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NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Jesse Mulligan Auckland Restaurant Review: Sa-On In Henderson Is Something Different, And Quite Exciting
From instant noodles cascading over their plastic pot, to 'pink nipple milk', this Thai restaurant is worth checking out. I eat a lot of Northeastern Thai food because Isaan Thai on Hobson St is my emergency lunch stop. I presume everybody has a place like this near their office – you forget to bring a sandwich from home, you don't have time to hike to the salad shop, and so you pick up your mobile phone and the takeaway menu and proceed to disgrace yourself. Not that there's anything inherently unhealthy about Thai food, it's just that one dish never seems quite enough but eating two makes you feel like taking a shame-nap afterwards. So when I heard about Sa-On doing this style of cooking in Henderson, I thought I was in for more of the same: a larb here, a green papaya salad there … the difference would be that I was enjoying it in a restaurant rather than al desko. Thai restaurant Sa-On in Henderson. Photo / Babiche Martens In fact, Sa-On's menu is something different, and quite exciting. They have those Isaan standards, of course, but they also have some signature dishes which make it really worth visiting in person. Take the Sa-On noodles, which are two-minute style, fried in a sweet soy-based sauce and heaped back into their plastic Insta-pot, the noodles spilling out over the top. Balancing on the noodles is a beef short rib bone, the meat itself having been braised to gelatinous perfection then sliced and tossed through the noodles. If that all sounds indulgent but a little nutritionally bereft I counted eight different varieties of vegetable that had been tossed into the wok as well: beans, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, onion and more plus the absolute best thing you can find in a Thai dish: fresh green peppercorns, like a tiny bunch of grapes, tucked into the noodles as a spicy surprise gift. Zap Hang – noodles with beef short rib – is one of the signature dishes on the menu at Sa-On. Photo / Babiche Martens The restaurant itself is nice enough to spend a couple of hours in, though you wouldn't want to live there. It's a long, comfortable room with a bar at the back and a door through to a bathroom area that feels more like something you'd offer a hostage than a customer. It is clean and functional, but that's it. At the rear of the space is an external door, which we had fruitlessly knocked on earlier after taking advantage of the free parking out back. I don't think you need flash (ie painted) bathrooms to make a restaurant great, but it does unfortunately affect the Viva scoring system, which I've pushed to its limits given that the service is minimal and the only wine on offer is 'House'. Back to the food, then, which is good enough for you to put aside all of the above and visit Sa-On the next time you have an opportunity. There were only two of us, but I think a table of four to six would be perfect – there are so many incredible-looking dishes, and they make it even harder by putting a Five-Star Recommendation next to about a dozen of them. Even if you order perfectly, you will go home feeling like you've missed out. I went for spring rolls, snack wraps, those noodles, a soup, a curry and some rice. That in itself was a feast, but missed some key genres – grilled meat and salad among them. We took half of the food home with us and I concluded that we'd done as well as we could have on your behalf. Locals (many of whom have already discovered this place after two years in business) should feel free to get in touch and alert me to any crucial omissions. I don't think you should miss the grilled prawns, which are served room temperature, each one balanced on a betel leaf with toasted coconut and a little sweet ginger-peanut sauce that makes these things incredibly moreish. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. I love a spicy-sour Tom Yum soup and this one is the best I've come across. Served in a metal 'hot pot', it's served with your choice of protein (we chose pork) and, rather than the uniform coconut-milky texture you may be used to in cheaper places, this one is splotched with spicy chilli oil, with plenty of lime juice in the mix. For chefs from a landlocked part of the world, they are unexpectedly comfortable with the fruits of the sea, and one of my favourite dishes was the seafood curry. Unlike any curry I'd come across before, it features mussels in their shell, squid rings and prawns in a thick pink sauce, which I couldn't quite get my head around. It wasn't a gravy, more like a sort of custard … was it silken tofu? No, egg. Emulsified with coconut milk, I think, with perhaps a little red curry paste for flavour. Photo / Babiche Martens There isn't much for dessert, but you may find that a non-alcoholic cocktail or tea does the trick, arriving as it does in a sundae-style glass, with plenty of milk and sugar in the mix. I didn't have the nerve to order the 'Pink Nipple Milk' but we settled on the 'Thai Milk Tea', which was indulgent enough that we couldn't finish it. A sign on the wall reads 'Men: no shirt, no service/ Women: no shirt, free drinks!'. I'm not sure that quite captures the vibe of the Sa-On experience, but it does say something about the quirky nature of the restaurant. And, quirky or not, you'll struggle to find better Thai food in New Zealand. Sa-On Cuisine: Thai Address: 401 Great North Rd, Henderson Drinks: Fully licensed Reservations: Accepted Advertisement Advertise with NZME. From the menu: spring rolls $12.99, roasted prawn $16.99, Sa-On noodles $32.99, Tom Yum (pork) $23.99, seafood curry $30.99 Rating: 15/20 Score: 0-7 Steer clear. 8-12 Disappointing, give it a miss. 13-15 Good, give it a go. 16-18 Great, plan a visit. 19-20 Outstanding, don't delay. More restaurant reviews According to dining out editor Jesse Mulligan. This Albany Restaurant Is Hard To Park At But Worth The Effort There's 'real magic' in the kitchen, but some challenges to overcome. Palato In Browns Bay Has The Best Pasta Menu In The City. And its 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.
