Review The Kimchi Project - Auckland Central

Hitesh Patel

This was a great little place tucked away on high street. It's bigger on the inside than it looks and the atmosphere takes you to Asia. Service was great, staff were friendly and helpful. Good actually came pretty quickly and the flavours were great. Everything was delicious and I'm definitely coming back to this place with friends!

He Xu

I have been walking past this place so many times, and I finally got a chance to eat here! The eggplant 🍆 is fantastic; the rice cake is also very nice; the Buddha bowl 🥣 is fine. I would highly recommend the eggplant! It is my favourite, and it tastes very special and tasty 🤤! They also have a yard where you can eat.

Raf K

One of the best Korean restaurants in the city and perhaps country with multiple vegetarian and vegan options, which is additional treat. Everything is just amazing delicious and well seasoned. Vegan kimchi is must try! Lunch special eggplant bhan mi is delicious, but so are dinner options such as kimchi tofu or my favourite mozzarella pancakes. Service is excellent, nice , friendly and polite. Coffee one of the best town, perfect blend and taste, multiple dairy free options. If you feeling like something sweet, there is good selection of various cakes. Kimchi Project has and always be my first food choice when visiting Auckland CBD!

Ran W

Really good space with a nicely designed back garden and well laid out front seating. Good vibes and good, with bold flavours. We had the tempura eggplant, pancakes with a fabulous sauce, and kimchi fried rice with crispy parsnip, and only wished we had a side of kimchi to add to it all.

Matt Ahmed

Everything here was great! Place is nice, food is amazing and the waiters were super friendly. Would definitely come back

Jina Hong

The back of the restaurant has great aesthetic, with amazing ambience and spacious also. The food was really delicious with a concise menu so you don't need to spend ages thinking about what to order. All decently sized with amazing tasting cocktails as well. The steak was well cooked to a medium rare but was a bit plain in flavour. Everything else was great! Good service to top off as well.

Emelia Todd-Lister

We really enjoyed our experience at The Kimchi Project. We got there when it first opened on a Sunday, and the atmosphere was relaxing and quiet - which we really liked. We ordered 2 small share plates (broccolini w ssamjang mayo and the fried chicken) and 2 mains (kimchi fried rice and bulgogi burger. We also ordered a side of the house kimchi. It was so good! My favourites were the broccolini and fried chicken - I think I might order those two for myself next time. All of the food was very fresh and nicely presented. The flavours were really nice, and were unique (I don't think it tasted the same as other Korean restaurants we have been to) - which was nice for a change. I also appreciated the large selection of dairy free options on the menu! Some of the other reviews mention small portion sizes, but we have big appetites and still had a lot to take away for the next day. We will be back!

Vishaka Kinger

I would have given 5 stars on the food, but I felt the portion size was a little smaller. Otherwise, this place is AMAZING!! The kimchi fried rice is simply superb! Also, they don't do the waffle fries anymore!

Ali Steven-Riley

Absolutely loved this surprising hidden garden round the back. Great food, awesome company and if you love craft beers on tap. Be sure to try their branded beer.

Tim Arcus

Unremarkable from the road front. Even as you enter, it looks like a rather drab diner. Feeling a little confused with the empty seats; we were told this place was awesome. After a minute of waiting to be seated we were taken through the drab diner, out the back to what is like another world! A small bar and beautifully set out restaurant. A nice array of plants, colours textures and lighting that together created a nice ambience to dine. Then came the food! Oh my god what lovely, well presented food. Very tasty too. It was a little on the pricey side and we were still a little hungry when we left but an otherwise great experience. Highly recommend a visit.

Sara Hosking

Great place. Extremely fast and friendly service. The food was super tasty and good portions too. We went via first table so we were sat in the front of the restaurant. It was lovely for our date night and even the music was good.

Emma Liang

Went there for dinner and was pleasantly surprised by their nice ambience- the decor was super vibey and Insta worthy. We ordered the kimchi fried rice, bulgogi ciabatta, and glazed purple kumara w/ ice cream for dessert. The mains were fine however the portion is on the smaller side. The highlight was the dessert - the sugary warm kumara paired with the smoothness of the ice cream delivers a delicious combination of flavour and texture. Overall I would say come if you value the dinning ambiance and environment, but the food was mostly on a average level.

Noah Dunlop

I physically cannot review this restaurant in a higher level. I do not often say this, but if you are coming to Auckland and are looking for somewhere nice to eat I insist you go here. The kimchi was refreshing and seasoned oh so we'll, the laksa was probably one of the best I've ever had, the octopus was decadent. The eggplant is an absolute must. One weird bit was the Italian spaghetti in the laksa but it was still delicious. Go Here!!

Irina Iris

Definitely worth a visit to try something new. The chef is doing a really good job. The other staff seemed a bit indifferent in my opinion. I believe some friendly touch/attention would make it a 5 star experience for me. Otherwise, the atmosphere is very nice, thanks for the effort to make it look lovely and cozy.

A A

Good food. Kimchi flavour was mild in dishes to cater for people who are new to kimchi, however they do sell it as a side. Menu variety is on the lower side so hard to justify multiple visits if you’ve tried everything. Service was good, the staff were friendly. The restaurant actually opens up to a courtyard kinda thing if you walk to the end, and clean modern bathrooms. Had this as a first table, can’t go wrong with those prices. Would recommend the bao buns (though chicken ones were a bit dry), calamari, kimchi fries and rice. Personally would avoid eggplant - it was a bit flavourless but I think that’s just me.

Lee Smith

What a delight, the courtyard was magical. The service and food were both excellent. My cocktail was different and delicious.

Vindya Naidu

Nice and cozy place. They did a good job of keeping the place warm. Food was good..fried eggplants were the best Dessert took out all the fun tho coz mine were frozen and hard through out. It did not taste as great as it looked.i personally felt desserts were not worth it if they were frozen, even if properly thawed would have tasted way better.

Madison Sturt

Love this place! Their waffle fries are sooo delicious, aswell as their bao buns. Will defs go back.

Atul Bhateja

So it was birthday dinner and we booked table for two. We ordered Lotus root chips - they looked good, tasted pretty average so 3.5 out of 5. And Spicy Chilli Chicken wings - good presentation, taste amazing n fresh but condiment with this was way too less overall good choice so 4.5 out of 5. And for drinks we ordered Flirty Flamingo x 2 which was a big disappointment as it was served in Champaign glass which I never saw before but ya that's true and taste was average. So 2 out of 5. Now jumping to mains we orders pork belly bao n chicken bao, they both tasted good and with trying but again less sauce inside so again 4.5 out it 5. And along with this we ordered Two ways Korean chicken which was beautifully done came with tiny portion of sides on same serving tray but it was done however no sauce again so we had to ask for it, so 4.5 out of 5. And along with mains we ordered another 2 cocktails, I think Yuzu breeze, thankfully different glass option and taste was way better than expected so may be 4 out of 5. Overall ambience 4.5 out of 5 ( courtyard area) Food 4.5 out of 5 Drinks 2.5 out of 5 Service 4.2 out of 5. Will I go again - Yes Will I try cocktails again - No may be stick to beer or something. Cheers.

A

Great decor, service and vibe. The chicken was standard. Hip young crowd. The noodles used to be good but the menu has changed. I would come here for the coffee and vibe to meet friends (due to great decor) but the food is fusion - not that authentic

Bayleigh Tubman

Amazing atmosphere and great food

Maikayla

We ordered the soft shell crab bun, one was for my 5yr old daughter, so I asked them to serve all the other stuff on the side. My daughter loved her crab bun! My husband and I shared the other one and we loved it too, it had a nice hint of spice but not overly spicy. I was lucky to be able to taste all the salsa, pickle and preserved lemon individually too. For our main, husband and I shared the two-way chicken and we loved it too. The grilled chicken was our favourite, it was tender, juicy, flavourful and not too spicy for our liking. The tempura chicken was nice too. However, we had never been a fan of sweet sauces, so maybe next time would ask them to serve the sauce on the side, so I could control the amount of sauce on my chicken. We ordered the kimchi sampler on the side, they were not the best but they were good enough for me to finish them all. Overall it was a nice family meal, we left happy with the food, ambience and service. We would definitely return to try other items from the menu.

Minnie Min 🐱

The black ink pasta came in 25 minutes after I ordered. It was deliciously seasoned with spices and coated in thick sauce. However, I wish there was someone that mans the reception area as I waited to serve. Furthermore, the delivery time was a little too long as I saw other tables coming in after me have received their food. So customer service delivery could improve in terms of keeping track with customers in their seating.

Breadzania

We ordered the spicy chicken, kids chicken bao, beef bulgogi, fried chicken bao and bbq pork bao. The fried chicken bao was delicious and the best of the lot. The pork bao needed some kinda mayo sauce on it. Kids meals were good too but the spicy chicken wings aren't good.. The batter is too thick and one of the wing is not cooked well with white flour in the batter .. We asked the waitress and she said the chef responded with "its the way we cook the chicken" .. I'm sure good fried chicken doesn't have raw flour or bit of blood coming out? -Anyway overall food is okay. Worth trying on first table

Shubham Heda

Amazing place Fancy place

Katie's Place

Please don't order port bun. It has not much ingrediants inside. Espacially only a few peices of pork... Very very disappointing. Definately not worth $10. Kimchi Laksa.... Hmmmm.... It's definately below average. Felt like I'm eating pasta noodles with laksa taste soup. And this was $21. Totally wasted my money. I should work harder tomorrow to earn that money back.

Lorena Georgio

Nice food.The chicken is good

Bella Qian

Have been coming here since it opened and it never fails to disappoint. Their Korean fusion utilizes the best part of European and Korean cuisine. I mean, kimchi waffle fries?! Just wow. The little hidden area out back gives secret garden vibes and is more than insta worthy. Great for dates and catchups.

Manz

Rating 4.0 A modernised version of Korean. The place feels more like a bar/bristro with the open backyard dinning area. Modernise also mean the prices are somewhat pricier, there are none of the many complimentary sides one expects, even kimchi is a priced side dish. Nevertheless, they’re so popular because the food are delicious. The BBQ short ribs with gochujang sauce was definitely a winner.

Michelle W

Been here many times over many years and food has always been good - eggplant dish and soft shell crab bun, and the kimchi fried rice. Breakfast is decent - Nice sandwiches. Coffee is good. Might need to tone down the spice on some dishes, and reduce how much garlic is in the pasta. Also the kimchi is only just ok - but it isn’t really a Korean restaurant so the fusion part makes it ok. Prices can be steep but I reckon it is justified. Always book a table because there usually isn’t any seating. This service has become stingy over the years. If you bring your own cake they charge $2 per person who had a cake serving - even after requesting a minimum spend of $30pp. Why can’t it even just be $1? You are ripping people off, who just want a good time without being reminded that they need to spend more money. I’ve never had to be charged for cake at any other restaurant. BYO cake??? Never heard of her. However it was redeeming that they brought out the cake with candles and sung us a song. Needless to say, the food is good enough to make up for it and enough for me to be going back.

FoodiesTable

Squid Ink Pasta: not gonna lie we felt pretty cool 😎eating black pasta hehe. What surprised us was that the pasta is very light, very garlicky and a mild sweetness 🍯to it. We expected the squid to be hard but it was actually the most tender squid🦑 we have had. And can you see the prawns🦐?! It was so big so juicy💦. * * Salmon Sashimi Salad🥗: super fresh choice if you feel like something light and healthy. Delicious salmon pieces. Renkon chips 😋adding the crunch. * * Kimchi Waffle Fries: to be honest their kimchi fries 🍟used to be better. It used to have loads of sauce and big pieces of kimchi. Now it seems to have less😞 so it is just like normal fries at the end.

BarbaYani

Beautiful courtyard and selection of food. Heads up, the fried rice doesn't accept bulgogi side on it as it gives the Chef a frozen shoulder to put it on although tempura prawns are fine to order on the top of it. I just felt the sarcasm of the Chef and wanted to share it.

Felicia

We ordered the squid ink pasta, Buddha bowl, soft shell crab bao, pulled pork bao and one of the Warrior Kambucha. We wanted some Asahi but they were out of it (on a Saturday evening too I might add). But overall, the food was unique and tasty. :)

Spyro

Had a nice time with my friends. We ordered 3 plates and all of us managed to walk out stuffed. The food was well seasoned and the ambience was nice too. I would go back.

Kylie

I used to love this place but had a really bad experience recently. Full disclosure, we booked via First Table. Service was really bad - we were told to sit down wherever we wanted in the front area but then no one came to bring us a menu and we had to ask for them. After we ordered, we thought maybe the food was taking a while because the inside area was busy but then we noticed a group that had ordered after us had started getting their food and some of what they ordered was the same things that we ordered. After waiting ~35 minutes, we asked a server about our food and she said she would check on it for us. After waiting another 10 or so minutes, I asked again since no one had come back to update us. Finally, we were told that our food was coming out. We did not start getting any food until 45 minutes after we ordered, which I would have been okay with if I didn’t see other diners getting the same items way earlier, I feel like they just forgot our order. Luckily most of the food was good otherwise the whole experience would have been awful. The squid ink pasta and soft shell crab bao were the best, and I would recommend them if I could recommend this restaurant. The waffle fries weren’t as good as I remember and definitely not worth the money.

