PALATE

Saving the best for the end of a long day, Fiordland’s stunning natural environment and lack of light pollution makes for a truly amazing stargazing experience. In fact, Fiordland National Park is set to become the secondlargest Dark Sky Park in the world. Take your pick out of many great vantage points to watch the sun set behind the Fiordland Mountain ranges and wait for the stars to shine. Stargazers from here get the best view of the Milky Way stretching itself across the southern sky.

If you are looking for an unforgettable night sky experience, venture out into the night with one of the region’s talented operators. Explore Rakiura International Dark Sky Sanctuary with Twinkle Dark Sky Tours. A tour with these experts will allow you to view anything from craters on the moon to the centre of the galaxy. Douglas Thorne from Southern Photography Adventures will teach you to use your camera to capture beautiful images of the stunning sky above Fiordland National Park.

The wider Southland region is known as ‘big sky country’ by day – and a stargazers’ paradise by night. Astronomers know the perfect destinations to visit at night. Cue the Catlins. Known for their landscape and wildlife, stunning night-time settings here include Waipapa Point Lighthouse and Curio Bay. Staying in the city? You’ll be excited to know that there is a range of options close to Invercargill for prime stargazing opportunities, such as Awarua, Omaui, Ōreti Beach, and Bluff Hill.

We’ve already mentioned that winter is a great time for stargazing and catching the Aurora Australis, but winter in New Zealand also marks the start of Matariki, the Māori New Year. The Matariki star cluster emerges above the horizon throughout June and July, bringing in a new year according to the Māori lunar calendar. You can attend various Matariki celebrations around the region; the light show in Queens Park Invercargill is a must-see. These are an excellent chance to discover more about this star cluster and its importance in Māori culture.

Let the night sky amaze you, plan your Southland trip today at southlandnz.com

Kate Underwood, Guest Food Editor @relishthememory @eat.newzealand

I’ve always found solace in food. To me, food is so much more than sustenance or something we consume. It’s connection; it’s care; it’s the act of looking after someone. In so many ways, food is love.

I think so often we miss the opportunity to connect the food on our plates back to the people who grew, produced, transformed or prepared what we eat. Every food creation, product or business began from someone’s desire to feed someone else. There’s always a story, and the more we know about the ‘why’, the more we can appreciate the offering.

When we think about food, often we think about it at face value. How it tastes, how it looks, how much it costs, and how it fuels us through our busy days. But as we race between meals and moments, we miss the opportunity to observe how food really makes us feel – on an emotional, physical, societal, and even spiritual level. It is all so deeply connected.

I think there’s something maternal, feminine, and deeply caring about being fed by someone else. If you recall your favourite food memories, it’s likely they’ll remind you of loved ones. For me, it’s the sweet caress of Nana Merle’s sultana cake, my mum’s sticky honey soy chicken nibbles, and the giant mugs of milky Milo that my high school friends and I drank at sleepovers. These memories can sometimes be less about the food and more about how you felt at that moment in time.

Our food memories are profoundly personal, they become the stories of our past, and they make up a huge part of who we are. Chefs are often driven to help us recreate these nostalgic feelings by evoking childhood memories and getting us to connect back to the moments and people we hold dear in our hearts.

In an effort to create more moments of connection to people and place, as part of my role with Eat New Zealand, we will be working to shine a light on our indigenous food stories and our cultural heritage through a nationwide food event called Feast Matariki. With Matariki becoming an official public holiday on Friday 24 June, this is a monumental moment for our culture and our country.

From 13 to 27 June, we are collaborating with Ngāi Tahu to deliver a series of food events across New Zealand, including Ōtautahi, allowing us the opportunity to find Aotearoa’s unique food stories and hold space for them to be told. It will be a new wave of connection to who and what we are as a food nation and a celebration designed to unite us all, no matter our backgrounds. Our vision is that Matariki becomes a time when we come together as family and community to give thanks for our food, for this amazing country and for all it can provide. Ultimately helping further connect us back to ourselves.

As the temperature plummets, Guest Food Editor Kate Underwood finds herself craving a steaming hot bowl of umami-laden broth with springy noodles and an array of interesting toppings. Here are some of the unexpected places she heads to across the city when her soul needs a hug, and her heart wants some full-flavoured edible escapism.

Shop 5-8/235 Riccarton Road fb.com/hellovietnamchch

There’s a uniquely convivial and un-fussy atmosphere that awaits you at Hello Vietnam. With its giant tables, flashing neon lights, and service with a smile, this place is perfect for a casual date night, family birthday, student BYO, or solo bowl of beef phở or noodle soup. The special beef phở is the dish for the daring here, served with a variety of beef parts, including tendon, beef brisket, meatballs, oxtail, and even honeycomb tripe. But if that’s not your thing, opt for the medium-rare beef version, where a deeply savoury broth with notes of ginger, star anise, and fish sauce submerges a giant mound of rice noodles alongside bean sprouts, fresh coriander, lemon, hoisin sauce, and sriracha. It’s arguably the biggest, bestvalue noodle soup in the city, guaranteed to satisfy any comfort craving. 351 Riccarton Road @fumetan_rame

When all I want is a rich and unctuous bowl of ramen, Fumetan is where I go. They have charming service, and their clear file menu houses options including the pork and chicken broth tonkotsu, a soy-based shoyu, and the miso sesame vege tan. The tonkotsu miso ramen with chashu or BBQ pork is my pick, especially the version with butter and corn. I love the fact there’s a piano in the dining room, a plastic model ramen bowl on display filled with counterfeit noodles, and how you can order extra vege stock if your broth gets a little thick. My advice – don’t shy away from the toppings! Opt for extra menma (bamboo shoots); always an egg and shiitake, too. This is the closest I’ve experienced in Christchurch to the prized bowls of Japan, just don’t go on a Friday – they’re closed. 233 Riccarton Road and 35F Riccarton Road @edenalley

