New Moon

Hey,

There’s a Moon Festival celebration this weekend at Potters Park in Balmoral, although the date of the actual Mid-Autumn Festival is the week after, on the 6 October. Apparently 30,000 people are visiting over the three days, which seems like a lot (10 times the size of my high school, which was at the time the biggest in New Zealand).That does mean that Dominion Rd is going to be thoroughly backed up with cars trying to get in and out of the area – not to mention parking in that immediate vicinity is absolute hell. 

If you had to choose a place to throw a Moon Festival in Auckland, though, it makes sense that Potters Park is it. Whenever people ask me about my favourite street in Auckland (not often) the obvious answer would be Karangahape Rd, the street I am currently somewhat attached at the hip to, although the real answer is probably Dominion Rd, specifically the strip after Boy Walking and before Cazador. You could walk into any restaurant and get a decent feed, unless it’s Pho Yen, in which case you could not walk right into it but instead wait in line for about 10 minutes before walking right into it. I would not let the line discourage you, though: the whole operation is so efficient, they bring the EFTPOS machine to your table as soon as you order, to streamline the turnover process. You also do get about three times the herbs than at Try It Out (who I still love, no Try It Out slander in this household).

So many places have changed since I moved from that area: a revolving door of storefronts that shift from Sichuan to hotpot to skewers to bubble tea in just a few short months. Also, did you know that Japanese sando place, which every single Mt Eden resident had been anticipating for, like, two years, is now a Hello! I Am Yogost? I guess we have to go fuck ourselves and get our sando fix from Ano-ne (previously Mizu) or That Sando Guy on Ponsonby Rd. 

Despite the many hospitality changes, though, there’s one constant: it remains a gastronomic hub for the Asian community, a little culinary oasis that consistently proves Tāmaki punches above its weight compared to other Western cities in the genre of East Asian food. And, okay, so it might have been a Hello! I am Yogost. But at least it’s not a wine bar.

Love,
Jean

I’ve spotted two new Italian places opening in the coming weeks: BAR ZITI in Britomart, who are presumably owned by Savor Group (Amano, Ebisu, Azabu), and MAMA in the old Burger Burger spot in Newmarket, presumably owned by the founder of Burger Burger, Mimi Gilmour Buckley and food writer Leisha Jones. I say presumably as the Instagram is following both of them. Both of these are likely to be of the modern Italian variety that we’re familiar with – when I tried to explain the Mama logo to my friend, I was like, “you know, the blocky, graphic-y font that all of them use.” Lol. Very RAGAZZI.

I’ve been enjoying this TikTok series where this food creator tries restaurants their followers recommend – and THIS EPISODE features CHARM THAI NOODLES in East Tāmaki, which looks delicious. Tom yum noodles! Kuay jap! There’s also another Thai place that has opened in that area called Khao Hom – I guess things come in twos?

I don’t know much about the Moon Festival, but I was STILL ASKED TO WRITE A PIECE ABOUT IT for Stuff, about five years ago now. The headline was, embarrassingly, “Mooncake memories: I used to wish they’d give me chocolate instead”. Cringe! Sometimes I think about the sheer amount of writing on the internet that I did in my younger days that more or less follows the formula of: 1) Establish something that highlights a cultural difference, 2) Analyse how that cultural difference manifested in my childhood, 3) Investigate how I’ve embraced that cultural difference as an adult. I blame my editors.

Since I wrote that article in 2020, there are yet more places to buy mooncakes – and I hope you get to try one this weekend. If you’re buying one at the Asian supermarket, get the WING WAH brand.

P.S. It looks like BURNT BUTTER DINER (a previous winner of the Best Cafe in Auckland) has expanded their space, which means it won’t be impossible to get a table there on the weekend anymore!

INNER CITY WATCH.

Cosmo Coffee on Kitchener St (near Scarecrow) has reopened as MEESO COFFEE, serving Ozone. 

A new sushi spot is opening on Wellesley St West, the second EBIKEN location, and they’re offering 50% off between 26-28 September.

I just had lunch at Kajiken, a local favourite, and highly endorse the Homura variety, which I’ve never witnessed anyone else order but has this seafood-y powder that makes it especially pungent and tasty – savouriness of the highest order.

Something must be done to incentivise the good people of Tāmaki Makaurau to return their books to the library. Fines are bad, of course, and I am a supporter in banishing them from existence, EXCEPT I am still number 34 on the waitlist for Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte, and I first requested it in JANUARY. JANUARY. It’s SEPTEMBER. The names of all people that have overdue books (which includes me, sadly) should be publicly available. I should be able to write personal letters to the people who currently have Rejection in their possession. Please, hoarders of Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte, let me read the satirical short stories about incels that you are barring from my eyes.

What am I reading right now? I’m halfway through Writers and Lovers by Lily King, which is sort of a grown-up love triangle book that is missing a lot of the angstiness of young adult love triangles – no pining, a lot of thinking. Next up is Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour, which is sort of a satire of the tech industry (unfortunately a topic I am now personally invested in, even though I would much rather be personally invested in the topic of love triangles).

