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What's eating Aotearoa

What's eating Aotearoa
The Chinese origins of Sāmoa’s most popular dish, chop suey

The Chinese origins of Sāmoa’s most popular dish, chop suey

Many of Sāmoa's beloved dishes are the result of cultural collaboration.
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By Madeleine Chapman | 8th February, 2025
Editor
The Tse’s stall in the Queensgate Mall in the 1990s.

Life behind the counter of Queensgate mall's first Chinese takeaway

Growing up in a Chinese takeaway left Chris Tse with a deep appreciation for his parents’ hard work – and a years-long aversion to sweet and sour pork. 
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By Chris Tse | 4th February, 2025
Contributing writer
Food waste doesn’t disappear, but there are big differences between composting it in your backyard, sending it to landfill or placing it in a food scraps bin (Image: The Spinoff)

What’s ahead for kerbside food waste collection?

There are fears a government policy change will prevent more councils from rolling out food scraps collection.
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By Shanti Mathias | 29th January, 2025
Contributing writer
James Tangitamaiti and Yanah Partsch, owners of Pepe’s Cafe. Image: Tina Tiller.

The remarkable pie shop hidden in a Porirua industrial estate

Pāua, canned spaghetti, Povi Masima and taro: Pepe's Cafe understands the nature of food as love and community.
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By Nick Iles | 12th January, 2025
Contributing writer
Alric Hansen, the Head Chef and co-owner of Highwater Eatery (Photo: Supplied)

Where do Wellington’s top chefs eat on their day off?

The capital's best chefs and restaurateurs share their favourite local eateries and hidden gems.
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By Nick Iles | 9th January, 2025
Contributing writer
Photography by Sophie Wright

How Wellington became a cornucopia of Malaysian food

Our capital is a far cry from hot, bustling Kuala Lumpur, so why is this freezing city full of excellent Malaysian cuisine?
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By Preyanka Gothanayagi | 7th January, 2025
Contributor
The rise and fall of Cotto (Image: Tina Tiller)

Inside the fast rise and faster collapse of the acclaimed K Road restaurant Cotto

The popular Auckland pasta spot closed its doors with no warning in late 2023. What went wrong?
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By Stewart Sowman-Lund | 6th January, 2025
The Bulletin editor
Can Sandringham’s South Asian flavour survive gentrification?

Can Sandringham’s South Asian flavour survive gentrification?

Thirty years ago, Sandringham wasn’t known for Indian food at all. What will it look like in another three decades?
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By Shanti Mathias | 31st December, 2024
Contributing writer
From huhu grubs to fried locusts to tangy ants, possibilities for serving insects abound. (Photos: Chrystal O’Connor and Malcolm Diack)

There are lots of reasons to eat insects. Will we ever overcome the ‘yuck’ factor?

Insects have been the ‘next big thing’ in food for the last decade. Will we ever have an appetite for them?
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By Shanti Mathias | 28th December, 2024
Contributing writer
Cover photo by Eda Tang

Chinese, but not a Chinatown: The rise and rise of Dominion Road

Dominion Road has made a name for itself as a destination for authentic, regionally-specific Chinese food. How did it get here?
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By Eda Tang | 24th December, 2024
Contributor
What is the best nut? (Image: The Spinoff)

Pretty much every common nut in Aotearoa, reviewed and ranked

Would a pistachio beat a pecan in a fight?
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By Shanti Mathias | 23rd December, 2024
Contributing writer
A bubble tea shop on Dominion Road. (Photo: Gabi Lardies).

‘Just like the pie’: Bubble tea is here to stay

Bubbles, pearls or boba – no matter what you call them, they've taken New Zealand by storm.
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By Gabi Lardies | 20th December, 2024
Staff writer
The lineup (Image: Tina Tiller)

The boozeless bubbly of Aotearoa, reviewed and ranked

There’s plenty on offer beyond Grapetise these days – but is any of it any good?
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By Group Think | 20th December, 2024
A bunch of people
From left, a Melona ice cream, Korean instant noodles, Pocha restaurant, and a mukbang clip (Image: Tina Tiller)

The inside story of Auckland’s Korean culinary boom

From fried chicken and franchises to fusion and fine dining, Korean cuisine has taken over Tāmaki Makaurau.
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By Jihee Junn | 12th December, 2024
Contributing writer
Image: The Spinoff

What I ate while I grieved

'Pākehā don’t have a base camp like marae, or the tradition of dedicated ringawera in the kitchen, but we improvise.'
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By Denise Irvine | 7th December, 2024
Guest Writer
How to do yum cha right (Photo: Jin Fellet)

A beginner’s guide to yum cha

How and what to order, from tea to egg tart.
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By Jean Teng | 20th November, 2024
Guest writer
Image: The Spinoff

Who are the New Zealanders who can’t afford nourishing food?

After household bills are paid, one in five in the working-age population doesn't have enough income for decent kai.
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By Shanti Mathias | 13th November, 2024
Contributing writer
Nobody panic, but we’re in the midst of a global chocolate crisis

Nobody panic, but we’re in the midst of a global chocolate crisis

Price hikes, disappearing products and sourcing struggles – could this be the new normal for the chocolate industry?
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By Gabi Lardies | 5th November, 2024
Staff writer
Hot chips from PLONK. (Photo: Nick Iles)

Good hot chips are an art form – here’s where to find Wellington’s best

An impassioned culinary defence of the hot chip, and a guide to some of the capital's finest examples.
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By Nick Iles | 11th October, 2024
Contributing writer
Smoking ads are banned in New Zealand. Why are junk food ads still allowed?
Opinion

Smoking ads are banned in New Zealand. Why are junk food ads still allowed?

With a health crisis driven by preventable illnesses, the government can take one big step now.
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By Victoria Egli | 11th October, 2024
Guest writer

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