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Classically Served Finders, keepers on the food front Dyani Van Basten Batenburg
Go big on flavour – don’t be scared to 14
We have two – eggs benedict and our Southern fried chicken burger. The burger stacks high – great visual appeal – and our homemade coleslaw and special ranch sauce boast fantastic flavours. Best advice for home cooks?
Don’t overcomplicate dishes – keep it simple – and always opt for fresh ingredients where possible. And, don’t go stingy on the portion sizes – one of our selling points is that we offer flavoursome dishes that veer on the larger side. No one wants to leave a café and have to fill up at
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Our House Rotorua’s authentic Kiwi kai restaurant dishing up flavour, a relaxed family-friendly atmosphere and paying homage to all that is New Zealand-esk – think enamel bowls, fondue, Tupperware. Which ingredients can’t you live without in your kitchen?
Horopito, beetroot, rocket. Signature dish?
Definitely our pork belly and Jim Beam sauce. The pork is that perfect balance of crunch, salt and sweet, and the sauce
Best advice for home cooks?
Signature dish?
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Without a doubt it’s our pork and spring onion dumpling, served with our Secret Hearty As sauce which we make by hand. There are nine ingredients in the sauce and it has that perfect balance of sweet, salty, spicy, smooth – and a lil kick!
Basil, rosemary, parsley and our range of Cajun and Moroccan spices.
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Signature dish?
Which ingredients can’t you live without in your kitchen?
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Coriander, coriander, coriander! And, also garlic and chilli – especially red chilli flakes.
Favoured for its large portion sizes, fresh ingredient focus and extensive keto offerings, Hello Stranger Café has become a star player on the Rotorua food scene.
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Which ingredients can’t you live without in your kitchen?
Hello Stranger Café
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Poihipi Road’s food truck go-to and Taupō’s famous dumpling store serves up delicious morsels packed with fresh flavours and a whole lot of heart.
With chicken we like thyme and onion salt – it adds that depth of flavour without being too overpowering. Also, venison with caramelised onion and blue cheese sprinkled on top – amazing!
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Hearty As Dumplings
Our keto donuts – especially our Cookies and Cream French Toast doughnuts!
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When it comes to food, many of us will hold fast to recipes, tips and ingredients that serve us well meal after meal, occasion after occasion, satisfy all ages and palettes, and prove unflappable – especially when time is not on our side. Here, local hospitality players share their foodie speak: ingredients they can’t do without, tried and true dish staples and foodie rules they stick to.
Favourite flavour combos – dumplings and beyond?
Top keto seller at Hello Stranger Café?
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Serving as a standard of excellence; recognised value
McDonald’s on the way home.
Definition of Classic -
experiment. You don’t have to go all out at once, take it slowly. Try buying one new spice at the supermarket a week and adding it to a dish – you’ll be surprised at just how much a new addition can lift a dish.
