MenuMania Blog

Al Brown’s Depot Eatery & Oyster Bar supreme winner of Metro / Audi Restaurant of the Year 2012!

Karen — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:28:57 +0000

The Winner of the Metro/Audi Restaurant of the Year Top 50 Restaurants in Auckland have been announced!

Al Brown’s Depot Eatery & Oyster Bar supreme winner of Metro / Audi Restaurant of the Year!

The full list of winners are:

Depot Supreme winner; plus Best new restaurant; plus Best casual bistro; (Runner-up – Coco’s Cantina); plus, Al Brown won “Audi progressive restaurateur of the year” (Runner-up – Sid Sahrawat (Sidart)

Clooney Best fine dining; Runner-up – The French Café

Cibo Best smart dining; Runner-up – O’Connell Street Bistro

The Engine Room Best upmarket bistro; Runners-up – Ponsonby Road Bistro, Pure

Cocoro Best Asian (Runner-up – Ebisu); Best short drinks list (Runner-up – Molten)

Toto Best Italian; Runner-up – Poderi Crisci

Poderi Crisci Best rural; Runner-up – Casita Miro

Merediths Best chef – Michael Meredith

The French Café Best service (Runner-up – Coco’s Cantina); and Best drinks list (Runner-up – O’Connell Street Bistro)

Roxy Best dish – Fish soup

The Tasting Shed - Ganesh Raj – Restaurant personality of the year

The other Restaurants listed in the Top 50 included:

Metro Top 50 Auckland Restaurants 2012

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:46:56 +0000

The Metro/Audi Restaurant of the Year Top 50 Restaurants in Auckland have been announced!

Winners will be announced on Monday, April 23 2012.

The Metro Top 50 Auckland Restaurants 2012, in alphabetical order:

How restaurant owners can Manage negative Reviews positively

Karen — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:27:03 +0000

Here’s a nice piece for Restaurant owners about managing reviews…

http://www.marketingfirst.co.nz/2012/02/how-to-handle-negative-reviews-about-your-business/

Fair Trade Fortnight will take place between May 5- 20, 2012

Karen — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:28:32 +0000

This article is straight out of HospoNews: Plans are well underway for Fairtrade ANZ’s annual high profile awareness raising campaign. Fair Trade Fortnight will take place between May 5- 20 kicking off with a breakfast launch event in Auckland on May 4.

The theme this year is clear and to the point with the call to action: Choose Fair. The tag line in campaign messaging is “every choice matters” with the simple concept of encouraging more Fairtrade sales. In turn more farmers and workers in 63 developing countries will benefit from the fair and stable Fairtrade price and additional Fairtrade Premium.

Thanks to rising sales of Fairtrade Certified™ products in New Zealand and around the world currently more than 1.2 million small-scale farmers and workers reap these benefits through 905 Fairtrade Certified cooperative associations. Members decide democratically on how to invest the cash Premium, typically in projects such as building clinics and schools, investing in training in sustainable farming techniques and building roads to get products to market.

As one of the fastest growing markets globally for Fairtrade, New Zealand is expected to buy in to the cause in an even bigger way during Fair Trade Fortnight. Supermarkets will profile Fairtrade Certified™ products such as coffee, tea, chocolate and bananas and there’s plenty of scope for cafes and other hospo businesses to get involved.

Kokako FairTrade Coffee Cup

Kiwis like Fairtrade. A GlobeScan survey late last year confirmed that 76 per cent of New Zealand consumers believe independent, third-party certification is the best way to verify a product’s social and environmental claims. The poll also showed that a large percentage of us have high expectations of companies dealing with farmers and workers in poor countries, with 91 per cent believing companies should pay them fairly – compared to the global average of 85 per cent.

Fairtrade ANZ has planned a nationwide TV ad campaign to get the message out to as many people as possible just before and during the Fortnight. A major push on social media will precede the ads and supporter groups and Fairtrade licensees will organise events and promotions across the country. Posters, stickers, table talkers in cafes and shelf wobblers and special stands in store should create a high visibility for the event.

Special ‘Choose Fair’ re-useable Ideal Cups have been made for the event and you can go into the draw to grab 4 pairs for free at HospoNews. Just send your name, address and a contact phone number to the editor of HospoNews: Cynthia Daly to go in the draw to win. Winners will be announced in April.

