A hop, skip and jump away from my office is The Chiller, sibling of The Fridge, a renowned Kingsland favourite for pies and other such deli delights.

Located amongst a creative hub of businesses including Saatchi & Saatchi and Aegis Media, The Chiller has a hungry target market, with little to no competition nearby.

As you walk into The Chiller, large glass cabinets scale the left hand side of the wall, with friendly staff readily on hand to take your order. A diverse range of salads should sate those in search of a healthy bite, while toasted prides, open sandwiches, wraps, frittatas, baked potatoes and pies all scream for lunch-goers attention. Not usually a fan of cabinet food, it is a surprise to find myself humming and ahhing like a kid in a candy store trying to decide what I would like to order, not because there is nothing to try but rather I want to try it ALL.

The toasted prides are comfort carbs of the highest order – warm focaccia, oozing cheese, hunger-busting fillings. Highly recommend the roast beef with caramelised onion closely followed by the vegetarian. The pies are usually sold out by 12pm sharp – say no more. And to enjoy the full splendour and choice of six fresh salads arriving at The Chiller no later than 1pm is strongly advised.

Pumpkin, beetroot, carrot and pumpkin seed salad

A juicer hums behind the counter as staff stuff fresh, raw vegetables and fruit in to create turbo-vitamin loaded liquid goodness. There are a range of fruits and vegetables to choose from, however in a desperate perhaps virtuous attempt at good nutrition, I usually get them to chuck em’ all in. And why not, it tastes great.

Now that I’ve got past the Big Taste factor which The Chiller undoubtedly dominates, the worrying Skinny Wallet characteristic of this place must be mentioned. If I was to eat at The Chiller every day for lunch, five times a week, ordering a juice at $5.50 with a toasted pride at $10 a pop, I would spend the following on work lunches alone:

• $77.50 a week
• $310.00 a month
• $3,720.00 a year

Salads are sized Small, Medium, Large priced $7.30, 11.30 and $14.30 respectively. While I strongly advocate and commend the fresh ingredients used in these salads, if you break the ingredients down for these salads the cost does seem somewhat inflated.
But perhaps you can’t put a price on Big Taste. The Chiller is always busy and the quality of the food and service cannot be questioned.

Overall rating: 7/10
• Location: 6
• Value: 5
• Service: 8
• Quality: 9
• Environment: 6
• X-Factor: 7

The Chiller, 114 St Georges Bay Rd Auckland 1052
Phone: 09-358 1145

Before heading off to the US, former editor of the Corporate Lunchbox Bill Rundle, had one final assignment – review an establishment for his Last Supper. Due to other commitments including gallivanting around Las Vegas, Bill was only able to provide me a brief review, therefore below is a collaborative review from Bill and myself.

Look and Feel

Bill: The outside of Cazador on Dominion Road is featureless and unassuming. I must have driven past it thousands of times and never even realised it was there. Inside, whitewashed Mediterranean-style walls are decorated with trophies large and small. Stuffed deer heads, ducks and other such taxidermies set the tone for what’s to come – I was told the previous owner (the father of the current owner Dariush Lolaiy) had hunted and claimed them all. Impressive.

Alex: Walking into Cazador an audience of animals adorning rustic white walls met me – whether these were indicative of what I was about to eat I was yet to find out. The canopy style ceiling lends a Moroccan-esque feel to the space. The look and feel exudes masculinity. Had I somehow managed to sneak into an old-school gentleman’s club?

The Food

Bill: The menu blends elements of middle-eastern and Spanish cuisine with wild local foods and has potentially Auckland’s most impressive selection of game meats on offer. This restaurant is not for vegetarians, pescatarians, or the obligatory chicken eaters. Cazador is a place for the inquisitive eater who enjoys the stronger flavours of wild flesh. Cazador’s menu certainly lives up to its name – hunter in Spanish.

