Review Lucky Buddha - Auckland Central

Really tasty Chinese fusion food. Lamb ribs are tender and come off the bones easily. Other dishes include duck, fried chicken and angus steak. Must try the Miso brownie with shaved ice dessert.

Have been here for lunch on multiple occasions and can consider LB a reliable place to bring mates or clients as it has never disappointed in service or quality. The menu is varied enough for various taste buds and I recommend their salad options... it’s more than just leafy greens! Photos are menu as of January 2018 and their miso fudge brownie (which I’m still dreaming about).

I wandered in with friends on a Friday night, and was immediately greeted by the friendly staff. The restaurant was full so we were seated on the bar. I loved the tamarind margarita, i ordered it twice😅 Food was perfectly cooked, ambience was nice. Would highly recommend to friends👍

Delicious food, fantastic service, great venue. Try the pork buns and the lamb ribs!

Had the most delicious food and cocktails at Lucky Buddha tonight. Highly recommend this restaurant. The staff were friendly and the food we ordered arrived quickly. The lamb ribs were finger lickingly good and our favorite dish of the night. The salads were so tasty and refreshing. We will definitely go there again. Highly recommend!!

We were looking for a place for dinner last night and tried our luck here. We didn't have a reservation but the staff were kind enough to seat us. We had the dumplings as a starter and I had the pork belly for my main. The food was delicious with decent portions. The staff were very friendly (took our coats when we arrived) and attentive (filled up our water glasses without needing to ask). I would definitely go back for the food, ambience and great customer service.

Lucky Buddha IS the best all-round restaurant I've ever been to, no questions asked. Right from the very week they opened, their passion to deliver high quality, top-shelf food has not wavered. They continue to innovate and invest and they are certainly leaving the competition for dust. I regularly go to Lucky Buddha and would consider myself a very loyal customer. I have eaten everything on their every changing menu and I love it when there is something new to try so I have an excuse to go back again, not that I need one. Food 11/10, Price 10/10, Staff 9/10

Get a group together and get as many dishes from the menu for sharing as you can. Great flavours which never disappoint. Also, fantastic options for vegetarians. You just need to be careful that the ones who are normally meat eaters don’t steal all your food. One of the must-try dishes is the egg plant 🤤

Great food and attentive service. Spacious interior is a plus.

The best tofu I have ever eaten. Outstanding. The vibe is super chill and after a long day was just what I needed. A quiet spot for intimate conversations but large enough to host your friends.

Attended last night for dinner; we didn't realize it opened at 6 pm. When we turned up at 5.20 pm, we saw the premises were dark and there was a "Closed" sign. Staff saw us peeking in, and they offered to open up for us and they did so. It was amazing. They actually opened for just 2 people, 40 mins earlier! Service was great, and the food -just unbelievable! Will definitely be back.

I'm not a fan of the "long bench," where you sit at little tables with one person in a chair and the other on a long bench across the wall, so that both of you are elbow-to-elbow with strangers. However, the food here made it worth it. The eggplant was OUT OF THIS WORLD. The best I've ever had. My friend and I also ordered shumai, yellowfin tuna, and grilled salmon, and it was all delicious. The price was reasonable, the staff was attentive, and the food came out in a timely manner, but, honestly, I'd rate is 5 on the food alone. Did I mention the eggplant?

I went here the first time on someone's recommendation, and now I come back every chance I have. The service is always great, and the food is outstanding. Not a huge fan of the location, but the food is delicious enough that I don't care.

Awesome experience.. Beautiful combination of flavours. Fine food for 2 $70 incld. wine. Sakura wine was just different and service was real friendly. Food - parmesans just adds killer flavour to the food with some other secrets of the chef. But yea go early to enjoy the ambience..

Lovely fusion Asia restaurant; the innovative combination makes for an interesting taste.

Brilliant food, very good service. Huge portions! Red curry chicken and fried chicken buns must not be missed. Limited space/seating

Quick service and very yummy food. Fried chicken donburi is my favourite. Very friendly staff and never forget to check if we enjoy our food.

We had a great dinner, and definitely great value for money. Excellent service from the staff, and definitely rate the food 5 stars, will be back again.

The place was lovely and gave us the Asian vibe. The foods were served in a timely manner. All of us were satisfied with our orders. Staff were very attentive of our needs and always gave a smile. :)

Visited The Lucky Buddha a while ago and was seriously impressed! The miso-glazed salmon on couscous tasted amazing, was full of colour, and good portion of salmon. Keen to go back and try more dishes.<br/><br/>Check out my insta @ohmyfoodiegoodie to follow more of my tried eats!

Oldy but goldy! I have come here for a lunch catch up and loved what we got.<br/><br/>I got the bao buns and they were delicious.<br/><br/>Fast service and nice staff.

I’ve been here several times and the spicy chicken is my favourite dish! The bao buns are also delicious. This time I came and tried the pork belly dish and it was just as good! Good place for lunch and never disappoints.

One of my tutors recommended this place for dinner and we came here for a catch up. The place is very cosy and staff are professional. We ordered two mains and two sides and shared amongst 3 of us. Was more than enough. Slightly on the pricey side..but the food and ambience and service make up for it. Will def come back. And their potato dish is soooo good

We pretty much ordered one of everything from the menu. The dining space is better suited for small groups as it is not very big. Staff were friendly and the food was served quickly.<br/><br/>The portion sizes were small for some dishes considering the price. I preferred all the side dishes over the mains.<br/><br/>The flavours were all very different and full of fresh herbs and vibrant spices. I did like the salads a lot especially under this hot weather. However I'm not sure I would enjoy it as much in winter due to the sizing and the mains just don't seem very hearty.<br/>

We went for a work function and the place is fairly cosy so we ended up taking up most of the space.<br/>No complaints on the service although that may have been attributed to us being the majority customer there at the time. Prices seemed reasonable but the food was outstanding. We did a 3 course meal with everyone choosing between 3 or so options per course. Everyone loved their food which is rare for a group of 20.<br/>Definitely intend to revisit.

