GoGo Music Cafe — Restaurant in Albert-Eden

Gogo was on my list for a while now coz I'd never tired the big plate of chicken/Dapanji. Gogo sure didn't disappoint, we (2 of us) ordered the small portion with noodles and yet it was big enough of at least 4 people with avg appetite. Lovely flavor, very unlike what we perceive as traditionally "Chinese". Loads of flavored oil (really a lot, check the photo), whole dried chilli, cumin and bone-in chicken+ potatoes. To me, it tasted a bit more Central/South Asian than East. We ordered for a medium spicy and it was fine on the heat quotient. They do have chilli powder/cumin/sauces/chilli oil for the table so you can amp it to your level. Dapanji is worth a try if you're up for a unique experience. Had to pack up the rest needless to say. Totally worth the $30 tag (+ $6 for noodles).

My favorite were the skewers and would def visit again just for them. Heaps of options and nicely cooked, they go well with beer. We didn't order many coz Dapanji.

Staff is very friendly, the place looks pretty neat and unique with it's decor. They have condiments placed all around. I wish we were informed about other cutlery options stacked near the billing counter. We struggled a lot while eating the flat wide noodles with chopsticks and in general with the small serving plate offered 🤣. All good, added to our experience. Something to remember for other noobs...

Original (2017): Not as good as before. Update (2018): After visiting this place twice within a week recently, once with family (including kids) and the other with a group of hungry friends, I started wondering why this eatery continues to be super busy after all these years with customers who are prepared to wait up to 30 mins at the entrance 💬- I think it’s because although personally speaking it doesn’t necessarily have the best Chinese food in Auckland (let alone on Domion Rd), but you can be rest assured that you will always walk out of here feeling satisfied☝🏼‼️

Try their Xinjiang style grilled lamb skewers - an iconic street snack in Northern China🇨🇳where in summer time locals crowd the street, wearing t-shirts (or not😝) and snacking on lamb skewers and cold beer🍻, while the vendors skilfully hold up to 10 skewers in each hand in a fan arrangement, flipping them every few minutes and sprinkling layers of cumin and chilli power onto them. Smell the aroma of the toasted spice and browning meat in the air... Oh man it was soooo good🤤...

Other favourites of mine are their Sweet Black Rice Porridge (黑米粥) & Spicy Bean Jelly (凉粉, a cold dish of clear rice noodles in a sauce that hits every possible flavour category - spicy, sweet, tangy, savoury, nutty and loads...

5/5 ⭐

Food: The food is very good! My usual go-to's are: Chicken Knee, Pork Belly Skewers, Chinese Buns, and the Fried Buns with Condensed Milk. If I were with a big group of people, I would usually go for the flounder and the Spicy Stir-Fry Chicken in Xingjang Special Sauce (This one is massive! You can honestly just buy this and share it between 3 people, if you're looking for some cheap eats).

Staff: The staff are quite good! They work quickly and efficiently. They are very nice, just be sure to call them over when you're ready to order, otherwise you might be sitting there for a while.

Area: They keep the area very nice and clean. They ensure that there is enough space between others, which is great since Covid is still very prominent. The vibe is also quite cool, with their wild west decor. They also close quite late, so it's a great place to hang out and have a bite with friends!

Price: Definitely worth it! The food is quite cheap and I always leave super full. Generally, I end up paying around $100 for a group of 5-6 people, so roughly $20 per person

Tl;dr: Definitely worth trying out, if you've never been. I've been multiple times already and I still keep coming back. Highly...