GYPSY HEAVEN – SHEENA SHUVANI THE DAIRY - GET YOUR GRILL ON With her flaming red hair, gentle manner and jewelled hands, Sheena is Ponsonby Central’s resident clairvoyant, and certainly looks the part.
A restaurant specialising in grilled cheese sandwiches sounds like a childhood dream, but unlike visions of x-ray glasses and jetpacks, this one has come true.
I find her at Gypsy Heaven, a specially constructed little booth in a corridor off The Lane. The exterior is covered with mysterious signs and charts, and a tray of gemstones sits outside the door. Inside it is an oasis of calm; low lit, velvet chairs and a table clustered with books, tarot cards and a crystal ball.
This busy little eatery is not just for kids though and offers a menu far more elevated than what Mum made on sick days.
“Ponsonby Central was just a building site when I started reading here, she says in her softly Irish accent. I love having my own place but I can do what I do anywhere, I have travelled the world with it!” Sheena discovered her gift at the age of six and was trained in the art of tarot and palmistry by her aunt. Descended from a long line of gifted fortune tellers on both sides, she is part Irish part Romany gypsy. Sheena has done tarot card readings from Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market, to Palo Alto in San Francisco, from Dublin to Covent Garden, and Portobello Market in London and has been the psychic of choice to countless fascinating characters along the way.
With the best New Zealand cheese available sitting on shelves right there inside the specially designed and built ‘affinage’ or cheese maturing room you would not be surprised to hear that The Dairy are already developing a cult following for their mouth-watering Grilled Cheese Toasties. Tara Brogan Tucked in tight amongst the wonderful food offerings at Ponsonby Central they are already a major destination for their yummy ‘ice cream sandwiches’. Now they are fast becoming a must visit for their new menu GCT’s (Grilled Cheese Toasties).
“I’ve read the palms of many famous people in my time. Ravi Shankar, in the Paddington markets, Barry Humphreys (he has the philosophical hand), Jamie Oliver in London, and the late Sir Edmond Hilary,” she adds.
“You can go a lot of different directions with a grilled cheese... It’s really just a starting point,” says Tara Brogan, chef and owner. “Everyone is familiar with cheddar but the menu features a blue from Mahoe and a gruyere from Banks Peninsula.”
Apparently Jamie and Sir Ed both had the ‘spatulate’ hand, which signifies dynamic action and innovation. That does not surprise me and I wonder what other similarities she saw? “Big hearts, wonderful people skills and an adventurous spirit,” she responds.
“Made with slow-roasted pork, Kaikoura labneh and chipotle aioli, ‘The Cuban’ is my current favourite though. But the ‘Dairy Rueben’ with homemade corned beef and maasdam from Meyer in the Waikato is also becoming a real crowd puller.”
Celebrities aside, who are the people who come to see Sheena on a day to day basis? It seems they come from all walks of life and for a myriad of reasons. Some come for a fun reading after a social lunch, others are at a crucial turning point in their life and in need of direction. Sheena sees her role as guiding people in their life’s journey, and will always try to help as best she can.
Headed by the multi talented Tara Brogan (also of Foxtrot Parlour) The Dairy offers a compact but scrumptious menu that will not only satisfy your hunger cravings but also educate as you become more familiar with the exciting New Zealand specialty cheeses and the delicious combinations on offer at The Dairy. Go get your grill on now!
T: 09 378 0484 and A/H T: 09 376 2799
tara@the-dairy.co.nz T: 09 378 7268
Sheena Shuvani The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH
PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2015
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