Wangsibli — Restaurant in Maungakiekie-Tāmaki

I'm reposting my original review that was deleted at the restaurant's request, which had received nine thumbs up. The cleanliness of the tables was a complete mess. When I wiped the table with a tissue, I was shocked to find it extremely dirty. The waiter leaned against the wall to take orders, and in the sparsely occupied dining area, three individuals who appeared to be Korean acquaintances stared at me intently, making me feel uncomfortable and unable to enjoy my meal. As a result, I opted for take-away and left the premises"territory".

Having lived in St. Heliers for over 20 years, it seems that the Korean residents in this area don't exhibit such behavior. When I confronted them about their staring, they awkwardly shifted their gaze elsewhere. It's not just a matter of rudeness; it's particularly disheartening to witness these ill-mannered individuals who seem unaware of their impolite actions. It wasn't just a momentary glance; it was truly pitiful.

Despite the food tasting decent, I couldn't comprehend why it looked the way it did. Did they wash the dishes with detergent? I could taste the detergent residue in the food. Traditional Korean pottery dishes are not typically washed with detergent, yet it appeared to be their practice. Additionally, while boiling the soup, it overflowed, and I mistakenly thought there was chili powder on the outer surface of the pot. However, Sundae-guk (Korean blood sausage soup) is not a dish that incorporates chili powder, so I'm unsure where the chili powder in the photo I attached came from. This is why Korean people tend to avoid dining in such places and opt for take-away instead.

I usually frequent establishments like onslow, one tree grill, and Tony's steak house, magda, amano, depot, azabu, sugar club, madame george , the grove, kazuya etctctctctcc which offer reputable casual or fine dining experiences. The discrepancy in quality becomes evident when I happen to dine at a place like this. It's unfortunate that whenever Korean people gather at a Korean restaurant, they encounter similar experiences.

To conclude, the taste of the food was satisfactory, and I don't hold the kitchen staff responsible for the issues mentioned. Originally, I intended to give a two-star rating, but due to a Google error preventing me from uploading the photo, I can only give it one star.

P.s. Let's not manipulate reviews, as it is pathetic...

Good, clean layout with limited seating - 3 tables of 4 and two tables of two.

Warm welcoming server. She explained the menu well to us and was lovely.

Menu not wiped properly. Grubby on the back. The good thing about a one sided menu with a blank white back is you can see where the marks are.

Oxtail soup 3 big pieces but all bone and not much meat soup was VERY bland no seasoning/condiments provided noodles standard hair found in the beef very oily not worth $27

Bulgogi beef served in sizzling hot pot great taste, but may not be for everyone as it is sweet plenty of beef but needed just a little bit more rice and sauce too oily $23 just a little on the steep side

Pork belly (entree) was told there would be 18 pieces but I think the server confused this with the price as it’s $18 it’s not slow cooked but rather boiled bland on its own but with the limited dipping sauce it was served with, the taste was good plate it was served on was annoying. The low relief design didn’t leave a good feeling when dragging chopsticks on it to gather the raw onion the pork sat on

Side dishes were great. Kimchi, fish cake and radish. They offer refills here too.

One thing which was nice to see, was a family with young baby who asked if they could microwave some baby food which they gladly did.

No hair net worn by the chef.

$68 total for two people. Won’t be in a hurry to go back but will definitely give...

A Hidden Gem in Panmure! Came across this place when looking for nearby places to satisfy our Korean Food cravings. Me and my husband decided to visit here after seeing the amazing reviews, and it was really worth it. Wonderful, calm vibes, and the staff was really friendly and innocent with all smiles. Felt like home there.

Small menu, but definitely good at what they have. We got one Pork back bone stew and a Bulgogi stew. Flavors were really hearty and authentic. Presentation was really appealing and made us even more hungry. One of very rare places that actually give what they show in the menu! Really appreciate it. Go here if you want to enjoy authentic Korean food. The Kimchi and Radish side dishes were delicious and fresh! The mains were really filling and hot, food comes in stone pots, which was a very nice experience. Every dish comes with a bowl of rice covered with a lid, empty bowls for putting bones and stuff, first time I'm seeing this much care into serving people nicely.

This place would be one reason I would look forward for Winter, cold weather, and a warm pot of delicious stew. Love, love, love it, definitely going to...