Where to eat in Royal Oak, Auckland – an insider's guide

For the tastiest bubble tea, bento, baklava and beyond in Auckland’s Royal Oak, follow the lead of pastry chef Vicki Young.

“People say there isn’t much going on here with the dining scene,” says Vicki Young. “But I say otherwise. Brave the famously intense roundabout and I can guarantee you’ll find something delicious that catches your eye.” 

A self-described “doer of all things hospitality and food-related”, Young is the senior pastry chef at Lottie’s, inside the recently-opened Faradays Department Store. 

“I have always been drawn to food in one way or another,” says Young. She grew up in the Horowhenua in a market gardening family, but it was a move to Pōneke to study that really ignited her passion for hosting and cooking. “I started baking cakes as a side hustle,” she says, before she went on to train in patisserie and hospitality management. Just over four years ago, she moved to Tāmaki Makarau to properly pursue a career in food, which has taken her from fine dining kitchens to food truck film catering, a private chef work, commercial food shoots and writing copy in food media.

“Royal Oak was one of the first suburbs I really got to explore and get to know when I moved to Tāmaki Makaurau,” says Young. It’s still a place she finds herself coming back to, usually for something good to eat, no matter where she’s based in the city. Below, Young shares her guide to a truly delectable Royal Oak eating experience.

Three words (other than vibrant) that sum up the food in Royal Oak: Friendly, diverse, comforting.

Everyone has a dining out pet peeve. Mine is: Those who eat first without waiting for others at the table. We grew up having lunch and dinner around the lazy Susan, exclaiming “sik fan la” (literally “let’s eat rice” – a bon appétit of sorts, in Cantonese) before digging into communal dishes around the centre. The grandparents were always served first. 

The local dish I crave most: Roast duck noodle soup from Happy Café. Along with the satisfying slurp of egg noodles, I salivate just thinking about the bite of fragrant anise-spiced duck and the shatteringly crisp yet fatty skin on top. It’s a big food hug, especially on a cold day.

The best restaurant in Royal Oak is: With so many casual and varied eatery formats, I’m going to interpret the definition of “restaurant” broadly and say Royal Kebab.

Why I love Royal Kebab: This is the place you’ll often find me post grocery-run. While you can pre-order by phone, I love popping in and waiting while watching a bit of telly and having a yarn with the owners if they’re not too busy. 

My go-to order is: I am now all for lamb souvlaki. With their special spice blend and the way it’s prepared, it’s next level. Add a side of falafel (made fresh every day). Sometimes I eye up the baklava too. Trust uncle with the sauce recs – he’s got me on the garlic yoghurt, BBQ, and a mint condiment trifecta.

When I’m craving something cheap and cheerful I head to: Happy Cafe for Cantonese comforts like their BBQ dishes (known in Cantonese as “siu mei” (燒味)) or eggplant with minced chicken or salted fish on steamed rice. Sometimes you need something deep fried though – and in those moments, it’s got to be KFC for me. Side note: the first KFC in the country was in Royal Oak, at the roundabout. 

A recent food discovery I can’t stop talking about: Wagyu Shogun. It was founded by the owner and chef of Cocoro Makoto Tokuyama and Taste of Japan’s Daizo Yamada and is such an approachable way to experience fancy Japanese wagyu right without a crazy expensive price tag. I recommend the signature Kagoshima Kuroge wagyu and Iwate Iwachiku wagyu combo. The wagyu varieties go from an inherently sweet and umami flavour, to melt-like-butter texture. Plus there are additions to change up the experience, like a dab of spicy, fragrant yuzukosho to cut through the fat. The wagyu trim is also added to their karē raisu. Finish with a refreshing yuzu ice (or whatever seasonal sorbet is on the menu) and head home very happy. 

A place I’ve been dying to try is: Lapaz Batchoy and BBQ’s drive-way pop-ups. I first discovered them when I first moved to Tāmaki Makaurau in 2024 at the Filipino Food Festival. You cannot beat a charcoal-kissed skewer of meat, a splash of spicy vinegar, and a refreshing halo halo afterwards. These days they have a permanent base out at Lynmall but I hope they do another pop-up night from their Royal Oak spot at 551 Mount Albert Rd soon.

Celebrating with a group? Book a table at: There’s no need to book, but the wonderful food court inside Royal Oak Mall has something for everyone: Two Guys’ fried chicken donut burgers, freshly made juices and bubble tea from The Ca.Faye, comforting curries from Sahil, savoury egg custard from Fortune Noodles, and even sushi hot dogs from Umiya. Unsurprisingly, it’s always crowded – it’s where it’s at! 

For a late-night food fix you’ll find me at: Grabbing bubble tea from My Kitchen Taiwanese, with a side of stinky fried tofu and Taiwanese fried chicken to nibble on. 

Got visitors from out of town? I’m taking them to: If they’re from overseas, we’d begin at Pak’nSave for a compulsory Kiwi chocolate and biscuits souvenirs run, then grab a hot family pack of fish and chips from either Seafood Takeaways or The Chip Shop to eat at Maungakiekie. To finish, a scoop of hokey pokey ice cream at Ollies.

An ideal date spot would be: A picnic at Maungakiekie, all brought together under the lush trees with the setting sun. Grab some flowers from Parkgate Flowers across the road (or maybe an urban forage for onionweed) and you’re set for a romantic Royal Oak dinner date, alfresco-style. Plus, there’s also Te Whatu Stardome for post-dinner stargazing. 