Not too bad of a place. Food is very delicious staff also friendly and well trained. A great choice if you are looking for fine dining fusion food. Quite compact sitting area tho.

Actually this was my second visit.<br/>I was wondering how this place could get 4.7 point in zomato. And it was true.<br/>Dishes, atmosphere, wine selection was perfect<br/>Besides customer service was absolutely great.<br/><br/>Must visit restaurant<br/>

Great place! Great service! Amazing food! The eggplant, pork belly and crispy chicken are all worth a try. The salmon is also good if you like peppermint and coconut.

Very good food...I went for lunch and was expecting a typical blue ribbon menu...it wasn't that but the food was excellent. Very cozy with solid comfort food will done with good service. The drinks were very good and quite strong. Exactly what you'd expect.

Really good atmosphere and comfortable place.<br/>The lamb ribs were delicious and soft.<br/>The eggplant tastes very special with the cheese and crunchy peanuts together.<br/>Highly recommended for special events such as anniversaries! 👍🏻<br/>

Simple yet well executed dishes without any faults! The beef madras and spicy chicken both 5/5! (except, please use more freshly cooked rice next time)

Dumplings were ok wouldnt get them again. The potatos were fantastic and a good filler however best shared. Fried chicken was superb, served with soy and yumyum.

Nice place to eat. But finding car park is hard.<br/><br/>The tofu and the lamb ribs is an must try dish. It’s really yummy<br/><br/>Service: 10/10<br/>Food: 8/10<br/>Cost: 8/10

The best lamb ribs and spicy chicken ive ever had...salad with each meal was quite a unique taste...service really good..planning to go again and again!!

Great food. Stunning texture with beautiful flavours. The gravy is just a tiny little bit overpowering the juicy lamb flavour. A fantastic casual eating place.

Food is alright here with well designed display of food for different dishes which is a highlight of the restaurant... maybe a bit of more thinking around the taste of various combination of food in each dish? The King Salmon we ordered with rice noodles and curry at the bottom on the plate was not that tasty and in fact a bit boring.

We stumbled upon this restaurant while looking for a place to eat before a concert at Spark Arena. We had no expectations but when the first starter was served (miso eggplant with peanuts) it blew our minds. The mains followed suit; lovely tender melt in the mouth beef cheek (oxtail unavailable) and perfectly crispy fried chicken served with a very moore-ish coleslaw. This is definitely a place I’d eat again and tell friends about.

I sit down at a long, glossy wooden table with my friend. We order the lychee mint vanilla soda($5), duck main ($29) and miso eggplant ($16). I take a sip of the drink AND IT WAS DELICIOUS. I usually dislike sodas, being a 19 year old starting to grow out of sugary foods and cheap tastes, but this soda has a clear punch of flavour and extremely fine, controlled fizz, to the point where you are not harassed at all. The flavour can soothe you if you feel full from eating, and help you become hungry again. One in a million. The miso eggplant lunch special was extremely delicious, tender with an unforgettable sauce, and hints of peanuts crumbled over it for a second layer of sensations. It surprised me with the first bite, with how good it was. I recommend being slightly hungry before you come here. The duck main was pleasant. Forgive the blurry photo.

The food here is great! Came here on a Saturday Night and it wasn’t too busy. <br/>The waitresses kept the water full most of the time, however started clearing our plates before we were done. <br/>Overall a good experience. ☺️

Lucky Buddha caught my interest upon my 2nd visit, I tried their curry with veges and tofu, and for someone that loves meat of all sorts i genuinely enjoyed the vegan dish! We also ordered the oxtail dish but they soldout so the waiter offered the same dish but with port belly which also exceeded my expectations! Good spot!<br/><br/>Food- 9.5/10<br/>Service-10/10<br/>Aesthetics- 9/10

Lucky Buddha is lovely! First of all, their staff are so nice and attentive, I definitely felt looked after more than at other places. Their menu and food items were delicious, and it came out super fast too. Definitely a place to return to many times!

Really calm and peaceful atmosphere. Friendly staff and get drink selection. Had the Tamarind Margarita which was mind blowing. Very tangy and very alcoholic. Dishes : Thai pork sausage, pork belly slices, lamb ribs, duck and a side of potatoes with yum yum sauce. Favourites of the night were the lamb ribs which were falling off the bone with amazing flavour and the potatoes. Honestly best potatoes I've ever had.

We were here for lunch. Korean Bibipbam for $17. The portion of the food was generous. The toasted mince with the selection of vegetable was yummy. If they could reduce the size and do a smaller portion with a more affordable price would be better for lunch time.

Went here last night for dinner. Asian fusion, interesting and done well. Recognisable flavours with a twist. If you're going out for any Asian cuisine it is worth giving Lucky Buddha a try!<br/>Service was excellent, the waitresses are very attentive.<br/><br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Service: 5/5<br/>Environment: 4/5

I loved the food here. We ordered lots of different mains and a few starters to share which was awesome because you were able to try a bit of everything. The flavour were incredible. I particularly liked the salmon and the eggplant starter. The steak was very good as well. Super friendly service too, I can only recommend this place.

Super delish! Went here for lunch with a couple of friends and had the "spicy chicken on sesame & nori rice, kewpie mayo, cabbage and herbs"... 10/10, super tasty! The chicken wasn't overly spicy but that was fine with me. It was basically rice, chicken and a whole lot of coleslaw on top.  Really awesome meal and perfect sized portion - on the bigger side of portions but I didn't leave feeling absolutely stuffed which was good. Fantastic and attentive service too. This will definitely be a place I go to regularly from now on. They also have an express takeaway menu (see photo in my post) but I understand you can order off their main lunch menu for takeaway too.

