Picky Piggies

Situated below Sky Tower Auckland, Huami offers an extensive menu focusing on Cantonese fare including dim sum that is both traditional and creative. During the day dim sum can be ordered a la carte or in the old fashioned style from steel trolleys. The dinner menu has a stronger focus on more classic dishes from the Southern and Northern regions. 

We have been here for lunch and dinner on two separate occasions and found the dim sum was inconsistent, other than that everything else was great.

Siew Mai NZ$9

The siew mai consisted of minced chicken, shiitake mushroom and bites of chunky prawns. The flavours worked well together and the XO chili added a mild burning sensation to the tongue. 

Ha Kao NZ$12

These prawn dumplings were plump and juicy, with a delicate skin that was transparent and smooth. Ha Kao is a dish that can determine the skill of a dim sum chef by judging the number of pleats on the skin - 10+ pleats is consider to master level. The truffle on top gave it an earthy aroma.

Squid Ink, Yellow Chives, Prawn Dumpling NZ$9

I want to say good concept, but failed execution. The prawn filling was ok, however the skin was dense and hard, which affected the entire texture of the dumplings. The salmon roe wasn't fresh as it had an uneven and bumpy appearance.  

Baked Crunchy Char Siew Chicken Bun NZ$9

Deep-Fried Crispy Taro Puff, Scallop, Chicken NZ$9

These flaky taro puffs were so addictive, a crispy outside versus a soft gooey centre. The inside was packed with a generous amount of saucy minced chicken and mushy-soft taro. Finally it is topped up with a fatty slice of scallop.

Crystal Seafood Dumpling NZ$9

Despite the name "Seafood Dumpling" these dumplings had no seafood in them. The name in Chinese actually says "Shark fin Dumpling", but it really means imitation shark fin - which is made with vermicelli. The skin had the right texture, and the inside consisted of minced meat and vegetables as well as "shark fin". Flavour-wise, the dumplings were quite flat and bland.

Warm Egg Custard Layer Cake NZ$10

Another highlight - this cake is a classic dish for yum cha, and it was the best by far out of every take we have tried in the past. The cake was amazingly soft and moist, the warm egg custard layers are common, but we were glad they were there. Not only did they act like a cream filling, it also enriched the overall texture of the cake.

Dim Sum Platter NZ$20

You can order this platter for dinner, which lets you sample 4 different dumplings - Crystal Crab Meat, Steamed Saffron & Vegetables, Ha Kao with truffle, and Siew Mai. The dumplings for dinner were surprisingly much better than lunch.

Live Abalone (stir fried in XO sauce) NZ$180 each

New Zealand abalone, known locally as Pāua, is a local delicacy. If you haven't tried it, its worthwhile getting it at a Chinese restaurant. You get to pick one from the live tank and ask it to be cooked however you like. We went for stir fry with XO sauce, which I highly recommend. It is quite pricey but likely a decision you won't regret. The abalone had the texture of a firm mushroom and was full of umami.

Season of visit: 

Activities:

Queenstown

From Queenstown CBD the Gondola takes visitors to the top of the Skyline where astonishing views await. From there you will feel the entire Queenstown is beneath your feet. 


Website: https://www.skyline.co.nz/en/queenstown
Address: Brecon St, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand



Cookie Time - New Zealand's national cookie - is a treat that every kiwi must have had when growing up as a child. The shop was loaded with cute cookie time mascots and lots of people! We came during holiday season, so the line was a little long, but still bearable. 



There's a wide selection of flavours to choose from freshly baked ones as well as prepackaged ones. Of course we were not leaving empty handed!


Website: http://cookietime.co.nz/
Address: 18 Camp St, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand

Roys Peak Track

Russell Lupin/Perennial Lupin

While in Queenstown, it's hard to resist its untouched wilderness. So we hit the road to.... indulge ourselves in the beauty of nature.  Soon we were rewarded with lupins blooming away by the roadside. In New Zealand these vibrant flowers are considered as pests as the seeds spread quickly and therefore pose a risk to the native ecosystem. However, these stunning flowers are remembered by many visitors when thinking of New Zealand. The blooming period is from November to December.