Royal Oak’s best… 

Breakfast: Make a beeline to Royal City Dumpling & Noodle for brunch. The menu isn’t as extensive as other yum cha places, but it’s all you need with siu mai, har gow, xiaolongbao, chicken feet, pork ribs, and charsiu bao by the steamer-full. If they have a choice of tea, go for pu’er which is said to help your metabolism and digestion – so you can eat more.

Coffee: We have an old coffee machine at home so we rarely go out for coffee. Ristretto is a popular spot though and they’ve got a dog-friendly outdoor area out back. I also heard from my local hairdressers (shoutout Urban Kurl Studio!) that Ollies do great coffee too these days. 

Sandwich: Huong Que Vietnamese Food & Cafe for a lemongrass chicken bánh mì.

Noodles: For fried noodles: Beef hor fun (flat rice noodle) from Royal City Dumplings and Noodles. For noodle soups: roast duck noodle soup from Happy Cafe. For steamed noodles: steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce on rice noodles from King’s Restaurant.

Pie: Another stretch of the definition, but I’m going to say the curry puff and taro puff from Royal Siam. 

Comfort meal: I love the meals at My Kitchen Taiwanese, where when you order Taiwanese sausage on rice it comes with wee side dishes like a shredded spicy potato and wood ear fungus salad. Don’t forget a bubble tea to finish too. 

Kaimoana: The har gow (prawn dumplings in crystal wrappers) from the yum cha menu at Royal City Dumplings and Noodle – the coriander and shrimp combo is a flavoursome and textural delight. Or, cross the road and grab a unagi or king salmon sashimi bento from Bento Japanese Restaurant. For a larger kaimoana feast, go to Thai Archer for a whole fish to share around the table – fried to perfection and topped with flavoursome herbs. 

Bowl of soup: Bún bò Huê from Huong Que Vietnamese Food & Cafe.

Bread: The bread section at Indreni Nepalese and Indian. I have an especially soft spot for the flaky layers of a lachha paratha which is an excellent way to mop up any curry. If you’re feeling sweet, get the chocolate naan. 

Baked treat: Baklava from Royal Kebab.

What defines a great baklava? I’m a texture-focussed dessert person, so the filo layers must be crisp enough to just dissolve on your tongue, followed by the crunch and warmth of toasted pistachio and walnuts, and the syrup soaked just enough so it’s soft in some parts, but still with a little of that crunch intact.

For a serious sweet tooth, head to: Ollies. They have an extensive ice cream flavour menu, banana splits, and sundaes too. Being there is like a nostalgic flashback to dairy ice cream runs from childhood meets Milky Bar Kid television ads. 

The place to go if you want to feel virtuous/ healthy: Head to King’s Restaurant for a restorative tong (broth or soup). Chicken tong with goji berries and wai shan (Chinese yam) is something 婆婆 used to make for us growing up, so it’s very nostalgic to me. Follow that with steamed rice on lotus leaf. And, if your eyes are bigger than your stomach, xiaolongbao on the side too – I like to bite a small incision and add a drop of red rice vinegar into each bao pocket.

A splurge that’s worth it: Double scoop waffle cone with chocolate dip at Ollies. 

The dairy with the best lolly selection: It’s not quite a dairy, but New Eats, the Asian supermarket in the mall, has the best snacks and sweets. While I love a bag of TNTs from the dairy, you can’t beat Japanese grape gummies and classic Chinese sweets like the multi-layered coin stack of Haw Flakes or preserved plums in hard candy. Their ice block selection is great, too, with options like Melona, bubble tea-flavoured ice creams and red bean variants. 

A little local treat that always cheers me up: You’d assume I’d go sweet (being a pastry chef and all) but the chippies selection at New Eats is my happy place. I’m always looking for an interesting chip flavour, and they have it all. From cucumber to crayfish crisps, and if I’m gonna really treat myself, the crispy fish skin with salted egg yolk crumb is my kind of fancy TV snack. 

My favourite grocery shop: Pak'nSave. The aunties at the checkouts are always so friendly. I love the checkout chat and the store displays are always on point. They had the cutest decorations last Christmas and to celebrate their birthday recently.

For the best produce, I stop in at: For fruit (especially for a food photo shoot), Fruit World always delivers. I often find myself wandering between Pak'nSave, Royal Oak Fruit & Veg and Royal Fresh to see what looks best.

A perfect place to linger over a drink: Delhi Delhi’s cocktail list has so many interesting flavour combinations – like their aachar cocktail which involves pickle fat washed tequila.

A local spot I wish we could bring back from the dead is: Not exactly from the dead, Takapuna Filipino restaurant Nanam used to be in Royal Oak. I vividly remember tasting their signature taco pao – a beet-hued steamed bun with a slab of pork belly and pickles – when I first moved to Tāmaki Makaurau. What they’re doing with Filipino food is exciting, interesting and most importantly delicious. If they could come back to this side of the bridge for a pop-up I’d be there everyday. 

A restaurant I would love to relocate to Royal Oak: One Tree Grill, which is in the neighbouring suburb Greenwoods Corner. I had the most incredible spontaneous dinner date there and still think of the dishes a year on. The service was outstanding too. And I love a neatly ironed white tablecloth. I’d be happy for them to shift one neighbourhood over so they were even closer. But a casual neighbourhood wine bar would be dreamy too – I’d love Royal Oak to have something like Roses which was on Karangahape Road.

Why I love eating in Royal Oak: There’s so much diversity and variety here, all within walking distance. You can dress however you like for dinner. You can have great conversations with strangers. There are so many eateries I want to check out and revisit. It’s a small place but there’s still so much for me to explore.