The website www.fairtrade.org.nz next month will highlight the Fair Trade Fortnight campaign and how to get involved.

So why not sign-up to become a Fair Trade Workplace in time for Fortnight – it’s easy, you simply have to serve Fairtrade Certified™ coffee and tea to staff and visitors, promote Fair Trade by displaying a poster and having a morning tea type event.

The Piccolo debacle: “Food flies when diner angers Ramsay-esque chef”

Karen — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:00:15 +0000

Regarding the Piccolo Ristorante Italiano fiasco that’s been followed loudly in the NZ Herald over the weekend, there are always two sides to a story! (Read articles: Side 1; Side 2)

My main concern is that I hope a story like this doesn’t deter other diners around the country from complaining face-to-face to restaurant management if they ever have a problem with their meal.

This Piccolo incident is the most extreme set of reactions I’ve ever seen described on MenuMania in the 6 years since its inception.
We love reviews and we value the dining community’s viewpoint – MenuMania has provided a space for that, and we welcome all fair and genuine comment about an eating-out experience.

The MenuMania team is also wildly passionate about NZ eating establishments, and we always want to see them thrive and deliver fantastic food & service to New Zealand’s food-loving populace.
So we also agree with the ‘Restaurant Association of NZ’, and ‘Hospitality New Zealand’ that diners should tell the restaurant immediately, face to face, if they have any issues.
Then the staff & management have the all-important chance to fix a problem.

But people do seem to love a juicy story about a dining experience gone wrong, don’t they.
Thank goodness the majority of MenuMania’s reviews are positive, and I find that where there’s a negative review relating to the service, it almost always comes down to mis-communication (the customer thought the waiter meant something he didn’t, etc…)

Sometimes us kiwi-types get all hot-under-the-collar if we misinterpret the way someone has asked us a perfectly practical question. It can make us a bit defensive. I see the odd reviewer who writes something like “I’m a regular at this establishment, I’ve loved it for years, I’ve never written a review before, but due to their terrible effort last time, I’m writing about how bad this restaurant is now.” But they haven’t taken the time to speak directly to the restaurant management about it at all. And I also see the opposite, where diners who have taken the risk to speak-up, then get severely knocked back by an over-defensive staff member.

Is it a deep-seated lack of self-esteem that causes people on both sides of the counter to react so emotionally to what should be a professional situation?

Bad service experiences almost always come down to mis-communication.

Communicate people, communicate! TELL the manager right there and then! Don’t be shy, and don’t be too sensitive either! Most restaurant owner-operators are busting a gut to get a 5% profit out of their business if they’re lucky… trying to keep all those people employed… trying to live out their passion for good food… But no one’s perfect … And if you don’t tell them face to face that something’s amiss, how will they ever fix it? Kiwis, show a little mercy. But by the same token, Restauranteurs, don’t be too defensive! Take it all with a big grain of salt. Opinion is just opinion.

So, with this Piccolo incident, it concerns me terribly that a diner was brave enough to say they weren’t happy about something face to face, and whilst sure, they perhaps have done something to inflame the situation, that customer never deserved to receive the foul-language and stand-over tactics in the first place.

Some Kiwis are notorious for not communicating about their dissatisfaction face-to-face… notorious for saying everything’s ‘fine’, when it’s not… so I just hope that other restaurants don’t suffer if diners get even more fearful of speaking up on the spot if there’s a problem.

Suspected food-borne illnesses – Food poisoning or viral?

Karen — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:46:00 +0000

From time to time, MenuMania receives reviews that refer to diner experiences of becoming unwell after eating at a restaurant.

As publishers of MenuMania we need to ensure that food outlets are made aware of suspected food-borne illnesses, so they can take action and investigate.

Food poisoning or viral?
It can take between 20 minutes and up to several weeks to become sick due to food contaminated by pathogens – and your illness may not be caused by the last thing you ate. In addition to this, it may be a case of a contagious viral bug that you and/or your group of friends have all contracted at the same time (it happens!), rather than being caused by food that you ate together.

Take these steps:

Please report it to your local Public Health Unit straight away;
Plus we recommend that you contact the restaurant’s management directly;
Consult your family doctor if your symptoms persist, or are severe.
For further info click here or visit www.foodsmart.govt.nz

Every food outlet owner who we have ever spoken to has been horrified if a customer has ever had such an experience . . . and they make every effort to investigate it.