Alex: I must admit as a fairly brave eater even I was tentative about what lay ahead for my taste buds. As a former country girl I have bittersweet memories of rabbits and pheasants slung over dry Driza-bone clad gents returning from an afternoon of sport. Reminiscing aside Cazador’s menu offers a thrilling range for the adventurous, the safe, and wait, even the vegetarian. Some of the game offerings included, Braised Hare Pappardelle, Roast Guinea Fowl, Sauteed Ostrich Liver and Venison and Bresaola.

Munch-time - We started with the babaghanoosh and pita bread along with some delicious venison chorizo which the manager kindly brought over for us to try. Entrees included a chunky mushroom soup with ciabatta and a marinated Calamari salad w/ broad beans, chorizo & preserved lemon. Main courses comprised of spectacular boar chops with beans and anchovy salad – the generous cut of boar was bursting with flavour and unexpectedly tender for a wild animal. The other main was a baked hapuka, melting in the mouth to reveal a delicious residue of infused Mediterranean herbs and spices.

The Service - The service was impeccable. Friendly and attentive with the right level of conversation.

Controversially, we should note that Cazador is not open for lunch, it’s open 6-10pm Monday to Saturday – however this is a perfect destination for clients or colleagues keen to try something a bit off the beaten track.

• Overall rating: 8/10
• Location: 6
• Value: 7
• Service: 10
• Quality: 9
• Environment: 8
• X-Factor: 9

Cazador, 854 Dominion Road, Balmoral, ph 620-8730.
Phone: 09 620-8730

I heard about Cereal Killa from a friend who lives in the area and decided it was time to give this Dominion Rd. cafe a stab.

The look and feel of the cafe is interesting. Vintage cereal boxes adorn the walls and the menus are made from cardboard that could of been cut out by a five year old. It could be cute but something is missing.

Upon stepping inside Cereal Killa we were promptly greeted but what could have been the owner. The service was swift and very friendly but not overbearing.

I quickly eyed up the Breakfast Trifle of muesli, fruit and yoghurt on the menu but alas it was sold out! It must be good. So I ordered the omelette with bacon, tomato, pesto, parmesan and ‘bloody good’ chutney instead.

The omelette was enormous and literally covered the whole plate. The chutney was rather good and the omelette was cooked very well with plenty of filling and a generous dousing of parmesan. The toast was that lovely five-grain sort. It was all in all a satisfying brunch/lunch.

People at a neighbouring table were slurping down a Banana and Nutella milkshake – food envy ensued… The menu also offers fresh juices and smoothies which would be great for a breakfast or lunch on the run.

Price-wise Cereal Killa is on par with most Auckland cafes with the omelette and a coffee coming in at a respectable $20.50.

Next time you’re feeling murderously hungry why not give Cereal Killa a go.

▪   Overall rating: 6.5/10
▪   Location: 5
▪   Value: 6
▪   Service: 9
▪   Quality: 7
▪   Environment: 6
▪   X-Factor: 7

Cereal Killa, 360H Dominion Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland City

Phone: 09 630 8008

Where should Bill have his Last Supper?

We want to hear from you which eatery in Auckland you would most like to see reviewed by Bill. Think renowned. Think hidden gem. Think quirky.

Submit suggestions to @corplunchbox by February 20. The best suggestion will join Bill for his Last Supper and Corporate Lunchbox will shout lunch.

Meaning ‘Lucky Child’ in Japanese, Fukuko is one of the newest additions to the evolving culinary mecca of the Britomart district.

This bar is nestled next to Tyler Street Garage and touts an extensive shochu and cocktail range which is sure to excite any after-work drink seeker.

But I wasn’t here to drink. Hungry after a busy afternoon we stumbled into Fukuko for a late-lunch at 4pm, keen to sample the Japanese-inspired bar food on offer.

The interior of the bar is uber-trendy and sure to delight both hipsters and professionals alike. The black oiled timber ceiling and beams provide the perfect backdrop for the myriad of large jars of infused shochu scattered throughout the bar. Sit at the bar or at one of a few tables and stools.

