Auckland's Favourite Chinese Cheap Eats

For delicious, authentic hand pulled noodles, Xi’an Food Bar is your place. It’s a reasonably priced, no frills restaurant with a focus on traditional techniques and mouth-watering food. There are now eight Xi’an Food Bars across Auckland and Hamilton, and although there remain plans to expand further, so watch this space! 

Head to Dominion Road for some of Auckland’s best noodle shops - Shaolin Kung Fu Noodles being no exception. Slurp your noods in one of the bright orange booths, with tabletops covered in cartoon imagery. One of the best things about this place? The dumplings are also to die for. 

Another late night spot on Dominion Road, New Flavour lays claim to Auckland’s most iconic dumplings, but they also do a cracker sizzling beef dish as well as stir fried broccoli and garlic. And if you have a sweet tooth, we suggest trying the brown sugar pancakes. There is a private dining room available if you want to take the whole crew.

One of Mt Eden’s favourite noodle houses, named for the spicy, thin noodles originating from the region of the same name. The restaurant is spacious, the seating comfortable and the menu well-priced and enticing - what more do you need?

Photo: Stock by Nancy Zhou

As its name suggests, Barilla’s specialty is dumplings. Whether you are after chicken, pork, prawn or vegetables; fried, boiled or steamed, Barilla will have you covered. Options are plentiful, portions are decent, and prices are reasonable - and yes, the rest of the food (not just their dumplings) is tasty! 

It’s one of Auckland’s most loved eateries, and since mid-2022 this cheap and cheerful restaurant has opened a second outpost in Newmarket, with the aim of reducing the Dominion Road queues and sharing the love. It’s hard to go past the wide noodles in soup with dandan sauce, but it would be a wise move to order pork and chive dumplings on the side.

If you haven’t tried yum cha already, then it’s probably time. As trollies laden with fried goods, including dumplings and dim sum circulate the restaurant, all you need to do is sit back with your Chinese tea, flagging down the plates that catch your eye (or nose!). Asian Wok is clean, spacious (handy for avoiding collisions with carts), and the food is exceptional.

Tucked away in an unsuspecting block of Sandringham shops lies Tianze Dumpling House. Chef and owner Levi loves to share the background and heritage of the dishes he serves, as learning about other cultures through delicious food is one of the easiest ways to connect. Must-tries are the cold fern root noodle salad, twice-cooked sweet and sour pork and the sizzling eggplant stuffed with pork mince. 

It’s a go-to option for birthdays and group gatherings (especially BYOs on a Friday and Saturday night), and its central location means it's convenient for almost everyone. Don’t sleep on the spicy hapuka with long green beans, Peking duck and mixed roast pork, all designed to share. Thankfully, Lazy Susans come with the table, so no need to hold back.