Hello and Welcome to Cassie Amber – Holistic Nutrition & Wellness ♥
After living in Auckland for two and a half years on a plant-based diet, I thought this would be a super fun project to put together for any new vegans out there who are wondering where to get great options for food. Or even those who have been vegan for a while and want to treat themselves to a lovely meal in the city.
This movement is constantly evolving and as newcomers who are jumping on the bandwagon day-by-day, I thought it would be great to throw a couple of interviews in there about a vegan living to help answer some of your questions and put the message out there as to why we love this way of life so passionately!
Thank you to the restaurants who hosted us! Listings are in order of places we visited (not ranking).
For those looking to move towards incorporating more plant-based meals, I can promise you if you do it right and feed yourself well, you will feel better than you ever have in your entire life! The food is so colourful, light, flavoursome, high in fibre and easy to digest compared to animal foods.
For those who are already vegan – KEEP IT UP! The world needs you 🙂
#1 Street Organics, Takapuna
The first restaurant we stopped at was Street Organics! Lot’s of healthy options that are light on the stomach, such flavoursome food and outstanding service.
We ordered tofu with spiralised veggies, jackfruit tacos with guacamole & peanut butter waffles with chocolate hazelnut spread.
Street organics take great care with the love they put into the food, as you can tell. Such a lovely day!
Website / Instagram / Facebook
#2 Sumthin Dumplin, CBD
Can honestly say these aren’t just the best dumplings in town, but the best dumplings I have ever tried in my life!
With two stores, we visited the one on O’Connell Street which is perfect for those who are working in the CBD during the week, or are in the area doing some shopping! There are plenty of peaceful outdoor areas to sit and enjoy some food in the sun or shade with a lovely atmosphere.
‘The Monk’ dumplings are made with a spinach tortilla and filled with tofu and shiitake mushroom. Sumthin Dumplin are also famous for their chilli!
Highly recommend for ultimate satisfaction!
Website / Instagram / Facebook
#3 Kaiaroha Vegan Cafe, Parnell
This is a lovely cafe with lots of colourful wholesome cabinet food and sweets located in central Auckland. They even make their own Artisanal nut cheeses!
We ordered the Eggs Benny with carrot that replicated salmon and vegan hollandaise. As well as a whole-grain mustard, cheese and vegan ham toastie.
A nice spot to meet your friends for brunch, lunch, or coffee and cake.
#4 Lord Of The Fries, CBD
This was honestly SUCH a fun restaurant to visit! In my eyes, it’s just like McDonalds but for vegans! Who’s to say we can’t still enjoy fast food like everyone else, but without having to exploit animals for our tastebuds and enjoyment.
I have heard hilarious stories of people walking past customers eating LOTF outside the store, pointing and laughing saying “ha-ha thats a vegan burger!” Then suddenly the consumer is ‘disgusted’ in what they are eating because they genuinely thought it was real meat and cheese! A perfect example that vegan food can taste so good and realistic that anyone can be fooled!
Their menu is quite extensive with lots of interesting items such as mock chicken/beef/fish burgers, ‘bacon and egg’ mc muffins, chicken waffles with maple syrup, BLT’s, hot dogs, chick’n wings, onions rings, phish’n chips and shakes!
With two stores in the CBD, a tantalising menu and wonderful staff, it’s the perfect place to get a feed after a ‘night out’, for a satisfying meal on the go, or to order in on Uber Eats so you can curl up on your couch without a worry in the world! Great for people making the transition for when cravings hit, or for when you just want a good ol’ burger to satisfy your soul!
We ordered The Lot, The Original & ‘Chicken’ Nuggets 🌱
Check them out here 👇
Website / Instagram / Facebook
#5 Wise Boys Burgers, Grey Lynn
With their motto “Make Burgers Not War”, this joint on Great North Road is the perfect example of re-creating your favourite treats into cruelty-free vegan versions!
We dived into the –
- Smoke & Fire – deep fried crispy tofu with the best satay I have ever tasted (honestly), along with salad and tomato relish
- Crispy Fried Chick – Wise Boys original crispy fried ‘chicken’ with tangy slaw, cheese, pickles, signature aioli and house-made sriracha mayo
- Hungry Jack – Slow cooked smoky BBQ ‘pulled-not-pork’ jackfruit with grilled pineapple, tangy slaw and signature garlic aioli
The service was quick, the food was full of flavour and the restaurant had quirky decor. We loved every moment!
They even have a pop-up food truck available for events so you can have delicious vegan burgers anywhere, anytime!
Check them out here 👇
Website / Instagram / Facebook
And there we have it!!! I hope you loved this little video series just as much as I did! There was such a beautiful range of food from healthy organic gourmet dishes, to dumplings, to sweet coffee joints and of course the classic burgers that we all love to indulge in! You see, plant-based and vegan food is so much more than what you may expect!
Thank you to all of my lovely friends who took part in this project to be interviewed and shared their experiences. If you are new to this world, I hope it helped you to understand it a little better and plants the seed for a more compassionate and healthy life ♥️
Be sure to check out my other content for more health and wellness tips 🌱
Facebook / YouTube / Meal Plans & Coaching / Online Guides & Recipe Books
Videography by Jowsus
