金味德西区店 Jinweide Beef noodles — Restaurant in Henderson-Massey

I came back for nostalgia. I left wondering what the hell I just ate.

Two years ago, this place had soul. A Korean-Chinese woman ran the front—fluent in Korean, sharp with recommendations, and warm in a way you don’t fake. The noodles? Real hand-pulled stuff, done right there behind the glass. You’d hear the slap of dough hitting the counter like a promise.

Now? That open kitchen is a ghost town. Nobody pulling noodles. Nobody cooking in sight. Just pots quietly bubbling like they were left behind in a fire drill. But sure enough, the menu still says “hand-pulled.” What arrived at our table was a bowl of noodles so slippery and uniform, it could’ve been squeezed from a toothpaste tube. Calling it “hand-pulled” is a joke—and not a funny one.

We tried the spicy chicken stir-fry noodles, spicy pork, and some dumplings. Dumpling wrappers were okay. That’s the only praise I’ve got. The noodles were a mess—rubbery, slick, dead on arrival. And then came the beef.

If you’re going to serve meat that feels like it was born in a lab and raised in a tube, at least don’t dice it so fine we can’t inspect the crime scene. It had this oddly smooth texture—no grain, no chew, just...off. Not quite mystery meat, but not anything I’d willingly call “beef.” I’ve eaten in enough backstreets of China to know what lymph meat looks like. I never thought I’d have to think about that in New Zealand.

And maybe that’s what pisses me off most: that this used to be trustworthy. That I used to tell people to come here. That I believed the name still meant something. But the place changed hands, and what’s left is a hollow shell riding on old reviews and fading memories. You want to eat here? Fine. But don’t say you weren’t warned when your stomach stages a protest a few hours later.

Food should make you feel something. This made me feel...

It's Friday night - Takeaway night. A friend was feeling under the weather with a sore throat and he suggested a nice hot beef noodle soup would be ideal to combat the cold symptoms on a cold autumn evening, so I Google-searched Chinese beef noodle soup 🍜 and I came across this gem! What a find! I was most impressed that the noodles were cooked in front of you, the freshest you can get. I can just imagine a street food stand in China 🇨🇳 selling this to the locals. A couple were dining in the restaurant and were waiting for their order, I asked if they were repeat customers and they replied "Yes" and before I could ask what they would highly recommend, the gentleman said A2 Braised Beef Noodle Soup. So that's what I ordered and after devouring it, I agreed with the other reviewers that this Braised Beef Noodle Soup is the most flavourful and tasty soup I've ever had. The braised beef was tender and I removed all the fat from it, the noodles were soft and delicious and the beef broth was spectacular 😋 I will go back and order this again. If you're looking for authentic Chinese beef noodle soup, then look no further! I would highly recommend 金味德西区店 Jinweide Beef noodles

Thank you for your delicious beef noodle...

If you’re wanting a place serving hand made noodles, you’ve got to try Jinweide Noodles on Lincoln Road, Henderson. When you enter you’re greeted by lovely staff and a welcoming atmosphere and then the aroma hits you! We got braised beef noodle soup and the broth was so good! It was hot, the noodles were just delicious and the beef just melts in your mouth. You get to choose what sort of noodles you want (I’m glad I took photos of the chef sharing his masterful technique and skills) and have a range of pickled condiments to choose from. The kids got dumplings and chicken noodles and were full! A nice night out with the kids and a nice change from fast food joints and takeaways! It’s quite a small space for seating and parking can be scarce on a Friday or Saturday night so get in early if you can. We’ve been here before and will definitely...