Hot Chocolates at The Shelf

We've been in Auckland for 3 months now and coincidentally there are 3 things we've really noticed about the place.

1. If you walk down Queen Street on a Friday night there's a 99.9% chance that you'll be accosted by someone promoting their religion usually through either the medium of interpretive dance or Christian rap.

2. U-turns are standard practice and can be conducted under any circumstances, whenever one takes your fancy, wherever you may be, whoever is also on the road.

3. They LOVE a deconstructed hot chocolate.

And who else loves a hot chocolate? Me and Danny of course. 

So, we went to The Shelf to sample another of Auckland's favourite drinks. 

Two glasses of hot milk were brought out with melted chocolate to pour and stick of Whittakers to stir it all together.

Deeeeelish. 

The melted chocolate was thick and syrupy and the milk the perfect temperature, coming together to create a rich but easy to drink hot chocolate. And I get it, the novelty never gets old.

Danny was very much a fan, especially of the chocolate stirring stick - so much so that he asked for another. 

In addition to hot chocolates we road tested some of the food menu as well.

I plumped for the eggplant lasagne. Not the prettiest but tasty all the same.

Full of flavour with each layer although at times the aubergine was a little chewy and the cheesy béchamel a little too thick. 

But it featured honestly the best side salad I have ever had. A fantastic assortment of garden leaves. Fresh, sweet cherry tomatoes. Crisp raw red onion. Parmesan shavings. Some sort of balsamic vinaigrette - sweet but mouthwateringly tangy.

Big up to The Shelf for not underestimating the humble side salad.

Danny went for the New York sandwich - bacon, tomato and mozzarella on brioche with caramelised onions.

He thought there was a bit too much tomato and wished that the onions were in the sandwich rather than on the side. Overall he liked it but wouldn't rush back to have it again.

I think in terms of the food, Danny's opinion is pretty spot on. It's a classic 7/10 rating - the hot choccies were fab, fun and yum but whilst the food was tasty it wasn't anything to rave about (apart from that beautiful side salad)...just a bit average ya know? 

Having said that we did leave with two happy faces much like these adorable spoons :)