Since its beginnings as a modest red-trimmed shop on Dominion Rd nearly two decades ago, Eden Noodles has expanded to nine branches across Tāmaki Makaurau — including a ritzy cocktail-bar-meets-noodle-shop spot in Ponsonby. We still love the original restaurant the most — it remains a bustling institution, as busy (and in the summer, muggy) as ever. Considering this persistent popularity, as evidenced by the queues for lunch and dinner which almost every day of the week stretch beyond the front door and on to the footpath, it seems futile to reiterate the menu highlights in any detail. We will say, and this of course is no secret, that the dumplings in spicy sauce remain as enjoyable as they’ve always been. No other eatery has endured on this list for as long as Eden Noodles — it’s not by accident.