Aunty Mena's Vegetarian Restaurant & Cafe — Restaurant in North Island

TLDR: Good concept and menu, but food was bland and the restaurant was dirty.

Service: the staff were nice, but clearly overwhelmed. Rather than seating less people, they filled every table and would turn the tables without even cleaning them between customers.

Atmosphere: a fairly straight forward "hole-in-the-wall" which we are fine with as long as the food is immaculate. Unfortunately, without many other positives, it is just a bit run down and dirty restaurant.

Food: the true disappointment was the food. With however many 4 and 5 star reviews, we really expected a showstopper in Wellington. While none of the dishes were gross, they all were just oily/greasy and didn't really taste like much. We eat a LOT of Asian food in pretty much every country we visit and I can't rank this anywhere close to the top.

The springrolls were so oily, they were dripping from the inside which was not fresh. The dumplings unfortunately just tasted like flour as the filling was not seasoned. The satay "meat" was a good texture, but the "satay" sauce was definitely the oddest we've ever had in our travels. The rice goreng was very underseasoned. We are used to very flavorful goreng that kicks you in the face with spices. This was a VERY white, watered down version. The "spicy" soup was the best, but was just okay compared to other restaurants. Maybe it was a bad night, but we would not risk going back after our stomachs hurt that night.

We never took the train to Flavortown, I think the train broke down outside of...

When I arrived at the restaurant early in the evening, several groups were already dining, and I was warmly greeted by the busy kitchen staff at the entrance.

I considered ordering the Tom Yum noodle soup but was advised that it was quite spicy, so I opted for the Chicken Laksa and Mee Goreng instead. Although it was past typical mealtime hours, the restaurant remained bustling with a steady flow of customers. Thanks to the fast and efficient service, we didn’t have to wait long, and everything ran smoothly.

The food was well-balanced — not overly seasoned, full of fresh vegetables, and very satisfying. While the restaurant is vegan and vegetarian, the alternative ingredients were thoughtfully chosen and complemented each dish perfectly.

The overall cleanliness, including the restrooms, suggested that the kitchen is equally well-maintained. I would definitely return to try more...

This is an odd one. Many of the reviews are positive and all sorts of good things are stuck on their window so I thought I'd try Mena's because I love vegetarian Asian food. But you only have to look at the images to see what you will get no matter what you order. Some soggy vegetables - mainly carrot and cauliflower in an underwhelming tasteless stock over-dominated by turmeric and sugar, often with soggy overcooked noodles. I sampled a friend's mock dish (meat replacement) and it had the texture and taste of luncheon sausage (in the same tasteless broth). Nothing had the sharp tastes and vegetable crispness I associate with good Asian (vegetarian) cuisine. 2 stars is generous. Much better to go to a good Asian restaurant and order their...