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 tenyear 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 in to New Zealand and enjoying nthe 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 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 playful cocktail list inspired by flavours, ingredients and concepts of Latin American food and drink. We are not just food lovers but also cocktail lovers.
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 are 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 wine with a Picanha Skewer.
We have 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 captivate that Latin American nightlife within our venue.
See you soon! ¡Nos vemos pronto!
Mijitas Pisco Sour
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
Prep your syrup first. Allow mixture to cool down and refrigerate before making your cocktails.
Roughly slice the green apple.
Place all ingredients in a saucepan and heat for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then until sugar is dissolved and syrup develops flavour.
Take off the heat, strain through a sieve and allow to cool before placing in a jar to refrigerate.
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
Pre-chill cocktail glass with a couple of cubes of ice.
Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add 4–5 cubes of ice, shake really well to activate the egg white and create foam.
Remove ice from cocktail glass and with a cocktail strainer serve. A nice foamy layer on the top should appear.
Cheers! ¡Salud!
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
Prepare the chimichurri well before cooking the meat, so it has time to enhance in flavour.
In a mixer, pulse the anchovies and olives to mix roughly.
Finely chop parsley, oregano, thyme, red onion and red capsicum.
Mix all of the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt.
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.
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.
Once your beef is cooked, rested and ready to be served, pour the room-temperature chimichurri over the top.
