e2_eats

Whether it’s sun out or one of Auckland’s signature grey, rainy days, brunch somehow always feels like the correct decision — and makes a very convincing case for it. Tucked just off the main strip, the place was absolutely buzzing when we arrived, which is usually the universal indicator that you’re about to spend too much money on eggs and somehow feel great about it afterwards.
Huge bonus: free parking nearby on weekends, which in Takapuna honestly feels like discovering a hidden gem.

The menu caters impressively well to vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options without making them feel like afterthoughts. The Banoffee French Toast was basically dessert disguised as brunch — sweet, rich and ridiculously good. The Eggs Benedict was probably the standout savoury dish, with crispy potato croquettes, perfectly poached eggs and silky hollandaise working amazingly with the smoked salmon. The bagel felt fresh and balanced, while The Big Brekki delivered exactly what you want from a proper classic brunch.

Despite how busy the cafe was, service stayed friendly and welcoming throughout. Definitely one of the better brunch spots in Takapuna and well worth the hype.

☑️ Banoffee French Toast ($24.00)
Cinnamon & vanilla dipped brioche, salted caramel panna cotta, honeycomb, grilled banana, fresh fruits, blueberry compote, canada maple syrup on side.

☑️ Eggs Benedict ($25.00)
Potato croquettes, poached eggs, spinach, house hollandaise sauce & beetroot puree with smoked king salmon.

☑️ Classic Bagel ($24.00) - one of them was the DF option.
House cured king salmon, capers, cream cheese, fresh avocado, fresh tomato, red onion, kale pesto, balsamic vinegar

☑️ The Big Brekki ($28.00)
Streaky bacon, chorizo sausage, poached eggs, mushroom, house potato croquette, roasted tomato, avocado smash, and ciabatta bread toast.

Drinks:
Iced Lattes
Strawberry Matcha

.nz, Britomart

Went all in with the 1kg Korean boneless (4 flavours):
✔️ Soy Garlic
✔️ Extreme Spicy
✔️ Creamy Onion
✔️ Cheese

Extreme spicy = CLEAR winner 🌶️
Didn’t hit straight away but give it ~20 seconds… that kick creeps in and it’s sooo worth it.

Creamy onion surprised me — I don’t usually like creamy onion sauces but this one was actually really good 👀

Soy garlic was kinda meh tbh, just tasted like regular fried chicken 😅 couldn’t really taste the soy/garlic.

Cheese was my least favourite — I was expecting melted cheese or something but turns out it’s more of a sweet & salty cheese seasoning (my bad on this one, should’ve read the menu properly haha).

Also tried:
🍔 Chicken burger (gherkin + sweet chilli mayo) — surprisingly solid
🥩 Beef bulgogi rice bowl with kimchi — THIS was insane. So saucy, creamy, flavour-packed. Lowkey the best thing we ordered.

Sides:
🧀 Cheese balls (10/10 no notes)
🍟 Fries

Drink:
🍇🍑 Grapeberry Peach mocktail — no idea what “grapeberry” is but it slapped 😂

Used so we got 50% off the total bill… 😮‍🔥

Definitely coming back for their endless chicken deal — $35pp for 90 mins of drumsticks + fries, cheese balls, brioche sliders, mac & cheese, creamy mash, and k-slaw… say less 😮‍🔥🍗

First time at .nz, Britomart, Auckland and yeah… I get the hype 🔥🍗

Went all in with the 1kg Korean boneless (4 flavours):
✔️ Soy Garlic
✔️ Extreme Spicy
✔️ Creamy Onion
✔️ Cheese

Extreme spicy = CLEAR winner 🌶️
Didn’t hit straight away but give it ~20 seconds… that kick creeps in and it’s sooo worth it.

Creamy onion surprised me — I don’t usually like creamy onion sauces but this one was actually really good 👀

Soy garlic was kinda meh tbh, just tasted like regular fried chicken 😅 couldn’t really taste the soy/garlic.

Cheese was my least favourite — I was expecting melted cheese or something but turns out it’s more of a sweet & salty cheese seasoning (my fault on this one - should’ve read menu properly haha).

Also tried:
🍔 Chicken burger (gherkin + sweet chilli mayo) — surprisingly solid
🥩 Beef bulgogi rice bowl — THIS was insane. So saucy, creamy, flavour-packed. Lowkey the best thing we ordered.

Sides:
🧀 Cheese balls (10/10 no notes)
🍟 Fries

Drink:
🍇🍑 Grapeberry Peach mocktail — no idea what “grapeberry” is but it slapped 😂

Used so we got 50% off the total bill… made it hit even better 😮‍🔥

Definitely coming back for their endless chicken deal — $35pp for 90 mins of drumsticks + fries, cheese balls, brioche sliders, mac & cheese, creamy mash, and k-slaw… say less 😮‍🔥🍗

Snippets from my ANZAC weekend in Auckland, New Zealand 🇳🇿

Started with .nz dinner — my ofc classic (and infamous) order: Indian-style butter chicken and chicken biryani. Tried the tandoori chicken curry (with bones) for once… trust me, don’t get it. It sucks 😭

Did a short walk up North Head, Devonport , then headed to the ANZAC Day service in the centre of Devonport. The singing was beautiful — but also lowkey hilarious when the mic was still on and the poor kids’ teacher was telling them off about when to sing and actually listen 💀 Followed by coffee and lots of walking around.

