I went to the States last year and tried one of the most American things I've ever eaten - the…read moreBloomin' Onion, a battered and deep fried onion that is fanned out onto a plate and served with an array of dipping sauces. The Bloomin' Onion is apparently an Australian dish (according to The Outback Steakhouse) - go figure! I came back to New Zealand raving about this hilariously fatty dish and told people that we needed to find a place that served this cardiac arrest inducer. After a little searching, we found Giggles! Nestled in the heart of sleepy Howick, this place has been here for years, serving the Bloomin' Onion under the name Onion Mum... okay, sure! I'm really glad we went there - the place is cute and the staff are really friendly and nice; it's one of those places in Howick that hasn't lost its small town charm. And it has the best/worst dish in the world! We'll be back (if we don't have a heart attack and die from all the oily, oniony goodness coursing through our veins).

Miss Clawdy has been on my foodie wishlist for so long! Having been to New Orleans for their take…read moreon South American food, I was more than keen to get some glorious Miss Clawdy in my belly. Much like the Creole influenced state of Louisana, this North Wharf eatery got my attention with the dark wood and warm red and yellow hues from the overhanging lanterns. We were lucky to be seated straight away at 6:30pm on a Saturday night, there was a constant row of diners coming in soon after us. The open kitchen took centre stage in front of us. I love watching the chefs at work. I don't know how they do it, constantly keeping the beat and moving so purposefully in such a confined space. There was great camaraderie in the kitchen too, genuine smiles while keeping each other entertained. So it was with great reluctance that I had trade seats to have my back to the kitchen, the cushiony sofa just swallowed up my petite frame too much! Almost as if we were watching the open kitchen show, we were given complimentary popcorn to start with. Sweet and punchy with a bit of paprika and cinnamon, it was addictive like my favourite Sweet and Salty popcorn. Priding themselves on soul food and bright colourful flavours, we chose tacos to start with. Whilst the taco was soft and meat was well cooked, it lacked the promised punch and attitude. That problem was taken care of with a generous dousing of hot sauce from the table. We chose the special of the night as a main to share and I'm so glad we did! The lamb was succulent and flavoursome with just enough gravy to soak up. Combined with the comfort of the roasted vegetables, it filled us up well and proper. A special mention goes out to the generous cocktail list. It was hard to nail down one to order because each sounded as enticing as the other. The two we tried were delicious and quickly went down before the ice had even melted and diluted the drink. What I looked forward to most in the evening was the dessert. Even more than usual because I spotted a chocolate and chilli pressed souffle running as their special. With my recent love for the dark chocolate and chilli combo, it could only be a match in heaven as a souffle. The night ended beautifully with this number. My high hopes were met and even surprised me a little with the strength of the chilli. It was chocolatey and dense, and should be shared between two people. Good thing the burn from the chilli stopped me from otherwise scoffing it down unnecessarily. Such decadence was the dish that meant the previous cookies and milk combo was quickly put to the side.. I loved dining at Miss Clawdy. The atmosphere was buzzing but comfortable. The name is inspired by Lloyd Price's 1952 New Orlearns hit single Lawdy Miss Clawdy. I'd recommend it for a girls night out, and being at Wynyard Quarter, extra points for easy parking.

Come here for the hush puppies, steamed veggies, and jambalaya…read more Decided to check out this Southern/Central American restaurant as I had passed it so many times. My friend was in town so thought this would be a good opportunity. She ordered the Cuban sandwich and hush puppies while I ordered the jambalaya, kumara wedges, and steamed veggies. The Cuban had skimpy amount of meat, but the hush puppies were AMAZING! I wish there were more kumara wedges, there only give you six. The jambalaya was SUPER filling, and the steamed veggies were spot on. If you're looking for shareables, I'd say stick with the hush puppies, but let people know if you have anything else that's a must-have!

Have been on several occasions and this place knows how to BBQ, the other menu items are great as…read morewell, sides, sandwiches, desserts. The menu has different items available from time to time, all well worth trying, sometimes things run out, to be expected, it is not an instant process to cook more BBQ. In my experience the meat and other items have always been a good temperature, as you would expect searing hot meat and low and slow BBQ don't go together. Hard to pick a favourite, everything is great in my opinion but the brisket is certainly a wonderful thing. Good selection of beers and JD's, great staff that are always good to talk with. They will serve you at your table and run tabs so you don't just have to order at the bar. Great casual dining experience, head in on your own or with company and enjoy yourself. The owner is great to talk with about BBQ, you can tell there is some real knowledge and passion there. I find the prices very reasonable for the quality and type of food, I have never left hungry and always look forward to returning. I love the light smell of smoke and meat as you approach and enter the restaurant, always gets my mouth watering. Takeaways are available, you can also order larger cuts of some meats and other menu items online or in the restaurant and get them delivered or collect to take home.

