Food news & info « MenuMania Blog

Archive for the ‘Food news & info’ Category

MenuMania is Awarded the Top Spot by Hitwise Research

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

MenuMania.co.nz has topped the list for popularity amongst all New Zealand food and beverage websites

For some time MenuMania.co.nz has topped the list of Nielsen//NetRatings as NZ’s busiest & most popular dining & eating out website. The results recently published by leading international Internet analyst “Experian Hitwise” (www.hitwise.com/nz/) show that the popularity of MenuMania.co.nz with the dining public of New Zealand has put it in first position, as the busiest of all NZ hospitality industry websites.

Experian Hitwise – Category Spotlight

Food and Beverage – Restaurants and Catering New Zealand

This category focuses on restaurants, eating places, restaurant guides, and catering services. All of the data below is based on All sites > Weekly rankings for the week ending 21/11/2009 > Ranks by ‘Visits’.

Rank Website

1. MenuMania

2. Pizza Hut New Zealand

3. Domino’s Pizza

4. KFC New Zealand

5. Hell Pizza

6. DineOut

7. Menus .co .nz

8. Eatout .co .nz

9. McDonald’s New Zealand

10. Subway – International Locations

MenuMania.co.nz is NZ’s leading online restaurant guide, reservation and review web site. It offers diners the opportunity to find details about restaurants and cafes in their community and wherever they travel. Diners can see menus, check prices and special offers, read and write reviews, make bookings, and send restaurant info to friends. Plus with a new feature in 2009 on MenuMania’s home page, visitors can now also find wedding venues, conference or meeting spaces and out caterers.

Following in the footsteps of social networking sites, diners can read or write dining reviews which inspire and create consumer confidence to perhaps try somewhere different. Simply put, its word of mouth – amplified, in the last month alone MenuMania has helped 115,000 different diners choose where to eat, while diners explored just under 450,000 web pages on MenuMania.

MenuMania.co.nz enables the owners of restaurants, vineyards, pubs, cafes & takeaway places from Logan Brown in Wellington to Cafe Cezanne in Ponsonby to publish their menus, dining promotions, photos, ambience and location information on the website as well as on the recently released MenuMania iPhone application.

MenuMania.co.nz was first launched in 2006 by Cristian Rosescu, Justin McCormack and Karen Gibson, in 2009 chef restaurateur Mark Gregory joined as a new partner.

Cristian who heads up the in-house technology and web development team for MenuMania, says after three years of site development that “It’s incredibly exciting to see so many people enjoying and using MenuMania, and most fulfilling of all they keep coming back over and over, the site is great and we love that people use it.”

The “Hitwise” results are particularly important when the hospitality sector is facing one of it’s toughest years ever. Restaurant owners can now promote their menus and special dining offers or take round the clock reservations. The dining public of New Zealand are now using the Internet in greater and greater numbers when making their meal buying decisions. This is great news for New Zealand hospitality and tourism.

MenuMania’s industry support and charitable initiatives in 2009 saw the launch of free and unlimited online reservations for diners, community support for “Wellington on a Plate”, Sunday Star-Times “Restaurant Month” and the restaurant industry’s charity DineAid, which is this year supporting City Missions with fund-raising throughout November & December.

Partner and Meilleur Ouvrier Chef Mark Gregory said: ‘MenuMania is a quiet success story of New Zealand innovation, I am exceptionally proud to be part of MenuMania, the team work incredibly hard and the fact that so many diners choose to use MenuMania just motivates us to make it even better.”

Notes: About MenuMania.co.nz

1. November 2009 – MenuMania is listed as New Zealand’s busiest web site in the Hitwise Food & Beverage Category. MenuMania is already listed as New Zealand’s busiest dining web site by Nielsen//NetRatings

2. MenuMania has a search database of over 10,000 restaurants, cafes and takeaways in NZ

3. MenuMania is recognized by both industry associations: (a) The Restaurant Association of NZ (b) The Hospitality Association of NZ and hosts their member restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels

4. In 2009 MenuMania re-designed the Homepage for the City Guides, launched its iPhone application and mobile friendly website, Free and unlimited online reservations

5. MenuMania supports the restaurant charity DineAid by building and hosting all of its online restaurant sign up and search facilities: www.dineaid.org.nz

No Comments »

Cuisine Magazine Restaurant Awards 2009

Friday, November 20th, 2009

2009 Winner: Best Smart Dining Metropolitan & Supreme Winner
Logan Brown
With the atmosphere, menu, wine list and service all hard to fault, our judges were unanimous in their praise for this central-city Wellington restaurant.

