Newmarket\u2019s main drag Broadway has traditionally been a bit of a food desert with the side streets the best places to please the tastebuds. Here\u2019s where to head when you need sustenance after shopping… and the new places coming soon to look out for.<\/p>\n
Side Streets and Laneways<\/p>\n
\n The couple
\n of blocks between Teed St and Khyber Pass Rd are particularly rich pickings for the peckish.\n <\/p>\n
The yum cha at Pearl Garden. Photo \/ Fiona Goodall, Getty Images<\/p>\n
Pearl Garden <\/p>\n
Marking 50 years in business in 2025, Pearl Garden is one of the oldest restaurants in Auckland, offering yum cha at lunchtime and a la carte at dinnertime. It\u2019s owned and operated by the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of founder Pauline Kan, and they are the consummate hosts \u2013 many restaurants could take a leaf out of Pearl Garden\u2019s book when it comes to service. The food is consistently delicious and yum cha here is a tick-box rather than trolley affair, so no risk of missing out on your favourite dishes. Pearl Garden hasn\u2019t heard of shrinkflation \u2013 shao mai are as plump as ever, and rice rolls studded with plenty of barbecue pork. <\/p>\n
Mama restaurant in Newmarket. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Mama <\/p>\n
This laid-back yet stylish Italian restaurant has recently launched Sunday Gravy, a three-course menu on Sundays celebrating Italian-American classics such as garlic bread, eggplant parm, spaghetti with vodka sauce, and tiramisu. At $45 per person, with drinks specials to boot, it\u2019s great value. There are other enticing deals throughout the week, as well as the permanent menu that pleases diverse palates. <\/p>\n
Muse Cafe, Newmarket.<\/p>\n
Muse <\/p>\n
The menu at this Hong Kong-style cafe is impressively long, covering bases from breakfast buttery toast and tea to soy sauce noodles and satay beef rice, and service is pronto. <\/p>\n
Dweji, Newmarket.<\/p>\n
Dweji <\/p>\n
Steam curls upwards from stone bowls at this Korean soup shop in the cosy, brick-built Osborne Lane precinct. <\/p>\n
Sankalp restaurant, Newmarket.<\/p>\n
Sankalp <\/p>\n
This is the first New Zealand outpost for this brand that boasts about 250 outlets throughout India, Britain, the US and beyond. Sankalp is built on South Indian favourites including idli, vada and dosa. The menu also dips into regional cuisines from around the subcontinent, from creamy Mughlai gravies to spicy Indo-Chinese stir-fries. <\/p>\n
Passing Khyber and Beyond <\/p>\n
The junction of Khyber Pass and Broadway is fertile ground for a feed.<\/p>\n
Onda, Newmarket.<\/p>\n
Onda <\/p>\n
This cute hole-in-the-wall turns out excellent coffee and matcha to grab and go. <\/p>\n
Dear Deer, Newmarket.<\/p>\n
Dear Deer <\/p>\n
Another great coffee purveyor, Dear Deer also roasts beans from all the best coffee-growing regions. Bean snobs are well catered for but so are the rest of us, as staff are friendly and happy to gently educate. <\/p>\n
Nan Xin Claypot <\/p>\n
Aromatic and tasty, crisp-bottomed claypot rice is also a rare find these days as the technique requires skill and the cooking takes time. The meal is worth the wait at Nan Xin, plus you can always order a beef hor fun (a Cantonese flat rice noodle dish) to slurp while your rice cooks. <\/p>\n
Sunrise Hong Kong Cafe <\/p>\n
Sunrise somehow manages to freeze prices at rates last seen in the 90s. Pick up a steaming bowl of wonton soup with change from a tenner, or spend a few dollars more for a sizzling dish of glossy black bean beef with rice, or a giant bowl of laksa. <\/p>\n
Japanmart and Tokyo Liquor <\/p>\n
If you\u2019re seeking an ingredient for a Japanese recipe, Japanmart will deliver \u2013 literally, in fact, but visiting the store is much more satisfying; it boasts hundreds or perhaps thousands of products from hojicha (tea) to hondashi (instant dashi granules), and a whole row of furikake (seasoning mixes) to jazz up your next bowl of rice. To scope out sake along with chuhai RTDs, plum wine and yuzu liqueur, ask staff and they\u2019ll open the door to next-door Tokyo Liquor for you. The store has a rotating selection of bottles available for tasting (again, just ask staff); it\u2019s a great way of finding out what style of sake you\u2019re drawn to.<\/p>\n
