Cityscape visits Untouched World Kitchen, the health-and-sustainability-conscious café born out of fashion brand Untouched World.
The Hippie Bowl with Karaage Chicken is a work of art for the eyes and the taste buds, a round canvas of colour and shapes. We start with the chicken on top and work our way down. The chicken coating is delightfully light and crunchy, the fried tofu has a blissful composition with flavour right through, and the rice and quinoa mix with nuts and seeds is a texture and taste sensation that we can’t stop going back to. Everything from the fresh hummus to the secret-spice dressing on the crunchy charred broccoli is impeccable. We’re fascinated by the pickled pumpkin and its fruity tangy flavour. The red smear of beetroot miso around the outside of the bowl is a fine flourish that brings umami goodness to the mix.
We’re making our way through a couple of smoothies and two chicken dishes, thanks to recommendations from the attentive and friendly manager Andrea Titterton. The aroma of the Sticky Chicken hits us before it lands on the table. It’s an East Asian-style dish with perfectly-cooked chicken, marinated to release its ginger-honey-soy essence as it falls apart in your mouth. It’s a medium-spicy one, and the heat brings out the flavour rather than masking it. The vege salad is lightly cooked to retain its crunch – reminiscent of a slaw – and splashed with a fresh, tangy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet dressing.
The Fruity Smoothie is everything a real berry smoothie should be: seedy and flavoursome without being overly sweet. The Super Smoothie is a whole ‘nother level, managing to taste incredible and feel healthy at the same time, with a satisfyingly savoury cereal undertone.
A little industrial edge overflows into the café’s beautiful interior design from the manufacturing area and shop front next door, where tasteful merino clothing and accessories are neatly displayed in a modern space. The airy and open café’s minimalist brushed concrete and white walls sport a few choice decorations. Text on one wall tells us about Untouched World’s philosophy and soaring, free spirit, while another wall extols the virtues of drinking coffee with a conscience – every coffee sold here provides a child in Ethiopia with clean drinking water for a day. A gas fire emits gentle heat under a giant cane Untouched World logo – a Māori kite – hung on the wall. Outside is a lush and shady native garden, complete with birds chirping in the trees.
Untouched World Kitchen’s golden aroma is a mixture of baking and rich sauces. It’s busy this sunny weekday lunchtime, and we can hear the playlist of upbeat and friendly pop rock numbers under the hum of voices.
Andrea tells us her favourite desserts: “The brownie to be bad, the raspberry cup to be good”. We order both, and a couple of others just to be sure. Our tea arrives in a charming red cast iron pot, and coffee in a brand-appropriate grey tulip cup. The Raw Vegan Raspberry Dark Chocolate Cup is a massive raspberry hit with a satisfyingly rough texture. The Raw Vegan Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Slice and Ginger Crunch both somehow pull off the ‘healthy’ dessert vibe, packing a range of bold and subtle flavours without being too sweet. The Chewy Chocolate Brownie is the only slice we tried that was super sweet. The rewarding crunch sensation of the thin crust gives way to a gooey, fudgey centre. Order two – you won’t want to share.
We stop by the counter on the way out and strike up a conversation with Chef Kerry Wellman, who tells us everything we just ate was made right here at Untouched World Kitchen, from the sauces to the breads. It’s one of her tenets: "It's all 100% made in house. I'm sticking to that." She’s vegan and passionate about putting great-tasting plant-based food in the mix. “Even one or two vegan meals a week is a great way to start broadening the mind to new ways of eating.”
Despite its buzz, Untouched World Kitchen still feels like a bit of a hidden gem – one that’s well worth seeking out. Once you do, you’ll be coming back on the regular for the spectrum of flavours and Insta-worthy plates, and perhaps a spot of sustainable fashion while you’re there.