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Image: Tina Tiller
Image: Tina Tiller

KaiJuly 23, 2022

How to have a great meal out – without a side of Covid

Image: Tina Tiller
Image: Tina Tiller

We’re in the midst of an omicron surge and while few restrictions remain around dining out, there’s still plenty you can do to reduce the risk.

We’re currently in the midst of a second major wave of omicron infections in Aotearoa but, in stark contrast to the immediate alert level jumps of years past, nothing has changed in our traffic light settings.

Nowhere is this apparent dissonance between case numbers and our near non-existent restrictions starker than when you step into a cafe, restaurant or bar. In hospitality, almost all of the Covid-19 precautions that were once in place have been peeled away. Vaccine passes are gone, distancing is over, venue occupancy numbers are out, seated-only service is defunct. The only remaining restriction requires public-facing workers at indoor hospitality venues to wear a medical-grade face mask, but mandatory masks for customers are no more. 

In hospitality, almost all of the Covid-19 precautions that were once in place have come to an end. (Photo: Getty Images)

Dining out is part of the rhythm of everyday life in New Zealand, but when you consider the specific set of conditions that come with it – strangers in enclosed spaces eating and chatting sans masks, an absence of ventilation requirements, and workers often with limited sick leave – the specific risk these environments pose for Covid-19 transmission becomes apparent.

As we continue to battle this current wave, here’s a list of simple things you can do to protect yourself and those around you while still getting your culinary fix.

Opt for takeaways

Likely the safest thing you can do to avoid transmission while dining out is to, well, avoid dining out. But that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a treat cooked by a professional – get takeaways. What this alternative lacks in seamless service and buzzy ambience is made up for by the benefits of being in your trackpants and slippers, potentially in front of the telly and just a few strides from bed. I can thoroughly recommend getting a few friends together to try something new by way of takeout, and the wait for a table is only as long as it takes you to clear the letters and receipts off your kitchen bench or dining table.

Dine outside

My relationship to outdoor tables at the moment is comparable to a moth to a flame. It might be cold, but it’s worth the effort to rug up in your warmest layers. As we now know, Covid-19 (along with the other respiratory viruses making their way around the population) spreads through the air, so indoor environments with a bunch of strangers talking and eating with no mask on is unfortunately a pretty ideal environment for transmission. To counter this, seek out places with outdoor seating where those pesky Covid-19 particles can drift away before you or anyone else has a chance to inhale them. 

Photo: David Rowland/AFP via Getty Images

Think about ventilation

But what if it’s not possible to sit outside? “I’d be looking at ventilation,” says University of Auckland microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles, adding that questions to keep in mind are whether windows are open and how big the space is. University of Auckland aerosol chemist Joel Rindelaub agrees, explaining that picking a location with an opened window or door can make a huge difference – even if it’s just opened a crack on both sides of a room. “That’s especially useful in winter because it’ll be warm on the inside compared to the air on the outside and due to the physics, the air is going to move from hot to cold, so it’s actually just going to expel outwards and clear the room naturally, even if it’s cracked just a little bit.”

Wiles says she’d like to see more hospitality businesses focusing on their air quality, whether that’s ensuring that a window is open or investing in a CO2 monitor. In the meantime, more customers raising queries around ventilation in the same way we might ask whether places are BYO or use free-range eggs on the menu could help to spread awareness and demand for clean indoor air when we’re eating out. “I would love people to be asking those questions,” Wiles says.

Mask up

At our current setting, orange, customers at restaurants, cafes and bars aren’t required to wear masks. But while it’s not mandatory for customers, the government’s Covid-19 website says everyone is “encouraged to wear a face mask in public indoor settings wherever it is practical”. And there’s good reason to follow that advice.

In an article on The Spinoff published last week, Rindelaub said, “I feel that people should be wearing masks whenever they’re in these high-risk environments, whenever they can. I mean, it’s obviously not going to be possible the entire time. But the more you wear it, the better you’re doing for yourself, because you’re lowering the risk.”

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Wiles emphasises the importance of wearing, if possible, a well-fitted respirator mask, like a P2 or N95, which are more effective than the surgical masks and fabric masks that have been ubiquitous throughout much of the pandemic. Wearing a good mask “is a relatively small thing we can do”, she says. “At least while we’re at the peak.”

So whether you’re heading up to the till to pay, perusing the buffet selection or ducking into a cafe for a takeout morning cheese scone and coffee, putting a mask on for those few minutes could save you or someone else from being sick for a week or more. Sounds like a good trade-off in my humble opinion.

In hospo venues, masks are currently only mandatory for workers – but it’s still helpful for customers to mask up too (Image: Tina Tiller)

Dine at off-peak times

Another tip Wiles reckons is worth considering is “going early in service or later in service when there’s fewer people around”. Fewer people in the room means less chance of someone having Covid-19, and less concentration of particles in the air from people breathing. There’s something delightful about breaking food rules – so, why not opt for a late dinner like people tend to do in Spain, or eat it at 4pm as they apparently do in Norway and Finland.

