I visited this restaurant by chance while in Auckland, and it was one of my best decisions yet!…read moreAfter a few rainy days, this restaurant offered the best comfort food to cure my blues. The fish roe soup and fried flounder were amazingly fresh, likely one of the perks of being in a coastal city. The kimchi, OMG, how do they make it taste so good?! I wish I could bring a bucket of their kimchi home with me! Will definitely visit again whenever I'm back in New Zealand, if not making a trip just for their food!

Stopped by this mom and pop Korean soup place. Tried the mixed pork soup and it was good…read more Definitely satisfying. Rich pork broth with mix of pork from pork steak to fatback/belly type pieces and some other more chewy pieces/. All added to a good soup. Comes with a side of rice and some kimchi, radish and onion. My only wish is the soup had more chives and maybe even some clear noodles. The sweet older lady is kind and the space is really nice to grab lunch or meet friends.

The hotel concierge recommended the Commercial Bay food court on the second floor. At first, we…read morewere hesitant about eating at a food court as we imagined it would be like Taco Bell, Panda Express, Burger King, etc. But it turned out to be more like a modern food hall. It's inside a commercial building with over ten vendors offering a nice mix of cuisines: Vietnamese, Malaysian, Chinese, Mediterranean, and Korean, plus a few places for juice, açaí, and matcha drinks. We decided to try Eden Noodle, mainly because it had the longest line--which usually says something about how popular (and hopefully good) the food is. We ordered the pork ribs with rice noodles and the wontons in chili oil. We chose mild, but it was still quite spicy, so next time we'll definitely go for not spicy. The ordering process was super easy. You go to one of the three kiosks, grab a pager with a number, enter your order, pay, and wait for the buzzer to go off when your food's ready--it took about 15 minutes for ours. There's plenty of seating--tables, chairs, and benches--and you often end up sharing a table with strangers. That might feel unusual for Americans, but it actually reminded me of Hong Kong, where space is limited and communal dining is the norm. Overall, portion sizes were decent for the price, and the flavors were good--just a bit spicier than expected for "mild."

Just great food. Small no frills place. Chili wontons are a must and the cucumber salad was a good…read morerefreshing balance. Grandma was making dumplings by hand right when you walk in like she does everyday. You prefer before you sit down so know what you want. Go here.

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.

I was in a great need of a hot soup to recover from my hangover. We were in north shore so I've…read moremanaged to persuade everyone to go to Pho Bien for a Steam Boat (hot pot). We ordered a medium Steamboat (55) which says it's for 2~3 people. Well, this was an overestimation as four of us couldn't finish it. We received a boiling bowl with two sides of spicy and non-spicy broth but they soon got mixed together when food was put. We started by putting in the meat and seafood followed by vegetables (as veges get cooked faster!). Noodle went in last as you should enjoy it with the broth full of beef and seafood flavour. The waiter was happy to top up our broth as we ran out. The great thing about the Steamboat is that you can taste a variety of food including mushrooms, prawn, fish cakes and so much more at once. You can also control how long the meat/veges are cooked as you can simply pick them up and eat it when you like it. Everything was delicious and the soup really healed me :p The ginger and lemongrass condiment wasn't my thing so I made my own by mixing chili sauces.

Got the Large steam boat (4-5) for dinner with the family for a birthday. Was huge- 2 platters well…read morestocked with an arrangement of seafood, meat, vegetables & noodles. Definitely recommend buying the medium size unless you're starving or feeding boys/men. Got a group table in the outdoor portion of the restaurant. It is a neat wooden patio just next door to the four walled main interior with a makeshift material roof and front wall cover that does well to protect from the elements. Luckily they had a tall heater in the middle so we were protected from the cold night temperatures as well. Was surprised by how busy it was- both sections were fairly full and it got more packed as the evening went on. I can see why- the steam boat was a fun way to eat dinner and there was great things to put in - octopus, mussels, tofu, thin sliced beef, cabbage, rice noodles- to name a few. Liked the split steam boat bowl with two different soups- one spicy, one plain- and to be able to have two steam boats going at the same time and no extra waiting. Great sauces on the side to mix- with a green paste, bbq sauce, hot sauce and very spicy red peppers, beware. Definitely recommend the steamboat. Curious to try the cooked dishes and their dessert menu at another time.

Oh my gosh! I could smash four mains and three desserts, but this lunchtime laksa! Tastes so good,…read morebut the portion is currently beyond my capacity. I popped in to Mama Rich again for an authentic laksa because last week I ordered a laksa in Singapore and got a Tom Yum Soup. I felt robbed! Feeling so much better having sipped and slurped my way through this bowl of laksa goodness. This cafe is a favourite for many familiar with Malay cuisine, even Malaysians. Evident by their attendance and quaffing of the hearty noodle soups. Their baked goods here are seriously good too. Try their afghans...they actually taste like....well, afghans. Of all the laksas I've had in Auckland, this ranks in top three for taste but number one for sheer volume and there's plenty of chicken in it too. For a lunchtime special, two would feel sated sharing a bowl of laksa.

