Of course I'm partial to Filipino food when looking to try a new restaurant. But even for those who…read moreare not familiar with the culinary fare of the Philippines, this is a must-try restaurant. I'd wholeheartedly vote for the Crispy Pata as their best dish. This is simply deep fried pork hock that comes with a special dipping sauce. I used to have this at least once a month back in Manila, so to say that I have pretty good experience with it would be an understatement. And let me tell you, the Crispy Pata at Turo Turo is one of the best I've tried. The meat is so tender and flavorful but the skin is thin and crispy. It's perfect with a bottle of ice cold beer. Don't miss out on the soup (Bulalo), Lumpiang Shanghai and their other dishes. For dessert, get the Biko (rice cake). Everything is decently priced -- between $15 to $30 per meal, some of them big enough to share. This is definitely Filipino food done well.

I had never tried Filipino food before, but after hearing about dishes like 'Adobo' and 'Crispy…read morePata' from my Filipino friend on the bus, I knew I just had to try this cuisine out! I must admit, it took me quite a while to visit Turo Turo. I was nervous about trying a new cuisine and worried that I would not like the food. However, I am so glad I have finally been. A friend and I visited on a quiet Sunday evening for dinner and to try their intriguing desserts. Turo Turo is located in the Glen Innes shops - there is plenty of parking and the train station is just across the road. Turo Turo also opens out onto the main square, so it would be a perfect place to eat on a balmy night, while watching the kids play outside. Upon arrival, we first noticed the size of the restaurant - small compared to usual places I eat at, the simple décor and the basic set up of tables. Also, when we walked in, no one there to greet us. Instead, I mistook a customer for one of the staff members! So embarrassing! However, when the waitress finally came out to help us, she was very friendly and sweet. From the menu, we ordered the 'Lomi' (noodles with pork or chicken and vegetables in a thick savoury soup), the 'Siomai' (steamed pork dumplings) and of course, highly recommended by my Filipino friend, the 'Adobo' (we chose pork and it is cooked in vinegar and soy sauce). The Adobo also came with rice. Everything was great. The dumplings flavoursome, the noodles and broth tasty and the Adobo was just how I imagined it. The pork was cooked perfectly and it was unlike anything I have ever tasted before - which is a good thing! We also ordered dessert. I had been recommended the 'Sans Rival' (a layered dessert of meringue wafer, butter cream, and crushed cashews), but unfortunately they had run out! Very disappointed! Next option was the 'Leche Flan' (a caramel custard dessert). OMG it was so sweet and delicious - highly recommend! My friend ordered the 'Ube Ice Cream' (homemade ice cream made out of purple yams). We couldn't believe it when we read it on the menu. Purple yams?!?! This too was delicious and a beautiful purple ice cream shade, which I have never seen before! Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Turo Turo. The food is delicious and I am so glad I finally decided to give Filipino food a try. If you are ever in the area, I recommend you try some Adobo or one of their funky desserts for something different and hey, it might even become your new favourite cuisine!

Surprisingly good. First time trying Filipino food and it's impressive. Ordered two tapas curry and…read moreeggplant, each tastes unique and refreshing, ordered rice to go with the curry, a special aroma in the rice so I finished everything couldn't any bits in the plate. Have no space for dessert will try next time as it sounds interesting from the menu. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to try the unique Asian taste and fusion. Added as one of my favourite spot.

