Very delicious and authentic dimsum: the prawn dumplings, pork shumai and xiaolongbao soup dumplings were all delicious, as was the cold starter mouth watering chicken.
Cool modern twist on the traditional decor which is replicated in the food. We enjoyed the dumplings, from the staples siu mai (pork and prawn) to xiao long bao (pork with soup), to the more unique lamb as well as cheese bacon ones.
Cosy ambience, we went on a Friday night without a table booking and it wasn't packed. Friendly staff.
Soft shell crabs-small portion but very tasty, came with salad on the side
Xiao long bao-interesting dish that that we thought is a must try, too salty
Peking duck-tasty, good portion for the price
It’s difficult to use up 140 characters just to say the braised beef cheek is superb! The Peking duck isn’t real Beijing duck though, lacking in crispy skin!
Tao is a cute dumpling bar hidden away in Newmarket. They’re well known for their colourful dumplings and selection of beverages to go with it.
We ordered an assortment of made fresh to dumplings, including the popular xiao long bao soup dumplings, and the Peking duck.
Lovely staff and good price.
A cute lil restaurant, the staff were super friendly and attentive. Got the Peking duck with steamed pancakes which was so good and Kung Pao chicken which was sweeter then expected. Dumplings were pretty good too. Would definitely go back.
Really like this place! I have their prawn dumplings all the time and they’re the best I’ve had in Auckland. The ambience is very nice and modern, with good service. It’s very clean - and despite the common idea that only run down Asian resturaunts are good, this one is definately worth trying!
No photos as i was out on a dinner date.
Table Booking definitely recommended.
Love the ambiance and service is good. The food is actually good too.
A great place to go out with your love ones!
Spring rolls and dumplings were amazing, pepper steak on grill was average, so was the seafood basket. Staff was friendly , restaurant was smaller the expected but interior was ok, prices are reasonable
Super friendly staff. Taste of my home country. Reasonable price. Such a beautiful place, good envirnoment to chat with friends. Must be back again!!! Highly recommend.
Friendly service and awesome ambience!! Really like the place it's sooo special, handmade dumplings is always my favorite. Definitely Will come again and recommend to all of my friends .
Came here as an end of exams celebratory dinner with 3 other friends. We ordered the prawn dumplings, seafood dumplings, xiaolongbao and shumai. The seafood dumplings were a little on the bland side but the rest of the dumplings were good, steaming hot and well-cooked too. The wrapper of the prawn dumplings were much chewier than what I am used to but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. We also ordered the soft shell crab which had an amazing coating, the tofu which was beautifully cooked, the kungpao chicken which was definitely one of the better kung pao chickens I've tried and the squid which was a crowd favourite. We used a first table voucher which entitled us to 50% off our order (excluding drinks) which came to a total of $14 pp.
The atmosphere of this place was quiet but cosy, it was early on a wednesday night and there were only a few other people there. Servers were lovely and helpful. Another thing to note is that this place only takes one bill per table.
Went here for Dinner lunch last night Food was absolutely amazing we tried all the dumplings they had and every single one of them is amazing full of flavour and tastes so good also the place is nicely decorated and the service is amazing even for a the big group we had the food came out quickly and all together and was warm would highly recommend going here if u love Chinese food
Very friendly staff , Amazing food and atmosphere! Great decor ! The seafood dumplings were amazing and the tofu house made ! Will be back soon to try the rest of the menu !
Despite being an advocate and strong supporter of Asian Fusion cuisine taking over Auckland’s food scene, sometimes I do fine that it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the many choices that we now have. Having tried the Blue Breeze Inn, Kiss Kiss and Lucky Buddha (just to name a few of my favourtie establishments), I decided to book Tao restaurant for a family reunion dinner after hearing good reviews and wanting to check out their extremely instagram-worthy interior!
This place is good to enjoy dumplings. My favorite so far is the one with cheese insides. The price for those dumplings are reasonable, or even better when compare to those you get from the Friday night market. Worth to try. The main one with roasted duck is amazing as well but the proportion is small even for 1 person. Quick serving and good service, especially when you get some snack to calm your stomach down while waiting for the food. It is a good place to try dumplings, will come back for them.
