Herald morning quiz: June 1
Can you score 10 out of 10?
Test your general knowledge with the Herald 's morning quiz. Share your score with friends, family and colleagues, and find out who has the sharpest mind.
Be sure to check back on nzherald.co.nz for today's afternoon quiz.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Cassie Henderson's audition for The Voice Australia 2025 stuns all four judges
She made a great first impression on the show but Henderson is no stranger to Kiwi audiences, coming to local prominence in 2013 when she competed in X Factor New Zealand aged 14 and placing fifth. Asked about the role music plays in her life, Henderson told the panel: 'I love to entertain, I love to perform for people, but music is the thing that I do when I'm by myself and I feel safe and alone in my bedroom. 'I had a few setbacks and I kinda stopped singing for a long time and I kinda realised one day that there is nothing else that I want to do in this world and in my lifetime.' In the interaction, Henderson hinted it was her experience on X Factor that presented those setbacks. 'There was a point there where I had online commentary about my voice, and just about me, and I think I just took it to heart because I was quite young at the time. I was 14.' Henderson said getting to choose from all four of the show's mentors felt like a dream. 'I really can't believe I'm standing here making this decision.' Ultimately, Henderson elected to be the first contestant on this season coached by former Spice Girl Melanie C, who told Henderson: 'You are born to do this. You just own that stage and it is so natural to you.' Henderson took a hiatus from music after appearing on X Factor, but returned to pursue her passion full-time in 2023. She released a single, Seconds to Midnight, in August 2024 and it remained at number one on the RadioScope NZ Airplay Charts for 15 weeks. In June, she took home the award for Best Pop Artist at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards. Last year she told the Herald a move offshore was the next logical step. 'I think, as a musician, I'm too comfy here. I'm not getting pushed out of my comfort zone consistently enough,.' she said. 'It's a big, wide, crazy world, and I'm pretty keen to go explore it. And I can't wait to then come back to New Zealand, and be proud to come home.'
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- NZ Herald
MasterChef Australia: NZ contestant Ben MacDonald talks about life after elimination
'I went there to win, there's no doubt about that. Certainly got pretty close, disappointed that I didn't make it all the way – but also [I'm] really proud of how far I went and happy to be home,' he says with a laugh. 'It was a very long season.' In his bid to join Depinder Chhibber in the final four, along with contestants Laura Cassai, Jamie Fleming and Callum Hann, McDonald had to create what the judges called a 'spectacular one-bite wonder'. Setting the scene, guest judge and top Kiwi chef Vaughan Mabee of the globally acclaimed Amisfield restaurant in Queenstown showed off his fantastical selection of one-mouthful winners that looked like they came straight from the world of Harry Potter. The Whangārei-raised Aucklander is a father of two. Photo / TVNZ MacDonald then created his own magic: chicken wings stuffed with whitebait mousse. The wings sat on top of a seaweed and parmesan tuille, with chicken liver parfait underneath. Topping it off was a drizzle of chive oil emulsion and some caviar. As a bonus, the whitebait was local; Mabee brought it with him from New Zealand. But, compared to the other creations, it failed to charm and was criticised as having 'too many things going on'. The Whangārei-raised Aucklander was sent packing. On the show, MacDonald admitted small bites weren't his style. 'You can only squeeze so much flavour into one mouthful ... whilst the whitebait was in there, it was never meant to be a whitebait dish. It was just supposed to add sweetness and a bit of a change of a layer of texture as well. I think the other dishes on the day were just more concise and better.' Mabee says he was gutted about it, too. 'Ben had a huge amount of talent and his dish was great – it just had too many elements and the focus went away from being a great dish,' he tells the Herald. Ben with judges Jean-Christophe and Andy. Photo / TVNZ '[It was] tasty, yes, but it just wasn't the best dish that day. I was sad to see the Kiwi leave. What an amazing guy.' But MacDonald isn't fazed by the defeat, perhaps because he doesn't view it as such. 'At the end of the day, my life's not going to be measurably worse if I don't win MasterChef. 'I was trying not to put too much pressure on myself right from the start. I was there for the experience. I was there to learn. And I just knew that if I went in and did my best every day, I would never be disappointed.' The highlight of the experience was winning the immunity pin and cooking along with Gordon Ramsay in the second episode. 'It was just a crazy challenge because you had no idea what you're making, you're just following along with Gordon Ramsey as best as you can. 'So stressful, so busy, and just doing it all and mine ended up coming up the best.' The 47-year-old chef previously competed on season six of MasterChef Australia, where he finished sixth. Photo / TVNZ He says the biggest thing he learned from the experience was 'how much you can learn from other people'. 'It was such a collaborative kind of supportive environment, and it was just really surprising where you could pick things up from,' he says, adding how at one stage Chhibber taught him how to make paratha 'properly'. 'If you're open to listening and sharing, I think it's just quite amazing what you can take on.' MacDonald has no hesitation when asked who he wants to win. . 'I think Jamie would do the most with it, and I think it would really change his life,' he says. As for what's next, MacDonald says there are a few things in the works. As well as preparing for and competing in his first marathon in Queenstown in November, he's focused on sharing with foodies 'delicious dishes people can cook themselves' on his social media. 'I'm going to try to put some personality into it and make it relatable and most of all achievable,' he says. MasterChef Australia: Back to Win airs on TVNZ and TVNZ+. Varsha Anjali is a journalist in the lifestyle team at the Herald. Based in Auckland, she covers culture, travel and more.