I came here with work colleagues for dinner last night.<br/><br/>I went against my friend's suggestion of trying the house specialty, lamb ribs, and opted for oxtail with shiitake mushroom spring rolls. Since lighting in this place is next to darkness, it was so hard to eat my food. Add the fact that the oxtail was not tender enough, it was a struggle finishing my dinner. The sauce, though, was perfect. My food went well with my warm house sake.<br/><br/>I took a piece of spicy chicken from my friend's plate. It was nice, but there was nothing spectacular about it.<br/><br/>Staff were friendly and attentive.<br/><br/>I paid 49.50 for my meal - which is slightly on the expensive side.<br/><br/>Would give this place 3.5 overall. But since Zomato does not give half marks anymore, I would be glad to round it off to 4.0.

4.5/5 Taste<br/>4.5/5 Display <br/>3/5 Quantity <br/>4.5/5 Customer Service <br/><br/>Amazing Asian Fusion restaurant.<br/><br/>Dishes were pretty small but each and every one of them tasted fantastic, full of flavours and visually amzing too.<br/>Each main dish had a little sides like salads or pickles that came with the main meat, gave the plates a really well balanced taste. <br/>Perfect restaurant for group dinner, main side drinks together would cost $40 to $50 pp.<br/>

We ate here for lunch as a group of 6. We did wait a little bit though for our meal which was the only small downside. I had the spicy chicken which was really tasty - amongst the group there were the buns, pork belly and the tofu salad all of which everyone raved about. The flavours were really good and we will definitely eat here again. The serving size was really generous too, especially with the salad.

Another favourite of mine. Consistently good food. The lamb ribs are 👌. Good atmosphere and service is 💯. Will definitely keep coming back.

Been here twice now, about two years apart, and enjoyed my experience both times. Most recently I had dinner here on a Friday night with a friend and despite not booking we were seated immediately.<br/><br/>We shared two starters and two mains which ended up being quite a lot of food for two. The octopus was fresh and light with some yummy Japanese mayo. The eggplant boat also had nice flavours although I found the parmesan to be a bit much towards the end. For mains we had duck breast and steak. Decent portions and good cuts of meat. The sour pickled veges on the side with the duck went really well together but I found the miso and truffle butter that came with the steak a bit too sweet.<br/><br/>Water was refilled regularly even after we had finished eating and stayed to continue catching up.<br/>Service was warm and friendly and food came out quickly within 15 min of ordering/finishing the previous dish.

I’ve been here several times now and the quality and taste of the food every time has been amazing. Love the eggplant entree and the tofu salad. Portion sizes are good too. The main thing letting this place down is the lack of atmosphere, I think they could take inspiration from the likes of Monsoon Poon. Still would recommend to anyone looking for Asian fusion in the city.

Came here to this nice and cozy restaurant on fort street with a few friends. <br/>I would say the style of the restaurant is Asian fusion but heavy on Japanese influence. <br/>The menu is pretty simple and would be a great place to share a dishes with friends! <br/>We came here on a Thursday just before 12pm and was empty when we got there but within 30 minutes the place was full so best to come early if you want a table. <br/><br/>My friend and I shared the “tofu salad” and “spicy chicken”.<br/>The tofu salad and so many different textures: crunchy, soft, warm, cold... which is how a salad should be! <br/>The spicy chicken is rice, Japanese fried chicken(kara-age) and a mayo slaw. <br/>Straight up the chicken is NOT spicy at all which is not a problem because the dish is tasty just the way it is. <br/><br/>When it was busiest I could tell they were under staffed but the waiters were very friendly and helpful when we asked questions about the menu. <br/>You should come here if you after a quick and satisfying lunch! <br/><br/>

Best Asian infused restaurant in Auckland. Definitely worth a visit if you haven't eaten here. Sharing the different dishes is the best way to taste a few dishes. Pork buns are a must - sadly only served at lunch sitting though.

My partner and I ordered the Thai beef salad to start and salmon curry and lamb ribs as mains. Every portion size was quite generous and left us very full by the end of the meal. <br/><br/>The Thai salad had a great combination of textures and flavors which all worked perfectly together. The lamb ribs had a crispy outer skin with fatty, tender meat within. Sauce was a little vinegary and the puree lacked a bit of flavor. The salmon curry had a delicious Thai yellow sauce and big serving of perfectly cooked salmon. Can't fault this dish. <br/><br/>Service was great throughout the meal with the waitresses regularly checking up on us. Great dining experience and will happily spend money here again.

Definately a hidden gem! The dinner menu is amazing. Lamb is exceptional and I cant wait to try more. There was a small language barrier but it added more to the culture of the place - not an issue. Not really a fan of the lunch menu however.

One of the best asian fusion in town!<br/>We were pleasantly surprised at the quantity, quality and service!<br/>Not too many seats but if you book its not a problem<br/>We had the fried chicken-SO crispy with a side of salad mayo and this lovely soy sauce<br/>Thai beef salad- i want the recipe for their sauce!!<br/>Pork belly- was really well cooked but not the show stealer<br/>The yumyum potatoes were amazing highly recommended!!<br/>Would def recommend and come back

The eggplant starter is a must! I went in for dinner on a Tuesday night and tried the eggplant, lamb ribs and pork belly. I thought the pork belly would be a bit salty but it wasn't and was marinated just right and very soft and tasty. Lamb ribs were well marinated and were a bit on the salty side but went well with the salad that comes with it. Portions were surprisingly big. Eggplant is very flavoursome (miso). Drinks and food came out in great timing.<br/>Service was friendly and wasn't the too-in-your-face kind of service but still attentive, which is a difficult thing to manage.<br/>The seating area was smaller than what it looked from the outside, but still provided a comfortable spacious atmosphere. It could get overwhelmingly packed on busier nights like in the weekend.

Came here with my family after my last exam. There were four of us and apart from me we don’t exactly have the largest appetite. We ordered three starters and three mains as well as four bowls of rice. <br/>The starters were HUGE, much bigger than anticipated. In fact after we finished the starters I was beginning to feel full. We got the miso eggplant which had a very strong miso taste (a must if you love the miso taste), the Thai beef salad (beautiful flavour combinations) and the Crispy Tofu salad (perfectly crispy tofu and lovely vegetable accompaniment). <br/>For mains we ordered the Duck (must try! My favourite of the night, beautifully smoky flavour and perfect sauce), the Pork Belly (sweet purée and the SAUCE OMG went perfectly with the pork belly. Unfortunately the non fatty part of the belly was a bit chewy and dry, and the Salmon (perfectly tender but unfortunately found a bone which we don’t really mind but after watching lots of MKR it became a little joke to make a “fuss” after finding a bone).<br/>Lovely service, drinks came out fast and the girl was very helpful in suggesting how many dishes we should order. <br/>The food came out really fast and we didn’t need a booking either. We came around 6:30 on a Thursday night. <br/>Overall a very good experience here and we left feeling very very full.

