Auckland is one of my favourite destinations, a beautiful, subtropical isthmus with two distinct harbours, islands, extinct volcanoes...

... and a real sense of being the largest Polynesian city in the South Pacific.

It's also a hub for South East Asian people, whose culinary influences can be seen at the city's multicultural weekend markets and at the large number of restaurants all over this sprawling city.

Restaurants

	Café culture is alive and well in Ponsonby Road.
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On my last trip I had a brilliant meal at fine-dining restaurant White, at the Hilton Hotel, which sits out over the Hauraki Gulf in the Viaduct Harbour. The Viaduct is also the place to find some of Auckland's best seafood restaurants, serving a selection of fresh seafood from all over New Zealand .

Auckland's landmark building, The Sky Tower, houses the Orbit restaurant. The food is great and the view is even better, as you slowly rotate around a 360 degree view of the harbour and city.

On the 6th of April 2005 I opened my first signature restaurant in Auckland, dine by Peter Gordon, at the SKYCITY Grand Hotel. It is a chic elegant restaurant opening daily for lunch and dinner. I love returning home and now it's great to have another reason to do so at more regular intervals.

Markets

Taro stall at the Otara Markets.
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Even the supermarkets in Auckland sell fresh shellfish which is something you'd never see in London and the main fish market, Auckland Fish Market on Halsey Street near the Viaduct Harbour, is where the freshest seafood from all over New Zealand is sold. Check out the large tanks for live crayfish and mussels, plus tonnes of fresh tuna, snapper, trevally and terakihi.

Kumara

New Zealand's native sweet potato, kumara, is grown around the Auckland and Northland regions, it's a very versatile vegetable. To cook them I scrub their skins and roast them whole, or wrap them in foil and cook them in the barbecue embers. Alternatively slice them, brush with some local Waiheke Island olive oil and grill them on the barbecue.