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We were greeted by a cheerful, handsome young man in the bar upon walking in. The interior is modernly rustic with a Chinese oriental twist. Love how they put Chinese music on too!
We ordered Soft Shell Crab, Sichuan Mouth Watering Chicken, Sizzling Beef, Seafood Nest, Cumin Lamb Chop, Seasonal Vegetables, and a 5pc Combination Dumpling!
Food came out extremely fast and everything was beautifully presented. Being a regular Chinese-cuisine eater, I can assure you that although it's a 'fusion' restaurant, the food is definitely not some watered down version of Chinese dishes.
Chicken was tender and not oily at all, with crushed peanuts adding the perfect texture and flavours.
Soft Shell Crab was beautifully fried, and was complimented by a refreshingly tangy and sweet salad.
Sizzling Beef was succulent, tender and not overpowering with pepper.
Seafood Bird's Nest was amazing! Generous portions of huge prawns, fish, mushrooms, vegetables and cashews. The nest itself is made of noodles fried into a basket shape so everything is edible!
Lamb Chops were insanely tender, the meat cuts away with a gentle bite. Intricate touch of cherry tomatoes and sauteed onions.
Seasonal vegetables were subtle and accompanied the meat dishes perfectly.
Dumplings were amazing! Favourite would be the Seafood and Chicken dumplings, burst of flavour and steamed to perfection.
The flavours here are neither too mild or too strong and is very appropriate for a wide spectrum of diners. The chef's themselves are Chinese who are also very friendly and even bring out the food themselves every now and then.
Food: 10/10
Price: 8/10
Ambience: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Nice place and nice food. We tried some dumplings and pecking duck, sizzling beef and sweet and sour pork. Every thing was sooo yummy! The cheese dumpling was shocked but amazing as the idea was coming from pizza, they made the cheese cube and bacon, chicken mix all together and made out this dumplings. That's soo cool! And lovely waiters are so friendly as well. They provide service so attentive and considered! Love this place!
Pros: amazing dumplings and soft shell crab. Service is great, very friendly and attentive without being annoying or huffy. The vibe here is welcoming and trendy - great place to come after work with colleagues for drinks and a shared meal.
Cons: Peking duck is not worth it - it's quite pricey for what you get compared to other places close by.
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Popped in for a mid-week dinner with friends, drawn by the Zomato reviews and ratings. Tao did not disappoint.
We tried the soup dumplings, vege dumplings, lemon chicken, and deep fried tofu, all of which were super delicious.
The lemon chicken was the best I've had in ages.
The deep fried tofu was awesomely silky and crunchy and the chef kindly tweaked the sauce to make it vegetarian for my friend (menu version includes fish sauce).
The only downside of the whole experience was that the soup dumplings were super thin and we broke Every. Single. One. The heartbreak! I can only imagine how souper great they would have been were we more skilled with our chop sticks/used a spoon/the dumplings were thicker ... sigh.
The service was pretty awesome. When the waitress saw me crunching down on ice cubes (I have a habit, don't judge) she brought over a whole tumbler of ice just for me. Top notch. *5*stars*for*you*.
Friendly, considerate, on the ball staff without being super in your face and asking if you're okay all the time, y'know?
Enjoyed the decor and general surrounds . Managed to nab a park right outside (free after 6pm). The food was yum, arrived quickly and was hot. Didn't break the bank (but not necessarily 'cheap'). We all left satisfied. Definitely recommend.
I’m a big time dumpling fan! We ordered the seafood (black), chicken (yellow) and veggie (green) dumplings. They were to die for! The sauces were so good. Don’t even get me started on how cute the place is. The ambience is a 10/10. You’re guaranteed a good time here!
This is my go-to place for dumplings! They never fail to provide the most unique and delicious dim sum style dumplings which also go very well with their other side dishes.
The atmosphere is always good here and not to mention the design of the restaurant is so nice.
Taste: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Interior Deco: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Customer service: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Recommend: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Discovered this little Chinese cultural restaurant in new market! Love those little decorations. Not many things to choose from but covers a range of styles, the cheese dumpling was very interesting! Quite like it there!! Stuffs were super friendly too!