Little Shun De <\/p>\n
A Unesco City of Gastronomy located in Southern China\u2019s Guandong, the city namesake of this restaurant is often called the \u201ccradle of Cantonese cuisine\u201d. Dry-steaming and milk-poaching are some of the signature techniques behind the menu here. <\/p>\n
Ramen from Ajisen in Newmarket<\/p>\n
Ajisen <\/p>\n
Giant of the ramen scene, Ajisen has branches worldwide, offering a plethora of choices built on super savoury soup, silky noodles and myriad toppings. <\/p>\n
JHC greengrocer, Newmarket.<\/p>\n
JHC <\/p>\n
This greengrocer is a bit of an underground icon for anyone who likes cooking Southeast Asian cuisine, as it reliably stocks herbs and aromatics such as Vietnamese mint and makrut lime leaves, as well as hard-to-find Thai and Vietnamese meatballs, sausages and other specialties in the freezer section. <\/p>\n
L’Atelier du Fromage in Newmarket. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n
Maison Vauron and L\u2019Atelier du Fromage <\/p>\n
A Francophile\u2019s fantasy, Maison Vauron offers thousands of French beverages to those who thirst for them, plus a wide range of cheese, charcuterie, condiments and other deli goods. Fare at its cafe L\u2019Atelier du Fromage is fittingly rich: homemade duck sausage; entrecote with Agria pave; chicken liver mousse, and of course, expertly curated cheeseboards. <\/p>\n
Hainanese Chicken Shop <\/p>\n
Opening imminently in the former Selera site from the same owners, this will be the city\u2019s first eatery dedicated to Hainanese chicken, a dish that originated with migrants from Hainan, adapted to become a beloved classic in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. <\/p>\n
Goodies on the Green <\/p>\n
Lumsden Green offers a grassy reprieve from the built-up surrounds, and with a whole row of bars and eateries lining one side of it, there\u2019s quite the buzz there, especially on a fine evening when outdoor seating fills up fast. <\/p>\n
Toast on the Green, Newmarket. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Toast on the Green <\/p>\n
The toasties here are big enough to stop a heavy door but they taste so good you won\u2019t be wasting them that way. <\/p>\n
The Lumsden.<\/p>\n
The Lumsden <\/p>\n
This freehouse boasts a rotating selection of 15 beers on tap, and loads more by the bottle. The food menu runs the gamut from wings with nine sauces or rubs to choose from, burgers, pizzas, and loaded nachos. <\/p>\n
VT Station in Newmarket.<\/p>\n
VT Station <\/p>\n
Named for India\u2019s busiest train station, Victoria Terminus, this restaurant on Lumsden Green boasts many different menus, including the yum cha-like Chore Bazaar, allowing you to tick your desired number of small dishes at $9 a pop, and the Irani Cafe menu featuring beloved Indian breakfast dishes and English breakfasts given an Indian twist. It also has separate menus dedicated to dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free diners. <\/p>\n
Nuffield St <\/p>\n
Nuffield St has boutique shopping, cosy cafes and a range of international cuisine restaurants.<\/p>\n
Mirella Kostandini, the owner\/chef at Arte Della Pasta in Newmarket.<\/p>\n
Arte Della Pasta <\/p>\n
If you fall hard for the super-fresh handmade pasta here you can learn to make it for yourself: proprietor Mirella Kostandini runs group and private classes from the restaurant outside opening hours. The restaurant menu features signature pastas and Mirella\u2019s daily special (every Wednesday it\u2019s carbonara) and vegan and gluten-free options are available. <\/p>\n
Hanami Restaurant, Newmarket.<\/p>\n
Hanami <\/p>\n
This self-described Chinese-Japanese fusion restaurant doesn\u2019t shy away from doing things differently, such as putting mapo tofu or sweet spicy chicken pops on pizza, but elsewhere marries two cuisines in less wild ways, in seafood donburi, tempura and gyoza offerings. <\/p>\n
Kernel <\/p>\n
