来福饭店 Lai Fu Restaurant ! — Restaurant in Puketāpapa

Lai Fu Restaurant – Fast, Bright, and Friendly

We visited Lai Fu Restaurant on Dominion Road in Mt Eden during Easter Monday 2025. Right at the entrance, there was a clear sign stating that a public holiday surcharge applies—a good heads-up and appreciated for the transparency.

This place runs like a production line-style fast food restaurant, where dishes are prepared in advance and separated into different sections. For first-timers, it might feel a bit overwhelming because of the variety and the fast pace. But once you understand the system, it’s actually super time-saving—you just pick what you like and go. No waiting around for orders to be cooked.

One thing that stood out was the lighting—very bright and clean, thanks to lots of cold white LED lights. It may not be “romantic” lighting, but it definitely creates a crystal-clear, hygienic feel, and you can actually see everything you’re eating. Personally, I really liked the brightness; it made the entire place feel clean and efficient.

Service was great—the staff were friendly and welcoming, and they provided a detailed invoice with all pricing clearly shown, which adds to the sense of professionalism.

Now, price-wise, this is not a $9.90 quick meal type of spot. It’s more on par with some of the better-known traditional dumpling or steamed bun places. You’ll probably spend more than $10 per person, especially with the 15% surcharge, but we noticed many people were still happy to pay, which speaks to the place’s popularity and perceived value.

The toilet was clean, which is always a nice bonus, especially in a busy eatery. Parking, however, is quite limited—you’ll likely need to find a spot on the street, which can take a few minutes.

Now, for the food—which was a bit of a mixed bag. The chicken soup was unfortunately cold, and the chicken itself was tough and hard to bite into. The Gong Bao chicken was very starchy and didn’t deliver much in terms of flavour. The cold sliced chicken also lacked seasoning. That said, a few dishes were decent, and while not every plate wowed us, it was all very clean and affordable, which is a win in itself.

All in all, we left satisfied. Lai Fu isn’t perfect, but it offers quick, clean food in a bright, no-nonsense setting with solid service. While it may not be our everyday go-to, we’ll definitely come back again to try some different...

First, the restaurant was extremely crowded,making it difficult to move around comfortably. The layout seemed poorly designed, especially near the meat and vegetable sections, where everyone got stuck in long, chaotic lines. This made the whole process of getting food frustrating and time-consuming.

Additionally, the strong smell of oil and smokewas overwhelming. The ventilation system clearly couldn’t handle the amount of cooking going on, leaving the entire dining area filled with a greasy, smoky odor. It was uncomfortable and even made my clothes smell afterward.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this place if you’re looking for a relaxed meal. The lack of space, poor crowd management, and heavy oil smoke smell made the experience unpleasant. Hopefully, the restaurant can improve these issues...

Cheap and cheerful. Would give this a 3.5/5 if possible (hence rounding up for star review)

For two large bowls of noodles and a bunch of sides, $50 (including holiday surcharge) was cheap. Plenty of leftovers too.

Self serve so easy to grab whatever you want.

If you’re wanting a quick and easy meal, this place is bang for buck. Some of the food was lacking in seasoning but can’t be picky when...