NZ Herald
7 days ago
- NZ Herald
Jesse Mulligan Auckland Restaurant Review: Returning To The Grill SkyCity A Year After A ‘Terrible' Meal
Spoiler alert: If you've been waiting for a sign to visit, Jesse Mulligan is waving you in with bright green flags. It's been almost a year since I took a deep breath and wrote about my terrible meal at SkyCity's The Grill. Publishing a critical restaurant review is an exhilarating experience. Four times as many people as usual read that column and strangers were literally asking about it on the street. The food and beverage manager from SkyCity called me at home for a chat. The person at the Herald whose job it is to sell Viva subscriptions let me know that I should feel free to seek out other terrible restaurants to write about, and soon. The SkyCity guy promised on the phone that they had fixed everything and offered to have me back for free. But it had only been a couple of days since the review had come out – how could they possibly have solved the many, many problems I had listed? What did they do, fire everyone and ship all the boring crockery to landfill? I decided to wait a full 12 months before returning, and this week I did it. I always pay for review meals with my own money and never announce that I am coming, so let's call this a 'check-in'. Below, I have listed my major complaints about The Grill in 2024 and whether or not they have been fixed: The taramasalata and tuna tartlette snacks on the menu at The Grill restaurant in the Horizon Hotel. Photo / Babiche Martens Problem: Service was extremely slow Unsurprisingly, this was not a problem on my return visit, though – full respect to the PR team – the waitress looking after us had not been briefed that I was potentially there to save the restaurant's reputation. I know this because at one stage she looked at me quizzically and asked, 'Where have I seen you before?' before she realised that I was the VIP someone had mentioned to her earlier. She had already proved herself by then – she was fast, knowledgeable, quirky and personal. I bet she gets loads of tips because she has done that rare thing – found a public-facing version of herself that preserves all the best, quirky parts of her personality without sacrificing professionalism. Did they fix it? Yes, they did. Problem: The souffle was terrible and had no puff A twice-baked souffle is a classic dish, so I talked to a couple of chef friends and showed them photos before declaring this one dead last year. I didn't order it this time, but a guy at the table next to me did, and it looked fantastic! It had puff, it had height, and the guy (who was a fan of the old Grill and seemed to have very high standards) pronounced it delicious, mentioning in particular the sweet caramelised onions. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Did they fix it? Yes, they did. The twice-baked cheese souffle now has puff and height. Photo / Babiche Martens Problem: The cocktails were watery, pretentious and pre-mixed The list is still a bit OTT, but I can see the appeal of cocktails with Māori names and local ingredients when you're trying to sell to tourists. The SkyCity guy had promised to sit me down and 'give a bit more context to our pre-mix offering', but I specifically (and slightly rudely) asked that nobody from the company attend our dinner, so I will instead take his word that it doesn't affect the quality of the drinks. But look, I didn't order a cocktail because none of them appealed. Did they fix it? Sorry, not sure. Problem: Nothing appealing on the menu The Grill has expanded its short and brutal list of dishes to a page-turning culinary adventure. Now it has (great) snacks and starters and a double-page spread of interesting beef choices, plus sashimi, oysters and another full page of mains. There's also a brilliant tarte tatin served with a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert, and a cheese and cognac trolley! They tried it out on New Year's Eve and it went so well they've kept it. I loved everything about that trolley except the prices – $18 per sliver of cheese, but perhaps by that time of night you'll no longer be counting. Did they fix it? Yes, they did. Problem: Everything came on the same boring white plates The plates are still boring, with the odd exception. This might be a future opportunity to lift the experience even further. For now, it's all about the food. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Did they fix it? No, they didn't. You'll be able to make your carnivorous dreams come true here. Photo / Babiche Martens Problem: Some of the food didn't taste good Most excitingly, the food now tastes very, very good. The starters are exceptional, the oysters and sashimi are wonderful, and the steak? Well, spoiling this glowing review somewhat is that I ordered the three-part 'study of beef' and, while the sirloin and scotch were great, the wagyu rump cap was underdone and unable to be broken down by human teeth alone. What a shame. That cut will need further work, but I feel certain that you'll be able to make your carnivorous dreams come true here: pick anything else, alongside some sauces and sides and gobble it all down with a big glass of Cabernet. Did they fix it? Yes, they mostly did. Problem: The wine service was bad, with typos all through the menu The turnaround here was quite exceptional. The Grill's wine guy these days is fantastic – with a short, interesting, ad-libbed speech for every wine-based question we gave him. There's also now a Coravin menu offering wines by the glass that would be too expensive to open otherwise. We drank some beautiful wines and heard some beautiful stories. Look out for the Plume methode, which I have never found anywhere else, and I reckon is one of the best bubbles options in New Zealand. I can confirm I have audited the wine list and found no spelling mistakes. Did they fix it? Yes, they did. The final verdict Wow, what a turnaround. The staff have a spring in their step and the open kitchen seems to be buzzing. The customers are all happy too – from hotel guests to Auckland foodies, coalescing over precise cooking and great drinks. If you've been waiting for the all clear to visit The Grill, I'm officially waving you in with bright green flags. More restaurant reviews According to dining out editor Jesse Mulligan. Nomiya's Japanese Snack Bites Are Works Of Art. ... And Jesse reckons their oysters are the best you will find in Auckland. Palato In Browns Bay Has The Best Pasta Menu In The City. And their tomato pasta sauce is unrivalled in New Zealand. What Happens If You Ask AI To Create Your Restaurant's New Menu? Luke Dallow did just that for his new Ponsonby Rd bistro, Gigi. But does it work? Birkenhead's Bon Pinard Completes The Set With Duo & Uno. This North Shore wine bar serves up indulgence with a flavour-packed menu. Feeling Blue In Ponsonby. Jesse recommends you head to Blue immediately for the persimmon salad. Food You'll Rarely Come Across, With A Side Of ... Lamps? It was high risk, high reward at this unassuming Georgian-Turkish fusion restaurant.
