I absolutely love a good Poke Bowl…read more Poke is the Hawaiian word 'to slice' and is essentially a raw fish salad. It consists of raw marinated fish (like tuna or salmon) and is often served by itself, but also on sushi rice with vegetables. Many Poke eateries have been popping up around Auckland recently, so I thought I would go out and try a few, and also share with you my favourite one - Poke Poke in Newmarket. Here are five reasons why I love Poke Poke and why you should visit pronto. 1. The Poke! All of Poke Poke's ingredients and sauces are prepared in-house and taste delicious, fresh, and healthy, plus you will feel great after eating. There are two options available - you can choose from their 'Poke Poke Bowls with Purpose' menu or build your own poke bowl. Do the latter as it is more fun! Here is a lowdown on how to customise your own: Step 1: Base: Offerings include white rice, purple rice and salad or choose to have half and half. I usually go with half purple rice and half salad. I absolutely love the purple rice as it is high in fibre and packed with antioxidants. Step 2: Protein: If you choose the $13.90 poke bowl, you get to choose two proteins. If you choose the $15.90 poke bowl, you get to choose three proteins. If you are want a huge bowl, you can add an extra scoop of protein for $3. I usually go with the $13.90 bowl as this is enough to pleasantly fill me up. They offer many proteins which include sashimi-grade tuna and salmon, plus prawns, sous vide chicken, organic tofu and a seasonal special - on most occasions this has been squid. Step 3: Toppings: I love that Poke Poke's toppings are super fresh and colourful. Toppings include spring onion, cucumber, edamame beans, seaweed salad, seasonal fruit (love the pineapple!), Japanese pickles, surimi crab salad, pickled ginger, plus the following at an extra price: scallops, masago (roe of capelin fish), avocado or mushroom salad. You can choose as many toppings as you want. Step 4: Sauces: Finally, pick a sauce... which can only be one, so choose wisely! My favourite is the Korean gochujang sauce (which I always overdose on when eating bibimbap), but they also offer shoyu, ginger miso, sriracha aioli, kimchi aioli, wasabi mayo, lemon yuzu mayo, beetroot mayo and toasted sesame kewpie. You can also add garnishes to top it off. Lastly, choose to eat in or get takeaway. If you can, eat in, as I find the serving size is more generous and there is plenty of seating available (see below). 2. The fact that they are open for dinner: How many places can you think of that are open for dinner Monday to Saturday in Newmarket, serving possibly the healthiest meal? I love that Poke Poke is open until 8pm six days a week. I often go to Event Cinemas on Broadway, and on one occasion, a group of us had dinner at Poke Poke before watching a film. It is a great place to have dinner, as you know you are getting a healthy, delicious and affordable meal. While they do not have a liquor license, they serve a wide range of non-alcoholic beverages (see below), plus we took a beer into the cinema anyway, so no worries there! 3. The Decor and Layout: Walking in, the space is clean and light. The design is minimalist, with white washed and tiled walls, hanging plants and modern lights. I love the life-size print of the orange Combi van and a blue neon sign with the words 'What good shall I do this day?'. There is also plenty of seating - wooden bar stools and tables at the front, a long table plus couch seating at the back which is perfect if you are dining in a group of more than two. 4. The Drinks: Do not even think about sitting down without ordering a cup of their miso soup. At $2, it is super cheap and goes perfectly with your poke bowl. There is also a wide range of drinks to suit everyone's tastes, including green tea (also $2), Karma Cola drinks, organic kombucha, organic juices, coconut water and bottled water. 5. The Location: Situated on Remuera Road, Poke Poke is in a prime location. It is right opposite Newmarket Train Station (so easy to get to if you are coming from the city), there is a bus stop right outside and loads of street parking nearby. It is also close to Nuffield Street and the many shops on Broadway, so it is the perfect spot for lunch or dinner after a morning/afternoon of shopping. If you are looking for a healthy, delicious and good for the 'gram meal, plus welcoming and friendly staff, then no doubt you will be dreaming daily about your next visit to Poke Poke.

