This Hungry Mum’s family were among the half a million Kiwis who spent some of the recent school holidays embarking on domestic tourism and for us a large part of that was the eats.
Arriving in Rotorua on a cold wintery day we did a lap past the lake which was invisible thanks to low cloud. But nevermind, we were there as tourists and had a list of activities and eateries to tick off over three days.
After zooming downhill on the luge and gazing at geysers, we were looking for restaurants that offered children good options as well as being quick on service. A chance encounter with a Rotorua foodie before I left Auckland meant I was armed with local knowledge and well prepared when a quick lunch and dinner were called for.
El Mexicano Zapata
This is a family run Mexican restaurant that has spades of charm and character with sombreros and Mexican pictures adorning the walls. The food is traditional Mexican and cooked from the heart. Tacos come two ways – soft or hard shell, filled with black beans, meat of your choice and salad with sauces on the side. I chose the hard shell fish taco, which I was surprised to find came as a patties in the tacos but still delicious, and Hungry Dad chose the pulled pork which disappeared quickly. One of these dishes would have been enough for me, but I’d also ordered the jalapeno poppers and felt duty bound to continue eating. These are deep fried peppers stuffed with cream cheese served with chipotle aioli, and so decadent we couldn’t quite finish them off. The kids had the children’s combo – a choice of burrito or quesadilla with drink and ice-cream. Then we noticed there are churros on the menu, which came with both caramel and chocolate sauces. Next time I’ll order one of their margaritas, which were coming out of the kitchen thick and fast and caught my eye. There are plenty of vegetarian options here. It pays to book ahead as this is a small restaurant that was fully booked the first night we tried to eat here. And if that fails, the next restaurant is right next door.
1148 Tutanekai St, Rotorua
Ali Baba’s Tunisian Cuisine
Chef Ramzi’s signature dish is a kascrute sandwich – I had lamb, cooked with tomatoes, herbs, spinach, mushrooms, onions, Berber spices and then wrapped in a thin kebab bread with olives, mozzarella and cream cheese and baked. But wait there’s more. It’s then topped with garlic mayo and sweet chili sauce, which took me back to North Shore in the 90s. The chef knows his target market and that is hungry travelers and locals alike. This casual eatery dishes up Tunisian food, a blend of Mediterranean and Middle East. Its kebabs and kascrute are spot on, filling and passed muster with all the adults and children on our visit. Their cabinet of sweets, including Turkish delight, meant we all had dessert for $1 each. Get there early and nab a table.
1146 Tutanekai St, Rotorua
Saigon 60s
We came here the night El Mexicano Zapata was fully booked. A short walk from each other, Saigon 60s was just what we needed – it could seat 12 with ease. My parents had joined us, and friends were also in Rotorua for a day trip so our party had ballooned from five. Our order traversed the menu of this Vietnamese restaurant, from traditional omelets to pho (seafood and beef), lemongrass chicken and spring rolls. The menu included edameme beans (Japanese) but we weren’t quibbling. The beef pho was pronounced just right, the seafood pho felt bottomless (Dad couldn’t finish it) and the kids slurped up their orders with ease. This is another place that has good kids options – a few of the six children at the table ordered off the kids menu – chicken and rice in bbq sauce. This satisfied the gluten-free, dairy-free eater amongst us and was a great place for a good meal. As we were leaving I noticed an array of sauces and condiments diners can add to their meals. No need to book, but if you’re a crowd like we were best to give them a heads up.
1205 Fenton St, Rotorua
Ciabatta Bakery
Straight from Lady Knox geyser, where she had put on a good show while we stood shivering under our umbrellas, we were in need of sustenance. From the outside, Ciabatta Bakery (on the outskirts of the city centre) looks like a takeaway joint and the day we visited it certainly wasn’t picnic weather. But get past the bakery counter, and the interior is cavernous. So much so, the occupants of a few tour buses could be comfortably seated. But back to the bakery counter. Giant pretzels, cronuts, bagels, breads, rolls, a very very long hot dog, a mini hot dog that is a normal sized hot dog. You get the picture. Eat with your eyes and order a feast, then take a number and sit at the table. A hangover from days international tourists graced these parts, their sandwiches and hotdogs arrive in a branded carboard box. Handy for a picnic but we were eating in so I assumed they have a lot to use right now. All the same, the day we left we ordered lunch to go and it lasted the car journey till Grandma’s place in Hamilton. A win-win.
38 White St, Rotorua
Patrick’s Boutique Bakery
My Dad, 70, can’t go past a bakery without stopping for a sausage roll but when in Rotorua it’s Patrick’s Boutique Bakery pies he stops for. His request was to get pies for lunch and take them lakeside for a picnic but we couldn’t see the lake, such was the greyscape. We’d turned up a little on the late side for lunch after 2pm because luging took a whole morning. Worried there’d be no pies left, we entered the bakery and heaven behold they’d just come out of the oven! Not one to entirely trust my Dad’s choice of eatery, I had looked up this pie maker and wondered if it was the home of Pat Lam’s crowned New Zealand’s king pie maker last year. His mince and cheese pie won the Supreme Pie Award…(different bakery, head to Gold Star Bakery for those). Patrick Rattigan is the Pastry Chef at Patrick’s Boutique Bakery and makes a range of goodies – think danish pastries, almond croissants, gourmet filled rolls, spinach and feta parcels – from scratch. The day we visited we all had the mince and cheese, and perfect it was except that half way through the pies became deconstructed and we had to lick the mince from the bag. The bakery provides tomato sauce and on a good day is a short hop down to the lake. On a grey winter’s day you can eat at one of the outside tables. The seagulls were waiting to pick over our pie leftovers but there weren’t any.
49 Lake Rd, Rotorua