Malaysian street food We really enjoyed our dinner here. We…read moretried the chicken curry with rice and roti, char kway teow and sambal green beans and we ordered pisang goreng (banana fritters) for dessert! The flavours were authentic and we're so pleased to be able to eat good Malaysian food in Auckland.

Worth the drive out of the city center for authentic Malaysian Food. Ordered the Satay, curry…read morepuff, roti, prawn mee and Nasi Lemak. All in good portions and very tasty. There is another branch in the middle of city center but this one is more conveniently located with lots of free street parking. The ambiance is lively and loud as you would expect at a hawker stall. The wait staff is very friendly and efficient. We'd definitely come back again!

Unfortunately, the Henderson Night Market should be renamed Asian Night Market. Reason is because…read morethat is all the food that is available.... Gone is the variety....no more mussel fritters, decent tasting cheesecakes, ribs, gozleme, and any other food of interest. As far as the other stall are concerned.......if you want phone covers, hats, socks or cheap asian toys, you have come to the right place. Every second stall sells the same thing. My recommendation.....don't waste your time. Go to the mall for variety

Yet another night market which is now one of several that open on different days of the week. In…read moreHenderson's case it is on a Friday and usually turns out to be a very busy place . There is of course the usual array of various food stalls, mostly Asian but still some other cuisine choices too. I have never had any complaint with the food I have had from any of the stalls here. There is other stalls selling what I think of as mostly rubbish like clothes, mobile cases etc , not worth looking at. With some singers playing during the night it makes for a not bad way to kill a few hours on a Friday.

For us, the monthly visit to the night market is really just entertainment for the kids and a very…read morecheap dinner. I love any Asian/Indian/ethno food so can always find something to keep the wolf from the door. There is a wide range of cuisines: Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Philipino, Hungarian, Hong Kong, Pacific Island, and more plus a plethora of post prandial sweets. The food quality at some stalls might be a bit iffy - I suppose at $6 they won't be using the best ingredients, but I have never been sick!!. Sometimes I wonder about the hygiene too but fingers crossed... A lot of the food is in bain maries pre-cooked but the last two meals I've had have been cooked on the spot. It always amazes me that there is a huge queue for churros, which must be the most over-rated snack ever - flavourless dough sticks covered in a sauce of choice. Having said that though I wish I owned that business because the queues reach out the door and they are making a killing!! As at the time of writing this, the Pakuranga market is getting overcrowded. We went last night, arriving at 6pm opening time and it was already extremely busy. We were glad to be in and out within 30 minutes because it was becoming uncomfortably congested. If the crowds continue to grow, the market will need to expand its area. If I was designing the space I would move the "dining" tables to an area away from the throng of hungry punters trying to buy food. And in my perfect world pushchairs would be BANNED from all pedestrian areas!! Why, oh why, do people bring push chairs into crowded pedestrian areas? Dumb. I recommend the night market for a bit of frivolous fun on an evening when you have nothing else on and want to take the kids out for some low key entertainment and dinner. The "shopping" is best avoided unless you want fruit and veges. However, if on the other hand, you have an urge to offload your cash on $2 Shop junk, costume jewellery, flannelette onesies, carvings, mobile phone covers and accessories, a (fully-clothed) back/neck massage, ear candles, cheap and nasty nail polish and nail art, a dubious fortune telling, or second-hand bric-a-brac then this will be your Shangri-la!

Awesome place to have a super unhealthy Friday night dinner. The cuisine there is just so varied u…read morecan have anything u cud think of.. Obviously cheap food.. As for the shopping.. There are a few vege stores and a lot of cheap low quality stuff, items that may entertain children..

