While the rest of the country can eagerly look forward to a level 3 weekend filled with takeaways from their favourite fast-food restaurants or local vendors, Aucklanders are gloomily staring down the barrel of a couple more weeks cooking for ourselves during COVID-19 alert level 4.
Luckily several restaurants and food delivery services have adapted the new rules and are still operating to make sure we don't go hungry.
Here are three delicious options ready to order to your front door, so even though you're stuck inside this weekend you can look forward to the restaurant-worthy dish at home.
My Nourish Kitchen box
Missing dining out with friends at Auckland's top restaurants? No sweat! Just bring the fresh ingredients and easy instructions into your home and enjoy over Zoom with your mates.
Nourish Group, which is behind some of the city's best spots like Jervois Steak House (JSH) and Andiamo, have brought back their 'My Nourish Kitchen' express boxes for lockdown: A box with everything you need to recreate some of their most iconic dishes. The menu changes weekly but each one looks amazing: Think Andiamo's famous mac and cheese or JSH's Taupō eye fillet. Sure, it might not look quite as visually stunning as when Gareth Stewart plates it up, but the flavours will all be there.
Cassia at Home
If you're craving a good Indian curry and don't have all the crucial spices and know-how, now you can basically bring renowned chef Sid Sahrawat into your home kitchen. The chef behind famous five-star restaurant Cassia has launched 'Cassia at Home': A series of jarred curry sauces so you can enjoy some of your favourite curries like korma, or butter chicken. All you need to do is pour over your choice of protein and/or vegetables, and serve up with some rice, naan or roti. We'd recommend getting a mixed pack if you have a giant bubble to feed, otherwise the Karahi sauce is an absolute stand out.
FED 'Fakeaway' box
Is your craving a little more lowbrow, and all you want is a good Thai takeaway? Don't fear, even with Menulog and Uber Eats out of action for those of us here in level 4, you can still get a beautiful readymade meal delivered to your doorstep. The team at FED have put together a Fakeaways meal box, promising to run a different one each week we're at level 4.
This week's box features three Thai dishes fully prepared and ready to heat & eat: Green chicken curry, beef massaman curry and yellow tofu curry.
