I popped into the Rotorua Night Market last night after yoga thinking there wouldn’t be much left as it opens at 5pm every Thursday on upper Tutanekai Street. Well I was delighted and surprised. At 8pm the market was still bustling with people, with delicious aromas in the air, live music plus a huge selection of international and local foods.
Being a discerning foodie and being hungry, I quickly scanned most of the food stands, veering away from the queues of people lining up for dumplings and so I settled on a Larb Gai salad (Thai spicy chicken salad with roasted rice). The young Thai woman prepped and cooked it right in front of me – it was fresh, delicious and authentic for only $10.
While waiting, I visited the vege stand and made a promise to myself to shop there every Thursday. There is more variety than the local supermarkets, plus it’s quicker and cheaper.
As a specialist tour operator I often get asked where to eat in Rotorua. That’s always been a tricky one to answer and my first pick is usually Atticus Finch on Eat Street (if you can get in over summer). Their food’s always fresh NZ produce with sophisticated flavour matchings (Asian and Mediterranean but not together). They have good wine selection, excellent service, tapas style platters for sharing and casual ambience which make this my top recommendation for dinner for a few years now, since it opened.
My favourite lunch place in town is without a doubt Yamato on Pukuatua St. It’s a popular place for local Maori… it must be because of the kai moana (seafood). It’s a lovely family owned eatery serving fresh delicious well-priced food. Try the lunch box if you are hungry. Yamato is closed on Mondays.
Another local’s hangout is Abracadabra on Amohia St offering both Moroccan and Mexican food themes. It’s kid friendly and popular for Friday night drinks out back in the large sunny packing case furniture space. It also has three coloured middle eastern themed private rooms. It’s great to go to before the movies for tapas as it’s just around the corner from the cinema.
Being a self confessed Italianophile I can certainly recommend Leonardos on Eat Street for Italian cuisine. It can be expensive unless you order pasta or risotto. However it is authentic Italian and is owned by Leonardo who hails from Florence.
Good value for money in Rotorua is Indian food… there are many and all offering much the same with the addition of a recent vegetarian Indian restaurant called Steam.
For Thai, try Thai Restaurant on Tutanekai St, Amazing Thai on Fenton St, Herbs and Spice on Eruera St, or Wild Rice on Eat St.
Lastly I’d like to mention a Vietnamese eatery on Fenton St called Vnam Kitchen. It’s quite basic but popular with locals as it’s a cheap and cheerful eatery plus the foods good too.
Stay away from some Chinese restaurants which are aimed at Chinese tourists. They’re owned by Chinese who cater for their own and are usually very expensive. You can tell which ones they are because there are always buses parked outside.
Now cafes. Looking for a perfect coffee? I am so biased and in love with Ciabatta on White Street, an industrial area. A Swiss guy Alex and his family opened this artisan bakery and café five years ago. It has expanded into what was once the bread workshop kitchen. This is my happy place whenever I go into town. It is also the only place to buy artisan bread and yummy pastries if you have a sweet tooth. It’s not open at nights, Sundays or Christmas holidays. I also duck in for a quick morning coffee with my tour groups.
Another café I have to mention is my local Okere Falls Store (German meets hippie). It’s a great meeting place for us locals and a great destination stop for visitors. There’s a garden out back making it kid and dog friendly. You can also buy local craft and German beers, bratwurst, sauerkraut and Maori owned award winning Tohu Wines. There’s a vegan chef so there are lots of salads and food options for vegetarians plus great smoothies. This season I will take my tour groups there for a special Wiki indigenous inspired lunch. The vegetarian dish will include Pirita (supplejack)
A new café in town is The Arts Village Cafe where I had a superb Nasi goreng for breakfast last week.
If you want to experience Maori food apart from the commercial hangi, you can, if you are lucky enough to book a food tour with my friend and well known Maori chef Charles Royal; who has his own food brand offering – Kinaki (native herbs and spices). I’ve worked with Charles over the years… and his food is amazing as he has an in depth knowledge of our native foods. I use his Kinaki in my cooking.
For the best food at a Rotorua Cultural evening ‘Hangi and Show’ experience, I would choose Te Po at Te Puia; the Maori Arts and Craft Village. They serve seafood alongside the hangi and use the native kinaki for their bread dips.
Because Rotorua is inland and lying in a volcano, fresh fish is hard to get. Therefore I’ll sometimes drive to Tauranga wharf to buy fresh fish from Bobby’s which makes it a good excuse to also shop at the Tauranga Farmer’s market Saturday morning.
I like to buy fresh mussels, raw fish and Titi (mutton bird) from Rotorua’s Te Ngae fish shop, or go to Maketu to dig for pipis at low tide. I prefer to steam the pipi’s open – mmm, deliciously natural and very satisfying.
Kia pai te kai – Let the food be good.