Brad Vidovich

Great food and staff tasty and fast service you got to try it!!!! Its value for money and fast service

LilianMonaghan

Always wanted to try this hidden gem and finally we made it. We had super high expectations because of the high ratings but got a bit disappointed in terms of the slow service and food. We ordered Kimchi Bacon Pasta, chilli fried chicken with rice and crab bun. Kimchi Bacon pasta: 4/5 so flavourful and tasty Chilli fried chicken with rice:3/5 the rice and salad lacked flavour and seasoning so I had to ask for more sriracha to spicy it up and the fried chicken was just average as well. Crab bun: 2.5/5 very small for $12 and tasted a bit weird when the crab came with tomato sauce It’s a very instagramable place to grab food but definitely not recommend when you just want a quick lunch because you have to wait for ages to get your food.

RB

Food was tasty and the atmosphere was cool! Service was great too.

The Poor Foodie

I got the Buddha bowl. The egg was super nicely made! Runny yolk and blended in well with other ingredients. The chilli paste was really nice but I’m not good at eating spicy food so I added a bit only. This is kinda like a fusion version of korean bibimbap. But the serving size was too small with the price of $19 :( My friend got tempera fish and kimchi fries. The fries were really nice and I like dipping them into the mayo while my friend dipped the fish into the chilli paste I got 😂

Renie

Authentic Korean cuisine. The couched seats are very comfortable and nice as a cafe if theres not too many people!

Nidhi Wadhwani

Absolutely disappointed with the way this place works, I have been there 3 times now and they always seem to be closed. Zomato says they are open till 11 pm. I tried calling them yesterday, but it went straight to voice mail, I tried booking a table through Zomato, it didn't go through, I reached there at about 8:45 pm and they told me it's closed. When I explained to her that you need to change your hours on Zomato because it is misleading, the server just kept on telling me that oh we don't do Zomato gold anymore and then I repeatedly tried to explain that's not what I mean, I mean your timings on it, but she didn't seem like she was in the mood to listen or take any kind of feedback. This is literally the third time that has happened to me and I don't think i ever want to go back for another go.

Husk Creative

Don’t be deceived by the small frontage of this place - the restaurant spills out into a lush, tropical-feeling courtyard tucked away out of street view. On this brisk winter's day, we were mega-thankful for the readily-provided blankets and heater. The menu offers a lovely range, with a cheeky Instagram stalk able to provide some guidance for our orders (when in doubt, refer to Insta). The shared Kimchi Waffle Fries and Lotus Root Chips were demolished in no time. The food, although beautifully presented, wasn’t the most flavoursome. Nonetheless, the helpful waitstaff and lovely atmosphere ensured a lovely lunch for all. With the infamous fried chicken not available all day (though this may have been our misread of the menu in hindsight), we might have to squeeze in a post-work dinner visit sometime soon. Check out our individual food reviews here: husk.co.nz/lunches/the-kimchi-project-aug-2019

Nashi Dasgupta

We had been waiting to try this place out! Finally got a chance and we made reservations. This place is quite famous and its always busy. I would suggest to reserve a table in advance out of my personal experience since we were twice told they had no table in the past when we had just walked in (especially durimg weekends) which is fair enough. I like baos and my friends had suggested to try that out . Their ambience is super cool, very lively and fresh especially the courtyard which is the backside seating. We ordered Tempura Buns (Korean bao) it was a nice filling bun with fresh stuffing. Something different from what I have had at other bao places. Its teally good in taste & texture. The tempura chicken is delicious and is serves with a tangy sweet chilli tamarind kind of sauce. The other dish we tried was the Buddha Bowl. Very good portion for two people. It was very nice and healthy. I loved the cucumber kimchi serving with beans and wild rice. Thanks guys for the sweet service.

Flavourbomb

Came in on a Saturday for late lunch around 2:40, reminder that Jungle area closes at 3pm and opens at 5pm for dinner. Nevertheless ambience inside is cool, real plants hangs on the ceiling. Highlight: kimchi fried rice + fast service + clean Okey: chilli chicken on rice & kimchi waffle fries Lowlight: price for added pork belly on kimchi fried rice is pricey for the portion. Indeed its a korean fusion restaurant, I recommend this place for those who wants to start and explore korean dishes.

LV.N

for kimchi the food was very bland, but filling enough. I was surprised at how mild the kimchi fries were, and the bao despite a chilli sign on the menu...could have been better.

Hao Chang

Came here because if Zomato gold membership. I think with his membership it meets expectations. This place is more for lovers to spend time talking about love, business black people to sign some deals.

Shannon

Great Korean fusion restaurant in the city! Summary: Food Taste: 5 stars Food Presentation: 5 stars Service: 5 stars Ambience: 5 stars Price: 5 stars I've been here quite a few times and it's been prefect every time! My favorite menu is Kimchi pasta with prawns. Noodles cooked to al dente, it's just perfect! and the deep fried prawns are crispy and fresh every time! I like steamed(could be boiled) prawns better but sadly they are now changed to deep fried prawns but I still love it! Staffs are very friendly and food gets served promptly. Barista made takeaway coffee for me was very friendly too. I can't fault this place! I hope they run this business long!

Michelle Chen

The noodle was not softened enough, the salmon was too fatty ~ the service can be generally good ~ will come back to try on others ~

Ricky Bhat

Food is quite good and interesting, service was a bit let down by inconsiderate staff but overall a good dining experience. recommended to try out

Johnson Wang

Cozy seating area in the back garden shed. Family friendly but also great for dinner dates.

Tom

Pretty good food here and all service was a bit 50-50 and some errors with zomato gold but all good.

Phillips

2nd time back at here but it felt like the portion size has shrunk since I had to give my Zomato Gold number first. Besides that, some of the ingredients of my dish was missing and the staff didn’t even inform me about the lack of ingredients until I compared to my previous picture of the time I visited here. Rather disappointed.

Joohee Grace Park

Came here on zomato gold - super pretty place, make sure you get a chance to dine in their back garden! Food was 5/5 and friendly staff too. Will definitely come back :)

Sing4grace

Honestly is a very good environment and attentive and welcoming staff however the food is not a filling amount and very greasy. I don’t know if I would go again but it’s a decent fusion restaurant and I like the way they plate the food and etc

Minh Thu

The meal was great, the kimchi fried rice was brilliant. The portion and quality of it was great, especially for lunch. The scenery was beautiful too, like an actual secret garden, a hidden gem in the city

MeeraTheFoodie

@thekimchiproject with @zomatogold 🥰 I highly recommend the kimchi pasta with tempura chicken 🤤🤤 my friends had the chilli chicken (picture 1) and the korean bbq pork rice (pictured on the table) The food was hella good and very aesthetically pleasing! The service wasn't too long and the servers were really nice! (Also the atmosphere is great!)

Flavia W

Been here once, but unfortunately this second visit wasn't so nice. We had made a booking (through the zomato app) one day prior, and received a confirmation email. Turned up to the restaurant, only to be told that they didn't receive the booking. Even after showing the email they could only offer us a small, cramped space on the balcony. Decided to let it go and enjoy the food. However after we paid, we realised our zomato gold unlock wasn't processed. Which was ridiculous since we had definitely shown it to the waitress when she took our order. Only to be told that the waitress forgot to write it down in the order. Even worse, they couldn't refund our money but only offer "complementary cakes", which probably have been sitting there for hours. Two mistakes in one night has unfortunately made it a terrible experience. A shame, since we really enjoyed the food.

@Happyeatereats On Instagram

I’ve been wanting to try out @thekimchiproject for ageeees to see what the hype was about and thanks to finding a car park (for once) and @zomatogold I finally got to go. 🥢🥳 . . I had the Mushroom and Yuzu salad with some kimchi fries to share. 🥗 . . The yuzu mushroom salad (GF, VE, DF) was actually so so delicious 😋. The Baby potato’s were so flavourful and crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside. The mushrooms soaked up all the flavours from the salad and were bursting with flavour. The yuzu dressing was very light but I didn’t mind as it brought the salad together really nicely. 🔥 I’m ngl, as tasty as it was, it was definitely a little pricy for $17 considering it is made up of mostly lettuce and the portion wasn’t very large. 💯 for flavour, (7/10) overall. 💖 . The famous kimchi waffle fries were so crispy and fluffy! There was not a soggy chip to be seen. I definitely would have liked more kimchi and spice but that could just be a personal preference. Also, once again, $15 is a lot to pay for waffle fries... 🤨7/10 . The last slide is of a long black we ordered! The cup was so cute I thought I’d include it 😍 . . Overall, @thekimchiproject has amazing service and has hit their fusion flavour combos spot on. They also have a crazy cute interior down the back. It is definitely a little overpriced for what it is and the portion sizes but the cafe vibes are nice. . ( from my insta food gram @happyeatereats )

Andrew

Waited 45 minutes for our order. After 30 minutes they came and apologised saying our order didn't go to the kitchen. The food took another 15 minutes to arrive. Although this may have been an honest mistake and 3 different staff members apologised to us, it was not a great experience. When the meals arrived, they were nicely presented but rather small. We certainly won't be back in a hurry.

Mark Choi

Kimchi Bacon Pasta is original without being too spicy, their ice tea also compliment well to the Korean style spicyness in their cooking. I would imagine it gets better with a crowd, few alcohol and Soju

Candice Stewart

I have very mixed reviews about this place... The food is good but the portions are tiny and its overpriced! Then the staff are also very rude so it takes away from the fact that the food is nice? Makes the whole experience a bit sour..

Becky Kuang

Korean fusion place. Nice food and big portion for lunch. We ordered kimichi fried rice, bbq pork on rice and softbrab bun. Will come back again to try other dishes.

Dillon Mitchell

Wait staff were considerate enough to actively seek a quieter seat for us(think Livia was her name) as we were seated next to a loud function. Other than that food was great but was hard to get value from zomato gold with the excluded menu. Highly recommend the crispy eggplant. Great atmosphere too.

Cosmostar Wu

Food 4/5 Service 3/5 Ambience 5/5 Price 4/5

Citra.bakhtiar

Excellent food and service!!

Karate Watah

▫️Food: 🥢 Buddha bowl + bulgogi beef 🥢 Kimchi bacon pasta + tempura chicken. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce is really nice. Recommended!! 👍🏻 ▫️Price: Worth it! If use Zomato gold 🌟Ambience: The little garden was really pretty!!

Jonathan Chau

You HAVE to go there after 11am because The Jungle is only open then. The front cafe is just a normal cafe, but the back section is amazing. It’s decorated with palm trees, lanterns, and umbrellas, and looks super fusion. Kimchi fried rice is a staple and I always eat at home too, but that pork belly (+$5) is amazing with the sauce. Kimchi bacon pasta is also really good but the extra prawn was very extra. Kimchi waffle fries is a must for a first timer. It’ll be a perfect combination with a beer. Overall, the service, vibes and the food was amazing and this place is really one of a kind. Thanks so much !

Steven Philalom

Came here with my friend and used my Zomato Gold. Super friendly staff, very relaxed atmosphere and an overall pleasuremable experience. I had the lunch set, which surpassed expectations, the side dishes worked well with the main beef dish and the rice was delicious! Definitely would come again.

Dewey Wu

Love the atmosphere and the decoration especially the bamboo. The food was awesome. Will definitely come back again.

Daisy Fu

One of the staff members was very rude. Food wise, I've been to a lot restaurants in Auckland and this is definitely by far one of the worst! Tempura chicken from the kids menu was burt to black, laksa had hard spaghetti noodle in it. Lunch set was also very rough. This restaurant clearly failed in understanding fusion. Their combinations are just not working. There are so many better Korean restaurants to choose from in town. We will never go back to this place, a total disappointmemt.

Stayc

Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5 This place seems small from the outside but they have more beautifully decorated space at the back. They sell Korean and other country fusion food but most of their order tastes above average and some of them are very tasty. This place is also ideal for birthdays but make sure to book in advance because they were almost full every time I went there. Service can definitely improve with a couple of workers.

Manik Bhatia

Great food with great ambiance. It was the first time I went to this place and got amazed with the food, customer service. One of the best places I went! Also best is they are Zomato Gold partner and serve the food without compromising with the quality. Price is good as well. In addition to above, they have secret dining (When you enter the place, the feel you get is like a regular cafe but when you go bit ahead, you see the beauty of the place). ;-)

Amy Zhang (25% OFF Zomato Gold Code: WANS1150)

This is my first 2 star ever for a place. The service and ambience was very good. But I ordered seafood kimchi laksa, when the food came it smelled a bit funny, the soup smelled a bit like the out of date oil. But I didn't take it seriousely, because the ambience are nice and clean. But later that night my stamoch feel sick. Asked my friend and he feels the same too. I think their food should be cleaner, I personally won't go there again. Sorry

GG

The salad was like dipping all the vegetables into soy sauce but the tomato pickles taste pretty special. The waffle fries was a little bit let me down，not crispy at all and pretty dry the sour cream sauce on top is not enough. The kimchi in the fries was totally out of flavor.

Hannah Zheng

Really enjoyed eating here and not only was the service amazing, the atmosphere and aesthetics of the place was really enjoyable. We had the Buddha bowl with the beef added to it and the Kimchi fried rice along with the kimchi sampler and slow-cooked pulled pork bun. All the dishes were honestly so good but the kimchi sampler was a little disappointing as only one of them had flavour that I enjoyed. But overall a really great place to eat!

Sana Patel

Kimchi fried rice was surprisingly good!

Regie

Another hidden gem located in Lorne St, Auckland. Love the ambiance of this place. A good place to catch up with friends in a very relax and cozy settings. Korean BBQ Pork Rice, soft shell crab bun, kimchi waffle and Kimchi rice with pork belly are some of our favorites. ❤️ Rating out of 10 Food: 8 Service: 8 Value: 8 Ambience: 8

TheKumara

Great food. Has a nice outdoor/undercover type dinner area with nice greenery. Had the soft shell crab and bao buns which were excellent. Would recommend.