The interior design of the cafe was very nicely done with a rustic feel and staff were very nice. Portion sizes were quite good too. The lamb wontons and prawn hargow were our favourites. The shumai and seafood dumplings were alright. The only thing we were disappointed about were the xiaolongbao and pecking duck dishes. The wrap of the pecking duck was a little too thick for our liking and the xiaolongbao had very little soup which is the key point to a soup dumpling, and was overly sweet. Other than that, everything was good!
The Food and Service everything is awesome. Really loved the dumplings. The best Chinese restaurant in Auckland. The menu is simple and tasty.
Lamb dumplings (pictured) = a must try!
The Kung Pao chicken and sizzling black pepper dishes were delicious.
Lovely service - attentive but not overbearing. And ambience is lovely both at lunch and dinner.
We went back twice in the space of 3 days because we enjoyed it so much!!
Tao doesn’t have the best food, but it does have the best customer service. You can find here the basic of Chinese food, dumplings, peking duck, stir-fried vegetables and deep fried tofu. Of all those things, i find the dumplings to be the most delicious. The peking duck was overpriced and executed wrong. The duck meat was shredded to pieces and there were more skin then meat. I would love the see a decent sized piece of duck meat. Everything else is pretty salty. Although i was a bit disappointed by the food, the service was one of the best i’ve seen anywhere, super quick, friendly and attentive to customer’s request. Overall, i would def come back just for the dumplings 😊
Ordered Pecking Duck and Prawn Dumplings, amazing food, so flavourful.
Food Rating - 5
Rated 4 just because the duck took more than 20 mins to arrive at the table and the dumplings which take less time, took more than 30 mins. We had to remind our waiter for the dumplings.
Good Ambience, polite staff, amazing food! Highly recommended.
Quite possibly my new favourite Newmarket eat. The staff are absolutely amazing! They were very warm, attentive and friendly. The atmosphere and overall aesthetic of Tao Restaurant & Bar couldn't of been more enjoyable. The food was also a definite hit! I will most definitely be returning here.
Delicious duck and dumplings, but the only thing that was not to my liking was the xiaolongbao, as i have had better elsewhere. Other than that, there is not much to fault. Great restaurant.
Busy restaurant but consistent friendly service at all times:)
Quite enjoyed
free styled cocktail, exactly what I want.
Highly recommended!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing!!!
Stopped by for dinner and it wasn't too busy. Took a table by the back instead of the higher tables up front.
Service was nice and efficient. Seated and came by to take orders after a bit. Came by with water and a selection of different dipping sauces. The chilli and ginger one was really nice and went with everything.
The soft shell crab was alright. Would've been nicer if the crab was quartered so it'll be easier to eat. The egg crumb over it was nice. The Peking duck was a bit too meaty for my liking but had the right flavours. The dumplings were also really nice although I thought that the shao long bao needed more soup inside.
Quite a nice place for a meal but the different items do add up.
All overall good experience. Great duck pancakes even though not that traditional. Amazing beef dumplings. Service was good and friendly. Would recommend it.
Love this place!
Most of their food come as small portion which provide a chance to try out more different dishes. And all of the food we ordered were freshly made and yummy. The Prawn Har Gao and the Tao salad were my favorite!
Amazing! Best dumplings I've had besides Din Tai Fung, and Din Tai Fung is a Michelin Star restaurant. The place has a cozy fusion vibe with beautiful interior design and murals. We ordered some dumplings to share. Their xiao long bao and and pork shumai were gorgeous, and Seafood and Chicken Tao dumplings were good twists to traditional Chinese dumplings. To accompany the meal we ordered Zealong tea, not offered in many restaurants; the tea came in generous portions and beautiful fusion teapots, which I was also happy about. I will definitely return for more dumplings and Zealong tea!
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Tao is not your usual Chinese fare... they do a slightly different version of traditional Chinese dishes. We went there on a week night and booked through the first table. I absolutely love the decor, very cute and quirky. I love the little condiments on the table, and I really like the little tea pot and tea cups.
We were seated near the kitchen, and our order were taken promptly. The wait staffs were very friendly and attentive.
We ordered a few things from the small dishes and a few dumplings. For me the star of the show was the pork shumai and the tofu! The shumai were so moist and tasty! They had their meat to fat ratio just right. The addition of shiitake mushrooms in the shumai adds and extra earthy-ness that brings the flavour together. The tofu were so crispy on the outside and fluffy and soft in the middle. Definitely a must try!
