Mar 14, 2018 Cafes
Five new Auckland openings on our radar
A bunch of new food offerings in Auckland we’re excited about, plus a plant-based takeover at Orphans Kitchen .
Chongqing Noodles
Hotter than Sichuan cuisine, the Chongqing region in Northern China is famed for its seriously spicy food and at the second branch of this Metro Top 50 Cheap Eat, the brave are rewarded. The best dishes at Chongqing Noodles mostly contain offal as well as fearful amounts of chilli – try the pigs’ ears or slobbery chicken.
23A Wellesley St West, central city
New Flavour
There’s now a flash second branch of Auckland favourite New Flavour on Parnell Rise offering all the same classic dishes as their flagship restaurant on Dominion Road, only with slightly reduced opening hours. For those who aren’t in the know, the deep-fried chicken in spicy, slightly sweet chilli oil is an absolute must-order, as is the dried bean curd salad, and you may as well get an order of pork and chive dumplings. BYO wine.
Upstairs at 317 Parnell Rd, Parnell
Barilla Dumpling
Students rejoice as your Monday morning hangover can now be eased on campus with the opening of Barilla’s third branch, at the University of Auckland. The dumplings here, which start at the budget-friendly price of $6 a serve, are some of the city’s finest. We love the beef and carrot.
Student Quad, city campus, University of Auckland
Nam Nam
A new, more casual joint from the owners of Mt Eden Vietnamese restaurant Sen, Nam Nam is serving Vietnamese street food like chon (rice paper rolls), pho, and traditional iced coffee sweetened with condensed milk, from a tidy modern shop in Takapuna.
8 Huron St, Takapuna
Gogo Daddy Thai Canteen
Short-lived restaurant Honeybear has undergone a minor facelift to emerge as Gogo Daddy, a Thai-inspired canteen serving classic street food dishes with modern twists.
Ponsonby Central, Ponsonby
Root-to-Petal at Orphans Kitchen
Orphans Kitchen is going completely vegetarian for two weeks next month, with an event they’re calling Root-to-Petal. It’s the second time the restaurant has become a meat-free zone, after a successful attempt in 2016. Happening from April 17-28, this foray into plant-based cooking is an opportunity for executive chef Tom Hishon to showcase a range of vegetable-based alternatives across his breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Most exciting is a restaurant swap occurring in the second week of the experiment, when Hishon will trade places with Christchurch-based chef Alex Davies who owns plant-based restaurant Gatherings. Be sure to book a table.
118 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby
