Legend has it that Hungarian-born Attila Kovacs and his partner, English-born Samantha, came to New Zealand on holiday in 2007. They planned to travel around the South Island before heading to Europe but their campervan broke down half-way up a mountain and the pair never make it past Tauranga. They have been here ever since.
I first met Attila a few years back when he worked as a chef at Mills Reef. (Yes, and you can bet your life we called him "Attila The Hung". But not to his face.) Since then he has become a regular feature at local farmers markets, selling homemade products from his baby, The Hungarian Artisan Co. He started with Hungarian salami and now makes several types - pink peppercorn and fennel anyone? - and other unusual sausages including an Indian Goan-inspired chorizo. My favourite of course is the porcini and truffle salami. Mmmmmmmm... truffle...
 |
| charcuterie (those salamis are down the front...) - click to enlarge |
 |
| ...and the cheeses (including Truffled Brie...) |
A couple of years back he and Sam opened the Te Puna Deli, next to the butcher, just along from the Te Puna bottle store. There are a few seats outside and they have since expanded to the room next door as more people have started coming by for lunch or morning coffee. Each time I set foot in the place there seem to be more and more interesting items tucked into every nook and cranny of the small unassuming building.
Obviously they do sandwiches. And they're fantastic sandwiches: "Crispy bacon, garlic mushrooms, feta, red onion, organic salad" (that's the pic top right - they had me at "crispy bacon"...); "Buttermilk fried chicken, smoked cheese, red onion, gherkin, remoulade, organic salad". What can I say but YUM! There are also tarts and suchlike for those with a sweeter tooth
And there's so much else. There are sauces of every variety, unusual honeys and jams, eggs, pasta, several types of kimchi, fresh bread from Volare, an acre of interesting Kiwi cheeses, and those wonderful salamis as well as English-style pork pies and other charcuterie.
The thing I buy most often is their fresh salad greens (always organic). If I've missed the farmer's markets this is the place for those absolutely fresh salads, so different from the tired leaves on offer at supermarkets. (They also have fresh herbs, often microgreens, and all sorts of other organic produce - today when I was in there were lovely plums, corn, berries, avos, lots of stuff...)
But I could list groovy delicious things they offer till the cows come home. It really is just floor to ceiling, wall to wall food products. Go and find out for yourself - I don't think you'll be disappointed. And can I pass on the tip that their truffled salami makes absolutely the best frittata known to this world... I'll share a recipe next time I make one.
No comments:
Post a Comment