Hungry to sample the range of Japanese snacks on offer, we ordered:

• Nori Chips – these were amazing. Think Japanese salt and vinegar chips. The strips of nori were coated in a thin layer of wasabi tempura. I only wish the bowl was larger.

• Panko crumbed croquette - these balls of potato with sweetcorn koreke, crab, mayo and chives weren’t all that exciting. Take em’ or leave em’.

• Japa Dogs: The teriyaki chicken dog with nori, sesame mayo in a soft roll was unfortunately a tad bland and didn’t really pack a punch. This however was not the case with the Short Rib Dog with braised beef, wasabi mayo, sweet pickles watercress in a soft roll. The beef was oh so tender and the balance of flavour between the sweet pickles and wasabi was heaven.

For two people the above food is by no means inadequate but we were feeling greedy and made an additional order of steamed pork buns. Greed was good. Served in small open buns with pork belly, cucumber, spring onion and hoi sin these delights are an utter bargain at $4.50 a pop!

Fukuko offers a blend of Kiwi and Japanese bar food and I will be going to back to sample the shochu. Perfect for a flying lunch meeting or after-work drinks this place will delight the palette and the eye.

• Overall rating: 8/10
• Location: 10
• Value: 7
• Service: 6
• Quality: 7
• Environment: 10
• X-Factor: 8

Fukuko, Union Fish Company Building, 48 Tyler Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD

T + 64 9 300 5275

Mezze Bar was created 20 years ago by three globetrotting Kiwis, Sal, Ed and Clare. Originally named the Merchant Mezze Bar, the establishment is named after the stall holders peddling their wares at markets, roadside bazaars and souks.

Although perhaps best known for its tapas and shared plates, it was brunch that I was after on the two occasions that I’ve visited Mezze in the past month.

With an array of the usual brunch fare available it was the Huevos Flamencos that I chose on my first visit. This dish is quite literally a melting pot of potato, spinach, chorizo sausage fried with an egg served in a pan with crusty ciabatta bread.

I cannot recommend highly enough the Huevos Flamencos. This traditional Spanish dish with a baked egg component can come in many forms, but this is one of the best I have tried. The meal was chaotically yet appealingly enclosed in a beautiful cast iron skillet with a  ’very hot’ warning from the waitress. Spinach is a new favourite brunch addition for me (and gosh is it healthy), sitting at the base of pan the spinach soaked up the flavour of the chorizo and provided that little bit of moisture that many brunches fail to deliver, without cascading the meal in hollandaise. The chorizo provided a delightful kick and the potato was pleasingly crispy.

I could go on and on singing my praises for this dish. Please try it.

I only wish my most recent Mezze experience lived up to the former. In need of nourishment in preparation for Lanway 2013, I headed to what I thought would be a ‘sure thing’ on the satisfaction scale. Alas, I was bitterly disappointed.

I ordered a staple Eggs Benedict but switched out the english muffin for wholegrain toast, requested eggs fully cooked through (no runny yoke) and asked for the removal of the tomato. I fail to understand the appeal of the mushy, wilted cooked tomato as part of a breakfast – yuck.

When the food arrived approximately 15 minutes later, I immediately saw a rosy tomato on the plate. No biggie – the said tomato was pushed to the side. As I cut into the egg, silky, liquid yolk burst under the pressure of my knife and fork. Oh dear. Call me a drama queen, call me crazy but I can’t stomach liquid yolk. My very kind and wise fellow bruncher had ordered the beloved Huevos Flamencos, so we played switch-a-roo with the eggs. To add insult to injury my bread came with no butter. Humph.

So here I am with one glowing review and one rotten egg review. Does Mezze have a saving grace for this inconsistent performance? Yes – damn good coffee.

Along with the great coffee (and don’t forget the amazing Huevos Flamencos) the environment and interior of Mezze channels the vibe of a European restaurant on a hot  summer day. This would also be a great place to host a small group of clients for after work drinks and tapas.