The rest of the food we ordered were not bad, not nothing to write home about. The soft shell crabs were in the style of Malaysian nestum prawn, served with wasabi aioli. I didn't think the wasabi aioli worked with the crab, but perhaps it was just a personal preference. The xiao long bao were a little bland for me. And I thought its lacking in soup too. But they were nice when eaten with their homemade chili ginger thing and vinegar. The seafood dumplings and bacon & cheese were not bad. The cold chicken dishes were also lacking the extra ooomph. But overall it was a good experience! I am keen to go back and try the other things on their menu! with Aimee Son
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I've been to Tao twice now so thought it was good time to review. Tao is a nice change from the greasy copious amounts of generic, chewy dumplings one finds at Dominion Rd (don't get me wrong I love them!). The dumplings here are very rich in flavour and the dumplings wraps are soft yet perfectly intact every time. I've tried almost every dumpling on the dinner menu and would highly recommend the Sui mai, chicken and corn, seafood, and the cheeses dumplings. The various condiments available on the table are delicate and go well with the dumplings.
The tofu is my favourite too! The tofu is crispy fried and drizzled with a sweet sticky sauce. I would have loved more sauce!
I've had the soft shell crab from both the old and new menu. The new one wins hands down! Deep fried and served with crispy (sweet) cornflakes, this is reminiscent of cereal prawns that is very popular in Singapore/Malaysia. Well done Tao!
The fried rice is also quite yummy. It's sticky and full of meat and onions. A good filler.
I'd like to make special mention of the decor. A mix of modern industrial and blue Chinese pieces the decor is delightful and fitting with the modern trend.
Wine list is also excellent! Well worth a splurge.
I will definitely be back to try their larger meals , but will most likely be distracted by the dumplings and tofu again :( .
Came here for a birthday and managed to try at least a third of the menu offerings (Mix of rice, noodle, meat dishes and all the dumplings).
Mozzarella and smoked bacon dumplings? Top points for innovation Tao. Well done on this surprise combo, the stringy cheese in dumpling combo is just genius.
Most other dishes weren't singing "must come back" to me, but overall appreciated the place for friendly service, new concepts and the beautiful wall art (hand painted by mrs proprietor, such talent!). Will be keeping an eye on Tao's developments for sure.
They made a bit of a fuss at the beginning and moved using around to find us a table - our fault, we're didn't make a reservation on a Friday night.
Venue is really cool, sort of industrial type look but without an eye for details.
I loved that they had Chang beer in the menu.
We had the Peking duck and pancakes, amazingly good. We also tried a few different types of dumplings: not impressed with the cheese one (it may have been the presence of chicken, big no no), but really enjoyed the pork ones and the beef ones.
They could really do with a decent website.
Called ahead to make a booking, bit of confusion over the phone but eventually managed to reserve a table.. Upon arrival, advised there were no tables left and seated at the bar. Book ahead and request a table if you do not wish to be seated at the bar, was a bit of a tight squeeze! However, pleasantly surprised by the food based on price, we had an assortment of dumplings, squid and the cucumber. Highly recommend the squid dish! And ask for the chilli flakes (in oil)!
Giten Shah and i visited this lovely little eating joint in new market catering modern and traditional chinese food.
We came across this restaurant through reviews from the heart of the city blogs and posts.
We started with dumplings... and me being crazy with dumplings landed up having 3 of them (4 pcs with each order). Their home made chilli was simply crazy and awesome stuff to try.
My partner had kung pao chicken... and to his much surprise the only restaurant that makes it authentically perfect. He said he is going back again for same and next time he might try yunan chicken from entrees and peking duck from mains.
The service was prompt and pleasant throughoutthe evening. Staff was just amazing even with there recommendation.
We are definitely going back again.
We came to Tao last night and really enjoyed it. Atmosphere and interior was good and food delicious!
Particular favourites were the pork and prawn dumplings (best we've ever eaten I think!!) And the Peking duck.
Will definitely make a return visit!!
Came here on saturday (lunch), it was very quiet. Very nice ambience.
