Review Saan - Auckland Central

Nice experience!! Very enthusiastic waiter, and very patient recommendation of dishes. The food is very good and the price is not very expensive. Excellent service, comfortable environment and delicious dishes! I will certainly come again!

Came by for dinner with friends. The outside looks very unassuming and plain, and the menu doesn't look like other Thai places around, no curries or cashew nut stir fries. Although different, the items do sound very appetising without the ridiculous names that other places tend to have. We went with a variety of different items from the menu as well as the salmon special. For me the best item we had was the soft shell crab. The crab was nice and crispy and the sauce that came with it resembled a curry but was thick, flavourful and tasty. This paired really well with their sticky rice which was cooked just right to get the perfect consistency and texture. They do like to use chilies in most of their dishes so be careful if you are not used to spicy food as you might get a bad surprise. Really good service where we had a waitress that was with us for the night and kept our water topped. Really nice ambiance particularly since we were in the booths and we had the grill behind us. Nice food that is different to standard Thai places but similar flavours within the dishes.

I love the food here. Their appetizers are very creative and yummy. My fav is the spicy beef in curry leaves - a must try. The taro and roast pork are great too.

Cute little Thai place in Ponsonby with tasty food and cocktails. Although the portions weren't as big as we thought it would be. We were 7 sharing 3 starters, one of the grilled market fish of the day (very small portion) and 4 mains with 3 rice and it wasn't quite enough for us. The main stars were the lamb curry and the papaya salad. Delicious!

Real Thai Food. Tasty! I wasn’t really sure what I was in for. I saw good reviews and came in not knowing this was a Thai restaurant. But that soon caught up quickly. Flavours are refreshing, but anything with sauce is thick and strong. So be prepared for strong rich flavours which can be overwhelming if you order many strong flavour dishes. Friendly staff, great service, nice food. Service: 5/5 Food Quality: 4/5 Food Quantity: 4/5 Presentation: 4/5 Environment: 4/5 Price per person: $80 inc drink

We went here as a group of 4 and it was a pleasant experience. The food was great and the staff was very friendly. The interior and decor also give the restaurant a nice and unique feel. We also found out the restaurant has its own parking lot in the back. Quite convenient for those driving to Ponsonby. Overall we quite enjoyed our time here.

Had my little one’s birthday there, it was really nice experience. Food was great! Service was outstanding. Staffs were super friendly and caring. Made the dinner really memorable. There were nothing to be an issue for their team. This was 2nd time there after the 1st time being a work lunch there. Which was also a good experience. Keep the hard work going guys, you are true stars.

On our special occasions when we would like to have Thai food, we would normally come to this place. The food is deliciously authentic, staffs are very friendly.

Great service great food. Not a dish that was bad. Honestly not much to say other than its a great place that does thai cuisine well.

This place was a good find. The food is asian fusion and we really enjoyed the dishes. The duck larb was yum and weirdly the eggplant and tofu was delicious. We also had the whole snapper with leaves. The food service was quick. The drinks on the other hand took really long for some reason. They tasted great when they arrived. Would definitely go back.

Have been there a few times. Good location, friendly atmosphere, comfortable seating. Helpful and attentive staff. Food quality very good. Beef on Perilla leaf and the fried fish are my favourites. Even the fishbones can be chewed and are delicious! Papaya salad is not to my taste.

Been here several times for some good reasons. Good food, good atmosphere, nice staff.

Fusions Thai restaurant in Ponsonby. Good food quality and great services. Wish they have some Thai soups in their menu. Hard to find parking around.

Saab delivers on their promise. We’ve been there many times and they’re solidly consistent.

Nice place. Excellent service. Tasty food. Little but crowded for me but overall awesome experience.

Amazing food and great restaurant! Only downside was 2 meals and 2 drinks costing almost $100 places it quite expensive, but then again it’s Ponsonby :)

Always an impeccable experience at Saan. Wonderful setting, attentive and personal service, and the best food. The menu perfectly caters to meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans, and pescatarians. Stand out dishes include the salted perilla leaf, soft shell crab, tofu red curry, and papaya salad. Don't forget to order a cocktail to accompany!

One of the best thai restaurants ! Romantic atmos. Friendly staff. Creative and delicious dishes. Will definitely come back

Been 3 times over the last 3 years and Saan is consistently excellent. The service is always fantastic and the decor and vibe of the restaurant is super classy and cool. They have a good range of options for vegans and vegetarians.

Interesting twist to authentic Thai cuisine, flavours were complex and rich. We ordered 2 small plates - eggplant/chilli/mushroom dip w/ deep fried tofu curd, and caramelized pulled pork on prawn crackers. Then we got 1 large plate - twice cooked beef cheeks. The eggplant dip was sweet and sour, cold and refreshing, and complemented the crispy tofu curds. The pulled pork was tender and had a lot of flavours going on: it was sweet, with a hint of fish sauce, lots of fresh herbs and cilantro, make sure you add the squeeze of lime. The prawn crackers were very crunchy and aromatic. My favourite is the beef cheeks: it was so tender and seasoned really well, the sauce goes deliciously with their steamed jasmine rice

We love Thai food, whether it’s dining out or whipping up something spicy at home. Hearing the rave reviews about new Ponsonby establishment Saan, we knew we had to taste what all fuss was about. Coming from the Cafe Hanoi and XuXu Dumpling bar stable, we’ve got high hopes. Being a Metro Top 50 restaurant, we were more than surprised to see a rather empty dining room at 8pm on a Thursday night. I’m told they only allow reservations on half of their tables and keep the other half for walk-ins – so if like us you’re a late planner, this might be your best bet in town for a great meal at short notice. The menu looks unbelievably divine, but once we roll out our seafood allergy we’re down to slim pickings as most meat dishes contain fish sauce. We’re not too worried as we love vegetarian fare and are in no way scared of tofu – on the upside, a limited menu just makes choosing easier, right? Allergy-free diners, you may struggle as there are almost too many amazing sounding dishes on the menu to choose from. We want to give them a huge congrats on their allergy menus though – no sooner had we mentioned ‘no seafood’ than a new seafood-free menu was placed in front of us. We’re so impressed to see a restaurant take the initiative, if only all restaurants were this thoughtful.

Outstanding food and wonderful service. Do yourself a favour and just book

Came here with my whole family and had a great experience. Service was super friendly and fast. All the dishes were a hit. I was so busy eating I forgot to take photos, that’s when you know it’s good! Rest assured you are in safe hands at Saan.<br/>

One of our favourite restaurants, great cocktails, great food and great atmosphere

Top service! The staff offered to take our coats when we entered and they were very attentive the entire night. I’m a crazy water drinker and I swear no other place has topped up my water as efficiently as these guys did! The nice waitress even offered us extra tofu as she noticed we had some dip left over in our entree! Everything on the menu was delicious, well priced and a good portion size. ( I do want to make a note that the chilli in the meals are quite spicy!) overall, the atmosphere was relaxed and modern. Will definitely be back again !

Such a cool little spot, really loved the food and the duck curry was amazing.. practically licked the plate clean! Would definitely recommend this place to everyone, drinks were quite strong but definitely tasty!

Pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous food served in such a beautiful space. Love the decor and how the restaurant is fitted out!

Christmas party. Drinks a flowing. Service was on point and didn't experience an empty drink. The food was insane. Shout out to having some proper spice. Also that chargrilled chicken. Damn!

I’ve been here a couple of times. Once with s friend and once with a larger group (ordered from the set menu)<br/>Loved both occasions. The decor and interior fit out is beautiful and the food is delicious.<br/>Only slight negative (not for me though) was the group found the set menu a little on the spicy side.... we may have needed to Caucasian those ones down to bill spice. Other than that. Delicious and highly recommend!

We didn't have a booking but we did end up getting a table for dinner. The best part of this was definitely the Deep Fried Whole Fish, that fish was honestly pure goodness with the fish cut into bite size and the presentation of it looked 👌always have to order a bowl of rice for these dishes. Also ordered two small plates, one was chilli minced (forgot the name sorry) and the Crispy Soft Shell Crab. The was the second best dish for the night, so much flavour yet it wasn't overpowering. The minced dish was the least favourite of the night, but overall the food and service were good. Added a bloody mary to kick off the weekend. 9/10

Beautiful interior! Staffs were amazing and friendly! Food tasted good, but wasn’t mind blowing. Rather overpriced for the quantity of the food. Good place for date night tho ☺️

Visited during the Ponsonby celebration (can’t remember the name sorry!) and had the vegan set menu and the food was amazing!!! And so much food we literally couldn’t finish it all. I love Saan - will definitely be back

A fantastic Thai restaurant with a great atmosphere. The food was very authentic, and we got to try several dishes. The best was the deep fried fish - it was superb! There was quite a long wait for the dessert; this was due to a large amount of customers + some apparent complications. However, they were considerate enough to make a couple of the desserts complimentary because of this. This, coupled with the friendly waiters highlights there attention to customer service.

We went for their vegan set menu. Everything was lovely - definitely a more home-style meal.<br/>I'd love to give a full five stars but compared to the other joints in this price bracket, it just doesn't quite measure up. Really a 4.5

I think this restaurant is overrated, we were so disappointed with our food, from starter to dessert. If the starter and main course were average, the dessert sago pudding would be the disaster, too sweet.

Taste: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑<br/>Interior: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕⁣<br/>Service: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕⁣<br/>Recommend: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕⁣<br/>🇹🇭 This is the place you go to for Thai cuisine! Every dish is thoughtfully designed and packed with unique flavours! The interior is also one of my fav in Auckland!⁣<br/>⁣<br/>⁣<br/> My fav was the 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐬🐟🌿 (the fish was prepared into small fried boneless pieces which made it easy for us to grab and wrap, their fresh sauce made with honey also took it to the next level!) following 𝐋𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐭🐔(warm spicy pot packed with flavour and goodness, chickens were juicy & soft, the chicken liver was also cooked perfectly)! For Dessert we had the 𝗪𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠🍮(chewy &crispy, warm & cold, sweet &sour, sticky rice was my fav part!). Lastly, my least favourite was the 𝐓𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐥𝐞 🦐(Despite loving noodle so much, I couldn’t enjoy this dish as I didn’t quite like the flavour from the spices & sea grapes) ⁣<br/>⁣<br/>⁣<br/>Overall the vibe was super friendly and cozy. Its better to go in larger groups as most dishes are more suitable for sharing and the portion is relatively small!

Went our to celebrate our first anniversary together and we hit the jackpot. What an amazing experience Saan gave us. The dishes, the smells, the flavours, the textures...everything was aligned to provide this outstanding and unique experience. A big shout out also to the staff for an excellent costumer service.<br/>Definitely a place that I recommend and also to come back.

I’m a fan of Thai, but this was my first specially Northern Thai cuisine restaurant & it did not disappoint. We shared a range of food from the Market fish wrapped in banana leaf (this was probably my least favourite dish) & Stir Fried Beef ( this was the best) an oyster sauce dish is always my go to. The atmosphere was nice, but you would expect that from a restaurant located in Ponsonby. Overall, I look forward to visiting again.

Georgeous little venue situated on the main ponsonby drag. Tried the wok tossed squid. Great tasting dish loved the mint and chilli in it. Main was the twice cooked beef cheeks. Very nice but a bit on the sweet side. Was 50/50 on the beef vs the massaman. I guess ill have to come back? Not a large amount of food for the price but its quality.

Food: Delicious pork belly. Small portion as around over thirty dollars. Fine dining and will not mention price anymore. Crispy crab was good. <br/><br/>Atmosphere/Interior: Unique. Nicely designed. Cushioned seats. Bugs here and there from indoor plants.<br/><br/>Service: Friendly<br/><br/>Parking: Hard to find parking on the streets.

Last time I have been to restaurant and ordered a roasted pork and fried noodles with prawn. The por is average. The fried noodle tasted good but a bit oily. The customer service is great.

Came for lunch and received wonderful attentive service and great recommendations of what to order from the shared menu. My friend and I were so impressed! We ordered the squid, soft shell crab and sticky rice followed by banana fritters. It was perfect and just the right amount for a lunchtime meal. Neither of us are big on soft shell crab or banana fritters but we were converted after these! The soft shell crab is one of the most delicious dishes - I highly recommend trying it. Light and airy, relaxed atmosphere which complemented the beautiful food and service. I shall be back soon!

