Viva's Annual Gourmet Take-Out awards

Sloppy burgers and soggy chips just don't cut it anymore. These days we demand more of fast food: better variety, flavour and taste. We want restaurant standard meals, without the fuss of having to dine in.

As a result, takeout food has undergone a gourmet reinvention

Our panel of experts has scoured Auckland to find the best of the best - nine takeout spots that excite and delight. We rated them on taste, speed of service, the menu variety and whether all of that made us want to go back for more.

So here they are, Viva's Ultimate Takeout Food Award winners. Bon appetit.

BEST OVERALL

Real

18 Anzac St, Takapuna

Phone: 488 7737


It's rare that a place as new as this (Real has been open just eight months) would be so good so soon. Normally there's a settling in period for those new to the food scene. But right from the word go Real has been a winner.

For the health-conscious, it's a great find. They flame-grill their organic chicken (which is basted in one of three flavours: barbecue, Tuscan or citrus) using no oil or fat. The wide range of salads manage to be healthy too, but don't think it's all lettuce and mung beans. These are salads that combine fantastic foods and flavours: Israeli couscous with artichokes, coriander and pinenuts; beetroot and red cabbage with mint dressing; orzo pasta with spinach, bacon, pesto and a yoghurt mint dressing; and potato in egg mayonnaise are among the options.

You can still sin here though: the roast paprika potatoes will see to that.

So how good is it? Well, one of our judges lives in west Auckland but has travelled to Takapuna just to go to Real four times in the past few weeks. That's how good.

Cost: $26.50 for two quarter chickens, two small salads and a serving of roast paprika potatoes - great value given we couldn't finish it all.

RUNNER UP and BEST ASIAN


East

171 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby

Phone: 360 6085


It's hard to beat East if you're in the mood for a taste from the Orient. In a vivid little bar that crosses the spectrum of reds, it offers modern Asian cuisine that's fast, economical and so, so good. Noodle and rice dishes are the house speciality, presented in cool white New York-style cardboard boxes. The taste will knock your socks off: particularly the hot java (hot sambal, caramel palm sugar and coconut sauce). Head chef Dion Goh uses the freshest ingredients and puts them together in such a way that everything else afterwards will seem bland.

We love this place - from its ultra-chic look, to the friendly service and the top-notch food.

Cost: You won't find anything over $13 here. We fed four people well for $43. Main dishes start at $10 and side dishes (Thai fish cakes, dim sims etc) are all $3.50

Viva also recommends: Otto Woo, Ponsonby

BEST THAI


Thai Isaan

136 Hinemoa St, Birkenhead

Phone: 480 0574


When we began our search for the best takeout food spots, time and again people told us about their fantastic experiences at Thai Issan. We can see why: great service and generous servings of the best Thai food in town. It's the freshness and innovative flavours that make you go "wow" and head back for a second time. And many times after that.

Everything is so good that it's hard to pick a favourite dish but if we're forced to we'd recommend the prawn curry, grilled scallops with tamarind sauce and the stirfried chicken with honey, pineapple and cashew nuts. Huge servings for very reasonable prices. And the warmest welcome you'll find.

Cost: All mains come in under $20, including seafood dishes which are quite large. Entrees, which again are very generous, average around $7. They have a 10 per cent discount on pick up too.

Viva also recommends: Mekong Neua, Kingsland and Sawadee, Ponsonby

BEST PIZZA


Il Buco

113 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby

Phone: 360 4414


We doubt any flipping of pizza bases goes on here: there is barely enough room for the customers to squeeze in. Mind you, no-one really wants to stay for long. The general aim is to order a slice (oh go on then, three slices) of the pizza you want and get out as quickly as possible to take that first bite.

Probably the only thing better than eating the spinach and feta pizza here would be eating it while sitting at a streetside cafe in Rome. Seriously, this is about as good as pizza gets - traditional thin crust and heavenly toppings. Buy it by the slice and choose from around seven varieties which change each day. We loved the asparagus and brie, and the spinach and gorgonzola. They have dairy-free options too. And, whatever you do, don't leave the shop without trying the deep fried rice and mozzarella balls with tomato sauce. Warning: they're addictive as hell.

Il Buco has been open for almost a year. They're a bit like an espresso machine - we wonder, quite honestly, how we ever got by without them.

Cost: At $3-4 per pizza slice, it's terrific value. Rice and mozzarella balls are $2.

Viva also recommends: One Red Dog, Takapuna and SPQR, Ponsonby

BEST INDIAN


Oh Calcutta

149-155 Parnell Rd, Parnell

Phone: 377 9090


If you wait for a quiet time to visit this place, you'll be waiting forever. The flow of people in the doors is relentless. And it's not hard to see why - quite simply it's fantastic.

We're a little ashamed to admit we haven't graced Oh Calcutta before now. It's easy to get stuck in a rut with Indian food: you find a local place you like and stick with it. But if there was ever a reason to venture to a new spot, this is it.

