Guidebook for Auckland

Ksenia
Guidebook for Auckland

Food Scene

This has become a regular spot for us to hit. It was a record store owned by a DJ, but was a bit quiet, so they started serving coffee as well, then sandwiches, then all kinds of things, and then one thing led to another and they are now a really great restaurant and bar that does not actually sell records at all, but has really good music playing! Happy hour is 5 - 7pm. Recommendations: 3 x Tacos - Pork and Beef are amazing, ceviche is beautiful. 2 x Arepas - These corn bread things are basically like tacos, but chunkier, so 2 of them is as filling as 3 tacos. Hand cut potatoes - very generous serving good for 2 people. Caipirinha with sugar cane - OMFG
21 locals recommend
Conch Kitchen & Bar
115A Ponsonby Rd
21 locals recommend
This has become a regular spot for us to hit. It was a record store owned by a DJ, but was a bit quiet, so they started serving coffee as well, then sandwiches, then all kinds of things, and then one thing led to another and they are now a really great restaurant and bar that does not actually sell records at all, but has really good music playing! Happy hour is 5 - 7pm. Recommendations: 3 x Tacos - Pork and Beef are amazing, ceviche is beautiful. 2 x Arepas - These corn bread things are basically like tacos, but chunkier, so 2 of them is as filling as 3 tacos. Hand cut potatoes - very generous serving good for 2 people. Caipirinha with sugar cane - OMFG
Two words, or maybe three: Dan Dan Noodles. These will change your life. The flavours and texture are unbelievable - beautiful handcut noodles in a delicious soup, crispy pork mince on top, and some sort of wizardry that gives your mouth an out-of-body experience. They're hot and spicy, but not that "Am I dying?" heat that takes away from the flavour. Just trust me, forget your fancy restaurants, skip the celebrity chefs, spend $10 here on dan dans and I guarantee you'll agree it was the best meal you had while in Auckland. The dumplings are also spend-your-last-$5 incredible but that's a tale for another day (just get both).
13 locals recommend
Eden Noodles Cafe
105 Dominion Rd
13 locals recommend
Two words, or maybe three: Dan Dan Noodles. These will change your life. The flavours and texture are unbelievable - beautiful handcut noodles in a delicious soup, crispy pork mince on top, and some sort of wizardry that gives your mouth an out-of-body experience. They're hot and spicy, but not that "Am I dying?" heat that takes away from the flavour. Just trust me, forget your fancy restaurants, skip the celebrity chefs, spend $10 here on dan dans and I guarantee you'll agree it was the best meal you had while in Auckland. The dumplings are also spend-your-last-$5 incredible but that's a tale for another day (just get both).
This is a treasure trove of cheap and cheerful places including Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Balinese(!). Expect to pay around $10 - $15 a meal for a generous portion. Half the people of Ponsonby use this place as their second dining room as it's practically cheaper than buying groceries from the supermarket. We eat here once or twice a week most weeks and I don't see this changing this century unless climate change somehow overwhelms Ponsonby. Vietnamese (the Beef Pho in particular) Malaysian (the Nasi Lemak or #19 noodles) Japanese (Bento boxes) Thai (it's pretty much like every Thai place on Earth but does a good green chicken curry or pad thai)
34 locals recommend
Ponsonby International Foodcourt
106 Ponsonby Rd
34 locals recommend
This is a treasure trove of cheap and cheerful places including Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Italian, Balinese(!). Expect to pay around $10 - $15 a meal for a generous portion. Half the people of Ponsonby use this place as their second dining room as it's practically cheaper than buying groceries from the supermarket. We eat here once or twice a week most weeks and I don't see this changing this century unless climate change somehow overwhelms Ponsonby. Vietnamese (the Beef Pho in particular) Malaysian (the Nasi Lemak or #19 noodles) Japanese (Bento boxes) Thai (it's pretty much like every Thai place on Earth but does a good green chicken curry or pad thai)