Mibo

The second Uptown hospitality venture from Emma Zhao of Benedict’s Cafe, also in Uptown, Mibo opened in February offering a range of almost-too-pretty-to-eat pastries, sandwiches in freshly baked bread, and a range of hot and cold drinks. Emma, who grew up in Shanghai and moved to Aotearoa a decade ago, is a self-trained baker, as is her head baker at Mibo, Kris Hsu, who was head chef at Benedict’s.

“We started experimenting making croissants and pastries at Benedict’s,” explains Emma. “We really enjoyed it and needed a dedicated space for it.” That space is a charming respite from the outside world, with an ivy-covered exterior welcoming customers into a cosy interior in natural tones of wood and tile.

The weaving of Chinese and wider Asian flavours with viennoiserie pastry techniques sets Mibo apart from other bakeries around the city. Emma is often inspired to recreate tastes from her childhood in Shanghai, and it’s a similar story for Kris, who hails from Taiwan. That might take the form of black sesame croissants, matcha red bean Danishes, or an apple custard Danish topping enriched with naisu (a sweet, milky and buttery paste popularly used in Chinese baking).

Sandwiches and buns are filled with delights such as Moroccan chicken, grilled halloumi with mushroom, and house-made pastrami, and they’re made with bread baked in-house: sourdough focaccia, ciabatta and brioche baps. Pastries and sandwiches change with the seasons and according to the team’s creative journeys. The signature cinnamon cruffin, the first item Emma and Kris perfected through many trials, will likely always remain.

Okome

Named for the respectful Japanese word for “rice”, Okome is all about the short grain. The small eat-in and takeaway shop is the brainchild of Miwa Gowing, originally from Fukuoka in Kyushu. She moved to Aotearoa four years ago and saw sushi shops everywhere, but nowhere dedicated to onigiri, Japanese rice balls.

“Like Kiwis with a flat white, onigiri is soul food for Japanese; in Japan you can walk into a convenience store anywhere and grab onigiri for a quick, satisfying meal,” explains Gowing. After her previous career wound up over lockdown, Miwa felt the timing was right to bring this Japanese soul food to Auckland. She had previously worked in hospitality at the famous El Bulli in Spain; Okome is a far more humble operation, but you’ll notice Miwa brings a learned elegance to this soul food.

Okome opened in May, and after “the first first months where no one came”, Miwa was thrilled to see business pick up and up. “I have so many regular customers now who work around here, I feel so lucky.”

Miwa’s onigiri fillings range from teriyaki chicken and tuna mayo to more traditional Japanese recipes that are new to many first-time customers, such as gobo (burdock root sauteed in mirin); eggplant cooked in miso; or a slab of musubi (spam).

“I expected most people to choose teriyaki chicken, but I’ve been surprised that my customers like to try new things,” says Miwa. Also on offer are donburi, chicken karaage, and Miwa’s curry pan – bread dough crumbed and fried till crisp and golden encasing a filling of Japanese curry. Those curry pan fly out the door and you need to get in early to secure your fix.