Bean

tried this place for dinner the other day because we saw it popped up on gold. it's normally one you sort of walk past without knowing. but I must say I was very impressed service was top notch food was also very good. will certainly be back to try the rest of the menu.

Shannon

Good coffee and hot chocolates here. Love the mugs they use. The decor is really nice, and they have a large covered courtyard area at the back which has been fitted out beautifully. The first time I came here for dinner I found it a bit pricey for the portion size, but definitely can’t complain now they are on zomato gold.

S Sun

Staff here are very friendly and welcoming. Ordered the Buddha bowl and seafood Laska. Both very tasty.

R R

Incredible food and amazing place to go for a catchup with friends or family outing. Recently started offering a baked aubergine dish and highly recommend it.

Benedict Uy

From the front it looks like the other cafes in the area, fairly thin with limited seating. the magic happens when you walk towards the back to the hidden garden area. The outdoor area is fully covered and has quite a few tables. The ambiance is also quite nice with the greenery and floating umbrellas and lamps. We had booked a table for the Restaurant month. We were able to split the table so that some could do the set menu and others could just order from their normal menu which was really nice. I had the 3 course vegan menu. Started with the salad which was nicely dressed, followed by the kimchi and olive oil spaghetti. The portion wasn't too bad and the flavours were alright, you couldn't really tell there was kimchi in it, only lots of garlic. The buddha bowl was also quite nice with the chili sauce on the side. We also had the soju stack which was fun as we weren't sure which soju we had until we sipped it. It is a nice place for a meal, particularly if you can get into the garden but the front area is also quite nice with the booths. Friendly and helpful service so you can't go wrong here.

Éimear Clancy

Seafood laksa was really delicious and creamy. I wish there were a few more kinds of seafood - then it would be 5/5! Food came quickly and the service was really excellent. The servers were attentive & friendly. Altogether an enjoyable spot in the city center. I'll be back! I would note that a few people did get turned away as the kitchen closes much earlier than 11pm. I would recommend getting in before 8.30pm if you don't want to miss out.

Nicola

Service was lovely and setting was comfortable. We were the last customers there after having a late lunch and did not feel rushed or pressured to leave. Food was so tasty and filling! We ordered the lunch set and the Buddha bowl with beef. Definitely returning to try other dishes. Highly recommend.

Evayang8885

Friendly staff, easy to use zomato gold. Food was tasty too. Infusion Korean style. The environment is a highlight. it is not a small restaurant, they have a outdoor dinning area at back, which looks very fancy and suitable for friends and group gathering:)

Vy2 - 20% OFF ZOMATO GOLD “IVYWIT”

Our first attempt of Korean fusion cuisine. They have brought kimchi to a whole new level! Who would have known kimchi would go so well with laksa and cream? The laksa soup was full of flavour. The real surprise was instead if using traditional thick wheat noodle or rice vermicelli, they have used spaghetti! The kimchi pasta was also really yummy, but i found the cream a bit too heavy and felt a little off-putting towards the end. Overall, a great dining experience, will definitely come back to try more dishes!

Harsen Agon

I love the vibe of this place. My mom and I had the Southland Salmon Ceviche and K BBQ pork rice. The dishes were beautiful and so flavourful. The cucumber complemented the freshness of the salmon; the sesame dressing and sriracha danced beautifully on my tastebuds. It was like a poké bowl with a very nice depth of flavour. The kbbq pork with the horseradish cream was also very nice. It would have been nice if the portions were bigger because we were still very hungry after. But we highly recommend this for the taste of the food.

Kimberley Brown

Highly recommend the kimchi seafood laksa - my bowl was completely clean at the end!

Purita Mok

Had our team lunch here, and I was pleasantly surprised with the vegan offerings. Had the crunchy eggplant bun, the yuzu mushroom salad and a maple walnut tea. Everything was delicious. I especially enjoyed the mix of flavours in the salad with warm baby potatoes.

Sarah Tran

Came here without booking in advance, we got bar seats which were fine with a nice view towards the bar. The food was amazing. I would definitely come back for the buns. There was one thing that made us unhappy on my visit, I asked for some water when we finished our order. After 7-10mins, I didn’t get any so I just came to the bar which I thought I could get water by myself because there were glasses on the front shelf. Then the bar girl came from nowhere seemed quite uncomfortable seeing me serving myself water, she told me just to ask them for water (she just said so and I still had to brought back two glasses of water to my tables eventually). Well, I asked for like 10mins ago then we were wondering it was gonna be water self served. If it wasn’t, could you just tell us nicely or at least brought water for us without being asked.

Inkyong Isabel Kim

New style of Korean fusion food! Kimchi Laksanoodle was so good to me Smart try and a good result with kimchi. Will visit again definitely:)

Rachel

It took too long to order and serve food. So we wanted to place more orders, but we did not. The food was so delicious but amont was a litter short and next time I will ear various kinds of memu.

Ang Sarap

It’s our third time here, second time to review them and every moment that I had been here was simply amazing. The food was spot on and had tried out something interesting, something new. This is also the same case to those of my friends I recommended this to, so if you haven’t tried this place then do so.

Code 9527

What a lovely place! Sweet ambiance, extremely welcoming service, no fussy to Zomato Gold members. Short and clear, love it. Pro restaurant.

Sabrina Hea

I’ve been here twice before and always enjoyed the food but never came unless it was for a special occasion as the prices are usually quite expensive for the portions you get. This time round I used zomato gold. Service was lovely as always and using zomato gold was not a problem! We ordered the kimchi fried rice and the Buddha bowl. The portions for these dishes were actually pretty decent sized in respect to their prices to my surprise. Both dishes come with a small saucer of gochujang. The Buddha bowl was lovely and very filling- we also got bulgogi beef as an extra. The kimchi fried rice- it doesn’t taste like your tradition korean kimchi fried rice so in that sense I was a little disappointed however the dish itself was still okay. We did get pork belly as an extra for this and it was amazing! Super soft and tender.

David Chen

The ambience here was great. My Kimchi Fried Rice with the pork belly was superb but the added chicken to the bacon pasta was a bit dry and that really put a dent in our experience. The courtyard at the back is fantastic and a good selection of drinks were available.

Lucy McSweeney

Nice ambience but the Restaurant month menu was really disappointing. salad was weird with yuzu but also cheese??? There were only 2 prawns in prawn pasta and beef was super tough. The fusion type elements just didn’t fuse. Soft shell crab bao was ok but could do with some more sauce.

Tony Ma

Improved substantially since first opened. Healthy beautiful delicious satisfying. Will be going more frequently from now on. Service: 4/5 Food Quality: 5/5 Food Quantity: 5/5 Presentation: 4.5/5 Environment: 4.5/5 Price per person: $20-$25 w/ ZGold

Janis

Delicious, clean, presentable meals and great selection of food and drinks. We enjoyed the fried chicken, soft shell crab is a must and kimchi fried rice is good too!

Samantha Badilles

My lunch experience here was amazing! My friend and I enjoyed everything we ordered! It’s good that they had vegetarian options! I would love to come back again!

Manoj Patel

The soft shell crab bao was nice but could've been better with some sauce, there was some sort of relish with it but a seafood type sauce wouldve been great. The mixed platter was good but could've been better. Staff were friendly.

“YUHE1513” - 20% OFF ZOMATO GOLD - HUGH

Beautiful and warm environment. Requires early booking for busy Friday night. Food was good and reasonably priced. No issue to redeem Buy 1 Free 1 on mains with Zomato Gold.

[JEAN2095 For 20% Off Zomato Gold Code)

Had always wanted to try the Kimchi project because of the raves we have seen on zomato. Finally had the chance to and we ordered the Kimchi waffle fries and also the kimchi fried rice (we chose the pork belly add on). Was thoroughly impressed with the pork belly (it's really yummy and melts in your mouth). The kimchi here is not exactly the authentic kimchi you'd taste in Korea. It's less spicy and not as sour so it was pretty underwhelming in our opinion. However, with zomato gold it's really worth the price paid and the courtyard where we were seated at had a lovely and romantic ambience. So it's great for dates. Quote 'JEAN2095' for 20% off zomato gold Membership. Great deal!

Medium_Rare

A monthly spot for me when I’m catching up with people in the CBD, Kimchi Project is one of the best spots in applying your Zomato Gold. I’m also a huge fan of Kimchi Project and that’s actually quite hard for me since I’m usually the biggest skeptic of Asian fusion restaurants. What attracts me to this place and keeps me coming back is the awesome court yard they have. The lighting, candles on tables, plants, openness and feng shui inspired setting it’s probably my number 1 recommend date spot to friends. When its crowded and you are in one of the two person tables, you’re still allowed an intimate experience thanks to the unique architecture. With such exquisite and meticulous layout, you’ll assume that the service and atmosphere would be rather professional. In reality that’s not the case at all, the staff are easy going people and the feeling is rather chill. A tranquil feeling is combined with superb food and drink. They serve up some awesome cocktails the White Lotus provides a blast of freshness and the Little Rose addictive. My go to was the Blush/Flush drink? Can’t remember the exact name but it was a fun and fruity concoction. In terms of the food, the Kimchi Project does an honorable job of staying true to your traditional Korean flavors. The kimchi fried rice was stunning, the color and the fiery taste is a personal favorite. If you want more of a kick the Chilli wings would be a good choice, the sauce is straight fire. The Eggplant combines the sweet and salty flavors of the plum soy sauce with garlic well. Want a more carb-like meal? Kimchi Waffles would more than satisfy that urge. Looking after the body and want to just consume straight protein? The Chicken platter with its Gochjung sauce and crispy katsu, gives you two completely different flavors and textures. Truly one of the top spots in Auckland and my favorite Asian fusion restaurant. Showstopper: For food the Kimchi Fried Rice, Egg Plant and the Chicken Platter. Drinks the flushing/blushing one and White Lotus. Overall Grade: A+

Romee K

I am not a big fan of fusion food and this restaurant didnt do a magic to change my mind. I tried chilli chicken on rice and deep fried chicken in it was quite hard to bite. I think it was deep fried again after pre-made. Didnt quite like the Kimchi waffle fries either. The fries were nice but didnt go very well with Kimchi. Anyway, this is one place I would not return.

James

Coming for lunch, staff was friendly and service was fast and good, the setting is very cute. Definitely recommend to friends and come back again.

Cushla Foley

Super impressed with the service and the food! Delicious delicious delicious! I had the Korean pork fried rice. The best boo Choy on it I have ever had! I will be back to try more things on the menu!

Stephanie Qin

Ordered kimchi fried rice soft shell crab bao. Have to say the bao was yummy but nothing too special. Kimchi fried rice was really nice though! Good balance of kimchi to everything else.

Timothyxrwang

food 4/5 service 4.5/5 ambiance 5/5 good value for Zomato gold that has food 1+1. spent $36 for these three nice and delicious dishes. The decoration is outstanding, especially the lighting.

Vishal Rai

Been for the first time. Very cute looking place. Tried their fried chicken rice and honey ginger tea. Love their food and tea. Will surely go again.

Rosie Mae

Food is always good and courtyard is beautiful, such a hidden gem in the City. Always a great place to meet friends and highly recommend the Kimchi Waffle Fries

Tiger Li

The food is like all other cafes but portion is slightly lower than others. But the location and service is good. I'd suggest the dry dishes as they seemed nicer than the soup meals

Tanuj

Great place with great food. This restaurant serves Korean cuisine. Some great unique and yummy dishes . The kimchi fried rice was the best. The buns were good too. Small place located in the downtown with good and quick service! We thoroughly enjoyed our food and a must visit in Auckland for a different cuisine from the usual.

Lily

We visited this place for dinner on the weekend. Ordered pasta, kimchi fried rice & waffle fries, all of the food was well presented, i don't really rate kimchi, but my partner loves it, the kimchi fried rice was unsuspectingly nice, not too overwhelming and really nice flavour, the pasta however was tasty at the start, but towards the end got a little sickening with creaminess, as all creamy pastas do. The outdoor area out the back is beautifully set up and is a nice spot to relax in. Staff are also very friendly.

Pig Cat

Good value with Zomato gold 1+1. About $50 for two people with quality dinner and absolutely nice dining ambience. We had seafood laksa, roast beef rice and salad. Salmon salad was the best of all. Laksa soup base fusion with kimchi also taste surprisingly good, but not many seafood in the laksa, only 2 prawn and 1 diamond clam. Will come back next time if we have no clues where to eat around.

BlankLove

Summary: Taste - 5/5 Quantity - 3/5 Environment - 5/5 Service - 5/5 Cleanliness - 5/5 Price - lean towards the pricey side (without gold) Revisiting this place after a long time since it has gold zomato. I would say it is pretty worth as it cost $21 for both dishes in total. We ordered pork with rice and tempura fish with waffle fries. Both dishes were decent, the flavor for the pork on rice was very delicious but the meat weren’t that tender. The tempura fish is great, not the ordinary fish and chips taste, it’s very light and not salty. This is a good place to visit since the environment is pretty good. It’s nice and cozy, very warm as the heaters were on. It’s a nice place to dine in when it is raining outside (which was the case for us). Lastly, come here for a date is pretty good, a little bit classy but still affordable.

Marnelli

Had lunch having a bit of expectation since there’s always someone gushing about The Kimchi Project. The service was okay, partly friendly, some parts confused. The garden area’s ambience is always nice to be in. I’ve had their kimchi fries before so I decided to try other things. The Buddha bowl was a definite hit for me. It was like a nontraditional bibimbap. The matcha latte and wontons were nice but nothing special. I think the letdown for me were the baos. Well first they forgot that we ordered the bao buns and when I finally did get mine it was a bit lacklustre. There wasn’t much flavour especially on the soft shell crab bao. I think I’ll stick to just kimchi stuff when I go back.