Eden Alley has built a strong reputation as a Riccarton Road dining (and Karaoke) destination, with two locations on the strip. The menu provides an intriguing balance of familiar and lesser-known Korean dishes, many with that distinctive kimchi funk. I often order the bibimbap (rice with vege toppings) and appreciate their saucy fried chicken. But after being introduced to the ‘Sundubu Jjigae’, a soft tofu soup with egg, on dark wintery days, this is the dish that hits right. The fiery red broth is served bubbling hot in a stoneware bowl, with a vivid hum of heat and the soothing combination of a gooey egg and jelly-like tofu. Made with or without beef, it comes with steamed rice and banchan – small complimentary side dishes. It’s a simple stew that will both nourish and delight.

Boxed Quarter, 270 Saint Asaph Street @the_sichuan_kitchen

Tucked deep in the back of Boxed Quarter, this excellent establishment is serving up some of the more authentic Sichuan cuisine in Ōtautahi. It’s a true family affair, run by a talented woman called Jennifer Chen alongside her parents, who help in the kitchen. ‘Chen’s special’ noodle soup with beef brisket is what you must come for, where meltingly tender chunks of beef, bouncy noodles, and a chilli oil slick sit atop a deeply-flavoured, beef-forward broth. If

you’re new to Sichuan, it’s a popular cuisine of Southwestern China, distinguished by the use of Sichuan peppercorns which provide a distinct numbing sensation on your tongue. When combined with chilli, they deliver an invigorating burn factor. Regardless of what you order, don’t miss the fresh cucumber salad. It’s salty, garlicky, and vinegar-y, and delivers a welcome crunch and a cooling reprieve from the inevitable tongue tingling. There are vegetarian and gluten-friendly dishes (opt for rice noodles), plus less fiery options such as wontons in light chicken soup. But if (like me) you’re of the indecisive persuasion, order the combo, where you’ll try three small dishes, including dan dan noodles, boiled dumplings, and the spicy beef soup. Keep an eye on the $10 daily lunch special, which changes throughout the week, and don’t forget to help yourself to water; you’ll need it.

Sit back and let us look after you as we take you on a tasty journey through our menu. @ginginchristchurch | Book online at gingin.co.nz

A brand-new food menu, an extensive whisk(e)y, wine, beer and cocktail list, and of course the same great atmosphere. @boos.bar | Book online at boos.bar /reservations

Eliza’s Executive Chef Liam Summers was born and raised in Christchurch amongst a very art-focused, garden-focused, and, of course, food-focused family. Prior to coming to Eliza’s, Liam was sous chef at Pegasus Bay winery for five years. He loves the produce Canterbury has to offer and how Christchurch is developing its own food scene. At Miro and Eliza’s Manor, there is a huge passion for New Zealand produce, which is celebrated in the food and beverage options. The menu is in keeping with a local theme as chef Liam Summers creates dishes with the best there is to offer from across New Zealand, imbued with a sense of curiosity. Your plate is likely to host a few local ingredients and playful flavour combinations.

Olive oil cake 185g white sugar 2 eggs 100ml olive oil 50ml lemon juice 110g plain flour (sifted) 4g baking powder Pinch of salt

Poached pears 4 pears, peeled, halved, and cores taken out 200g sugar 100ml Riesling Pinch of citric acid 100ml water 1/4 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns

To serve Good quality olive oil Ice cream Toasted pine nuts

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Grease an approximately 8cm cake tin.

Whisk eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add olive oil and lemon juice and combine. Fold in flour, baking powder, and salt.

Pour into the cake tin and bake for 12–15 mins until the centre is set.

In a large pan, heat water and Riesling on medium heat, add sugar and citric acid and stir until dissolved. Add pears and peppercorns and gently poach for eight minutes.

Plate cake and pears, and drizzle both with a good quality olive oil (the Village Press is great!).

Serve with a scoop of your favourite ice cream. Ice cream at Eliza’s is made in-house, and for this dish, a fig leaf ice cream is used.

Sprinkle with some toasted pine nuts.

Eliza’s Manor now has a bold new look while radiating the classic charm from yesteryear. Alongside its five star service, this icon has its sights firmly set on the future by being certified as an ecofriendly heritage hotel.

The fine dining service at the hotel restaurant begins upon entry, where guests are warmly welcomed and then invited to relax in the bar lounge and enjoy a predinner drink or enjoy the atmospheric bar area overlooking the courtyard sipping cocktails with friends.

Eliza’s is open daily from 8am for coffee, pastries, breakfast, and brunch on the weekend, including a cocktail, and from 11.30am for bar plates and lunch. If you keep an eye on their socials, you can catch the live music schedule.

Pooches don’t miss out, either. The courtyard is dog friendly, with water bowls and treats available.

With a commitment to reducing the impact of their services on climate change, the smaller carbon footprint of the property has offset carbon emissions to become a climate positive hotel in Christchurch. Working with Ekos and their climate positive calculation tool, 120 per cent of carbon emissions, equating to a whopping 61 tonnes, have been offset for the 2022 financial year. This, in turn, supports the Kern Creek Forest conservation project, protecting over 130 ha of mixed forest. Eliza’s Manor is heading towards the goal of making it a biodiversity haven.

Eliza’s carbon credit sales will be used to preserve and enhance the whole forest project and to support other forest restoration projects in the region.

This means your stay can be even more enjoyable in one of the eight delightfully spacious boutique hotel rooms.

Be transported back through the decades from the moment you enter the building, but know that your stay at Eliza’s makes a difference.

elizas.co.nz