Lake Wanaka

Along the way we drove past another tourist attraction which was the Cardrona Bra Fence. Initially the fence began with only four bras (around 1999), the reason why they were there is unknown, but since then the bras have been growing in numbers.

Mt Cook

The King Salmon here is raised in pure glacial water rich in minerals. At the shop you can purchase hot/cold smoked salmon and fresh salmon, as well as other merchandise. Unfortunately, when we visited on Boxing Day they didn't have any sashimi due to it being holiday season. As a result we got a pack of hot smoked salmon to try instead. We loved how the salmon was soft and had a intense smoky taste. Their salmon is also sold at major supermarkets throughout New Zealand. 


Website: http://alpinesalmon.co.nz/
Address: 4856, Tekapo-Twizel Rd, Twizel 7901, New Zealand



Another pleasant roadside encounter on our trip was Alpine Lavender. There was a small souvenir shop and a mini cafe. We got the lavender ice cream, it was creamy and had a good amount of floral taste. 


Website: http://www.nzalpinelavender.com/
Address: 397 Mount Cook Highway, Pukaki 7999, New Zealand
Mr Piggy and I had planned to go glacial boating, but due to bad weather, our boating experience was cancelled. Apparently this is very common at Mt Cook as the weather can be quite unpredictable, so you can never know until you are there at the site. We took some (plenty) selfies though to make our walk worth while😂



Website: http://glacierexplorers.com/index.html
Address: Bowen Dr, Mount Cook National Park 7999, New Zealand
Church of the Good Shepherd is one of New Zealand's iconic churches that sits by Lake Tekapo with breathtaking views of the shimmering blue lake and snow-capped mountains in the background. It is also a popular spot for star gazing and adoring the Milky Way.


Website: https://www.churchofthegoodshepherd.org.nz/
Address: Pioneer Dr, Lake Tekapo 7999, New Zealand

Christchurch

Pohatu Marine Reserve is a small coastal bay nearby Banks Peninsula. There are day and evening tour options, we got the "Scenic 4WD to Pohatu" which was $75pp/$55 for child under 15yrs. This package included pick-up at Akaroa, an hour and half drive from Christchurch. 
The drive to the reserve came with remarkable views of the coastline. The milky-blue colour of the water is a reflection of the rich minerals below.


However, enjoying the beautiful views requires great guts...as the drive to the reserve was like a roller coaster ride. The steep, wavy and unfenced single lane track was so narrow that it barely fit the van. A slight wrong turn and the whole van could fall into the sea... We felt very lucky to have made it back in one piece😱😱😱  

White-Flippered Penguin

At the reserve there are injured and sick penguins, and also those that come to shore to breed using the nesting boxes.


This little fellow is a baby so the staff had to force-feed it as it hasn't learnt to eat on its own. This is how a mother penguin would do it in the wild too.


This baby penguin is losing it's brown fur, and the bright blue feather underneath is a sign of moving into adulthood. 


This is an adult penguin that was extremely malnourished (it is smaller than the babies). During annual moulting, instead of the normal bright blue colour, it can turn into a pale brown colour just like this one in the picture.


To examine the penguins' health condition, their poo is checked regularly. 

Here is "Scratchy" scratching again🙈

Stout (a Penguin predator)

This nesting box has two young chicks, they were still in their baby fur.


This whole experience was eye-opening and something that will stay with us for a very long time. 

Website: https://www.pohatu.co.nz/
Address: Wildside Booking Office, 8/2 Rue Balguerie, Akaroa
Akaroa 7520 New Zealand


During the 2011 earthquake many buildings were destroyed, Christchurch Cathedral was also a victim of that. Part of the church is still remaining and reconstruction is in progress.



                     
Website: http://cardboardcathedral.org.nz/
Address: Christchurch Central, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand


Plenty more adventures await us in the South Island, we'll be back!