Onggojip Restaurant — Restaurant in Upper Harbour

This is by far one of the best Auckland restaurants I've been to in my life. Ive been to hundreds of places to eat in this city and it's hard to come close to this experience - it is euphoric and so damn tasty. I actually get shivers of joy just thinking of their food. I can't believe how cheap their meals are($16~) especially considering not only the high quality, but the amount you get too. You will never leave hungry from any of their soups unless you are an Ironman or in Gokus league(seriously).

Some reviews here saying the food is bland are making a big mistake - they(kitchen/chefs) do not really add any salt to the meals, they provide salt at each table - if you do not add any then your meal will not come to life. Be sparing on adding the plate of hot sauce to your soup although my spice tolerance is only medium and I like to add it all. The salt is essential though, aprox half a teaspoon for starting although I add about 1 whole teaspoon(it is fluffy Korean salt, you aren't actually getting as much as it looks like).

Ask for empty rice bowl so you can separate some soup into it and cool it down faster, as waiting for your soup to cool down before you can devour it is the only downside to this absolute AWESOME restaurant.

Please franchise it so I can eat this delicious soup 7 days a week!

If you are looking for a place to get a great, tasty, healthy meal at a low price, with fast service(5-8min for a soup) then look no further. If you live close, I am...

There’s something about a bowl of ox bone soup that makes you believe, just for a second, that the world isn’t falling apart.

This place? They do it right.

Their so-yeongyangtang isn’t just good—it’s restorative. Add five bucks and you get the "special" version, and it’s worth every cent. Hearty cuts of meat, veggies that haven’t been boiled to death, and a broth that hits you like a morning ocean wave—cool, cleansing, and strangely comforting. There’s heat too, from chopped green chilies, but it doesn’t scream. It hums. It clears the fog, not burns the tongue.

And then—the dumplings. Handmade, and you can tell. The skin has that perfect chew, and the filling? Dense, meaty, honest. No frozen shortcuts, no filler nonsense. Just bite after bite of something that tastes like it was made by someone who gives a damn. Six dumplings run you $12, which feels steep until you realize they’re better than most entire meals.

Even the kimchi and kkakdugi slap. Spicy in the right way—not angry, just alive. Perfect alongside broth, like they were made to sit together on the same table. Only gripe? They serve it in tiny portions, so you’ll have to ask for more. And you should. Always ask for more.

In a country where proper soup is hard to come by, this place might just have the best bowl in New Zealand.

No frills. No ego. Just...

Lamb Youngyang Tang – 9/10 The best lamb soup!! Funny thing is, I’ve never heard of this dish in Korea or Hong Kong — I guess the chef might’ve invented it here in NZ, blending local ingredients with Korean flavours. Well done!

Kimchi – 10/10 It tasted like freshly made kimchi — spicy, vibrant, and with a bit of a “Thai-style” kick to it. I loved it!

Seafood Pancake – 8/10 Thick, packed with ingredients, and super crispy! It reminded me of the Korean pancake I had a long time ago in a traditional market in Korea. Loved that authentic flavour!

Overall The decor is old and, honestly, has no particular style. The environment isn’t the best either — it sometimes gives off a “not-too-clean” feeling, even though there’s nothing visibly dirty.

That said, the food is genuinely delicious. In my opinion, food quality always comes first — that’s why I keep going back. If you’re planning to visit, please try the lamb soup. Don’t say you’ve been there if you haven’t had it!

——— I’ve shared more food snaps and little life moments over on IG @cornerlife._ — feel free to...