Auckland Dining Out Meetup Group

Modern Indonesia.

From the web.

Inspired by home cooking from the team’s roots in Java, Parnell’s Bandung Café boasts a fresh take on Indonesian cuisine. The menu is storytelling through food, bringing together traditional influences from the team’s childhood kitchens, their Indonesian, Chinese and Dutch heritage and a touch of Kiwi flair.
Set in plain sight along Parnell Road, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the eye-catching blue doors, global bohemian decor and brick walls upon entry. There’s also a cute patio tucked away out the back, sporting lush greenery and a serious dose of vitamin D on summer days.
As for the food, do yourself a favour and come hungry. Breakfast punters can take their pick from all-time favourites like avocado toast, or opt for something different like Indonesian corn fritters or a Dutch big brekky.
When lunch and dinner roll around, you’ll have a tough time choosing between the street food fare, fried bites, curries, wok dishes and much, much more. This might be one of the few places in Auckland where you can order up hand-cut Dutch fries alongside a sizzling nasi goreng. And we haven’t even touched on dessert—let’s just say fried bananas and ice cream are involved.
You’ll be pleased to know that Bandung has also come to play with the drinks list, offering everything from Bandung lager through to a gin and lychee spritz. There’s also an espresso, dark chocolate martini for the sipping—drool.
So when it comes to getting the most out of a tasty trip to Bandung Café, one thing is for sure, rally your foodie friends and make it a group trip. That way you can order everything on the menu with minimal guilt.

$2 gold coin donation towards group costs.

This is $69 per person special for August restaurant month. Sharing type dinner but veg option is available.

From the award page.

If owner and head chef Kyle Street is guilty of anything, it’s of being a champion, rather than the vision conjured by the restaurant name. The evidence lies in this upstairs, loft-style site which is a comforting study in excellence. It starts with the service which is a high point in attention and knowledge throughout. This is a restaurant that would be well worth visiting four times a year, or more, at each change of season as the menu truly reflects the shift in ingredients on hand in the local market. For an absolute ripper of a way to begin a meal, try the shiitake milk buns with sensational fermented Kumeū mushroom butter. Kyle sure knows how to lift the ordinary to the extraordinary. We note some really innovative presentation here and flavours which are thoughtfully teased and not overworked. Culprit makes for fun dining with a group or a slick meal for two in the heart of the city, and certainly delivers big bang for buck with regard to quality. Congratulations to team Culprit for taking home the Cuisine Good Food Award 2023/2024 for Greenstone Creek Metropolitan Restaurant of the Year.

$2 gold coin towards group costs please

$55 Two Course Dinner
Entrée
Signature Mediterranean crab cakes with crayfish lemon mayonnaise
or
Chicken liver parfait with quince jam, fig cracker and focaccia
or
Marlborough Mills Bay mussels with coconut broth, lemongrass, sweet chili, coriander and toasted sourdough (GF)

Main
Black Angus scotch fillet with bone marrow, fondant potato, broccolini, tomato chutney and red wine jus
or
Signature grilled market fish with edamame salad, nori chips and dashi beurre blanc (GF)
or
Roast NZ duck breast with beans, fennel puree, cherry compote and red wine jus (GF)

Drink match recommendation, $25 wine match (two glasses)
Te Kano 'Life' Pinot Gris 2023 (Otago) - Entrée

Two Rivers ‘Tributary’ Pinot Noir 2023 (Marlborough) - Main

Please note:
Whether you're on the going list or the wait list, if your plans change and you can't go, please change your RSVP as soon as possible. Don't wait until I message you asking you to confirm. This is helpful for people on the wait list hoping to go, and also for the host with confirming the final booking numbers with the restaurant.
- I will contact everyone on Wednesday for final confirmation, and if no reply, you'll be moved to the 'not going' list.
Please also remember to bring $2 as your contribution to our costs for running this group.

From their website:
An eclectic and exciting mix of Asian cuisines
TUCKED INTO THE BACK of Parnell Village, Java Room has a loyal following of diners who adore the variety of interesting, inexpensive food. This is almost like an Asian Pacific Rim restaurant, focusing on various Asian cuisines – a very clever idea I can’t believe others haven’t copied. The setting is a pleasant low key room, decorated with Asian artefacts, that has views from the outside balcony towards the Domain. Service is polite, and there’s a wine list or the opportunity to bring your own wine…..It is all authentically cooked, light and delicious.”
Another excerpt from New Zealand Best of The Best 2000
Ambient Asian
The Java Room is a Parnell legend – warm, friendly, great food and a place where the regulars feel cherished ….. The restaurant has a unique setting with views to the Domain and the city unparalleled in Parnell.

$2 donation towards group costs