This place came highly recommended by many. Quick easy simple meals at reasonable price…read more The place- spacious, decent amount of seats, but won't make you feel claustrophobic like many Chinese restaurants. The lighting could be a bit brighter. The food- can't really classify them into any particular style. They serve pretty much every style of Asian dishes including Japanese, Koran, Chinese, Thai. Has pretty much the most popular dish from each region. I went with the rule of don't try random stuff and go for the dish that's recommended. The beef noodle soup was for sure a good choice. The broth was hearty, hint of spiciness, good amount of noodles and thinly sliced beef. Very well cooked and essentially melts in your mouth. The chicken laksa was not as good as what you can get from a Malaysian restaurant north of Bombay. The drinks- bubble tea.. The service- friendly, no complaint.

I think my cousin found this restaurant on Trip Advisor or something so we made a stop here on our…read moreway to the hotel on our first night in New Zealand. Although this is more an Asian restaurant as opposed to being specifically Chinese, we were pleasantly surprised by the taste of the food since the selection was so broad and not as specialized/specific. We ordered a variety of dishes to share amongst our party of 6 and everything was pretty good. The servers were nice and pleasant, the food was pretty good, and the prices are reasonable. I would recommend checking this place out. (My mom and aunts wanted to come back again the next night which was a no-go considering we were in Rotorua by then and were not going to drive back).

I've had some gua baos from other Auckland eateries that serve fusion food. The reality is that…read morethey stuff the open-styled Chinese buns with something made in the kitchen and call it a gua bao. No. The trick to the tasty authentic guao bao is that fatty pork must be used - the pork belly type where you can count the layers. Juiced up with a beautiful sweet sauce and a touch of peanuts, it is literally heaven in the mouth. This is where the gua bao at Chinoiserie wins. The bun was surprisingly soft and fluffy, both to have there and takeaway. This is interesting because this type of bun usually dries and hardens when it cools. Think of the buns you have at yumcha when no one wants to eat it, and the peer pressured one is then faced with a cold hard white Chinese bun. The first time I tried Chinoiserie, I embarrassingly made friends take it away because I was stuck in glorious Auckland traffic. Them coming all the way from Christchurch to taste this, I was lucky the taste wasn't compromised! The second time I went with friends who had the authentic gua baos in Taiwan, and it was a unanimous thumbs up. The only difference is that the ones there are usually made with pickled veggies instead of the colourful Western slaw. Unless you have a reason to: - don't order the tofu gua bao. The taste really paled in comparison to others. EAT SOME MEAT! - opt out for the fries. They are really just fries with a wasabi dip. Plus they were the skinny kind and I like the manly chunky ones. - opt out for the coconut crusted squid rings. They were a bit bland and there was no sign of coconut taste. - go somewhere else for dessert. The black sticky rice dessert seemed to be just a sliced assortment of ingredients scattered. Instead - order the pork gua bao. I normally don't even like pork but they are traditionally made with pork and once you taste it you'll know why. - in fact order 2. Because if you have a normal appetite, one gua bao won't totally fill you up. You'll need sides. - try Erk's Sticky Chicken Nibbles. A touch of spicyness - so good. - get the fresh coconut. You'll also get a spoon to scrap the sides for coconut flesh! I can happily say Owairaka Ave is turning into quite a trendy place to eat out thanks to Chinoiserie and L'oeuf. The menu is simple and you order at the till. No table service or waiters there to pick up white serviettes that drop when you stand up. Just satisfyingly tasty food.

As a Mt Albert resident I am proud to say that we have one of Auckland's coolest bars. Not in a…read morefancy, trendy way but more like a bar/restaurant that became the legendary place of the neighborhood as soon as it opened it's doors. The whole concept is in my opinion quite humorous - turning a cheap local Chinese takeaway into this effortlessly awesome bar. Interior decor - Chinoiserie is a very cozy, friendly place with a unique, hip look. Just like L'Oeuf it is somewhere in between modern and retro with a very cool dragon graffiti on the wall and the usual gorgeous plants just popping out on every shelf and hanging from the ceiling. Paper umbrellas were used in place of lamp shades to emphasize the oriental look. Staff - lovely as always they are very helpful and organized, happy to have a chat and make you feel like at home. Menu - very simple with 4 options for gua bao (steamed buns), some slaw, chicken nibbles, squid rings and 2 dessert options. So easy to order and yet so tasty and delicious. As for drinks they have a few beers and this summer's favourite - Coco Loco! Food - ordered at the counter just like a standard takeaway but then you get this great quality and high standard food full of flavours that reminds you that these guys are serious when it comes to serving gourmet food. Price - very affordable and good value for money. The real beauty of this place is it's unique atmosphere - very chilled out and relaxing. You can walk into Chinoiserie and forget about the outside world. Flavours take you on a journey and when it's time to leave you feel like you are going back home from a vacation.

