Jesse Mulligan Auckland Restaurant Recommendations: Where To Go For The Best Vietnamese Food; Dinner Before A Show

In this fortnightly series, Viva’s resident dining-out editor shares his sage advice on where and what to eat. He’s eaten a lot of bad meals so you don’t have to.

Do you have any restaurant-related questions or dining-out conundrums? Jesse Mulligan is here to help.

Email Jesse at Viva@nzherald.co.nz and tell him what you need. Where and what do you like to eat? How much do you want to spend? If you’re just visiting, where are you staying while you’re in town? Who are you eating with? Does anybody have access issues?

Here are some questions he’s been asked lately and what he answered.

Dear Jesse,

Who does the best Vietnamese food in Auckland? I’m hearing great things about Vie Cafe on Shortland St. I also love Try It Out in Otahuhu, but I’m looking for something more central.

Thanks,

Feeling pho

I love Vietnamese too, after spending a random month there on the way back from my OE a few years ago. I wasn’t eating red meat at the time (long story) so missed out on some of the classic dishes. But I was staying along the central part of the coast, where the local Buddhist community means there is plenty of vegetarian food — either meatless versions of popular dishes or the less appealing “textured vegetable protein moulded into the shape of a goldfish”.

As you suggest, Vie in the city is worth a look and specialises in the food of Hue very near where I stayed. But also consider Chao, in locations at Mission Bay, Wynyard Quarter and Ponsonby Central (@chaocanteen on Instagram), and I also had a lovely meal at Nem in Parnell Rise (like Chao, this is technically fusion but you’ll find a lovely pho, no problem).

I’d also be remiss not to mention Banh Mi — the restaurant, not the dish — found near the riverside in downtown Hamilton. It’s great for Vietnamese food, cocktails and a little bit of everything, so do drop in if you’re in the area.

Hey JM,

I’m going out with my wife this Friday, to a gig at Aotea Centre. Can you recommend a central place, or on the way into the city from Three Kings, for a quick dinner beforehand?

Jon

Hi Jon,

I could give you a big list but I’m just going to send you to Candela, our Supreme Winner in the 2022 Viva Top 50 Auckland Restaurants and a lovely place for a romantic meal with your wife before an evening of experimental performance art.

Hi Jesse,

My parents are coming up from Wellington for the first time since last winter. Where could I take them that’s new since then?

Livi

Hey Livi,

Aren’t you a wonderful daughter? I hope they’re paying, because most of the new restaurants are high-end. Try Michael Meredith’s Metita — a bold and beautiful love letter to the food of the Pacific, in a stylish room right in the heart of SkyCity. The tasting menu is $140 a head.

Check out my review of Tala for another beautiful Pasifika-inspired experience. The owners report that they’ve added more affordable drinks to the menu since I visited — thanks chef Henry Onesemo! And there’s nothing in Wellington or the world that will compare to an evening here.

Darling on Drake might be worth a look if the sun is out. The food was a little heavy when I visited but I think I perhaps got unlucky — the chef is generally fantastic and it’s a really unique restaurant on a rooftop overlooking Victoria Park Market, a historic part of Auckland.

Or give Mum and Dad the treat of Josh Emett with his fantastic new city joint Gilt. The place has a brilliant feel to it and the local lawyer types only add to its unique Aucklandness. I don’t know your parents but this is definitely a place to bring parents. Have fun! And let me know how you go.

Update

Speaking of which, a few weeks ago I heard from Melanie who wanted to find some lunchtime degustation dining appropriate for her 14-year-old son. Since then, she reports them sharing a fantastic meal at Origine, plus she took me up on a connection I made with Lucien at Amano where her boy Jack got a special chef’s tour of the kitchen and was generally made to feel like a star, even before the incredible food. Tear up your applications guys, the prize for Mum of the Year 2024 is already locked in.

Previously recommended by Jesse Mulligan

What you’ve asked, what he’s shared.

Where to go for a special anniversary dinner; lunch in Wynyard Quarter. Plus, two great dining out spots in Browns Bay.

Where to go for great ramen; when your friend is a foodie. Plus, a question from a man who shares my love of spaghetti and clams.

Where to find Welsh rarebit; a degustation you can take your teen to. One reader also asks for two must-do Auckland restaurants.

Where to go for faithful French food; a meal with a fantastic view. Visit a place deeply committed to French cuisine, while taking the odd Aotearoa detour.

Where to dine for great people-watching; places that go the extra mile. One reader says, “I want flavour, I want tastes of abroad. I don’t want fussy fare.”