Aucklanders slurp and scoff their way through exciting new Asian dishes
Mina Kerr-Lazenby reports on a new raft of dining experiences that are revolutionising the city’s food scene, all with a modern, more authentic approach.
Auckland’s dining scene is one that mirrors the city’s vibrant, multicultural nature. At the heart of that culinary melting pot sits Asian cuisine, and it’s one that is on the cusp of a revolution.
A fresh crop of Asian restaurants to make their mark on Auckland’s food scene are far sleeker and more modern than past offerings, with first- and second-generation immigrant chefs bringing a refined and authentic approach to their restaurants.
Last month, Cuisine magazine awarded several of those a hat, signifying that they are, in Cuisine’s parlance, among New Zealand’s ‘‘great’’ restaurants.
Jason Kim, chef of Commercial Bay newcomer Gochu, said he was ‘‘thrilled’’ to receive a hat in this year’s awards, not least because it provided some relief after a few months of Covid-related stress. He believes it sets a new precedent for the awards.
Gochu’s dishes are ‘‘sophisticated and with more depth of flavour’’ than the classic Kiwi-Asian restaurant, he says.
‘‘Rather than just the standard bibimbap, bulgogi and kimchi, the meals are based on real Korean flavours. We’re doing something different, and I think that’s what makes Gochu leave such a great impression.’’
Originally from South Korea, Kim migrated to New Zealand with his family when he was 13. His dishes – think cold noodles, fried chicken, and shaved ice desserts – are those he learned cooking with his mother and grandmother as a child. Now his parents run a Korean restaurant – Yummy Korean BBQ – in Birkenhead.
Auckland’s history of Asian immigration may stretch back decades, but authenticity has only recently become a driver for proprietors and patrons. Dingy BYO dumpling houses and tupperware boxes stuffed with oversimplified, Westernised food have been replaced with genuine dishes like Kim’s – and he’s not the only one leading the charge.
On Dominion Rd, a stretch saturated with Asian offerings, two neighbouring restaurants, both also recently hatted, have become portals to some of Asia’s most exciting cuisine.
Take Mr Hao: to step into the sleek bar, with its black booths set against crimson walls and neon lighting that glows red come nighttime, is to be transported to one of Shanghai’s famous late-night haunts.
Co-owner Paul Wong is a third-generation Kiwi who spent 15 years living in Shanghai, and his hospitality endeavour pays homage to the bustling city.
As far as the food is concerned, he says, Mr Hao is offering those in Auckland a taste of Asia they’re not quite accustomed too – and while there was a time when the far-out things on the menu may have deterred punters, now they couldn’t be more intrigued.
‘‘When we did our first menu, I had to really think about who our customer was, and who we wanted to please.
‘‘But after about six months to a year of understanding New Zealand customers and Chinese customers, I’ve learned that New Zealanders are really open to eating a lot of different foods – they’re not worried at all, and they really want to try new things.’’
Wong said his menu can be ‘‘very experimental’’, but the crowds that come in are brave, and more than willing to branch out and try something outside the norm.
Skewers made from beef tongue or chicken feet, pig’s sausage or lamb kidney, go down just as well as the classic spicy chicken wings and dumplings.
Wong even put sheep brains on the menu for Halloween, only half expecting them to actually get tasted.
To his surprise they disappeared instantly: ‘‘People are becoming way more open and accepting, and it turns out a lot of people actually are excited by and thrive on that stuff,’’ he says.
It’s a similar story over at fellow new hat Omni, Mr Hao’s next-door-neighbour, says owner-chef John Yip.
Reminiscent of a traditional Japanese Izakaya, casual drinking and eating spots where diners order a variety of snacks, Omni offers a carefully curated drinks menu heavy on natural wines and craft beers, and Yip’s fresh, tasty plates, each cooked over white charcoal as is traditional of Japan – think meatballs, chicken heart, or soft bone on yakitori skewers, eggplant tempura, prawn toast, or the much-hyped katsu sando.
A second generation Kiwi, Yip, like Kim, says he uses his childhood memories as inspiration for his menu – one that is simple, but far from spiritless.
‘‘We have different things on the menu, like hearts and liver and cod roe, which people usually wouldn’t really order. Now people are really trying it though, and they’re loving it,’’ he says, adding the crowd that comes through his doors is often of the more ‘‘mature’’ variety.
They’re those who aren’t afraid to step into uncharted territory, or those who have travelled and are craving that overseas experience.
It’s for that reason this new wave of modern and authentic Asian restaurants couldn’t have hit Auckland’s dining scene at a better time. Kiwis, unable to revel in boisterous Japanese bars or slurp on some expertly crafted Korean cold noodles, are yearning for an experience that delivers them the next best thing.
Wong says he’s witnessed such a huge leap in the past two years in terms of openness to bold, new experiences, that he predicts an even greater shift will be experienced in the near future.
‘‘It’s been such a big development, and I think the next two or three years are going to be really interesting.’’
He is excited to watch Auckland’s food scene become ‘‘more and more diverse’’.
‘‘I’ve learned New Zealanders are really open to eating a lot of different foods – they’re not worried at all, and they really want to try new things.’’ Paul Wong