gourmet, or your taste buds need a tickle, this is the best place to find it when you are in the Matakana/Omaha/Leigh and Snells Beach area. A true Matakana gem.

Ok...my last review here was not so good , but I thought I would give them another chance and go in…read moreagain but this time try a different selection from the menu. This time I had the usual large cappuccino and chose a eggs benedict with bacon. What a good choice it turned out to be and totally washed away the memories of the experience last week. It was so DELICIOUS. Sure if you look at my photo of it , it doesn't look up to much but this is well and truly made up for by the taste experience. Everything was cooked to perfection. Maybe it sounds like I am going a bit overboard over such a simple dish, but this well and truly deserves it. Well sometimes good things come in small packages , yes ? So much so I shall definitely be back to try this again. Oh, and before I forget the service was as good as always too. I feel the deserve the 5 star not just because of the quality of the dish this morning , but the improvement , ,maintaining the service standard and I have heard recently that some of their sandwiches etc on display are worth trying too. I just hope they keep it up!!!

T-Mark Supermarket is pretty run down inside and out, but don't let it put you off. It's also…read moreslightly baffling when you first walk in because there are two distinct sections, divided by a low wall. On one side are the meat and veges, and on the other side are the grocery items and frozen foods. If you can get past that though, you're onto a winner. The range of veges is small, but has everything you need at great prices - most recently I got a pack of two fat bok choy for $1.50. The grocery section is well-stocked, and even has a pretty decent Japanese section including Kewpie mayo and salad dressing, furikake, and other items that are often missing from Chinese supermarkets. The best kept secret in Auckland is in the frozen food section, where they hide their incredibly delicious dumplings, called So Real and made in Panmure (I even posted a picture so you can hunt them down more easily). These are seriously the best frozen dumplings I've come across in Auckland and it's so easy to make a great soup when you have them to hand (as judged objectively on a scale of number of compliments relative to number of second and third helpings).