East, Newmarket

By JENNIFER YEE for canvas

One week old when reviewed, this infant of the East chain of restaurants is set to take Newmarket by storm. It conforms to a new wave of Australasian "western-styled noodle bars" based loosely on the Wagamama international concept.

I ate at all three East bars to check out the oldest to the newest. Ponsonby Rd is the 2-year-old brother of the chain. It is set up for take-out, but does have four small tables for in-house dining. With the red, orange and cafe au lait on white colour scheme that all East interiors share, the lighting is rather dim and it's hard not to think you are in a drinks bar up the road.

The 6-month-old East in Remmers is among a lineup of other Asian eateries and take-out places on the corner of Upland and Remuera Rds. It has modern banquette seating and a long communal bar-height table for grabbing a quick meal.

The largest is their baby in Newmarket. It has canteen-style long wooden tables and bench seating plus an area for takeaway customers to wait. The lighting is pitched perfectly.

You get a good sense of the place on a Friday night, with clientele dropping in for a lazy end-of-the-week meal or a quick and filling noodle- or rice-based bowl before a movie.

We chose a selection of sides to share — chicken yakitori, spicy fish cakes and prawn dumplings, garnished with red capsicum and spring onion curls. An A3 paper placemat offers directions for ordering mains as well as a glossary explaining the noodle and rice selection. You choose individually from the 11 styles of main, decide on noodles or rice, then choose whether you want a) beef, b) calamari, c) chicken, d) prawns, e) tofu or f) vegetables. The placemats are set with a Zen smooth white pebble though I can't decide if it is a paperweight or chopstick rest. Orders are taken and keyed into those palm-held devices, which shoot the order into the kitchen and to the teller. Happy red chopsticks and red serviettes complete the look.

My mum Jean ordered a bowl titled East-Asian fusion, with wokked seasonal vegies in a sweet chilli sauce, ginger and cashew nuts on steamed rice. Mother approved, the rice was correctly cooked and the vegetables, prawns and tofu were fresh and pleasingly piled high into the bowl.

Bro' ordered a bowl of Kung Fu — french beans, zucchini, baby corn, peanuts and dried chillies, served with Hokkien noodles. The menu said it would have a hot sting. Instead it was sweet and lacking that promised chilli kick. D's prawn laksa was good, piping hot and adorned with crispy raw bean sprouts, somewhat crumbly fried shallots, half a hard-boiled egg and a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the lot. With the addition of coconut milk, this tasty bowl is not a Penang-style hot and sour laksa but rather a stripped-down cousin.

My Mekong plate with flat rice noodles and beef was likened to a Pad Thai with mung bean sprouts, Chinese chives, tofu and the characteristic crushed roasted peanuts, tamarind and lime dressing plus lemon to taste. More chilli and lemon wedges can be requested.

We understand a changing specials menu and sushi are being considered as an addition to the Newmarket menu.

East offers a small selection of reasonably priced New Zealand and Australian wines. We chose glasses of the Kim Crawford unoaked and the Sacred Hill barrel fermented chardonnay plus bottles of Antipodes still water.

All East kitchens are staffed by Asian cooks and the meals are of a consistent standard across town.


WHERE: East, 5 Short St, Newmarket, ph (09) 523 5518; 586 Remuera Rd, (09) 522 0908; 171 Ponsonby Rd, ph (09) 360 6085

OUR MEAL: $104.10 for four people. Sides $2.50-7.50; mains $13-14.

OUR WINES BY THE GLASS: Wine by the glass $5-7; by the bottle $26-33; beers $5-6

* Read more about what's happening in the world of food, wine, party places and entertainment in canvas magazine, part of your Weekend Herald print edition.