A bit on, a bit off - a little like a lava lamp, you'll have all the oo's and ahh's for a while before realising that the food is good but not spectacular; a look at the menu and you'd really wonder what type of cuisine you're having. The menu brings a whole new meaning to fusion; rather than mixing contemporary flavours across different cuisines, the menu is literally different cuisines with Thai, Chinese and Korean dishes splattered on. The spicy chicken is great, and probably the best dish there - chicken is always cooked perfectly, with the right amount of seasoning; the goat's curry is good, but as I said before - you wouldn't be hard pushed to find a similar quality dish at a more authentic setting. Service is friendly, however incredibly slow. We waited 40 minutes to get our dishes; 20 minutes to get our first drink. If you're looking for a quick lunch, this is not the spot for you.

Had the octopus salad, eggplant with miso, salmon laksa and duck.<br/><br/>Eggplant with miso and peanuts was by far the best closely followed by the octopus salad.<br/>Duck was fine. <br/>Salmon and laksa didnt really impress; the salmon was a bit dry and with the laksa it all became a shredded mess.<br/><br/>Overall good. 3.5 Yums

First time trying this place and I could honestly say there was no disappointment there! I was scrolling through my friends Zomato reviews and this place caught my attention, a little restaurant with a lot to offer! We order the thai beer salad to start and then followed up with the lamb ribs and duck and a side of cucumbers to top it off. We were really gutted they didn't do any Bao anymore but the food we ordered definitely made up for it. Would absolutely recommend this to any one who loves there asian fusion, good service and reasonable price! Would definitely be back.

Lunch time treat. <br/>Emailed for booking today and they were able to accomodate. Professional and welcoming. Food is delicious. Pork belly, Laska and Spicy Chicken.<br/>Cost is reasonable if you can walk away being full.

It wasn't as good as we expected. Flavours are more weird than tasty. Ribs are too sickly sweet and portion sizes are too small. Friends liked the pork buns.

Lucky Buddha is I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! The atmosphere, the food, the service, the menu, the art..... what a great experience. Lucky Buddha is super busy and you can see why after you've dined there once. I had lunch with my friend here today and managed to get a table thanks to the lovely Camila!<br/><br/>We ordered the lamb ribs, the LB tofu salad and the chicken on rice dish. Every dish was exceptional and faultless. The lamb ribs were actually quite fatty but the crispiness counter-acted it, so did the succulent meat. The LB tofu salad really surprised me. I order tofu a lot and am quite picky on tofu dishes. The tofu was perfect. I can't describe it but the flavours were on point and it had the perfect texture. The chicken was cooked to perfection and I loved the addition of kewpie mayo (my favourite). The slaw was a bit saucy. Can't complain though, I was in food heaven. The warm sake was good too.<br/><br/>So.... if you're in the city, or even out of the city... put Lucky Buddha on your list! This will be a place I'll be recommending to everyone! Definitely try the tofu salad and the lamb ribs.

Amazing food, amazing decor, amazing service! Got the pork belly, salmon, fried chicken, beans, tofu, and duck. Special place! Highly recommended.

I was so excited to dine in here because I've heard so much nice things about Lucky Buddha. <br/><br/>The whole interior and ambient was great. And the waitresses were super friendly and hard-working. <br/><br/>My boyfriend and I ordered 2 entries and 2 main to share. <br/>Portions were generous and dishes were well presented. <br/>But the pork ribs and fried chicken were a bit chewy outside. I think they tend to make the meat extra crispy but they turn to a bit hard. And the lamb ribs had too much fat on it. <br/><br/>What I like is they do not over-seasoning the food, trying to control the flavor and keep the original mellow. Also, all of the ingredients were fresh with nice quality. <br/>

Wow wow wow !!! The place has amazing atmosphere, great food and wide range of drinks (Sakura wine!) so it's perfect for get together or date :D ordered : grilled king salmon, smoked duck breast , red curry, LB delight salad, crispy spicy chicken!! The LB delight~ each vege had their own fresh taste and together it was super refreshing ! The chicken was meaty with a spicy crispy coating! The mains were all on point! The duck was tender with flavour that brought out the duck. The salmon melted in my mouth. all the side vegetables complimented the meat but tasted flavourful on its one too! Absolutely love and recommend !!

I'm going to dive straight into it. <br/>We ordered Crispy Spicy Chicken and Pork Spare Ribs from the 'To Start' list. From the "To Follow", we ordered the Roast Duck Breast and Braised Pork Belly to share between 2.<br/><br/>The chicken and pork ribs came spontaneously (and rather quickly too!). To start with, we were impressed by the portions, considering they were only starts. Upon first bite into the chicken, you will first be amazed by the crunchiness of the chicken on the outside--and be embraced with warmth and tenderness on the inside. Pair that with the mayo sauce and it's a match made in heaven. The portions were really satisfying too! There was about 6 pieces on the plate. <br/>The pork ribs are a winner for me--ITS THE SAUCE. Mix of spice, salty, sweet and sour, with a generous handful of crushed peanuts. Presentation wise also deserves commending. Only drawback would be more meat on the bone! <br/><br/>The pork belly was a decently sized chunk. ONCE AGAIN IT WAS THE SAUCE that won me over; sauce-game is strong here. It's not greasy and the fat layer melted in the mouth. It was tender, soft and easy to cut. So good! The duck breast was a more delicate dish, loved the presentation! The zestiness of the lemongrass on the duck really enhanced the flavours; though I would've preferred richer authentic Asian flavours coming though a bit more for it to be a show-stopper. <br/><br/>Atmosphere and ambience is also really nice, culturally rich and oriental. I WILL BE BACK. <br/><br/>Price: 9/10<br/>Food: 9/10<br/>Ambience: 10/10<br/>Service: 9/10