Oi my gosh, this was exactly what I needed today! I have had Lucky Taco's tacos many times, but…read moretoday was the first time I tried the De Sesos (lamb brains) and Lucky Lengua (beef tongue) tacos! One thing I have always appreciated was that fact that their tacos have an amazing balance of citrus, creamy (I think it's the avo cream/sour cream), spice, and savoury. And if it's not hot enough the jalapeño hot sauce will do the trick if it's not spicy enough! The beef was divine - whatever they marinated it in was amazing. Literally hit the nail on the head. It was juicy, tender, and slightly spicy. Honestly I didn't now what to expect anyway as I can't remember what beef tongue tastes like. If it were a blind tasting I probably wouldn't have guessed tongue! The brains were... Interesting. It was kind of yellowish-greenish in colour. It was swimming in all sorts of greenery and cabbage though so colour palette-wise it actually complimented well! However it had sort of a weird consistency (what do you expect it's brains!) and did not have as much flavour as the tongue. Love the Lucky Taco, love what they are doing. I'd go back for the tongue and Horchata (it's a must and dials down the spice), but I wouldn't run back for the brains. It's novel though, so I'd recommend trying it.

Last year, I discovered The Lucky Taco at The Auckland Food Show and it is definitely one of my…read morefavourite foodie experiences to date! Delicious authentic tacos in either a corn or flour tortilla plus an agua de horchata (sweetened, iced rice milk infused with cinnamon) and you're all set for the day! The owners (Sarah and Otis Frizzell) are so lovely, that you will definitely want to go back! The second time I encountered The Lucky Taco was at The Auckland Food Show this year. They had a great set up at the show and their tacos were just as delicious as the year before. I was also really excited to see Sarah and Otis again and even more excited to try their Pulled Pork Taco. It is absolutely delicious, a bit spicy, but oh so good! They also have a great little set up along Ponsonby Road which I have taken a long time to visit, however, three weeks ago I did! It was the most beautiful sunny day and I just happened to be walking in the area. I tried the 'Breakfast Taco' - spicy chorizo sausage plus an egg (ohmygawd delicious!) and a Pulled Pork Taco, which has a great kick! It will forever be my favourite taco! Sarah and Otis were as friendly as ever and there were many people queuing up for their tacos - you will definitely find out why once you try one! (Or two or three in my case!)

My first visit to the night market this evening for dinner and I was happy to see a good crowd -…read moremostly lots of families from tots to teens - so much so that all the seats were taken inside the hall; so we joined the 'others', spilling out onto the grassy patch to the side of the community centre, all the park benches scattered around the place also had firmly planted bottoms. We tried the freshly squeezed juice as a thirst quencher, was delicious, and only $5 since it was their first time at the market, which by the way started in June. To eat, was also a first-time-stall-holder, a large plate of falafels, with homemade dips, soft cheese, ample ample olives, flat bread, small cheese filled capsicums, dolmades and probably some other tasty portions I have lost in my memory and digestive tract, all for just $7! He was also selling lots of the marinated goodies in little take away containers and had baklava which we were going to try, but ended up opting for the juice instead. There was a variety of different types of food ethnicities to sample and a coffee stall and home made fudge to end the meal nicely if you wished - bon apetite!

Open up my pantry and you will find lots of large plastic spice jars that have travelled here from…read moremy local market in Takapuna. As I can't possibly cook a meal without adding some spices I frequently visit Ted, the Jolly Chef. His stand is just behind Burger King and he has been selling his jolly products at this very market for 16 odd years already. In fact, he only sells his various herbs, spices, chutneys and mustards in Takapuna and nowhere else. His 85 years don't stop him from pitching up his stand every Sunday before 6am - in fact, coming to the market is a hobby for him and he prepares and fills all the jars at his home in Northcote. You will find pretty much every spice you can think of at a cost that's well below any supermarket produce. Ted's mixed herbs and paprika spice up pretty much all of my dishes and if I can ever convince anyone to tuck into some German-style sauerkraut with me Ted's juniper berries won't be missing. Don't ever retire Ted! Please note that Ted does not have a website so I have provided the one of the Takapuna market.