Been here for a spontaneous birthday party , food come up pretty quick . The worst dish is Chicken lemongrass in claypot > never order it if you can’t have chicken liver . Highly recommend pork belly and wok flat rice noodle .

5/5! A group of us went here for a birthday dinner. All the mains we ordered are recommended including the desserts: creme brûlée (milk tea flavours) and fried banana (soft and crispy, not oily!). Excellent customer service, delicious mains and desserts. I love the simple cozy decor. The booths look nice to sit in! Will definitely be coming back! <br/>

Ambience is nice maybe a bit too dark for my liking. Food was decent but extremely overpriced. Also they charged $12 extra for corkage. Won’t be going back

Dined here for dinner. <br/>Attentive staff <br/>Fast service<br/>Cosy ambience<br/>Food:Ordered the Camelised pulled pork with pork crackers, was a little too sweet for me. The sweetness overshadowed the pork flavour and other flavours in the dish. For mains we ordered the Massaman Lamb curry and Stir fried eggplant with tofu. The curry was smooth and rich while the eggplant was very flavourful and nice and spicy. Overall a nice experience.

It was nice dinner, I booked table for 2 got a bigger space as we were starving and thought we would order a lot, it ended up at the 3rd dish when the staff stopped me nicely and suggested foods were enough for 2. The foods were stunning i liked the whole fish most, it was with spices, nuts, perilla leaves are a big plus, it’s so herby and unique flavor. The staffs are always nicely and approaching us just at the right timing. The small piece of advice from us is there are too many green plants indoor, with a warm lighting, there are quite a few bugs on our table and even drop to foods,I didn’t really mind of that though.

Food: 4.5/5<br/>Location: 5/5<br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Atmosphere: 4/5<br/><br/>I came here on Christmas eve a few years ago and again recently. Both times, the food was really good! The food makes me feel so comfortable, relaxed, ahhh. It's always a perfect blend of flavour, texture, and the perfect amount of sauce. There is a huge variety in every dish and it always makes me feel so excited to eat!<br/><br/>The only downside was that on the day I went, the fans were on and it was really cold.<br/><br/>Other than that, I'm just going to say that this is one of my favourite thai restaurants for food!

Family lunch of 7 people today. Amazing food, amazing atmosphere, amazing customer service! I couldn’t fault the dishes that were served. 5 stars!!!

Friendly staff, warm service, nice environment and tasty food. I like their rice and entree. But main with sauce was too strong for me. Dessert was good. Real thai cuisine

The best Asian food I found throughout Auckland Central/ CBD. Fell madly in love and went 3x in the 9 days we were visiting Auckland. <br/>Cocktails are something else here.. fish dishes cooked to perfection. Very aromatic cuisine. Best papaya salad I’ve had- perfectly spicy/ savory/ sweet. <br/>Day-core and staff were beautiful.

Every time I come here I hold my breath in anticipation that the standard has dropped, last week I popped in with a friend, I hadn't been for over a year but the very gracious host remembered me by commenting on my dog, which I didn't have with me that night (me and the doggo would sit out front) How she remembered me after all that time is surprising. I have dined broadly from the menu since they have been open but I keep settling on a favourite, it's just a plate of perfection, deep fried portions of soft or silken tofu with a spicy peanut satay and bokchoy. $17 substantial, tasty, you could order some steamed brown rice to go with it but unlikely you'd have room. Love the service and the consistent standard. My friend had something like chicken and veggies with a spicy Thai dressing that was banging! Every dish I have ever experienced has been flavourful, spicy and fresh, often with new and unique ingredients or prepared in a different way. If you want to impress a date, this place won't disappoint and won't break your budget.

Very impressed with the service at Saan. We had two absolutely lovely, knowledgeable and graceful waitresses who made the start of our evening so enjoyable. Unsure of what to pick, these ladies talked us through diner favourites and ensured we would be well fed! The flavours were so balanced, therefore even the dishes that were labelled as spicier just hummed rather than having us reaching for water. The mussaman curry was the dish of the night, with a sauce so intense every person at our table went back for seconds. The prawn and chicken noodles were yummy, and the pork belly was also a table hit! Only item we weren’t crazy about - the smaller wrapped fish. It was very small and flavour wise didn’t seem to fit with the other dishes, so wasn’t quite our cup of tea.

I came here with a friend recently on a Friday night and had an excellent time. It’s surprisingly light and spacious inside (unlike many other dinner establishments in Ponsonby) so I’d recommend coming here for dinner in summer. <br/><br/>Judging from other reviews, I was prepared for every dish to be spicy. This was mostly true, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the vast majority of what we ate. The highlight for me was the chicken noodle dish; it was pretty much Malaysian kuey teow with Saan’s very own sriracha served separately on the side. The market fish was flavourful and bright, but a little too spicy for my liking.<br/><br/>Everyone raves about the soft shell crab appetiser and I can confirm that it’s definitely worth trying. I especially liked the medium spicy sauce that sat under the bits of crab. <br/><br/>For veges, we ordered the mushrooms and bok choy. This came with tofu and some crunchy bits (shallots?) that created an interesting contrast of texture. <br/><br/>We received great service throughout, with only one minor mishap that we didn’t bother correcting them about. Overall, very happy to recommend Saan and I’m looking forward to bringing more friends here in the near future!

Would definitely recommend going here to get out of your normal thai takeaway night routine. This place was like thai with a modern twist and almost like a cool experiment! The food was really interesting. I liked it but im not too sure that it would suit everybody tastes, which is why its so cool!

I’ve been here twice for dinner and butvtimes have been amazing. <br/>Great ambience with dimmer lighting and modern furniture, friendly and informative staff and most of all the food is delish! <br/>I’m not a big fan of Thai food but the food at Saan is amazing! Love the glass noodles the most

Couldn’t hear anything over the racket of other diners and the constant clanging and yells in the open kitchen. Acoustics in this place are non existent and need to seriously be addressed. Was impressed with the amount of vegan food options available, the Vegan Papaya Salad was good but very small even though we ordered the large. The Mushroom Tofu was terrible and tasteless would definitely not recommend that dish to anyone. Service was good.

We asked for a fast meal, early evening. We were given a lovely table, away from the door. Our meals came very fast. Beef curry and egg noodles & prawns. Lovely meal, great portion size. We’re glad we dropped in here. We’ll be back. 👍🏻

Saan was amazing. I organised a 20 person dinner party to raise funds for charity. They were so accommodating and flexible. We had a set menu but they made last minute changes for those with dietary restrictions. Throughout the whole planning process and the dinner event itself, the staff was perfect, welcoming and helpful.<br/><br/>Besides the service, the food was delicious, full of flavour and spice. Just a pleasure to eat. <br/><br/>Loved this restaurant so much, many of my dinner party guests mentioned that they would have to return. I will definitely be back as well.

I love the layout and design of the dining area. I like how the areas are separated by the decor and furniture. It gives a lot more privacy and creates sectioned areas to the restaurant.<br/><br/>The food that is pretty straightforward Thai food. The portion sizes are rather small but very tasty. I also like how the rice is served in the baskets.<br/><br/>Quick and friendly service.

Visited on a Saturday night.Tables way to close so very noisy and the food out of 5 dishes 4 were quite tasty but  salty.There fried straw mushroom hard tofu veg  dish was very poor and I have had better off food carts in China than this .I don't want to put people off this place if they want to go to this type of restaurant.Just be aware of the type of place. Food is a Thai inspired fusion food so beware if you are looking for traditional Thai food.<br/>I have to say that the staff were very nice and friendly.

Excellent service with a delicious Asian fusion menu. It was rather busy so it was lucky we booked. The vegetarian options are great, the papaya salad was amazing. Nice atmosphere and really friendly staff.

Great Thai food to try. Especially the perilla starter. Loved the experience. <br/><br/>I would love to visit the place again and recommend it to my friends.

Great place to go to enjoy a nice Thai food 👍👍 busy on Fridays but service was still great. Will definitely go back .......... price is good so no problems going back

Love the ambience and decor, just nice for a fancy dinner! Ordered tofu with spinach (as in picture) for entree, loved them! They have different kind of tastes all fit nicely when eaten together. For mains, loved the stir-fried straw mushrooms the most, yums! If you're thinking of ordering grilled fish in banana leaf, bear in mind that it's just smaller than or about the size of your palm - amazing taste although a bit spicy!

A really nice favourite of mine! Probably one of the top asian fusion restaurants these days. <br/>There were 4 adults and one child at our table. Our table was a round table at the sofas and we found it was a bit hard to read the menus because the lighting was very dark. <br/>We ordered two starters, four mains, one noodles and a salad. All the dishes were amazing! Would highly recommend the chicken noodles, beef curry and papaya salad! The only downside would be that the portions are a bit small. <br/>Friendly service! Would recommend booking as it can get quite busy. <br/>Will definitely be returning:)<br/>

This is now my new favourite Thai restaurant :D yum yum yum!!! Strongly recommend the eggplant dish! It’s super spicy yet extreme tasty when having it with the mince rice! My fav!

Absolutely delicious food, great ambience and delightful service! The hapuka wrapped in banana leaf was an explosion of flavors. Superb food experience!Ours was an unplanned visit but we will return again.

Staff were attentive, friendly, had good knowledge of the menu and helpful in explaining to my friend and I on how there menu worked. The menu was well put together, came out efficiently and looked amazing on the plate. Will certainly come back

I was really excited to finally try Saan. I was part of a large group booking of 13 people for the private dining room, which was subject to the set banquet menu at $60 per head. We thought it quite expensive for a couple just for food alone (plus drinks on top) however we had high hopes and expectations based off both verbal recommendations and Zomato reviews. <br/><br/>In general, I found service was slow. We had to pour our own drinks at times and go and find the waitress on several occasions to order more drinks. <br/><br/>Eventually, we got our first two courses (appetizers) and served quite close together, but after that it was just too long a wait between all other main dishes. In fact, the mains came out so far apart, that they served us the plain sticky rice, on it’s own, last. When all our other main dishes had long been eaten. Plain rice by itself! Seriously! <br/><br/>I’m disappointed to have to report the food was of average to poor quality and taste. Nothing remarkable at all and sadly the much anticipated twice cooked beef cheeks were 4 solid globby lumps like jello in the bowl. Screwed up faces the theme of the night. <br/><br/>I’m also sad to say that the portion sizes and amounts of food they brought out for our large group was laughable. We actually had to request more of some of the food, as they somehow unbelievably felt that three medium size plates of chicken noodles would be adequate for 13 adult people to share. This was actually the count of each dish they bought out for everything. For 13 people. Really not sure how they calculated that.<br/><br/>I didn’t have the only desert choice, sago, which was so inedible we again had to make a complaint.<br/><br/>Essentially, we paid $60 each for a mouthful of each set dish and no desert, and when this was respectfully and rightfully raised with management at the end, we were argued with. <br/><br/>Absolutely appalling value for money. I can’t even begin to understand how the quantity (and quality) of food we were served in total would be anywhere near the $840 it cost us. The set menu was basic and a complete rip-off. <br/><br/>I will never return to Saan, and it beggars belief they find this is an acceptable way to operate in Auckland’s current age of gastronomic competition. <br/><br/>My recommendation would be to take your hard earned money and treat yourself elsewhere.

This Place is understated, homely and true to its cuisine. The interior is made of bamboo furniture and light wood textures unifying the entire space. The high back bamboo seating offers good privacy offers a more intimate experience with food. The food is packed full of flavors. Tangy, sweet, salty, spicy are all well balanced with good portions.  We loved the Squid, it was the best I have ever had personally, also loved the pudding with fresh fruit in them, ribs were fantastic and so was sausage. The deep fried fish was tangy and well made with fresh salad.  The service was prompt and professional. Great place to hang-out with family and friends. There is a secluded space to host big groups as well. I love the earthy tones that this space and the food have imparted to my experience. Would definitely want to try the other dishes that I didn't get to taste from the menu.

Really great food and really welcoming staff! Great ambience about the place too. Lots of Vege options which is a welcome surprise and the deep fried marinated tofu is fully worth a try.

This is probably my favourite Thai restaurant in Auckland considering the quality and taste of their food which tastes amazing. Nice atmosphere with a pale-cream colour palette and soft furnishings. Good selection of cocktails. I love their Sao Isaan moo and Kua Gai. The Thai tea pudding is just melt in your mouth delightful.

