It's not only Aucklanders still having to go without their favourite "takeaway" foods.
Nuri Puzey with rice crackers, tempeh and Indonesian donuts. Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin
Many ethnic groups outside Tāmaki Makaurau used to picking up home-made delicacies at community events or religious gatherings, still have to wait for alert level 2 for that privilege.
RNZ caught up with some members of the Indonesian community in New Plymouth to see what their fellow ex-pats were missing out on.
Nuri Puzey is preparing tempeh - a traditional Javanese food made from fermented soya beans. It's not exactly fast-food.
"I'm soaking the soya bean for one night and then after that wash again and then after I wash again, everything is clean, I steam for 35 minute and then after that I cover it and let it stand for eight hours," explained Nuri who is from the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
But we're not even halfway yet...
"I wash again until everything clean and then I make it dry until it's very, very dry and then I put the - we call the fermentation [yeast], in Indonesia we call ragi tempeh - and then after that I put in the plastic [bag] like this and then we leave for two nights. And then done."
Tempeh can be steamed, used in curries or fried.
Nuri said some of her tempeh went to family and close friends and she contributed to fundraisers for the New Plymouth mosque.
"We put in one like a parcel and one parcel we sell for $10 and the money goes to the mosque. I hope it goes back to level 2 and then the mosque opens again so we can do that like before again."
Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Nuri's husband, Matthew Fairey, said he had witnessed how the Indonesian community came together around food.
"You know, it's like bringing a little bit of Indonesia to New Zealand, so this is just a part of what New Plymouth has to offer.
"You know, there's a large Indonesian community that do a lot and this supports not only the Europeans in New Plymouth, but it also keeps the culture alive among themselves."
Fairey said prior to lockdown you could expect a gathering of the neighbours' children when Nuri was busy in the kitchen - especially when she was making Indonesian donuts.
Een Olsen preparing peanut crackers Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Across town Een Olsen, who is from Kalimantan, was making peanut crackers or rempeyak.
"It's home-made from rice flour and then put some tapioca a little bit and I want to make this one for my family for sitting in the house watching the news, whatever. Eating with rice sometimes, with soup, with anything you want."
She was also preparing oxtail for the grill - but again you had to be prepared to wait.
"I have to boil that oxtail with onion, garlic, kapulaga [cardamom], cloves and put altogether and boil for three hours to make the oxtail more soft."
Then there's the marinade.
"Then it's ready for the grill with some sauce like tomato sauce, sweet soya sauce, garlic - still use it - and pepper and salt. And then you rub it and grill it.
"Serve with rice and crackers, butter crackers and chilli if you like it, everybody loves it."
Crackers of various styles are a staple snack food in Indonesia. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Also a contributor to fundraisers, Een could not wait to be back in level 2 when she could share her creations again.
"I love doing that, making everybody happy when they taste my dishes that I really make home-made. They are really very tasty dishes. Indonesian cuisine like very authentic taste.
"You'll never find it in New Plymouth. Just me doing it and another of my friends."
Cabinet is meeting today to discuss moving regions outside of Auckland to level 2, and will make an announcement this afternoon.