Great working lunch spot for a sit down meal. Staff are usually quick to order and food comes out relatively quick too- I always stop by here for lunch when it's raining as the atmosphere is always so warm and inviting

Cute little restaurant on fort st. all the food is really good you must try the pork buns! Only thing is there was a little too much peanut in it. Great place to come in a group so you can order more dishes and share them between everyone. We got the pork buns, Korean ribs, salmon, duck, steak, pork belly, slow braised rib and everything was delicious :-)

10/10 : customer service was amazing, staff were so friendly and recommended tasty good.<br/>10/10 : Food " WOW " Fresh and hot!! The flavors were out of this world, I had the spicy chicken to start and to follow I had lamb rib !! Perfect! <br/>10/10 : clean and friendly environment, location is good as well!

My friend and I enjoyed dining here recently on a quiet Tuesday night. While I found the overall bill a bit pricey for just two people + no drinks, we were both full and the quality of food and service was great. <br/><br/>Dinner started with the beautifully-presented beef tataki appetiser, which comes on a bed of rice noodles and some light sauce drizzled around the plate. Although I enjoyed the textures and freshness of this dish, it didn't have that much flavour on its own so I'm glad we ordered the spare ribs too. These ribs complemented the tataki perfectly and were the highlight of our time at Lucky Buddha. Sweet with a bit of spice and stickiness – this bowl of Korean chilli-glazed ribs delivered loads of flavour without going overboard, which I found very fitting for a fusion restaurant. <br/><br/>My duck breast main was also executed well; I loved the texture of the meat and how there was enough fat left on each slice to keep the flavour. At the bottom of the plate was the sweet and salty (plum?) sauce that’s used with Peking duck. The accompanying cucumber chunks added texture and the slight sourness of the pickled cabbage provided another dimension to the dish.<br/><br/>I also tried a bit of my friend's slow cooked beef short rib. The meat was VERY soft and paired nicely with the ’salsa’ on the plate. The amount of meat given was quite a big portion, too.<br/><br/>Overall, I was impressed with how Lucky Buddha tempered strong Asian flavours with a contemporary, Western edge. Would be happy to come back for their seafood dishes next time.

Super fast service in an average seating set up indoor and we preferred outdoor seating. <br/>Liked especially veg rice roll which was delicious.

Asian fusion lovers rejoice! With new restaurants popping up all over town – Lucky Buddha has been around for a while, but is one worth trying! Dinning in with friends on Saturday night, we were all pretty impressed. The interior is modern and moody with dim lighting and high ceilings. The service was excellent. The waitress that served us during our visit were friendly, attentive and helpful. We ordered a bottle of Rose to share between us and the waitress was kind enough to give us a sample of each, as we struggled to decide out of the two. <br/><br/>All the dishes were ordered were very good. The pulled pork buns were delicious, as were the vegetarian tofu ones. The LB delight had a good punch of flavour and I would recommend for all vegetarians! The Grilled King Salmon was cooked perfectly and well complimented by the miso and mayo glaze. The sautéed Green beans were a simple dish but very tasty. The tofu and vegetable red curry was one of the highlights for the night, opt for the chicken one if you’re a meat eater but for those that aren’t this dish is for you. Two starters, 3 mains, rice and a side was plenty for the four of us. <br/><br/>Overall such a nice spot in town for a date night or catching up with friends. There definitely are cheaper options out there but the quality is here and its consistent throughout their dishes. Looking forward to trying out more from the menu soon.

I had a pork bun which were too tiny to be $16. Pulled pork main dish had a bad taste. It was hard to chew and full of random sauces. It would suit a 9 year old child.

don't really see what the big fuss it about. tried the bao and the crispy chicken for starters. the bun was tiny and soggy due to so much moisture from the pulled pork. the crispy chicken had 4 tiny pieces for $14.

As the sauce of pork bao and eggplant are quite sweet and heavy, i was expected to have more light and sour cocktail to match them. However after i chose the one that waitress recommanded (the one with cucumber), i found it super sweet! So I had to ask for some lime pieces to added in to balance that flavour..it tastes way better with limes

Since its opening in 2015, Lucky Buddha still remains one of my favourite eateries in Auckland. It is situated on Fort Street, which is fast becoming a foodie mecca, with the likes of Ima Cuisine, Miann and Beirut and around the corner, my favourite ice creamery, Giapo. The first time I dined at Lucky Buddha, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but after learning that the owners are Korean, the head chef is Filipino and that they are serving Asian fusion cuisine (namely Japanese, Korean, Thai and Filipino), I was really excited.

I dined in at lucky buddha tonight as I read so many good reviews about this place, so I kind of had high expectations, i ordered the egg plant and pork buns for starter. But to be honest they both were way too sweet, I think their dishes generally have very sweet flavour, I was able to smell the strong sweet smell of the food which the next table ordered. <br/><br/>The service was good, however I think the balance of taste was a bit disappointing to me.

Loving the space, decor and service. However I thought the food was so-so. We got the fried chicken, pork bun and a beef steak. The buns didn't feel as fluffy as what I've had at other places and flavours were average. Same with the steak. But I did like that fried chicken. <br/><br/>A note is to be sure to let staff know that you want all your food all at once if you like it that way. I was saving a piece of my fried chicken for the end of my meal and that caused us a long delay for our main until I finally questioned them ha! Mmm Sorry the asian-ness in me has no sense of entree or main. Lol. But it did come super quickly after I asked :p<br/><br/>However I do think it is a very Nice place to chill and have some small sharing plates and a drink.

