This place is absolutely fantastic. Very cost effective, huge range of different products, items of…read moregood quality. Given supply issues still impacting supermarkets you can 9 out of 10 times find an equivalent here. Big range of herbs, spices, ingredients, both local and imported. Staff are friendly. The ambiance is enhanced by the huge variation of people who shop here. Broad cross section of the community. I would hazard a guess, if you know this place you will come back repeatedly. If you don't know this place pay it a visit.

This place was a great wee find! Tucked in the corner of the Wendy's carpark in Mt Eden, it's very…read moreeasy to go about your life without ever realising Bulk Food Savings exists. Bulk Foods stock a very wide range of products, including dried fruits, nuts, organic products, flours and cereals, and all sorts of international food I'd never even heard of. Pepperdews, pomegranate molasses, Ceres organics muesli for only $9 and literally the biggest jar of gherkins I have ever seen - Bulk Food Savings was a delight to explore. I was stoked to find pure vanilla extract and vanilla pods in this store - they were much cheaper than at places like Nosh, and are great to use in baking. The only downside of Bulk Foods was the staff. They weren't particularly inviting nor were they very friendly, but hey - when the variety of food is that good and the prices are so low, who cares? You can't have everything! Bonus: It smells fantastic in Bulk Foods - all the different spices merge in to one mouth-watering fragrance that instantly inspires you to cook delicious Indian curries.

Chances are if there is an Asian store or supermarket or hybrid of the two in Auckland I have been…read more I went to this one once and only once, it isn't the greatest. Bok Mart has mostly packaged groceries, no fresh produce (I was thinking they would sell bok choy for some reason) and a small frozen section. As well as food items there is a considerable amount of junk. I don't mean the food, the other stuff, weird personal items and homewares. There is a bit of self medicating that could be done through herbal remedies here too. I really wasn't impressed. The other Asian supermarkets are way better than this and stock a lot more. This one is almost a cross between a variety store and an Asian mini mart. Also nothing really had English translations, I like to know what I am eating. The store is disorganised and is a bit on the dirty side. Not really a place you want to buy food from. There are better ones in Newmarket like Tofu shop and Japan Mart.

This is the place I would pop in when I worked in Mount Eden last year to satisfy a strange habit…read moreof curious indulgence; I like sweets, and would buy packets of sugary treats in foreign languages that I did not understand and give them a go. Who knows what I was actually actually eating, it was fun. The packaging, (which there was generally way too much of) was always brightly coloured with images of happy quirky animals. So attractively kitsch. My curious taste buds sometimes were delighted and sometimes freaked out by the unfamiliar territory - what a rush. I have tried the same thing with tea, it didn't last quite as long, and was motivated by the cool tins they came in, more old school than the lolly packaging. I guess I have eclectic tastes for the quirky and the traditional.

This is a small Eastern deli hidden on Melrose Street. I came to know of it only by heading down…read morethis way to Little & Friday. This is a great place to come for dried fruits, spices and nuts, the prices are really good and all the food is fresh. There is a small range of other exotic offerings such as oils, rose waters, variations of couscous and Lebanese sweets. If you are on the lookout for new foods or ways to create new flavours in the kitchen, then you'd probably find some cooking inspiration at Pomegranate.

omg I LOOOOVE this place. I am a big fan of pasta (and carbs in general) and after complaining to…read moremy boyfriend about how much I miss Italy, I was sooo happy to find Pasta & Cuore. I walk by here all the time on my way to Rad coffee, and I'd really been wanting to go in. The restaurant is TINY, and reservations are required, but it's so worth it. I came here with a group of friends and we wined and dined for a good two hours. I ordered the gnocchi with vegetables and it was fluffly, light, and freaking delicious. The portions are small but enough to fit dessert after and an appetizer first. The selection of Italian wines is fantastic, I was so excited to try as many as I could. I'm pretty sure I spent more money on wine than on food that night. My boyfriend ordered dessert after dinner and was happy about that. They have a tiramisu which I would die for if it was vegan. I would definitely recommend this place for a relaxed dinner with friends if you love pasta, wine and Italy!

