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 😮‍🔥🍗

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 ✨

🇲🇾✨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

📍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.