Photo / Babiche Martens Expand

Photo / Babiche Martens

We all know nothing beats a good home-cooked meal, but sometimes the rest of life just gets in the way and it's easier to let someone else do the cooking. Bless them! For the 2009 annual Viva Takeout Awards, our team has been furiously eating its way around town. And while we all have our favourite locals, we're delighted to have discovered some less than predictable new options.

The ultimate health kick

The prize for helping make one feel virtuous and vibrantly healthy goes to The Juicery in the city. Nicholas Buck set up this juice bar just under a year ago, after deciding that a career as a lawyer wasn't for him. Passionate about sport and health, he's quietly revolutionising office workers' take on the coffee break - now it's a juice break. All his juices and smoothies are made from 100 per cent fresh fruit and vegetables. And, unlike some juice bars, he doesn't use bottled juices or preservatives. He's a one-man-band, and everything is made as you wait to ensure it's fresh and flavoursome.

Top-selling juices ($5/$6.50) include orange or apple with carrot and ginger or detoxing beetroot mixes. The Berry Smoothie ($6/$7) with four types of berries, banana yoghurt and honey is a hit as is the Body Builder with whey protein, hempseeds, banana, yoghurt and honey.

But top of our list is the Bircher Muesli ($6) - a great way to start the day - which is made with rolled oats, super-nutritious wholegrains, ground flaxseed, dried fruit, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, orange juice and Nic's homemade Greek yoghurt. If you want to customise anything, Nic is always open to ideas and offers extras such as soy or rice milk, whey protein, manuka honey, flaxeseed, spirulina and wheatgrass.

* 72 Albert St, City, ph (09) 901 5098. thejuicery.co.nz. Open Mon-Fri 7.30am-4.30pm, Sat 10am-2pm.

Middle eastern hit

When you're serious about food, as we are here at Viva, sometimes you have to bend the rules a little to get what you want - the best. Now Ima & Ibn's on Fort St isn't a takeaway bar. Not at all. It's a restaurant and hot spot for those in the know who like Middle Eastern food. It's just we love their falafels. And, fortunately, the good people at Ima's will do their delicious falafels as a takeout option. (Although when you look through the menu, you may be tempted to sit down and try something else.)

Yael Shochat is the driving force behind Ima's and prides herself on using the very best and freshest ingredients. The falafels come in pita pockets and Yael makes these everyday; using Italian 00 flour, no less (this is superfine flour, for those who don't know such things.)