Harry Waugh (@harrisonwaugh/@verboten.intern)
Naughty milk, interesting streets and a tuna mayo sandwich
Taste Maker is a food guide from creatives, artists and professional eaters. Follow → Instagram → Google Maps
Hi I'm Harry, not Harrsion sorry, I'm a 29 year old music content creator and journalist from Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). I make videos to music that makes you wanna cry, maybe laugh sometimes and I talk to musicians semi-regularly too. I've been doing it for almost 5 years now and it's stupid how many doors it's opened for me. Offline, I work in hospo at Hotel Ponsonby serving tables and shaking tins for the real estate agents and advertising folk in the area.
Where do you live most of the year?
I live in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland all year round. I spend most of my time around Ponsonby and Grey Lynn, they’re some of my favourite streets to walk through. Filled with interesting streets and homes for you to get a glimpse into how other people live!
What do you look for in a restaurant when you walk in?
I love being greeted, I’m a sucker for someone to walk me through with a bit of spiel. Makes you feel like a friend has invited you round for dinner. You wanna tell me about your favourite wine you drink after work? Hell yeah, I wanna try that!
What is your final meal?
A fresh tuna mayo sandwich, cos lettuce, maybe a bit of hot sauce added bite by bite. One of my favourite after school meals when I was a kid, undefeated in my eyes.
3 guests for dinner, dead or alive?
My girlfriend Scarlett, my grandma I never got to meet and my best friend Peter
Harry’s Taste Maker Guide
Breakfast: Burnt Butter Diner, Auckland, New Zealand
Order: Literally the most original breakfast spot to open up in Auckland since ages. Brunch in Auckland has been steadily declining since 2019, it’s no longer worth my money and time to wait 1 hour for $25+ eggs and a $7 coffee!
They have this insane smoke kahawai on a crumpet with a soft boiled egg dish that blows my mind (Obviously a big fan of seafood). And I’ll usually share that with my girlfriend and a daily sandwich they run, which changes everyday. They had fried chicken one last time and it was excellent.
Coffee: For coffee I get iced coffee with what they fondly call, naughty milk, lol. It’s condensed milk and regular milk i believe. So good and you don’t get that many other places.
Lunch: Busy Oven Bakery, Auckland, New Zealand
A humble bakery on Richmond road in Grey Lynn
Order: Steak and cheese most of the time, so packed with actual chunks of steak. Only $5.50. I also had the smoked fish pie one time, a good alternative if you don’t want something as heavy.
Special dinner: Roses Dining Room, Auckland, New Zealand
Another Karangahape road spot
A beautifully considered and homely space. Staff are warm and know EVERYTHING about the menu. If you can go in summer, having a drink outside to start while the sun is setting on Karangahape is a magical feeling! But you wanna be inside to eat, the venue has a low light candle light feel that feels so cosy.
They are also donating their profits from the last week of business for a Palestinian aid called Palestinian Shield. Which I don’t think I’ve seen from other restaurants in the area, massive respect.
I have no set order because they have resident chefs rotating out constantly, with one of the owners Karl, filling spaces between the resident chefs. But, I’ve never had a bad meal there ever. If they have a raw fish dish, get it.
Casual dinner: Pici, Auckland, New Zealand
This is THE spot on Karangahape road. Affordable and fucking yum with incredible staff that all culminate to my perfect restaurant experience.
Order: 2 pastas, the pork and fennel sausage rigatoni is a must. You’re a fool if you don’t try this. And then their classic cacio e pepe. If I’m feeling hungry we start off with the house made focaccia, probably the best in the city, with their seasonal stracciatella dish. It’s tomatoes in summer, duh.
If I’m drinking, I always gotta do a negroni that I order at the same time with a beer. Not too fussed on the type of beer as long as it’s cold and I can sip on it while my cocktail is made. Every time I’m there the staff have a new wine recommendation, so I’d suggest just asking and letting them tell you what they love because you’ll probably have something super nice you’ve never tried.
Special shoutouts
Wellington as a city, one of the coolest cities, and it breaks my heart to see this government ruining it by firing all the public sector employees!
I cant wait to go back to Marion in Melbourne
Flying Out record store in Auckland is very cool I love them
I wanna go to Chateaubriant in Cheltenham with my best mates Hamish and Peter in summer after a night out if they ever come back to NZ.