A long time Ponsonby favourite is Little Bird Kitchen on Summer Street.
While being a student it is not a place I can afford regularly, it is a go-to place for a brunch or lunch special occasion - many a Mother’s Day celebratory meal or catching up with an old friend has been spent there over the years.
Their seasonal menu is updated on a regular basis as well as specials on a constant rotation, although the essence and basic concepts are kept the same. In retrospect, while growing up, the Little Bird menu changed my younger self’s perception of salad and raw food eating. Using fresh, beautiful and organic produce, they encapsulate the phrase that us vegans always reiterate - that vegan food doesn’t mean boring or flavourless. Throughout the years I’ve made my way around the majority of the menu and now can decipher my top picks.
My mother and I have a definitive soft spot for the Vietnamese crepe and truly believe it can do no wrong. The current menu’s version consists of a ‘fermented quinoa, brown rice, spinach and spirulina crepe filled with an abundance of fresh herbs and veggies’. It is the perfect balance of spice, raw crisp veg, and carbs to leave you satisfied and content. Other favourites for me have been the Japanese seaweed salad, Little Bird tacos and the kimchi pancakes. The changing Little Bird bowl is always worth checking out too.
With co-owner Megan May growing up with a number of food allergies, nutritious and restorative foods were always the goal. Prior to becoming the Little Bird Kitchen we know and love today, owners and partners, Megan and Jeremy, started Little Bird as a product range, and then two years later a solely raw vegan cafe called The Unbakery. It was significantly ahead of its time in introducing vegan fare to New Zealand and has been a great contributor in leading the way to show the power of plants.
Little Bird has since expanded its product range and extra offerings. Their range includes multiple flavours of raw macaroons, cookies, crackers, nuts and easy on-the-go breakfast options such as their ‘grawnola’ and ‘everything breakfast’ muesli/porridge. As well, they have juice cleanse packs, cold-pressed milks and tonics, in addition to meal plans and ready-to-eat meals. Over lockdown they were producing isolation boxes too. The scale of what they offer is truly impressive.
Despite attracting a very niche demographic in the past, I believe Little Bird is a spot everyone should and can try. Its menu keeps everyone and every allergen in mind - no missing out here!
“Food should not only taste amazing, it should make you feel amazing too.” And here, it does.(Sofia Roger Williams)
Little Bird Kitchen, 1 Summer Street, T: 027 648 4757, www.littlebirdorganics.co.nz
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