A Latin American Experience

I love Latin American food and the vibe that goes with it. The spices, the music, the

energy! In Havelock North there is a place to enjoy all that. We have been talking

to the co-owners of Mijita, and they have kindly shared their story with us, along

with a couple of recipes to get our tastebuds tingling. Enjoy!

At Mijita we want you to experience a little bit of Latin America.

Originally, our intentions were set on Auckland, following a ten-year stint in Colombia growing a restaurant together. However, ending up in Hawke’s Bay due to Covid worked out for the best.

After some time settling into New Zealand and enjoying the Hawke’s Bay region, we decided on the Havelock North dining precinct on Joll Road for Mijita. One thing led to another, and with no looking back, and working with great architects, RTA Studio, we created the dream venue – an intimate mixed restaurant and bar with a Latin vibe.

We are three owners, all very different – two Colombians and a Kiwi with a shared vision. We want to share the beauty, flavours and culture of Latin America through hospitality.

Mijita (pronounced MEE-HEE-TA in Spanish) is used as an endearment to a loved one: darling, honey, sweetie; and it can also be used for your daughter.Mijita is, to us, our mijita – our first hospitality venue on this side of the world.

At Mijita, we have a sharing-style menu and a playful cocktail list inspired by the flavours, ingredients and concepts of Latin American food and drink. We’re not just food lovers – we’re cocktail lovers too. Starting the evening with a cocktail – the margaritas are a favourite – immediately gives you that buzz of excitement. We want our diners to feel like they’re on holiday, even if it’s just for a moment.

Then the choice is yours: make your way through the cocktail menu or turn to an Argentinian or Chilean red to accompany something juicy off the grill. We love a Chilean Carmenere with a Picanha Skewer (pictured here, with recipe over the page).

We’ve really enjoyed sharing the Latin American experience with everyone who has visited us so far, and we look forward to trying out new flavours to capture that Latin American nightlife within our venue.

See you soon! ¡Nos vemos pronto!

Recipes

Mijitas Pisco Sour

(Makes 8)

Apple, Cinnamon, Clove and

Nutmeg Syrup

• 250 g green apple

• 2.5 g cinnamon powder or sticks

• 10 g cloves

• 1 g nutmeg ground

• 250 g sugar

• 250 g water

To Make the Cocktail

• 60 ml Pisco of your choice – we have

  used Demonio de Los Andes

• 30 ml lime juice

• 30 ml apple, cinnamon, clove &

• nutmeg syrup

• 1 tsp egg white

• 500 g ice

Directions

• Make the Syrup

  • Slice a green apple.

  • Put all syrup ingredients in a saucepan.

  • Heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then until the sugar dissolves and it smells delicious.

  • Strain the syrup through a sieve.

  • Let it cool, then store it in the fridge.

• Chill Your Glass

  • Put a few ice cubes in your cocktail glass to chill it while you make the drink.

• Shake the Cocktail

  • Add all cocktail ingredients into a shaker.

  • Add 4–5 ice cubes.

  • Shake well until it’s foamy on top (this activates the egg white).

• Serve

  • Throw out the ice from the glass.

  • Pour your cocktail through a strainer into the glass.

  • You should see a nice foamy layer on top.

Picanha Skewer with Chimichurri

(Serves 4)

Prepare enough of your desired steak to serve four people – we use the picanha

(rump cap) from Matangi Angus Beef.

• 20 g anchovies

• 45 g green olives

• 30 g fresh parsley curly or Italian

• 10 g fresh oregano

• 1 g fresh thyme

• 70 g red onion

• 50 g red capsicum

• 140 ml olive oil

• 15 ml lime juice

• 20 g Hohepa Vintage Danbo or Parmesan

• cheese, grated finely

• 30 g white vinegar

• 10 g garlic finely chopped or paste

• Salt to taste

1. Prepare the chimichurri well before cooking the meat, so it has time to enhance in flavour.

2. In a mixer, pulse the anchovies and olives to mix roughly.

3. Finely chop parsley, oregano, thyme, red onion and red capsicum.

4. Mix all of the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt.

5. Set aside to marinate in the fridge. If you’re able to make it the day before, even better. Just take it out of the fridge to reach room temperature before serving.

6. Cook your desired cut of steak as you like. We leave about 1 cm of the fat cap and cut the excess away before slicing into smaller pieces to make skewers.

7. Once your beef is cooked, rested and ready to be served, pour the room-temperature chimichurri over the top.