Booked a table for 25 with friends. Staff were very accommodating and service was good as our glasses were never empty.<br/><br/>Food wise, the portions were on the small side but the flavors and presentation were exceptional. Sharing would be a good idea as you get to try more dishes. The menu differed from the one listed here but I'd recommend the duck breast or grilled salmon. The duck was tender and the salmon was perfectly flaky yet crisp on the outside.<br/><br/>Overall, a nice to come for a night out.<br/><br/>

Wonderful food. Went as a group of four. The restaurant is small and a little cramped, not really suitable for a large group. The star here is the food - eggplant dish was incredible, spare ribs, beef tataki and salmon cold dishes also standouts. Menu is designed for sharing. Reasonably priced.

There are very friendly staffs and I really like the the atmosphere of this restaurant simple foods but with attractive decorations and I keen to recommend it to everyone

Prefect place for ladies night! Nice staff, excellent service. Felt being well looking after. Food- so taste and has Asian favorite menu. Will go back again.

Delicious! Popped in here on a whim and was delighted with my meal. The eggplant was only surpassed by the ribs. Everything was tasty and fresh. The servings were generous and despite my best effort I couldn't finish it all.

Lucky Buddha is one of the best places to eat in town - Asian fusion at its best, the menu changes from time to time but it never fails to deliver. If I had enough money to eat there every day, I would totally do it. <br/><br/>Although the portions look moderate, they are very filling. If it's just u and a friend, I'd recommend ordering two small dishes, a main and a dessert. Even that might be pushing it, but of course it depends on how much u normally eat!

Great food, awesome dishes and been here twice now, never disappoints. <br/>I would give 5 star if it was cheaper. but being on Lawyer street - I guess they can get away with it:)<br/>food is great, no complaints except a tad too expensive but in saying that, It is worth while cos its consistently good

Found this place about 2 months ago and have been back every week since! So delicious, caters really well for gluten free and vegetarian too which makes it easy to tAke friends 💙💙💙

I frequently walk on Fort Street and have been meaning to try Lucky Budha. It has been recommended to me many times. And finally had a chance to try it with some friends.<br/>They have a range of fmall plates and larger plates and we ordered a variety.<br/>Beef cheek, eggplant, salmon, red curry, lamb ribs, pork belly and pork ribs.<br/>Everything was out of this world the standpits for me was the eggplant, red curry and beef cheek.<br/>I will definitely be back to enjoy more items on the menu. Service was good snd ambience is great too.

good place for light lunch. pork buns seasoned much better than I thought. but the juice of pork made the bus soggy and wet. ribs sweet sticky like how it should be like. sashimi don too simple not worth its price but still fresh and taste good. cocktails taste too simple and not balance a little bit strange.

Dined here on the weekend. Heard only good things about this place, thought we would give it a try. The staff were friendly, service was prompt and the food came out quickly. As we ordered sharing plates our starters and one of the main dishes later were cleared abruptly with some leftover food in them. We found it extremely rude that our table was getting cleared without checking with us as a diner specially when the plates were not empty as we were in midst of finishing dinner. Not the worse experience might give it another try.

Really tasty food, Asian fusion style. There are some interesting but delicious combinations, including kimchi with beef! The eggplant was amazing.

Fort Street is so much better these days. In my uni days it was a place almost to avoid – too many drunks on weekends, too many backpackers, all too loud. Things have changed a lot since then, and the street is way cleaner, smarter, and more desirable than back in the day. Lucky Buddha was almost the starting point to my Fort St food scene exploring period. It’s a cosy place, modern Asian, with an almost an upgraded foodcourt like feel to it. It was the first time I tried baos and the beer with which the restaurant shares its name, the happy little fat Buddha smiling out from its green bottle. Loved the little dishes, loved the baos – would definitely go back just for those! Thanks to this place, I’m always up for more baos – Chinoiserie in Mt Albert, for example – though not quite as much as my previous soft taco obsession, because nothing will quite beat my soft taco obsession just yet.Lucky Buddha48 Fort StreetAuckland CBD

The eggplant is delicious! I would happily order this with some rice to soak up all the sauce. Our table also had the spare ribs and duck breast. The meat on the ribs were on the tough side. The duck was presented nicely with pickles and steamed bun to complement the dish, but I found the duck to be lacking in flavour.

Lucky Buddha does Asian fusion perfectly<br/>The service here is fantastic, drink selection is great and the food was amazing. <br/>Highlights were the eggplant miso and the panna cotta<br/>The price was fair for the quality of food and portion sizes

Awesome restaurant, great food and fast service.  We came here on a recommendation of a friend and I'm glad we tried it.   We tried the salmon, buns, beef and chicken.

The awesome little Asian fusion place on Fort St! With so many new places in this area, Lucky Buddha definitely stands out. Superbly original menu which will delight any amateur diners willing to succumb to the being amazed by new levels of food presentation! The black pepper prawns were sensational as was the espresso and condensed milk panna cotta dessert.... There is a great team here who will really look after you!

So a friend of mine invited me for dinner and this was the agreed place. I have been hearing raves about this place (specifically it's eggplant) from a certain friend, Patriz De Leon! Haha. <br/><br/>I love the interiors of this place, it's modern yet it has subtle touches of Asia. I personally adore it's high ceiling. I also love the paintings of different Buddhas on the wall where one of them seemed like a portrait of me enjoying the beach. Haha.<br/><br/>So we ordered eggplant, pork belly and meatballs for entrée. (It's also the order of how I like the dishes, haha). So yeah, the legend is true. #luckybuddhaNZ 's eggplant is TO DIE FOR. #amusttry #besteggplantintown #handsdownbestintown. We also had the lamb and Angus for mains with rice and kimchi as sides. Both mains were absolutely mouthwatering but I'm leaning towards the Angus because of how well handled truffle in their sauce. It was subtle not overpowering. It was creamy and #umami with a whiff of truffle. <br/><br/>One thing they can improve on though is the urgency of its staff to get our plates. Haha. But nonetheless, it was enjoyable and they were very hospitable. #pak #ganern! Haha.<br/><br/>Definitely I'll be coming back! 👍👍👍👍👍

Loved it.<br/>We got steamed buns which were delicious and good value.<br/>Steak and mushrooms were divine, flavoursome and cooked perfectly.<br/>Chicken leg has crispy skin and moist flesh.<br/>Service was super friendly and accommodating, smiley and efficient.<br/>Loved it 10/10 would do again

Took my mom and my aunt here for dinner. I was looking forward to this because ive been hearing a lot about this place. I especially loved the buns. The only thing I could really recommend is improving their service. We sat outside and had a hard time calling for service.