Found this place on trip advisor and was excited to have handmade, fresh pasta. Unfortunately, we…read moreunderestimated how tiny and popular this place is because we showed up only to be told that we needed a reservation. Sadly for us, they were totally booked up that night. We were about to turn away when my cousin thought to ask about takeout. I'm kind of surprised the server didn't ask us if we wanted to do that and was ready to let us walk out. We ordered 3 pasta dishes, a side of meatballs, and 3 pieces of tigella bread. That came out to about $70 USD. I might be a little off because I'm not sure about the conversion. Price wise, I'm not entirely convinced it was worth it. $70 for 3 people is expensive, but at the same time, FRESH, HANDMADE pasta! The food was good. No doubt about that. I'm glad we got a mix of flavors to share though, because it was one of those meals where you can only eat so much before your mouth starts to reject it. I LOVE cheese, but the tortellini with cream and parmigiano reggiano started feeling very heavy. It went perfectly in between bites of the tagliatelle with Bolognese though. The spaghetti alla chittara with gorgonzola and walnuts was my least favorite, but it was my cousin's favorite. Just a matter of preference. I was still willing to eat it though. The meatballs were so good. Perfectly seasoned and paired with the sauce. I was disappointed to see an order only had 4 pieces, but I don't know how much it cost. The bread was also delicious. The texture reminded me of a waffle, not quite crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. One order is only one disk-shaped pieced about the size of your hand. If I could, would I come again? I'm very tempted by the other items in their menu. As a person on vacation with little thought to budget, I absolutely would come again. If I was a local and had to watch my wallet, this place would be a treat, not something I could have often.

We came here to try a few Taiwanese dishes and we were only impressed by their beef Noodle soup…read moredish. The noodles were perfect and the soup is thoroughly seasoned. I wish they use better quality beef. It's located at second level and looks like a husband and wife operation. We'd definitely come back for their beef Noodle.

Not impressed with the food and service. No service. Food took very long time to be arrived…read more Ordered mince noodles. It came totally different from the pic shown on the menu. There was no mince nor veggies. Only noodle in luke warm soup in my bowl. Not recomended.

Lunch with The Boss today.. no not Springsteen, although that would be pretty freaking epic I must…read moresay.. Given I have only just turned 30 - I can appreciate what the Boss has done for music in his era & find that people of all ages know who he is.. even if you don't like his music you will probably know one of his songs if you heard it. Anyway moving on - I have always passed this place on my way to see a client who has their business located near by & their $12.50 Lunch Special was just the perfect excuse to come in with the boss and check this place out. What stroke me first was the awesome decor of the place, light bulbs inside upturned various house hold items, a wooden masterpiece at the back and lots and lots of natural light by the windows. The staff here are warming and friendly and not afraid to joke around with you. I find this as a good way of breaking the wall down between customer & barman / women. We chose to sit in the outdoor area which really isn't outdoor as its protected by plastic wall which seem to come away if you wanted. The sun is shining the people are coming in and quite rightly so it's 12:30pm on a Friday.. Liquid Lunches all round I say.. except for my boss who says.. don't you have work to get back to afterwards? .. he's right.. bastard... how did he know.. The waitress presents the menu & asks what drinks would we like today.. going by my bosses previous comments I'm inclined to say just water but since they chose to go with a wine, I decide to go with a beer.. but the waitress asks if I would like to try their new apple mojito.. that's winning in my books. For food wise, I thought I would do something differently and order a pizza. Pulled Pork with spiced apple & cashew nuts. Part of the experience of going out to places to eat is to watch people come & go. I love people watching and sitting there and observing what is happening. It's always good to get out of the office and away from the internal politics that goes on. Rarely does one get to spend one-on-one time with their boss and thus is a perfect opportunity to further your career ambitions. A good fifteen minutes has passed after our drinks order and I noticed a table of young ladies seated after us have all got their drinks before us. At last our drinks turn up with a slight apology about the wait. The drinks arrived it tasted pretty good - would be quite happy to have few more of these! after all it is Friday.. but once again paperwork is calling my name. Our pizza's arrived and even tho they are only 8 inches they are of decent size where you could almost share with someone if you weren't looking for a big meal. But this is all to my self. As you can see a pretty decent pizza that tasted really good. The only comment I would make is that, it was a bit light on the "pulled pork" a key ingredient I wouldn't have thought. Have a count for how many piece of pork there are, I have counted 8. Fine dining experience this is not - But for $12.50 I guess you get what you pay for. The rest of the lunch went uneventful, for $23.50 for one pizza & a mojito this represents pretty good value. A certain other pizza place in Newmarket charges $14.00 for their pizza with $12-15 for a glass of wine & you always feel crammed in like a sardine.

I went to Nuffield St Trading Co on a Friday night with a group of friends as we had vouchers from…read morethe Entertainment Guide. Our drinks order was lost, however they did give us a free cocktail to make up for it. We ordered the lamb burger, vege burger, fish and chips and rib eye and a side of onion rings. The portions were all very generous, especially the fish however a few ingredients were missing, like the gouda from the vege burger and capers from the iceberg and caper side salad. Overall the food was tasty and reasonably priced.

