The Nocturnalists series shines a light on Auckland after dark. Chefs, comedians, performers and punters – Nocturnalists are spirited members of Auckland’s nighttime scene. In this series, they take us on a tour of their favourite spots and all this city has to offer after 5pm. Today: chef Michael Meredith.
Photos by Sophie Miya-Smith, shot on location at Mr Morris and Cassia
Michael Meredith divides his time between Britomart, where you’ll find his award-winning restaurant Mr Morris, and SkyCity, home to his high-end Pacific food at Metita. With decades of experience in Auckland’s hospitality scene under his belt, he’s well-versed in the rhythms of the city, and how they’ve changed. Reflecting on restaurant life, he tells Emma Gleason how he’s seen Aucklanders’ dining habits evolve over the years, his favourite eateries (from special occasion spots to the best places to get a feed at 1am) and how he unwinds after work.
Emma: Being a restaurateur gives you a unique view of Tāmaki Makaurau. What does a workday, or should I say night, look like for you?
Michael: I spend most of my time in the city, working between Mr Morris and Metita. So because I’m in the city, I normally use my scooter, or Uber is quite useful, especially late at night. My week starts at Mr Morris, and then towards mid-week I’ll spend some time at Metita. A late night now is finishing work at 11pm.
New Zealanders dine very early compared to everyone else around the world.
What I’ve seen is normally the city quietens up a little bit earlier, so it’s a bit of a shift in how people eat out. People go out more, but not for long, extended dinners. It’s more a casual way of eating now.
Cured salmon at Mr Morris (Photos: Sophie Miya-Smith)
Where do you go to wind down when you’ve finished up at the restaurant?
In the past, a chill down and a walk was never part of it; you’d more likely go to a bar. But I’ve sort of cut that out. Now, when I scooter home – I’ve got one of those electric scooters – that’s the unwind part. You’re just listening to music and you’re going through the city, which is a nice feeling. You see a different part of the city at night, and from Tuesday until Saturday, it’s quite a diverse crowd in the city that late. I think that’s my unwind, just jumping on the scooter. I sometimes visit friends if they’re open late, Fabio [Bernardini at Tempero] on Karangahape Road, I know quite well, and it’s always good to catch up.
On the pass at Mr. Morris (Photo: Sophie Miya-Smith)
Who of the newer generation of chefs are exciting you right now?
You look at the next guys who are coming through, and you’ve got a lot of owner operators on K Road doing some amazing things.
Do you have any favourites at the moment?
If I look at K Road at the moment, Mo [Koski] and Leslie [Hottiaux] have done an amazing job at Apero, there’s obviously Pici, and you’ve got young guys like Fabio at Tempero doing his own thing with South American food. Fabio cooks some tasty food regardless, but his picanha [a popular Brazilian beef cut] and the moqueca [fish stew] are very cool; the lamb tacos are very good too.
Cocktails at Mr Morris are an experience in their own right (Photos: Sophie Miya-Smith)
If you were to go out for dinner tomorrow night, anywhere in the central city, where would you go?
Lilius. It’s next to the French Cafe on Symonds Street, and I think people really sleep on that place. What Fraser [McCarthy] does there is really creative, it’s that fine-dining scope. Apero is always somewhere that I like to go, because they’re friends and the food is always delicious. The whole menu is very solid, but the rib eye on the bone is a must.
Are you a Cassia fan?
Yeah. Obviously we’re neighbours, because we’re in SkyCity. Sid has always done some incredible food. The lamb chops with leek ash and spiced cream cheese are really great.
A whimsical Cassia cocktail and the lamb chops in question – delicious (Photos: Sophie Miya-Smith)
People are doing some innovative things, establishing incredible restaurants in the landscape of the city.
I think you have to look at it this way. When you’re driven to open something – especially chefs – you have an idea and you think this is going to be the best thing in the world, and you go through it and commit to it.
And we’ve got so many great cheaper eateries too. I was talking to Chris Parker, and we were saying how good Lorne Street is – full of new little food spots and it’s always heaving. There are so many places to choose from that it can be overwhelming to pick just one. I find it’s sometimes best to just pound the pavement and see what’s popped up, what’s got people inside.
Yeah, that’s often the best way. We have a lot of casual eateries, there are lots of little places… You really have to know this city.
Do you have any favourite cheap and cheerful spots in the central city? Or any secret hospitality spots that all the chefs know?
Hazy Tiger. I can’t go past their yum yum chicken, plus the tiger prawns and gochujang butter. And their take on the tteokbokki is pretty tasty.
Oh they’re on Durham Street West, I never think to look there. Doing $8 and $11 dishes is really smart, and they’re open late. Where else is good for a late-night feed in central?
Twelve Restaurant or August Thai, where I always get the crispy pork pad thai.
Colours around Cassia (Photos: Sophie Miya-Smith)
OK, some more insider advice I want from you: how can people get the most out of a night out at a restaurant? Say they’re going to Mr Morris or Metita for a special event, how can they get the most out of the city and the experience?
It’s always good to let the restaurant know if you’re having a special occasion, because if the restaurant’s well-versed on it, then they’ll make sure your night is going to be a night to remember. You always want to make every customer feel special. So it always helps to let them know.
Yeah, if it’s a birthday, I’ll always write a note on the booking. I did that at Gemmayze Street a few weeks ago.
Also, if you’re going to go into the city, maybe plan your whole night, not just one place. I always feel like it’s nice, if you’re going out to dinner, to have a drink somewhere else beforehand. It just builds the night up, and when you’re coming in and spending time, it makes your time in the city a bit more memorable, because you have a night that’s more than just one place. Or have dinner and then go out for a drink. Because obviously you’ve put the time aside to come in, so do a little bit of research on what you can do after or before, it extends the night, and the whole night becomes an experience.
What else do you love about Auckland city centre after dark, other than your scooter ride home?
The city has grown a lot over the last 10 years. If you look at Britomart, and that was mostly just bars and nightclubs, and now it’s a sophisticated area with lots of high-end restaurants and obviously shopping. It just brings that finesse to the city, how it looks, and compares with overseas. And it’s just made the city that bit warmer at night. The lights at night, even that wharf area. I used to live in the Viaduct, and walk around there a lot. The city itself, in the last 10 years, has grown a lot. It’s changed. There’s diversity too, like that bar Nightcar, have you been there?
Yes, I have. It’s really cool, feels like you’re in Hong Kong.
All these places, people with vision from different parts of the world [have opened them], and obviously they bring that. The market in Auckland has grown a lot, and you’ve got a variety of setups in this city where you can venture in and try something new. You walk into a place like that, and it puts you out of the zone you’re in, and can transport you somewhere else in the world – especially late at night. I think that’s the good thing about Auckland.