Beautiful and affordable. If you are eating a veggie meal you don't need to add any protein and can…read moreget edamame (instead of tofu) and it's $10.99. Really fresh food!

Solid place to grab some grub. Has various kinds of chicken dishes. I had the Korean fried chicken…read morebowl which did not disappoint. Would eat here again.

The menu selection is average, and a little over priced. The…read moretables are sticky to touch, like a rag wiped over with no cleaner. Its quieter sitting in, rather than in the main food hall. But otherwise only ok.

Ultimate in fresh and delicious food - excellent vege/protein combinations with oomphy flavour…read more Sweets choice superb. Enthusiastic service, with a smile.

Ripe is all about wraps and salads and all that malarky. People seems to love the place but I…read morereckon it's only a three star establishment. Something about Ripe does not 'ring true' for me. Not even sure why. I just get a kind of bad vibe out of the place. Maybe I should go their with an open mind and try a bunch more of their foods, like all the salads and stuff. I dunno, I'm just not into beetroot. This place seems like a serious beetroot place to me. I do like their brioche though. Three stars.

Amazing food, authentic Middle Eastern selections and a great ambiance in the middle of town…read more Plenty of choice and the service was prompt. A little pricey but probably worth it.

Israeli and Middle Eastern food in a trendy CBD location with intriguing decor. I was drawn in by…read morethe "Real Falafel Dish," which was clearly marked "Vegan" on the menu outside, so I dragged my meat-and-potatoes parents in here for lunch. The Vegan Real Falafel Dish was nice, with lots of salads (diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and greens) stuffed into pita bread with a generous amount of falafels. It came with homemade hummus and this interesting green dip that is apparently from Yemen and was super-spicy! (Mr. Google tells me this dip is called "zhug" and is made out of cilantro, parsley, and hot peppers.) The falafel balls had a nice flavour, but they tasted a little too greasy and oily for my liking. Falafels are a tricky thing and everyone has their own preference -- to me, these were just a little too deep-fried and crunchy (I prefer softer, less oily falafels). But they were still nice. My dad had the "Brick Lane Salt Beef Sandwich" (pastrami, kosher pickles and mustard) and complained that the meat was still way too salty for his liking, in spite of the name. I don't think any of us have ever had Israeli food before, so maybe that explains it? The atmosphere of the place was cool, with interesting art and tapestries on the walls, and curtains dividing up the space. The service wasn't great. We arrived at the beginning of the lunch hour (11:45am) and several other tables were approached and served before us even though we had arrived first. They were also very slow to bring us the bill. The table itself was rickety and kept swinging every time we moved. Almost made me knock over my water glass -- should really be fixed. All in all, I won't hurry back although my dish was interesting and not bad for a unique dining experience.

I was in Auckland on a trip for my friend's wedding. I decided to go out for brunch before a busy…read moreday and Chuffed stood out to me. When I got there, I was seated immediately. The ambiance was vibey and loved that I was sitting outside, but still covered from the sun. The waiters were so nice and were able to answer any questions I had. I ordered an iced hazelnut oatmilk latte and a fried chicken benedict and they were delicious! The latte was the perfect drink to wake me up for a busy day ahead! They definitely do eggs benedict different but it was still so tasty. Instead of the usual english muffin, they used an herb rostis, which is a crispy hash brown round. The fried chicken was juicy and crispy. The herb rostis was also crispy and paired well with the creamy poached eggs! I miss this meal so much and dreaming of having this again the next time I go back to Auckland!

A friend recommended Chuffed and I'm so glad they did! This unassuming little restaurant provided a…read moredelightful brunch, with cozy outdoor seating and excellent service. I love that they offered both still water or sparkling for the table. I ordered the salmon benedict and it was delicious! Their menu offers gluten free as well as dairy free options. Vegetarian or vegan? They have options for you too. I ordered an Americano and it was full bodied and came in a large mug. I only wish we'd had more time in Auckland so I could come here again.

