Guide
Dish Cult Dines: Cuba Street’s esteemed Ombra
09 Jan 2023
09 Jan 2023
Ozone Coffee Roasters entered the food and beverage scene more than 20 years ago.
I first encountered Ozone Coffee Roasters in 2016 at their Taranaki roastery for the freshest cup of coffee I’d ever had up to that point. Then, I bumped into the familiar kiwi logo in London a year later, at their Shoreditch eatery, providing me with a reminder of great NZ coffee amongst the weak Costa and Pret A Manger cups I’d been having.
Finally, it came time for me to visit Grey Lynn’s most-talked about and most-raved about café. A visit that is regrettingly long overdue.
You would never guess Ozone is a wholesaler first, eatery second. Walking into the Westmoreland Street café, you’re even less privy to the sizable roasting conveyor belt lying in plain sight – that’s how captivating the interior of Ozone Coffee Roasters is.
Tall illuminated shelved-walls filled with an impressive number of wines. A singular couch seat wrapping around half of the space, the other half taken up by individual cosy booths. The centrepiece? A full 360 view of the open-plan kitchen, dotted with busy cooks, runners, and baristas – the whole layout set up for a meal and a show.
Visiting on a sunny Saturday morning without a reservation is notoriously rookie in central Auckland, but somehow, amongst a busy line developing outside, we were shown to a pleasant table on the far side of the venue, with an apology about being short-staffed due to Covid – a problem that never eventuated on our visit.
The menu is a needle in the metaphorical haystack of eggs benedict and avocado toast in Auckland. (Forewarning, the weekday brunch menu offers a fraction fewer dishes). Standouts from this avid weekend bruncher included the Aged Gouda Cornbread with Chilli Butter ($14.5), Smoked Coopers Beach Kahawai on Rye with Rhubarb and Dukkah ($17.90), and Braised Awatoru Venison Mince on Focaccia with Piccalilli and Smoked Meyer Gouda ($22). Several dishes I can confidently say I haven’t seen available anywhere else in the city.
After a long browse, and multiple willing requests to take our order from the friendly waitress, we settled on the Smoked Fish Kedgeree with Poached Egg, Labneh, Salsa Verde, and Kumara Crunch ($24) and the Smoked Mt Cook Salmon Fritters with Sauce Gribiche, Spring Leaves, and Pickles ($21.90). With two coffees, one iced ($5), one hot ($5), for good measure.
Seeing your specific plate being created in the kitchen never grows old, and with our coffees making a swift appearance on the table, we were happy to sit back, sip, and enjoy the people-watching view.
For anyone in the know it almost goes without saying, but I will emphasise: Ozone Coffee makes great coffee. Centred around sustainability, it’s a guilt-free cup of genuine quality coffee (even more so with alternative milk). Using a different blend for each preparation, Ozone pays extra attention to really producing a coffee that goes beyond just using their own beans. Not too bitter or weak, just a smooth, balanced, clean blend.
The food arrived promptly, excitement brewing as we realised those were indeed our plates coming out of the kitchen and towards our table.
The Kedgeree (an Indian dish of smoked fish and rice with a curry seasoning and egg on top) was an immediate winner. Perfectly flaked fish, fluffy rice freckled with green herbs, and a strong but not overpowering dose of curry powder, with a runny yolk to cut through with some creaminess. Taking on an international dish like this can often result in a watered-down version of flavour-packed traditional recipe, but Ozone’s Kedgeree is the exception the rule. The flavours practically wafted off the plate and straight onto my palate before the fork even met my mouth.
There was no suspicion about the freshness of the Mt Cook Salmon, Ozone has knocked it out of the park with their version of a salmon fritter. Initially picturing a flat, gluten-filled fritter, instead I was pleasantly surprised to see not 1 or 2, but 3 very fluffy spheres of fritter on the plate. Piled high is a bed of greens, not considerably adding to the flavours of the fritters but not unwelcome either. The addition of sweet and sour pickles elevates the dish, adding crunch to the otherwise cloud-like texture of fritter.
Both dishes offered a generous portion, we made our way through only two-thirds of the salmon and left a few bites of Kedgeree. We’ll come deliberately hungrier next time.
This was a memorable brunch. As someone who has tried just about every eggs bene in central Auckland and the surrounding suburbs, brunch is more often than not a memory of the conversations that took place and resulting mood boost before starting my weekend. But, my trip to Ozone has remained front and centre of my brain for a couple of weeks now. Between the contemporary minimalist look and kind but not overbearing staff, to a menu that made you genuinely read each item thoroughly and ponder your decision, I am truly looking forward to my next breakfast there – and it is already booked in!
Where: Ozone Coffee Roasters, 1/18 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn
Rating: 4.8/5