Orange dumpling (beef & carrot filling) was the highlight of our lunch! It was very yummy, not too dry, sweet and full of flavour 😋 would love to try the other ones.
However, the xiao long bao was not that nice since the skin of it was a little bit too thick and not as runny as i expected from a xiao long bao. But the flavour of the filling was good.
The XO fried rice was just okay, but i would not come back for it.
I would recommend this restaurant for its dumpling 😋
For its service, i would rate it as 2.5 since the server was not friendly and a little bit rude considered we were the only diners in the restaurant but it feels a little bit rushed for our meal since she took the plates while we were still going with the fried rice.
That Shumai changed my life. Bao was amazing and dumplings were even better. Would highly recommend to any Asian cuisine lovers. Will definitely be coming back very soon. Jasmika Dadi
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Not wanting to merely stick with traditional har gao or siu mai, my friend and I chose to sample Tao's veggie dumplings, seafood dumplings and xiao long bao on a fully-booked Thursday night.
While the dumplings looked beautiful and the texture of their skins was perfect, the inside of the dumplings did not match their bold exteriors; I found the fillings to be lacking in flavour and just a bit flat. I didn’t want to rely on the sauces to love the dumplings, but even doing that made only a marginal improvement.
In addition to the three types of dumplings mentioned above, we also got soft shell crab and fried rice to fill us up. The fried rice was also a bit bland compared to what I was expecting (maybe I’m just used to eating lots of MSG?). But I’m happy to report that the crab was amazing. The wasabi mayonnaise could’ve had more kick, but I loved how well the soft shell crab pieces were cooked and split into manageable pieces.
Overall, I mostly enjoyed my recent experience at Tao and it wasn’t as expensive as I thought it would be. Ambience was great and the service was mostly fine (some staff members were warmer than others). We did find the tables a bit small though – so expect a bit of stacking if you order several dumpling dishes at a table for two.
This is such a cute little joint tucked away in Newmarket! I came here with a friend before a movie and we got 4x different sets of dumplings, all for about $25, so very reasonably priced. The dumplings are fresh and packed with flavour. I like how each flavour has a different colour skin. A standout for me were the vegetarian dumplings. A nice little place to pop in for a light lunch.
The One With A Nut Allergy...
+4
Grabbed some classics- peking duck, and the shumai dumplings. It was nice to see an unusual dumpling choice: combination of cheese, bacon, onions, in an Asian restaurant (new to my eyes anyways). Paired with some green tea it helped balance the duck and dumplings' rich flavours, felt like a nice cleanse.
Staff were attentive to my nut and peanut allergy which I made known at the start. The waitress kindly and patiently asked the kitchen first about ingredients before putting it down on paper.
Cant wait to come back and try other options.
I have heard a lot of hype about this place. So we have been looking forward to having a meal here. My son is an avid dumpling lover. So anything dumpling is a must try.
We ordered the Peking duck, the sizzling beef, beef dumplings, seafood dumplings , cheese dumplings and the lamb wontons.
Peking duck was tasty..It suits me because I like more meat in my Peking duck but my husband didn't like it as much because he's more of the crispy skin fan.
The dumplings were the stars. Succulent and juicy and very well priced! My favorite is probably the cheese dumplings. Texture wise I think they can possibly consider pan fried dumplings or fried wontons to vary it up because after the 5th steamed dumplings, I was a bit sick of it.
But overall a very good experience.
Great location in Short St where the original Cafe Mecca used to be.
They have a variety of both high tables & normal seating and an open bar area.
Staff are friendly & knowledgeable about the menu. Some dishes took a while to come out but that was to be expected when everything was so fresh. We tried a few different options & all were nice, the favourites being the Xiao Long Bao & Prawn dumplings.
There are many great dumpling restaurants out there but these guys seem to have the right mix of flavour, presentation & price.
Will most definitely be back & soon.
The decor here is great, as is the service. If you're well versed in dumplings, Tao is probably not the place for you. The presentation of the food is great, the colours of the dumpling skins are definitely eye catching but in terms of technique and flavour, it falls on the average side of the scale- the dumpling skins are not as silky or thin as you'd find elsewhere. If you're not a picky eater, you'll find Tao more than satisfactory.
