Dining out with loved ones shouldn’t cost a fortune, and Auckland’s diverse food scene has endless affordable and delicious eateries to try! Since we don’t gatekeep here, here’s our Auckland cheap eats recommendations!
As self-proclaimed foodies, my partner and I enjoy hunting down great spots to eat on a budget, with many places serving up tasty and generous meals for under $25.
We are unsurprisingly spoilt for cheap eats in Auckland and it would be a disservice to all eateries to claim that this list offers the best options out there.
As more and diverse cuisines join our hospo industry, there are surely new and delectable places that would pop up in Auckland’s multicultural food landscape. It would be quite impossible to keep up!
For now, these spots are tried and tested, and a majority of them are our go-to Asian spots for a comforting meal after a long and busy day when we can’t be bothered to cook. Or sometimes, just to give ourselves a lil treat that doesn’t hurt the wallet.
This list has a little bit for everyone, including the adventurous eater who doesn’t mind, or is even looking for, Korean blood sausages, raw fish or offal on skewers. (Hey, don’t yuck our yum. It’s a safe space!)
Hai Phong, Northcote
On the corner of Kilham Ave and Pearn Crescent is a humble Chinese Vietnamese restaurant offering a large selection of delectable Vietnamese and Chinese food. They serve generous portions of each dish, mostly under $20. If dining with a plus one, you can easily keep costs down by sharing a main dish and a side dish. For pho lovers, you can never go wrong with their Special Beef Noodle Soup, or the plain Beef Noodle Soup, paired with Vietnamese spring rolls on the side. Its Hananese Chicken on Rice is also a must-try – aromatic, juicy and tender. Also a good place for when you’re really hungry, the service is quick!
Jomaru Korean Restaurant, Henderson
A hidden gem in West Auckland, Jomaru Korean Restaurant offers traditional Korean food with so much heart. Not that I’ve ever been to Korea (yet) or that I grew up in a Korean household, but their food feels like it’s been made with a mother’s love. They have a wide range of hearty noodle and rice soups, a generous variety of complimentary banchan (side dishes) and warm and welcoming service. Their food always tastes fresh and if you’re wondering what to try, I’d say all of them! But we go there to satisfy our cravings for Sundae-guk (traditional Korean pork bone soup with blood sausage and other offal) and Naengmyeon (a cold beef broth with buckwheat noodles, pickled radish, cucumber and boiled egg). The cold soup is especially satisfying on a hot summer day. Another must-try is their bibimbap, paired with any of their stir-fried offerings.
Munch Korean Fried Chicken, Henderson and Takanini
If you’re in search of the perfect fried chicken, look no further. Munch has to got to be, hands down, the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. (And trust me, I’ve had A LOT.) The amount of times Munch has saved us from dinner prep when hosting is more times that I can count. They have six flavours to choose from – OG Crispy (my fave, no sauce needed), Cheese Dust, Soy Garlic, The Seasoned, Sour Cream and Onion, Creamy Jalapeños, Red-Hot Spicy and Hell Spicy (for the brave). There are options for nibbles, bone-in or boneless, and they are sold by portions either by number of pieces, size or weight. Prices range from $17.90 to $39.90, but the highest range is a kilo of chicken. Split that between your group and it’s chump change.
Poké Poké, Takapuna and Karangahape Road
Poké Poké only sells one thing: poke bowls – and they’ve perfected it. It’s undeniably the best poke bowl in Tāmaki Makaurau. You build your own bowl with your choice of base, proteins, toppings and sauce, and it is priced based on the number of proteins: two proteins at $13.90 or three proteins at $16.90. Their tuna and NZ king salmon is exceptional – fresh and high quality. But worry not, if raw fish ain’t for you, there’s chicken breast, prawn and tofu on the menu too. Each bite is packed with umami with your combination of sauces and toppings. Only open for lunch on weekdays, Poké Poké is a beloved lunch spot for workers on Karangahape Road. But they’re open daily at their Takapuna branch.