RUNNER-UP: Best Smart Dining Metropolitan
Clooney
When Clooney opened, the in-crowd made it their first choice for dining and drinking, attracted by the New York-dramatic décor with its edgy fringe curtains hanging from the raw concrete ceiling to subdivide the vast space.

2009 WINNER: Best Smart Dining Regional
Bouterey’s at 251
Far from the bright lights, in the rural township of Richmond on the outskirts of Nelson, Bouterey’s shows a passion and sophistication that is not often reached.

RUNNER-UP: Best Smart Dining Regional
Pacifica
This turquoise and driftwood decorated bungalow across from the sea belies the sophistication within of Jeremy Rameka’s seriously crafted food.

2009 Winner: Best Casual Dining Metropolitan
Soul Bar & Bistro
One of our out-of-town judges remarked that Soul was one place he would really want to return to, again and again.

RUNNER-UP: Best Casual Dining Metropolitan
Saggio Di Vino
This is New Zealand’s only vinothèque, where for more than 18 years Lisa Scholz and Yommi Pawelke have provided a haven for a glass or two of good wine, accompanying it with well-crafted food.

2009 WINNER: Best Casual Dining Regional
Hopgood’s Restaurant & Bar
Classically trained chef Kevin Hopgood moved from his native England to New Zealand for the lifestyle

RUNNER-UP: Best Casual Dining Regional
Wendy Campbell’s French Bistro
Last year Wendy Campbell’s French Bistro took out the award in this section and it is to Wendy and husband Jim’s credit that, a year on, their standards are as high as ever.

2009 WINNER: Best Neighbourhood Restaurant
Molten
Molten seems a home away from home for Mt Eden locals.

2009 WINNER: Best Winery Restaurant First Equal
Pegasus Bay
Pegasus Bay has taken our top winery award for the second year running, albeit this year tied with Terrôir.
Terrôir at Craggy Range
The set of buildings at Craggy Range is no doubt the area’s most dramatic

No Comments »

Wellington On A Plate review: Hippopotamus

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

I have to say, for all that I was wildly enthused about Wellington on a Plate, the fact that it was largely based around lunch deals made it difficult for me, an office worker, to participate. In the end I had to take a sneaky midweek long lunch and turn my phone off, a nice thing to do admittedly, but it would have been even more lovely to have been able to relax more with a $35 dinner. Perhaps this is something we can work on for next year?

Anyway I felt as though after all this talk about Wellington on a Plate I really should take the plunge and so booked a table for two for a set lunch at Hippopotamus, located just opposite Te Papa and down from New World. The day was brutally windy – anyone from Wellington will surely know that the weather has been particularly vicious this week – and I was buffetted along like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz as I made my way there. Once inside the Museum Hotel, home of Hippopotamus, I felt as conspicuous as Dorothy when she landed in Munchkinland. My Chuck Taylors, wind-tangled hair and jeans weren’t exactly congruent with the plush carpet, paintings and many chandeliers within the opulent lobby. However my partner (equally large of hair and casual of footwear) and I were treated as though we were Rick Stein and his wife dropping in for lunch. Coats quietly whipped away, thick, heavy linen upon the tables, beautiful glasses never ignored by the waiter - the very idea that we should pour our own water was a foreign concept to the wait staff at Hippopotamus.

We were seated with a glorious view over the darkened, windswept waterfront (except I’ve been watching Season 2 of The Wire and can’t see shipping containers without making unfortunate associations) and presented with the set menu, which offered a choice of starters, mains and desserts, of which we were to choose two. Although the starters looked tempting I’m really a dessert gal so opted for that and a main. Unfortunately the polenta and some kind of shank from I forget which animal was off the menu – I do love polenta - but in its place a cassoulet of duck and pork belly. I love duck and it was cassoulet kind of weather, plus our waiter pronounced it so charmingly in his French accent that we both chose it.

The cassoulet was exquisite – generously filled with meat so tender and juicy it near on dissolved in my mouth. The beans were perfect - if they were out of a can it they didn’t taste so. The portion was enormous – I’m a huge eater but struggled to finish it and the simple heartiness was the perfect antidote to the weather outside. We were offered a selection of wines, of which we both chose the pinot noir which was everything the waiter described it as. I can’t pretend I drink a lot of good wine so it is such a revelation when I do have it.

For dessert I had vanilla panna cotta and my partner the chocolate tart. Desserts are one of the things I really judge a restaurant on – so often they are bought in, served without care and overpriced. The desserts we were offered at Hippopotamus were, luckily, marvelous, if they hadn’t been made from scratch backstage they did a very good job of hiding it. Panna cotta is all about texture and mine was perfect, just utterly, utterly smooth and carefully occupying that place between solid and liquid. It also came with a panna cotta buddy of coffee cream and some deliciously spiced prunes. My partner’s chocolate tart was also beautiful – layered with excellent pastry, smooth chocolate and caramel, with an ascerbic dollop of orange cream on top.

