Takeout stakeout
IN
You’d have to be as hard-hearted as a weekold burger bun to not be completely charmed by Tipene’s and all the people there. Tipene’s is named after the owner’s pepe. And they are cooking with love here. We are on our way home on a Saturday night and we have a date with Stranger Things on Netflix. So the three of us pull up outside Tipene’s, hungry and excited — for we live just around the corner and we have a cool new kid in the hood. The menu is fantastic — home made fish cakes, raw fish salad, fresh made fish fingers. There are English classics, like mushy peas. They do “wha¯ nau packs” from $15 and “tamariki packs” for $8. They have a happy hour from 5pm-6pm on weekdays, when you can get beer battered fish of the day, chips, coleslaw and gravy for $10.
OUT
Tipene’s use plant-based packaging, which are designed to be composted. Now that is a guiltfree burger meal. There are tables inside and out, so you can dine in if you like, and enjoy the chat and the lols. Our three burgers — plus those extra chips — are cooked so fast we are out the door with our package of goodness after a 10-minute wait.
THE TAKEOUT
Mum, what’s a deep-fried Mars bar? Just look away, child. Look away. The guy behind the counter is trying to up-sell — share one for dessert, he says. Um, no thanks, kia ora. They source their fish fresh daily, and it’s beer battered or panko crumbed — we’ll be going back for that. We order two cheese burgers (prime mince meat pattie, $7.50 each) and one lamb with cheese ($7.50). Plus fries (two portions, $5). They are killer fries, cooked to perfection. They include an extra pot of mayo, for no extra charge. The onion relish in the burgers is delicious, and the ingredients are zingy and fresh. The only thing I’d say is, take a bit longer on the grill — mine was quite rare. And while I love my steak that way, I prefer my burger a little more done. But it’s a minor gripe. This place is not your average takeout. It’s massively appealing, from the service to the kai, and it’s great value. It’s a happy sort of a place. And we have found ours.
Sarah Daniell