I was listening to Damien’s podcast LOCAL LOSER recently (“My name is Damien and I am the local loser” is a satisfying introduction) and one of the episodes with Gabi Lardies talked about the nerdy design magazine THE NATIONAL GRID (made here in Aotearoa), which I had not heard about. Old issues have been digitised, and a brand new issue is coming out, revived after many years. PRINT! Sheahan Huri, who once designed a truly chaotic spread for Metro Eats, designed the cover and YOU CAN SEE IT HERE. Speaking of design – you can see all of TYPE HERE Finalists posters at the Te Wai Ngutu Kākā Gallery in AUT now (remember when I complained you couldn’t in the first issue). Sheahan has a poster there too, btw!

FRIDAY 26TH

ENGLISH TEACHER, SEASON 2
Disney+
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THIS WAS COMING BACK. A funny, loveable, insightful and at times a lot edgier-than-you-might-have-been-expecting show from Brian Jordan Alvarez.

AIDAN FINE
Double Whammy, $20
Looks like a quasi-album release show for Ed Sun, which is made up of guitar bedded songs with some poppy falsetto and some rapping and occasionally it gets a bit psychedelic.

ZION GARCIA & SOLLYY
Whammy, Free RSVP
Australian Hip Hop has long been a useful euphemism for describing something that no one would ever want to be exposed to but some of SOLLYY’s songs actually seem pretty good.

EFFY
Neck of the Woods, Sold out but do what you can.
Touring from the UK with a very eclectic UKish sound – you can see her very lush Sydney Boiler Room set HERE — WARNING: throughout the set she has some of the worst dancers standing behind her I’ve ever seen on one of those videos and it’s quite distracting. Support from Emilie, Zozo and Beccie B.

SATURDAY 27TH

CLUB TWILIGHT: 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Tuning Fork, $20
Call Me Maybe DJs playing music from the movie soundtracks (it’s all emo). No word in the blurb about fancy dress but I don’t think anyone would mind if you went as baby Renesmee if you wanted to. WARNING: they will not be screening the films.

ALL BLACKS v AUSTRALIA
Eden Park, from $50
Perhaps finally aware that years of greed and neglect have led to Auckland not really giving a crap about rugby anymore, Sky and NZ Rugby are putting the smallest possible effort into making more of a day of it with: some food trucks, Ella Monnery, Kings and Clint Roberts playing alongside the very mixed-resulty 2025 All Blacks.

BRANT BJORK TRIO
Whammy, $60
Desert stoner rock from one of its originators, Brant Bjork (Kyuss) with Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson) and Michael Amster (Nebula, Mondo Generator)

ABDUCTION DAY AT THE UFO
UFO, $15
With Blossom, Sympathy for Summer and Total Crash

SUNDAY 28TH

MOON FESTIVAL
Potters Park, Free
This runs all weekend but the fireworks show is at 10pm here on Sunday. Also: Giant Lanterns, Rides, Food, etc. It’s more of a nighttime thing (Moon focussed) but open from 2pm on the weekend if you just want to grab a bite. Just a small note: for me, you’re better off doing the fireworks on the day before daylight savings changes, not the day after.

WEDNESDAY 1ST

PLAY DIRTY
Prime Video
The great Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys) is back after a long, possibly The Predator-induced break. Worryingly, he’s carrying modern day crap-indicator Mark Wahlberg with him in this straight-to-streaming heist movie. There are some signs of hope though: co-stars include LaKeith Stanfield, Tony Shaloub, Keegan-Michael Key and Rosa Salazar. Quick Fact: When Black first turned in the script for Lethal Weapon 2 it was originally called Play Dirty.

BLACK CAPS v AUSTRALIA
Bay Oval, from $15
Sure, not in Auckland but a fun road trip for the first home T20 of the season, with three games VERY optimistically scheduled in quick succession, in the Bay of Plenty, in earliest October. If the odds of precipitation that day weren’t already exceedingly high, tempting the weather by scheduling an international cricket match in the middle of spring will certainly ensure rain so if you’re in the area pack a raincoat.

BANG BANG BINGO - LABUBU EDITION
Caluzzi, $30
Labubu themed bingo night with Kita Mean and Rita Menu from Drag Race Down Under. There will be no clearer sign to tell you we have reached peak Labubu and it’s time to sell your Pop Mart shares.

THURSDAY 2ND

HOW TO DRAW SPIDERMAN
Mairangi Arts Centre, $80
Surprisingly expensive but a valuable skill that once learned, no one can take away from you.

THE SMASHING MACHINE
In Cinemas
Lots of buzz about this new Benny Safdie film starring The Rock as an MMA fighter. Emily Blunt co-stars and is reuniting with The Rock after their double billing on Jungle Cruise — which was notable for being one of the very few times he has kissed on film.

MOZART & MISCHIEF
Town Hall, $40
Should be a good show with BENJAMIN GROSVENOR here to play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21 with the APO who will also be playing Shostavich’s 9th in the second half and there’ll be some doodly Respighi ballet stuff at the start. Shiyeon Sung conducts. 

LACHIE HAYES
Big Fan, $30
Alt-country from the deeeeeep south. Album release show for Subsatellite, produced by Delaney Davidson.