新年快乐! The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival returns for its 25th year at the Manakau Sports Bowl from Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th February. Grab your tickets to this free family-friendly event filled with fireworks, local dance and drum performances, lion dancing and beautiful lanterns lighting up the grounds. With over 60 food stalls and lines out the door each year—we’ve rounded up our top food picks while enjoying the sights and lights.
Here are the best things to eat at the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival.
Fankery
Image credit: Fankery | Instagram
Fankery is back slinging their signature mochi-filled cheesecakes. Along with mochi-filled burnt butter and matcha cookies, a watermelon-rose strawberry layer cake of summer dreams (inspired by Black Star Pastry), pistachio kunafe mochi-filled tarts, they’ve also got chewy mochi Lunar New Year pineapple tarts—and a BNZ Lantern Festival special—the BNZ “Summer Roll" (the hero image of this article). Filled with coconut, mango, their signature mochi chew in a fluffy chiffon BNZ blue sponge, this will satisfy both your coconut mango pudding and Swiss roll cravings.
Treasure Kitchen Malaysia
Image credit: Treasure Kitchen Malaysia | Instagram
For those who love this Greenlane gem, get ready to get a taste of their Lantern Festival pop-up menu. With Bakkwa (Malaysian home-style pork jerky) being sold by the bagful, you can also eat your fill of new pork jerky menu items in spring roll, bun and fried rice form. Don’t forget siu mai on sticks, salt and pepper soft shell crab, and fried dumplings while you’re there too. Dessert? We’re eyeing up deep fried milk buns (dunked in the essential condensed milk) and an icy soy milk to finish.
Vicky Ha
Image credit: House of Dumplings | Instagram
Vicky Ha, a.k.a Queen of Dumplings, is making her return from Pōneke to the ‘09 for the House of Dumplings pop-up at the festival this year. Plant-based, kaimoana and free-range meat lovers unite—Vicky’s got you with sake king salmon, laksa dumplings and her classic Cantonese chicken, coriander and shiitake pockets of deliciousness. She’s also bringing out Vietnamese pork, Nepalese-spiced lamb and Shanghai-style pork and cabbage flavours to name a few more. Pick and mix a dozen to try them all.
P.S. If she’s selling her signature chilli oil—get a bottle to take home stat. It’s the best and we can’t stop putting it on everything.
Phở Yến Gia Truyền
Image credit: Pho Yen | Vicki Young
Chudi (Julie) Vũ’s pho is undoubtedly like a big hug in soup form. From blowing up after The Kitchen Project, Phở Yến have created a mass following in the Auckland Night Markets circuit with their signature 24 hour beef pho. They’re serving flavours of Hanoi with their signature pho at the festival—along with refreshing summer rolls, spring rolls, banh mi, beef noodle salad, and Bubble Milk Tea from Teadee. Make a beeline for the aromatic spices wafting your way at the festival.
NOY’s Barbecue
Image credit: NOY's Barbecue | Instagram
If you’ve ever driven through New Lynn and smelt delicious barbecue, it’s likely it’s NOY’s Barbecue. They’re bringing Filipino flavour bombs with allll the sweet-glazed smokey meat skewers to the festival this week, plus refreshing sides like cucumber and papaya salad. Don’t forget the halo halo—a sweet and refreshing Filipino dessert packed with ube, shaved ice and textural sweet treats.
Mrs Buns & Dumpling
Image credit: Mrs Buns NZ | Instagram
We’re here for the buns hun. With stores in Rosedale and Henderson, they’re bringing their pan-fried and steamed fluffy goodness to the festival this weekend. We’re hoping the festival menu has their juicy sichuan pepper beef brisket bao, and a spicy tofu mushroom number for your vegan friends too.
Delice
Image credit: Delice | Supplied
Two words. Nori Tacos. Yeah, you heard that right. Debuting at the market rounds last December, we’re excited to find Delice at the festival this year. Think of rice with toppings like tuna ceviche, slow cooked pork, tempura prawn, and Korean style chicken, nestled in a crispy, deep fried nori taco shell. Insider intel: they’re also bringing a lantern festival dessert special—keep an eye out on their socials to be the first to know.
Mama Sela’s Polynesian Sweet Treats
Image credit: Mama Sela's Polynesian Sweet Treats | Supplied
If you know about Mama Sela’s then you know they’ve been around for 20 or so years catering for the market and festival masses here in Tāmaki. You’ll also know about the lines for their Otai (watermelon and coconut drink) and famous banoffee pie. Go hungry, because the food line-up looks insane. They’re bringing the island classics like ota ika (raw fish), lu sipi (lamb and coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves) to name a few. Don’t leave without grabbing half an entire watermelon topped with ice cream—and all the toppings your heart desires.
The Creamy Shack
Image credit: The Creamy Shack | Instagram
If you love kaimoana, beat the queue and head straight to The Creamy Shack. A part of the Auckland Night Markets, the crew at The Creamy Shack are cooking up Māori kai with a modern twist—cue Double Cheese Pāua and Cream Fry Bread Smash Burgers. You can also get loaded fries, with all the pāua, steak and cheesy sauce trimmings. Say less.
Puff Puff Box
Image credit: Puff Puff Box NZ | Instagram
Inspired by Nigeria’s iconic Puff Puff (deep-fried dough snack), two bubbly individuals (Tola and Josh) set out to launch Puff Puff Box only just last October. They’ve got lots of sweet toppings on fried bites of happiness—like Biscoff, Strawberry Cream Cheese, Lemon Curd White Chocolate to name a few. They’ve only just started bringing the goods and the good vibes to the Henderson and Papatoetoe markets at the beginning of this year, so we’re stoked to see them debut at the lantern festival (and we’re hoping they bust a few cool dance moves too).
The Details:
What: The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival
When: 13-16 February at the Manukau Sports Bowl, Auckland
Price: Free
- Check out the best markets across Tāmaki Makaurau this weekend
- Kick on with our picks for the best late night desserts
- Eat the rainbow for Auckland Pride this month