From stunning souffl\u00e9 to exquisite esquites to a cheer-inducing plate of char kway teow, the duo behind Tempero give their Karangahape Road eating and drinking essentials.<\/p>\n
Tempero, an effervescent Brazilian spot with cobalt blue walls on Karangahape Road, occupies a site with a hallowed culinary history. Before it was Tempero, it was Peach Pit. Before that, it was D.O.C.<\/p>\n
These days it\u2019s an ideal pit stop for a glass of something to sip alongside a table full of plates. Compulsory are their p\u00e3o de queijo or cheesebreads which are, and this is no exaggeration, one of the most wonderful things you can eat in the entire city. Perhaps even the entire country.<\/p>\n
Co-owners Tiffany and Fabio Bernardini have spent the past nearly three years transforming the restaurant into one of Karangahape Road\u2019s liveliest addresses. Tiffany oversees front-of-house, marketing, social media, accounts and invoicing (inbetween work beyond the restaurant). Fabio, meanwhile, is executive chef, drawing heavily from his Brazilian roots and the country\u2019s layered culinary influences. (They also offer catering for those unable to make it into the restaurant.) This July, they\u2019ll mark their third birthday with a collaboration alongside Herne Bay restaurant Paris Butter.<\/p>\n
Until then, the couple remain busy running one of the strip\u2019s most vibrant dining rooms. When they do find a moment to spare, these are the places they head to.<\/p>\n
Three words that sum up the food on Karangahape Road:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Only good times.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Finger licking delicious.<\/p>\n
My most controversial food opinion about Karangahape Road:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: You\u2019ll find that most places on the strip are owner-operated so the connection you\u2019ll feel here is something you may not find elsewhere. What I mean by that is that you can really feel the love poured into the dishes, versus other places which can sometimes feel transactional instead.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Karangahape Rd is the best strip of restaurants in the country.<\/p>\n
Everyone has a dining out pet peeve. Mine is:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Since we opened the restaurant, Fabio has instilled in me that our guests should always have water in their glasses. So, it has become second nature to top up someone\u2019s water whenever it\u2019s running low. Now, whenever I dine out and see empty water glasses at someone\u2019s table or if someone just brings the bottle of water to me but doesn\u2019t fill my glass for me \u2013 this is my pet peeve. I know it\u2019s such a small thing and something I can do myself, but it makes me think there\u2019s less care when this happens \u2013 and it then feels transactional rather than hospitable.<\/p>\n
Fabio: A lack of empathy from FOH or lack of attention to details, especially with simple food.<\/p>\n
The local dish I crave most:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Straciatella and apple with pangrattato at Pici with a serving or two of Jono\u2019s focaccia.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Pommes dauphine at Ap\u00e9ro.<\/p>\n
The best restaurant on Karangahape Road is:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Well, besides Tempero (lol), my two favourites are Pici and Ap\u00e9ro. I love that Pici is open\u00a0 seven days. On our one day off, which is Sunday, we usually do a date night somewhere and Pici is a classic for us. The vibes are always good, fab wine list without being overwhelming, and great menu. We usually go for the specials and they are always so good! As for Ap\u00e9ro, they are the GOAT. Les and Mo\u2019s longstanding resilience on the strip with their husband-wife power couple energy \u2013 they are #goals.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Otto, Pici, Lebanese Grocer, Ap\u00e9ro. I love that they always welcome me with a smile on their face and I feel well taken care of.<\/p>\n
When I\u2019m craving something cheap and cheerful I head to:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: St Pierre\u2019s is always a classic or Lebanese Grocer for a falafel shawarma with extra sauce.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Poke Poke.<\/p>\n
The most underrated local gem is: PieFee.<\/p>\n
A recent food discovery I can\u2019t stop talking about:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: The chilli, honey, and parmesan knot at Fort Greene.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Esquites at Sagrado Cantina which reminds me of my days when I lived in Mexico \u2013 it\u2019s something I would eat often in Guanajuato.<\/p>\n
A place I\u2019ve been dying to try is:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: The Frog. We were curious what would go in after Roses shut down, and whenever we finish service, there are packs of people out there. I don\u2019t drink much (late nights and early starts) but it\u2019s on the list to go and try it out after service one night. Also keen to try HARDcore Republic. It looks beautiful inside.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Gemmayze Street\u2019s new menu. Also new restaurant Casa Bella. We are also looking forward to trying Kaz Suzuki\u2019s new ramen spot DEN opening on Cross St soon.<\/p>\n