Sweetcorn-based sweet snacks and drinks inspire the name, while braised dishes on rice form the savoury backbone at this new casual eatery. <\/p>\n
Bing Girl <\/p>\n
If you haven\u2019t yet cottoned on to jianbing (Chinese crepes), these snug bundles are a texture and flavour delight, and Bing Girl is a great entree into the genre. <\/p>\n
Korean barbecue restaurant Gui in Newmarket. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Gui <\/p>\n
The couple behind Milford restaurant Olle have teamed up with chef Kevin from Pohang in South Korea to give Korean barbecue the respect it deserves, using traditional charcoal instead of the gas commonly seen here to fuel the tabletop grills. Kevin\u2019s Pohang-style crudo and sundubu jjigae (spicy seafood stew) are not to be missed, and co-owner Vannesa\u2019s insider tip is to order the bibim noodles: the chilled noodles offer a beautiful contrast to hot grilled meat. <\/p>\n
Mall Morsels <\/p>\n
Westfield Newmarket has plenty of stock-standard chain restaurants but also a few gems worth riding the escalator for. <\/p>\n
Oodles, Newmarket.<\/p>\n
Oodles <\/p>\n
The best find in the mall\u2019s fairylight-lit, lushly landscaped rooftop dining precinct is this restaurant specialising in dishes from the Uyghur culture of China\u2019s Xinjiang province. There\u2019s a natural theatre to this food: in the brick-clad kitchen, chicken, lamb and beef skewers sizzle away over charcoal, permeating the spacious dining room with a smoky, cumin-laced aroma, and chefs slap and pull noodles adeptly. All that steaming heat is tempered by cold dishes such as black fungus salad and silky cold skin noodles with spongy strips of gluten, swimming in a garlic-lover\u2019s dressing. <\/p>\n
Tai Ping. Photo \/ Malcolm Campbell<\/p>\n
Tai Ping <\/p>\n
The Chinese supermarket is small and well-stocked, but more exciting is the attached barbecue shop. Order from a menu of barbecue meats on rice, and keep an eye out for rotating weekend deals (Friday to Sunday), which might offer a Hainanese chicken rice set with a whole aromatic-poached chicken with coconut rice and accompanying sauces, or a combo of barbecue pork and duck large enough to feed a family. <\/p>\n
New life for Broadway <\/p>\n
Newmarket Business Association\u2019s website lists several upcoming hospitality openings on Broadway to look out for, including a branch of Farro, coconut drinks and dessert shop Coconut Factory and the first New Zealand outpost of Hiroshima-born, 70-year-old matcha specialist Cha-no-wa. More reason to return.<\/p>\n
More on food & drink in Auckland<\/p>\n
From cocktails to cuisine, Auckland\u2019s food scene keeps reinventing itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Newmarket\u2019s main drag Broadway has traditionally been a bit of a food desert with the side streets the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":579709,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[74,6128,1558,3390,21846,48706,24004,7410,3555,36979,15416,156,564,2082,106,26098,78,13457,3120,130,5971,111,31915,107965,139,69,90,22399,100703,10270,1243,6102,2249,5412,285666,285665,223,61,285664,14047,1316,540,102],"class_list":["post-579708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-after","tag-bars","tag-been","tag-best","tag-broadway","tag-cafes","tag-coming","tag-desert","tag-drag","tag-drink","tag-eat","tag-entertainment","tag-food","tag-for","tag-head","tag-heres","tag-in","tag-look","tag-main","tag-more","tag-need","tag-new-zealand","tag-newmarket","tag-newmarkets","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-on","tag-places","tag-please","tag-restaurants","tag-shopping","tag-side","tag-soon","tag-streets","tag-sustenance","tag-tastebuds","tag-the","tag-to","tag-traditionally","tag-way","tag-when","tag-where","tag-with"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=579708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579708\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/579709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=579708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=579708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=579708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}