ONE NOT TO MISS ONE Onehunga Neighbourhood Eatery

WE ARRIVED: Onehunga has been Auckland’s hottest up-and-coming suburb for at least two decades but the warming has consistently and notably failed to spread to its main street. Unlovely and unloved, the most generous thing that could be said about it is that it has some roundabouts. The majority of out-of-town traffic continues to skip the central shopping strip altogether and head instead to the dark labyrinth of underground parking at Dressmart, with its plethora of supposed bargains. But after eatery and bakery Mr T’s brought the noise, artisanally speaking, earlier this year, ONE has doubled down and its high-quality brunch is now adding fuel to arguably Auckland’s longest-burning property fire.

WE ATE: The centrepiece and standard-bearer of any cafe will always be its eponymous breakfasts. I had the standard option and Zanna had the vegetarian. Mine came with thick, seared slices of Mahy Farms ham and two Mahy Farms chorizo, glossy and glistening alongside homemade baked beans, thick and earthy hash, globularly poppable poached eggs and bulbous tomato, alongside two generous and perfectly toasted slabs of sourdough. Hers was similarly precise and appealing, if you’re into spinach and mushroom. The kids had perfect waffles, amply fruited and judiciously syruped. WE OBSERVED:

The entire front of the place opens up, giving it a delightful airy summer feel, despite the fact its outlook is the main street of Onehunga. The interior is warm, fresh and woody. During the week, it also functions a shared working space and five nights a week it is turned over to Everybody Eats, the payas-you-feel restaurant that has become a massive success in feeding the needy since starting in St Kevins Arcade in 2017. The obvious plan and hope is that ONE will become not just somewhere to eat an unusually good brunch but a place to come together with others and a place to do good for the community. We could do with more of those.