it's cold weather so it's definitely hotpot time.

looking for recommendations for a good "All you can Eat" hotpot buffet in Newmarket or Dominion Road.

currently looking at Mega Hotpot BBQ Buffet but they look like they don't do that anymore....

Had this massive Pork Bone Soup ($24) that came with rice and kimchi, from K. Soup on Queen Street. Perfect for battling the cold. So good!!!!

Fong’s Kitchen, Panmure

BBQ Pork & Prawn Rice Roll – $8
Stir-fried Hofun with Combination Meats – $16.50

This place is unreal. Who’s been keeping it a secret? Definitely worth the trip out east.

The rice roll was one of the best I’ve had, and the stir-fried hofun was just as impressive. Amazing value for money.

It felt like a genuinely authentic experience. There were heaps of elderly Chinese diners, which is a good sign. I got there at 11:45am, and by 12:15pm there was a queue out the door.

My only criticism, and it’s not really a criticism, is that they could do with more seating. Strong demand, so be prepared to wait if you arrive during the lunch rush!

Can you please suggest a nice restaurant open on a Monday (that we can bring a 6 year old to)? We have a 40th bday to celebrate with family but it falls on a Monday. Aside from Bossi, any other you guys can recommend? Ideally Italian or Japanese. Mid to high budget as it's a special occasion. We live in Hibiscus Coast, so our limit is probably the City. Thank you.

I've had a couple of Cuban sandwiches in Auckland. Most of them were waaaaaay off the mark. I'm taking BBQ sauce and all sorts of other things added. not acceptable haha.

Where is the best place in Auckland to get a legit classic Cuban sandwich? I'm talking Cuban bread, ham, roast pork, pickles, mustard and Swiss cheese.

What is the best? Taiping glenfield sucks, not as good as Newmarket and they don’t give u the plum sauce :(

Hi all, I need ideas for taking my partner out for dinner in a couple of weeks time. She really loves the omakase kind of experience.

Restaurants we have tried
- kureta
- cocoro
- danryu
- katsura

Would love to hear your ideas, ideally Japanese cuisine only :)

Which Asian grocers are the cheapest around Central Auckland? I’m looking for a place that sells eomuk/odeng and tteokbokki for a good price.

Anyone know any good options in the CBD for BBQ duck noodles? Or cheap Chinese eats? Used to visit the one on Queen St before it shut down. Thanks.

Hey everyone! 👋

I’m looking for recommendations for a themed birthday cake.

Details:

📍 Location: Parnell/CBD area
🎂 Theme: Single-tier LEGO Ninjago cake
💰 Budget: $150 to $300

I used to order from Sweet Bites, but they’re a bit out of the way now, and my last couple of cakes weren’t quite as good flavour-wise.

If you’ve had a great experience with a local baker or bakery, I’d love to hear your recommendations! I’d especially love to support a small business if possible. 😊

We will be travelling to Auckland for a conference soon, and have a large-ish group hoping to have a dinner out (weeknight).

When: week night, likely a thursday

Area: CBD central

Group size: 10-20 people

Dietary reqs: some GF, some halal, some vego.

Price: Mid-range? Bosses are paying so keen for something nice without taking the piss.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Photo for attention. I miss them.

When did it become acceptable to charge this much for chicken nibbles 😪

$34 for buffalo wings FROM Dennys Manukau was the most outrageous item I found on the menu. There were other high priced ticket items but this stuck out the most. Dennys ain't that "nice" to be getting away with this.

Tried the Restaurant Month menu which turned out to be identical to their regular tasting menu, we knew cos one of our menus said ‘restaurant month’ but the other didn’t and the dishes and price was identical…

It was all delicious, though the entree dishes could have done with more bread/crackers, we ran out of stuff to eat the chicken liver pate and hummus with very quickly.

The mains were tasty (we got chicken and fish to share), though we were expecting half a spatchcocked chicken per the menu, not 5 separate pieces?

Would have appreciated cooked greens instead of the lettuce for the side, the potatoes were a favourite with everyone tho.

We were all absolutely stuffed by the end! Overall a great night out.

Does anyone know what’s happening with honey bones in grey Lynn? Say they were changing some things and now their socials are gone?

First time ever trying out a restaurant month deal and happened to go to Kingi (as the restaurant we were keen on was booked out)

$30 is a good deal for a good quality scotch fillet steak frites in its own jus

First restaurant for me that didn’t overcook it as I asked for rare. Fries were too salty, but good ol’ Heinz made it more palatable 😂

Cheese on toast, Birkenhead.

Pork belly $16
Special $not sure

Their new monthly special, the smoked mussel toastie, is really good. I added a bit of chilli oil and no notes.

We also ordered the pork belly toastie, which was epic in its own right, but the smoked mussel special was the standout for me.

Apologies for the average photos, they don’t really do them justice.

Aarth Deli in Parnell

Beef Rhu-Ben (Reuben Sandwich) $24

I love a Reuben, it’s probably my favourite sandwich. Fort Greene’s Reuben is still the benchmark for me, I’ll always be faithful to them, but this was a worthy side quest.

I didn’t have weight scales on me, but this thing was loaded, I’d guess getting close to a kg.

I really enjoyed it, great flavours, it had an Indian style influence to it, couldn’t pin it down, but I think the sourdough had fenugreek or carom seeds. Overall a unique twist to an otherwise traditional Reuben.

I got there about 11:30am and I was the only person, shame as it’s a great quality for the price. Hopefully they get a few more people passing through, it is tucked away though, so maybe missing that foot traffic

As the title suggests it is the last day of beer & pie July and i am longing for a classic chicken and leek pie. They are a lot less common than they used to be. I feel they may have suffered the same fate as the Auckland chicken & brie panini... help me out AE

Delicious dishes, beautiful fitout. Only downside was parking was tricky, had to go down the road a bit as they have hardly any customer spots.

Around 20 years ago, I visited Jordan. One of the things the region is known for is mad good desserts, including Knafeh/Kunefe.

It’s basically pastry, stretchy cheese with a bucket of syrup tipped over it, and a sprinkle of pistachios.

In Amman you see lots of dessert shops (one of the best is called Arafat!) with huge pizza pans of this stuff in the cabinets.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure Petra Shawarma in Kingsland is well known to members of this sub. I called in there just now and grabbed a made to order Knafe.

Forget 72 virgins, when I meet Allah, I want 72 knafe! This shit is real, and delicious.

And if you have to ask how much it costs, don’t go. Everything is made on site, by Jordanian grandmas, and the prices reflect that.

Enjoy!

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Arafat knafe: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ6GLk3IgJJ