Anthony King

First timer here - the staff were all super friendly, the place had such a relaxed vibe out in the courtyard where we sat. We ordered the Chilli Chicken on Rice, Kim Chi and Chilli Waffle Fries along with some drinks. Everything tasted amazing. Will definitely return.

Chang-Yu David Huang

Great service. We had our two years old daughter with us and the waiter was very considerate in where we could seat for the high chair the got. The food were great. We had the pasta, egg plant and the bbq pork on rice. Great taste. The richness of the pasta was just about right. The “back” of the restaurant was quite surprisingly spacious and relaxing. Certainly wasn’t expecting this good atmosphere to be found on Lorne St.

Coco_Clairy

Pretty good experience. Had been here for lots of times for lunch but first time for dinner. Food was as good as always. The only time did not got a seat in the yard, which is the biggest attractive point to me. That’s why I rated this place 4/5 but not 5/5 as always...

Louise

The ambience here is really lovely, and I remember coming here quite often when it first opened, especially for the Kimchi Waffle fries. However, I feel like it's not as good as it used to be. I definitely think its well worth it with Zomato gold to come here and get a nice lunch. Generally, the food is a little overpriced for what it is (not really an issue if you have zomato gold). I vaguely remember the waffle fries being around 25 dollars (I think there was also bacon in it), but I noticed that its around 15 dollars now and there's a slight change to the ingredients! I think the price is definitely more affordable, but I wish they could have an add in option for some protein too! The service is average, I feel like because the place gets quite busy, the server forgot about us and my friend went to get the water herself because we couldn't get the attention of the waitresses. The staff are quite welcoming - even after they closed the courtyard they offered to let us stay in the cafe area even though we had finished our food. Overall definitely a nice place to come and have a catch up session especially in the courtyard! Would definitely recommend if you have zomato gold as well!!!

Eat_Out

I’ll be honest, would not have gone into kimchi project if it hadn’t been for zomato gold. Very inconspicuous shop front that looks more like a tea shop than a bistro. The courtyard is the selling point - nestled between four sides of concrete buildings. It feels cosy, yet well spaced out. The food is above average, Korean flavors and ingredients mixed with favorites such as laksa or carbonara pasta. Good place for semi casual dinner and drinks

Tez

Beautiful little resto. The garden at the back is really cool. Food was good and a touch of healthy stuff. Pricing is not that bad. Staff are attentive as well.

Sehaj Mehra

The best place to go either for a date or with a group of friends. Everything that is served in the menu is top notch. Have been here multiple times and still going strong. Love the hot wings and kimchi salad dressing. Lovely staff and amazing service. Cheers 🍻

Alix

Food - 3/5 Service - 2/5 Ambiance - 4/5 Food was good and presented nicely. I am a zomato gold member so I paid less but I think the portion is a bit small for its menu price. The Seafood Kimchi Laksa was delicious but I am not sure how the kimchi is incorporated into the dish as I can’t seem to to taste the kimchi flavour. Pork on rice was okay, it’s delicious but could be better. It took them 55 mins fo serve our food. I followed up 40 mins after we ordered and the staff went back to us to ask who took our order. The staff who took our order then came to say that our food will be ready in a few more minutes. Food arrived around 15 mins later. There was no explanation given so I am assuming the long wait is normal in this restaurant. Ambiance is wonderful and very cozy. It’s the kind of place you’d want to go to if you want to stay long and catch up with your friend (I guess this somehow justifies the long wait?) Ambiance would have been 5/5 if not for the disposable cups stacked on the shelf by the wall.

Sam Bazalo

Deep friend aubergine is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 so good!! The bao’s are good. The kimchi fried rice is nice as well. Atmosphere is really out back is epic in the courtyard. Good service.

Alma Eats

With a gorgeous courtyard, this is a great spot to eat and relax during your lunch break or an after-work feed. I haven't been here since January 2017 when it was relatively new because it was relatively expensive for its portions, but its been on Zomato Gold since the beginning so a second visit was definitely overdue. Its also conveniently close to uni. The beautiful 'secret garden' courtyard is still the same but the menu has changed up with variety of Korean fusion options. Their Kimchi Fried Rice, which you can pair with pork belly or tempura prawn, is clearly a popular choice with three of us ordering it, whilst I got the Kimchi Pasta - a rarity for me to eat kimchi but a neat twist to the traditional pasta. We also ordered the Tempura Fish Waffle Fries and a Soft Shell Crab Bao to share but the mains were definitely better. Check out my insta @ohmyfoodiegoodie to follow more of my tried eats.

Ellie

I’ve been to The Kimchi Project twice and I can honestly say that both times were truly exceptional! Nice presentation, nice food, nice atmosphere.

Hriday Shah

Have been here a few times now and enjoy the food and atmosphere every time. The staff are friendly and attentive. Finding a car park to get to the restaurant can be a bit of a pain but it's worth the hassle to eat here.

Calosa Nema

Very gooood laksa! It said kimchi laksa but I didnt taste any kimchi as it is more laksa-ie, but its still good! So I ain't complain 😂😂 my friend got the kimchi bacon pasta! Which taste like carbonara but sweet! But its goood so we ain't complain either 😂😂 thank you Zomato Gold! The service is amazing the place is amazing! So Yeaaahhh

Egor Laptev

Rice was cold and pork is not soft - food is average... Seving is fast tho. Staff forgot to bring water and need to remind again to have some tap water... it used to be a nice place before it has changed.

Adrianna Hannan

Amazing little outdoor bar, the food menu was super thorough and had something for everyone. Even on a Sunday evening the vibe was fun and the place was busy. Pays to get there early if you want to sit in the courtyard.

Liam Roberts

Dined here on a weeknight, the garden area was quite busy so my partner and I had to share a table with another family 👵🌳 (which was totally fine). The food was reasonable, quite expensive given the portion size but I gather you pay for the fit out. Staff took a while to seat us but apologied for any delays on our way out. 👸

Vivian C

I had been here a few times when they first opened up a few years ago, but had not returned afterwards even though I have fond memories, as the price was a bit steep. So I was very excited to see that I could use my Gold membership here and save quite a bit. I ordered the Rose Earl Grey Tea Latte and Korean BBQ Pork Rice while my friend got a Cold Brew and Kimchi Fried Rice w/ Pork Belly. I thought the tea latte was especially intriguing as I’d never heard of it before. I’m glad I decided to give it a go as it was beautiful, aromatic and calming. No complaints about my dish either, the flavour of the pork was delicious and the touch of horseradish cream was refreshing. My friend also loved his coffee and his fried rice, I had a bite of the pork belly and it was amazing, soft and juicy. Ambience was beautiful and relaxing, friendly service although not the most attentive as there were only two servers, with one making the drinks as well.

Leia

This Kimchi Fries is the best! I love the ambiance too and I wanna come back for more and check out your other menu’s! 😉👌🏼 I’ts at the heart of the city and very accessible and convenient!

Lala

Been here 3 times and I think it's a great place to catch up with friends. The ambience is very youthful and quite hipster. Their twist on Korean dishes is exciting and quite luxurious. Their kimchi fried rice is definitely far from the one I had in Seoul, but it was just as good despite lacking on the traditional aspect of it. Their food is quite pricey and their serving size isn't very big, but the quality, presentation and ambience of the restaurant definitely make the price worth it.

Vegetarianfoodlover

Lovely customer service. Food is delicious. Not many vegetarian options though. Beautiful interior design, great for photo opportunities. Also great place to catch up with friends or dates :)

Edwin Khor Yeu Sheuan

I have been here many times and it hasn’t failed to impress me yet so it’s a great place for a good feed - close to uni and town. Only flip side is I feel the menu hasn’t changed in a long while and would be great if there’s something new or different once in a while.

Raylene Cole

The BBQ fried rice was so tasty. Good prices as well. I went there on a Tuesday evening, it was very busy so I recommend booking in advance.

Emily Gossen

We came here for Dinner on a Monday night and got the Kimchi waffle fries, kimchi fried rice and salmon sashimi salad. The staff were super friendly from the moment we stepped in and were always attentive. There is a really cool garden in the back, you forget you’re in the middle of the cbd when stepping inside. The Kimchi waffle fries were packed with flavour and the portion was just right. The Kimchi fried rice were also good, but half the dish was just parsnip chips, so the overall portion of rice was quite small. The salmon sashimi had a lot of flavour but the sashimi was tiny cubes of salmon, so there wasn’t actually that much sashimi. The whole ambience of the place is really nice, and I may be back to try their brunch. Food - 7.5/10 Service - 9/10 Ambience - 10/10

Mindy Sun

Felt dissappointed with it. The menu was changed recently - more dishes have been moved to "excl zomato gold", and I could not find Jun Sik any more. With zomato gold, can only order small dishes. The meal was tiny - very small portion size. The staff was friendly, and the garden place was good.

Auckland_foodie

The place has a nice ambience and staff gave good service. The meals were served quickly and well presented. There were three of us and we had Korean BBQ pork rice, Kimchi fried rice, slow-cooked pork bun and crunchy eggplant bun to share among ya. We found the buns were small and expensive for $10. As for the rice dish, the rice portion is small for that price and we were not full. We then ordered the Chilli waffle fries to fill our stomach. Overall the food is tasty but we found it pricey compared to other restaurants. We’ll think twice before going back there.

Ciaran R

Kimchi Spag Pasta is to die for. Best split with a friend though, it is quite rich! Kimchi Waffle Fries and Pork Bao Bun were also delish. Best to book a booth table if it's a cold day and you're not wrapped up.

MCP

Came here for brunch a while ago, Their chicken taste really good and came in a good portion as well.The shop is very clean and have a really good ambiance and lighting!

Bumblebee

Good food however bad service. Unattentive staff and super duper slow service esp when we asked for a lemonade. It took forever to arrive. How long does it take to take it out from the fridge. Its a freaking bottled drink! The waitor and waitress werent busy at all. They were just standing around at the drink area and when we asked all that they reply was we are making it and turned out they just delivered us a bottled drink! The lady at the cashier was so rude to us too. Not sure if we wanted to go back ever again.

Christine

First time eating at the kimchi project. I regret not visiting before. The ambiance is lovely and so is the food. The service was nice too. We arrived around 2:20pm and was told that the kitchen closed at 2:30pm but they gladly took our order. I think the kitchen break time should be put up somewhere because I didn’t know and felt bad for being that annoying customer. Ordered Pork bun, Kimchi waffle and chilli chicken on rice. They’re all so divine but the chilli chicken on rice was my fave. It says it’s spicy, but for us Asians it’s very mild. The rice and chicken were so juicy and tender. Everything was lovely! Would love to sit at the courtyard next time or come at dinner time.

Kieran

Good dining spot for some casual Korean dining. Nice garden dining area with nice heaters even in winter. We had dinner and really enjoyed the Korean food (i.e. Korean fried chicken, kimchi waffle fries and kimchi fried rice). The chargrilled hoisin and chilli ribs weren't as nice and didn't tie in with the overall style of the menu (i.e. the chipotle didn't fit well with the other Asian fusion flavours). Good drink selection. The soju (Hwayo) was really smooth and good for sharing.

Cjuddy

Had lunch here today and it was great! The wontons came with a delicious sauce and the chilli chicken on rice was even better. The venue is also a great location, particularly outside!

Yuki

Amazing Kimchi creamy pasta! Spicy kimchi and a bit sweet cream combination is very nice! I love the interior there is a garden behind as well .

Laura Blunt

The food was delicious, the courtyard was beautiful. The chicken wings were spicey, but possibly the best I've ever had. Only improvement would be having the mains a bit warmer, though it was a cold night. Budda bowl was the winner.

Acelin James

Went here this morning and me and partner both really enjoyed our meals. Food tasted great, coffee was delicious and service was friendly and efficient! Always walked past here and regret not trying before.

Yasmin Walker

I love the kimchi project. I always leave feeling so full. Usually cause I can’t bring myself to stop eating since it’s so yummy. I would definitely recommend you try the kimchi waffle fries if you visit!

Sorry_vonguenumber

Courtyard pleasant as ever, had the jung sik which is their lunch set. Very tasty beef in a broth with purple rice and other things. Good service. No regrets there.

Jami_babi

went here one night on a weekday. a staff welcomed us and got us seated. we ordered and waited for the food which took around 15 minutes. my friend’s order came first, a soup dish, whereas mine came after another 10 minutes! not only did it arrive late, but it was also warm (not hot and fresh). we talked to the cashier after only to recieve a not so sincere apology followed by an awkward laugh. wont be going back, i dont understand the hype about this place.

Yurika Tsutsumi

It was brilliant. Staff Service is good,price is good,food is colorful and tasty. There is a smooth atmosphere inside. We had a good time. Thank you.

Coriander Lover

Friendly staff, good food and neat and tidy place. But bit cold in the winter. Fried eggplant bun is my favourite and everyone should try it!

Kid0f88

A little on the pricey side for portion sizes, but quality of food was pretty good so made up for some of that. Venue is also very relaxed and comfortable considering it’s location.

Jaws The Tastler

Well-balanced dinner meal on rice with fresh ingredients. Fusion korean, put good portion of different sauces to go with. Just rice was a bit undercook but did not affect my appetite at all!

Carley Peng

Had a lovely lunch experience here! We came by with just six minutes to the kitchen closing but the staff were super lovely and gave us time to decide on our orders! The food came promptly and it was super yum! Serving size was good & the ambience was nice! The greenery sets a calm vibe for dining. If I had to nitpick I’d say the spacing between each table was a bit close but that’s understandable as there’s limited space and the demand for a seat in the magnificent ‘garden’ is high.