Cheese on Toast, Birkenhead, Newmarket and Mt Eden
There’s something comforting about a classic toastie, and Cheese on Toast can quickly satiate that craving. Each toastie has two slices of their housemade sourdough, layered with a three cheese blend and your choice of filling. Prices start at $10, with the classic ‘Just Cheese’ toastie (medium and extra gouda and mozarella). I tried that, plus the creamed corned toastie at $14! If toasties aren’t your thing, they’ve also got toasts – with smoked salmon and cream cheese as the priciest thing on the menu at $18.
Banh Mi Delicious, New Lynn
Ah, arguably the best bahn mi we’ve had in Auckland. The baguette stays soft and crisp, and the fillings are packed with flavour. It’s a modest food truck parked outside right outside Lynn Mall (the entrance across from the New Lynn War Memorial Library). You can never go wrong with their pork and ham or lemongrass chicken banh mi at $13, and pair it with a Vietnamese ice coffee at $7. It makes me nostalgic for my time searching for banh mi on the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh.
Kanto Filipino Food Stall, Northcote
Filipino food remains underrated but it’s slowly breaking through the food scene. Kanto, meaning corner in Tagalog, could be your intro to Filipino food. Found inside Northcote Food City, Kanto serves up traditional Filipino dishes for the diaspora and foodies alike. They sell the widely known dishes, and what we mostly call the entry to Filipino cuisine, like sizzling pork sisig, lechon kawali (crispy pork belly) and halo-halo (a shaved ice dessert layered with multiple ingredients like ube ice cream and leche flan). But what it’s known for is the noodle dish called Lomi, a hearty, thick egg noodle soup from Batangas, two hours south of Manila. (Contrary to popular belief, Filipino cuisine is more than just pork and rice dishes!) It’s also worth trying their range of barbecue options – the Filipino bbq sauce has a subtle sweetness to it.
Gold Ribbon Filipino-Asian Restaurant, Glen Eden
A well-loved Filipino restaurant by the Filipino community, Gold Ribbon offers a wide range of traditional Filipino dishes, mostly under $25. Anything above that is justified by portion and size. It’s famous for its ube and yema cakes, a hit at parties, with the 10-inch large cakes for only $65! This is also my go-to restaurant to introduce friends to Filipino cuisine because it’s pretty much got it all – from noodles, rice dishes and soups. A crowd favourite is bulalo (beef shank and marrow soup with a clear broth), crispy pata kare kare (modern take on deep fried pork hock with a thick, peanut based stew) and pork sisig.
GoGo Music Cafe, Dominion Road
An iconic spot on Dominion Road, GoGo Music Cafe is not only known for its delicious food at affordable prices, but for its good vibes. You walk up a long flight of stairs to get to the restaurant that’s adorned with American Western decor. It’s also permanently propped up a stage for what seemingly is for musical performances, but we’ve never once seen live music there. It also goes without saying for those who’ve been there that it’s a Chinese eatery known for its cumin-seasoned skewers and spicy dishes. It’s the perfect place to dine with a group of friends. Look, they have a really loooong menu, so I can’t recommend exactly what to get. Though I do love their dandan noodles, cucumber salad and all their skewers. A saving tip is to buy a bucket of rice if eating with a group of four.
Blissful Noodles, Northcote
A recent addition to Northcote Food City, you can get hand-pulled beed noodles for under $15 at Blissful Noodles. The owner is lovely and you also get to see him hand pull the noodles, which I always find fun! It’s a new favourite in our friend group for its price and well, how fresh, slightly chewy and bouncy the noodles are. I recommend their braised beef noodles – I couldn’t stop eating them!
1981 Noodle House, Albany
What I assume is a lunch spot for workers in the area, 1981 Noodle House freshly makes authentic Chinese hand-pulled noodles. They also let patrons choose the thickness and texture of their noodles, living up to their name. Everything is under $25, and popular dishes are their signature beef noodle soup and braised beef noodle soup. Pair it with a plate of dumplings and call it a day!