Lovely lovely Thai restaurant. <br/>The only thing I didn’t like: Pricy and tables are too close with each other!<br/><br/>First step in door we’re impressed by clean, modern asian and stylish decoration. The atmosphere is great for dinner with soft lighting and candles. Service is good, food came out fast. Open kitchen so make sure you have a peak at how the chef make salad with mortar and pestle, very Thai street style.<br/>From the small plates (no kidding the plates were really small) we had the Pork ribs and Soft-shell Crab. The sauce is down to earth and goes really well with steam rice. Even the rice is special, you have to try it. The noodles is fried beautifully with a chewy enough texture, until now I’m still craving for it. <br/>The dessert ended the night perfectly. <br/>I would come here every week if the price was not too high (costed us around $180 for 2 and we’re not that full). Anyhow, since we don’t have 4.5, let’s go for a 5 <br/>

Real Thai Food. Tasty!<br/><br/>I wasn’t really sure what I was in for. I saw good reviews and came in not knowing this was a Thai restaurant. <br/><br/>But that soon caught up quickly. Flavours are refreshing, but anything with sauce is thick and strong. So be prepared for strong rich flavours which can be overwhelming if you order many strong flavour dishes. <br/><br/>Friendly staff, great service, nice food. <br/><br/>Service: 5/5<br/>Food Quality: 4/5<br/>Food Quantity: 4/5<br/>Presentation: 4/5<br/>Environment: 4/5<br/>Price per person: $80 inc drink

I had such an amazing evening at Saan.<br/>The food was outstanding, the service and atmosphere was great.<br/>Only downside was the 2 seated tables were too close to the other people.<br/><br/>Me and a friend shared the pork ribs, silken tofu and greens which was in a satay sauce and the fish on perilla. Every dish was absolutely amazing! <br/>We will definitely be returning

Absolutely love this place. Service is fabulous and food is amazing. Highly recommend the soft shell crab with sticky rice. I love how they serve the sticky rice in traditional rice baskets to stop the sticky rice from going soggy. <br/><br/>The staff are super friendly and down to earth and we absolutely loved the atmosphere. <br/><br/><br/><br/>

What a dissatisfaction with this place. We found this place is extremely overrated! Both of us had diarrhea after the meal. Also it's overpriced. Paid $9 for the tea. All dishes were too salty and overpowering. The hot tofu dish was cold when it hit the table. Definitely won't go back again!

Incredible food, atmosphere and staff. The couple next to us suggested the soft shell crab which turned out to be one of the best dishes I've had in Auckland. Absolutely everything you could want out of a restaurant.

Food wasn't bad but service was not great. The lady who took my order did not place my order and when I asked, she argued that I didn't order it, even though the people on my table heard it.  No apologies either. Not very impressed. Wouldn't bother going back.

Typical Asian restaurant that caters to hipsters, the food had some good flavour but a bit on the pricey side.<br/>We ordered:<br/>Deep-fried tofu ($15) -- just slightly above average, go to the night market, get the same stuff for a third of the price.<br/>Stewed seasonal vegetables ($12) -- unfortunately, the standout dish of the meal.<br/>Crispy soft-shell crab ($29) -- I get that soft-shell crab was the It thing in 2014, and people love paying too much for the It things, but the serving size and flavour were pathetic! The crab tasted off and we got a measly 3 pieces that were smaller than my palm!<br/>Roast pork belly ($32) -- so unmemorable that I only remembered having ordered it when I re-read the menu on Zomato, 'nuff said!<br/>Deep-fried whole fish -- another standout dish from the meal, but the steep, unmentioned $65 price tag detracted the experience greatly. If there's a lawyer in the room, here's a question: can diners refuse to pay for a dish if the server had not advised them of the price?<br/><br/>For drinks we ordered a bottle of Antipodes sparkling water and ended up with two, now here's another question to the lawyers in the room, can diners refuse to pay for a bottle of sparkling water that they did not order, but the server just decided to open on the diners' behalf? I also ordered a blood bagarre (seasonal cocktail, $18), and it tasted so chemical and artificial that I'm pretty sure you can huff that shit and get high.<br/><br/>I'm sure that Saan is the place for the Ponsonby types whose photographs appear on society pages, who pose with each other at social functions pretending to having a good time, to congregate, unfortunately it was not the place for K-mart-wearing peasants like I.<br/><br/>If this review does not make sense, I blame the Blood Bagarre for killing my brain cells.

Popped in for dinner withkut reservation! Amazing food and service! Every dish was absolutely perfect. Mike was tops👌 would recommend!! And will definitely return :)))))<br/>

Great place for a chilling out night with friends.However, because of busy atmosphere, I don't recommend this restaurant if you are quiet couple :). Staff are really friendly and attentive. Service is super quick no matter how busy the restaurant is. We had our food in not even 5 minutes after ordering. For me, the signature dish of Saan is the crispy soft-shell crab with a bowl of steamed sticky rice on side, it's a must try no matter what. We ordered some other dishes including Lanna pork sausages, Roast pork belly & Papaya salad. They are all good but not too impressive to my taste because I'm not used to the food with too much strong spice. I only took a photo of the amazing crispy soft-shell crab to remember this restaurant :p

Warm yellow glow welcomes you into the lit restaurant. It's almost like someone's chic living dining room. You feel comfortable. The waiter comes to introduce the menu. Here is the lead chef smiling next to his older brother on one side of the menu, when he was a kid in Thailand. The actual menu is divided into four sections. The dishes are listed from the mildest to the hottest tastes. They are all designed to share.

Hands down THE best Thai I have ever tasted<br/>I don’t even have enough good things to say about the soft shell crab and tomyum cocktail 🤤🤤 I constantly recommend this place to anyone who will listen

Food is generally ok, but price is too high for the small portions. Service needs improvement, staff could be unattended as they can get too busy sometimes.

Absolutely not a 4.5/5 place. Worse than expected. <br/><br/>Highlights:<br/>Seat design was attractive. <br/>Very professional service. <br/><br/>Issues:<br/>Lots of flies around tables. <br/>Dishes were too salty, not selected ones, ALL dishes were too salty. <br/>Lamb in masaman curry was not stewed- was grilled and mixed with curry paste, not what curry should be. <br/>Overpriced. <br/><br/>Disappointed. <br/><br/>

Pretty amazing food. However felt that the mains here were less value for money and less impressive than the starters. Loved the Tom yum cocktail that did pack a punch!! Not for the ones who fear a spicy Tom yum soup!

Fabulous decor and amazing interesting food. If you love cafe Hanoi you will love this place too... they always keep their menu fresh and service is spot on!<br/><br/>Love the pulled pork prawn crackers, calamari and pork belly. They do amazing cocktails also and have a good wine list!

Outstanding dinner experience all round! Best modern Thai cuisine in AKL. Service was flawless. Ambiance is modern and buzzy. On the pricy side but well worth it. Highly recommend.

Came here for a friend’s birthday dinner on a Friday night. Luckily we made reservations and were seated at the table in the private room. This place is probably one of my favorite Thai restaurants considering the quality and taste of their food which tastes really authentic.<br/><br/>Between 7 people we ordered the Crispy pork belly, Lamb curry, Eggplant with tofu, Tiger prawn cutlets with glass noodles, Chargrilled chicken thigh, Beef cheeks, Papaya salad, and 5 bowls of sticky rice. <br/><br/>The Crispy Pork Belly was more tender than crispy and the red curry paste they coated with was pretty flavorful which went really well with the plain sticky rice. The crunchiness of the beans added the extra texture and the pork tasted a little bit braised as well. <br/>The tenderness of the Lamb Curry was another surprise as not only could I taste the little kumara flavor within the curry, the paste itself was light and thin, not thick and creamy. With this dish, you could taste that the lamb was slowly braised with the curry because the meat absorbed the flavor really well.<br/>The Eggplant with Tofu, although the name doesn’t sound that exciting and it’s a vegetarian dish, the taste will make you think again. It has a little spice which gives it a ‘kick’ to the flavor and the eggplants were cooked just right - not too hard, not too soft. The flavor reminded me of a traditional Chinese eggplant dish with mince, but this one is less salty, oily, and the texture is better. <br/>The prawn cutlets with glass noodles was another good dish but the noodles were stir fried and tasted better than the prawns - the prawns didn’t have much flavor to it.<br/>The Chargrilled Chicken pieces sitting on stir fried bok choi with lemon grass on top is probably one of the few dishes that I would think is a good idea to have quite a few lemon grass as garnish. The lemon grass helped balance the chargrilled taste and smell quite a lot. The chicken pieces itself was a tiny bit dry but it tasted ‘grilled’ and wasn’t hard to chew.<br/>The Beef Cheeks was my favorite dish of the night because the sauce was just amazing and works really well with the sticky rice. The sauce had all the components that made the rice delicious - it was sweet, sour, and a little spicy along with the tender beef.<br/>Lastly the papaya salad was a whole different dish as it was refreshing, sweet, sour, and the crunchiness from the vegetables and nuts helped to cleanse the oily dishes.<br/><br/>The service was okay as the restaurant was very busy. The portion size is small for all the dishes at its price, but the taste makes up for it so it was worth.<br/><br/>Taste - 10/10<br/>Size - 8/10<br/>Price - 8/10<br/>Service - 8/10<br/>Ambience - 9/10<br/>

I would say, Saan is a modern Thai, rather than just authentic Thai. Grilled fish on Perilla, which came in 5 pieces, was an excellent small dish. Soft-shell crab was cooked perfectly & tasted good.  Isaan pork sausage, on the contrary, was very ordinary. Red curry pork belly was spicy (hot) but good.  There are still some other interesting dishes I wish to try in my next visit. <br/>(Food - 4.5/5; Service - 4.5/5; Ambience - 3.5/5)

Definitely the best Thai restaurant I've been to in Auckland!<br/><br/>Everything I tried was awesome, from entree to dessert. And my boyfriend, who is Thai, also loved the food.<br/><br/>For me the squid was the highlight of the night. Not chewy at all and with and awesome chargrilled flavour. The dessert had smoked coconut milk and jackfruit, very refreshing.<br/><br/>The environment there is great as well as the service.

Beautiful fit out! Very fast service and delicious food.<br/>I had the cured king fish, the prawn noodles, papaya salad and the rice pudding.<br/>All very flavoursome!

The food was next level - the waiter suggested a whole lot of food for our table of 9 which was spot on. We had a good variety of dishes that suited all of our picky palettes and we couldn't fault it at all. Amazing flavours - would most definitely come again.

Imagine walking through a dessert without any water in sight.. dehydration, desperation and despair run down your neck in the form of sweat.<br/>This is how I felt on return from my trip to Thailand.<br/>I was desperate for a fix that would spark up the nostalgia of the gastronomical experiences of Thailand.<br/> Every mouthful at Saan took me right back to the markets of Thailand, the freshness of herbs, the extensive use of lime, the smell of fish sauce and the bite of chilli.<br/><br/>Each and every dish showed skill and technique in terms of depth, richness of spices balanced with acidity and freshness. Not many chefs get this right.<br/>I would say only a handful of Auckland’s best do. <br/>And you would be surprised at how many of the big names don’t.<br/><br/>Saan keep doing what you do and stay true to the fact that you are a true Thai restaurant.<br/><br/>

This place is perfect for family dinners! The food is amazing and the customer service is fantastic. Totally recommend it for big family dinners.