I'd give you a 5.5 but it only goes to 5 😜 being big fans of dumplings my partner come across this on urban list and I'm glad she did with out any hesitation we had to get down and try it out,and wow we were wowed tucked away on a back street in new market we walk in the decor is amazing we are greeted from staff promptly and so cheerful we take a seat order and wait patiently our mouths start to water even before it comes out,it comes out and again we just wowed so colourful and smells Devine as for taste I'll leave it there thanks guys we will be back real soon aww and we weren't even bothered you forgot out green tea 😋 can't wait to return 🙏
Sunday lunch surprisingly very quiet. Wondered if this was a bad omen but no. Duck pancakes, seafood dumplings and lamb wontons are winners here, you must have the lamb wontons!!! Great service too.
Most underrated Asian restaurant around. Warning: Not the best photos...they really don't do justice to it!
Food:
Ordered a selection of the dumplings, the duck pancakes and chicken lettuce cups. All of it was amazing. Such great quality ingredients, super juicy and authentic.
Service:
Service was outstanding. Our waitress was so lovely and more than happy to explain the menu, provide recommendations etc.
Decor was also really nice. Not overdone and just what we were after for a Saturday dinner :)
As a bit of a Chinese cuisine snob, I found myself pleasantly humbled here 💆🏼. Tucked into a side street of the hustle and bustle of Newmarket is Tao. It's a small restaurant with under 25 tables and a killer liquor selection 🥂. The service is above average and they make an effort to help you feel validated (when waiting for a table and even when you have one! Yipeee 🎉!) Once sat down you will get a chance to feast your eyes on the very authentic, traditional but slightly modern menu - basically be prepared to be blown away at this point! The food itself was impeccable, the flavour combinations were on point and the presentation had a great amount of flair to it as well. This is an Auckland must try! ✨
Such amazing friendly service! And the food was great too! Went for dinner and a drink, good selection of wines and beers both international and local. Highly recommend the Tao dumplings - can't be missed. Thoroughly enjoyed the peking duck pancakes and lettuce cups too! Check it out :) perfect for pre movie drinks and nibbles.
Went to check it out after review on Canvas magazine. We made a booking for Sun dinner as we're a family of 5. We were late 25mins but they still held our booking which was kinda nice as it is only a small place. Great service...we were in and out in an hour. Food was scrumptious.....everything! All shared plates as we love to sample bits of everything. The peking duck with hoisin sauce.....ahhh yum!! One minor complaint is that the fans are quite small so if you're ordering anything spicy...can tend to get a bit hot...even though we're indian...maybe a bit too westernised lol. Will def go again :)
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With so much talk about this place, we had to check it out. We rang up to book a table before we left home as we weren’t sure how busy they would be. The man that took our call was pleasant to deal with and happily reserved a table for us between 7:15 – 7:30pm. So far first impressions were good. Walking into the restaurant the atmosphere is modern and sophisticated without being intimating. Loved the wall art and bright cushioned seating at the back of the restaurant and the industrial lighting and hanging tea pots at the front. Although the place is on the smaller side, there is a decent amount of space for couples or groups.
The menu isn’t as long as some places, but it still has a good variety of options. My partner and I ordered the Veggie dumplings, House-made egg and soy milk tofu and the seasonal market greens in ginger garlic. The dumplings were plump and juicy. We both agreed the mixture of vegetables, tofu and vermicelli worked well for a vegetarian option. The seasonal greens were basically just steamed broccoli. I’m glad we questioned this with our waiter as we were aware it was going to be only broccoli - otherwise we may have been a bit disappointed. The broccoli looked healthy… and we worried, as often steamed veggies can be quite bland. Luckily the broccoli was cooked well and with a subtle ginger garlic flavour. The dish wouldn’t have been the same without those roasted nuts sprinkled on top (next time I think we’ll ask for extra!). The Tofu was the star of the night! Visually it was very appealing and equally as good to taste. The tofu was crisp, salty and well-seasoned on the outside, and soft and smooth on the inside. Would definitely recommend this dish to tofu lovers! One of the best tofu dishes we’ve come across.
Overall we were pretty impressed with this ‘new kid’ on the block. The service was great - friendly, fast and efficient, as it should be. All the dishes were well presented and worked out to be really reasonable - $33 for for two. I hope they can continue to keep their standards high as we will definitely be visiting again.
