NEW ADDRESS! One of my best meals in Auckland so fire ramen and beef skewers are the hitters…read moredefinitely hit if you love Japanese you won't regret 5/5

Awesome yakitori joint! Felt transported back to Japan eating at Ken's. I lived in and around Tokyo…read morefor two years and this place took me back. If you want GREAT food late night, hit up Ken's Yakitori. Ken-san is a master at his craft. His movements at the grill are rhythmic, the way he works the skewers from hot spots to low spots, the meats were all cooked perfectly. Tender, moist, lightly charred, and so flavorful. And the sides were just as good! We had the karaage, OMG the best karaage, the ramen, the curry rice, edamame, miso shiru. If you want something delicious to eat late at night, Ken Yakitori is the place to be!

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.

Several months before we started our cruise, we had already arranged to spend a few days in…read moreAuckland after disembarkation. I knew the location of our post-cruise hotel and looked up several nearby eateries and convenience stores in the CBD. I was fortunate to find Odettes Eatery, among other restaurants and businesses, across the street from our hotel at the City Works Depot. We had an early breakfast on board before disembarking. Still, when I mentioned eating lunch across the street at Odettes Eatery to my sisters and husband, they heartily agreed to the restaurant's Mediterranean and North African menu. It was peak lunch hour, but we managed to walk in, where we were welcomed and seated by a cheery hostess. Within a few minutes, our friendly and happy server, Jacob, came by to introduce himself, suggest thirst-quenching beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and describe menu items we weren't sure about, given the menu's limited descriptions. It took us a few minutes to decide on our meals while Jacob piqued our interest with his suggestion of their thirst-quenching Honey and Ginger Lemonade, along with glasses of iced water, giving us a little more time to decide. FOOD: -Flatbread Lunch Special (Gurnard with Romesco): two large strips of golden-fried panko-coated cod-like textured topped a wood-fired flatbread slathered with smoky, nutty, and slightly spicy Romesco sauce. The crisp, fried, panko-coated fish was complemented by lightly dressed, fresh, shredded cabbage and herbs. I asked Jacob to identify the type of fish used in this dish, as my family and I thought it might have been cod or monkfish, but Jacob said it was locally caught gurnard fish. My older sister practically single-handedly devoured this lunch special, but I was happy to have tasted a bit of the crisp fried panko-coated fish. NZ$29/NZ$39 incl beverage -Seared Snapper, Greens, Wild Rice, and Soy Green Goddess: The grilled pieces of fish were "buttery" moist, delicately sweet, and their firm white flesh flaked well. The mild-tasting fish was enhanced by a squeeze of freshly grilled lemon and lightly dressed greens. I preferred the grilled preparation to the deep-fried gurnard. NZ$46 -Chips: My husband and eldest sister zeroed in on the chips, AKA thick-cut, deep-fried potatoes, after reading their accompaniments of berbère, honey mustard, and curry leaves. Although I shared my seared snapper with them, I barely got two pieces of the crispy, on the outside and soft, fluffy, interior, deep-fried chips before my husband and eldest sister stuffed themselves. NZ$16 -Chargrilled Chicken Skewers: The three skewers of chargrilled, juicy, and tender chicken had been seasoned with paprika and turmeric. The chicken skewers were accompanied by toum, a Lebanese garlic sauce, and a few guindillas (Basque Spanish pickled chili peppers). My husband and eldest sister shared the chicken skewers and chips as their meals, exclaiming they'd return for more during our additional 3-day post-cruise stay. NZ$45 -Green Salad: This simple family-sized green salad of green leaf lettuce leaves, radicchio, and sliced cucumbers and radishes was lightly dressed with a semi-sweet, floral, and rich-tasting muscat vinegar and olive oil. This green salad was refreshing, healthy-tasting, and very shareable. NZ$16 Everything about Odettes Eatery from its flavors, food presentation, excellent and friendly service, comfortable ambiance, and value, to me, warrants a 5-star rating from me. They were so good that we returned for lunch with our New Zealand friends.

We just arrived into town and needed a quick bite for late breakfast…read more We were so happy to find Odettes because the food was fantastic. The flavors were outstanding and food presentation was unique. Staff were friendly and service was spot on. The outdoor seating was lovely. We noticed the indoor environment was beautiful as well. Definitely great place for food and coffee!

Wonderful setting and best fish and chips we have had…read more Waitress (Nitee)was very helpful with perfect wine selection

By far the best restaurant out by Half Moon Bay marina. Great setting, friendly and easy going…read moreatmosphere and pretty decent food. I often drop in for a coffee and a breakfast. Portions are good and if I'm not too hungry, big enough to share. Do not order their Poke Bowl - extremely terrible. Everything else is good though! Good beer selections and photogenic plates. Would definitely recommend!

One of the best places I ate in New Zealand on this visit. Whoever is in the kitchen is cooking and…read morecreating with love. Dishes just bursting with flavor, beautifully presented. Attentive service, lovely decor.

