White + Wong’s in Auckland had been on my radar for some time. People was always talking about how good it was and saying it was the place to get decent Chinese food in central Auckland. So, when an opportunity came up to check it out, I jumped at it.
it turns out it’s one of those spots where they does the classics just right, not trying too hard; just what I felt like having. We ordered up, filled our boots and dug into the bao, dumpling, noodles and Peking duck that everyone seemed to be ordering. There is not much ground-breaking stuff going on here, but it is executed correctly, and that’s often what you’re after.
My Visit to White + Wong’s
White + Wong’s
The first thing I noticed stepping inside was the space, larger than anticipated, with that casual/polished mix that many moddern Chinese restaurants aim for nowadays. The space have multiple areas for sitting.
There is banquette seating by the wall, and stools at the bar for those who don’t have time to sit down for dinner or are flying solo. We settled into one of the tables in the main dining area, which had decent energy (but not so much as to make it overly noisy).
To begin, we ordered some stir-fried noodle. These arrives piping hot and full of flavour. It was nothing pretentious, just the sort of thing you order when you need something filling and tasty.
Next up was the bao. It was light and fluffy, with not too much dough and not too little filling. A good balance here.
). Nothing groundbreaking here, but both was executed well… I didn’t stop to think about what I was eating, I just ate it all off my plate.
sometimes that’s more impressive different than someone trying to reinvent the wheel, if I’m being honest.
And then we got greedy and ordered the Peking duck (with all the trimmings, of course). It came out as you expect, complete with the pancakes. They’d cut it thinly enough so that the pancakes fold without becoming a soggy mess, and the skin was that sort of crackly goodness you want from such things.
Not the fanciest version I’ve ever had, but it did what it said on the tin. If you fancy some duck in Auckland and aren’t prepared to go hunting for it, this is about as good as you’ll get.
We finished up with a pastry thing that was dome shaped and therefore fancier than necessary but oh well, I wasn’t complaining. It was a good end to a surprisingly filling meal.
It’s a pretty extensive menu too, with all the usual dim sum you’d expect as well as some mains that has a bit more of a modern slant on them. It took me a good few minutes to flip through it trying to whittle it down. This is always a good sign that I’m going to have to return there and work my way through more of it.
There’s also a serious drinks list if that’s your thing (including a whisky selection that caught my eye for next time). white + wong’s was a safe bet when it comes to chinese food in auckland, not going to blow your mind, but a tasty and filling dish served in an easy-going environment. I’m likely to return (I want to try some of the other dish I missed out on this time around) especially for the duck.
Where do you like to get Chinese food in Auckland? Have you eaten at White + Wong’s?
