As part of our day in Christchurch we headed to Mama Hooch for a lunchtime feed and we were most definitely not disappointed! It’s open from breakfast to late most days of the week and was the sort of place I would have liked to come back to later for a few drinks as well.
They have an all day menu full of interesting breakfast & lunch dishes ranging from your staples like avo on toast (it’s jumped the ditch from Melbourne!) and muesli, to things like stuffed mushrooms, tacos and burgers. The menu is well marked for dietary requirements with lots of vegetarian and gluten free options, and the staff were very happy to make adjustments as needed. In fact, as it was a new menu they asked us for ideas for tweaks or changes afterwards.
Dad went with the Dirty Burger ($19) which was a spicy chicken burger with salsa, chipotle aioli and cheese in a brioche bun, served with chips. It also appeared with some thick cut coleslaw inside which made it a little on the tricky side to eat, but dad thoroughly enjoyed it. He said it was nicely spiced without being overpowering and you’ll always make my family happy with chunky cut fries.
My sister and I both got a Pretender Burger ($19) which consisted of haloumi, plum relish, avocado, mixed leaves and aioli on a brioche bun, served with chips.
I’ll always love anything with haloumi so this was right up my alley. The haloumi was deliciously fried and paired so well with the plum sauce which was really tasty. The burger seemed to come with salsa instead of avocado which actually worked really well so it wasn’t too much of a shame, although I do love avocado! The chunky chips were also fairly heavily salted, but there was a really good sized serve of them without it being over the top, so I was a pretty happy camper.
Mum ordered the Mexican Salad Bowl ($19) which was a chicken salad with beans, corn, crushed corn chips, jalapenos, avocado, salsa, pumpkin seeds and mixed leaves, served with a lime and coriander sour cream. It was a deliciously colourful bowl and mum was very happy with her sauce! Like Dad’s it had a good level of kick to it but the other flavours were still able to also shine, and it was full of a great range of textures as well. Mum didn’t think she was going to be able to eat it all, but there wasn’t a scrap left at the end which is a pretty good sign in my books!
We left feeling very full and satisfied with our meal at Mama Hooch and whilst it wasn’t the cheapest place in town to eat it still felt like pretty good value for the quality of the food. It’s definitely somewhere I’d check out again next time I’m in Christchurch!
Have you been to Christchurch before? Fancy giving Mama Hooch a try?
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I Spy Plum Pie is Liz, an early 30s kiwi-born, Melbourne raised girl who is passionate about the environment and sustainability, food, exploring and learning new things. Join me on my journey to a happy, sustainable life!