Foodie

Cute little hide out in the city and love the half outdoor feel! Food was great although serving was a bit slow. Soft shell crab bun was also tasty but probably not enough to fill you up alone

Dumba

Spacious tables hidden out back at this inner city gem. The food is amazing and spicy and the service is good. Delightful surroundings in which to enjoy dinner.

Tina

You could not know from the entrance, there is a nice seating at the back garden. We ordered Kimchi waffle, chill chicken on rice and pasta, food is presented nice and tasted good. Lovely place to have a casual food.

Jedediah J

I gotta admit this place had amazing chill az vibes. The real groovy music mixed with the cool outdoorsy decor was amazing. Our waitress gave us amazing service which was great and food came out on time. Have to admit the food I ordered the (beef dish) was okay but rest of the orders on our table were decent.

Dela Cruz

The restaurant has got a very nice and chill ambience. The food are nice too. Would definitely go back again soon with my friends and family.

Joy Zhang

A farewell lunch with a classmate, hearing she’s going to Australia for her PHD study. The lunch sets were beautifully designed and I love the chicken one. The fish and waffles fries were light and this launch were buy one get one for free. Will definitely come again but before that I would know there will be no sad news......

Sudi Shen

Love the hidden garden behind! Korean fusion is much fun to eat. Very nice coffee too, especially the flat white which I always have. I would strongly recommend the pork bun if you’re a fan of Chinese food cuz it really tastes like our 肉夹馍 lol. I would like be back again and again.

Evilmaikel

The main reason for our visit was that they are on Zomato Gold 1+1 food. Korean food was never something I really liked too much so you need to keep that in mind, maybe for a korean food lover the food would have been great but for us it was only ok, not bad at all and rather positive. We had the beef set and the salmon dish for lunch. The location is quite cool!

Derek Cheung

I went with my fiancé on a random Tuesday night and the place was filled. I enjoyed the flavours of the food and the staff was friendly. It had a great atmosphere to the place. I will definitely visit again.

Anna Wong

Came here for dinner - loved the potato waffles!! Also had the pork dish which wasnt so flavourful. Decor is really nice and service was good also. Would come back just to have their potato waffles again haha

Nikita Patel

I love kimchi project and have been here at least 5 times! My favourite dishes are the chilli chicken and the lunch set with beef bulgogi. If you come for lunch during the week be prepared to wait! I had a meeting I had to rush back for and only barely made it in time. Other than that service is great and their courtyard is very cute and private!

Em Kay

Really lovely staff and very accommodating. Very popular during Saturday evenings but they were able to slot us a reservation slightly earlier than the peak time.

Chelsea

The place was quite quiet but had a really cool vibe. We sat out the back at a sharing table as we didn’t have a reservation, which was totally fine. We ordered the ribs, salmon sashimi and an eggplant bao. The ribs were my favourite dish, super tender and tasty. The sashimi dish was smaller than expected but it was still good. Also really liked the eggplant bao! One thing I was a bit gutted about was our Zomato Gold discount. Zomato states that the second highest order will be discounted, however for us the bao bun (lowest price by a lot) was discounted. Was a bit gutted but didn’t say anything. Would definitely return again, but might as well get three main dishes instead of two mains and a side, as then it is better value for money. The wait staff were friendly and efficient, and the food came out quickly.

Hungry Teddy (20% Zomato Gold, Use : HUNG2716)

Korean asian fusion restaurant. There was a lovely garden at the back. I ordered the kimchi fried rice. Tasted not bad, but I barely tasted the kimchi. Friendly staffs.

Charis Yang

The ambience is very nice, love that glass house at the back! Food is good quality and delicious. I have tried the Bhudda bowl, yuzu salad, and the beef dinner set. I definitely recommend them all. It's a good place to treat yourself occasionally.

Sarah Wu

It's a wonderful big place that is definitely worth a visit. The vibe is very calming and exquisite. It's very warm despite being outside. The portions are good sized, and food quality is very satisfying. A little disappointed with the staff; felt dismissed, but overall they tried their best with the lunch time rush. Unfortunately, they don't seem to always have the ingredients for the dishes on their menu; was out of avocado on my day of visit. Zomato Gold definitely bumped up my experience here. Would absolutely visit again.

Joe Joe Yap

The food is good but with rooms for improvement. Some dish were kind of just Okay. Ambient is very good, definitely a good place to hangout with friends.

Ana Rita Silva

Good food and good ambience but walked in expecting more based on the 4.5 score. One of the dishes ordered arrived with the rice being cold. Also, the big meals were not included in the gold discount which was disappointing. Overall a good evening but nothing to rave about.

Kimberley Leonard

Awesome food! Always busy but managed to get a table. The spicy wings are extra spicy.... but still tasted great! Would recommend, have a great variety of options and staff are always friendly!

Karen Chow

Excellent place to have a working lunch! The atmosphere is great, the food appetising and delicious, and the servers are super friendly! I’ll definitely be back again :)

Alice

Toppokki was one the best dish from there, but what shame that they don’t have it on the menu any more . We will go back again, easy to find , good back yard seats

Mu

The food is 4 put of 5, Coffee 4.5 out of 5, the decoration 5 out of 5! Best place for me to hang out with my friends :) The court yard is really cute and staff are super friendly.

Micheal

Very impression with the view inside .thought it’s just a little bit space for cafe but when we get in,very surprised.beautiful view and food were alrite.just a portion was a little bit small for us.

Blain

When you first walk in to the kimchi project you get this feeling that the meal is going to be good. There is the cute little courtyard at the back with incredible decor. One of the best settings to relax and enjoy some food. I had the salmon sashimi salad and the chilli chicken wings. I am a big fan of sashimi and i am consistantly disappointed. But not at the kimchi project, the salmon is cured perfectly to compliment the salad and the flavour and texture of the fish is spot on. To be honest its more of a ceviche salad but i can look past that because this is definitely a meal worth another try. I consider my self good with spice so i bravely ordered the chilli chicken wings. It was both the best and worst decision i made haha. They are joking around with the heat these baby's are seriously hot so you might need to bring some milk. But its all worth it while your eating them they taste so addictive that you will want to demo the whole plate so just remember to take your time and you will loves these. The portion size for there dish's is a bot on the small side so make sure you order a few things and share them with that table. Had an awesome time here and ill definatly be back

Asianfoodie

Friendly and attentive staff with a cosy ambience!! Staff members were very professional and it was one of the few places that activated zomtato gold easily. Tried the jung sik and the bbq short ribs. They were cooked nicely and the meat was tender but the rice was a little dry. The dishes weren't quite filling so I would suggest ordering around 3 dishes (excluding the big share plates) for two people.

DD Vinluan

Went here if friends. They have a hidden garden in the middle of the city feel to it. Food was pretty good and would definitly recommend to people.

Ming Zhang

It's quite a fusion project of making Korean dishes in a more chic western way. I like the environment too. More preferred it in the daytime at lunch hour. Good choice to catch up with friends at downtown.

#fatlyfe

Ordered the chilli chicken on fried rice with a baked chesscake for desert. The chicken wS fried and had a nice base, would have preferred the rice to actually be fried rice consistency it’s was glucky. Other than that real enjoyed the flavours- but it wasn’t spicy at all. There were some picked cauliflower which was a nice surprise. Baked cheesecake had a brownie base-yummmm

Gourmet Vegetarians

Finally got to check out the Kimchi Project and we were not disappointed! We’d held off going before because for a while they had very few veggie options, but now there are some goodies on the menu so we couldn’t resist trying them out. We ordered the kimchi fried rice, the kimchi waffle fries and an eggplant bao. ⁣ ⁣ Not gunna lie, all the options were pretty great. The kimchi waffle fries were fat juicy bad boys slathered in sour cream, sriracha yoghurt and the inevitable kimchi and were delightfully moreish - when you had one you kinda just wanted to shovel the rest down your gob, 8.5/10⁣ ⁣ The crunchy eggplant bao bun itself was soft, pillowy and a trendy squid-ink black (it is vege so I doubt it is actually squid ink but whatevs.) The eggplant was wonderfully crisp and a good base to allow the sourness of the pickled veges to compete uninterrupted with the sweetness of the gochujang (a sweet chilli paste.) 8.5/10⁣ ⁣ The fried rice had edamame, a fried egg, some parsnip chips and some prawns tossed in and was as salty as the Aegean which I’m all about. The kimchi wasn’t overwhelming but rather complimented the flavours of the rice, 8/10⁣ ⁣ Not only is the food great, it’s a lovely little hideaway in the middle of the city when you head through to the secret garden out the back. Plus it’s great being able to use Zomato Gold here!

Gabby

Food was delicious and the place is beautiful!Perfect place for a date night or girl's night out. Pricing isn't too expensive, had our own mains, one shared kimchi waffle fries and drinks for 2 was $75 in total.

Erica Kim

If you are expecting Korean food, it is probably not the best. However, very good fusion (westernized korean). From breakfast to dinner, it is very good! Good interior inside. Very friendly staffs. I will definitely come again

A.K

Ive heard alot about this place so we had to give it a go! Let me just tell you the place is huge. They have two seating areas one in the front and a courtyard area at the back. We sat at the back as the lighting and atmosphere was more open and nice. We only came here for a light snack so we ordered their “Tempura chicken bun” and a “Cronut” from their cabinet. Their bao was average, it was more batter less chicken and their cronut was just too hard to cut. For drinks, we had the Coconut white hot chocolate | Turmeric Latte | Chai latte. They came in these really cute cups and tasted really good too! The downside for me was the excessive amount of desicated coconut in my drink which was kinda annoying. Overall it was average but I would like to try it again as their “Two way fried chicken” is very inviting.

Theodore Carlos

First time I tried this place was when I was looking for a decent Zomato Gold place in the CBD. Kimchi Project is the most reliable for me, so far. Nice atmosphere in their back courtyard, decent food selection and servings with friendly staff. This is my go to place for 1+1 meals.

Serena L

Food looks nice and the environment is good. But for the price itself would expect a bigger meal as the meal is way too tiny to fill. And the waiting time is kinda long, my friend already finished his meal and I just got mine. Service is average~

Jason Su

Amazing interior and design, very relaxed atmosphere whilst maintaining a luxurious space. Staff is very friendly and open to suggestions! Highly recommended.

Jing

Looks at the nice photos I took. The restaurant looks as good as the photos. Need me to say more? Kimchi project tastes good and looks good. It has a fusion Asian style, so not traditional Korean food. Really nice place to chill, have fun with friends, or date :)

Foodhunta

First time to this restaurant. good environment and friendly service. This feels like half korean half european cafe setting. Menu a bit different from most korean restaurants and taste was decent too. food 4/5 service 5/5 ambiance 5/5

Jane Jane

Had lunch with a group of friends. The waffle fries were really good. Especially the chilli waffle fries. I love it. I ordered the Kimchi Spag Pasta which was really spicy for some reason. Possibly due to the kimchi but would have preferred a bit of warning. Or have a note that says "all kimchi is spicy" or something like that. I didn't expect it to be that spicy. I should have guessed I suppose since it is common sense that kimchi is spicy. Apart from that, kimchi and cheese was a surprisingly good combination. The food was pretty nice. It just took a really long time? Waited for quite a while. The pasta and one of my friend's kimchi fried rice took a really long time. I also ordered peach ice tea which, no offence, was a bit of a rip off. It is very expensive. The iced tea came from a bottled drink and they didn't even give me the whole bottle. They poured some of it into a cup, added a couple of ice cubes and a... decorative flower. Charged $6 for it. Not. Worth. I would rather just buy the bottle myself from a supermarket. The rating was going to be a four because the food was good but I was so disappointed by the drink and the long wait. The garden was quite pretty though. Nice vibe and music. Would come again.

Louise Meng

Very cosy restaurant in the city. Food is delicious but serving sizes are on the smaller side. The kumara dessert especially is a highlight.

Kk

The hothothot spicy wings ever! Do not try if you are not chilli fans…we got numb mouth the whole night😅 nice vibe for the Friday's night relax.

Angela Li

A little slow to come out but great food and service. Would recommend the kimchi spag, sharp kimchi cuts through the creamy sauce, really delicious.

Lisa Marie

Loved this place! The Kim Chi sampler was awesome, the cucumber kimchi is absolutely delish. I had the waffles which were tasty and the Jung Sik which was amazing! Highly recommended. The courtyard is a beautiful surprise. Will def be coming back.

Mel Chow

Amazing! Great vibe, friendly staff and great food. Awesome place for lunch or dinner. Keep up the great work guys, you really make a difference to the heart of the city

Crackerjacker

I finally checked this place out, have been walking past it for a few years but always thought it’ll be too expensive without even looking at the menu. The price wasn’t actually that bad but the food wasn’t up to expectations. The rice came out dry and the chicken was slightly warm.

Brian Ji

Staff were friendly and the food here was amazing. The food did not take too long to come out, not salty at all though they used kimchi. Highly recommended!

Navdeep

First time trying out the Kimchi Project. The place itself and the garden seating at the back has a cute, good vibe to it. The menu had afew interesting things on it but I ended up going with the chilli chicken on rice as thats what my mate had recommended. For this meal I think the only thing I wish was different could be the chicken being grilled instead of deep fried. The rice and fried chicken just didn’t go well together and made the meal dry and I felt like I was eating either the fried chicken on its own or the rice on its own (wish there was more kimchi on top as well). The taste however was pleasant, and it was quite filling. Loved my house-made lemon lime and bitters. Presentation here is amazing with both food and drinks! Will most likely be back to try out their kimchi waffle fries next time!

