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.

Govinda's is a K Road hot-spot for students, backpackers and, I presume, collection-can-rattling…read morehomeless people. This "restaurant" has the typical miasma and funk anyone from outside of Auckland would expect from the dirty and infamous road. Wobbly, unclean tables and prison food served in divided tin plates. I have nothing against vegetarians or vegans and have a lot of respect with some of the delicious dishes they can conjure up, but the food here tastes of coloured water with rice and chick peas for substance. Curry with no garlic or onions? Untitled lumpy custard dish made me feel like I was in a very old, very poor school cafeteria, gagging on the religious peace and love and feel-good that should kill any appetite I have left. Maybe if they put some of the natural herbs they're smoking into the dishes we could laugh this off and paint each other's toenails in a log cabin in the woods and name all the stars this place will never get.

Honestly, Govinda's is the best shit ever. I love this place. It's absolutely cheap as chips and…read morevery healthy and very very delicious and come doused in this very chill and happy Hare Krishna vibe (a lot of the time I've been there there is a full on Hare Krishna musical jam going on). You can get like a full on meal for $6 or something. It's almost too much food. Man, Hare Krishnas are the best shit ever. I'm really into Govinda's. I'd give it five stars but it's kind of dirty in there some of the time.

Indian restaurants often have a puzzling lack of service, and this one was certainly one of those…read more They didn't exactly look happy to see me, and closed up shortly thereafter (with plenty of time left on their posted hours), much as another reviewer had noted. I never understand when I offer to pay money for food (or anything), and the person offering it doesn't at least acknowledge that I'm doing them a solid. Setting that aside, the food I eventually received was fine, but nothing special. Their idli didn't seem quite fresh, but the sambar to dip them in was pretty spicy. Their chole bhatura offered an impressive array of garnishes for the chickpeas and three pieces of bread (normally I've seen two or one big one). Those chickpeas were flavorful enough, but oddly enough, not as spicy as they looked. It was a decent value meal, and they had an appealing menu, but they didn't do much to impress me.

I bloody love this place but my beloved has issues with the perceived lack of ease in picking up…read moretakeaways from here. I have to really work my whole "I cook/you procure" argument to get a taste of Ras Vatika. Which is solely vegetarian and does both South and North Indian dishes for really great prices. You can dine in too of course but it's very Balmoral if you know what I mean. Still, New Flavour started somewhere and this place does get busy. You can't bring your wine but they do provide a nice bottle of water with metal tumblers which somehow makes for a richer experience. It's so often the little things. If you get a peek behind the counter it literally looks like a group of women cooking out of their home kitchen, it's that rustic. They're mostly very nice however beware the surly teenager. That's probably just a good general rule for life really. I particularly appreciate the Thali as I am greedy but there's only so much that will fit in my tummy. This is the place that started my sambhar habit and I still believe a person could live on sambhar alone with no detrimental effects. But why would you when there's so much more on offer? If you haven't tried the staple spicy Indian soup before, come here, get a Thali and a whole new world will open up. In that world is the other thing that makes Ras Vatika so much more than a curry house - the "Snacks" and the "Chat". In fact I think this is what they do best. My most favourite is the little heart shaped Cutlet (yup weird name) whose ingredients remain largely unexplained but does involve coconut which I have a special fondness for. I'll just say that it's savoury, spicy and sweet all at once. Try it.

amazing food first time in my life we been there and so amazing it feels like totally home food…read moresure we will recommend to every one ek number wow

This is another one of those restaurants where the regular Indian customers get a warm welcome and…read moreI get a cold one for some reason. Which is odd, and kind of annoying. Their menu is basically all cafeteria-style platters. The beans I got, which I guessed were chickpeas, was told were kidney beans, and now believe to have been pinto beans, were nonetheless delicious. The rest of the platter wasn't warm and wasn't impressive. The fries I got on the side to have something fresh and hot were as basic as the come. This place seemed to cater to working-class Indians from downtown on their way back from work. It gets the job done on that level, but I think I could do better.

I do like Midnight Baker the only reason for the low review is that there aren't many options there…read moreso you are slightly limited. Love their bread though and if you are Vegan you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Taking over the well-known shell of Vinyl cafe on dominion road, the Midnight Baker finds a midday…read morehome for his lovingly risen fare. Offering a limited but carefully thought out and delicious range of savoury and sweet topped open sandwiches, the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity. Vegetarians and health freaks will love this place, but rest assured, foodies will too. As a Sri Lankan, I was thrilled to see jackfruit on the menu in the form of the pulled BBQ 'not pork' sandwich with green apple, fennel, celery slaw and aioli. Perfectly seasoned, mildly spicy and with a great balance of crunch and succulence. Sweet-toothed will find it hard to choose between the maple syrup and tahini, spices roasted pear and better butter and jelly sandwiches on cinnamon chai toast. Even the drinks menu holds a few surprises. The red velvet latte with beetroot and cacao and the turmeric latte with ginger and black pepper are wonderful winter warmers. Unlike it did for Cinderella, midnight on Dominion Road brings no cause for alarm, only the promise of even better things to come.

Quaint little breakfast/lunch spot. The food was delicious, great coffee and tea options, and the…read morestaff was super friendly and helpful. There is a cute bookstore right next door as well. We had the lemon poppy pancakes that were on special and they were delicious! However, they were not fluffy pancakes. They were flatter and more dense, but still very delicious!