I wanted to try Nanam with my Filipino friend so I could experience "real" Filipino food outside of…read morehis kitchen. In the past, he had only been able to name places NOT to try when I asked for Filipino restaurants. In the state of my delusional hunger, I found myself amused at the red "baos" that looked like fat cartoon tongues. These were the tacopao that you can fill with their sticky pulled pork, pickles, peanuts and the beautiful pork chicarron - crunchy fried pork rinds. I found out later that they're red because of the beetroot. These were part of the AYO (assemble your own) dishes and definitely a stand out dish. The pulled pork was saturated with sauce and the baos were soft and bouncy. And the pork chicarron- ohh the pork chicarron - can I please take home a jar of these to scatter on top of my less than average meals? I could easily polish off three of these tacopaos on my own. Another AYO dish is the spiced chicken hearts or Sisig. Don't wrinkle your nose yet. I've been tricked into eating chicken hearts before and while I was enraged, I have to say, just get over it - be opened-minded and try new things! Mixed with egg, liver pate and garnished with more of the pork chicarron, it's a rich offering but it was beautifully balanced with the chestnut and spring onion salsa, and fresh lettuce leaves. Another highlight was the beef bistek which was skirt steak which was served with salsa verde, charred shallots, and sorrel butter. It was so heart-warming and cooked to medium rare by default. I found that every dish was generous with the sauce and the meat was beautiful and moist. Now onto the dessert - we had a pleasure of ordering "everything on the menu" which were Halo halo, Turon (crispy caramelised banana parfait) and sweetcorn ice cream. Honestly, order everything - it does not break the bank and every dessert is unique and moreish. The vibe of Nanam is casual, somewhere to have fun with your friends. With paint splattered distressed walls, it's a real turnaround from what used to be the fine-dining restaurant, Coco. Nanam is much more neighbourhood friendly, being just opposite from Ollie's the ice cream parlour and not just exclusive to Royal Oak $$$ house owners. I'd recommend going with a group so you can order more shared plates to try. They don't take bookings for less than 6 though so you'd really have to try your luck if you're going on a Friday or Saturday night. We found it surprisingly affordable, given the huge spread of plates and drinks we had over the whole night - it only amounted to around $30pp. I would gladly go back, and given the consistent standard of food we had that night - I wouldn't hesitate to try other dishes on the menu too.

Food was pretty good here but prices a little steep for what you get. We're from Hawaii, where…read moreAsian based food is the norm so our standards are high. I really enjoyed the salads/sides that came on each plate. It was nice to have some freshness with each bite. I really liked the Thai beef salad. We had been eating pretty heavy, so this was nice to have something with bright and light flavors. My Mom thought the duck had a mushy texture. Located around the corner from Giapo so good location to get dinner and dessert. Miann is also across the street but unfortunately I didn't get to try it.

Since its opening in 2015, Lucky Buddha still remains one of my favourite eateries in Auckland. It…read moreis situated on Fort Street, which is fast becoming a foodie mecca, with the likes of Ima Cuisine, Miann and Beirut and around the corner, my favourite ice creamery, Giapo. The first time I dined at Lucky Buddha, I didn't quite know what to expect, but after learning that the owners are Korean, the head chef is Filipino and that they are serving Asian fusion cuisine (namely Japanese, Korean, Thai and Filipino), I was really excited. I have since dined at Lucky Buddha four times, and each time has been a very memorable foodie experience. The food is fresh and flavourful, and the cocktail list and service is excellent. Below, I list my favourite dishes and drinks at Lucky Buddha. For food, I recommend the following: * Sriracha Pork Steamed Buns filled with tender pulled pork, fresh herbs and a cracker spicy peanut sauce. This is my favourite entree on the menu as it has that melt in your mouth wow factor. The bao comes in a pair, so I recommend sharing it with another dining companion, so you can share a few other entrees! * Wakame Salad with Cured Salmon served with creamy avocado, crispy nori, foam and puffed rice. This dish incorporates two of my favourite foods - salmon and avocado, so I knew it would be a winner. The puffed rice and crispy nori gives the dish great texture. * Soba Noodle Salad with Avocado and Teriyaki Chicken - this is the perfect lunch dish! It is another great combination (soba noodles, avocado and teriyaki chicken), is extremely filing (carb + protein x2) and will keep you going for the rest of the afternoon. My favourite part of this dish is the fried crunchy soba noodles on top! * Bibimbap with Korean mixed rice, seasonal vegetables, soy beef and gochujang. Bibimbap is a classic Korean dish and also one of my favourite meals, so I was super excited to try Lucky Buddha's version. I tried this dish only a few weeks' ago, and it is now my new favourite! I loved the presentation, with the brightly coloured veg, flavoursome beef and semi-raw egg. The fun part of Bibimbap is that you get to mix all the ingredients together! Just one sad note - no kimchi. For drinks, I highly recommend trying one of their cocktails. Their cocktail list changes frequently, some of which are only on the menu according to the season. I have so far enjoyed the Dark Stormy Asian cocktail with Mount Gay XO rum, ginger, herb bitters and citrus (a highlight the first time I dined at Lucky Buddha) and the Heavens Surprise cocktail with Herradura Plata tequila, watermelon, mint and elderflower - I just HAD to order this cocktail as it incorporated my favourite food and my favourite spirit! It was refreshing and delicious. Lucky Buddha also has a small wine and sake list and a range of Asian beers on offer, including a beer of the same name. For a non-alcoholic option, try one of their iced teas or house made sodas. If the above is not enough to tempt you, then another reason why you should dine at Lucky Buddha is because of their excellent service. Each time I have visited, staff are friendly and efficient, water glasses are always topped up and you don't have to wait long for your food. Overall, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Lucky Buddha. Thinking about it now, it definitely makes my top five list in Auckland, for its Asian Fusion menu (featuring Japanese, Thai, Filipino and Korean classics), refreshing cocktails and consistently good service. I highly recommend dining at Lucky Buddha the next time you're out!