YoungRoh Stewart Jang

1st time visiting, but amazed with the atmosphere and place. Loved the food and the coffee. Well balanced between eastern and western food style.

Cane - Gold Code -20% OFF: CANE7285

We went with Zomato Gold. The place is lovely! We asked the waitress for a recommendation and she suggested some plates. We had the fried eggplants and the teriyaki fish with waffle chips. It was such a good dinner The food is great, the service is fast and nice too! We will definitely go back.

Ghazal Kharazi

Kimchi project is one of my favourite places to go for korean fusion food, it’s different and definitely one of a kind. The menu has changed from the last time I had visited but regardless the quality and standard of the food is immaculate. It’s tasty and vibrant, whether you get the fried pork or the lunchbox. Will most definitely visit again

Samantha Taveras

Went back to the kimchi project for the first time in ages because I was reaping the benefits of zomato gold 💛 We ordered the beef short ribs and the fried chicken platter 😋 May I just add that zomato gold does NOT work if you order two dishes off of the “big” section of the menu - which they should honestly explicitly state (so relieved that I asked about it first) 😬 The short ribs were tender and delicious, but wowee was that a small portion with a lot of bones for something worth $20 😅 The chicken platter was good, but I had to add soy sauce to everything because the flavours really just weren’t strong enough for me 😬 I enjoyed both dishes overall, but none of them hit home the way that the kimchi project usually does 😕 the biggest concern for me was that service was INCREDIBLY slow, and we sat there for at least 40 minutes before getting our order taken 😒 then when we do get our order taken we experienced a lot of sass from the waitress which was surprising considering that we had been sitting there forever 😬😤 I had to go grab the water myself because I was so parched after waiting 🤷🏻‍♀️ What would have been a decent night was ultimately brought down by poor service for me. Might go back for the zomato gold benefits, but would definitely hope for better service and would order some different dishes. Overall pretty disappointed

Shuah Kim

Wanted to try this place after hearing so much hype about it and finally had a chance to go when I caught up with friends at kimchi project , i ordered the kimchi fried rice and paid $5 extra to get the pork belly . I also ordered the specialist ice coffee which is mint chocolate flavour . The kimchi fried rice was amazing ( trust me I’m korean and I’ve had some amazing kimchi fried rice) the flavour and the spice was not overly spicy but there was a hint of spice ( I like spicy food so others may find it spicy) . The kimchi fried rice was not bland and everything in the fried rice like the shrimps went well with the edamame. The pork belly add on was so delicious , the meat melted in my mouth but idk if I would pay $5 for 3 pieces . Also the kimchi fried came with parsnip chips on the side which were yum! I am a huge lover of mint chocolate and chocolate based coffee therefore the special ice coffee was so good!! The interior of the whole restaurant is nice and the courtyard is beautiful ⚡️ a tad bit pricy but worth the price .

Dummer Dum

Not sure why my booking was initial cancelled when I first booked through the app. Anyway food was good but the roast pork ribs was way under cook and but charcoaled on the outside

Girl On The Move

We've used Zomato gold here, twice. Last night was our second reservation. The food is AMAZING. The quality, flavours and presentation is 10/10. We've ordered the two ways Korean chicken, kimchi fried rice with pork belly, the waffle fries, and bbq pork and rice. The food, the vibe, presentation/decor and atmosphere is a 10/10. This place is severely let down by one of the staff members (front of house/waitress). The other staff are polite, helpful and professional. This is the second time I've had the pleasure of meeting her (not). I'm not sure what it is with this one individual, unfortunately she really let's the place down. I feel sorry for the other staff putting up with such a grump all the time. The ladies toilet is still leaking too from when I last visited, from the ceramic base of the toilet. I'm not particularly fond about standing in toilet water, thanks though.

Sea

We went to city popular Lorne street Korean foodie tonight and had a really disappointed experience. First of all they offered a baby high chair without any safety belt. After that we ordered beef short ribs and Szechuan soy crunchy eggplant. The portion of the beef short rib is about less than entree or side dish. The Szechuan soy sauce is actually famous Chinese sauce. The crunchy eggplant is nothing but deep fried eggplant cubes plus nuts, mayo and slaws.l and the portion is just about sides. This is far more than expensive for 6 eggplants cubes for 18 dollars and a side dish portion of beef short ribs for 21 dollars. You could go any Chinese restaurant find deep fried eggplant and they are like 18 dollars for a whole plate. No offense but these are really not worth the price. The background music is cool. I like the planting wall and the effect of mirror and plants.

JunYong Lin

We are here with Zomato gold! Feel a bit over priced if without gold card. Coffees are great. Fancy presentation. Tasty meals. Small portion for food.

Adrianna

Delicious variety of food, excellent customer service, lovely secret garden like area at the back of the restaurant. We ordered the 2 way Korean chicken (grilled and fried) and kimchi waffles. Taste is great, value is well worth it with Zomato Gold. Highly recommended. Will definitely be back!

John He

Lovely restaurant hidden away in the heart of the city. With a nice ambience perfect for a dinner date. Although, the lighting could be slightly brighter. The tteok-bokki was quite spicy and very tasty. We also ordered the small pork ribs which was nice and tender. The eggplant bun was also an interesting addition. Overall the presentation of the food and service were excellent. With zomato gold, the price was exceptional, under $40 for two people. We will definitely be back again.

Pukeko

Tried twice. Absolutely great. The foods weren't spicy as I am afraid. Very popular place as it was almost full on my two visits. You can not expect this restaurant has a little garden at the back from the small entrance. This natural garden atmosphere is one of the reasons people love to come here I guess. Foods are lovely. Staffs are friendly. I will come back for the third time for sure.

Grace

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from coming here, it’s to never judge a restaurant by its storefront 😅 I’ve walked past the Kimchi Project so many times in my life, thinking it’s just another one of those average, hashtag ‘auckland eats’ cafes.✌🏻😎 But I was so wrong! We decided to come here for lunch since it was a popular zomato gold restaurant. The waitress was extremely polite and we were seated promptly. I was pleasantly surprised by the tropical, asian-inspired ambience though. It’s nothing like what the plain looking storefront suggests. 😮 I ordered the Korean lunch set and my mum the kimchi fried rice. The bulgogi beef+ broth in the lunch set was divine, and on the sweeter side which I actually preferred. All the side dishes paired nicely, 9/10 💗

Jack Whitfield

Fantastic eastern fusion restaurant. Lives up to the Lorne street vibe. The restaurant has an impressive interior and good indoor/outdoor flow. Food was delicious, soft bao buns, spicy chicken, port fried rice was a favourite. Service was a little slow as it seemed understaffed, we had a long wait time on food and drinks. otherwise would have been 5 stars.

Sharon Yun

We had dinner on a Saturday. Had to wait a bit since kitchen wasn’t open till 5pm for their break. Outdoor garden at the back had magical ambient at night with purple lightings. Sat under the heaters so was warm. We ordered chicken in 2 ways, teokbokki and kimchi fried rice. Very spicy teokbokki but all the toppings were yum. Chicken was crunchy and delicious but quite small serving for the price(It is a big dish for them!). Kimchi fried rice was very nice with crunchy vegetables chips. Overall lovely experience at the garden but felt little expensive.

Dora The Food Explorer

I don’t know how many times I’ve walked past this place without paying much attention but then I startes hearing really good reviews and just had to try it for myself. Firsly I was presently surprised by the decor in their Courtyard, reminded me of a bar in Bali. Love love love! We ordered the Kimchi fried rice and the Chilli chicken on rice. Presentation was fantastic and food was flavourful. I thought they could use more kimchi in their dishes to realy amp up the ‘kimchiness’. Service was a little slow as well, took us 3 attempts to get the attention of the wait staff to come take our orders. Overall very pleased with ambience and presentation. 4 stars.

Samuel

atmosphere here is great. Food is great. but service is very poor! the prices are also quite steep so not really worth it for bad service.. staff seem to be quite rude.

Tian

Cute little spot on Lorne Street. The courtyard has a great ambience. The food here is great. Ordered the Kimchi pasta along with the prawn and pork wontons. However after a while the pasta can get a little too rich. Same goes for the wonton sauce. It tastes really good but can be too much towards the end of the meal. Ordered the eggplant bun which was not bad. The eggplant was crispy on the outside and still moist on the inside. The sampler Kimchi was a nice sour dish to neutralise the richness of the other two dishes. Overall its a nice place to have your meal!

Yinya Shi

Great place and cute area!! Super good vibes, with amazing korean fusion food. The Kimchi Fries are a must have and the Kimchi Fried Rice is always a good choice too! I do find the prices a bit high here though, especially the drinks!

J Choi

It was my first visit here, and I used my Zomato Gold membership. I wish I tried this place earlier! Delicious food (ordered the ddeokbokki and short ribs) and great service. Will definitely return 🙂

Ming Cheuk

Had the Szechuan Crispy Eggplant for the first time today which was amazing and Kimchi Fried Rice which was tasty as usual. The courtyard also has a really nice ambience. Would come here again!

Jacynda Darmawan

Delicious food, fun ambiance, and lovely people! We got the spicy chicken wings and BBQ pork rice. Both dishes were amazing. The portion is reasonable. Love the courtyard at the back of the restaurant. It took the dining experience on another level. Would definitely come back!

Jordan

#Zomatogold# experience was good. A Korean fusion restaurant. The food represented in a nice and modern way. The taste was great. Food 4.5/5 Ambience 5/5 The restaurant has two sides, one for dinner and one for the cafe. We didn't make a booking so we got seats on the safe side. It was ok but the dinner side looks way better. We ordered Korean dinner set - recommended! Also ordered BBQ pork on rice, it didn't come with the Korean pickle set which is a bit disappointing. Otherwise would be 5-star.

Annie Low

Pasta and kimchi fried rice is legit Love the pork belly Nice ambience Good vibes Food is quite slow though during lunch hour and you can only dine for 1 hour 😂😂😂

Lum Lum

Another Zomato gold restaurant that is not a let down! Yay! I have been meaning to give this place a visit for the longest time and I’m really glad I did. The food is so good! I would give them a full 5 stars but one of our dishes did take a considerably much longer time to come than the rest. But other than that, I cannot find any other faults - This place really is a great restaurant! It’s true -do make sure to book in advance if you want seating in the courtyard. ~ Came back for dinner, and damn they were busy! But our food still came out in a good time which was very impressive. The kimchi fried rice was alright; flavours are delish and it’s not too spicy, besides that, it does feel a bit boring after eating at it for a while. ~ For one of our chilli chicken on rice dishes from the lunch menu, the chicken was not cooked well. Had an odd texture and did not look right. How great. ~ I am so disappointed honestly. This place kinda sucks after the fourth visit here. I only really was drawn in because of the Zomato Gold deal. I think the quality of food is not that great. And it doesn’t really fill me up. It’s a shame that I find that this place doesn’t live up to the reputable reviews it had a while back. Their ambience is lovely though and the staff are friendly and professional.

Josephine Rose Orejana

So far have only tried the matcha latte and a caramel slice from the cafe but enjoyed these both immensley. Great ambiance and friendly service.

Ming_Angela Y

I have known about this place for a while but haven’t had the opportunity to try until Zomato Gold. I was really pleasantly surprised! It’s a hidden gem amongst the busy streets of CBD and the setting provides a relaxing atmosphere to take a lunch break or go on a date night. The staff are friendly and attentive. The food also came out in good timing, very well presented. My friend ordered the Korean lunch set and I got the Buddha Bowl. Both dishes tasted delicious and flavoursome, with a Korean authenticity despite the modern twist. We both left feeling happy and full :) The menu offers a range for all occasions, so whether you are just wanting to grab a coffee and a quick bite to eat, or have a sit down meal at any time of the day, this place is worth the short walk to come and check out :) (Found out about this place through Zomato Gold)

Lucy

The storefront does not do justice to this place. Inside there is a indoor dining and a courtyard dining area. Indoor is simple and elegant and outdoor was green and cheerful. Being on Lorne St, I was surprised by how massive this place was. Been to both dinner and lunch, high quality Korean fusion. The kimchi waffle is a must get, the waffles are crispy and saucing adds a sweet and spicy taste to the palate. The pork rib was honeyed and delicate. The salmon salad was light and tasty. Definitely worth the visit! Food: 8/10 Food presentation: 9/10 Service: 8/10 Location: 6/10 Ambience: 9/10 Price $20/40 (lunch/dinner)

G1k

***EDIT - Over the last couple of visits I've tried the following: BBQ Pork: tasty but too much rice in proportion to meat. This is served with some chickpeas and white kimchi which goes well! Crunchy Eggplants: recommend this as a entree, deep-fried pieces of eggplants with sweet sauce. Spicy Chicken wings: yummy but I must have had a piece of very spicy chilli that was sprinkled on top as I found this very spicy (and I can handle spicy) Korean BBQ Beef Rib Galbi: This was too salty. Dduk bokki: glad to find there was more sauce to cover the noodles, which wasn't the case on my second visit. Jung Sik: great for the value, comes with pretty salad with a few sides and beef stew with healthy rice. Service was great the first time, but the last few times I dined here, the service doesn't leave you feeling all that great *** Went in for dinner with a friend - we ordered the KTP Dduk bokki (spicy ricecakes) to share and a side of Kimchi Waffle Fries. I recommend the Ricecake dish, it is a large portion and of great value compared to other Korean ricecake dishes that are offered at other Korean restaurants/bars. You get noodles, rice cakes, fish cakes, a couple of delicious deep fried cheese sticks, deep fried egg and squid all drenched in spicy sauce. I do recommend this dish if you crave for seriously hot stuff. I expected this to be less spicy and more sweet seeing as KTP is a fusion Asian cuisine, but it was full on spicy which was good as I love spicy food. I also recommend ordering the waffle fries with this dish so you can have a bite whenever you feel like you can't handle the spiciness. The place has a modern chilled atmosphere, especially the courtyard area. The place is popular - last time I visited was a work night and all the tables in the courtyard area were full.