FOOD:<br/><br/>Saan is an amazing place to take the vegans and vegetarians in your life. They have a huge selection of vegan dishes on offer, easily identified with a (V). The foodie in me was of course ecstatic to find a beautiful, fine dining restaurant with so many vegan options (not easy to come by!) and my omnivorous partner had a selection of meat-based dishes to choose from, too. We opted for two vegan dishes to share - the deep fried taro with homemade sweet chilli and the silken tofu with Asian greens and peanut sauce. The taro fritters were interesting and delicious, although perhaps lacking in depth of flavour and the bean curds were very dry. The homemade sweet chilli sauce was absolutely divine, as was the peanut sauce served with the tofu dish. We both absolutely loved the tofu and ordered a side of sticky rice to serve it with. My partner also ordered the beef satay which he was blown away by (and he isn't much of a foodie, so this says a lot!) All in all we ordered 3 small plates plus one portion of rice between the two of us, and it was sufficient food for the both of us, even though we were recommended to order 4-6 plates. I also tried out the "Weeping Butterfly" cocktail which tasted very boozy indeed and was adorned with Thai basil as well as a gorgeous purple ice cube made with butterfly pea. <br/><br/>SERVICE: <br/><br/>Our waiter was very relaxed, friendly and professional. Food was served in a timely manner despite the restaurant having a fair amount of diners for a Monday evening (including Lorde, who popped in for dinner while we were there). Strangely, there were no knives on the table, which did make it hard to eat some of the dishes. <br/><br/>AMBIANCE:<br/><br/>The absolutely stunning exterior and interior of Saan is what caught my eye and led us to eat here. Saan is quite possibly one of the most beautiful restaurants I have ever laid my eyes on, with perfect low lighting over each table making for a warm and cosy atmosphere. My only criticism was that where we were seated, it did not feel as private as we would have liked - the tables were very close together along the wall and it seemed to be where they were seating everyone who came in.<br/><br/>MUST TRY DISH: <br/><br/>The silken tofu with Asian greens and peanut sauce!

Went for dinner for two<br/>Had grilled oysters, lamb curry, papaya salad with the crab and beef cheeks.<br/>All pretty good, no issues with the taste and quality of food. Bit small portion wise for how its priced.<br/>Theres not much of the crab you can eat so dont expect to chow on any crab meat with the salad.<br/><br/>Had two drinks, all up $60pp<br/><br/>3.5 Yums<br/>

Great dining place 💓 the ambience is nice, especially if you’re on a date. We ordered: market fish wrapped in banana leaf, beef satay skewers, glass noodles with prawn and pork belly in a claypot, red curry with pork belly, lamb curry with some sticky rice and a green papaya salad. My favourite is the lamb curry, even though i’m normally not a big fan of lamb. It goes really nice with the sticky rice. The glass noodles is great too, everything else is just average. Service was friendly and fast. Overall i would totally recommend for anyone and definitely come back to try some other dishes 😊 (photos added separately)

Came here for my 20th dinner with my family. The interiors were beautiful, makes you feel like you’re walking through a oriental castle. Reminds you of bamboos. Our booth was very cosy and comfortable.<br/>We got caramelised pulled pork on prawn crackers, Soft Shell crab, market fish and banana leaf to start. <br/>For mains we got the pork belly red curry, lamb curry, wok seared eggplant and tofu, and beef cheeks. We also got the Thai papaya green salad. We also got a kids chicken fried rice for the 6 year old.<br/>For desserts we got the Thai tea pudding, smoked shortbread with dried bananas, and the water chestnuts. <br/><br/>The pork on prawn crackers were so aromatic! Flavours were well balanced and the crackers were crispy but in a fluffy way (if that makes sense). The soft shell crab was good! Lacking in flavour but the coconut curry sauce was something different, which we had with the sticky rice. The fish in banana leaf was a bit disappointing, was a small square of fish mince...flavour wise wasn’t that exciting either. <br/><br/>The pork belly curry was spicy! The pork itself was a bit hard to chew and the belly was hard as well. Wasn’t as good as I expected. <br/>The beef cheeks however, was beautiful. For non-spicy people, the sauce is sweet and sour and the beef itself was cooked nicely. <br/>The Lamb curry was a show stopper for me. A balance of sweet and sour and the lamb itself was cooked so tenderly you can’t even tell it’s lamb! <br/>The eggplant and tofu, was generally just spicy and well, it’s what you expect any eggplant and tofu to taste like. <br/>The Thai salad was a refreshing touch; sour and light and the peanuts added the perfect crunch. <br/>The kids fried rice though, the rest of us were fighting the kid for it—it was that good! Smoky flavours with soft tender chicken pieces and the chewiness of the brown jasmine rice. Stunner. <br/><br/>Desserts we were recommended the smoked shortbread, and the water chestnuts. THE SMOKED SHORTBREAD WITH DRIED BANANAS AND LYCHEE ARE TO DIE FOR. It was so good we got another one, this time with the Thai tea pudding. Upon digging the spoon in you go through the layers of their thick cream, chunky banana chunks and you hit the shortbread at the bottom; the shortbread was amazing. You get a peanut flavour and there’s something else that adds extra crunch as well. I would go back just for that! <br/><br/>Service was absolutely brilliant, nothing to fault. The bill came to $255 which is well-priced.<br/><br/>Food: 8/10<br/>Price: 9/10<br/>Service: 10/10<br/>Ambience: 10/10<br/>

Good environment. The parking lot is great. <br/>I like the fish, but the pork is not so tasty. <br/> Stuff are friendly, and the writers should tell us the sparkling water is not for free. <br/>

Absolutely love this place, for sure my go to dinner place. The peanut tofu and eggplant is absolutely delicious, the staff are very friendly and accomodating and the restaurant itself is beautiful, not too loud either. Definitely one of the best places to get a good Asian meal in ponsonby. Prices are very fair also. There's nothing I can fault - I love you Saan!!

Saan was recommended to me by a friend, couldn't wait to try it. <br/>Ambiance was great, its busy but still intimate. So many aromas came from the restaurant, where do you start!<br/><br/>Starters, we had chargrilled chicken thighs and caramelised pulled pork, both were really yummy. Also had soft shell crab with sticky rise, mmmmmmm. <br/><br/>Mains, beef cheek and crispy pork belly. Both were so delicious but the beef cheek really stood out, it's soft and tasty. Absolutely delicious!

A great Thai food restaurant and all of us here to celebrate the traditional Chinese mid autumn festival, service good, food good and car parking friendly place, feel cozy here.

We were just walking pass by to have nice meal for early dinner. The restaurant had plenty of table but probably good to book a table for peak dinner time as I am sure they could be very busy. Lovely, friendly and informative waitress got us a table and she took time explaining and recommending the dishes. We orded 4 dishes and enjoyed all of them very much. Especially the recommended Miang Pla (market fish on perilla leaves) was amazing. Had one starter and salad to share, two mains for us two and it was definitely enough for us. We were happy and our bellies were appreciating the quality food too ☺

We decided to give Saan a try on a Friday night, service was attentive, however for the price you pay food is very average in our opinion. We had beef skewers, fried taro n bean curd, pull pork and lamb curry. The curry dish is the most pricy dish of the night and it was disappointing, the lamb was undercooked (rare with fat not seared), it's not cooked in the curry as they should be, but cooked on the side then put on top of the curry.<br/><br/>On the other hand, we enjoyed the beef skewers and thought the pull pork had lovely flavour. The taro bean curd dish is a bit plain tho, deep fried with little flavour. We also had Thai tea pudding and water chestnuts in syrup as desserts, thought they were pretty good.<br/><br/>A big let down of the night however is we both had runny tummy the next morning. For the price you pay to eat here ($140 incl drinks for two), we were disappointed and won't recommend it to others.

would be a 5 but because of not very quick responsiveness from staff I had to deduct 0.5,the staff were very friendly though, food was delicious 😋 especially the pulled pork, I'd definitely come again.

Amazing experience!! From the booking process for my group, the staff were incredibly helpful and made the process easy and so friendly. On arrival same thing, staff so caring! The food was very reasonably priced and absolutely devine, delicious and beautiful! Our whole experience was 10/10

Wonderful experience every time. Friendly staff and spacious seating. Not to mention the best soft shell crab with its amazing spicy source. The papaya salad is not the for faint hearted. Also enjoyed the beef cheek and clear noodles dish. Impressive quality every time.

Our waiter was really attentive. My first drink wasn't great and so they changed it as I was having a hard time drinking it. Food was very tasty but could do with bigger portion of rice.

Was a bit hard finding this place as I couldn't see the sign but the food was really enjoyable! Standout dish for me was definitely the fish on perilla leaves. It was so tasty and all the flavours came together so well!! Also really enjoyed the clay pot with prawns pork belly and vermicelli it was super yummy too!! Service was really good. Would definitely recommend :-)

This place was wonderful. Thank u ppl at the front for letting us eat here despite being fully booked and busy!! And thank u for the waitress who was very patient and kind to my parents and tita! She was Filipino and we all appreciated her for helping us order - since we had 1 hour on the table from 7-8pm on a busy Saturday night!!!! But we thoroughly enjoyed all the food served to us that night. Highly memorable and delicious. My dad loved the alacarte raw kingfish. I loved the eggplant+tofu dish. We all loved the salad (was it papaya?-not sure) - but it was bomb af. SOFT SHELL CRAB WAS BOMB WITH THAT SAUCE THO. AND THE FISH. 👌👌👍👍. We really really loved the food and experience and will come back again for another special occasion. As we had this belated family dinner for my recent graduation ~~~~

Excellent! Came here with a group of 9 on a weeknight and was seated immediately with offers to take our jackets away. The ambience of the place is amazing with dim lighting through creative hanging lampshades and intricate detail and thought put into decor. <br/><br/>In all, we ordered 11 dishes to share between us and we were all very impressed! The menu has some unique dishes with authentic Thai flavours. The favourites included the soft shell crab, the tofu in peanut sauce, the Thai glass noodles with prawn and the market fish on perilla leaves. The menu is complimented well with a variety of drinks options as well. <br/><br/>Service was friendly, efficient and helpful to top things off. Another gem of a find to add to the growing list in Ponsonby!

After all the hype, I somehow was underwhelmed. <br/><br/>Ambience was lovely but sound resonates around the place so it gets quite noisy and hard to hear each other when in a group. <br/><br/>We were greeted with a smiley face and service was quite good. Food wise, I love the entree fish dish on some leave, the beef satay, and the crispy pork belly. However the others were average for the price. The fish wrapped in banana leaf was rather tasteless. <br/><br/>We were most disappointed with the mocktails. Both tasted pretty bad. The longan soda was horrible! Definitely not the longan we grew up with :p

Really disappointed in my dining experience at Saan. The food was bland. Whatever you do don't get the pork crackling. It's more like salty flavoured chips. Weird. And dry. The food came out too quickly. The wait staff we're too eager and there were no hand-towels in the bathrooms.

Great food & excellent service from Mike & Co.  The food is delicious & we loved everything we tried. Got a private dining room as we turned up with 1 extra person, made the night that much better ,so thanks again, we will be back.

Went to Saan early on a Tuesday night without a booking. The decor was beautiful, coats were checked and we were seated on a nice big table for the two of us. Our server knew the menu inside out and recommended some dishes and quanities. Drinks arrived quickly and were made well. (In saying that I don't think I've ever complained about a cocktail in my life) For starters we ordered Satay Skewers. These were delicious and came to the table within 10mins of ordering. Then we had the Banana Prawns, Rice and the Crispy Pork Belly. The Larger dishes followed straight after we finished mains, which was very impressive! Although the rice dish never arrived, we didn't notice until the end. The Pork Belly had wonderful flavours but didn't have that crispy skin as advertised. As that's my husband's favourite part of Pork he was a little disappointed. Never the less it was thoroughly enjoyed and inhaled down. I chose the Banana Prawns which are an absolute must have. This might possibly be the nicest Prawn dish I have tried. Great spice level, perfect flavour combinations and a large portion size. This was a winner. Saan is a hidden gem in Ponsonby and one you cannot miss out on.<br/>Food: 4.5/5<br/>Service: 4.5/5<br/>Value: 4/5 (quite pricey, but lovely food)

Great food and ambience with excellent service. The place was really busy when we came in on Saturday night but was very impressed with how quickly we got our food. The food had lots of flavour with a good level of heat. Highly recommend.

Food is beautiful, cannot say anything negative, was absolutely blown away.<br/>Was a little disappointed at the end, we knew that there was a reservation after us, but we were not given a 10 min warning, we were told at exactly the time, that the people who were next up at our table had already arrived, we got up immediately, only to quickly realize that that wasn't the case. Bit of a pity to end on that night to an otherwise excellent meal and service.

