Ima Cuisine — Restaurant in Waitematā

Ima Cuisine has a great reputation in Auckland, and while there are indeed positives to the dining experience, my recent visit left me with mixed feelings. The labne, pita, and carrot salad were simple yet well-executed, providing a reminder of the restaurant's capability to produce good food. The katayef and crumble were also enjoyable, ending the meal on a sweet note.

However, the dining experience was marred by several issues. The entrance, with door handles missing, resulting in confusion and an unwelcome wait in the rain for most guests. Inside, while the staff were friendly, their service lacked coordination, which meant we had to actively seek assistance throughout our meal.

The portion sizes were on the smaller side, which might surprise those expecting the abundance suggested by the menu. The gluten-free pita was disappointing, and the main courses varied in quality; the lamb shoulder was bland and watery, and while the mesachan chicken was flavorful, it was unfortunately dry. The tomato salad didn't hit the mark either, lacking freshness and seasoning, and the minced lamb shish kebab was initially served undercooked, necessitating a do-over, although the second attempt was much improved.

It’s disheartening to report these shortcomings because Ima Cuisine has previously shown that they can do better. Whether it’s a shift in focus or loss of staff, it seems that a critical assessment and some adjustments are necessary to elevate the restaurant back to its renowned standards. For now, there are alternative places in Auckland offering similar dishes with more...

What we ordered: Lemmy lemonade $6.5 Plum and blackcurrant soda $7.5 Crushed peach bomb x 2 $12 Gingerella $6.5 Rosie Lee $22 Kingston apple $12 Baharat spiced chicken $16 Fries $9 Vegan seniyeh $18 Chicken mesahan $22 Pan fried halloumi $16 Lebanese cauliflower $7 Lamb shoulder $22 Middle eastern chefs platter x 2 $15

All of the food here was really good but I just want to say that the restaurant and I have slightly different ideas of "family sized portions". I probably could've eaten everything we ordered single-handed if I was determined enough. But I did really enjoy the meal and I thought the interior was really really pretty. My favourites were the halloumi, which is shocking because I actually hate courgette, and the cauliflower which was nutty and savoury and soft and just very good (and very small). My thoughts on the other dishes were as follows: spiced chicken - good but a bit dry, fries - very good, very crispy, chicken mesahan - standard good, lamb shoulder - very tender and Middle Eastern chef's platter - can't remember the names but they were great desserts, would come back just to eat the desserts.

Onto the drinks now! The plum and blackcurrant soda just tasted like unflavoured sparkling water, the peach bombs were the best drinks I've ever tasted, the Rosie Lee was good but tiny but probably smart since it was the strongest drink of the ones we ordered, and the Kingston apple was also good.

Overall I thought it was good but didn't make it to the favourites, maybe I just ordered the...

I am not one to write reviews but the experience my friends and I have had at this restaurant was extremely disappointing. The owner of this restaurant came to take our order and after we said what we would like she said to us "I wish you'd order more food", the 3 of us had decided what we wanted and ordered accordingly but for some reason the owner started sighing, rolling her eyes and murmuring to the other waiters, who  then gave us dirty looks as well. After entering the dishes on the computer, she returned and said to us that she added 2 extra platters and one more skewer to our order. We very kindly asked her to remove the extra items as we didn't want to eat that much and she once again stormed off. The whole time we were there we were treated as if they were doing a massive favour to us and we had done something wrong. We actually felt that she was targeting us and taking advantage of the fact that we were the youngest customers there. Aside from the appauling customer service, the food was very average. Our lamb skewer wasn't cooked properly and the quantity of the platters wasn't great either.

Overall this is the worst experience I have ever had at any restaurant. I wish there was an option to give no stars, but seriously think twice before coming here, there are plenty of other restaurants, that are worth the money and provide excellent...