Celebrating with a group? Book a table at:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Tempero \u2013 we host a lot of groups here. Or, if you prefer something with a private dining room, definitely check out Bar Magda or Otto. Atelier also has one of the most beautiful fit outs and a good space for groups.<\/p>\n
Fabio: All of the above and Coco\u2019s Cantina too.<\/p>\n
The BYO I keep going back to: We used to go to Sri Pinang for BYO when it was open (RIP!). Since they closed, we haven\u2019t found a replacement\u2026<\/p>\n
For a late-night food fix you\u2019ll find me at:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Open, eating a burger.<\/p>\n
Fabio: White Lady or Open.<\/p>\n
An ideal date spot would be:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: I love Karangahape Road as a whole for a date night because you can do a hop along the entire strip. Start in St Kevin\u2019s arcade. Sagrado Cantina is a good stop for some mezcal chilli margs, move onto Pici for focaccia and the stracciatella, Ap\u00e9ro for pomme dauphines, Tempero for our caramel pudding with vermouth, and a nightcap at Bar Magda. In five restaurants in the area, you\u2019ve gone to Mexico, Italy, France, South America and the Philippines. I also almost forgot Coco\u2019s Cantina but definitely go there for the polenta fries!<\/p>\n
Fabio and Tiffany outside Tempero (Photo: Supplied)<\/p>\n
Karangahape Road\u2019s best\u2026 <\/p>\n
Breakfast:\u00a0Fort Greene.<\/p>\n
Coffee: Fort Greene.<\/p>\n
Sandwich:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Reuben at Fort Greene.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Lamb shawarma at Lebanese Grocer.<\/p>\n
Noodles: Char kway teow at Uncle Man\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Pie: PieFee.<\/p>\n
Bread:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Fort Greene.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Rye sourdough at PieFee.<\/p>\n
For a serious sweet tooth, you\u2019ll adore:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Every dessert at Pici.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Any of the souffl\u00e9s from Ap\u00e9ro.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re after spice, make a beeline for:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Uncle Man\u2019s for some classic Malaysian fare or Satya, which recently reopened.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Satya.<\/p>\n
A splurge that\u2019s worth it: Bar Magda.<\/p>\n
Clockwise from top left: Coco\u2019s Cantina, Fort Greene, Pici, PieFee, Ap\u00e9ro<\/p>\n
The dairy with the best lolly selection:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Walia Superette is our neighbour and sometimes when I\u2019m feeling peckish, I\u2019ll stop in for some sweet treats.<\/p>\n
A little local treat that always cheers me up:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: The spinach and egg quiche from PieFee<\/p>\n
Fabio: The chicken, feta and spinach pie from PieFee<\/p>\n
My favourite local grocery shop:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Lim Chhour.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Urban Pantry.<\/p>\n
A perfect place to linger over a drink:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Definitely Maybe for a cocktail, then over to Pici for some natty wines. The guys at work love heading to Acho\u2019s after service for a beer.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Open.<\/p>\n
The place I\u2019m most likely to bump into someone I know:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Pici, for sure.<\/p>\n
Fabio: St Kevin\u2019s Arcade.<\/p>\n
The place I go to avoid bumping into anyone I know:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Little Turkish Cafe.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Hmm.<\/p>\n
A local spot I wish we could bring back from the dead is:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Madame George. It was always such a vibe sitting outside. RIP.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Sri Pinang.<\/p>\n
Tiffany: Oh yeah, Sri Pinang too.<\/p>\n
Why I love eating on Karangahape Road:<\/p>\n
Tiffany: I love the community and that the owner-operators and staff on the strip are always so welcoming. There is a lot of heart and soul here.<\/p>\n
Fabio: Because the whole strip is a single restaurant. It feels like a huge open food court with so many different options \u2013 all of which are very good options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From stunning souffl\u00e9 to exquisite esquites to a cheer-inducing plate of char kway teow, the duo behind Tempero…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":475477,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[156,564,193225,141,111031,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-475476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-food","tag-insiders-guide-to-eating","tag-kai","tag-karangahape-road","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}