We visited Birkenhead to eat somewhere different and found the sign for 3 Kings and the menu…read moreoffered much choice. The wait staff are the Filipino owners and very friendly and welcoming. We ordered drinks, entrees and mains, and food was timely and accurate. Entrees we had the shanghai spring rolls which were obviously hand made and very tasty, although expensive at $15. We also had the pork belly and tofu in vinegar entree which was well flavoursome and balanced. We chose two vegetarian mains and both were unique, tasty, and although fairly small dishes they were enjoyable. The entrees and mains are more like Asian style sharing plates. Would suggest getting 3 per person for a hungry dinner guests.

My friends and I were craving Filipino food while visiting Auckland & found nanam- a family owned…read morebusiness! It was my friends bday and he found this place for us- we didn't know what to expect, however we left with such a beautiful experience. The food, service & ambience were all a 10/10! We ordered the sharing feast which is about $75 per person. It was just the three of us so they were able to customize the menu to our needs. We were able to swap the fish for chicken. My favorite dishes were the wagyu sausage "longganisa" , lamb "adobo" croquettes, crispy pork hock "pata" and krispy kumara (not pictured).

Visiting from the states and this was by far our favorite place. The staff was quick and courteous…read moreand the setting is beautiful. We enjoyed a little bit of everything with the pre-show tapas and kraut salad.

Best of the best! I can't say enough good things about this place after just one lunch visit. The…read morelettuce cups, an ornate chicken salad, explodes with flavor, texture and shear beauty. I followed the bang bang with the most meaty seafood shu mai ever. There is no question that the seafood shu mai are seafood, the shrimp are large, delicious and plentiful in the filling. The dishes of dipping oil and soy were also seasoned and not just poured from a bottle. Service was friendly and the decor beautiful and comfortable. A must visit place in Auckland !

We went here for dinner for the evening of Sat 22 June…read more Fang is tucked away in the middle of a newish building at 100 Parnell Road. Parking is pretty good that part of Parnell and so once we walked all the way into the depths of the building on the ground floor all was well. We were seated quickly, and had our waitress come with water and to answer any additional questions promptly. She recommended a number of sharing plates, which was fine by us as we thought that would probably be a good way to go anyway. We started off with some of the lotus chips which were awesome. We then received a selection of dishes including lamb short ribs, crispy pork ribs (a winner), supposedly very spicy bang bang chicken in lettuce cups (it wasn't that spicy but had a bit of kick and was delicious too), Crispy squid tentacles were also a popular choice. The kung pao soft shell crab was tasty but a bit small serving wise, and the dumplings all tasty too. The pork belly was average, nothing wrong with it but not a standout. My wife especially liked the slow cooked beef shin. Service was excellent, food was tasty and interesting, restaurant a little dimly lit but very cool nevertheless (perhaps better for dates than family dining but I'm being picky here). My only quibble is value, it's not bad value for money but it wasn't great value either. If it were slightly cheaper I wouldn't hesitate to score it 5/5. However, that is not a deterrent to me wanting to try the restaurant again, as the Rest of the package was all of a very high standard. We will be back for sure.