Fantastic. I loved 7 dishes out of the 9 or 10 we ordered (3 x mid 40s couples). I've had all kinds of Thai in all kinds of places including many times in Thailand, and this is right up there with the best. It's not sweet Green Chicken Curry or Phad Thai (yawn). It's proper North East Thai -Thai for grown ups. <br/><br/>Very good balance of flavors in the dishes, ingredients fresh and present, nice use of local ingredients especially meat, appropriately spiced for NZ imo -some dishes could have been a bit hotter for me tbh, but some of the dishes were well and truly hot enough (e.g. Som Tam with crab). Loved the sticky rice, don't see that too often.<br/><br/>Setting is nice, lovely smells from the grill, decent beer on tap (Hallertau Pilsner/Lager), excellent knowledgeable service, quick time from order to table (although place was 3/4 full). Reasonably priced.<br/><br/>I think we're lucky to have a place like this in NZ. Highly recommended.

Food s good love atmosphere place ..prawn wasnt great was uncooked n favours s ok , love the favour of eggplant n noodles n satay n sticky rice .

Beautiful restaurant- very aesthetically pleasing. Friendly knowledgeable staff. Food is wonderful, and quite a wide range of dishes for different tastes. Great for sharing.

Amazing food! Just the right balance. Loved the chilli level. Wait staff very helpful and paid a lot of attention regardless of the fact that they were busy<br/>Would definitely go back

Absolutely love this place. Massive fan of the food, been here twice now and will continue to come back and rave about it. The service is the best I've ever received, lovely people and extremely helpful, even went so far to give a tip which I never do! The food is amazing, super flavoursome and definitely worth the price. Every dish I've tried is spot on, making me drool thinking about it. <br/>The decor of the place is so cool, you can sit near the kitchen and watch the chefs cook, or have a more private group table. Highly recommend this place.

My group of friends decided to meet up here for dinner and we came pretty early around 5.40ish. Firstly, it was kinda difficult locating the place cos the sign 'saan' is quite small outside of the restaurant but it doesn't really matter. Moving on to the food, we ordered quite a lot to share, and when some are good, some are okay. I like their soft shell crab, but the rest is average for me. The ambiance of the restaurant is good though, a good place to catch up.

Thai cuisine can accomodate to my peanut allergy! My experience at Saan was well accommodated by the friendly staff . I was even surprised they had a menu separate for those with peanut/nut allergies :)<br/><br/>Looking forward to trying more items on the menu!

Delicious. There was a group of 4 of us on a Tuesday night. We got the Hawkes Bay lamb rib, pork belly, eggplant, soft shell crab and sticky rice. It was definitely enough food and we had some leftover eggplant which they packaged in a cute little American style Chinese takeaway box.<br/><br/>My favourite was the soft shell crab, great flavours with a delicious coconut sauce on the bottom. Everything was delicious though and the flavours really popped but weren't too overpowering. The meat was cooked really well and not over cooked which I found a problem in other similar thai inspired restaurants. <br/><br/>The decor was stunning, just a beautiful place to have dinner. However the loud girls next to us made my partner a little irritated.<br/><br/>Overall a really good experience and a nice meal.

If you are a huge fan of Thai food like me, then you definitely need to check Saan out. This Northern Thai restaurant is situated in the heart of Ponsonby and ticks all the boxes. It is nice and spacious, staff are incredibly attentive, food is fantastic and comes in a timely manner and the decor gives the place incredibly relaxing vibes. The owners of Saan also own Cafe Hanoi and Xuxu Dumpling Bar – two places that have been on my checklist for awhile.

Was lucky to get a table here on the night of Adeles first concert in Auckland. They weren't so busy per usual. Make sure to book a day or so in advance as their booking system is run on voicemail which is cleared after the service. The food is to die for. Fabulous take on traditional northern Thai cuisine. The grill is worked none stop which is in the middle of the restaurant so you could imagine the aroma that lingers around and spills out the door of this place. We have the grilled fish wrapped in banana leaf and soft shelled crab with accompanying dishes. The pandan leaf cocktail made an interesting mixology. Perfecto! Can't wait to be back 💜

Beautiful Northern Thai cuisine. <br/><br/>One of the most beautifully designed restaurants in Auckland, basically I wish I could live in Saan, that's how great it looks. <br/><br/>The food itself is of a very high quality in general, flavour combinations are almost always on point however there have been some hits and misses. <br/><br/>Hits - <br/>Soft shell crab - if you don't try this, then why are you even here? <br/>The whole fish - tender pieces of fish with a beautiful flavour <br/>Yellow duck curry - this doesn't seem to be on the menu anymore but the flavour was so good that I remember it to date <br/><br/>Misses- <br/>Pulled pork on prawn cracker - this was a bit cold and the pork had possibly been sitting on the cracker for a while as the cracker was more chewy than crunchy<br/>Twice cooked beef cheeks - the beef was slightly overdone so I didn't get that beautiful tender meat which melts in the mouth <br/><br/>Even with the misses above, I have been here many times and in general I do love the food and the way it's served - also love the way the menu reads from least to most spicy! <br/><br/>

Mrs decided to take me here for my birthday after I told her how amazing the review was on zomato. <br/>I would say I was neither disappointed or happy with the experience. <br/>We got here really early (close to 530). Apparently we got here on a special hour so a jug of beer was only $20 (well worth the money). And there was a mix platter for $30 ; consisted of smaller portions of 6 of their dishes, they told us it good for sampling their dishes. <br/>Since it was my first time here I didn't hesitate to choose anything else apart from the platter and we also ordered this soft shell crab because the guy said it was one of their signature dish. <br/>I am gonna say the soft shell crab was to die for! Very nicely fried and the sauce that came with it was awesome, only down side was the portion to price. $25 for 4 pieces of crab is a bit expensive in my book.<br/>The platter how should I start!? Ok It had pork crackling chips, more like snack than a dish; not exactly Thai. Satay chicken skewers was in there too; not Thai and it was just peanut sauce, over powered any char taste from the grill. Had a bowl of pickled cabbage which was nice and refreshing (love it!). They had the sausage; good punchy flavours but dense filled with fillers and spices and lacked meaty taste. Two banana leaf parcels; one was fish and the other pull pork on sticky rice. Very average in taste even when it was pair was nice sauces. And there was one last dish which was rather interesting. It was beef slices in this sweet sauce and garnished with deep fried Sherlots. <br/>Ordered another sticky rice just in case the food was too salty, but man did it made me super full after it!<br/>Will be coming back here with other people to try more of their menu. But the platter did not do justice for their restaurant. Only gave it above average score as the soft shell crab was amazeballs! And the fact when the waiter was explaining the other dishes and they sound delish!<br/>Service was good 4/5<br/>Location and deco 4/5 - place was nice and sets the tone to let u relax and eat. Modern with a bit of elegance.<br/>Food - 3/5 for what I have had. <br/><br/> <br/><br/>Cheers <br/>

Pretty good service. Food is very close to what you get in Vietnam and Thailand. It is pricey but worth it. About $55 a person with one drink. The fish parcel is incredible. The cocktails are really good. Anything from the grill is pretty good.

We thoroughly enjoyed all our time for our banquet, the welcome, the service, the lovely food which had comments of appreciation as they ate (our family from America, Dubai, London and NZ).<br/>Thank you for all you and your staff did to give us such a happy reunion and my 80th and for you personal effort in this regard.

Love this place. Great atmosphere, great food, great service. <br/><br/>We ordered the soft shell crab, beef cheeks, chicken flat noodle and tea pudding for dessert. All of the dishes were executed very well and very flavoursome. <br/><br/>Soft shell crab - deep fried with a yummy spicy sauce. <br/><br/>Beef cheeks - very tender, sweet sauce with chillies and onions. <br/><br/>Chicken flat noodle - tasty mild fried noodles. <br/><br/>Tea pudding - love the Thai milk tea flavour. Comes with buffalo yoghurt which is light and creamy. <br/><br/>Staff were friendly and attentive.

Came by for dinner with friends. The outside looks very unassuming and plain, and the menu doesn't look like other Thai places around, no curries or cashew nut stir fries. Although different, the items do sound very appetising without the ridiculous names that other places tend to have. We went with a variety of different items from the menu as well as the salmon special.<br/><br/>For me the best item we had was the soft shell crab. The crab was nice and crispy and the sauce that came with it resembled a curry but was thick, flavourful and tasty. This paired really well with their sticky rice which was cooked just right to get the perfect consistency and texture. They do like to use chilies in most of their dishes so be careful if you are not used to spicy food as you might get a bad surprise.<br/><br/>Really good service where we had a waitress that was with us for the night and kept our water topped. Really nice ambiance particularly since we were in the booths and we had the grill behind us. Nice food that is different to standard Thai places but similar flavours within the dishes.

Devine. I can not recommend highly enough. Beautiful restaurant, exceptional (but limited) food, and the service is some of the best I've had.

Excellent food and service tonight at Saan in Ponsonby. It was my first time dining here and I was impressed. <br/><br/>The decor and vibe is tastefully elegant, relaxed and chic with wooden furnishings and neutral, earthy coloured tones throughout. Service was attentive, and staff were knowledgable about the menu. This restaurant is a stand out for me for its modern twist on traditional northern Thai food. It's not your typical, classic Thai restaurant, it's a lot more unique. <br/><br/>My friend and I ordered the caramelised pork on prawn crackers, the spicy Thai pork sausage and the wok fried rice noodles. The caramelised pulled pork on prawn crackers were really good, bursting with flavour and the home made prawn crackers were crunchy and fresh. The only thing is you must eat this quickly as the juices from the meat will make the cracker soggy. The pork sausage was delicious! Lots of fresh herbs and really flavourful. They did not hold back on the spice with this dish, we were in tears eating it! However I find spicy food addictive and yummy so I loved how spicy it was, which is also traditional of Thai food. The wok fried noodles were also delicious, the noodles were cooked perfectly, however I didn't enjoy the side of sweet chilli sauce with it, a bit tacky in my opinion considering the calibre of this restaurant. I would have preferred sirracha sauce or a more authentic ginger/garlic, chilli, fish sauce! However all in all I really enjoyed dining here and the bill costed about $27 each which wasn't too bad considering how full we were by the end and I still managed to take left overs home with me! <br/><br/>Definately worth checking this place out for a different, Thai dining experience.

Food was great!!!! Soft shell crab is aaamazingggg. Only downfall was the sticky rice, it was hard and reaaallyyyy sticky, but overall great customer service, amazing atmosphere and really goooood fooooood

Absolutely delicious food! The service is also top notch and courteous. The waiters/tresses are always willing to help out with the perfect way to enjoy each dish. Very busy so I recommend booking in advance! <br/><br/>My only qualm would be that there isn't much private seating for 2 people. My date and I had to sit quite close to other people on either side of us so couldn't get much privacy (could hear every conversation around us). There are private tables for groups of 4+ so it's fine for larger bookings. <br/><br/>I highly recommend the venison starter and chicken noodle main! Great value for money for the amount of noodles you get!

With a voucher gifted as a wedding present, my husband and I decided to celebrate our first anniversary at Saan last Saturday the 18th of February. Being a Saturday they were very busy with a matching level of noise coming from other patrons. This didn't bother us, but it did bother our table neighbours who requested to move to a quieter space. The waiter was great and ran us through the menu as first timers and checked on our meal throughout. The food was amazing. Testament to Thai cuisine, the chef's and the business of the restaurant that evening.<br/>However, we wont be returning to Saan or recommending others do so due to the way a mistake on their behalf, was handled. When booking I was asked about any dietary requirements. I am allergic to fish and seafood which I communicated at the time. We ordered a number of small dishes, of which only one was seafood - soft shell crab for my husband. Aware of its arrival I made sure to leave that one alone, and made the assumption that any further dishes I ate would be safe according to what we had ordered. The next dish that arrived was wrapped in a banana leaf. When it was delivered we couldn't quite hear what the waitress had said, and so assumed it was the final dish we were waiting for, which was chicken. I then proceeded to take a few mouthfuls until I questioned its texture and flavour. When clarifying with the waiter it turns out that this was a fish dish, mistakingly served. <br/>It is from this point I was most disappointed with the service at Saan. The fish dish was removed from our table and 'graciously' from our bill (which we never ordered anyway). When speaking with the manager we were afforded an apology but still paid full price for a meal which then left me completely unwell the whole evening (details that don't need further clarification here). I had left my number with the manager so he could get back to me during the week sometime to discuss further. One week later I haven't heard from anyone.<br/>I am saddened that after an honest mistake, that Saan showed very little concern for the discomfort they were going to cause a patron for the next 24-48 hours. A phone call to discuss further, or a couple of drinks off the bill goes a long way to mending customer relations. It felt like they thought they had done us a favour by removing the cost of the fish dish off our bill, a dish we never ordered in the first place. The removal off the dish off our bill was the obvious first step in this situation, not a favour.<br/>Thank you Saan for proving that revenue comes before customer satisfaction. For proving that you don't care about the wellbeing of your customers, after making an initial effort to seek information regarding dietary requirements upon booking. And for ruining the evening of our first wedding anniversary.

