@soonleenz.bsky.socialI know they're new, but they need to avoid these sort of basic lapses. Apparently they've been flat(bread*)-out since opening about a month ago.
I would go back (the food is that good), but they need to sort out their front-of house soonest.
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialIssues:
- failing to get our orders to the kitchen.
- once our original waitperson had left, nobody noticed that we'd been sitting at our table for nearly an hour & nothing had arrived. What happened to the handover?
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialAfter this, drink & food arrived promptly. The food was seriously good. Flavours are familiar if you've eaten Middle-Eastern food, but were different enough to stand out as special. All were great but the Muhammara, Dagga Gazawiya, Mansaf, & Knaffeh were my favourites.
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialEventually, a different front-of-house person came to apologise: our orders never made it to the kitchen & the one who took our order had finished shift.
So we had to order again, but one of the dishes we'd ordered had run out, so we had to choose something else.
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialIt was a while after seating before someone came to take our orders, & once given we carried on chatting & lost track of time. Our drinks order never arrived & we asked a couple of times for water but were told they had run out of clean glasses. #AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialTraditional knaffeh was a shredded pastry, Akavi cheese, sugar syrup, pistachio (NZ$15)
Caught up with friends at recently opened Zaitoon for dinner. We arrived on time for our reservation but our table wasn't ready so we chatted outside for a bit.
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialDagga Gazawiya (NZ$18)
Tabouli (NZ$18)
Mansaf - slowcooked lamb shank (NZ$38). I didn't get a good photo of this but the lamb was a decent size & fall-off-the-bone tender.
Musakhan - Palestinian sumac roasted chicken (NZ$30)
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialZaitoon (Dominion Road):
TL;DR the food was seriously good, the service was seriously bad.
Baba ghanoush (NZ$16)
Muhammara (NZ$15)
Housemade bread to go with the Baba Ghanoush & Muhammara.
Zaiton Lemonana (mint lemonade) (NZ$12). Refreshing!
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialOne of us wasn't keen on cheese, we asked for no cheese to be added, so no grated cheese on top of the risotto or Caesar salad. They were busy on a week night: a good sign. The food was excellent, service professional. Easy to see why they've been going for 40 years. #AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialWent with friends for a birthday dinner. We asked to dine family-style so we could share everything & they were very accommodating: brought us all small plates plus cutlery, and all the food was placed in the middle of the table to share. #AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialAgnello: Coastal Hawkes Bay lamb loin, potato au gratin, sheep milk labneh & feta, chargrilled broccolini, salsa verde, lamb jus (NZ$52)
Filetto: chargrilled beef eye fillet, chicken liver parfait, potato au gratin, port wine jus (NZ$55) #AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialCaesar salad with Romaine lettuce, garlic anchovy dressing, egg, croutons, bacon lardons (NZ$32). Asked for no added cheese.
Roast duck & mushroom risotto, aged balsamic, grana Padano, (main size NZ$42)
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialPrego (Ponsonby Road):
Pizza bread with confit garlic & aioli (NZ$18)
Arancini with black truffle, pine nuts, white mozzarella, grana Padano, date mayonnaise (NZ$26)
Crudo of kingfish, green chilli, coriander, orange & lime juice, salted lemon salsa (NZ$32)
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialIt was all decent, good sized portions, and scratched the Vietnamese food itch.
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialPho N Co West (Henderson).
PNC combo noodle salad (NZ$24.9) with sugarcane pork & prawn, Nem spring roll, grilled pork, greens, herbs, roasted peanut & house sauce.
Large house special pho (NZ$23.9) with rare beef, beef brisket, beef cheek.
Crispy pork banh mi (NZ$13.9)
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialTheir Sirloin Steak Sizzling Platter set (NZ$35) steak comes on mix veges & fries. You also get a choice of rice/spaghetti & a hot drink (I had milky tea). It was, fine? My steak was medium rare as requested, & everything was as advertised & I didn't leave hungry. #AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️ 2/2
@soonleenz.bsky.socialFriend wanted to have steak, at Yum Yum Cafe & Grill (Corinthian Dr., Albany). It's sort of a Hong Kong Diner (Cha chaan teng) with some Hong Kong style western dishes . #AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️ 1/2
@soonleenz.bsky.socialBrunch at Browne St. Cafe (Avondale).
Cheese scone (very cheesy, & delicious)
The Huntsman (fry-up with wild boar sausage, bacon, hash, cowboy beans, mushrooms, fried eggs, sourdough toast, NZ$34 was spendy but delicious)
Bacon & baked bean pide (bacon was dry)
#AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️
@soonleenz.bsky.socialLast time I ate there was when they were still upstairs & it is much the same: good uncomplicated comforting Korean cooking. According to their Insta, they've been going since 2005, truly an Auckland institution & it is easy to see why. #AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️ 3/3
@soonleenz.bsky.socialYou no longer have to go upstairs & at street level, has better natural light. Had the LA Galbi [NZ$29] (beef rib BBQ) & Dolsot Bibimbap [NZ$25] (mix veges & beef in rice bowl), both also came with side dishes (six banchan) & daily soup (I think was miso & bokchoy). #AucklandEats #kai #food 🍜🍽️ 2/3