• Overall rating: 7.5/10
• Location: 10
• Value: 6
• Service: 5
• Quality: 6
• Environment: 10
• X-Factor: 8

Mezze Bar, 9 Durham St. East, Auckland City

Ponsonby Central is P Rd’s answer to the Elliot Stables of the city centre. While there are so many eateries along Ponsonby Rd all screaming for attention, the temptatious allure of a newly opened joint is just too much to resist.

Keen to check out Ponsonby central, Corporate Lunchbox deployed a gaggle of gals to survey the complex and suss out the array of food options available. The Japanese, Thai, Argentinean BBQ and Italian all looked interesting but it was the South American and Latin cuisine offered by Maldito Mendez that won out on this occasion.

Maldito Mendez is owned and run by Nico Mendez and Sarah Ginella. Their vision is to provide unique South American streetfood without the need to jump on a plane.

We arrived at about 12:30pm on a sunny Wednesday and Maldito Mendez was brimming. The eatery has a rustic aesthetic with a number of bench like tables inside, along with some much sought after outdoor seating in the Ponsonby Central courtyard. Suggest an early arrival for the corporate lunch-goer with a group of more than four.

The dining process is frills free – grab a menu, queue, order, pay, grab a table and eat.

We managed to nab a table outside and within a couple of minutes part of our drinks order arrived. However, the two beer drinkers at the table waited with parched and bated breath. And wait we did. A friendly reminder soon saw a staff member hurrying our drinks to the table, along with a genuine apology.

The food arrived promptly and all within minutes of the starter arriving. Collectively our table of four ordered a plate of corn chips with guacamole, shredded beef with guacamole taco, refried bean and queso fresco taco and two chicken salads.

Unfortunately the corn chips were a tad undercooked and chewy. The guacamole was tasty but served in a frustratingly narrow container.

The tacos and salads came up trumps; fresh, flavoursome and most importantly interesting – move over tex-mex. The portions were generous and outdid the very reasonable price we paid for the meal.

Maldito Mendez is good and I’m excited to see what other delights this Cantina Lantina will offer in the future.

• Overall rating: 8/10
• Location: 10
• Value: 10
• Service: 6
• Quality: 7
• Environment: 9
• X-Factor: 7

Maldito Mendez, 136 Ponsonby Road

It’s a new year and changes are afoot at The Corporate Lunchbox. 2012 was our most successful year to date, and I want to thank everyone for reading and supporting us as we hold Auckland’s lunch barons to account. That said, I’ve decided to step down from my position as Managing Editor of the site to focus on other pursuits and opportunities - but will still contribute from time to time.

Alexandra Speedy has been promoted to the position of Managing Editor and will continue to keep the corporate lunch analysis humming. If you’ve been following Alex’s work, you will be well aware of her food blogging talents. Some of our more astute readers had probably already identified her as ‘the next big thing’ in the Auckland lunch critique scene.

Alex will bring a fresh vibe to ‘The Box’ - she is already planning improvements for the site – and will continue to deliver New Zealand’s finest reviews of business lunches.

TCL’s newly appointed Managing Editor, Alexandra Speedy

Over to you Alex….

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for the Corporate Lunchbox – see below.

Thanks for reading in 2012! We’ll be kicking off the 2013 review schedule in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, feel free to send through suggestions and get in touch if you’d like to contribute with analysis of some of your favourite lunch spots.

Bill

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 12,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 20 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

So without any further or do. The 2012 Munchies Awards go to the following:

2012 Burger of the Year - Big J’s Takeaways

The Big J’s Xmas burger – garlic marinated chicken breast with ham off the bone, cheddar cheese, pineapple, piccalilli relish, sauté onions and aioli

Big J’s has dominated the Auckland Burger Power Rankings sitting in top spot for the last 10 months. Big J’s innovative burger concoctions are simply incredible, and his Burger of the Week masterpieces push the boundaries of burger possibilities. People are catching on to what’s happening in the thriving Penrose takeaway store, which has brought a few imitators out of the woodwork. But ask any of the Big J’s faithful and they’ll tell you that there’s only one Big J’s.  Congratulations Big J!