Food was lovely but a little sweltering for us. Our group of 3 were sat at a table for 2 when we had booked. It was tight. It was not busy when we were there but had to remind them we were ready for our mains after wondering if they had forgotten!

I'm not a big fan of Thai food, but Saan actually impressed me. The waiter-looks like a manager on duty is nice and friendly. Explain the menu properly, I have to say very professional. All the staff working there that night are all top service. The food is nice and well present. Highly recommend!

I went there for dinner. Don't have to queue without a reservation. They got large space and nice environment. I extremely liked the coconut water. It tasted so special. Food was nice and good looking.

We came here for Valentine's Day dinner. We were seated at a shared banquet type table with other groups - I would have expected the restaurant to advise us of this when we made a booking. Being seated at a table with 4 other couples took some of the romance away from our evening! <br/>

Been here twice now and Saan is just great. Not your typical Thai (this is Northern Thai - so think less red and green curries and more meatier dishes), the food is both delicious and unique. I would recommend ordering cautiously here because some of the dishes are misleadingly filling (and others aren't!). My favourites are the beef cheeks, the pork belly and the lamb ribs. The boar satay skewers are pretty interesting too. For the desserts do check out the Thai shortbread pudding for an unusual salty caramel dessert or the relatively less sweet (and guilt free) sticky rice pudding. Service was really good too - all of the staff knew the menu really well. Expect to pay about $50 per person here.

Authentic and delicious food, second to none. Favourites include the crab and paw paw salad, the sausages and eggplant dish. But everything is amazing.

No photos sorry! I was invited to a 20 person birthday banquet here and found myself quite giddy about going! 😅. I had always been intrigued about this place as it looks so beautiful from the outside 😍. Well I can tell you it's even better once you get in - if you can get in that is. The service was very 'Ponsonby' which is totally fine with me. Unfortunately we had a set menu which usually is ok but I wouldn't recommend it for a table of such a large size which had so many dietary requirements. At least a quarter of the table was quite let down with the limitations put in place which could have done with some work. But no one could knock the actual quality or taste of the food they ate or were actually able to eat. It was beautiful and extremely high quality! I would like to come back when I have the option to chose what I want to eat 😁

We had our work function here... <br/>Although the interior is beautiful, the food was not as good as I thought..<br/>Great service though.

Heard about this place from a friend and went to try tonight. I am not a big fan for Thai food. But I really enjoyed the food. The taste is so different. We had four dishes, mostly are small ones. But we were really full when we finished. The service is very nice. <br/>The only down side is not sure why there are many small flies around. We have to push them away all the time.<br/>Overall very nice food and will definitely come back to try more stuff.

Our Cheshire-chasing continues to Northern Thai eatery - Saan, the latest offering from the creators of Café Hanoi and XuXu at Britomart. We'd be lying if we said we weren't in love with it even before we went. Helping sizzle up their website with its promises of banana-leaf parcels and spicy duck larb certainly helped.<br/><br/>Crossing the threshold, we were hit with the mouth-watering aromas of caramelised meat (sorry, Annie) and charcoal fires. The staff were quick on their feet and eager to please — we were seated in front of the open kitchen, energetic and vibrant, lined with jars of chilli, turmeric and galangal. On the back wall, impressive panels of roasted pork belly were suspended on large metal hooks. Conveniently, our in-house vegetarian sat with her back to this display. <br/><br/>We couldn't keep our hands off the cool ceramics — duck-egg blues, metallic copper detailing and tall wicker seats were all gorgeous. Definitely try the Sai Krok Isaan, a pork sausage smokey from the charcoal fires and bursting with aromas of lemongrass and chilli, eaten with bites of lettuce, fresh garlic and ginger slices. <br/><br/>Oh Saan - just shut up and take our money.<br/><br/>Check out our individual comments here: husk.co.nz/lunches/saan-november-15

Had two meals here one for lunch and one for dinner. Both experience were fantastic. The taste is authentic and creative and reminds me the trip in Thailand. The $30 lunch meal is a 'Must get', every dish is wonderful and overall so fulfilling. The dinner was at the last day of the year and i made my booking too late. I was told that i could only get shared-table seats. However when I get there they make a proper table out for me and my friends. I was really grateful. Friendy service and staff dress-up creatived a very wonderful night for me and my friends.

Went here a few weeks ago with my girlfriend and was fantastic, I had a whole snapper and was so full of flavour.<br/>Appeared to be quite busy but service was polite and food arrived in a reasonable time.<br/>Would definitely recommend saan and will be going back

Having wanted to come here for a long time, finally managed to do so on New Years Eve. <br/>Great place with fantastic atmosphere made fun by the wait staff all dressing up in homage to Star Wars characters.<br/>The food was authentically northern Thai with a deft touch and marriage of sweet, sour, salty and heat.<br/>Definitely well worth the wait and one to return to again soon.

We ordered platter and cocktail special which is on before 7 and I took one bit of the food and it took me back to Thailand. Very authentic flavours just like the food you would get in Thailand. Everything on the platter was absolutely delicious. Service was fantastic, the waiter was very friendly and looked after us. I can't wait to come back and try their mains. Cocktail special came in a jug but did not have too much alcohol in it. Could be a little stronger.

Had my birthday dinner at Saan and am disappointed with the experience especially as I have been waiting to dine here having heard all the rave reviews. <br/><br/>For a restaurant with such ratings on Zomato, widely talked about and on the metro top 50, food was good (not great). And it's certainly not a full Thai restaurant. The pork belly dish (which was delicious) that we ordered was Chinese and I know this because I grew up with this dish. <br/><br/>But the real letdown was the service. The waiter who was lovely certainly tried but from the beginning seemed bit clueless. The icing on the cake though was my birthday cake. The waiter didn't know anything about it and when he did bring it, he literally brought the cake in its box, still closed. We had to ask him to go back, take the cake out and light the candle. He did this but came back without the candle lit and the knife came 5 minutes later. It was a good thing the cake wasn't a surprise. Then to top it all off, he threw the cake box away (there was four of us sharing a full cake). The poor guy looked so guilty. <br/><br/>Overall we were slightly confused by the experience and it seems more training is needed. It would have also helped to have the waiters go through the menu more and give recommendations. Also note the portions are small, we shared 4 small dishes and 5 large ones between four of us. And it was strange that the small and large dishes would come at varying times (large dish coming out before small ones). <br/><br/>Perhaps they were just busy and we were unlucky but unfortunately we won't be rushing back.

Food: boar skewers were OK, nothing fancy. <br/>cured beef on perilla leaf was a bit of a joke, it looked like someone was making another dish and just scraped the crumbs off the bench onto a leaf and served us that. the amount of beef was really pitiful, smaller than a 10 cent piece. has a really sweet date flavour and awful crunchy flavour.  no substance at all to it, the kind of thing someone might eat if there was a famine going on. <br/>ordered a second dish which was essentially the vegetarian version of the above - so not even the pitiful beef. really wish the server had said these two dishes were so alike as they said they are for sharing.<br/>deep fried taro was by far the worst, fired beyond comprehension, hard like a brick, hurt my teeth to try and bite into it.<br/>left feeling hungry.<br/><br/>Service:  All the servers were polite and kind. Not too much info was given about the dishes before ordering, no recommendations or much explanation, other than if they were spicy or not.  <br/>The table next to us had it 'announced' that they would get a dish on the house. Kind of off-putting given that we had just complained our food was inedible but we're offered any replacement or anything else. Maybe it was a special occasion for that table next to us, though it was also a special occasion for us too - birthday. <br/>weird the the servers don't wear anything at all matching, not even professional, cashier had her mid-riff showing, looked like she just came in from clubbing.<br/><br/>Ambience: food served fast, clean place, minimalistic.

Saan is still a relatively new location on Ponsonby's strip, but a welcome addition. It's Northern Thai menu has some beautifully presented items full of flavour & texture.<br/>We shared a range of dishes, favourites being the Kohm leaves with peanuts & lime, caramelised pork on prawn crackers, Kua Gai & satay skewers. They weren't really satay skewers but it's the closest likeness I can think of & they were amazing.<br/>There is the option of a banquet menu, but you need to order this at least a day prior depending on what kind you want.<br/>Service was okay, but not amazing. We were left with empty dishes & even when new dishes were delivered which we had no room for, we had to stack them to the side. It would be great for even the 'runners' to look & take dishes away if necessary. There was also not a lot of communication from our main waiter as too much food was ordered (we asked him to order for us) but he never said how much he had ordered for us to say what we needed. He only asked if there were allergies but did not clarify what he was going to order like other places do.<br/>Anyway all that aside, it was a busy night & everyone was nice. Drinks were delish - especially the cocktails.<br/>

Wow .... This place is amazing!! From the minute we walked in the service was outstanding and the food was spectacular!! <br/><br/>We ordered a variety of dishes and each one was delicious. Authentic Northern Thai food.... Every single dish a taste sensation!! Cocktails were Thai inspired and made with care and skill. <br/><br/> An added bonus is a there is carpark around the back which I saw when we left... So will use that next time!<br/><br/>Simply fantastic!! <br/><br/>

By far the BEST food I have ever had. The taste of everything was sensational and the service was amazing. We had the chicken thighs off the grill, with the beef cheeks and pork belly. With the chestnuts and assorted fruits for dessert. The cocktail "with no name" was so delicious, run and pineapple!

Elegant Southerneast asian food. You can smell the sweet sour flavor from their open kitchen that reminded me all the good times in Thailand. love the sticky rice，it is not an easy thing to find a restaurant have great rice in NZ. First time try the softshell crab with such a creamy sauce and it was delicious. The beef cheek was tender and juicy ，yum. The grill fish in banana leaf was a little bit dry for me，the peanut chill came with the fried taro is toooo sour and spicy. Lamb ribs had a stunning texture but too sweet for me. The tofu was yummy and I like its relatively firm and still smooth texture with the creamy peanut sauce

Been here for dinner with my friend, we ordered the FISH OF THE DAY!!! It was damn huge!! very filling and good. I believe that everything had something spicy except for the rice!! heheh. But it was really good overall. I recommend not to order from the too bottom if you cant eat very spicy food! WOrth a try

Went here after much rave from friends. Upon arriving our table was not ready so went to the bar and ordered cocktails. By then our table was ready. Our friendly Waiter came and took our order. We got small dishes and few main ones. I must say lot of the food was sugary. The best dish was cured beef on leaf. The fish wrapped in banana leaf was overcooked. It is fusion Thai but the food lacked Authenticity. Overall not what I expected.

Went to Saan restaurant after eating several times at there Cafe Hanoi! Firstly we were seated at the most average table in the restaurant to be then moved to the back, to be then moved finally to a booth! The entrees were OK, soft shell crab was good! Mains were a big disappointment! One dish so hot we all could not finish it and struggled! Desert was a shocker! A parfait glass with supposedly shortbread and banana etc! It was no way shortbread but the base of a cheesecake with cream and a few lychees on top! <br/>Yuk! To many good Asian fusion restaurants around and this one does not cut the mustard!

We came here on a very busy Saturday night without a booking but we luckily we were sitter after spending 30 mins at the bar. The place reflects a great restaurant from all aspects- warm decor, smoking grill station, friendly staff and a happy crowd! Now the food! It was amazing- I have tried many Thai restaurants in Auckland and I am getting sick of finding broccolis and flower-patterned carrots in all dishes. This is a different type of Thai- authentic, hot, and every dish represents a different favour that I remember about Thailand. The winning dish for me has to be the melting beef cheeks but I will be confident to try another other dishes next time. A great night out.

Amazing food. Amazing ambience. Amazing service. Lovely date or hang out setting. Usually with fancier restaurants you can only visit once and feel like you've tasted what you came for and usually don't want to make a return visit. I can eat here again and again. Love their sticky rice.