Happened to stumble upon this place was found it absolutely adorable so decided to give it a try…read more I arrived at 4:45pm and didn't know their dinner menu began at 5. My party was seated in the noisy section of the bar so I asked if we could be moved to the dining room as we wanted to have an early dinner. The waiter said "NO, you cannot sit there. The dinner room is being set for dinner service" He then proceeded to point at the area whilst a table of guests were getting seated. Does this mean 5 pakeha guests get different treatment from 3 asian ones? Who knows. Don't need to find out though. Drinks are good and food oily but delicious.

I love yakitori and this place did it well. A nice stroll in the CBD and we popped in. Luckily…read more there was no theatre so it was pleasant and quiet, with a great early 2000s playlist. Staring at the sidewalk sign pointing us downstairs. Big rectangular room with maybe 40 or 50 stools? Generous menu, great and attentive service. We are everything so fast I forgot to take pictures. The best skewer was the chicken and leek, with the steak sirloin and pork belly close behind. A warm welcoming room.

Truly an experience! I felt like I was back in Tokyo. The lighting, decor, and the 80's music made…read morefor a good vibe. The food was great for drinking beer! We had the snapper salad, salmon, pork belly, grilled veggies, chicken thighs, everything was great. Definitely worth checking this place out if you're hanging out in AKL.

We decided to dine here in our first night in Auckland on recommendation of our hotel. It was just…read morea short walk from where we were staying. Ostro has a somewhat limited menu but several tantalizing options. We both opted for the nightly fish special (grouper with a lovely basil sauce) and for sides the Parmesan beignets (more aptly described as croquettes) and some broccolini. The fish was perfectly prepared and the the croquettes just melted in your mouth-I could have eaten a ton of those (an order was around 7 and was served with a chipotle mayo). Service was attentive with water and wine glasses filled on a regular basis. The petit four (dessert) was a bit pricey with 3 small one-bite mini desserts but they were all good and not too sweet. The restaurant has a lovely view of the harbor from their 2nd floor location. It's all glass looking out to the sea. We enjoyed the meal and felt well taken care of. Recommended

Dined June 27, 2014…read more What a happening place this is. The evening was most memorable. Four of us dined here, and were thoroughly enchanted by the food. Service was good, though we all commented that the scene is so busy, and the acoustics so lousy, that we were almost yelling at each other to be heard in an attempt to have a conversation across a narrow dining table. Starters to share for the table were the Kingfish Crudo, $18 & Pumpkin Ravioli, $24. The marinated and cured kingfish (citrus/ginger based) was filling, and the added chili provided some punch, but otherwise was lackluster. However, the ravioli was the star and we all commented that we each would order it as our own individual entrée. Mains that we enjoyed were Steamed snapper w/ assorted shellfish,$38, Beef filet, $38 and Pork belly, $38. While the portion size was very adequate for three of us (see photos), yet the gentleman who had the pork belly commented that it was more sizzle and substance, and felt unsated and desirous of more food. Flavors on everything were excellent, and the beef filet was perfectly cooked, with a seared exterior. Desserts were: Chocolate fondant, $16, Crème Brule, $16, and cinnamon donuts, $9 for the other gentleman. The gentleman who ordered the pork belly had the donuts, and was appeased by the generous quantity, if only it had the taste to enjoy. We all had an opportunity to sample one, and we all agreed it was the losing dessert of the night. Everything else was easily devoured. All in all, a positive evening. I would return, but only on a quieter night so I could hear my dining companions.

Wow....just unbelievably wow. If you are in Auckland, this is the restaurant to make reservations…read moreat. You will fall in love with this place and will want to come back again and again. First off, hats off to the owners for doing such an impeccable job on the decor and design. From the intricate restaurant design, the lush comfy chairs, the menu layout, the mocktails, and even the rustic bathrooms were all very impressive. Now let's get down to the food. We started off with the shumai dumplings with peanut sauce. The skin of the shumai was so soft and thin which I truly appreciate because you can taste the stuffing better. The peanut sauce was nutty and savory and extremely addicting! Next we had the salt and pepper tofu with a vinegar sauce. The flavors here were a bit flat and needed more of a peppery taste but the presentation of this dish made it worth it. The chicken satay was super tender and juicy. The creamy sauce with the savory clear vinegar sauce worked really well together. The ribs had a yummy flavor but the meat could have been a bit softer. I recommend doing a broil for the ribs at the end so the sauce gets a nice caramel. To top it off we ended the night with the mango pudding. It was a hard decision but we liked the refreshing flavors. There was a lot of stuff going on in this dessert, but was still impressed with the details in textures. We hope to be back here one day!

Very nice! I loved the interior design, the bar looks full and inviting, the tables are not too…read moreclose, great chairs at the bar where you can watch the chefs cook in real time real food, the booths look comfy for a group, nice accessories around the room, really nice clean bathrooms with awesome music in there:) Food is real, fresh and nicely cooked , great presentation to it, and very tasty. I like it how the portions are designed to share and they come out the kitchen when done without seating on a counter to wait for other meal to be ready. Nice timing in serving: extra fresh!!! We went twice and definitely would go back.