Then ofc… shopping for the best ANZAC Day deals at 👀 Shoes were on sale!! Shoutout to Mt Wellington — hands down the nicest store I’ve been to aesthetically, super clean lighting, and amazing customer service from both the girl at the counter and the one in the shoes section 🤍.

Oh geez — was PACKED. Full parking… took a good 15 minutes just to find a park 😩

Visited and randomly saw reporting live — love that guy!!

Then over to — explored the centre, the beach, , and more coffee at .patisserie. Their crème brûlée pastry is to die for! was greaaaaatttt.

Wrapped it up with a scenic hike at Mercer Bay Loop Track — unreal views, absolutely surreal.

Post-hike snack: açai + vanilla soft serve with granola, pistachio kunafa, Nutella, strawberries, and bananas. Elite combo.dessertjungle.nz .social.nz

Night lights in Wellington ✨

📍 .nz Welly Eatery
Crispy Chicken Khao Soi 🍜✨

Tried the viral Khao Soi and… mixed feelings tbh 👀

The crispy chicken khao soi noodle soup had all the classic Thai elements — egg noodles in a coconut curry broth — but flavour-wise it fell a bit flat for me personally. Nothing really popped, the chicken wasn’t as crispy as I’d hoped (most likely got a teeny bit soggy in the soup), and the soup itself could’ve been a bit richer and more punchy. Still really enjoyable through 🙂, but personally just not as amazing as I expected from online reviews.

BUT the crispy chicken khao soi fried rice?? 🔥
This one stole the show. Super fragrant turmeric rice with a nice hint of spice — sooo much more flavourful and definitely my pick out of the two.

I did not know the did desserts!😌 We got the Cha Thai Bingsu — fluffy Thai tea shaved ice with cream cheese, grass jelly, Biscoff crumbs + Thai tea sauce. Strong Thai milk tea flavour straight away… sooo good. Would 100% get again. (They’ve got a matcha version too if that’s your thing 🍵)

Drinks 🍹
These looked soooo pretty and actually tasted just as good!! Price-wise, very decent/ super cheap actually for mocktails tbh.
🍓 Strawberry Cheesecake Mocktail
🥭 Mango Nectar Fizz Mockail

Service was super friendly, just a bit chaotic — wrong names, mixed-up orders… kinda funny tbh 😅probably just a busy night! Loads of people were in town due to Ultra New Zealand and graduation!

Would I come back? For the fried rice and bingsu, YES.

🇲🇾✨is such a great spot for Malaysian food, especially if you’re vegetarian or vegan — there are so many options to choose from! 🌱

We had the nasi lemak and honestly… it was SO good and very filling! It was my my first time ever seeing a vegetarian version of it and it did not disappoint — super tasty and full of flavour.

Also, shoutout to the lovely staff — such a friendly vibe made the experience even better 💛

☑️ Beef Nasi Lemak
☑️ Vegetarian Nasi Lemak
☑️ Vegetarian Satay

Paid $16 for a one-way 25-min ferry with from Days Bay Wharf in Eastbourne, Lower Hutt to Queens Wharf, Wellington CBD 🌊🚢. Not only is it way faster, it’s also so much more convenient—no traffic, no long ride, just straight across the water with fresh sea breeze and unreal harbour views.

There is a $5 bus option that takes 1 hr 15–30 mins… but for once, I thought I’d take the scenic route 💙.

📍Did the Eastern Walkway all the way to Tarakena Bay and WOW… the views were actually surreal 🌊✨

Hands down some of the best high-water views I’ve seen in Wellington so far. I swear there’s just something about water views… feels kinda magical every time 🫶

The track itself? Surprisingly easy — lots of clear steps and stairs, so it’s more of a cruisy scenic walk than a full-on hike.

And somehow a pie tastes 10x better when you eat it at the top 😌🥧

There were heaps more trails and little pathways to explore, but we ended up going all the way to Moa Point instead.

We could even see Baring Head Lighthouse and Pencarrow Lighthouse way out in the distance — couldn’t believe they’re all the way over in Eastbourne and still visible from the Eastern Walkway 🤯

10/10 walk — views, vibes, and pies ✔️

📍Started at Burdans Gate and made it all the way to Pencarrow Heads Lighthouse in Eastbourne 🌊

A solid 14.5 km round trip — every step worth it.
(but actually started from Days Bay Wharf so added roughly another 3 km each way… so closer to 20.5 km all up).

The views along the way were absolutely stunning, with endless coastline, rugged hills, and that fresh sea breeze the whole time. Also, met a few nice people and goats along the way 😍

If you keep going past Pencarrow, you’ll reach Baring Head Lighthouse. It sits further out on the coast at Baring Head and is actually a bit higher up.

📍Eastbourne Tracks, Wellington Adventure 🌲⛰️


Started at McKenzie Road and tackled the Hawtrey Trig—just 5.21km but the elevation was no joke! 💪 With a steady 316m climb, it was nonstop uphill the entire way. The path wasn’t exactly clear after the first 20 minutes, so we had to stay super focused—lots of rocky patches and thick bush made finding balance a must.

Luckily, we found sturdy walking sticks along the way, which turned out to be a lifesaver!

We took plenty of stops to catch our breath, drink water and refuel with some gummy worms and chocolate (essential hiking fuel 🍬🍫). Even had a close call when my friend slipped and started to roll down….but quick thinking saved the day! 😅

Definitely a tough but rewarding hike