Megan Mays’ Little Bird Organics Kitchen is vegan, but it’s more than that, and it will mean different things to different people but fundamentally, the goal of Mays’ Little Bird Kitchen, of these dishes is to inspire a cultural shift towards plant-based cuisine. And with dinners the kitchen can afford to exercise fluidity, taking inspiration from the days produce, sourced from local organic community garden Kelmarna; the menu and specials changing weekly reflective of their approach. Dining at Little Bird Kitchen is the culinary version of living mindfully, of being present, to live with the seasons and to understand the time and effort it takes to produce something meaningful. And perhaps more than that, May, with a kitchen helmed by chef Ricardo Le Roux see themselves as responsible for delivering not just taste, but health. Everything on the menu is made from ingredients that are organically grown, sustainable and where possible local.
Several weeks back after an email invite to trade photographs for food Amandine and I took the camera, lenses and an appetite to photograph a selection of dishes from the new evenings' menu. Perhaps once considered strictly raw vegan, the menu contains cooked foods. For those unfamiliar, think less about what dishes you can compare these to. This menu is not about what ingredients have been omitted but rather what can be gained from eating more plants - concentrate more on how satisfying these dishes are. Little Bird Kitchen is a complete and fully satisfying plant-based dining experience that will challenge perceptions of the alternative food movement. You will not leave hungry.
I can’t imagine a dish that offers as much sunniness as the summer bird bowl, a day menu regular; slow roasted tomatoes, greens from Kelmarna Gardens, marinated fennel, courgette pasta with avocado and ricotta stuffed courgette flowers. The macadamia ‘ricotta’, an inspired interpretation of a classic. And if you can’t quite imagine courgette being “pasta,” this dish is a nod in its direction, complete with an incredibly fresh pesto.
The mezze platter, a selection of middle eastern dips with nut cheese, house-made almond bread, crackers, falafels and marinated olives would do well ordered as part of a sharing menu. Nuts, of course, have a vital role in plant-based anything, and they’re used frequently here. And it would be incorrect to attempt to compare this cheese to “real” cheese, most of what is available, mainstream cheese is not real cheese, they have never been fermented or cultured. Here the methodology of how quality dairy cheese is made has been applied to nuts; sprouting cashews overnight, there is a three-day fermentation process, the rounds then dehydrated for up to 48 hours. The textures and flavours are familiar, but it is less a replica. They are nothing like the processed store-bought vegan brands, anything that comes to mind has nothing to do with what's going on at Little Bird Kitchen.
I am particularly partial to the dosa, it’s what I usually order, it’s familiar and always wonderful. Fermented rice and lentil pancake filled with beluga lentils, black beans, pickled capsicum, served with whipped avocado add new spins on traditional dishes. As does the quesadilla. Made from organic massa flour and filled with black beans, char-grilled corn, kimchi with cashew sour cream, this is a definite must order.
To drink, staff will mix inventive cocktails that feature and also do not feature alcohol. We tried the hibiscus, roses and raspberries, it sounds beautiful, tastes beautiful. Paired with Ecology and Co Asian Spice, a clean, artisan distilled alcohol-free spirits, handcrafted in New Zealand, hibiscus tea and kombucha. It’s simple but equally special.
And at a place you’d assume might be all about denial, there is always dessert. You can select either from the cabinet or off the menu. We opted for the salted caramel ice cream cookie sandwiches, rich cashew and coconut ice cream sandwiched between chocolate cookies, covered in chocolate and activated nuts served with a Medjool date caramel and Himalayan salt. It’s for sure, extravagant. More sophisticated than the pink wafers and pre-cut blocks of vanilla ice cream of past childhood summers.
What Megan and her team have created is something unexpected, and there’s a deeper sense of connection here. And it is of course delicious. I think each time I eat at Little Bird I become more inspired to go home and attempt to make a kimchi pancake or ferment something. I contemplate purchasing a dehydrator. Though I do neither, and that is why I go to Little Bird - their team makes what I cannot, and it never disappoints.
Appetizers, $12 to $24; entrées, $16 to $22; mains $12 to $22; dessert $12 to $14. Online reservations are available for dinner service or group bookings phone 09-555 3278. Open Sunday through Tuesday, 7:00 a.m to 4 p.m, Wednesday through Saturday 7:00 a.m to 4 p.m and 5:30 p.m to 9:30 p.m. 1 Summer Street, Ponsonby, Auckland, NZ.
Everything we create is an effort to participate in a culture shift. All products featured are independently selected and curated by the authors, and we only feature items we use or would use ourselves that align with our values. As part of our business model, we do work with affiliates such as Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases if you decide to purchase through our links. The price would be the same to you either way, but if you find value in our work, then these affiliate links are a way to support it. We only recommend brands, makers and products we use — that we support. Transparency is important to us, so if you have any questions, please reach out to us.