Getting there

If you’re heading out to eat somewhere in your own car or by active transport, you likely don’t have too much to worry about in terms of potential Covid-19 transmission. Other modes of transport are a different story though.

In a series of articles on RNZ last week, buses, trains and ferries rated pretty poorly in terms of air quality, so wearing a respirator mask is important to reduce both the particles you’re breathing in and breathing out in those germ vessels.

Similarly, if you’re going by taxi (an even smaller germ vessel), simply wearing a respirator mask and rolling down the window to free those air particles will help to protect both you and the driver. I’ve perfected the seamless art of rolling down the window as I close the door, and I reckon you can too.

Do a RAT beforehand

Thinking of booking a fancy meal out to celebrate the end of seven days of isolation? Consider waiting a couple of days to be safe, says Wiles. “A quarter to a half of people are infectious after day seven,” she says, so “at least wait a couple of days” before dining out. If you don’t, “It’s dangerous for everyone around you, staff and other diners.” Even if you’re not at the tail-end of a Covid-19 isolation period, it could be worthwhile to take a RAT test as a precaution, especially as we now know you can be reinfected much earlier than once thought.

Be a nice diner

Patience is always a virtue when dining out, but with staffing issues and the stress of working in a pandemic, even more so at the moment. Most hospitality workers I’ve spoken to recently have noticed a positive shift in terms of treatment from customers but it can’t hurt to keep that in mind. Saying “thank you”, being understanding about wait times or mistakes, drinking responsibly, or – a more divisive suggestion – stacking plates at the end of a meal. Unless you believe in karma, being polite to hospitality workers isn’t likely to protect you or anyone else from Covid-19, but if the aim is to look after each other, it’s important to keep in mind.

Keep going!
Since Food Alley and Mercury Plaza closed some stalls have reopened.
Since Food Alley and Mercury Plaza closed some stalls have reopened.

KaiJuly 15, 2022

They’re back! A directory of reopened Mercury Plaza and Food Alley faves

Since Food Alley and Mercury Plaza closed some stalls have reopened.
Since Food Alley and Mercury Plaza closed some stalls have reopened.

It’s been two years since two of Auckland’s most beloved foodcourts shut, and plenty of us are still missing our favourite stalls. But some of those spots have since been resurrected elsewhere – here’s where to find them.

When Food Alley opened in downtown Auckland in 1992, it was the city’s first Asian food court. Two years later, another Asian food court, Mercury Plaza, opened at the other end of the central city, just off Karangahape Road. They were linked by proximity, affordable and tasty meals, nondescript frontages and fondness in the hearts of Aucklanders.

Since then, food courts have become part of the fabric and identity of Tāmaki Makaurau, and while Food Alley and Mercury Plaza are surely our most famous, their descendants are dotted all over the city. 

I embarrassingly spent my single-digit years contemptuously lugging bags of McDonald’s into Mercs while my parents slurped down generous bowls of tom kha soup and plates of smoky Malaysian noodles. It was only in high school, and then again later when I moved to cities lacking perfectly gritty food courts, that I truly came to appreciate how lucky we were in Auckland. While at university, Food Alley, with its charming murals, hidden dining areas and $3.80 glasses of wine, became a regular haunt, and most importantly – my happy place.

Thai E-Sarn meals and $3.80 glasses of wine from Alley Cats were staples at Food Alley. (Images: Charlotte Muru-Lanning)

It’s hard to recall sometimes, but before the pandemic we did have other (admittedly smaller) problems. In July 2019 it was announced that Mercury Plaza would close that October to make way for Karangahape Station as part of the new City Rail link project. Then, in January 2020, another hit for Auckland diners: Food Alley announced on Facebook that it too was closing down. May 1 would be last orders at the food court, which was to be bowled down for an apartment block. That anticipated date was cut short by a month when the country went into lockdown on March 25. 

It was the end of two eras. And while each of their physical buildings are gone, the number of times Mercury Plaza or Food Alley pops up in conversations tells me they’re still lamented. They occupy a special place in the shared food memories of many, a nostalgia steeped in ramshackle interiors and cheerful food. 

Knowing this, we’ve compiled a list of joints from each food court that have reopened with their own standalone shops since the closures, plus maps of where they were in each foodcourt before they closed, drawn by Toby Morris. My hope is that the list will be updated and evolve as more places (fingers crossed) reappear. 

Mercury Plaza

A map of Mercury Plaza before it closed, with the stalls on this list marked with red stars (Illustration: Toby Morris)

Sushi Bar Salmon 

Famous for its generous bento boxes, and boasting what was often described as “the freshest sushi in town”,  Sushi Bar Salmon was nestled in the upstairs level of the food court. Owner Chul Han Lee spent time in Japan to learn the cuisine, which led to stints in the kitchens of Japanese restaurants in the UK, Korea and New Zealand, before opening his own place in Mercury Plaza.

In March this year, Lee reopened a new sushi shop called Gurume at the Three Lamps end of Ponsonby Road, with a cabinet of eye-catching sushi, along with nigiri and donburi.