OMG!!! Best barbecue in the world! We are from California…read morein United States and came here five years ago. We were greeted with a smile and it got even better from there. The ambience was perfect ... but OMG the food was absolutely amazing! There were so many choices, we tried to taste them all. Talk about being in barbecue heaven, from the greens to the to the brisket to the ribs to the cornbread to dessert...everything was delicious! Today we arrived in Auckland, five years later, with only one item on our itinerary, and it was to come to Morepark BBQ. Our mouths watering in anticipation of returning to our favorite barbecue restaurant in the worldI only to find out You're closed on Mondays. Not able to partake in the heavily experience we had on our last visit was disappointing but definitely rekindled our smiles! Thanks for the memories. Will be back to see you in our next visit to Auckland!

Live jazz & BBQ is one of my all time favourites combos but until recently there wasn't really…read moreanywhere in Auckland doing both on a nightly basis... that was until Hog Heaven opened a couple of months ago and started serving plates of smokey barbequed meat lathered in sauce. Yum! A group of Yelpers and I went for the first time on Sunday night, just in time for the live jazz at 6:30pm. Turns out it was also the NRL final so they had the warm up game (maybe the Junior Warriors) playing on a massive pull-down screen behind the singer....take note sports lovers. I couldn't go past the pulled pork with coleslaw and green beans. It took a little while for our meals to come out and when they did most of us noted that they weren't that hot but it didn't bother me too much as the pork was tender, drenched in sauce and super flavoursome. The coleslaw was ok - it reminded me of KFC coleslaw and the green beans were cooked well. The serving size was smaller than I expected but I am probably just used to the HUGE serving sizes in the States. What was a little off-putting though, was the filthy fish tank on the bar counter and the greasy finger marks all over the front door... I'd imagine it'd be difficult to keep the glass clean with half your customers demolishing ribs but I think these little details are important! I might wait a few months but i'd like to go back and try some of their other New Orleans dishes like gumbo and cornbread.

Hog Heaven is a fairly new restaurant that has opened up in Newmarket. They are a 'traditional…read moreLouisiana smokehouse' serving up smoked meats, seafood and freshly made pizzas. Three of us went to Hog Heaven a few weeks ago on a Tuesday night after seeing a 'cheap Tuesday' movie across the road at Event Cinemas. We had bought a Grabone voucher for Hog Heaven and and looking forward to dinner. Upon walking in, we first noticed the decor and really liked it. Although the lighting was dim, the wall decor really made up for it - think American wall prints, drink posters, plus fresh flowers on picnic style wooden tables, and condiments served in glass coca cola bottles. Hog Heaven immediately reminded us of the diner in the True Blood series - it had a similar feel to it. Another cool aspect was the open kitchen at the back - you could only see some of the food preparation and cooking, but it was nice that it was all open plan. All the chefs were women, which we thought was unusual compared to most restaurants in Auckland. We first started with an entree of 'Corn Bread Loaf' stuffed with corn and jalapeños ($6.50) which we shared between three of us. We all agreed that it was extremely sweet, almost like pound cake. We also could not taste any corn or jalapeños. It definitely tasted more like a dessert rather than an entree. We then ordered mains - 'Smoked Sausage and Chicken Gumbo' with celery, okra pepper, bacon, onion and white rice on the side ($15). I have never tried gumbo, so was unsure what it was meant to taste like. It was quite a small portion, but the meat was very tender. However, it was far too rich for me and I almost couldn't finish it. I would not order it again. My other friends ordered the 'Pulled Pork Sandwich' served with fries ($12) which was average and the fries were overcooked. Lastly, the 'Smoked Beef Cheeks' ($21.50), which were the highlight of the night. They were cooked well, the meat tender and had a nice flavour. We were all too full for dessert, but were okay with that. Usually, I am excited about dessert, but nothing really stood out. We were hoping for some Pumpkin Pie or something similar, but they only serve 'American' brownie and ice cream... On a higher note, the service was good. We did not have to wait long for our meals, our water glasses were always topped up and asked if we were enjoying our meals. These simple things lifted my rating up for Hog Heaven. Overall, a few hits and misses. Personally, not my style of food, but a certain type of person would enjoy it. I am unsure yet whether I would dine at Hog Heaven again, but in the meantime I will continue to try out other new restaurants that are opening up in Auckland...

This is a real gem. Found this place when going to the supercheap next door. The full rack is a…read moredecent size and cooked to perfection.