I had eaten at Lucky Budha before & was looking forward to trying them again when meeting a friend for dinner.<br/>They are on the new look Fort St & while it looks like any other restaurant from the outside, inside is like another world with the smells of delicious food, mood lighting & great use of a smallish space.<br/>For drinks we had cocktails & bubbles. The cocktails are inspired by classics such as margarita or a gin & tonic, but with a twist & beautiful presentation. We tried these two.<br/>For our meal we shared the pork steamed buns which were delicious. Soft buns packed with flavour. And the meatballs which were again packed with flavour - something that is not always achieved. They were also very tender & came in a light broth.<br/>For our main it was very hard to choose as I've tried most of them before & they're delicious. We decided on the beef cheek - beautifully tender with kimchi & a type of crispy wafer on top which was a nice textural change. We had the rice & the beans on the side - the beans are a must order. Yum!<br/>It was very filling for two, but we decided to share a creme brûlée for dessert - freshly brûlée'd (one of the benefits of sitting at the bar is the awesome view of seeing your food being prepared) & delicately flavoured.<br/>A great night - good service throughout, and beautifully presented food that tastes amazing. Can't wait to return.

first impression is the name - I thought it is vegetarian restaurant so I came in. Second, the interior is very lovely.<br/>Then the service is not really impressive at all. And of course not many options for vegetarian. The taste is just fine. I wont come back, sorry.

Last week, my girlfriends and I discovered Lucky Buddha, one of the newest gastronomic additions to Fort St in Auckland CBD. With head chefs hailing from Korea and the Philippines, the Asian fusion restaurant offers a mouthwatering variety of Asian cuisine that’s a refreshing mix of traditional & contemporary.<br/><br/>The restaurant decor is intimate, cozy & inviting, with warm ambient lighting, pops of colour, and glossy wooden tables. We seated ourselves on the corner couch. To start, we ordered drinks; mine a Buddha’s Iced Tea. It was a pleasant, refreshing cocktail with both a hint of sweet & spicy. I followed this with an entree, the Japanese influenced Eggplant w/ sweet miso & sesame, peanuts & parmesan. It was a delicious combination of textures & flavours – soft, squishy eggplant paired with crunchy peanuts and flavoured perfectly with the sweet (& salty) miso & sesame. This dish was incredibly satisfying!<br/><br/>My sauteed King Prawns tasted fresh & succulent, with black pepper sauce that was spicy but accompanied with sweet and tangy daikon & cucumber and soft, fluffy spring onion buns. All the flavours complemented each other well, and made for a unique and tasty meal. We shared our mains, and I absolutely loved the incredibly juicy, tender manuka smoked Duck Breast and creamy, hearty Thai inspired Red Curry – a great vegetarian dish.<br/><br/>For dessert, I loved the white chocolate, ginger & miso Creme Brulee. It tastes as exotic as it sounds! While the flavour had an interesting, surprisingly savoury hint to it, it was nonetheless a delightful and decadent take on the rich custard dessert, with even the crisp, caramelised top well perfected.<br/><br/>With a menu full of delicious fusion cuisine, we truly loved our experience. I’d highly recommend Lucky Buddha if you are looking for wholesome, hearty food that’s inspired by the many unique, exotic flavours of Asia.<br/><br/>Buddha’s Iced Tea $16<br/>Eggplant $12<br/>King Prawn $26<br/>Duck Breast $30<br/>Red Curry $24<br/>Creme Brulee $12

What a great find!<br/><br/>Amazing Asian fusion place. The interior decor was funky, vibrant, and very inviting.<br/><br/>Service was great, they kept topping up water for us, and gave good recommendations.<br/><br/>I ordered the red curry, which was creamy and flavourful, and packed with ingredients like pumpkin and chick peas. They were served with these crispy pastry things, which were great for dipping with. My friends enjoyed their sea food mains. The steam buns they were served with had wonderful fluffy texture.<br/><br/>We also shared a cream brûlée, which was definitely one of the best I've ever had. The caramel top was crunchy and perfect. The flavour was ginger & miso, which had this complex, almost savory quality to it that was surprisingly delicious. <br/><br/>Very keen to come back and try other items on the menu.

Food: 4.5<br/>Customer Service/Whole Experience: 3.5<br/><br/>Went here last night with friends. There were 7 of us adults, 2 toddlers and a baby. <br/><br/>First impression: The place was nice, with huge paintings on the wall, nice couch on the sides, really nice Asian vibe<br/><br/>Food: They said it's meant for sharing...

My husband and I have been wanting to try this restaurant as it's very close to our offices. So we decided to go there on a Wednesday night. We didn't book for a reservation but we're given a table straightaway as the place is not full (although I heard it gets packed on weekends). <br/><br/>Beautiful interior with high ceiling and modern furnitures. The staff we're nice and friendly as well.<br/><br/>We ordered pork buns for entree then eggplant and lamb ribs (and a cup of rice) for mains. The service was VERY quick! I was surprised that our orders came out quickly. The pork buns were good. The buns were fluffy and the pork was tender and flavourful. But the stars of the show are the eggplant and lamb ribs! I never thought I'd love an eggplant this way. Beautiful flavours and garnished very nicely. And the lamb - sooooo tender and full of flavour. It's sauces matched the meat perfectly. Definitely a must-try!<br/><br/>I'm very happy we tried this restaurant and will keep on coming back!<br/><br/>

Dined at Lucky Buddha on 13 May 2016 and tried the following dishes with a friend for dinner: <br/><br/>- Sriracha steam buns which were $9 each but were quite filling and tasted extremely delicious;<br/>- Eggplant with Parmesan which absolutely melted in my mouth - highly recommended to those who are eggplant or kumara lovers (eggplant tasted sweet like kumaras); <br/>- Lampchops which was recommended to us by the waitress - the lamb was tender but too salty and sweet for my tastebuds, even with a bowl of rice. <br/> <br/>Overall, the food tasted wonderful, presentation was also on point. I would definitely return to try other dishes on the menu.