Gurume: Shop12/282 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby

Chinese Cuisine

When Mercury Plaza closed, Chinese Cuisine was its longest-running business. Tony and Ming Chan opened their stall in 1994 and began selling their barbecue pork wonton soup and roast pork, duck and chicken on rice, which were famously popular among the All Blacks.

Earlier this month, to the delight of their original fans they reopened as a standalone 40-seat restaurant in Epsom (although they’re only doing takeaway at the moment). Tony and Ming’s daughter Katie Chan is continuing her parents’ legacy with their help at the new premises. Despite a two-year break from the kitchen for the family, I’ve heard through the grapevine that their kai tastes just as it always did.

Chinese Cuisine: 17 Pah Road, Epsom

Katie Chan at the original Mercury Plaza Chinese Cuisine premises. (Photo: Tina Tiller)

Maruten Ramen

With its chewy handmade noodles and perfectly developed broth, it’s not surprising there was often a long line at the till at Maruten. The spot was opened by Takeshi Mizuta six years before Mercury Plaza closed and in that time became a favourite of chefs from some of Auckland’s best Japanese restaurants. 

They’ve since reopened on Dominion Road with a space that boasts a streetfront table and a long counter-bench like you’d find in ramen shops all over Japan. Crowd favourites like their tonkotsu charsyu ramen and syo-yu butter corn ramen are happily still on the menu.

Maruten Ramen: 466 Dominion Road, Mount Eden

E-Sarn Wok

It’s E-Sarn Wok’s chicken laksa and duck noodle soup that spark the fondest memories for me. While their perfectly 1990s cerulean blue signage and illuminated picture menu are gone, their menu favourites remain at the new location in Mission Bay opened by original owners Kris and Nancy.

E-Sarn Wok: 35 Tamaki Drive, Mission Bay

E-Sarn Wok’s counter in July 2019. (Photo: Tina Tiller)

Ruang Thong

Ruang Thong occupied a spacious corner stall in the plaza for 10 years ahead of its closure. In the bustling open kitchen, chef Cyaowapa Chompooppuek pumped out chicken larb, lava pork and kao kling to hungry customers. Owner Ophas Phetbamrung and Chompooppuek reopened Ruang Thong last year in Mt Albert. The menu looks pleasingly familiar, but with a number of additional Isaan dishes.

Ruang Thong: 942 New North Road, Mount Albert

New Gum Sarn 

While somewhat concealed by the surrounding food stalls, for supermarket aficionados, New Gum Sarn was legendary. Whether you were after fruit lanterns, industrial-sized pots, steamers, joss paper or fresh vegetables – or simply a single can of beer to accompany your meal – it was the place to go.

The supermarket reopened last year in Panmure. And while it’s no longer selling fresh produce, everything else looks impressively similar to the original headquarters.

New Gum Sarn: 151 Pilkington Road, Point England, Panmure


Food Alley

A map of Food Alley before it closed. (Design: Toby Morris)

Thai E-Sarn 

When Food Alley closed Thai E-Sarn had been open for five years, and had quickly developed a reputation not only as one of the only, but the best place to get Isaan (northeastern Thai) cuisine in Auckland. Few weeks go by where I’m not feeling melancholy that I can’t meet my friends for a plate of som tom pu (spicy papaya salad with pickled crab) with a $3.50 glass of dry white wine from their neighbouring stall, Alley Cats, to accompany it.

So I was delighted, and may or may not have happy cried, when Thai E-Sarn was resurrected as a standalone shop down the opposite end of Hobson Street last year. They’ve maintained their extensive Isaan menu and I can vouch that their som tum salads remain unbeaten  – sadly no $3.50 glasses of wine these days though.

Thai E-Sarn: 3/205 Hobson Street, Auckland CBD

Tasanee Suchatawat (Pim) at her Thai E-Sarn stall at Food Alley in 2020. (Photo: Jihee Junn)

Malaysian Noodles and Rice

It always seemed like every second table in Food Alley had a serving of Malaysian Noodles and Rice’s chicken laksa, mee goreng and hokkien mee, or the popular kurt teaw, a plate of noodles  heaving with chunky prawns, pork and squid, with the all-important smoke element having found its way into the dish through an extremely hot wok. 

Devotees can revisit that at their new shop in West Auckland, which was opened shortly after the first lockdown in 2020.

Malaysian Noodles: 301 Lincoln Road, Henderson

Umaiya

Bento are a food court necessity, and Umaiya delivered. Their boxes made up of teriyaki and katsu, sushi, salad and dumplings with a side of miso soup were a favourite among the crowds of pekish workers who would descend upon the food court at lunchtime. 

At their new location in Parnell, the menu remains relatively unchanged with udon noodles, donburi and, of course, bento ready to be eaten there or taken away.

Umaiya: 100 Parnell Road, Parnell


Know of any other Mercury Plaza or Food Alley reopenings? Get in touch: charlotte@thespinoff.co.nz


 

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