Apache Restaurant — Restaurant in North Island

Apache has consistently impressed me over the years, since my first visit in 2018. However, this is the first time I am sharing my thoughts on the dining experience.

When booking for my partner's and my anniversary, I appreciated their flexibility in accommodating various types of events, though it didn't notably affect the overall service. Initially seated at a table near the bar, I requested a window seat, which they graciously provided.

We opted for a three-course set menu priced at $65, supplementing our dinner with additional à la carte items. The set menu included a tuna tataki entrée, a pork firecracker main, and a choice of a mini chocolate mousse, a cocktail, or a non-alcoholic beverage. We selected the Hanoi 75 cocktail.

The Hanoi 75, featuring Twelfth Hour gin, ginger and lemongrass, pomegranate, Louis Perdrier brut, and lemon peel, was disappointing at first. It tasted primarily of sparkling wine with a hint of pomegranate syrup. After discussing this with the barmaid, she kindly remade the drink, highlighting the kaffir lime-infused gin along with ginger and lemongrass. The revised cocktail was superb, with a perfect balance of flavors.

The tuna tataki, priced at $23, was underwhelming, consisting of four thin slices of average-quality tuna. The Nuoc Cham dressing and pickles were enjoyable, but the presentation lacked finesse, with pickles hidden beneath the tuna and a repetitive use of deep black bowls.

We also ordered two baos: wagyu brisket and pork belly. Both were exquisite, but the pork belly bao stood out with its perfectly balanced flavors, crispy skin, and juicy meat. The wagyu brisket bao was also excellent, with a generous portion of tender beef.

For our mains, we chose the poulet au caramel and the pork firecracker. The poulet au caramel featured two well-marinated chicken thighs with galangal, lemongrass, Thai ginger, and kaffir lime, served with green beans and a single shiitake mushroom. The chili caramel sauce was flavorful but slightly watery and could have used more reduction.

The pork firecracker was the highlight of the meal, featuring charred capsicum and red onions paired with crispy battered pork belly bites. The portion was generous, and the flavors were bold and balanced. This dish deserves a permanent spot on the dinner menu.

For dessert, we had the Banana Turon, which was delightful. The presentation was beautiful, and the banana cigars, complemented by peanut butter gelato and other elements, provided a perfect ending to our meal.

Apache remains a culinary gem, skillfully blending French and Vietnamese influences to create memorable dining experiences. We will certainly be returning regularly. Until next time,...

Excellent food and the new location is much better (perhaps upload a new photo of the shop front as it still shows the old location, and that’s where we went, but that’s on us). We went on Thursday for lunch, it was a full house, there were only two staffs on the floor, the waiter was very energetic and friendly. All going well until I tired my ice coffee and it was a bit bitter than expected, I ask the bartender if I could have extra condensed milk and she said of course and offered to make a new one right away. I wasn’t expecting a new one but I just said okay. The waiter saw and ask the bartender’s “what’s wrong with the first one” loudly and I heard it. And then he asked her again. Maybe he didn’t know the sound would travel that far and maybe he’s just really care about what’s going on, but it came across as confrontational and intimidating to me. My instinct was telling me to get ready cause of his tone and loudness and he might come up to me to argue if he wasn’t happy with the answer from the bartender. When we were paying I told the bartender that I loved the tuna so much and she said she hasn’t tried it yet and I joked and said well that’s not okay, and we laughed. The waiter straight away asked “what was that” quite loudly and I over heard it again. My only feedback is keep the volume in between the staff quiet cause the customers don’t want to hear any of that, we just want to eat in peace and relax. I don’t think this will stop us from coming back though, the food and the place was fantastic, I would definitely give it a...

The previous location of one of my fav cafes for breakfast, gone are the booths and now it's an open-plan happening Vietnamese restaurant. The menu is really interesting, and probably best for groups with a selection of share plates and mains which would be best shared as well.

The chefs in the kitchen are clearly working hard, and the staff doing their best to fit you in (although the seats for one at the bar are a bit uncomfortable because there's no where to put your legs). So you should book.

Being very familiar with the vietnamese french style I was a little disappointed that the wonderful fragrant dishes seen at many vietnamese places over the ditch was missing from what I tried. The caramel chicken wasnt sweet and sticky, the kumera was actually wedges of standard potato and there were no condiments offered (I asked for fresh chilli and got cut chilli which had clearly seen quite some time in the fridge, I assume uncovered).

However, don't let that turn you off at all. There was nothing wrong with my dish and after some tweaks I enjoyed it.

The standout part of the evening was, however, the staff member who noticed I was not 100% happy then did her best to solve my issues in a friendly and helpful way. She even spoke to the chef for his feedback.

I'll return to Apache, hopefully with some more people to try a wider range of the dishes, and...