Favourite Auckland Chinese noodle restaurant
We have SO many good Chinese restaurants in Auckland, it’s hard to pick. So I figured I’d zero right in specifically on noodle houses. Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle House and its handpulled noodles are where it’s at right now. Bonus points for being open through January, when most of the other Asian eateries along that stretch of Dominion Rd are still closed.
I’m also going to put in a quiet plug for my new local dumpling house, Mr Zhou in New Lynn. Quietly, because it’s already getting popular and I don’t want it to become overrun
Favourite Auckland Malaysian restaurant
We are blessed with an abundance of good Malaysian restaurants in Auckland – Mamak, Sri Pinang, Bunga Raya, and the list goes on.
But the best of all, IMO, is KK Malaysian in Epsom. There’s a reason it’s always packed, and usually with a pretty good mix of nationalities. Book ahead.
Oh, and if anyone can recommend a place to get GREAT assam laksa in Auckland? I’ll be forever in your debt. That dish is getting harder and harder to find.
Favourite Auckland Indian restaurant
Again, so many choices, but I’ll throw my hat in the ring with Satya. They have a few different branches but I’ve only ever been to the Sandringham one. Satya gets an extra gold star because they put on a free Christmas meal every year and offer to send out vouchers to anyone in need.
For vegetarians, Jai Jalaram Khaman across the road is hard to beat. And for a meal on the go, the Pakistani takeaway down at the Mt Albert Rd/Sandringham Rd intersection is fiery and intense.
Favourite Auckland Thai restaurant
A local food writer once bemoaned the fact that there’s nowhere to get really good Thai food in Auckland. Now that I’ve been to Thailand, I am inclined to agree. There are still people who’ll happily eat at Mai Thai and rave about it because they don’t know any better. Heck, I used to be one of them.
But if you want better than bland and overpriced, try a food court – or head to Narm Thong in Roskill South. Delightful.
