Parable House

Parable House is a tiny but mighty little cafe at the top of New North Road in Eden Terrace. This suburb is no stranger to excellent little owner-operator places that punch well above their weight, Coffee Pen and Small Mercies to name a few. So what does Parable House have to add to this corner of Auckland?

Firstly, their set-up is straight cool. It exudes a hyper-relaxing vibe and echoes the aesthetic of coffee bars in Korea. They have light filtering in at all hours of the day, through the big plate glass window looking in on the big communal table in their front room or onto the outdoor balcony at the rear. They have beautiful hardwood floors and a corner counter in the middle, a fish bowl of sorts from which all their specialty drinks and dishes are made. It’s quite impressive what comes out of there.

They have a really cool set-up at the counter, a sleek, stainless-steel grate that serves as wet space over which single origin pour-overs brew and matcha is whisked. They have espresso for those of you who still want your flat white or long black, but it would be a shame to not try one of their signature drinks. Think yuzu oat cloud and earl grey matcha. Have I got your attention now?

I ordered the Earl Grey Dirty, or is it dirty Earl Grey? Either way, they have brewed a fragrant earl grey milk tea, spiked it with a black tea bourbon vanilla syrup and topped it up with a shot of Parable House single origin espresso. Served in a chilled glass, this drink is everything: creamy, with a fruity bouquet of bergamot and vanilla, and a dark and toasty finish. I wanted to sip it like I would a fine wine or cocktail and savour everything I could taste and feel.

Hash browns with sauteed greens, sesame chilli mayo, fried egg, salsa verde, dukkah, chives and assorted pickles

Long black (left) and Earl Grey Dirty (front)

I had not originally planned to have breakfast here but I couldn’t not after reading the menu. I was drawn to the hash browns with sauteed greens, sesame chilli mayo, fried egg, salsa verde, dukkah, chives and assorted pickles. Mind you, the folded egg with avo, tahini yoghurt and miso dressing, and the soft boiled egg with maple-glaze chorizo, dill labneh and pickled shallot were also vying for my affections.

A plate of slightly sweet, sesame and chilli-infused mayo came topped with sauteed kale, fingers of crispy hash brown and a perfectly fried sunny-side up egg. The sharp and herbaceous salsa verde and caper berries were a nice foil to these otherwise rich ingredients and the dukkah and chives adding a nice little flavour flourish to each bite. A rather perfect little brunch dish.

I’m proud to call Eden Terrace home and even prouder to have a place like Parable House right on my doorstep. They’re even open till late (9pm) Thursday through to Saturday so you can enjoy their specialty drinks, light meals and hospitality even at night.

Parable House
45 New North Rd, Eden Terrace, Auckland 1021
@Parable.House