What is the most over-rated aspect of a dining experience?
The number of accolades the restaurant has or hasn't received. Make the experience your own, and form your own opinion.
What can you not get enough of?
True friendship ... and Bluff oysters.
What restaurant trend is the most abhorrent?
Online reviews written by unqualified or biased people, which are sometimes taken as gospel by unsuspecting members of the public. Sometimes people forget that their words can affect other people's livelihoods. Often Kiwis complain to everyone except the people who could possibly make a change - the owner or manager of an establishment. We can't be in our businesses 24/7, and an honest account of a mistake made will always be taken seriously and rectified by good operators.
The best music to dine to?
Sometimes none - the convivial hubbub of a busy dining room, the sound of people enjoying themselves is music to my ears, whether in a restaurant, a cafe or at a roadside stall.
The best to dance to?
I'm an old-school 80s girl myself. I love singing along. Too bad I can't sing.
What needs to change about NZ right now?
Surely a country as abundant as ours can make fresh fruit and vegetables affordable for everyone, so that fast-food is not the only option for low-income families? And everyone should be taught how to cook basic meals at school. Girls AND boys.
When you think back to yourself as a 20-year-old, how do you see yourself?
So much potential, so ready to jump into the world ... so naive!
In your most important relationships what quality do you rate most highly?
Knowing when the most important thing needed right now is just a hug.
What can you forgive?
Honest mistakes, as long as they are owned up to.
