I have been wanting to try this restaurant along Main South Road for quite some time now. Feeling lazy, I decided to grab some takeaway from there. For those driving, there is a parking area at the back.

I ordered the yellow curry and the peanut sauce stir fry. The food tasted great. The portion size is typical for a takeaway. The service was good.

It is a bit pricey though. I doubt I would be back without an Entertainment Book voucher. The voucher was for 25 percent off the total bill; up to NZD 25. I saved NZD 9.20.

I have always thought the setting at Wagamama is quite interesting. Today, we decided to have dinner there.

This time, I tried the Wagamama Seafood Ramen. I’m not a big fan of spinach but the noodle soup was yum. We also had a flask of Ozeki sake to go with our meals. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. The service was great as always.

The voucher was for one complimentary main course when another main course of equal or greater value is purchased; up to NZD 25. We saved NZD 19.60.

Official website: Wagamama

It was a fine day; albeit a bit windy. We originally planned to have lunch at Langdale Vineyard. However, they were busy preparing for a wedding reception, so there goes that plan. Pushed for an alternative, we decided to try Melton Estate Vineyard.

As it’s a vineyard, it’s only fitting that we try some wine. I had their 2010 Pinot Gris. I ordered the Pork Fillet for my main. There was nothing special about the pork; but it was really nice. As for the wine, my comments would be close to worthless; so I’m not even going to bother reviewing that. I did take a fancy to the Melton Estate Summer Love, a Sparkling Riesling. The lady who served us, who I’m guessing is Tracy the owner, is superb.

The Gold Card offer was for one complimentary main course when another main course of equal or greater value is purchased; up to NZD 35. We saved NZD 28.

Official website: Melton Estate

After an afternoon walking from Sumner to Taylor’s Mistake and back, it was about time for dinner. Since, we were already on the other side of town, I thought we might as well choose a place nearby. I’ve bookmarked Redcliffs Chinese Restaurant and Bar before; and this seem like a perfect time to try it. The restaurant is in the building opposite New World, on the first floor. The place is nice.

We ordered several dishes to share. The person who took our order reckons we made excellent choices. My contribution to the order was the fried fish in sweet and sour sauce. I enjoyed the fish; not just because I ordered it. While I wouldn’t say they were great, all the dishes were pretty good. The prices were reasonable. Some of the dishes are quite new to me. The staff were friendly and the service was good.

The voucher was for 25 percent off the total bill; up to NZD 30. We saved NZD 21.30.

I was out with a friend at Northlands, trying to find the Christmas mood that seems to be non-existent this year. Other than one particular store that specialises in Christmas decors and the Santa stall, the mall lacks a Christmas feel to it. After checking out a few stores, we decided to stop by Robert Harris for a drink.

I ordered the hazelnut frappe. I like hazelnut. However, the frappe was a disappointment. The drink was rather bland. The service was just as poor. We were served by a girl that behaved as though she much rather not be at work at the time.

The voucher was for one complimentary frappe or smoothie when another frappe or smoothie of equal or greater value is purchased. We saved NZD 6.

Official website: Robert Harris

We needed a drink to kill some time in the city. For a change, I thought we’d try some place different. The Coffee Club was close by, so there we ended. It felt like a day for ice frappe. Feeling adventurous, I ordered a pine lime ice frappe. It was alright. It was a bright green colour. It tasted like… pine lime; I dunno how else to describe it.

The voucher was for one complimentary ice frappe when another ice frappe of equal or greater value is purchased. We saved NZD 6.60.

Official website: The Coffee Club

The Nutcracker ballet show was a lot more enjoyable than I originally expected. I was more expecting tutus but it was more a play. I didn’t realise there is such a thing as a nutcracker doll. The storyline definitely made a lot more sense with a nutcracker doll; rather than a modern nutcracker that resembles a plier. It was a most enjoyable evening. The lovely company made it all the better.

The voucher was for up to 4 ticket purchases for adult C reserve seats at 25 percent off the regular price. We saved at least NZD 50. With C reserve seats, one seat left or right could make a whole lot of difference.

Official website: Royal New Zealand Ballet

I’m gonna make this a quick one.

We went to The Flying Burrito Brothers – Cantina and Tequileria for dinner before The Nutcracker ballet show. I ordered The Flying Burrito; the beef option. The food was not bad. All the dishes seem to be quite similar. The main difference seems to be in how the food is served. We also had the Feijoa Margarita. The Margarita was nice. The staff were awesome. Amen.

The voucher was for one complimentary main course when another main course of equal or greater value is purchased; up to NZD 35. We saved at least NZD 24 this time.

Official website: The Flying Burrito Brothers

I really wanted an ice cream cake this year. Unfortunately, the ice cream cake from Wendy’s was a real disappointment. I didn’t realise it is just a big blob of ice cream; without any bits that I could remotely call cake. Nonetheless, I got my ice cream cake. It looked nice though; especially with the candles and all.

Divine Cakes & Desserts is where I normally get my cakes from for office shouts. Today happens to be one of those occasions—yet another 21st. My favourite flavour at the moment is the hazelnut mousse cake.

The voucher was for any cake or dessert product at 25 percent off the regular price. I saved NZD 8.40 this time.

Official website: Divine Cakes & Desserts

You may not have noticed, but I have actually been back-posting my dining experiences for the past month due to a hectic study schedule. I’m now pretty much caught up. Strangely, I don’t remember much about this particular restaurant; eventhough I was there only a few days ago. I would like to point out that this is bad memory on my part; and not a reflection of how unmemorable the dining experience was.

I ordered a lunch special—the one with cashew nuts. The food was good. There wasn’t much rice, but there was a lot of meat. I reckon it’s good value for money. The restaurant was empty except for us at the time. The service was alright.

The voucher was for 25 percent off the total bill; up to NZD 30. We saved NZD 11.20 this time.