So if we have Papa Rich in the city ? Does that make Mama Rich the sister restaurant and Selera the…read morepoor cousin in New Market? Well however the businesses are joined or not , Mama Rich had the exact same menu as Selera . I had the char kieow ( sorry spelling) and it was the same as Selera , but without the spice and charred flavour that I love so much at Selera . All the dishes looked good and I wish I was more adventurous to try something else . That's not too say I didn't like it ,but personally I feel Selera is better . Mama Rich was clean and quiet for families and a cafe feel , no free tea here . (And when I asked if there was tea like at Selera the server looked at me like I was a crazy person). I like the noise at Selera and the jostling for tables , it feels more authentic. I love Malaysian food and I'll be sure to give Mama Rich another try , but I'm sure I'll be enticed back to Selera before long .

Highly recommend! This place is rocking and is the place to go…read more Food was excellent! Staff was friendly. You order at the counter and they bring your order at your table. They buss the table after you eat. Ambiance was good. Lots of people so expect lots of chatter.

I was wandering in Newmarket and stumbled upon this Selera by chance. The restaurant was packed…read morewith all the tables occupied inside and out but I got lucky because someone was finishing up. I ordered nasi lemak for myself and a laksa soup noodle with fish collars. Both dishes were superb and taste exactly like what you'd get in Malaysia. The laksa soup was so comforting during cold days, like when I was in Auckland when they had their crazy rain storms. The food came out pretty quickly and the service was good. Overall a great place to have a Malaysian meal in the area.

I grew up three minutes from here, but never gave this place much thought as it's nothing special…read moreto look at. Having been for the first time a few months ago, I now realise it's one of the sweet neighborhood places that puts minimal effort into appearance or atmosphere, but serves up excellent food. My go to dish is the Kimchi stew - the best possible meal for cold days. They ask if you want it mild or spicy, and I've never found the spicy overwhelming, just pleasantly hot. Besides, if you're ordering a dish that's main ingredient is kimchi, embrace the spice! They give you a big bowl of it, and it's served with rice (which I can only ever eat a fraction of) and side dishes, so it's a seriously filling meal, for something like $13. The staff are lovely, and it's a nice place to enjoy a casual lunch or dinner - no need to don your fancy pants

Wandering around in the heart of Birkenhead, looking for dinner and stumbled across this Top 100…read moreMetro cheap eats spot- so that made our decision. A small cosy interior with a yellow wall and wooden paneling underneath to the floor. Loved the picture of visitors on the wall- wanted to get on it! A few black and white checkered tables with backed chairs and a corner with a fridge full of chilled drinks, a self-serve water cooler and rice water green tea. Such friendly staff- really appreciated it, especially with the set up and maintenance of our ham and sausage stew on the gas burner- which we were accidentally burning. Never heard of this dish before but a good hearty soup that dates back to the American soldiers in the Korean war. Also ordered their marinated squid with rice as well as marinated pork with rice. Each of us were given a tray with bowl of white rice, side dishes with pickled radish with sesame seeds, seaweed, fish cake and mung beans. More than plenty side dishes and an additional plate of kimchi that filled every inch of space on our table for four. Very filling and such good value for money. Definitely come check this one out if you are after good Korean!

This is one of those spots that I walk past on a regular basis but have never ventured inside…read more Well, today I finally did and was immediately annoyed that I hadn't done so earlier. It's a gem on what is an otherwise average block. The decor is hipster cool, mismatched and full of quirky touches, like an old toy dump truck carrying a leafy shrub in it's tray or the low hanging wire caged lights. They also have a pretty cute courtyard out back, which i'm told is a recent addition. There's ample seating but best of all it's delightfully quiet - perfect for reading the morning paper. Food-wise everything is fair trade and organic and whilst I am yet to try the menu, I watched Belgium waffles smothered in creme fraiche and berry compote being delivered to a table today and they looked devine. As for their smoothies - try the organic blueberry. It's made with biofarm yoghurt, honey and organic milk. It's not overly sweet so you still feel like you are being reasonably healthy!

Seriously impressed on every level with this cafe. Fast, super fresh whole food, and awesome…read moreservice. The almond milk coffee is the best I've tried! Raw Zoodle Pasta is to die for, and Eggs Bene was top of the list for the best around. Even the bf, who is not vegan, gf inclined or remotely interested in 'health' foods, was raving about this place. We will 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.

Certainly one of the best place for wonton soup! The complex is not appealing to most but certainly…read morebuzzing with many ethnic favour! Sometime you can actually some famous all black rugby players sipping away some wonton noodles soup! Go the mighty all blacks!

Not that awesome I have to say - a little disappointing especially when you have been looking…read moreforward to a good Chinese meal