May Hung

We went there on a Thursday evening. Staff are friendly however we had to wait for a long time before someone come to take our order. Nice surprise backyard dining area, ordered a Koran street food project. ( spicy ramen with deep fried cheese, fried squid , egg etc ) ..interesting combo

Linda

Not quite the same as other Korean Fusion places I've been to; the sour cream with BBQ pork super tasty! Loved the atmosphere and decor, staff were attentive and welcoming. Definitely will be back to try the other dishes!

Anita Lee

The entrance on the Lorne St is small but the inside is big and cool. Love the secret garden. The potion is not very big but good enough. It's flavourful and beautifully served. With zomato gold We enjoy a nice lunch

Aleisha T

Second time here, but first time using Zomato Gold. The ambience is fabulous and the food is yummy. Had the Crab Bao, Lotus Root chips and Poutine Waffles which was very filling.

Lambo

The food was great, the staff was friendly and the atmosphere cosy. Be careful of the spicy wings though, one bite and we were crying like babies.

Brendan Chun

INGENIOUS. Some say the perplexing concept of blending different cultural cuisine techniques is sacrilegious. However others say it’s a new area to allow for innovative sensations and The Kimchi Project is an example of exactly that; showing how Korean fusion cuisine can create combinations of flavours which are simply ingenious. Thanks to the practice of Korean fusion, the menu here introduces a plethora of new flavours to tease your tastebuds. The Kimchi Waffle Fries are always a must. They’re shaped in a way that makes them super crispy, coupled with kimchi mayo to add creamy compliments with a nice and sweet tang. Their Sugar Cured Sashimi is bomb - with so many components (creams and jels) to the dish you can either smash it down in a whole mixture of flavours, or mix and match for different tasty combinations. The Bulgolgi Beef Stew had an amazing balance between sweet and savoury and made for a great main. But the favourite of the night was their DIY Ssam. It was so fun making our own lettuce/roti wraps, with plenty of delicious toppings to choose from and satisfy our own cravings. The drinks are great and the staff are always so welcoming, I would highly recommend this place but make sure to sit at the back! It opens up into a blissful enclosed area you would never believe exists in the CBD!

Nivsha Amin

I’ll keep it short here. Lovely place with good ambience and food to go with. We had a table of 8 and we were happy with every single dish we ordered. Winner - Soft Shell Crab Bao, Kimchi fried rice and poutine pulled pork waffle fries! I’d love to visit this place again. Although the options were not as many as you find these days, but yes, each dish here is worth a try. Staff were polite and nice. Good service and experience overall.

Let's Eat!

Came here for dinner with a group of friends on a busy Friday evening. The staff were very polite, welcoming and bubbly which led to a pleasent experience for us. In terms of the food, the Korean BBQ Pork Rice was divine! Definitely our favourite dish that night. However, I did think the portions were a little small for what you pay for. Overall we had an enjoyable night at The Kimchi Project and would definitely visit again.

Z M

I've only been a couple of times, but the staff are friendly and welcoming. The setting is very pretty and the food is good. The only critiques i would have is the drinks probably should have been served sooner while waiting for our food, and the crab bao is spicy which i liked, but could do with a bit more flavour or another sauce, and the chicken on their platter is not quite as good as normal korean chicken. Even then, those dishes are still good!! Portions are good, food is well presented and all the other dishes were good too.

Selina EverHungry Nihalani

I first heard of The Kimchi project on UberEats but felt it was a place to dine in. That was the best thing we did. Love ambience. Sit in the courtyard if you get a seat there. Dimly lit seating out the back amidst greenery and a BAR! Good was average. Maybe we did not order the right things. Kimchi waffle fries were good. Baos were average, have had better before. The crispy eggplant was really delicious, but quite oily. Food arrived before the drinks! I felt it is slightly overpriced. Have eaten better food and had better cocktails for the same price. Service wise, staff need to pay more attention. It took us quite a bit of effort to get their attention. I think I will go back to try different things on the menu and give it another go.

Reema Singh

Really nice food! The place is hidden and amazing, you don’t expect the interior atmosphere from the location! Totally recommend, food and drinks were amazing too

Surajdhameja

Flashing wrong timings, visited them twice and both the times they were not open for service. It will be good if they update the timings to avoid frustration.

Lu Zhang

Good service and good food!I love it.Good service and good food!I love it.Good service and good food!I love it.Good service and good food!I love it.Good service and good food!I love it.Good service and good food!I love it.GoodGood service and good food!I love it. service and good food!I love it.

Johanna Mattsson

We had the Korean BBQ Pork Rice and it was freaking delicious. The flavours and textures wad an amazing combo and I'll definitely come back!!

JY

First time dining at The Kimchi project. The entrance is a cosy hallway with the coffee made at front counter. There are tables situated further back following the counter before the kitchen. It then opens up to a cute little alfresco dining area which was a surprisingly large area! Great cocktail bar wall and cute decor around the place. Food: 4.5/5 Service: 2.5/5 Environment: 4/5 I visited here with two friends during dinner service on a Saturday night. We had no reservation but were seated promptly. We were sat at the end of a large table, shared with other groups of diners. We were not tended to once we were sat down and had to self service for water, walked around looking for a server and had not had cutlery placed without us having to prompt staff (food was delivered first before we got any cutlery). I do take into account that it was a weekend dinner service, but service staff should perhaps try to be more attentive rather than talking to each other. We ordered the salmon salad, Korean chicken and kimchi fried rice. The Salmon salad was light and refreshing, a great combination of flavours. The Korean chicken was the star of the show! It comes served on a large board with the chicken prepared in different methods and flavours - it’s hard to pick which one was my favourite. The kimchi fried rice was nice - I’m not usually a fan, but the kimchi was not overpowering in this dish! Not sure of the ‘correct’ method to eat this.. but we added the sauce in and mixed everything up. The egg on top was cooked just to my liking with a runny yolk and I also liked the addition of the crisps for an added textural element - very nice. Overall it was a great night, apart from a mishap that I had to clear up the next day due to being overcharged and ended up paying for someone else’s table, but the owner and manager were very prompt and friendly in handling the situation. Would visit again.

Hao Yong

It’s a great place nice and quiet center of the city .friendly stuff ,nice food Only were still some more of it ,can go wrong with this place

Richard

It gets busy as here but we were lucky to get seated pretty much right away. Friendly service. We thoroughly enjoyed the kimchi fried rice! Deffo coming back to try other dishes 😃

Saasha

The food here is good and decorations also look very nice. If you are look for authentic Korean food then this isn’t the place but they are an Asian fusion restaurant and are what they say. Service is horrible though and ruined the whole experience.

Erika

Loving the ambience. Be sure to go inside and continue to outside for better view. Kimchi project for the win also, highly recommended to eat it.

Karen

I’ve been here before and loved it so decided to come with a group of friends again. The second time here, I still loved the food. But I noticed an increase in price and small portions of food. For example, the egg plant dish was just far too small to justify the price of it. The lady who served us was also quite rude and condescending. We also had another male who told us to “stand down” - no one was causing a fuss. We were simply trying to help them put a table together as they had messed up our reservation!! Solid food but let down on service and pricing.

Mentalboy9

The ribs were real good, wish it came in XXXL size. 4/5 cuz some of the food didn’t go well together like the kimchi fries and rice dishes, too much fusion for one day.

Marco Abuyan

We had the breakfast kimchi and bacon and egg sandwich and it was soooooooo goood! Coffee is great too and of course the courtyard is so aesthetically pleasing. Cannot wait to go back and try the kimchi fried rice!! 1

Mint

Back here for the 4th time! We were heading to another restaurant before remembering that they are on Gold. Ordered the peach iced tea which was so refreshing on a sunny day. As for food, we ordered a total of 3 dishes for 2 of us. The outstanding dish was the deep fried eggplants dish! They were lovingly glazed with plum soy sauce. This is making my mouth waters just thinking about it. Will be back again soon to try out their lunch menu!

CHIFAN.EATS

Food was good but not good enough for me to plan a second visit any time soon. All the staff were lovely and helpful which was a highlight. Food 7/10 Service 8/10 Ambience 9/10 Warning: when they say the dish is spicy, it really is very very spicy.😂

Bella Zheng

I really like this place- the eggplant is amaaaazing!!! Also last time I came with my sister the waiter was super friendly and seemed genuinely happy to be there which is always great to see! Only thing is I’m sad they took away the tofu bao ages ago- it was the only vegetarian option for baos 😔

Phil XU

Good place. Nice environment. Very friendly waiters. wonderful tastes dinner. Definately try beef rib. Cant imagine this could be so good. Better book before visit.

BaNaNa

The first time I came here was for lunch. The service was fantastic and the food came out very fast! I got the soft shell crab bao, chilli chicken on rice and the wontons. The crab was crispy and light and everything was really good (Wontons a bit dry)! The only down point was that the portions were a bit small for the price so I would rate 4/5 during my first visit. Really loved my first experience so decided to visit again during dinner (early around 6pm) to show a friend of mine, although service was great the food wasn’t. I got the same bao from last time and it didn’t taste as fresh and good. Korean set was meh but luckily the Spicy chicken saved the day as it was good ( and ACTUALLY SPICY). Food presentation 5/5 If you have zomato gold I would still recommend trying it out as the staff is lovely and the transaction goes smoothly at the end. Not like some places that ask for ID etc... Ambience 3/5 Lovely real plants in the courtyard gives it a nice touch Table quite sticky Lighting tends to flicker a lot so not good in certain health conditions Place quite small so don’t bring big bags or stuff like that as you’ll probably end up hitting people on the tables next to you

Pancham Lakhanpal

Nice place to visit .. yummy food and really good staff and so friendly . Highly recommended to every one . I will be visiting this place again .....🍸🍸🍽🍽🥡🥡🥢🥢

Prashant Datt

Food was good not amazing but let down on service and explanation on zomato gold. I would also say it is overpriced for what it is, worth a try if it’s on your list but not amazing

JPK

My experience at this place is Wow... We went out to try this place with friends. Every dish was amazing. Most important to mention even my little girl loved the fish and chips. Holding rating of 5 for my next visit 😊 Thanks team you guys are doing awesome!!

SeaLam

Nice place, Fair price (with Zomato membership) City area, need to pay for parking Nice staff Doesn't look like traditional Korean restaurant

Luke Ameye

You've gotta try it. The food, the people, and ESPECIALLY the ambience is worth breaking your routine for. The staff were charming and helpful. The food was tasty and felt light - I had the kim chi. But the courtyard, especially the greenery, puts this place over the top.

Jenny Kim

The ambience of the place is super aesthetic and really good for photos 😂 We ordered the 2 way chicken which was really good - fried chicken was with rice instead of flour which made it extra crispy! We also ordered the kimchi waffle fries - was good but not amazing, but was worth the price. Would definitely come back here!

Wendy Wang

It’s definitely a hidden place on Lorne street. It looks like a very normal cafe when you walked pass by Lorne street, but when you go inside, you will find a secret garden inside and give you a wow eating environment. The food tastes good, a fusion Korean food. But a little bit slow. The staff is friendly. But when we were there, there were only one staff on the floor.

Jonathan Clark

Excellent atmosphere and ambience, feels like being in a restaurant on a side street in an Asian town. Admittedly I'm not an expert on Korean food but I did think that, despite still being nice, both the Bulgogi and Kimchi lacked flavour. The service was friendly but could have been more attentive / available. I do look forward to coming back to try more dishes though! An overall 4/5 for me.

Erin - Gold Code For 20% Off : CATH6386

Another Zomato Gold Experience here with Denny Setiawan, we ordered Korean BBQ pork fried rice and BBQ ribs - yummy and delicious, i love it.. also have soju stack for Denny, cause it’s too sweet for me.. Nice place and friendly staff, also if you want to seat in the courtyard, I recommend you to book first..

Dinesh Atluri

When entered the place, felt like a small cafe (narrow seating) and when the waitress took us inside, surprisingly the ambience was lot different felt like a whole new place. They have different menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We’ve been there for lunch ordered lunch set, can’t recall the Korean name, it was pretty good especially bulgogi beef bbq pork on rice- was yum, tender meat but not much quantity Overall a fine dining experience, and since it’s Korean fusion food we are looking forward for poutine and waffle on our next visit.

Mocha

Went here a while ago for a lunch date and it was a memorable experience. The food was quite unique taste wise, and the presentation was very pretty, much like the surroundings. My matcha latte was delicious, and my favourite was probably the pulled pork bao. Definitely going to come back and try more of their menu!

SM

Ordered the salmon ceviche rice while the other party order the Korean bbq pork rice. Waited 45min for two bowl of rice. Food presentation is good but the portions is way too small. Flavour wise was only so so for the Korean bbq pork rice. Join Zomato Gold and get 1+1 on food or 2+2 on drinks. Also get a 20% OFF using my referral code SUMA8564P

The. GIANT. Eater

If you are looking for authentic Korean food, I don't recommend this restaurant. Food is very average and doesn't have Korean taste at all. Good things about this restaurant are friendly staff, fast service, welcoming atmosphere and nice decor. Remember to book a table in the garden before you go, otherwise it's not easy to grab a seat there :) Seconde time coming here and I was really impressed with the Korean bbq pork rice. The taste is so nice and how they marinate the pork is just amazing seriously!! I love The Kimchi Project now really 💕

Janice Tay

Beautiful Kimchi fried rice, my favourite dish there and now got my friend hooked! Great service and very polite with phone booking and at venue. Now a returning regular customer.