I truly adore the Jolly Chef stand at the Takapuna markets, I believe that its products like this…read morethat make customers come back time and time again, for real quality. My favorite Jolly Chef product is the chilli tomato sauce. Quite simply put its the best I have ever tried. Its hard to perfect simplicity sometimes, but the Jolly Chef seems to nail it on the head. I have been coming to the Takapuna Markets frequently for the past 2 years and always pop over with my family to see what other delights we can spice up our meals with. Delightful flavors, herbs, salts, spices and sauces. You name it the Jolly Chef probably has it. The kind "Jolly Chef" mans his stall and is always super friendly and polite whenever we pop over for our usual buys.

The Grey Lynn Festival is a wonderful display of art, music, food, and products that reflect our…read moremulti cultural society here in Auckland. Held annually towards the end of November, I am always eager to visit the festival, listen to some fantastic local music, eat exotic ethnic delights, and shop to my heart's content at the many clothes, and arty craft stalls. The crowds seem to get larger every year, last year 2012 the Grey Lynn Festival was sadly cancelled due to terrible weather. I have in the past purchased neat hand crafted woollen pillows for the love seat at home, and natural fibre baby clothing made by Nature Baby. There is always enough space to throw a blanket down and enjoy the sun and awesome music. This festival has a vibe set at peace and unity and keeps the crowd sweet as bro.

Bring a blanket, bring a brolly. Buy an artwork and a folly. Have some laughs, hear some songs,…read more'Tis the place to get along. A good afternoon with a community feel.

The churro was very nice. My servers name was Namrata from The Base Mall in Hamilton, she was very…read morekind and considerate of how I like the churro. She seems like a very greatful, upbeat worker! Very easy to talk to :))

Tasty churros and friendly service. Love the caramel sauce and the drizzle option is my favoriteread more

Had their pizza last night. It was freshly made before me. What a great pie of pizza. I ordered the…read moreMargarita pizza. Thank you Jessa and Jason for a delicious late night dinner. We made it before 830pm which is their closing hours. Thank you both for making my pizza dinner so memorable

This is a gloriously dilapidated pizzeria that epitomizes the home of pizza - Naples, were I learnt…read morea lesson or two about not always judging a restaurant by its shabby, faded signs and paint peeling exterior! The fabulous aroma of freshly cooked pizza and the sights of the chirpy, flour covered lads pulling bubbling pizzas from the wood oven are the first reassuring signs that these guys know their stuff. As for the taste and quality of the pizzas they really are a true feast for the senses. The pizza bases are light, airy and the perfect level of crisp. The toppings generous and full of flavour. Picollo offers glorious pizza at reasonable prices that are prepared in true Italian fashion! So head down to Swanson for a little bit of a Naples experience!

The Takapuna Night Market is just a perfect opportunity to sample some tasty local food stalls and…read moresee what the crafty designers are making and selling at the stalls. I popped in early to the markets and watched them set up this afternoon as the bright fall sun beamed happily away, and could sense a real peace and serenity of the community markets. Stall owners happily chit chatted away to each other, as they completed last minute preparation of food. I walked past a organic fruit stall from Kumeu named Fruit Bros the two guys selling apples, pears, and green and purple grapes were young hip guys, and raved that they had spray free organic fruit. They gave me a free apple for my little one to have, and since I was out of fruit at home, I promised them I would return with some cash from the ATM. I love the setting, it's relaxed, and placed right on and around Hurstmere Green, you have a lot of neat natural wooden seats to chill on, and beautiful trees and plants surround the grounds. I love the variety of food as well- Indian, Mexican, European, to name a few and lots of delicious dessert stalls too, they have the Spanish Churros stall which is to die for. A perfect finish to a hard worked Thursday.

Takapuna Beach Night Markets are not to be missed!…read more Happening every Thursday night in the summer season from 5pm to 9pm, they bring together both locals and newcomers to the area to consume street food and just have a jolly good time! While day markets are cool too, night markets tend to have a completely different atmosphere. All the stalls lit up against the inky blackness, in the balmy humidity that constitute Auckland summer nights is a really cool sight to see and is popular for this very reason. Watch out for the Austrian specialty sweet treat 'Sweet Chimneys ' -so good they make me happy when skies are grey. If you choose too you could also whip down to Takapuna Beach for a night swim while your in the area too if the mood takes you!