Cafe Review: Zippy Central

ALWAYS GOOD: Zippy Central Cafe on Pukuatua St is a consistent pleaser in Rotorua. PHOTO/ BEN FRASER 030914BF4

Zippy Central is a popular casual cafe on Pukuatua St which has been a steady performer in Rotorua's foodie market since it opened on April 1, 1998.

The cafe has earned the reputation as a mountain biker hangout in the city, complete with council-approved bike stands out the front, mountain biking stickers on the windows and a selection of mountain biking magazines on the tables.

Owner Morgan Wilson is the second owner of the business in its 16 years. It is open seven days a week from 7am to 6.30pm.

The food is ordered and paid for off a blackboard and is brought to your tables. Since Zippy's (as it is affectionately known) opened in 1998, I estimate I would have eaten hundreds of BLATs.

These are a simple dish of bacon, avocado, tomato and garden salad served on a bagel with barbecue sauce and cream cheese.

While Zippys is famous for its bagels, today I've decided to branch out and order something different - the chicken and cashew stir fry with seasonal veges on rice.

The chicken is mouth watering and is cooked to perfection (I always seem to overcook my chicken in stir frys for fear of serving it up partially raw). My friend orders the salmon with artichoke, avocado, cucumber and pinenuts salad on a bed of cos lettuce and it looks delicious.

The service is casual yet snappy (we had our meal in less than 10 minutes). We were well looked after, even the chef came and cleared the table.

The drinks are top rate. I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I hear the coffee is great. My friend is a bit of a coffee snob and orders the Chai latte and is most impressed. I get the banana smoother, which is delicious.

The prices are cheap as chips. Items off the main menu are a bit more expensive than the standard bagels, but by "a bit more expensive" I mean by about $5. My stir fry and my friend's salmon salad both cost $17.50 whereas the bagels are around $12.

Overall Zippy Central is a winner today. My friend is most impressed also. The decor is funky, casual, warm and inviting.

The artworks for sale on the walls are also a nice touch. While I loved the chicken stir fry, I'm a creature of habit and I'll be ordering the BLAT again next time.