Decided to check out this restaurant/bar during the lunch time as dinner time can be quite buzy here and got a window seat easily. Had the pork belly/prawn dim sim and beef/stew on rice, typical price for these dishes and well presented and colorful. Main dish came out before entree snack but never mind, place use to be Spanish eatery Basque Kitchen Bar. Nice waitstaff too, thanks guys/gals
Courtney @ A Food Awakening
+3.5
Through my laziness of walking down the road to have dinner being too lazy to cook nearing Xmas, I headed to the recently opened Tao Restaurant and Bar in Newmarket. After seeing pictures online of the dumplings, it was added to the list. . Sadly I am an idiot who can’t read or its not clear that the dumplings are only available at lunch – (reason i went to this place). Any who, the menu again another place made for sharing, food comes out when its ready, although at least most of the food came out near somewhat the same time, and was steaming hot.
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A little gem of the Orient in Newmarket.
The decor is tastefully selected with a trendy light industrial-style. I really adore the cute Chinese tea pots hanging above the bar, a nice add-on of traditional elements. Service was superb and I think the owner was a bit of obsessed with neatness (not bad news for diners I suppose).
So we've been to this place twice, one for lunch and one for dinner. I would strongly recommend their prawn dumplings, which have the best dumpling skin texture in town, not mushy or overly chewy. What also pleases me was the juicy filling instead of a cluster of dry and boring prawn meatball stuffed inside. We also tried their colourful steamed dumplings, insta-friendly and taste great as well. For dinner, my personal favourites are Yunnan Chicken, Caramelised Walnuts, Sizzling Eye Fillet with Black Pepper Sauce and Seafood Fried Rice. They also provided two dessert options, which just work for a sweet craver like me:) Normally I'm not too enthusiastic about Asian Fusion cuisine, as most of the time I found the food does not actually worth the hype. However I reckon this little restaurant does grab both of the concept and flavour.
Overall, if you are looking for a place for a drink and some decent Chinese food, this is it~
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Food Quality 3/5
Food Quantity 3/5
Presentation 5/5
Service 5/5
Price 5/5
A brand new restaurant located next to Archie's and Tatsumi. The competition is fierce in the location. The presentation from entrance to food was excellent, with a beautiful Japanese waiter than can also speak Chinese providing outstanding service.
It was very unfortunate the food was mediocre, it was a hit and miss.
The Shumai was great, not too oily but not much special, just prepared "well" and "good".
The meat for the meet sand which was outstanding, extremely tender and melts in your mouth, then read itself had multiple layers and worked very well.
Seafood dumplings, could not really taste the seafood because it was sad mashed together, lost the flavor with too many things going on their, I knew it was a seafood dumpling but what was in it I had no clue.
Prawn hargao is better than most yumcha restaurants. The wrapped skin was very nice to chew and partially melts in. Your mouth also like extremely soft mochi.
Then there was the zhajiangmien. I took one bite and I told my wife not to eat it, I saw another girl come in and order this, she wasn't very impressed also. Unfortunately for her all she ordered was he noodles, and I'm sure she will not be coming back again. I am willing to bet $100 that during the owner/staff lunch break the last item on the menu they will prepare for themselves will be the noodles.
Simple fixes like, keep the noodles the same but half the amount of noodles in the same big bowl will still provide great presentation with a tasty treat, maybe a bit of spice or zing would be good too. More does not mean better, sometime less consumers will order 2 instead of 1!
Another simple fix for seafood dumpling is to not mix it up so much you can't see the ingredients. That will bring more flavor with each bite, and you will know what you are eating.
If the owners are happy to listen to customer feedback, they will be better than Big Fish, Blue Breeze Inn and other high end Asian restaurants in no time.
All the best and looking forward for much needed next time I visit.
Will definitely be back.
Very quaint little restaurant. Food was authentic and delicious! Service was quick and friendly. We had the fried fish with herb, lamb shank massaman curry and Asian vege. The fish was crispy and very flavourful! Lamb shank just falls off its bone! Curry was thick and rich. Portion were generous! Will come back again!
Very nice food. Generously sized serves of food. Only one issue: the tables are a little small, but we'll be back.