The whole experience was an absolute joy and I wished I could have stayed longer and lingered over a doubtless excellent coffee, but the inbox and spreadsheets were calling me. I was heavily reluctant to leave the warm quiet interior of the restaurant for the bitter outside world, but was thankful for Wellington on a Plate for providing the opportunity for me to see this world at all. Hippopotamus is incredible but very expensive and I’m quite sure I never would have gone there had they not had this set lunch option. To be honest I’ll probably not go back unless I win the lottery BUT would have no problem recommending it to anyone with lots of money. If you go to Logan Brown regularly and don’t flinch at their prices then this is most definitely the place for you. If, like me, you read about Logan Brown in Cuisine magazine and can only dream of going there, why not add Hippopotamus to your list of places to daydream about?

Hippopotamus

90 Cable Street
Museum Hotel (opposite Te Papa)
Wellington City

04 802 8935

If you’re reading this and thinking “I’m picking up on what she’s putting down” why not jump on over and see what’s happening on my food blog, Hungry and Frozen. As recommended by the Sunday Star-Times.

1 Comment »

Wellington On A Plate

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

As I was saying to the lovely Angela Moriarty of wellingtonnz.com, it doesn’t, in fact, seem like this is the inaugural launch of Wellington on a Plate. It is such a natural fit for this city of endless excellent dining choices, that it feels as though this initiative has been happening for years. But no, this is our first time, and I was fortunate enough to attend the launch on Wednesday evening at Harbour City Shopping Centre on behalf of Menumania, who have a goodly slice of the event’s sponsorship pie.

Wellington on a Plate gives punters the opportunity to savour a set menu at a stunningly bargain price from a huge list of dining establishments around the city. For many, this could be one of the few chances they get to eat at the Logan Brown, for others it may mean they are prompted to try out a new restaurant that they might have hitherto never noticed. There’s also all manner of other engaging activities going on – coffee tastings, a beer festival, market tours with Richard Till…

The launch boasted many exciting guests – I spotted Martin Bosley right away but unfortunately couldn’t work out the best way to go introduce myself. Wellington’s mayor Kerry Prendergast made a stirring speech although some of the effect was a little lost on me – I was standing off to the side of the crowd and in my line of sight there was a large amp blocking where her head should have been. It made her appear like some kind of fabulous electro-android.

I’m not sure that I mingled as aggressively as I could have but hopefully managed to represent the good name of Menumania to the degree they deserve. There is something about being in a room full of strangers that makes you grab the nearest person you have vague acquaintance with and persist in small talk. I know, I did it myself. I’m not saying there should have been anything as vile as team-building exercises or getting-to-know-you games but something to get people introduced to each other would have been appreciated by someone like me who is so relatively inconsequential in terms of Wellington food and wine movers and shakers. For now.

The food was both exquisite and, naturally, in painstakingly miniature form. Of particular joy were the goats cheese with caramelized walnuts, and the gingerbread with blue cheese and quince paste. The wine was plentiful and from the Wairarapa, where they know what they’re doing. I ended up exclusively quaffing Waipipi Sauvignon Blanc all night. By good fortune I then ended up talking to one of the lovely representatives of the Waipipi vineyard and was honestly able to tell him how much I enjoyed his product and how I shall look out for it next time I’m a business exec wooing clients over a long lunch.

I also managed to clumsily put my own blog out onto people’s radars, although whether I told anyone who actually cares is dubious. I certainly would have liked to have talked to more people – I saw someone from Cuisine who left before I was able to flag them down and bore them with how much I adore that magazine – and there were lots of people who looked like they might have been good value but got lost in the crowd. However I thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone I talked to and the night was a fine example of local food and wine. I will definitely be trying to secure myself a booking for a restaurant participating in Wellington on a Plate, but where? I feel Logan Brown is a bit obvious…Martin Bosley’s would be nice…I really have my eye on a night at Matterhorn.

Are you planning on taking advantage of any of these amazing opportunities? See the Wellington On A Plate website for inspiration and details. And if inspiration and details are your idea of a good time, why not also read my food blog Hungry and Frozen? It got a glowing reference in last week’s Sunday Star Times, so if that isn’t the push you need to click over and read it I don’t know what will.

2 Comments »

Archive for the ‘Food news & info’ Category

About

Categories

Archives