Cafe Exploring; Shaky Isles

I love airports. Nothing beats the excitement of traveling to a far away destination combined with the never-ending supply of interesting people to watch whether it’s the old couple saying goodbye or the weary foreign family sprinting around the airport trying to find the right terminal. So I was more than stoked to find myself in the Auckland international airport at 6.30am Monday morning on my way to a week in Cairns, Aus.

Starving and half asleep it was just my luck that the popular café Shaky Isles has opened up shop in the international terminal serving beautiful food and coffee for a great price. With delicious meals like eggs on toast, Bircher muesli and toasted cibatta sandwiches, it’s a welcome change to the usual deep fried macca’s breakfasts had while at the airport.

A hot porridge with date and agave sugar with a soy flat white certainly it the spot on a cold Auckland morning, and while it was small, it was well priced  ($12) and delicious.

There really is no better way to pass time in an airport with a hot coffee and a good book so if you haven’t already discovered the amazingness that is penguin books I seriously suggest you check them out. They are sold at nearly every airport with classics such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s or the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for only $10!

Cafe Adventures; York Street Mechanics

Tucked away in the side streets of Newmarket along Kent St is a little Western gem called the York Street Mechanics. Decked out with enough Harley motorbikes to entertain any boyfriend or father before the food arrives, the leather fringed jackets and cracking fire makes you feel like Route 66 is just outside the door.

York Street has a small but delicious selection of muffins and cakes to choose from and the blueberry and oat is to die for, but who can resist the beckoning smell of bacon and egg on a Sunday morning?

The menu food was refreshingly varied and the staff were happy to cater to any requirements, such as my unending obsession with avocado which didn’t happen to be on the menu; could I be any more predictable?

Nothing silences a loud Pollok family like a round of coffees, 3 orders of scrambeled eggs on toast and a chilli bean salad with an array of delicious sides. Needless to say we left considerably

fuller and happier than before, regardless of the food taking a little while to arrive.