I have a vegan in the family and it can be tricky to find good vegetarian food, let alone vegan,…read morebut this place is wonderful. I've had the portobello bene here which is always excellent. The granola is wonderful. The fried upma is light and tasty, and perfectly spiced. The courgetti is a lovely break from the ubiquitous pasta found elsewhere. They often have specials, a favourite of which is the taco - literally haven't had a bad meal here! The coffee is also excellent. There's a small courtyard out the back with outdoor tables. The restroom leaves a little to be desired, but it's a tiny gripe to be honest.

Rolled in there semi-tipsy from a few drinks beforehand so it was a perfect opportunity to eat some…read moreIndian to wash it all down. The little eatery sits on the corner of Sandringham road, among Indian Central with eating houses left right and centre. Is go as far to say this is the cultural capital of India in Auckland. It can be rather hard at time to choose what's good. Basically I've heard a lot about this place not even knowing the name of it so I went in on the basis of having read and saw an image of it somewhere. When I rolled in and sat down, it was close to 9pm, I assume it's nearly closing time. But the friendly staff assured me it's all good and handed me a menu. I browsed through itnot knowing what to order as these are all authentic vegetarian dishes that you really have to be Indian to know. In my slightly inebriated state, I went for something that's like a mixed combo called Undhiya Puri. What it actually consisted of is a vegetable dish (made w aromatic spices herbs, and nuts) some puffs called Puris, Chaas (Buttermilk), Papad and some salad. It came in a stainless steel plate, very traditional. Taste wise, it was an explosion of sweet, tangy, textures and half way thru me eating the owner rolled out and asked me how my meal was which I replies 'amazing!'. It was vibrant and fresh thinking to myself and every element served it's purpose there. Then in a jiffy the proud owner rolled out with a Dahl dish for me to try and followed by an entree dish which just tastes incredible called Pani Puri - it's wet in the centre and crunchy on the top. I told him next time I'm around - I'm bringing a group.

Walking into this place feels a little bit like walking into someone's front room; there's…read moresomething distinctly homely about Jai Jalaram Khaman. It might be the kind of chaotic way they appear to run this tiny restaurant - the tables appear to be constantly filled with dirty dishes, like you've just missed the last group to leave. I think a more polite reviewer would call the décor "rustic" or something, but to me it's just shabby. The food is really great - when I've been here I've been brought a number of small plates to sample, along with dahi puri, which is always amazing, wherever you get it. The first time I ever tried lassi was at Jai Jalaram Khaman as well - while I can't say I liked it, I appreciated that the owner really wanted to show it off, like he did many of his wares. It was clear that while he's not very house proud, he loves what he cooks and wants people to love them too.

First place I hit up after landing in Auckland! Comforting Thai dishes with a super helpful staff…read more I got the Buddha bowl with some fried tofu! Those fresh veggies hit the spot after eating airplane food all day. Highly recommended! I'm def going to come back to try their sweets and mock duck!

Lovely food and staff. Amazing for vegans. My favourite is the peanut sauce and crispy vegan…read morechicken on rice. Of course the classic Thai curries are amazing also.

Smoothie Review…read more Smoothie: Fresh Blended Mango, Banana, Orange Juice, Apple Juice & Honey. Strong tastes of citrus with hints of banana and sweetness from the honey! + Fast and friendly service + Nice outdoor seating - Single item smoothie selection

this was a wonderful spot to stop for breakfast! The service was wonderful, ambience was fun and…read moreunique and the coffee was exquisite! Definitely would recommend.

Being vegan, the fact Mondays is a 5 minute walk from where I live is a wonderful thing. Hannah of…read moreHealth Yeah and Eleanor Ozich of Petite Kitchen have joined forces to bring organic whole food to people out of a cute cafe in Kingsland. Tucked down a driveway off the main road, watch for the sign and follow the gold arrows down to a range of gluten free, sugar free and dairy free food. In the cabinet daily is fresh pressed juices, nut milks and kombucha along with raw desserts from The Raw Kitchen and other daily changing glorious healthy, nourishing organic delights. First time I went, I bought the tiramisu although the vegan rhubarb and coconut cake was tempting. Keep an eye on their Facebook page which serves as an ever changing visual menu. Yes, there is coffee. Get down to Mondays and nourish yourself.

Not was I was expecting but still utterly delightful!…read more As Tracey mentioned, Mondays is owned and operated by two well-known food bloggers, who have a passion for organic, natural and nourishing food. I follow both of them on instagram and their pictures are always incredible - who knew healthy food could look so good! Anyway, three weeks after opening I finally made it to their new store in for lunch with Dad. It's a lot smaller than I expected with a row of window seats and a couple of tables outside. All up, it would seat 15pax max. As for the food, they had three options - all of which came in takeaway containers. Dad went for a vegetarian noodle salad, which was kind of like a healthy pad thai. He seemed pretty chuffed with his choice and after stealing a forkful, I understood why! Full of flavour, fresh, light, delicious. I opted for the tomato, lentil and preserved lemon soup, which came with a warm bread roll and butter. A real winter warmer! We couldn't resist sharing a piece of raw, vegan tiramisu cheesecake to finish. It was expensive but pretty incredible. A nutty base with smooth layers of coffee and vanilla sprinkled with raw cacao powder. A fabulous addition to Kingsland! Stop in for coffee and cake on a sunny day or pick up lunch to takeaway.