Malay Mail
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
A Decade of Wonder: Wonderfruit Announces Programming through a Guide to Wonder
Artist line-ups, dining, artwork and more revealed in the second release Solar Village at Wonderfruit Music designed for well-being. Through an initiative called Sonic Minds, Wonderfruit collaborates with MSCTY_Studio for year-round research, culminating in soundscapes that aim to improve how we feel. This initiative unravels through live performances (Shook, Elsa Hewitt, Scanner and more) and via sound installations appearing in unexpected places, like in the forest, restrooms or bridges. Through an initiative called Sonic Minds, Wonderfruit collaborates with MSCTY_Studio for year-round research, culminating in soundscapes that aim to improve how we feel. This initiative unravels through live performances (Shook, Elsa Hewitt, Scanner and more) and via sound installations appearing in unexpected places, like in the forest, restrooms or bridges. Molam World takes Isaan root music to the global stage. Home for Northeastern Thai music, food and art, Molam World extends its curation across local and international artists, from fan favorites Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band to legendary Rungfa Kulachai and international artists like Giles Peterson and Ustad Noor Bakhsh. A new multipurpose space, Molam Theatre, designed by PO-D Architects, joins the iconic Molam Bus. Home for Northeastern Thai music, food and art, Molam World extends its curation across local and international artists, from fan favorites Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band to legendary Rungfa Kulachai and international artists like Giles Peterson and Ustad Noor Bakhsh. A new multipurpose space, Molam Theatre, designed by PO-D Architects, joins the iconic Molam Bus. From natural amphitheaters to secret forest dancefloors, 40+ venues come alive: Beloved venues like The Quarry, Forbidden Fruit, Solar Village, Enfold and an expanded Living Village fill The Fields with a range of music, including a hybrid set from FKJ, Kerala Dust, Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy, Hatis Noit & Orly Anan, múm, Shubostar, A Guy Called Gerald, Pearson Sound, Tristan Perich & ensemble 0, Vanishing Twin, Dawn of Midi, DOTT, JPBS x DuckUnit, Red-i, Minyo Crusaders and much more. Appearing for the first time, Baan Bardo, a brand new venue designed by Wit Pimkanchanapong, features a kinetic maze and multi-dimensional curation from ROVR, Dhyana and Erased Tapes. Featuring artists eucamedix, Theo Parrish, Britta Arnold, yubass, Daniel Brandt, and Open Reel Ensemble, with an art performance from Lucky Vakharia, a Nepali Charya Nritya dance workshop with Punyasagara, a guided meditation experience with Black Turtle and more. Beloved venues like The Quarry, Forbidden Fruit, Solar Village, Enfold and an expanded Living Village fill The Fields with a range of music, including a hybrid set from FKJ, Kerala Dust, Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy, Hatis Noit & Orly Anan, múm, Shubostar, A Guy Called Gerald, Pearson Sound, Tristan Perich & ensemble 0, Vanishing Twin, Dawn of Midi, DOTT, JPBS x DuckUnit, Red-i, Minyo Crusaders and much more. Appearing for the first time, Baan Bardo, a brand new venue designed by Wit Pimkanchanapong, features a kinetic maze and multi-dimensional curation from ROVR, Dhyana and Erased Tapes. Featuring artists eucamedix, Theo Parrish, Britta Arnold, yubass, Daniel Brandt, and Open Reel Ensemble, with an art performance from Lucky Vakharia, a Nepali Charya Nritya dance workshop with Punyasagara, a guided meditation experience with Black Turtle and more. Thoughtful, interactive art fills The Fields: With over 20 installations, Wonderfruit aims to involve art that encourages human connection. From new Social Interventions by Ab Rogers Design to finding shelter in the dome of 'Singing In My Mind' by Satit Raksasri, to artist Pinaree Sanpitak's crafted steel and stone tables that invite communal gatherings and Microtopia by TeaRoom offering introspection through tea smoking and ceremonies. With over 20 installations, Wonderfruit aims to involve art that encourages human connection. From new Social Interventions by Ab Rogers Design to finding shelter in the dome of 'Singing In My Mind' by Satit Raksasri, to artist Pinaree Sanpitak's crafted steel and stone tables that invite communal gatherings and Microtopia by TeaRoom offering introspection through tea