We stopped by after lunch one day during our trip to try their Pavlova dessert and it did not…read moredisappoint! We were scouring the area specifically for pavlova as it's one of my faves and the adorable vibes drew us in. The dessert was lovely and so were the staff. Prices were good and their menu was massive with so many intriguing dessert options. You don't often see pavlova in the US so when I read that it's a popular dessert in New Zealand, I had it on my radar lol. They offer theirs with either passionfruit sauce or "berry" sauce. We went with the passionfruit which is quite unique for pavlova and it was a fantastic combination! The tart passionfruit sauce was a lovely compliment to the soft, sweet merengue. Chocolate Boutique is packed full of handmade chocolate bonbons, cakes, and all sorts of unique dessert gifts and options. They have hot or cold desserts and drinks and much more than just chocolate - like lemon tarts, apple crumble, carrot cake; and all sorts of other things like numerous hot chocolate drink flavors, teas and coffees too. If we weren't so stuffed from lunch I'm sure we would've tried more lol! They have options to order their chocolates online but you can also order desserts at the counter if you're dining in and they'll bring it out to your table. The seating areas quaint little nooks with wide open windows and street views of the cute Parnell area and a large red phone box - total European vibes - loved it! They're a locally owned business with numerous accolades and awards - and fun fact: even former US president Bill Clinton has stopped by!

Parnell is the oldest district in Auckland and in my opinion, the most beautiful. You really…read moreshouldn't miss spending an early afternoon here, shopping its many boutiques, browsing through the art galleries or simply just exploring. Of course, one of the first places I had us go to was the Chocolate Boutique. It might be tempting to eat your way through all those nearby markets (like at La Cigale), but you'll want to save some room for dessert. This shop sells what I consider the best hot chocolate you'll ever taste called the Italian Denso. It is thick, rich and decadent hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and chocolate flakes. Think of it as a cup of a molten lava cake. And the best part, nobody will judge you for drinking your dessert. Okay, maybe SOME skinny model from LA? But she isn't here!

Unique Thai restaurant with great Northern Thai dishes that hit the spot on a cold wintry day. The…read morefood was quite authentic with a range of different styles to choose from, salad, curry, ribs and Noodles. The whole ambiance of the restaurant had a great relaxed vibe, almost an old school canteen feel. I ordered the Ribs and a salad, way too much food the serving sizes are generous for the $$$, and will be back for the ribs sometime soon...

After doing some mundane shopping in the dominion rd area my tummy asked what's for lunch ?…read moreRemembering that Kiss Kiss had opened close by I decided to try my luck . And what luck it was ! In the pouring rain I snagged a carpark just outside , with the parking gods being in my favour I was hoping the cool hip restaurant gods were on the same jam . And they were ! The place was busy enough but when I spied a table complete with papers I made a beeline for it . Seated and coffee orders taken , I had mentally prepared myself for a long wait but this was not going to be the case today . I went for the crispy rice salad with Thai sausage and fried egg , it was good extremely good being the operative word . The right amount of herbs and lemongrass to crunchy crispy rice I could've eaten this all day ! Again like Rebecca S mentioned there are beautiful treats at the counter and I'm sadly having buyers remorse for not getting one to bring home and scoff later . Does this place tick all the boxes of a new and interesting brunch place ? Hellla yes ! Am I going back ? fo sho ! Any bad points ? Nah .

This fruit and veggie shop is always busy (and there's a reason why) yet their stock never…read moredepletes, staff are always topping up the stalls with fresh, perfect fruits and vegetables. It's quite a small store, yet space is maximized by the tent that overhangs the footpath. Inside this there are usually fruit specials or popular seasonal fruits such as peaches and watermelons. They offer both baskets and trolleys, I usually end up needing a trolley as I like to buy all my fruits and veggies for the week from here. The price can add up but everything I get from there is tasty, almost never bruised and definitely NOT frozen. Going through the checkout is quick here, they like to get you through as fast as possible so that lines don't build up and block their little store. It's in a handy location opposite the supermarket, don't buy you fruit and veggies from the super, support small businesses and get them from Lum!

Amaaaazing food!!!! Top notch for sure!! Amazing service. Family owned, so you know they're…read moreconcerned with the quality of their food and service. The taste of the food just bursts with so much flavor. Spices, coloring.... The whole shabang!!! I definitely recommend them.

Best Thai food I have had outside Thailand! Highly recommend any dish, everything was great.read more