Full Big J’s Review

2012 Pie of the Year – The Food Room

The Food Room’s Chicken, pesto, mushroom pie

It’s a hard road finding the perfect pie. The local pie industry has seen fierce competition in recent years with plenty of good cheap options out there (special mention to BP for a good cheap option) and we’ve seen many gourmet pie specialists emerge – particularly in the western outskirts of the CBD. But when it comes to pies, The Food Room nails it. Blending unique combinations of fresh ingredients and encasing them in well formed pastry has been their recipe for success. While there are others doing similar things with fillings, the pastry is what set The Food Room apart. I don’t care how good the ingredients are if I’m suffering minor burns as a result of a pastry fail – you won’t have this experience at The Food Room.

Full review

2012 Sweet Treat of the Year - Gala Café

Blueberry scone from Gala café

When it comes to sweet treats it’s hard to go past Gala Café – they didn’t rate so well for their lunch menu but really excelled in delivering delicious guilty pleasures. A particular crowd pleaser is the blueberry scone. Almost a meal in itself, it packs a truckload of fresh blueberries in between two layers of scone topped with pink icing and icing sugar. Gala recently changed owners so it will be interesting to see if they can maintain the high standard of baking.

Full review

2012 Café of the Year - The Garnet Station

The lounge from the dining room at The Garnet Station

Every now and then you come across a café that’s oozing with charm and character, and has the goods (food and coffee) to back it up. The Garnet Station is the whole package. It offers delicious food, great coffee and friendly service into a warm, welcoming and eclectic environment. A well-deserved Munchies Award!

Full review

2012 Business Lunch Venue of the Year – Pastis

Some of the food on offer at Pastis

Close to the CBD without being too close, this Parisian-style bar / brasserie provides the perfect environment for business liaisons. The venue is a decent size and can cater for bigger groups, while being just as comfortable for more intimate one on one meetings. The vibe is lively enough to ensure you can hold a sensitive conversation without sharing it with other patrons, but not overly noisy – it strikes a nice balance. The French-style food and service are also impressive and will make sure a great lunch meeting for you and your guests.

Full review

2012 Fast Food Award - Gosu Sushi

Gosu Sushi

Sushi has become a staple in the corporate lunch portfolio. It’s super quick, easy to eat on the run and generally safe to take into that meeting that you are running late for. But not all sushi is created equal. It gives us great pleasure to recognise Gosu for its outstanding achievements in the field of sushi. The range and variety is outstanding, all made with fresh high quality ingredients and the service is very polite and very Japanese, adding to the experience.

Full review

2012 Slow Food Award - Archie’s Pizzeria

Archie’s amazing pizzas

Archie’s restored my faith in pizza. It’s a bold statement, but after years of eating Dominos, Pizza Hut, Hell, Sal’s and every other restaurant-style pizza that tastes and looks the same, I experienced a minor Pizza crisis. It wasn’t until a dear friend intervened and took me to Archie’s where I experienced classic Italian chaos in a hustling and bustling restaurant, with a host (Archie) who conformed to all sorts of Italian stereotypes – my faith was restored. The pizzas here are incredible, easily the best in Auckland and are a steal at $12 during a weekday lunchtime. You deserve better pizza, you deserve Arhie’s, and Archie’s deserves the 2012 Munchie Award for Slow Food.

Full review

2012 Innovation Award - Tuihana Café. Foodstore.

Tuihana cafe’s BLT

It’s great to see technology being used to make our lives easier and add a little something extra to our lunch experiences. Tuihana Café is embracing technology and building a loyal customer base in the process. Free Wi-Fi, Tweet coffee orders and amazing Foursquare check-in specials and mayor privileges make this place great.  In addition to this they offer great food and service and are worthy recipients of the Innovation Munchie Award.

Full review