So much for my determination to post many and often. I claim a busy life. I claim illness. I claim writer's block.
Sadly, none of it is really all that true. Mostly, it's just procrastination. Sad, yet overwhelmingly true.
So, in this post, I've decided that I will talk about a couple of Whangarei cafe's.
The first is Mokoba.
Mokoba is located in the town basin, right on the waterfront. It has an arts and crafts shop attached, and is located amongst other tourist-type shops and cafes.
The food is cafe-style excellence, and the service is top rate. A personal favourite of mine is the chicken burger, which is strips of grilled chicken breast served with salad, relish, avocado, caramelised onions, all in a panini (instead of the average burger bun), and a side of salad and chips. It's filling and so good, and for the quality of the meal, quite a reasonable price.
Their breakfast menu is tasty, and served until 2pm. With a wide range of salads and desserts, Mokoba has something for all tastes.
Add in the ambience of the waterfront, the arts and crafts, and a level of diners who expect nothing but the best, Mokoba is truly amongst the best that Northland has to offer.
The second cafe is GLE2 (formerly Mocca).
GLE2 is located in the Tarewa centre, directly adjacent to Sporlight. If you didn't know it was there, you likely wouldn't find it.
Personally, I have mixed feelings about this particular cafe.
I enjoy the lunch foods that they have available. Again, they strive for a difference with their burgers, serving them on ciabatta or sour dough (depending on the burger you order). The portion sizes are just the right size to enjoy your meal, but not feel overly sick for having eaten too much.
I have, however, had a few less than wonderful breakfast experiences. Their French Toast was dry and tasteless, and my husband says that his large breakfast, whilst ok, was far from the best he's had.
For the price you pay for their food, you would be forgiven for feeling somewhat ripped off.
The staff, however, is friendly and accommodating, and whilst GLE2 is not one of my absolute favourites, it's certainly not bad if you find yourself somewhat peckish whilst out enjoying a day of shoe shopping and wedding dress planning.
