Kawau Kitchen — Restaurant in Māngere-Ōtāhuhu

Nestled conveniently near the airport, this café embodies the warm and welcoming spirit of New Zealand hospitality. The staff are respectful, attentive, and genuinely friendly, offering a experience that truly reflects the best of what New Zealand has to offer—something the country can take great pride in. While parking can occasionally be a challenge, the team is more than happy to assist; simply ask, and they’ll guide you to a hidden parking spot that many might overlook. It’s these thoughtful touches that make the visit all the more enjoyable.

Dubai Chocolate Pancakes The Dubai Chocolate Pancakes offer a harmonious blend of flavours that pay homage to the renowned Dubai chocolate trend. The combination of rich Whitakers chocolate, nutty pistachio cream, and the subtle freshness of strawberries and basil creates a delightful experience. However, the pancake base, while enjoyable, could be elevated further by opting for a waffle pancake or a fluffy Japanese pancake, which would add a more distinctive texture and enhance the overall dish.

Wagyu Smash Burger At first glance, the idea of elegance and smashed patties may seem contradictory, but this Wagyu Smash Burger defies expectations. The towering creation masterfully balances tanginess from the pickles and house sauce, umami richness from the bacon jam and cheddar cheese, and a hint of spiciness, all tied together by the slight sweetness of the brioche buns. The patties are cooked to perfection—juicy and flavourful—demonstrating exceptional skill in both preparation and execution. This burger is a testament that when done right, can be truly...

It was an unpleasant experience. Today we ordered three meals, and for one of them we specifically asked for no onions. I wonder if the chef thinks pickled onion is not considered onion. In addition, the chicken quiche contained a hard, sharp bone, which could have been very dangerous if a child had eaten it.

We were planning to finish our meal quickly to catch a flight, and since there weren’t many customers waiting ahead of us, we ended up waiting for almost half an hour and had no choice but to take it away. When leaving, I complained to the first male server about how slow the chef was, but his response was that he didn’t care. At checkout, I once again complained about the slow service and the bone in the quiche, and the cashier waived the charge for the quiche.

The coffee was very good, but the dining environment was not as good as before. For example, the tables were uneven. I don’t mind if someone folds a newspaper a few times to level the table, but laying an entire newspaper flat under a table leg is neither useful nor tidy.

I don’t know what has happened to this restaurant, but it is no longer the excellent one it used to be. I don’t think I will...

Terrible experience. Firstly told to seat ourselves and menus would be brought over. 10 minutes later I had to go find them and ask for a menu. No water for the table or in sight. Ordered chilli scrambled eggs which I often order for brunch. There was so much chilli powder in it my face was on fire, my eyes watering. I thought, I might have just hit a hot patch and kept going but no, the whole thing was like this. The taste was awful, the eggs were rubber, no salt. Went to the kitchen and asked for some water, which the waitress went and got for me, thankfully. Someone else in my group tried the eggs, same reaction. Told the waitstaff when paying, the reaction was that there was no chilli powder on the eggs, and no powder on the eggs, unapologetic. Got the bill for 3 brunches. Over $100. $2.45 surcharge for using eftops. The eggs benedict was $31. When I asked about this I was told because they now put it on a kumara rosti it's expensive. One kumara is approx 0.30c in the supermarket if not less. I often eat out, am a big fan of spicy food, have never posted a review before this was a...