There is a wide ranging menu featuring dishes from northern and southern India, including old favourites such as butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, and beef madras.

Our favourites were onion bhaji (slices of onion coated in chickpea flour and fried) and the prawn malabari.

The best curry in town - any way you like it.

Cost: Main dishes range from $11.90 (vegetarian) to $19 (seafood and meat) and come with steamed rice. Naan and roti are between $2.75 and $3.95.

Viva also recommends: Shahi, Herne Bay and Mithai, Birkenhead

BEST ITALIAN


Delicious

472 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn

Phone: 360 7590


Yes, they were winners in this category last year and we scoured Auckland to try to find better, really we did. But we can't go past Delicious with their classic flavour combinations, the wide variety of freshly made pasta and terrific prices.

We know one Auckland couple who get takeout here four nights a week. They've tasted everything on the menu (at least once) and the verdict? Divino! We agree.

Don't go past the tortellini with spinach, cod and lemon cream sauce or the papardelle with roast fennel, saffron and crab - the blend of ingredients and the light sauce are perfect. We reckon even in Italy they don't do pasta as good as this.

Oh, and don't even think about walking out the door before you've picked something out from the dessert cabinet which has a stunning selection of traditional Italian cakes and, of course, a wicked tiramisu.

Cost: All main dishes are between $14 and $15.50. Smaller servings are $8.50. Desserts are $6.

Viva also recommends: Gina's, City

BEST ON THE WEB (or BEST DELIVERY)

Gobble

www.gobble.co.nz

Phone: 0800 846 2253


No doubt you will have seen the scooters around town, whizzing into offices and apartments delivering gourmet takeout meals. When they whizzed into our office recently the waft of the gourmet treats in their plastic boxes was too much to ignore: dinner became lunch.

Gobble is the perfect cover for those whose skills don't reach as far as the kitchen - order a few of their gourmet dishes, sneakily slip on to a plate as your friends walk in the door and pretend you've spent hours making it yourself.

Go online and with a few clicks of the mouse it's done. The website is easy to follow and the range of meals is impressive, including a good variety of vegetarian dishes. We ordered the lamb shanks with mash, meditteranean pizza and four cheese tortellini. The servings are quite generous and extremely tasty. The only drawback is that it Gobble delivers in Nortchote, Takapuna, Auckland city and immediate inner city suburbs only. Here's hoping they extend their coverage area soon.

Cost: Very reasonable. All mains are $12, salads and pizza (for one) are $9, gourmet sandwiches and melts are $8.

Viva also recommends: Urban Gourmet

BEST VARIETY


Zarbo

24 Morrow St, Newmarket

Phone: 520 2721


For dedicated foodies, this is paradise. Before you choose your meal from the cabinets filled with the most heavenly array of gourmet food, wander around the shelves stocked with imported and local delights. Jams, relishes, sauces, pasta, vinegars, oils and marinades - you name it, you'll likely find it here. Don't expect to go in and buy only what's on your shopping list though. We've tried, it's impossible.

Over at the food cabinet, the options are almost as unlimited. Zarbo recently launched its Zarbo2Go range which changes daily. Thai chicken curry with rice and Asian vegetables, lamb shanks with kumara mash and greens, beef cassoulet with beans and fruited couscous, tagines and lasagne are some of the menu dishes.

Or you can order smaller delights - individual marinated salmon steaks with lemon and dill, risotto cakes, quiches and an extensive selection of gourmet salads - from the deli cabinet.

If you can't make up your mind, ask the very friendly and efficient staff to whip you a special picnic hamper with a selection of their goodies. And don't forget to add an eccles cakes or chocolate brownie - they're legendary.

Cost: Deli items start at $6.95 and Zarbo2Go meals start $12.95. Picnic hampers range from $16.50 to 29.95

Viva also recommends: Forbes for Food, Kohimarama and Rocket Kitchen, Ponsonby

BEST VALUE


Fatimas

240 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby

Phone: 376 9303


We just can't go past this place. Always good, always fresh and crikey those potato kofta are good. Little gourmet morsels we call them: mini croquettes of grated potato deep fried and served with garlic aoli.

Meditteranean cuisine is the feature here - chwarmas and pitas filled with tofu, felafel or meat and salad, as well as side dishes such as mezze dips. Be warned, this is not the place for a first date: you'll likely end up with sauce over your face and down your front. But, hey, the mess is worth it. Our favourite is the chicken pacific pita with mango, avocado, cheese, salad and a minted yoghurt and cucumber sauce.

It's no wonder that there's almost always a queue at this place - the food is good, fresh, and the menu is wide ranging.

Cost: At less than $20 for dinner for two, this is great value. Chwarmas are $7.50, pitas are $8.50-$9.50 and those heavenly potato kofta are $3.90.

YOU VOTE

That's what we think ... now it's your turn to tell us what your favourite gourmet takeout food spot is. Email us at viva@nzherald.co.nz telling us the name, address and why you think it's great. We'll print the results next month.