Reviews referring to diners becoming ‘sick’ are generally held on the ‘back-burner’ until sufficient opportunity has been given to the restaurant to investigate the reviewer’s concerns. Once they are aware of it, the management can then go through their standard procedures for dealing with a food quality complaint.

Join the Conscious Consumer Movement

Karen — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:10:19 +0000

MenuMania is excited about Conscious Consumers, which welcomes consumers, cafes and businesses that supply cafes to join the conscious consumer movement.

Conscious Consumers is an amazing tool for the cafe/coffee loving community in key centres of New Zealand.

Good info on both environmental & social aspects of products & services can be tricky for consumers to locate. Similarly, small businesses like cafes need clear support that makes it easier for them to reduce any environmental/social impacts of their business practices. This project aims to:

Encourage and support cafes to adopt more environmentally and socially conscious business practices
Empower consumers to make more informed purchasing choices.

The project promotes nine practices which make good business sense, respect people and the environment and reflect current ‘conscious’ consumer preferences. These practices are:

The project has developed a guide for cafes which details the value in and how to adopt each of these practices. Cafes are able to earn a badge for each practice, which is displayed to consumers instore. Check it out on www.consciousconsumers.org.nz

Wellington restaurants open on Christmas Day 2011

Karen — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:17:57 +0000

Restaurants known to be open on Christmas Day in Wellington so far include:

Osteria del Toro (2 lunch sittings)

Logan Brown

Tinakori Bistro (3 sittings throughout the day 11am – 9pm)

Andrews Bar and Restaurant (Lower Hutt)

Whitby’s at James Cook Hotel Lunch/Dinner

Chameleon Restaurant Hotel Intercontinental -Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Hippopotamus – Museum Hotel – Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Let MenuMania know if you find out about more NZ eating establishments who will be providing feasts on Christmas Day this year!

Get in quick: Blind Dining Experience at Euro

Karen — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:41:05 +0000

Masterchef Judge Simon Gault and 2010 Winner Nadia Lim have reserved Euro, one of New Zealand’s finest restaurants for an amazing cbm fundraising experience called Blind Dining.

Blind Dining Experience at Euro Restaurant

At Simon’s own Euro Restaurant and Bar on Princes Wharf, you will be blindfolded on entry. Being without sight for the evening will give you a small window into the experience of living with a life-altering disability.

Simon has personally designed a special menu of food and drink which will be

described to you as each course is completed on the night.

By buying a ticket you support the work of cbm with a donation of $50, the remaining $100 cover the expenses for food and wine.

An incredibly unique experience designed around the finest food and drink in Auckland’s premier location.

All in support of cbm‘s life changing work.

Upcoming Dates in Auckland:

Sunday 13 November 2011 @ 7:00 pm
Monday 14 November 2011 @ 7:00 pm
Sunday 20 November 2011 @ 7:00 pm

Book here: http://www.cbm-nz.org.nz

Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence 2011 Finalists include

Karen — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:03:49 +0000

“Casual dining restaurants, cool ‘n’ classy bars, four-star hotels, and traditional Kiwi country pubs and are among the finalists selected in this year’s hotly-contested Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence.”

Winners are to be announced at an awards dinner during Hospitality New Zealand’s annual conference in Christchurch on 3 November 2011. Finalists for 2011’s Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence include:

Best bar:
Brew on Quay, Auckland
Shed 2, Napier
Suite, Auckland
The Zookeeper’s Son, Auckland

Best new/redeveloped bar/restaurant:
Ballarat Trading Company, Queenstown
The Riverhead Tavern, Riverhead, North of Auckland
The Zookeeper’s Son, Auckland

Best restaurant:
Orangerie, Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco, Nelson
Smith and McKenzie Chophouse, Hamilton
Soul Bar and Bistro, Auckland
Dallows at Sale Street, Auckland

Excellence in customer service:
Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco, Nelson
Iguana Street Bar & Restaurant, Hamilton
Jet Park Airport Hotel, Auckland
Soul Bar and Bistro, Auckland

Best beef dish:
Café Izone, Christchurch
Mint Dining Room, Nelson
Mount Bistro, Tauranga
Novotel Capital, Wellington

Best lamb dish:
Dallows at Sale St, Auckland
Karamea Village Hotel, Karamea, West Coast
Mint Dining Room, Nelson
Mount Bistro, Tauranga

Source: www.foodnews.co.nz