Bunga Raya Restaurant — Restaurant in Whau

From Google, this looked homely and promising, but afer trying it out, I can't recommend this place for dinner unless you are super rich and come in a big group.

You also need to book beforehand. If you don't, like us, you get put right at the seat next to the toilet and kitchen, where people keep coming in and out and it's super distracting, not to mention unpleasant. I can't count the number of times the waiter accidentally bumped my chair or shoulder.

Service wasn't great, the waiters were extremely judgemental, and it felt like the whole place was judging you for everything you did.

Food is OK but very overpriced. You get decent quality but not without compromises.

We ordered a Wat Dan Hor which looked promising but most of the prawn was extremely overcooked, making it very dry and stiff to chew.

The rice noodles were quite oily and had a bitter taste, and whole thing felt like there was too much msg or salt, leaving you feeling bloated and thirsty. It cost $36, and at that insane price, you would expect absolutely no compromises. The rest of the dish was good.

Tea is also not free, it's $1 per person, and I feel that at that price point and with how diluted the tea is, it should have just been free. You get no choice in the matter either, they just give it to you and charge you.

In the end we couldn't eat the remaining rice noodles because they were so oily and bitter and we started feeling ill. As we were leaving the waiter quipped: "Hah, you can't even finish the plate? Pathetic."

Wow, I've never encountered such service where someone would say that. Maybe the reason we couldn't finish it was because there was something wrong with the dish?

It also felt like we were getting rushed out - the moment we put our utensils down, they came over and said "are you finished"? They weren't particularly busy that night and it wasn't like all the seats were filled up, so that felt unnecessarily rude.

We came as two people, and each dish was $30-$60, which we didn't expect and couldn't afford, so we only ordered one to share. None of the dishes come with rice, so it'd be whatever the cost of the dish, say $40, plus the cost of rice, which is like $4 each. You'd rack up a $100+ bill quickly even if you just come as two people.

When we asked for only one dish, it immediately felt like there were laser eyes from the waiters on us. If you don't spend money, expect to be judged and rushed out.

Obviously, this place is rated quite high and is popular, so maybe we're just not the target audience. The two waiters were visibly much nicer to the big groups of people spending money on a lot of dishes, talking friendly and making jokes, while for us we were given the cold shoulder even though we did nothing wrong.

What I can say for sure is, there are Malaysian restaurants with better service, price, and similar quality in taste.

Maybe the lunch menu is...

Bunga Raya has easily been the best dining experience I’ve had during my time in Auckland!

This Malaysian family-style restaurant absolutely nails it on every level. The food was simply outstanding—every single dish we ordered was packed with flavour and cooked to perfection. The chicken curry was rich, hearty, and perfectly spiced. The award-winning XO squid was a real standout—spicy, balanced, and incredibly moreish. Even the coffee pork chops, which sounded a little unusual at first, were tender and surprisingly delicious—the flavours somehow worked together beautifully!

Beyond the food, what really made the experience special was the hospitality. The owner personally came over to chat with us and made us feel like family. It wasn’t the usual scripted service—you could genuinely feel the warmth, like talking to a beloved auntie who just wanted to make sure you were well fed and happy. That personal touch made the entire meal even more memorable.

The homely, welcoming atmosphere combined with the incredible quality of the food made for a truly standout evening. It’s rare to find a restaurant that delivers both exceptional dishes and such a heartfelt connection with its guests.

If you’re looking for a real taste of Malaysia with genuine hospitality that leaves you smiling, Bunga Raya should be at the very top of your list. I can’t wait to come back and try even more...

Great authentic food. When I first tasted the complementary Chinese tea it reminded me of somewhere and I realized it was probably the same as that used in a Nonya restaurant in Howick years ago. Ordered the nasi lemak. Excellent. Also ordered a fish fillet curry to take away. Also great. I read a review from 10 years ago lamenting the fact the owners insist on telling you what to buy. But another way of looking at it is that is authentic Malaysian and these people are just trying to help. Sure enough I went to order a dish and was told it was too big. Actually the advice was sound. While there a few people sat nearby at another table. I eavesdropped. One person said they would like roti with the dish they had bought and were told they were out of roti. The manager then said the dish needed rice with it. I suspect there were roti and he was making an executive decision on their behalf. I found the interaction amusing and delightful. But the owner is so immersed in his culture that he wouldn't have seen it as amusing - just him trying to be helpful. If you want excellent authentic Malaysian food with a couple of owners pushing you for their suggestions, this is the place for you. If you don't like the banter or the suggestions DONT COMPLAIN. THIS IS NOT.THE PLACE FOR YOU. I look forward...