Came here for dinner for my birthday. Interior design is super nice with Asian ascetics. Pricing for the portion of food I think is quite reasonable the staff are friendly!

We recently moved offices at work, and found this gem across the road! Lucky Buddha is a great Friday lunch work place. Came here with colleagues and got the Chicken Buns and Chicken curry which was like a red curry. So tastey and filling! Enjoyed it and will be back.

Went there for the first time and I couldn't believe how amazing the food was! My two girlfriends and myself all shared plates and the waitress was incredibly helpful with what to pick and recommended fantastic dishes! everything we ate we loved so much, the flavour and texture was incredible. We first started off with the pork buns and they were a lot bigger than what I had expected and we all ordered the beef and lamb ribs. I will defiantly be back again soon.

So hard to get a booking, and even when you do, they give you a strict time limit - adds to the ambience of popularity for this restaurant! However Lucky Buddha certainly did not disappoint, the food was extremely tasty and exhibited flavour that cheaper asian restaurants in Auckland tend to struggle with. The service was prompt and reasonably attentive, and the shared table we sat on ended up being more spacious than a single table for two. Whilst anyone who has travelled through Asia will find the price of food here horrific, it's still nice to be able to experience these flavours at home. Try out their shaved ice  - it's well presented and was very yum.<br/><br/>On a site note - we tried to contact Lucky Buddha to make a booking through Facebook initially, as they aren't open for lunch and it is hard to call through and make a booking on the day. They didn't respond  - until the following week, when they confirmed our booking - for the next Saturday night! I had to call them the following week to advise that we didn't need this booking, as we'd already visited the week prior. In the world of social media savvy, they definitely should keep an eye on their messages through Facebook if they're going to allow them to be sent through their page.

The chicken curry and spicy chicken donburi were the best items. It gets super busy for lunch time and booking ahead would be recommended. Everything on the menu looks good and is definitely worth the price.

Service: 1/10<br/>Food: 7/10<br/>Cleanliness: 5/10<br/>Value for money: 4/10<br/>Overall: 2/5<br/>The food and the environment was good. Service was appalling. The food took 1 hour to come and in the end we had a mini dispute with one of the waiter; for this I will probably not be returning to this restaurants.<br/>

Best Asian-fusion restaurant I've been to in Auckland!! Def a must for those who love Asian cuisine ❤️ <br/><br/>First time I came here with my bf on a Friday night and luckily we got the last table indoors 😊 We were starving so we wanted to order 1 starter and two mains, however the waitress nicely advised us that the portion is quite generous and all dishes are designed to be shared so we opted for 1 starter and 1 main which were the Steamed Buns (thanks Heartshrooms for the recommendation!) and the Beef Shin. When the food came out, OMG!!!! they were insanely delicious, and big 👍🏼The bun alone was quite fulfilling, the tasty pulled porks with pickles, mint and coriander covered in amazing hoisin mixed sauce all in a hot open bun ❤️ The Beef Shin was slow-cooked so it melted in my mouth with a delicious rendang sauce and side salad, perfect to have with rice. It reminded me of the Beef Rendang from Mamak (a popular Malaysian restaurant in city) but propelled to another level. Truly Asian-fusion at its best!!! <br/><br/>Second time I came was on a Saturday evening and got a table outside since it's not dark out yet. We ordered 3 starters and 1 main: the Steamed buns again (yes i'm obsessed), the Karaage chicken, the LB's Tofu and the Angus sirloin steak. The Karaage chicken was classic Japanese, the chicken was so moist, had crunchy and tasty coating, perfect with mayonnaise sauce. The sirloin steak was tasty but over-cooked for me so a bit chewy, it came with a sweet potato purée and side salad. The star of the meal is the LB's Tofu, it's one of those wonderful dishes that you can't stop eating yet won't make you fat ❤️ I have never eaten a more well-seasoned tofu salad. It also has some crunchy rice cakes to add a bit of texture. Again, Lucky Buddha delighted me.<br/><br/>On another note, the service both times was superb. Food came out fast and the waitresses were so attentive and friendly. My cup of water never got empty 👍🏼 The restaurants has a warm soothing tone with lanterns on the ceiling. There is also a full-serviced bar 😉 Overall, I've had wonderful times dining here, so next time you're hungry, give it a go ❤️ definitely no regrets 😊

We walked pass here once before and the name of the restaurant attracted me so much. When we next went there for dinner we were lucky to get a table. This place is so so busy at popular dinner time. Book your table in advance. All the dishes that we ordered were amazing, I love the eggplant especially, it's got the rich peanut butter and cheese flavors. The lamb and pork dishes as our main and there were both well cooked. The lamb was so tender and the pork crackling were just so crunchy. Big thumbs up for this restaurant.

Must go dining place in CBD!<br/>But too much mixed sauce may cause too salty.

One of the better Asian-fusion restaurants in Auckland, Lucky Buddha is definitely a hot spot for food and drink. <br/><br/>They serve a variety of craft Japanese beer and have an excellent selection of cocktails to boot. <br/><br/>Decor and ambience of the place is relaxing, hip, and vibrant. Our group of 7 were delighted at the openness of the restaurant.<br/><br/>We ordered a variety of dishes and one of our favourites was the egg-plant entrée which was colourful and absolutely scrumptious. The lamb rack melts in your mouth and the sauce they use is absolutely divine. <br/><br/>Co-worker had a curry and said the curries were extremely creamy and was a wholesome and powerful meal.<br/><br/>The portion sizes are a little small, however the taste is absolutely fantastic<br/><br/>Showstopper: Lamb Ribs and Eggplant.<br/><br/>Overall rating: B+