I could title this post something way more eye catching. “The Best Brunches in New Zealand” is something that springs to mind. Or “New Zealand’s Top Three Brunches” would do the job nicely. But the problem is, it would just be a lie.
I love brunch, and if I had my way I would eat out for brunch every day of the week. But with just 12 days in New Zealand it was a case of “so much food, so little time”, so eating a big, satisfying brunch every day of the week simply was not a realistic feat.
Though the thing is, New Zealanders know how to brunch. And not only that, they know how to cook brunch, the latter being a very important fact for me.
Sure, the English might have coined the term “brunch”, and the Americans might have been the next to popularise this great invention, but down under (and I include both Australia and New Zealand in this statement) took something awesome and made it even better.
So while I didn’t get to sample a full spectrum of the brunches that New Zealand has on offer, I did get to to have some great brunches while on this skinny isle. I can’t be sure that I have tried New Zealand’s best brunches. I can’t even be sure that I tried New Zealand’s top 3 brunches.
But I can be sure that I ate well several mornings while in New Zealand. And here’s where I went, in order of appearance.
Abracadabra Cafe, Rotorua
I’ll admit, this was the least over whelming place that I brunched at in New Zealand. C opted for a breakfast burrito, which, while was nice, was not quite the amazing feast that he hoped for. I, on the other hand, went for the huevos rancheros. I made the good choice.
It wouldn’t be correct to say that the whole menu here was rock sold, but it’s correct to say the huevos rancheros were.
Huevos rancheros is one of those dishes that has been bastardised and re-bastardised, so it comes in a whole variety of ways. Often the eggs will come cooked in a tomato salsa, other times it will be all the different parts of the dish served bit by bit.
But here huevos rancheros were prepared in the way that I perceive to be the real deal. This is corn tortillas topped with black beans, melted cheese, fried eggs, tomato salsa and guacamole – all ready to eat and enjoy.
While my huevos rancheros were good, I have to say the service put me off right from the beginning.
As C and I approached the restaurant we were deep in conversation. We decided to sit outside, so sat down momentarily while finishing what we were talking about.
Almost immediately the waitress came over and asked us if we were having breakfast or lunch. I replied “breakfast” to which she immediately told me, “you just go inside and take the menus yourself and order at the counter… in New Zealand.”
Now, did we really need this little patronising comment at the end? Sure, the first part of the comment was okay. But to add “In New Zealand” on the end like that, like I am culturally ignorant, was just not necessary. Remember, sometimes its not what you say, it’s how you say it!
Firstly, not every single establishment in New Zealand operates like this. Sure, many do, but in some cafes you get served at the table.
Secondly, in Australia, this is also common. So I am not unfamiliar to the concept of going to get the menu myself and order. It usually only takes a couple of minutes to suss out the situation on arrival at a new place, and work out for yourself if you should continue waiting or just go up to the counter and order.
So I ask you, disgruntled waitress, was that little comment really necessary? I concluded that she probably was feeling hung over from Christmas, and instead of getting mad I decided to feel sorry for her instead. How grown up of me.
Abracadabra Cafe – 1263 Amohia St, Rotorua, New Zealand
Kaimai, Waharoa
I was really excited to come here – a café that is also a cheese factory? Yes please! After my great experience with New Zealand cheese in Auckland, I was looking forward to getting familiar with more local favourites.
But alas, I arrived to find out something disappointing. Kaimai no longer makes cheese on site. Well, I mean, they have their cheese. But the actual factory is not there anymore, one can only assume it has been moved to a different location.
Instead, the area where the cheese used to be made is currently undergoing construction – to become a UHT milk processing plant. Really? That’s just so, what can I call it? Unquaint.
But I digress. Really, we are here to talk about the brunch, and nothing was wrong with the café itself. It was still serving up café favourites, and I was pleased to see good ol’ Eggs Benedict on the menu.
Lately, I have been consciously avoiding Eggs Benedict – unless, of course, there is no other suitable option. This is because I always seem to end up eating Eggs Benedict. Quite simply, I love it. But eating Eggs Benedict all the time does no good for expanding my brunch horizons. And so, ny favourite dish is a last resort.
However this time, the Eggs Benedict was different. Instead of being served on bread (borrrrrrring) it was served up on potato rosti. Potato rosti prepared without wheat flour (ie: gluten free) at that. Dang. It was a done deal.
C’s steak sandwich arrived at the table first – a proper steak served on top of the bread, covered in melted blue cheese and red wine jus, and it definitely was a pleaser from the first bite. I hoped my Eggs Benedict would live up to the hype.
Sure enough, it did.
The sauce was homemade – perhaps a little heavy on the vinegar, but that’s better than being heavy on the butter – and there was plenty of it. You can’t have Eggs Benedict with a skimpy serving of sauce. All in all, this breakfast was a success, and made for a great stop while nearby in the area and driving between Hobbiton and Rotorua.
Kaimai – 2 Hawes Street, Waharoa, New Zealand
Be Rude Not To, Rotorua
I had already visited Be Rude Not To once before I brunched here. The first time I was drawn in by the fact that 80% of their cakes were gluten free, so I came in for an underwhelming a very sweet, but pleasant enough Apricot Slice and a cup of tea.
But when I left, I saw their brunch menu and knew I would have to return.
I decided my last morning in Rotorua, before heading to the airport, would be the perfect time to brunch at Be Rude Not To.
At the first glance of the menu, the decisions were hard. Was I to order the Encrusted Breakfast Burger, or the Smashed Moroccan Pumpkin? The deciding factor was that the Smashed Moroccan Pumpkin sounded the most interesting – pumpkin mash, poached eggs, bacon, feta cheese and dukka. These were definitely ingredients not often found in typical brunch fare.
I was with my Mum and C, whose Salmon Croissant and Eggs Benedict arrived promptly, but unfortunately there was a little mishap with my dish and the gluten free bread.
As it specified gluten free on the menu and I failed to notice it was prepared with toast, I didn’t think to clarify that I wanted the dish gluten free. Hey, I’m still getting the hang of this no gluten thing!
The staff very kindly shouted us all to another round of drinks and, luckily, my breakfast was worth the wait.
The end result was toast topped with a generous spread of the pumpkin puree, two poached eggs – the yolks nice and runny, strips of crispy bacon and a hearty serve of crumbled feta cheese.
I was happy with my choice. I also snuck a couple of bites of C’s Eggs Benedict, which was served on potato rosti – is rosti instead of bread a Kiwi thing? – with smoked salmon and tasty hollandaise sauce. I would go as far as saying that it was even better than the Eggs Benedict I ate at Kaimai just a few days earlier. This was definitely my favourite brunch spot on my travels in New Zealand.
Be Rude Not To – 1153 Pukuatua Street, Rotorua, New Zealand
Are you a brunch addict? Where have you had some great brunches? Perhaps you’ve tried these places, or other great places in New Zealand? Tell me all about it!
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Beth says
Looks I won’t have many bad breakfasts while in New Zealand … thanks for unveiling these amazing spots!
Walter Pinem says
now you make me curious and very eager to try this brunch food. very nice shots 😀