Oh, wow. We ate here tonight and I was just blown away. We split two dishes -- the beef ribs and…read morethe combination platter -- and I swear there was a subtly adversarial mood at our table as we wordlessly raced each other for the food. I haven't had food this good in quite awhile. The ribs were just spectacular. A modest-size serving but the meat was out of this world: so tender and delicate, literally falling off the bone, and slightly to the 'rare' end of the spectrum, which is how beef should be. It was cooked in some mystery manner that gave it the most divine skin: almost caramelized. We opted for a side of plantain with this one, as I'd never tried that vegetable. It came in slivers, deep-fried, and was decadent even if I couldn't really discern the taste of the plantain itself. The other dish, the mixed platter, was larger in size, and everything on it was likewise superb. There was a large serving of pork (in fact this was the 'main event' on the plate) which, while less flavoursome than the ribs, was still delightfully tender. I found that the best bits were at the bottom, where the meat had come into contact with whatever sauce/oil they'd drizzled on the plate (which had pooled around the base of the 'pyramid' of meat). There was blood sausage, which, next to the ribs, was my favourite item of the evening: closely rivalled by another variety of sausage, I forget which exactly, that was also on the plate. The chips were to die for in their own right -- large, rustically-cut, sinfully oily. I loved the idea of choosing your preferred sauce to go with each dish. We opted for guacamole for the platter and tamarindo for the ribs, though we drizzled a bit of each over both dishes. They gave an already decadent feast that final accent of flavour. Even the side-salads were delicious. The ambiance was lovely, the place is so elegantly done and a very pleasant space for a meal and a chat, especially seated in the rear courtyard as we were. The staff were fantastic too. The girl who served us clearly has a passion for the menu. You get a sense that it's a very 'house-proud' restaurant in that the servers all hail (by the looks/sounds of it) from Latin America and so they're selling something they're familiar with and that's dear to them. Everything about this place is perfect! I left pleasantly sated but at the same time pining for a whole heap more simply by virtue of how delicious it had been. And they're not greedy about the prices either, even though they could probably get away with it with food this good. $25 for the admittedly smallish rib dish, and $30 for the generously-sized combination plate. Totally worth it.

We had an excellent dinner here this evening: house made chorizo, beef empanadas, arepas, and slow…read morecooked beef. Very nice beer list as well

A truly authentic Chinese experience in Auckland New Zealand. I consider myself to be a connoisseur…read moreof Chinese food based upon what I've had in multiple places in North America.The restaurant itself was family oriented. The owner was very attentive explained to us via pictures each of the meals and what it look like to make sure we understood we're ordering. Who does that? I had the lamb with noodles and my partner had pork fried noodles, the thick kind rice noodles. The quality of food was just absolutely amazing. This was truly authentic Chinese cuisine. The portions were so generous and neither one of us could finish our meals. The owners were so nice polite, attentive. If you're in Auckland, New Zealand in the CBD, I would say this is a must go restaurant for anybody.

Wow! Simply stunning!! One of the best roast duck I've had! Can't believe I could find such a…read moredelicious roast duck during my short stay in Auckland. Service was friendly and the manager/owner (male) was fun to talk to. Glad that we dined in here. Thanks bbq king!!! - Elaine

DELICIOUS STEAKS!!! Remarkable and Memorable…read more Food: -Scotch Fillet (Ribeye-medium) comes with a side salad and chimichurri all is Mouthwatering & Delicious! 5/5 -Parrillada (Lamb, Pork Belly & Flank Steak) very good choice. This also comes with The Scotch Fillet was the star of night! Seasoned and cooked perfectly Service: Very Friendly and Helpful! Atmosphere: it's inside a food hall and has a nice sleek interior, cozy feeling! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! Worth going if you're in the mood for Argentine food! Easy 5/5

They do things properly over charcoal and they've got a great indoor/outdoor space, plus they're…read morequite quick with the good. Yet I have middling feelings, mostly because while I enjoyed my parradilla, I wasn't amazed by it either. The beef was an okay cut, but had to be cut very small less it be too chewy. Pork was probably the best part of the meal and a massive portion, while the lamb was... I really wanted to like it, but it didn't have the wonderful seasoning and flavor I was hoping for. Seemed almost more like it could have been pulled lamb than the lamb chop I was hoping, so maybe it's just my expectations being off? Wine list is solid and the service is pretty good. 3.5 stars seems right.

Absolutely chuffed that not only has Southern style BBQ made it to NZ but that it's as good as the…read morebarbeque I've had in both Texas and Memphis. Bareknuckle BBQ does it all - ribs, brisket, hot wings, pulled pork. Why's it so good? Well, firstly because they've shipped home the mother of all BBQs from Texas, a massive, 16ft smoker but, perhaps more importantly the owner, Jimmy knows how to use it. The meat has an incredible smoky flavour but is still deliciously tender, which is hardly surprising considering Jimmy drove around Texas learning off the famous pitmasters before opening up shop in NZ. Currently you can sink your teeth into Bareknuckle at their pop-up at No.1 Queen St but I'm crossing my fingers and toes that they'll have a permanent location soon. Until then, keep up with their menu and locations on their Facebook page.

We came here as my other half's work was having thier Xmas lunch here. There was so many of us…read morethat we took up the majority of the tables in the restaurant. Bad aspect of this was that they ran short of plates actually sitting out by the buffet for you to take for your food so you had to ask eventually when you needed one. Good thing about it being so busy was that they cleared the tables of any dirty plates very quickly, but not return so fast... The selection of food to choose from was really good , both cold and already cooked,and though plates could be lacking there was always ample food to choose from when you went up for 2nd's or 3rd's...etc.. A couple of grills , as there is, per table is good enough for a full table of people The atmosphere is good within ,plenty of parking outside and it is kid friendly if you have them. Amongst all the Korean BBQ places i have been into in Auckland i would reccomend this one first. There may be better out there, just i have not been to them yet. Enjoy!!