South New Zealand
So i recently went for a holiday with my boys to New Zealand and we basically went to the south of this scenic island. New Zealand isn't basically a food haven but i managed to check out some of the popular eateries in the south namely- Queenstown, Invercargill and Dunedin.
Fergburber, Queenstown- This is a must when you visit Queenstown. There will be a long que everyday and everybody eats standing. Don't expect a sit down kind of eatery. The burgers are big, juicy and tasty. Their burger bun makes it a win, just a bit crispy at the edges and goes well with the tender meat. There's so many to choose from- lamb, venison, steak, chicken. Try them all. Great thing is they have a halal menu where their meat are halal certified. Must try. Prices range between 12-20 NZD.
Pantagonia- This is basically a dessert shop selling ice cream and chocolate. Dessert buffs would love this as it's all so pretty. We had the churros, crepes and hot chocolate. It's good but nothing extraordinary. The chocolate is good too and too pretty to eat.
Madam Woo- this is a Malaysian restaurant and they have a few chains throughout NZ. Come here if you're craving for Malaysian food. its usually a full house. I recommend their curry laksa. Nasi lemak was average. Make bookings on weekends. Love the ambiance here.
Bespoke kitchen, Queenstown- This is a popular local artisan cafe situated at the foot of the mountain in Queenstown. Just a walk away from the skyline gandola. It opens early and when we went there for breakfast it was a full house. They serve healthy breakfast with vegan options and everything is so pretty and they use local produce as well. Instragram worthy. Sharing portion and quite good.
Burgerfuel- This burger joint is purely New Zealand. The burgers are awesome and they have all sorts of toppings such as avocado and beetroot and you can add whatever you like on your burger. Just choose your toppings.They have a gluten free menu and the meat is halal certified too. This is definitely a must. My favourite would be the Bastard Burger. Order the spud fries as well.
The Batch cafe- This is one of the cafes to go to if you happen to be in Invercargill. We had brunch there and the portion was good for sharing but we ordered a few dishes anyway cos it was all so tempting. They have friendly staff and the food was great too. I recommend the crabcake and the orange french toast. We licked the plate clean.
Ironic cafe and bar- This cafe is popular in Dunedin. They use local ingredients and produce in their menu and they cater for vegan/ dairy / gluten free as well. We had the fish and chips, wrap and pasta. They were not bad but nothing special. Portion is good for sharing. The peach muffin was good though. ( maybe i must love desserts too much )
One thing for sure, in New Zealand; I had ice cream everyday. Yes! it's that good. The ice cream here are creamier. I believe their cows are fed well and happy to produce such great milk. Nothing fancy though,we got our daily ice cream dose from the local convenient store-,Kapiti ice cream, and they come in all kinds of unique flavours.
Conclusion is, New Zealand isn't a gastronomic destination but you should try their home grown burgers. They're worth it!... And the ice cream too of course!