Dont let yourself be fooled by the small portions, this is quality to share and an awesome moment with your peeps! I must admit I was sceptic when I saw the dishes but the atmosphere, the team and the food was just on top! Great value for money, we paid 50 bucks per head for a meal + wine.. Great job guys will be back ❤️

Nothing short of a 5 star will do for this restaurant... From when we walked in to dessert and even paying for the bill was a breeze... Putting them on the itinerary for all future visits from friends and family! The food was fantastic, the tofu dish packed with flavour and the dessert which we haven't found in any other Thai restaurant in Auckland.. The water chestnut dessert is a treat for the tastebuds.. Definitely coming back here many a time!!!

The dining room is cosy but bustling with energy.  The service was OK, the only minor gripe was that the size of the dishes was not effectively articulated to us and we had to order more on the fly for a group of 7.  The food is excellent, varied and interesting.  The highlights for me were the pork scratchings, the duck, the soft shell crab, the pork belly and the beef cheeks (so basically almost all of it!!).  The pickles and sticky rice were an excellent accompaniment and helped to put out the fire started mainly by the incendiary papaya salad.  The pickles were refreshing but watch out for the chilli slices!  This was not your run of the mill NZ style Thai food and I found it most enjoyable.  Oh and the fried market fish was outstanding including eating all of the crispy bits on the skeleton yum!

Excellent food. Creative Asian food and an interesting and varied menu. Great service and ambience. Will definitely be back. We booked and were seated at a nice big round table near the front.

booking is a must as its always busywas cosy and warm inside but very very loud which was the only downside to Saan<br/>Food was amazing - Wild bore was my favourite dish! <br/>Would 100% recommend and come back here

Great flavours, big, bold with some proper heat. Really enjoyed my meal here. Reasonably priced for some good sized dishes. There weren't any tables available when we arrived so we sat at the bar and had some pretty awesome cocktails. I'll be visiting again.

Love the set up of the menu - split into street eats, small plates, and large plates, with the dishes getting spicier as you go down the list. My soft shell crab was delish with lovely sauce that went great with the sticky rice. All my girlfriends were equally pleased with their choices. <br/><br/>Also note-worthy is the beautiful interior! Love the muted neutral tones all around and the open kitchens. Serious heart eyes. But I digress, food is awesome, restaurant perfect for a catchup or date night.

Had heard a lot of great things about this place. All I can say is that Saan has nailed the art of restaurant lighting #mood. I just wish the food here was as amazing as the hype -or the lighting.

Very easy to book online. Very friendly service. Nice ambience. Appetizer of pulled pork was lovely and exotic. The soft shell crab main was too good, i didnt want to share it. Chargrilled chicken was excellent. Beef cheeks were ok.

Hands down best Thai restaurant I have ever been to in Auckland. From the lip-smackingly delicious duck curry to pulled pork on prawn cracker to the fresh papaya salad we loved it all. Can't wait to go back. The best service - the most friendliest staff. Just loved everything about it.

First time here for a friend's birthday. Choose this place because of good reviews. I must say, service here was excellent, food was amazing especially the whole fish. Somtam was really good as well. The sticky rice goes very well with the soft shell crab. Just a few items were lack of flavour. Overall, amazing food and service. Recommended!

Visited with a large group of people, so was able to try many of the dishes on offer. The service was fine, the setting has a nice fresh ambience for casual dining. I though the food was pretty good. 'Thai inspired' as opposed to Thai. The soft shell crab was a standout.

Caramelised pulled pork on prawn crackers, sausages, chargrilled chicken, kua gai and the duck dish are amazing and is a must to order! If you feel like something to nibble on while waiting for the meals, definitely order their pork crackling. It's light, crispy and doesn't have much oil soaked up in it like other places. Highly recommend their dessert smoked their shortbread dessert that has dried banana in it, really yummy as the shortbread melts in your mouth and has a nice hint of spice to it which doesn't overpower the other flavours.

Booking is a must if you are coming here on a Friday night. We were certainly happy we did as many people were at the door trying to get a table. <br/>The food here was exceptionaly good. The fluffed silken tofu with peanut sauce & asian greens were really really flavoursome with a lovely texture. The twice cooked beef cheek was beautifully tender and paired well with the sauce which did not overtake the taste of the beef cheek. We also tried the soft shell crab, braised pork and duck. All the dishes were good, I did however find the duck to be overpriced for what it was. <br/>Service was excellent and I was recommended to have the weeping butterfly cocktail which was to my liking. Will definitely be back.

Went here for early dinner with my husband as I've been hearing good reviews with this Thai fusion cuisine. I'm very impressed with the interior design - one of the best I've been to so far. I like the choice of colours and the theme as it's very appealing to the eyes. They also have plenty of parking at the back of the building which is a big plus for a Ponsonby-based restaurant. The staff are very friendly and attentive as well. <br/><br/>We ordered Pulled Pork on Prawn Crackers for entree and Duck Curry & brown rice for main. I loved the pulled pork! The combination of flavours were soooo good. The pork itself was tender and juicy and it matches well with the crispiness of the prawn crackers. The duck curry was equally good! One of the best curries I've ever tasted. It's creamy and full of flavour. The duck meat was also cooked to perfection. <br/><br/>Overall, this is one of the best restaurants I've been to. I cannot fault this place at all and will definitely be back to try other dishes.

Best meal out in ages. Must try the beef cheeks - just melts in the mouth and loved the sauces. So good we ordered more of the same. Great service and very helpful waiters.

Heard this restaurant from my friend, I was told that Saan was one of Metro 50 in AKL. So I really had a high hope on there.<br/><br/>But ... I have to insist that ... saan was not a Thai restaurant at all. All dishes were made with too much sugar, all of them were too sweet taste. Could not understand that why there could be Metro 50.<br/><br/>The serving size was also not satisfied, expensive. Our table was very closed to the main kitchen, too strong cooking smell and too noisy.

If you're thinking of trying Thai, you NEED to try this place.<br/>No a green Thai curry or spring roll in sight, this lace is the Thai food you've needed to try if all you e had to date is pad Thai and have been left wanting.<br/>All the food is based on traditional and authentic Thai dishes, with a little twist for the modern market of Ponsonby.<br/><br/>The food is fresh, simple and delicious!!🍃🌿<br/>On top of the the staff are friendly, helpful and knowledgable about the food and the best way to eat it to maximise the enjoyment of the experience.<br/><br/>We ordered the pulled pork in Thai prawn cracker, the cured beef on perilla leaf, the pork belly and the chargrilled chicken with sticky rice.<br/><br/>Everything was delicious.<br/><br/>Every mouthful was enjoyable. It's food that you eat in small doses in order to really enjoy and appreciate the flavours.<br/>I'd recommend everything I tried. Especially that cured beef *drooling*<br/>We ordered a starter, a small entree, 2 mains and a side of Veges between 2 people and it was the perfect amount for us.<br/><br/>I would highly recommend coming here. As my partner put it, "this place restored my faith in Thai food", and I would have to agree 100% 🙌🏼💕

Had dinner at this amazing place. The tables were arranged well, very intimate feel for two and what looked like good seating for larger groups. The service was top notch and much appreciated. The check on you a couple of times but not enough to become bothersome. I ordered the miang jin nuea (beef on leaf with peanuts, coconut and tamarind jam). It was absolutely delicious. The flavours were so fresh and enjoyable. Also ordered a pulled pork dish on crackers which was a nice contrast to the beef and equally as delicious. I also ordered the gal yarng wichian (chargrilled chicken) and moo gob prik khing (pork belly main). Both were absolutely delicious. The sauces and flavours were perfect for the meat. The price<br/>Came to $60 each for 2 entrees, 2 mains and 2 drinks...fair price for such a high quality restaurant. This place deserves the award for best new restaurant and it stands tall as one of the best thai restaurants ive been to. Highly recommended

Love the neutral palette used throughout Saan; gives it a very peaceful, relaxed and clean vibe. The staff are extremely efficient and smartly dressed, not once did my water glass go below half full. The food is so full of flavour and breathtakingly good! My favourite dish of the night was the caramelised pulled pork delicately placed on funky shaped prawn crackers and beautifully seasoned with chilli and sesame. Such bold flavours! I could've eaten the whole plate on my own. The grilled banana leaf parcel filled with market fish was so tender but very small compared to the other dishes. The beef neck was our main of choice and it was a good one! Delicately cooked and submersed in a coconut milk based sauce with soft egg noodles. And for $16!!! I couldn't believe the price. Incredible value for money and so tasty!!

Can't really fault it. Great room. Incredible service. Delicious food. What more could you want.<br/><br/>Tried about 5 entrees and 4 mains. All amazing. Standouts were the beef entree, duck curry, chicken noodle dish. But really it was all great.<br/><br/>Certainly not cheap. But excellent food. I'll be back.

Best Best vietnamse food in auckland<br/><br/>I love this place so much.<br/>Incredible food.. So tasty<br/>Lovely staff which they are helpful.<br/>Big portions of food.<br/>

Been in twice now, once shortly after opening and again tonight, the new menu had some nice changes (more vege options!) couldn't fault a thing service, ambience and super tasty food, thank you :)

Wow, what a place! This restaurant caught our eye with it's sleek, modern but slightly rustic décor, which really suits this place and its aesthetic. <br/>Once seated our waitress explained how the menu works and suggested some of her favourite dishes. She was very pleasant and helpful. The menu has a good selected of interesting dishes, big and small. The prices seemed very reasonable compared to other restaurants in the area. <br/><br/>We ordered the Pad Pak and the Taohu Long Song with sticky rice as recommended by our waitress. Both dishes arrived quickly and looked delicious. The Pad Pak was packed with fresh vegetables and the sauce complimented them very well. The Taohu Long song was fantastic and full of flavour – nutty, sweet and spicy. The sticky rice was new to us but was enjoyable with both dishes. We found the meals to be filling and really good value. The staff are pleasantly attentive, throughout the night our drinks were topped up and we were checked up on us several times.<br/><br/>The service was excellent – the best we have received in a long time and we couldn’t have asked for much more in this area. The food is fresh, authentic and packed with flavour. Overall we had a great experience and I hope they continue to serve this quality of service and food. This is now our new favourite thai place in Ponsonby so keep up the great work!

Checked out this New thai place in Ponsonby. First impression very cosy and super packed! Place was busy so glad we booked! Service was excellent our Waiter was amazing she was super nice and very thoughtful. Ambiance was relaxing lights were dimmed and nice furnitures. Food wise was great we ordered (pulled pork, wild bore, cuttlefish, soft shell crab, beef cheek, chicken, spicy prawns and wine) for about 8 people we spent $500 with two bottles of wine and the food amount was just right. They said the bottom list of menu was spicy ones we ordered some but it wasn't too spicy. Flavour wise they were spot on and the best dishes for me would be Soft shell crab and pulled pork. Serving portions were also fair and platings were simple but appealing. This place is nice for family/ friends dinner or a romantic date!! will be back!

This place was packed but we got a table for two at the bar ... After watching the guy make cocktails we had to get 2... If you like spice try the Bloody Mary and Tomyum Martini-yum. We tried different options from each section... The pulled pork on prawn cracker was delicious as was the fish parcel, pork mince was different but nice and the wok seafood was HOT but delicious ... Service was excellent.... Very trendy busy place but you gotta try it!

Visited Saan for the first time a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it! Was recommended the soft shell crab and the duck by one of the waitresses and could not fault either of them! They also catered well to my partners peanut allergy which can sometimes be a problem at Thai restaurants. Can't wait to go back and taste the rest of the menu.

One of the best Thai places in Auckland. With close ties to Café Hanoi it's no surprise that Saan was amazing. In bit of a spontaneous trip it was a pleasure to be able to experience the food with no expectations. <br/><br/>We ordered one thing from each of the courses, ranging in spiciness. The wild boar skewers were amazing! As was the pork in the latter course. The service was excellent and the food was reasonably priced.

Having been here for dinner twice this has to be one of my favourite Thai places in Auckland. The service is wonderful, the decor sophisticated & elegant. The dishes are lighter than some of the more recent Thai/fusion places but still generous portions & filling. The Duck Larb is delicious but believe them when they tell you it's spicy!

