Last week Bayfair Shopping Centre announced that a new international dining precinct is opening later in May. Here’s everything you need to know about the new kids on the block that everyone will soon be talking about.
Burger Burger
Known as the ‘honest burgers & old-fashioned shakes’ chain from Auckland, these guys support local producers and swear by the freshest ingredients. The range includes beef, chicken, fish and even has two vegetarian options.
Last month they made the news by launching Big Daddy, a gargantuan 850g burger (roughly the size of five normal burgers, in case you were wondering). This epic meal was priced at $69.99 and contained almost 7,000 calories. And although this bad boy is no longer on the menu, we certainly wouldn’t mind a bite or two of their normal offerings.
MEXICO
This place claims to be ‘New Zealand’s most loved Mexican restaurant’ and, we must admit, with over 10,000 people eating there every week, it’s hard to argue with that! MEXICO restaurants are colourful and vibrant with a positive and welcoming atmosphere. Happy hours, face painting, Margarita Masterclasses and other fun activities are what they’re known and loved for.
Their street food dishes with complex, spicy and bold flavours change every season to feature only the freshest, locally sourced ingredients available at the time. You can’t surprise Bay locals with Mexican cuisine but the variety of choices is really impressive! How about six different types of soft shell tacos, for example? The most intriguing one features octopus & Spanish chorizo as the main ingredients. What a great addition to the Tauranga foodie scene!
Over 69,000 people follow this restaurant on Facebook and over 13,000 on Instagram. In the age of social media we really don’t need any other proof to give this place a visit!
Nando’s
Nando’s originated in South Africa in 1987. Today it has over 1,000 restaurants in 35 countries.
This place specialises in Portuguese-style chicken meals with their legendary PERi-PERi sauce. PERi-PERi is a vibrant, flavourful concoction created by Portuguese explorers to Africa many years ago. Key ingredients include African Bird’s Eye Chilli from Mozambique, a squeeze of lemon and a kick of garlic.
The first Nando’s restaurant in New Zealand was opened in 2000. There are no restaurants in Tauranga yet – the closest ones are in Rotorua and Hamilton – so, no more long drives for flame-grilled BBQ wings!
Katsubi
Delicious and healthy Asian cuisine for your ‘winning day’ (that’s the translation from Japanese). This place is heaven for busy people as it’s well-known for its fast service. But they don’t sacrifice the quality of their dishes in favour of speed and are proud to serve fresh veggies, meat, rice and noodles.
What started as a small Japanese restaurant in Rotorua is now a well-known and respected chain with nine restaurants in Auckland, Christchurch and Hamilton. New spots mean new flavours and the Auckland restaurant, for example, boasts Korean-Japanese fusion flavours. Let’s see what the Tauranga restaurant will add to the menu!
Cleaver & Co
The home of slow cooked BBQ meat, accompanied by tap beer, wine and handcrafted cocktails. The first Cleaver & Co restaurant opened in Auckland in 2015 and quickly established itself as the place to go for mouth-watering ribs that fall off the bone and succulent brisket and lamb shoulder that’s cooked for 14 hours.
The interior of this venue reminds us of an old meat market that includes the smoker, pit master, chopping blocks, marble, and peeling paint with exposed brick.
There are now three Cleaver & Co restaurants around the country – in Auckland, Christchurch and Waitakere. We’re very happy to welcome the very first Tauranga Cleaver & Co to Bayfair!
IZAKAI
We don’t know too much about this place yet as it seems the IZAKAI restaurant in Tauranga is going to be the first one of its type! But what we do know is that ‘izakaya’ is how casual, relaxed pubs or taverns are referred to in Japan. It won’t be a place to quickly pop by at lunch time but, rather, a spot to spend a long, slow evening over good drinks and conversations with friends. Most izakayas in Japan offer sushi and fried chicken.
IZAKAI’s owner and general manager, Liam Millard, has hinted that the traditional Japanese experience will be mixed with traditional Māori ingredients, culture and history. That’s why he used part of the word ‘izakaya’ and blended it with Māori ‘kai’ (‘food’).
The Freeport Tavern and Eatery
This Tauranga restaurant is yet another big secret. All we know is that the Tavern will be opened in collaboration with Little Creatures Brewery, famous for its Pale Ale. They already have their very own Little Creatures Dining Hall in Fitzroy, Taranaki.
