The Candy Shop — Restaurant in Waitematā

"The Candy Shop": A Culinary Catastrophe

Prepare yourself for a tale of culinary catastrophe that unfolded at "The Candy Shop." This restaurant, despite its promising name, failed to deliver on its enticing facade, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. Join me as I recount the disappointing journey through their lackluster menu and questionable payment practices.

Before my ill-fated visit to "The Candy Shop," I had heard mixed reviews but decided to give it a chance. Little did I know that this decision would lead me down a path of disappointment. As I stepped into the restaurant, the initial impression seemed somewhat pleasant. The ambiance had a quirky charm, and I eagerly anticipated the culinary delights that awaited.

However, my enthusiasm quickly waned as I perused the menu. The offerings at "The Candy Shop" were underwhelming, lacking creativity and sophistication. The dishes appeared uninspired, failing to excite my taste buds or ignite my culinary curiosity. It became apparent that the name of the restaurant was more of a marketing ploy than a reflection of their actual offerings.

To make matters worse, their unusual request for payment upfront raised eyebrows and left me questioning their intentions. It was a departure from the customary dining experience, where payment is typically settled at the end of the meal. While there might be valid reasons for this practice, it seemed more like a tactic to secure payment before customers realized the true quality of the food.

As the dishes arrived, my fears were confirmed. The food at "The Candy Shop" was far from satisfactory. The flavors lacked depth and complexity, falling flat on my palate. It was evident that the kitchen lacked the skill and finesse required to elevate the dishes beyond mediocrity. Each bite left me yearning for more, not out of satisfaction, but in the hopes of discovering some redeeming qualities that were sorely absent.

The disappointing quality of the food was exacerbated by the lackluster service. The staff appeared disinterested and indifferent, providing minimal assistance or engagement. Their apathy towards the diners only reinforced the overall sense of disappointment that permeated "The Candy Shop."

In retrospect, it's regrettable that I ignored the warning signs. The mixed reviews should have given me pause, but my optimism got the better of me. As a result, I found myself trapped in a culinary purgatory, longing for a truly satisfying dining experience.

"The Candy Shop" fell short of its potential, leaving me with a sense of regret and a longing for the delectable flavors that could have been. It failed to live up to its promising facade and left me questioning the validity of its reputation.

In conclusion, I cannot recommend "The Candy Shop" as a culinary destination worth exploring. Its lackluster menu, unusual payment practices, and subpar service make for a disappointing dining experience. For those seeking exceptional cuisine and a memorable culinary journey, I encourage you to seek alternatives that will leave your taste buds...

Went to the candy shop on a quiet Saturday evening. Ordered the fried chicken, grilled eggplant and some fried polenta. As a friend of mine once said to me, you can judge a place based on how good their polenta is. All i can say is if you end up at The Candy Shop make sure you get their polenta it’s that good!

The polenta was rich and creamy and I couldn't stop eating them. I honestly enjoyed all the food I ordered that night. The fried chicken was well cooked and tender, the sauce was sweet and tangy. I almost ordered a second bowl to scoff down. I’ve never really been a fan of eggplant, the thought of it usually makes me groan, but maybe that’s because I’ve never eaten it the “right” way before because grilled eggplant might be the way to go! It still has that strange soft texture I just can’t find a way to enjoy and tasted almost absent of any taste. So although my thoughts on eggplant haven’t changed, which I was hoping for, I must say the way it was prepared here is definitely the best eggplant I’ve had.

Overall I would say I had a positive experience with the food at The Candy Shop but not so much with the wait staff. I had asked one waiter if I could get a bowl of rice on the side to eat with the eggplant. I was told that they could not do that for me, which I can understand, but I tried my luck with another waiter and asked her about the rice again just for my piece of mind and she said yes! Apparently it was possible! The same waiter that said they couldn’t do the rice on the side was quite cold and didn’t seem all that welcoming. It wasn’t overly busy so I’d chalk it up to maybe someone just having a bad night, which I can understand.

I would recommend The Candy Shop - at the very least for the...

Update September 2023

How the mighty have fallen. From 5 stars to 2.

Came for lunch with friends. Busy as usual, which is fine and expected, at least from his things used to be.

My partner ordered the noodles. These have always been her go to with soba noodles. As we've ordered it so many times she didn't even recheck the menu.

It appears that is now ramen noodles. That's a choice they've made fair enough. But when we questioned the change but realising the change, we were told, rudely, that it was a recent change and that it says it on the menu. As I said, who checks three ingredient listing on a dish they often order to make sure it hasn't changed. We thought that at least the food can't be as poor as the rude service.

We were wrong. The noodles had little taste. We asked for more sauce as they were so bland only to be told it would cost more, which is fine. We added the additional sauce and no change. It's as if the chef has merely opened a pack of instant noodles and added a little oil, never daring to add seasoning.

To top it off, being the only European at the table, I wasn't given chopsticks to eat with, and getting a strange look when I dare ask for some to eat my Korean food with. My food was good, just a shame that half of our group had ordered what was basically instant noodles without the flavouring packet.

Disappointing.

--- Original review from early 2022--- Came here today for a nice lunch. Busy as always, nothing wrong with that Great to finally be able to order something that has the word chili in it and actually feel some heat. Good crunchy chili chicken, appropriately sour coleslaw, crunchy gherkin all on a toasted...