Have now been to Saan twice and it delivered both times.<br/><br/>The interior design is pretty stunning (is it by Pip Cheshire?), very sleek and on trend.<br/><br/>Food - the soft shell crab is fantastic. Definitely get that. If you're considering the whole fish, I would probably only recommend it for a white fish like snapper rather than an oily fish (it didn't work so well with kahawai).<br/><br/>Overall, pricey but worth it. Recommended.

Been waiting for a chance to get to Saan and it was worth the wait. Excellent flavours and kept Me wanting more. We had the Satay Leu, Miang Jin Nuea and the Seared duck breast. Highly recommended and will make a visit back to try other dishes from the menu.

When deciding where to go for a friends special birthday there was no doubt that Saan was the choice and yet again they did not disappoint.<br/>The service here is faultless, the staff know every inch of the menu inside out and are incredibly attentive. My glass wasn't empty the entire evening.<br/>The wine list is superb and the cocktails really are the best in town - far superior to anybody else's on Ponsonby road, each have been tailored to match the bold and hardy flavours of the food menu.<br/>Both of these elements are enough reasons for us to continue returning but factor in the food and it's difficult to find a reason to go anywhere else.<br/>Eating here is exactly what we want for an evening out, small plates and sharers are our favourites with bold flavours. Every dish is thoughtfully made with serious flavour - dishes with big attitudes and personalities that will be hard to forget.<br/>There isn't currently anywhere else we would choose to entertain guests in the city.<br/>Well done Saan and thank you for your continued awesomeness.

A little disappointed to be honest. No one explained to us how the menu worked so when I asked where people dishes were I just got a funny look. The birthday girl unfortunately was the last to eat & we had all finished our dishes. My meal (the pork mince) was pretty good had a lot of flavour but I know others were disappointed in their dishes.

DELICIOUS!! I came here tonight for dinner with a friend, we had both been wanting to eat here for while. We had made no reservation but they sat us straight away, even though it looked very packed and busy. The place is actually pretty huge, with lots of variation in table intimacy- a side area with more private tables, a large open front-of-room and then an area out the back with bench tables. <br/><br/>The menu is inspired from Northern Thailand and has small and large sizes. A lot of seafood and pork on the menu. We tried the raw prawns, chilli salad and the whole roasted fish. All dishes were wonderful! In particular, the fish is an absolute must try!!! It actually comes as fried pieces of fish in the fish skeleton - the flavour is amazing with a light spice, and the batter is so light. I would absolutely pay $42 for this again because it's simply delicious as well as huge, two of us couldn't finish the whole fish. <br/>Wait staff are incredibly lovely as well.<br/><br/>Overall, such a fantastic restaurant with great food and service. I can't wait to come back and order the fish again!

Superb evening at Saan. Friendly and warm service from the wait staff and the food was amazing. Check out their Som Tum, Kao Soi & Moo Grob Prik Khing - however all 3 have a bit of spice to them but the flavours are truly there, just like true northern Thai food. Looking forward to returning to try other options on their menu. Nice work Lek and team!

Came here for a birthday dinner with a group of 8. First off it's hard to find as signage isn't very clear. Also the menu is very confusing and wait staff did not explain it very well. People were finished eating by the time some people had even started. I think it's designed in courses and made for sharing. Would have been nice to have had this explained to us.. Atmosphere is noisy, it's hard to have a conversation. Food is okay but very pricy, not a great selection of foods and some of the flavours were very weird and some bland. Over all probably won't be back.

Visited Saan for a company lunch before Christmas. We had one of the set menus. Absolutely loved the food, the flavours were all well-considered and delicate. The service was pretty good, not outstanding but the restaurant was very busy. The only downside is that the restaurant is very loud when it's full - was quite hard to have a decent conversation, even with the person next to me! But the food was fantastic, so no fault there.

Probably a repeat of a lot of reviews below but hey its gonna sound similar coz they consistently deliver good service and food. <br/>It's got a really cool clean atmosphere with genuine staff who enjoy to see you enjoy. <br/>The food is amazing, fresh, vibrant and full of flavour. My personal favourite, soft shell crab, pork belly, mushroom.

It is located at ponsonby road but I missed to find it as it has a very small Saan name on the entrance. (It is next 2 doors to Ben and Jerry ice cream, corner lot).<br/><br/>The day when we visited, it was very full. When we stepped in we could smell very strong bad cooking smell. They have open kitchen and a cooking station right in the middle of the restaurant. The ventilation definitely not sufficient to remove the smell from the restaurant. Luckily it was summer and some doors were opened where I sat (near the back of the restaurant).<br/><br/>We ordered fried whole fish, a chicken soup, mixed veggie and a dish we called it otak otak in Malaysia.<br/>The fish was tasty. My children liked the soup cause it was sour. The veggie was normal. The otak otak was too salty but not creamy enough (it should be cooked with coconut milk).<br/><br/>Overall, the food is above average.

Got told about this new joint for its Soft Shell Crab - 9.7/10 for it wow!<br/><br/>Everything was upper cutting me in the palette with flavour, texture, freshness & authenticness!!!<br/> <br/>The only thing that messed with me a bit was the consistent smoky smell floating around the Resturant that was coming from the kitchen, maybe it's part of the Asian street eat experience? <br/><br/>Definitely coming here again we had the Soft Shell Crab, Beef Cheek, Puffed Rice with Pork and the Chestnut and Coconut desert (amazing texture, flavour and freshness in this dish)

We try dinner there tonight we love chilli food but chilli there very strong and real Thai chilli this kind chilli all frozen from Thailand. Kids can't eat there <br/>If you travel to Asian country you know what I'm talking about .....

The food that we ordered was nice enough but there wasn't much of a selection. There were only three vegetarian options on the menu and they weren't clearly marked. Also when me and my friends go to a Thai restaurant it would be nice if there was a simple pad Thai and red or green curry offered, but the food here is basically just meat or vegetables on a plate with a high price tag. The menu overall was not easy to understand and the waitstaff were meant to explain it which they only did after several minutes and it would have been nicer if they had done so earlier. <br/>The cocktails looked tasty on the menu but they weren't very well made. <br/>The service was fine but there was a needlessly long wait between being seated, giving our drinks order and giving our food order. <br/>All in all, I had better food experiences from this place when it was Video Ezy. All in all I would not go back there, there are far nicer Thai places in the area.

Really great meal tonight, wonderful flavors with a great variety , if you like to share dishes with great spicy taste then this is a must try <br/>Along with friendly service and buzzy atmosphere,well with a visit

Saan is a great new Thai place in ponsonby. It's surprisingly large, and I like how there are two sections, out back is a little bit noisier as its by the kitchen but it's interesting to observe the chefs cooking. <br/><br/>The staff are very attentive and well informed, and the menu is creative and easy to follow. I ordered the by any other name cocktail which was quite strong but really delicious, only let down was the price, as at $17, it was more expensive than some of the entrees! <br/><br/>I ordered the pulled pork on rice cakes which was only an entree but still filling. This meal was very tasty and had a little bit of a kick but not too spicy. My friend ordered the fish wrapped in banana leaves which looked delicious. We then shared the banana dessert which was the star of the meal, it came with a delicious caramel sauce and was so flavourful.<br/><br/>I would love to come back and try the chicken main. The only set back is the pricing of the food, it's quite steep for the portion sizes you receive.

This is a hard review to write. I really really REALLY wanted to love this place and I went in with such optimism. Unfortunately it didn't cut it for me. <br/><br/>We ordered the cured beef entree, the wild boar skewers, chargrilled chicken and a side of pork crackling. <br/><br/>Please excuse the lack of photo for the cured beef; I forgot to take one lol. This was probably my favourite dish. I didn't like the leaf but I enjoyed the 1cm size of cured beef inside. The beef was different to any I have tried before, it had a jerky type texture to it, but it was enjoyable. The accompanying sauce was delicious! <br/><br/>Wild boar skewers with peanut sauce were not my jam. I appreciate that for people who enjoy this it would be nice but I simply don't like it. They were very chewy, like chewing on pork fat. I'm not sure if that's how theyre supposed to taste but wasn't a fan. <br/><br/>Chargrilled lemongrass chicken. This was yum, but it was literally 1/4 of a chicken breast and a drumstick for $28. It was VERY dry. I don't understand what we paid for? I totally understand pricing appropriately for awesome produce etc etc etccccc but this dish left me confused. Boyfriend said the sauce tasted like feet. I kind of liked it. <br/><br/>Finally the pork crackling. Unfortunately we never received this dish so I can't tell you how it tasted. <br/><br/>Service was awesome and we were well attended too. Unfortunately we were charged for the crackling we never received. I'm confused as to why we didn't get it if the order had been put through and the restaurant was practically empty. The manager refunded us for the pork but wasn't very apologetic. <br/><br/>I think for some people, this place would be amazing. Dishes are well presented. Staff are awesome etc but for us, we just didn't like it too much.

You won't find green curry chicken, spring rolls or pad thai here! Thai chef Wichian "Lek" Trirattanavatin opened this thai restaruant because he wanted it to be different to every other thai restaruant in the city. He cooks Isaan and Lanna cuisine of his family, many of his dishes are family recipes that have been passed down many generations. The dishes at Saan are vibrant, zesty and full of contrasting flavours. The restaurant itself is beautiful in it's simplicity. When I step inside, I feel like I'm back in the 1950's in a island resort in asia.<br/><br/>We ordered a Ab Pla, Pad Pak, Lon Phu Nim and a side of sticky rice. Ab Pla was a small piece of market fish coated with spices that was cooked in a banana leaf. The banana leaf gave it a lovely fragrance and brung out the flavours of the spices that coated the fish. Pad Pak was a little ordinary, but still nice to eat. Bok choy, straw mushrooms and bean curd stirfried together with some sauces. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either. Lon Phu Nim was my favourite, it was so delicious! Deep-fried soft shell crab, crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside topped with herbs and paired with a coconut curry sauce.<br/><br/>The staff were friendly, and I liked the open kitchen scheme, which helped bring the food closer to the diners. When we came to visit, the place had only opened for one week, but it was running quite smoothly. I'd recommend you try this place out if you are in ponsonby, or looking to try some authentic south-east asian cuisine. No cashew chicken or fried rice with pineapple here. I will be back soon!

Another sensational Asian restaurant pops up on P Rd to wow us unqualified amateur diners. This is the Thai sister to the Vietnamese Cafe Hanoi down at Britomart and has now been open one month. The lunch time crowd hadn't found its way there when we arrived, but we liked the decor and ordered a sampling of sharing plates each of which was more delectable than the last. I am happy to say that all the dishes were beyond incredible and Saan has now broken into the exclusive grouping of modern Asian restaurants like Mekong Baby, Blue Breeze, Madame Woo and Woodpecker Hill... Definitely also get the water chestnuts marinated in pomegranate for dessert :-)

Came here for lunch- had the pad pak with brown rice which was delicious! The chef kindly made it less spicy for me but someone else had it with the usual spice and they were both so tasty. The staff were so friendly and helpful and explained the dishes really well. Favourite staff member definitely Joey who was so helpful and chilled and had the best happy vibe! Heaps of vegetarian options. Had a gingerella which came in a glass with alot of ice- at other places these usually come with the bottle so I was a bit disappointed as didn't get my usual gingerella fix and it tasted dilute. Overall the food was amazing and the service was impeccable- thanks saan!! Definitely the new cool kid on the block in ponsonby 😻🙌🏽👌🏽

Awesome food. Proper Thai food not the eurofied Thai you usually get here. Great service too.<br/><br/>Duck larb the highlight<br/><br/>Can't wait to go back

Amazing food.<br/>Stellar service.<br/>It's so hard to think of anything else to say! <br/><br/>Decor is beautiful, subtle, and tasteful. <br/><br/>The food is actually quite large portions for sharing plates. I was really excited to try so many things on the menu but I got too full too soon! A great variety of spice. A lot of seafood, and pork. Less of other meats. And few vegetarian dishes. I'd personally recommend against getting rice (unless you get a curry)... You just don't really need it - even though they encourage it. <br/><br/>The service was impeccable. It seemed a little over staffed, but I suppose it's better than ever being under staffed. Despite having a few people wait our table, the service was so consistent and pleasant. <br/><br/>I have read nothing bad about this place, and I couldn't fault it myself. Well done.

Wasn't relaxing. Sadly the food did not live up to the ratings. Staff friendly and efficient. Noisy environment to disable having a conversation. <br/>