smoking and ceremonies. An expansive world of wellness rooted deeply in global traditions: Wonderness offers 100+ unique workshops, rituals and ceremonies with a variety of ways to feel and live better. Including frequency-based healing with Zen monks in Quantum Deep Healing Sound Bath & Light Breathing Meditation Workshop, exploring ancient wisdom of Tantra with Viv Kan The Art of Intimacy: A Tantric Approach to Connection and practices rooted in the indigenous Amazonian tradition in the Sacred Hapé Ceremony by Maxwell Honey & David Björkström. Wonderness offers 100+ unique workshops, rituals and ceremonies with a variety of ways to feel and live better. Including frequency-based healing with Zen monks in Quantum Deep Healing Sound Bath & Light Breathing Meditation Workshop, exploring ancient wisdom of Tantra with Viv Kan The Art of Intimacy: A Tantric Approach to Connection and practices rooted in the indigenous Amazonian tradition in the Sacred Hapé Ceremony by Maxwell Honey & David Björkström. Chefs' tables return with matriarch-led kitchens, multi-sensory feasts and Michelin-star dining: Devoted to culinary experiences, Wonder Kitchen returns with 120+ person seating, featuring concepts from one Michelin-star and Green Star chef Deepanker Khosla from Haoma, a Mediterranean-Thai fusion feast and a sensory dining experience by Modern Biology x Electric Sheep that combines sound frequencies with Thai comfort food. Lady GooGoo hosts Ma's Kitchen for the first time at Open Kitchen, with Burmese home cooking from one of the best views in The Fields. On the ground floor, Pa Chan's Life's Market features food, crafts and culinary workshops from the five regions of Thailand, inspired by how agriculture and culture impact recipes. BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 6 August 2025 - Wonderfruit, Thailand's annual celebration of culture, art, music and nature, returns for a milestone 10th edition from 11–15 December 2025 at The Fields of Siam Country Club. Renowned international artists, diverse regional and Thai acts, chefs' table experiences, Thai Molam legends, as well as rituals, workshops and talks are brought together at highly conceptualized venues, each built and designed with circularity and sustainability in milestone edition continues Wonderfruit's decade-long exploration of Mind, Nature and Sound through human expressions, acting as a platform for audiences and artists alike to discover culture and new ways of a deeper look at the second official release of a Guide to Wonder, with much more to on the 10th anniversary of Wonderfruit, Founder 'Pete' Pranitan Phornprapha, shared: 'Reaching ten years of Wonderfruit is a moment of real gratitude and celebration for us. It's thanks to the shared energy, creativity and care of our community—our Wonderers that we've come this far.'He continued, 'As we look to the future, we're entering a new chapter—one that moves beyond the idea of a once-a-year gathering. Wonderfruit is becoming a year-round cultural platform rooted in creativity and collaboration. We're evolving The Fields into a living, working space for learning, experimentation and circular systems—from growing our own food, rewilding the land and hosting various cultural expressions that connect people to mind, sound and nature.'Wonderfruit opens its next ticket sale for 48 hours from 2–4 September 2025 at 6pm BKK (GMT+7). Tickets will be first-come, first-served, with limited capacity. There will also be new, more accessible ways to join Wonderfruit 2025, especially for families, Thai youths under 25 and newcomers through various ticket types and accessibility more information, visit Hashtag: #wonderfruit #wonderfruit2025 #decadeofwonder The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Wonderfruit Punctuated by an annual event every December, Wonderfruit is a five-day celebration of art, music, food and ideas in The Fields at Siam Country Club. Produced by Thailand-based Scratch First, Wonderfruit is a continuous, curious exploration of Mind, Sound and Nature through human expression, seeking greater connection to communities, cultures and the world around us. Through immersive experiences, including performances, workshops, installations and dining, Wonderfruit creates spaces for all to gather, interact and share knowledge. Living in The Fields year-round, Wonderfruit unites designers, architects and craftspeople to build and design in harmony with nature, committing to circularity and zero waste.