I was a bit suspicious because of the name. Federal? I eventually realized that is the name of the…read morestreet they are located on. It was open at the time I was in the area and it did look inviting. I perused the menu and decided to give it a try. Walking in I saw the old-fashioned furnishings, metal chairs, display cases, wall shelves, big bar in the middle all in a long and narrow room. Yessss, this looks lie something out of the 50s and I like it. After a long hard look at the menu I opted for the Salami platter... Strangely enough there wasn't salami, but more like a smoked ham, prosciutto like meat. It tasted great, so what's in a name. Delicious heirloom tomatoes, capers, salami impersonator, cream cheese, capers, pickles and your choice of bread. I had chosen crumpets and regretted that . Not because they weren't delicious, because they were so yummy, but they were also so buttery that I couldn't get the cream cheese to stick and everything I tried to put on the crumpet just slid right off them. I got the bottomless cup of coffee and I must say, this is really good coffee and the refills kept coming also. I love the atmosphere in here and there are so many great choices on the menu. If I ever come back tot Auckland, I will definitely stop by this place again.

Busy place with a lot of indoor seating and limited outdoor tables. Service was good, never had to…read morewait. It's a popular place and they were crowded but we didn't have to wait for a table. There was plenty of food for each order. My wife had a street dog and fries and I had a Ruben. They were pretty decent. I wasn't as happy with the fries. They were like the bottom of a pile and mostly little pieces with very few full length slices. Prices were extremely reasonable. I would definitely eat there again.

Thanks yelp for introducing us to such a cute cafe!…read more Cute decor and spacious cafe with both outdoor and indoor seating. My boyfriend and I had the CLT sandwich and chicken stack. Both were good but the stacked chicken was delicious! It was crispy and juicy and came out piping hot. I also had the peanut butter banana smoothie and it was so refreshing. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. Free WiFi as well. Highly recommend!

My lunch was incredible, I had the Fresh BB which had a beautiful appearance and tasted even…read morebetter. The drinks were also unbelievable too, would highly recommend to anyone.

We just had an Americano and macchiato ( they didn't know what a cortado was) and a slice of…read morechocolate cake because the pastries looked bad. Everything was mediocre at best. The savory dishes did look good however.

Really really enjoyed Scarecrow! Extensive menu with incredible food and drinks, including a good…read moreamount of vegan options and ways to customize (nondairy milk). The inside of the cafe is so cozy and ambiance is chill and serene. Friendly servers and helpful for providing menu recommendations! Can order to carry out or eat in. Quite a few tables inside as well as some outside the cafe. Would definitely recommend for brunch, a bite to eat for lunch, or just grabbing a coffee and pastry. I'll definitely be back!

Mezze is a very charming space, that gives indulgent traditional vibes. It came up in a search of…read morerestaurants near my hotel and I was able to walk there. I didn't get the ordering situation right off the bat. You get a menu from the bar then sit, decide what to order, then place your order at the bar. You also pay when you place your order. I went with the lamb burger and a cider. The fries with the lamb burger were amazing as was the cider. The burger was well prepared but not seasoned the way I prefer. I'd totally return to Mezze and try something else. It's a very cool spot, worth the visit.

Mezze bar is a great place to go to if you want some small plates to share for the table. This was…read moreour first restaurant that my family and I had the time to sit down and eat while on holiday. We didn't make a reservation and was still able to be seated which is nice since there's five of us. The food was all pretty good. We all felt satisfied and enjoyed it. My favorites were the Parmesan polenta chips and mushroom risotto. All the food on their menu looks great to try and it's hustling and hustling inside as well. They also have sangrias to go with the tapas as well.

Cute restaurant just off the Main Street. Everything is gluten free, organic and vegan. The food is…read moreamazing and pastries look so fabulous that it is hard to choose. I ordered the acai bowl and a caramel bar bite. The bowl was garnished with edible flowers, delicious and healthy, no added sugar. The caramel bite was creamy and not very sweet, perfect. I did a takeout box with a slice of apple crumble. This also was very healthy with lots of nuts and fresh apple

This is the cutest cafe filled with amazing food (with vegan options). The matcha waffles were to…read moredie for and the green bowl was SO fresh and so delicious. Everything felt and tasted great and healthy