One of the better, more authentic Taiwanese food places around Auckland…read more Great Chicken Cutlet and Pork Cutlets on rice. Portions are quite large. Really busy around dinner time as they are a small site and have very limited seating. Owners were former chefs of Iguacu in Parnell.

Definitely recommend the Beef Noodle Soup ($11). It's flavourful and filled with lots of tender…read morebeef. The chicken cutlet was a little soft and the coating fell away when picked up - not as good as we expected. My sister thought the smelly tofu was the most authentic you could get in Auckland. Would not recommend the milk tea, even though it's only $2.50!

A Taiwanese comfort food restaurant. Great find in the Remuera mall. It's sort of hidden, we drove…read morepass here many times before we saw it. The place- spacious, clean, mostly two and four seaters. Constant stream of customers but not over crowded. The mall offers free parking. The food- go for the beef noodle soup. One of the most popular dish. Well seasoned and the meat was very tender. The portion looked small but was actually more than I thought. They give you a lot of meat compare to other restaurants and the bowl is actually very deep. Other dishes mainly involve a serving og meat plus a bowel of rice with meat sauce and 3 side dishes. Very good value. The service- friendly, no complaint Drinks- selection of dessert drinks. Was too full after the noodle soup so I didn't get to try. Would definitely come back here again.

I agree with Tony L.. Just had the beef noodle myself and was very satisfied. Will come again to…read moretry the Simmered Pork Balls, was told those are good!

I ordered matcha slushy with boba & pudding and it was very good! My friend's favorite is hot hot…read morematcha milk tea. Service is prompt & friendly. Ambiance is ok.

Best boba around! Tried to find a place to compare with USA boba and this does!! Love it.read more

Came in for dinner. Not the best Taiwanese food I've had (outside of Taiwan) but not bad for NZ…read more Yan su ji was spot on. Liang main just so so. Chicken rice also so so. Prices are reasonable. Back in LA I'd give this 2 or 3* bit it deserves 4 for NZ.

Came here while visiting Auckland for a quick lunch based on what I'd read online. It's a small…read morefood stall that accepts cash or Eftpos only. For two, we ordered the pork belly rice bowl and the XL extreme fried chicken, plus a milk tea. That was the perfect amount for two hungry tourists. The chicken was delicious - a mix of so many different spices and flavors, with the perfect crisp and crunch. The pork belly was really lovely as well - juicy pork belly over a bed of rice and salad. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting for a quick and affordable lunch.

From the owner: Kai Eatery started in Auckland in 2016 as a night market stall. As there was a minimal existence of…read morerestaurants from Taiwan, Kai decided to build an eatery that showcases Taiwanese cuisine. It all began with the XL Fried Chicken. Beautifully marinated on the inside, generously coated on the outside and fried to perfection each time. Due to the markets being in different locations every day, they searched high and low for a permanent home and eventually settled in 1 Rutland St, CBD. Now Kai Eatery is open for 8 or more hours a day to serve the best Fried Chicken and much more!

Urge is consistently exceeding my expectations, both with their service and with the high quality…read morefood. They have an outstanding selection of teas, chocolates, and baked goods. When I go to Urge (and this is quite often!), I usually order eggs benedict with bacon or salmon. Compared with other establishments in Hamilton, Urge stands apart from them all. Here's why: the hollandaise is made on sight every morning by the cafe owners. Hollandaise at other cafes are usually too thick or too soupy to be edible. Urge's hollandaise is perfection! Having travelled the world and having frequented cafes in London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, etc, etc, I can say that Urge stands up with the best! Besides that they offer a wonderful breakfast, they also have amazing coffee and an incredibly large selection of teas. The coffee is never burnt (it's very common in New Zealand and in Hamilton especially for baristas to burn the coffee), is the correct mix of milk if you want a latte or a flat white (there is a difference, and that difference is lost on most baristas in New Zealand!), and is hot (again and weirdly, New Zealand baristas prefer to serve cold coffee!). As for tea, you may ask for anything and they will serve it to you. I found this stunning because usually tea shops prefer not to serve something in-house from one of their loose leaf tins. Granted, I neither instruct food & beverage classes nor do I have a tizzy because my eggs benedict weren't served centred on my plate. So, maybe you'll just have to check out Urge on your own and get disappointed by the stellar service and delicious eats. Have a go!

Friendly staff & the best late in NZ…read more Okay, NZ has some good coffee. Whatever Urge did made it fantastic! I got a medium roast in a glass w/ skim milk, and they added 1 teaspoon of organic sugar and it made my mouth sing! WaAaAaA. Also, the staff was extremely friendly and talkative. Knew the regulars by name when they walked in, and asked if they wanted the usual. Yes, this is the best cup of joe I had in the land of the Kiwi. Highly recommended.