Okay, returned for more. The food again was great on our 2nd visit.
A fun, Thai restaurant decorated with umbrellas in the ceiling. The food was delicious and well portioned. You can choose your choice of rice, noodles or stir fry and the protein you want to match with it. A small place the fills up quickly so best to book
We booked a table for 4 online easily on Thursday about an hour before 7.30pm. The restaurant was busy when we arrived but the bartender was considerate enough to offer to arrange an inner table for us while we waited at a smaller outer table for the inner table to be cleared.
Ordered the monthly special Amazing Thailand which had SomThum, fried rice with egg and Deep Fried fish. Also the Mooping skewers and beef cheek panang curry, which was delicious and tender. TomYum seafood soup was authentically spicy!
A bit on the pricier side.
Parking next door using an app.
What’s better than a hot plate of spicy asian thai authentic food on a cold windy rainy day! Definitely worth the visit. You get fresh oyster, nice northern thai food. Don’t forget to down with some beer! If you like it to be more spicy let the manager knows. Oh not forgetting, the staff told me some of the veg are home grown! Organic!!!
I must do justice to the oysters! Freshness of NZ oyster with the Thai Chef authentic touch! The dish is blown!!! You can’t get this else where! Not even in thailand you get this kind of freshness!
To my asian friend! You miss some hot and spice! Ask the manager to spice it up!!!!
Went for a lunch with a large group. We were able to pre-order the meal which was excellent. Having this option reduces potential delays when you are on a lunch break. The staff were very responsive when we arrived, and organised drinks. The meals came out relatively quickly given the size of our group. The meals were a decent size and my Pad Thai was excellent, tasted fresh and delicious. The decor was super cute. Would definitely come back.
Fantastic Thai cuisine, friendly service, and inviting atmosphere, nestled in the vibrant hub of Newmarket.
The food, priced affordably for the quality, consistently delivers on taste and satisfaction. The restaurant's location in the heart of Newmarket, close to public transport, makes it a convenient choice for gatherings and special occasions.
If you're willing to trade a bit of parking convenience for exceptional Thai cuisine, Khao San is undoubtedly worth a visit.
What a great place and truly enjoyed an awesome dining experience with tasty Thai dishes to enjoy with my friends.
Price was just right for the food quality. Kinda hard to locate at first as the signage outside the restaurant was not very obvious but now we know where it is (right next to Archie's pizzeria in Davis Cres, Newmarket), will be back for more that's for sure. Happy tummy 😊
Reasonable quality food and reasonable price also. Pad thai was delicious. Lamb shank massaman curry was very rich and nutty. Beef thai salad was pretty average. Tom yum soup was too blend to my taste. Overall we enjoyed the dining experience.
A very nicely decorated restaurant with very friendly staff. Food was good, although a little bland. All in all a good 4 star
Loved the soft shell crab, fried eggplant and raw prawns.
Also got the Tom Yum Soup which had nice flavour, would want to come back to try lots more of the menu!
Food was delicious, service was fast. Nice relaxing space.
Highly recommended! Such a lovely authentic Thai restaurant! Directly taking me back to the Khao San road! 😁
The Thai salad was amazing and tasty with real shredded papaya inside! To die for!🔥
The Cashew nuts chiken was tender and yummy with sweet soy sauce! Bang on job!😋
The fish was the top quality dish I had in nz so far! The sauce was real authentic and tasty! They even fillet the fish diced it then fry it separately with the bones for you then put sauce on top! Very considerate! Love the attitude!👍👍👌👌👌
Such a lovely restaurant!
Good service!
Will definitely come back again! ❤️❤️❤️
Amazing service from Jao who gave awesome recommendations!! Loved the authentic som Tum salad with prawns - recommended ! Nam Tok beef salad needed some fresh mint but very generous portions !
Came here a bit late on a Sunday night and was impressed with the food and flavours! Starting off with their $3.50 oysters were great as they had lots of strong flavours that made us immediately want to order more. The portion sizes of everything was impressive for the price and the flavours didn’t disappoint. Will definitely go back!
Pad Thai, panang curry and red curry were absolutely fantastic. Brilliant atmosphere and delicious food. Definitely will be back!
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