Columbus Coffee Grafton (Auckland CBD, New Zealand)

One of my close friends who is a chef at the same time a part time food blogger at “Masarap Din” invited me to try out some of his latest dishes on offer at Columbus Coffee in Grafton, he is the head chef there and they do have Chef’s specials on offer that changes on a regular basis. These dishes are created by him and expect it to be an amazing fusion of Kiwi Cuisine and Asian more specifically Filipino, a creativity that brings amazing flavours to some Kiwi favourites.

We came here on a Monday, it was their slowest day so if you don’t want the hustle then this is the best time to dine in here. It was good time for me as well because that means I can interrupt him while he is working. I did not bother to order as he told us what we should try and what he thinks we would love and as we waited we were served with this lovely Iced Mocha.

Minutes later the food started to flow starting with this Asian Pork Belly with Noodles served with fresh greens, crispy onions and toasted sesame seeds. It was delicious a great fusion of Pad Thai and Pork Adobo, nicely seasoned rice noodles, its sweet, sour, savoury and with a bit of kick then topped with a generous serving of tender pork belly with melt in your mouth fat braised in a mild adobo sauce. The taste is like it was designed for my palate I love it.

Second dish was Chicken and Mushroom Burritos, another stunner where soy garlic chicken and mushrooms with curried rice, jalapeno salsa, fresh greens and sriracha-aioli dressing is wrapped in these soft burritos. This one again was unique, like Mexican, Indian and Asian fusion, it tastes a bit like curry with hints of Asian chicken stir fry with shiitake on Mexican spices. Everything blended well together and all the flavours complemented really well.

Servings on both are ample and it will certainly fill up a hungry tummy but our lunch did not end there as desserts came in next.

First dessert was this Gluten Free Orange Almond Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Orange Candy, honestly, I never thought that this was gluten free until I finished them and asked what’s on it, a sweet and slightly tangy dessert, nice to end a great tasty meal as it acts as a palate cleanser as well.

Another dessert was another gluten free wonder in the form of Louise Slice with mix Berry Compote, another delight for those who have a sweet tooth. Both desserts were a great finisher but will also be perfect with a nice cup of coffee.

Great dishes, amazing chef, perfect location and did I mentioned that this place specializes in food with lots of dietary restrictions, being beside the hospital this place caters for these things and they do it wonderfully without sacrificing the taste and texture of the dish. Overall, we had a great experience, food was great and definitely other patrons would love it too.

Columbus Coffee
Address: 2 Park Rd, Grafton, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Phone: +649 303 3155
Website: https://www.columbuscoffee.co.nz