171D Ponsonby Road,
Ponsonby
Auckland,


(09) 360 6085

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3 out of 5 stars

Aucklands’ got oodles of noodles. Noodle shops that is. At one end of the scale there are the cheap suburban and inner city places, usually bathed in bright fluorescent light and with a ragtag pile of the Mandarin Times at the counter. A few price points higher Wagamama offers designer cool from Tokyo via Soho.

Between the suburban cheapies and Wagamama lies east. The locally owned mini-chain - at present there are just three in total in Newmarket, Remuera and Ponsonby - undeniably looks to Wagamama for its original inspiration. The similarities are obvious. Long shared tables, a minimalist approach to decor, and a menu that puts a Western spin on popular Asian cuisine. But east is different in a couple of ways. The menu spans all of Asia from Japan in the north to Indonesia in the south. And on average it's a couple of bucks cheaper than Wagamama, and for my 50 baht worth actually offers more interesting and diverse food.

We rock up to the Ponsonby location after a few drinks at this week's bar of the moment. The menu demands interaction. You can choose from thirteen different main dishes showcasing either rice or the different noodle styles of Asia. Add your own main ingredient. Beef, chicken, calamari, prawns or tofu. Indo Chine fuses Hokkien wheat noodles with a kaffir lime and coriander curry. Shanghai noodles are blended with sweet chilli sauce, ginger and cashew nuts in the East. I try the Hot Java ($14.50) which combines rice with calamari in a hot sambal sauce with palm sugar. I like real Asian heat and it doesn't disappoint with authentic flavours and loads of tender calamari and bok choy. Carol and I also share the East Platter consisting of four sides dishes ($19.90). The standouts are tender Duck Wraps and Wasabi Mayo Prawns, three skewers crammed with plump prawns. On a previous visit to the Newmarket branch, we've also tried the Vietnamese-style chicken salad resolutely infused with fresh mint, basil and coriander.

East doesn't make any claims to be totally authentic Asian food. Auckland's already got plenty of places for a steaming bowl of real-deal laksa or a spicy mee goreng. What it offers is damn tasty food that's good value, and in the case of the Newmarket and Remuera locations, the opportunity to have a crisp Japanese beer or a glass of zingy Aromatic Kiwi wine with your meal.

They also deliver if you live close enough - happily we do - and you can eat your noodles or rice out of one of those funky cardboard containers straight from a New York crime drama.