I first tried Kofte on holiday in Turkey a few years back and was sold right away! Obviously there can be huge variations but in my experience a good lamb Kofte can be one of the tastiest and most flavourful meat dishes out there.
I found Kofte Kofte online when trying to find an Auckland replacement for my beloved Taka Taka back home in Bristol. I emailed ahead to query about my peanut allergy and was assured that there are no peanuts on the menu or in the kitchen. It was a bit of a drive out to Hobsonville (there is also a branch in Orewa) but totally worth it! The flavours are a league above similar places I’ve experienced (at $12.50ish it’s also reasonably priced) and it made for a great lunch stop.
There definitely are tree nuts on the menu, and I wouldn’t say the allergy advice I got seemed particularly clued up – but my good experiences with Mediterranean food in the past helped set my mind at ease. I’ve been a few times now with no problems and surprise surprise I’d recommend the lamb Kofte!!
Verdict – 7/10
Edit: I have been back 3 times. The chicken was great and particularly the chicken avocado bun. However on my most recent return one of the salads (which regularly change) was a peanut salad with peanut sauce. The cooking area is small and the salads are out in the open so cross contamination risks are high. I feel this shows a real lack of allergy awareness that they would assure me the menu is fine without mentioning the regular changes which unfortunately one week could have ended badly had I just ordered and eaten without checking the salads (after 3 safe visits I was quite relaxed eating there and my stomach dropped when I saw the peanut salad)
Nut Free Bites 