Mr Lobster is the epitome of a ‘take us as we are’ kind of place. Great food, comfy vibes, solid service, yum cha during the day — a casual neighbourhood gem. Service here is swift but never rushed. The dining room? Exactly what you’d expect from a big Cantonese joint — massive, with a sea of tables, lazy Susans spinning, and a wall lined with immense tanks of live kaimoana: crayfish, blue cod, pāua. As our judge quipped, “Mr Lobster really looks like a Mr Lobster.”

The beverage list is about as straightforward as it gets — one bubbles, five whites, five reds, six beers, with nothing over $12.50 a glass. But the excitement is all in the food.

Ordering is done via QR code, so make sure someone at your table has a device. Dishes are portioned to share, as is often the case with Cantonese food. The Peking duck, which we think is the best in town, is obligatory. And lobster, as you may have guessed, is served in abundance, straight from Fiordland. On a recent visit, we swear that within 20 seconds of hitting that butter garlic lobster button, we saw a net dip into the tank. What we ate wasn’t your average lobster — the meat was snowy white, springy and so fresh it practically slid out of the shell. Our visiting judge, a first-timer, left completely converted — and that says everything you need to know about this place.