Mr Hangi product reviews

On a recent Noho Marae (Visit to the local Marae) I was told we would be having a Hangi dinner. Expecting to be handed a plate with food that carried traces of musty-earth smells and tastes, I was quite interested to see a shiny stainless steel trailer unit pull up, with a huge array of gasrings underneath it and Mr Hangi emblazoned on it's sides.

"Ah ha! 21st Century Umu!" thinks I, and the outlook started to improve rapidly. The day progressed, and we did our activities, and as dinner time approached, the smell, the wonderful smell, was wafting right around the building and making my mouth water. So of course I volunteered to help carry all the food, so I could get a sneak peek at our Kai (food).

I was again surprised to find that the food had been prepared as individual servings in tinfoil trays, so all we had to do was peel off the lid, let it cool a bit, and tuck in. Our meal was a bit of a special deal meal, with a quarter chicken, a lamb chop, some sliced veal, stuffing, kumara, potato, pumpkin, peas and silverbeet... all cooked in their own juices ensuring the full flavour without dilution.

For an event requiring 200 meals, the price per serving was a remarkably low $9.00, meaning that it is quite affordable for even the largest groups. I overheard Chris discussing his service with another potential customer and he was not at all phased by numbers like 500 meals, meaning a good feed for some serious-sized groups.

Overall, despite the food being a little greasy, from the chicken, and my palate preferring a little gravy or condiments to add 'zing' to any meal, I was really impressed. It was a perfect portion, small enough that I didn't feel bloated, but big enough to kill the tummy-grumbles quite effectively. The variety in the meal meant that anyone would be able to find something appealing, and the flavour was clean of the feared musty or earthy tastes... which is all good by me. Ka Pai Mr Hangi, Ka Pai.