If you are visiting Auckland City for an event at Vector Arena, there are plenty of restaurants and bars to visit before show time.
Saigonz Vietnamese Cuisine
At just $7 to $12 per meal, the food is very affordable. One dish to try is the Lemongrass chicken curry, consisting of coconut and lemongrass sauce with chunks of chicken, potato and kumara on steamed rice or vermicelli. Yum!
Saigonz is fully licenced, so you can enjoy a nice glass of wine or beer with your meal.
Brew on Quay Street
The
Brew on Quay at 102 Quay St, with a rooftop bar, is an ideal place for pre-show drinks and nibbles.
They have an excellent selection of beers, wines and meals and you must try the Brew’s famous smoked chicken Caesar salad or Steak Burger.
By signing up as a ‘Brew’s Regular,’ you get your second drink free when you buy a pint of tap beer or glass of house wine. Ask their friendly bar staff to sign up.
District Dining
District Dining, at 50 Customs St East, is a mixture of sophistication and fun.
Their Japanese, Spanish and Middle Eastern-inspired meals are known as some of the best and most innovative in New Zealand.
Taste the Smoked beef brisket and scorched corn salsa, or for dessert, Chocolate brownie, orange, Cointreau. Wow!
Considering their lofty reputation, the prices are very reasonable with a main averaging at about $28.
The Northern Steamship
The Northern Steamship, on the corner of Quay and Gore Streets, is in the 130-year-old headquarters of the Northern Steamship Co.
There are 9 flavours of Mac’s brews on tap and a broad selection of meals, each matched to a recommended beer — check out their Pan-roasted market fish or Steamship pot pie.
They have plenty of entertainment too: a live DJ (Friday and Saturday nights), live musicians (Thursday night) and plenty of sport on the big-screen.
Daikoku
Daikoku Restaurant, at 148 Quay Street, offers Japanese food and humorous pre-show entertainment, courtesy of their amazing Teppan-yaki chefs.
You and your kids will be amazed as you watch the chef juggle utensils and dice food at lightning speed, right before you.
The prices range from $32 to $83 per meal. Try the Daikoku Delight (chicken and prawns) with yum yum sauce.
Editorial by Liam MacAndrew
1 August 2012
