Goldie Milk Bar & Eatery

We’d heard... New kid on the Taranaki St block, Goldie, is carving out a niche of offering Korean-inspired comfort food with a twist.

The vibe... The sunlit space is an Instagram dream with cute, mostly lucky cat-inspired artwork everywhere, plenty of pastels, and a wafting scent of waffles and tea.

We ordered... A bubble tea to share, settling on the creme brulee milk option ($6). The very pretty drink, which we ordered at 50 per cent sweetness, was subtle yet flavourful with slightly odd but pleasant tapioca balls providing a nice texture.

We couldn’t go past the ‘‘longest fries in town’’ ($5.50) served with cheese salt and sriracha mayonnaise. These were some of the best french fries I’ve had, not just for their novelty value, but their perfect crunch and near-perfect saltiness. But be warned, the sriracha mayonnaise has a kick.

For our mains, my dining companion and I each grabbed a hot dog: the taco dog ($13) and kimchi dog ($10) respectively. The almost Mexicaninspired taco dog, was packed with spicy beef mince, pico de gallo, smashed avocado, and tortilla chips inside a substantial – slightly crisped – bun. The flavours worked harmoniously together.

Taking advantage of Goldie’s offer to veganise any hot dog for an extra $2, I grabbed the altered kimchi dog, which came with a vegan hot dog, kimchi, spicy tomato sauce, scallions, and cheese. The dog, while smaller than its meat counterpart, was tasty and filling. The star of the dish was the kimchi though, a spicy, tangy mix.

The service… We came near the end of the day but the staff were super polite and accommodating.

If you go… Get those fries – the standout.