Michael Ou Yang

This place is a gem! Amazing food, amazing service and decent pricing. The food is plated so beautifully it’s a great spot to Instagram your food. The decoration and atmosphere is super nice, it is a really cute place to go on a date.

Angela Reys

Food 2/5 Service 1/5 Decor 4/5 Food: Good quality ingredients used, excellent composition of the dish however my chilli chicken rice is barely warm. Not sure if my dish was sitting there for a bit before servicing with three other dishes which we have waited for around an hour. (I’ll give it that the chef might be exhausted, just because it was still very crowded after 2pm.) I understand it’s a fusion cuisine, and trying to introduce a foreign flavour to NZ. However it lacks the Korean/Japanese/Asian component to it. Blatantly saying: you can’t go wrong with schnitzel on rice which is presented like an artwork. I also had a bit of my friend’s kimchi, tasted like a brined/quick pickled cabbage and not the fermenting method. Flavour and portion is standard. I’ll give it for the drinks, they are prepared nicely and is flavoursome. Service: 1. Walking up the counter and the gent ‘told’ us to go to the garden at the back. Not friendly nor welcoming. 2. Took them 5 minutes and more to bring water and we have to ask for their menu. 3. At least the lady that help/served us was nice. Others ain’t too friendly. Decor: Clean and very new inside. The garden looks nice from a glimpse before we got ‘hurried’ out of the garden due to no seatings. ——— I have noted that they are famous for (as most reviews mentioned) the beautiful secret garden out the back. Just set your expectation of this place to be a bar and not a restaurant. So you won’t be too disappointed with the food and service.

Ervin Wijaya

Good eggplant, beef brisket and 2 way chicken. However, wasn't a fan of the pulled pork bun with tomato and pickled cucumber. Would go back just to eat eggplant tho.

Nova Huang

We went there for lunch at 1 pm on a weekday. The restaurant was packed with ppl inside out. Surprisingly, our order was ready in like 10 minutes. The portion was good and the taste was above average. With my Zomato Gold membership, I was able to get one dish for free, so it was basically $8 per dish. I would definitely go back to try everything on the menu. Their coffee menu looks interesting too :)

Yormi Wong

Been here twice... Utilized the privilege of Zomato Gold at my second visit. Very friendly staff and Yummy food =] Will definitely come again!!!

곰정안

4/5 Taste 4.5/5 Display 3.5/5 Quantity 4/5 Customer Service Decent Korean Fusion Cafe in Auckland CBD. Great food with amazing ambience. This place probably had the best decorations on their dishes. Salman bowl looked really colourful and healthy, Jungsik was quite a large portion of Korean bulgogi and kimchi waffle fries had really nice pickle-ish taste.

Sasa WU

Go on the weekdays, so many people~ the fried waffle is excellent with pork on it~ There is no cooky & cream smoothy so tried the coffee, hope can try the smoothy next time~ great place to spend a sunny afternoon~

Petitesweetsnz

The Kimchi Project - my first visit and won't be my last! Went with @_georgieats_ and we both ordered the Jung Sik Korean lunch box: Bulgogi beef, rice, mushrooms, mung beans and white kimchi. Love the glass noodles in the sweet beef soup. Top tip: put your rice into the soup and let it soak it all up 🍱. The Kimchi is house made and surprise : it's white with no chilli. It's definitely a different take to a Bulgogi, with nice touches.

Zeth

Let's start with the positive. The decor is very cute and the staff are very friendly. Now the negative, I'm sorry I really want to like this place but the food is just below average. Everything is very watered down in term of taste. This is the least "Korean" Korean restaurant I've been in Auckland. If you're looking for a cute place to have a drink and some snacks, this is still a great place to go. However, if you are looking for an authentic Korean meal, you'll be disappointed here.

Sarah Olson

My first time coming to kimchi project, i reckon the food was amazing and just so instagramble. However, I went a week ago and I feel like the food has changed, it didn't taste like it use to be. We tried to order and waved our hands at the waitress but they completely walked past and ignored us. This was quite disappointing as I have always had high expectations coming from them. The price is quite costly and food was just average. I think what made this place more popular was due to the fact the interior looked nice and the food was presented nicely. This wouldn't be a place I'll come often but only once a while.

Justin Reys

May have expected too much? Went in the weekend after the normal lunch rush hours. We ended up seating ourselves and even asked for menus (I've gone to Mom and Pop shops so I don't always expect this service and happy to self serve, but not in this context. I would have expected a level of awareness from staff when a new table has seated. ). Drinks arrived and were plopped on the table. Food arrived barely warm. I ordered the lunch set which came with a stone pot and I picked that up with my hands. Maybe it's for the aesthetic and not the function? Still, the beef, noodles and soup were barely warm. Food presentation was lovely, unfortunately the taste didn't match how it looked. Would recommend going here for a drink since the courtyard is a nice setting.

J Li

Nice ambiance. The back open space is bigger than. I expected. Staffs are friendly and serve promptly. Food is amazing, personal favourite is the spicy chicken wings and crab bao.

P Chen

Busy restaurant with great ambience. Food took a bit longer than expected to be prepared. But overall was a great dining experience. Clean restaurant, helpful staff and tasty food. Not too salty at all. Will recommend booking in advance to get nice courtyard seats :)

Montina XU

Plenty of spaces in the backyard. Had a lovely time! A casual and beautiful place for gathering. Will definitely come back for another time! Thanks for a good time.

J Eats

We got the Jung Sik, bbq pork rice and waffle fries. Waffle fries were good but our mains were not. Jung sik didn’t taste special at all and sub par to just a normal bulgogi dish. Bbq pork rice was extremely boring and bland - almost like a Vietnamese pork on rice but on purple rice instead - just that it was worse. Lastly, fries were fine as it’s hard to go wrong with them. Interior was very impressive which I feel most people get woo’d by. That being said, if you just focus on the taste - disappointing.

Sincere Wong

I had the chilli chicken on rice ordered from MealPal, the portion size looks small, but it still filled me up. The chicken was fried really well, and still juicy and tender by the time I got back to my office. Meat-rice balance was spot on, had enough chicken for every bite of rice. Would have liked more corn, but only because it was so good and not that there wasn't enough :)

Tiatiatia

The food was ok, two dishes we ordered were really spicy. We weren’t asked prior about the spice (if we could get mild or anything) so once we got it, it was too spicy for us to handle. I got the pork on rice and that was nice. Customer service wasn’t good - a woman was rude when I asked her if we order from the counter & the other woman just ignored us as she looked at us asking for her help, which I was sad about as it was my birthday and kind of ruined the day. The venue itself is nice and the food was ok but the whole experience wasn’t good, which is ashame. I won’t be coming back again.

Elisa Soerjadi

Food was super good!! We ordered the kimchi fried rice and the salmon ceviche. I came here using the zomato gold membership for the first time and it was so worth it. Staff was welcoming and friendly too.

Upbeatbean

Good ambience but very little quantity Taste was okay ish Not authentic Korean food Not worth the hype but great choice if you're looking for GF, DF, V options Recommend to try the other Korean restaurants in Lorne Street

“Dailee” 25% Off Zomato Gold

Came here for a Korean fusion dinner before watching Aladdin the musical. Lovely courtyard, who knows there is a little oasis at the back of a small entrance. We ordered the ribs, chicken two ways and classic bulgogi set menu with two drinks. Bill came to about $110, abit steep for the portion size but taste quite good. Service was good, one of the lady is very friendly and accommodating. Our highlight was the set menu and the ribs.

Food2belly

| Kimchi fried rice | - An excellent vegetarian option that is satifying on a winter's night. There is a perfect balance of kimchi that doesn't overwhelm the palette. The gooey egg tops the dish off with a creamy texture.

Marchella Kusono

Had a really good experience here last night, it was Friday night therefore it was busy. Staff was lovely and attentive. We had short rib galbi, BBQ pork ribs and shoftshell crabs. All were incredible, especially short rib galbi, to die for!!!

LuNa The TuNa

Better than my expectation. Good presentation,good customer service, good environment, just food quality not equal to the price, but still good looking. Can't say it's bad.

JC

I love the dining area outside. It was mainly the reason why I wanted to dine here but after getting their kimchi pasta and korean bbq on rice, I fell in love with the food. Pasta was nice and hot, full of flavour. The presentation was remarkable and definitely a bonus. The servers were lovely and attentive. I recommend this place

Sofie Yeung

I love this place! Been here a few times and the food, drinks, service and look of the place have never let me down! A great place for dinner for any amount of people!! Such a vibe :)

Katerina

Went there for dinner and was nicely surprised with sitting patio option at the back. Nicely decorated and relaxed atmosphere. Service was good and staff is knowledgeable. They use good quality produce. I really liked aubergine and beef short ribs were melting in my mouth. I ordered chicken wings and asked to put spicy sauce on a side instead of coating wings in it which was done for me nicely. Portions are good size, reazonably priced and enough to share . It's not a big place so book before coming. Will go back to try chicken two ways as it looked super appetizing

David Rhee

Food was average - nothing to rave about but also nothing to overly criticise. However it’s the service that was the real downer; the male waiter with the tattoos was very dismissive, curt and inattentive. I don’t write reviews on Zomato but his service was so poor that I thought necessary to write this review. I hope he gets better training soon.

Gemma Burke

The courtyard setting was lovely, especially in the CBD. The foot is not exactly Korean, it is more Korean fusion but the flavours are still there! The milk in my coffee was burnt however but that was a minor thing as the food was quite tasty.

Annie Tong

Always my favourite spot for studying and a brunch with friends! Their courtyard is a lovely lush spot in our own concrete jungle of Auckland, serving up yummy fried wontons, aromatic kimchi friend rice and super yummy baos too!

Yulia

Been here twice and have been very pleased with the food both times. The kimchi waffle fries are definitely my favourite. Will be back again for sure.

Yusoff Kamal

I love the hidden courtyard idea and a perfect place to held an event or birthday party I really love the look of this place. The staff is friendly and the food is delicious. Highly recommended.

Tarun Parmar

One of the best korean fusion restaurant. At first it looked like a small cafe from the entrance but there is a large seating area at the back with just perfect deco. And great ambience over all set up is just great. Dont have a negative feed back for this place. Beautifully presented food. We had the kimchi fried rice and poutine waffle fries. Personally would ask them to add more gravy on the fries as it was dry. Will definitely come back to try other dishes on the menu

Sjr Sjr

The kimchi project has been on our "must try" list for some time now. Eventually we got around to it and we definitely weren't disappointed. The place is very welcoming and has a really inviting courtyard area, the service was exceptional and friendly, the food was really delicious....Asian (Korean) fusion done very well. We had the kimchi pasta but it was such a hard choice as everything on the menu sounded so good....and as good as the pasta dish was....there was definitely food envy going on when looking at other peoples orders! If you haven't been yet, then you're missing out.

Rao

Good service, good food, good vibes. Local joint with good prices to boot makes for a pleasant evening. Didn't realise they had an awesome space out the back - always saw that front bit empty but they had been ushering everyone behind. We had the fried chicken, chicken bao, crab bao and the kimchi fried rice - all excellent. Little Rose cocktail was great though probably won't go with all the spice you'll consume.

RKB

One of the best restaurant in Auckland. Food was so nicely presented. Chef work was great in flavor nd presentation. Staff was very nice. Owner was too kind and helpful.will come again. thanks

J.T547

I came here for the awesome restaurant month special in August, and boy I was not disappointed. This is such a beautiful restaurant, with a lovely hidden courtyard. Food was delicious and very generous portions! The chocolate/mandarin parfait was to die for. I will definitely be back to try the standard menu.

Tanz

Wow what a place! Looking from the front it’s just like other cafe in city but once you walked into their backyard - you would be like wow! Really love the vibe and ambient of their “secret garden”. Made me feel like I was on holiday. We ordered chilli chicken on rice - I don’t think I will order it again. No chilli taste, chicken were too dry, couldn’t taste the chicken, the whole dish was a bit dry, not enough sauce. Kimchi pasta - oh wow!! Sooo creamy and cheesy and yummy!!! Pasta cooked to perfection, the sauce was seasoned well balanced with kimchi flavor but not too strong. I might go back to this place and try other dishes mainly because I like the vibe and ambient of the backyard.

Bronwyn Koh

Food : 4.5/5 Ambience : 5/5 Service : 5/5 After a morning of browsing for brunch spots in town, we stumbled across this cute entrance. It's our first time here, absolutely loved the cafe style front section and the way it opens up to a garden restaurant out back! Loved the vibes, even on a rainy day it was bright and inviting. Service was great, polite and attentive from minimal serve staff on a weekend. We ordered the Soft shell crab bao, Spicy chicken on rice and Kimchi waffle fries. The soft shell crab was a very good size, deep fried beautifully, crisp and juicy! Although there isn't much sauce, the bao wasn't dry at all. Spicy chicken on rice, very flavorful and not too spicy. This dish was nice and if I were to return, I would try another dish. Lastly, the kimchi waffle fries were delish! Next time I will definitely be ordering the poutine version of it! Ooo almost forgot the Nutella coffee, yum and not too sweet. Can't wait to come back and try a wide variety of items again!

Real Slug

Been meaning to visit The Kimchi Project for a while and finally got the chance to visit the other day. Met all of my expectations - great atmosphere, great customer service and excellent food. The only downside is that the food took well over an hour to arrive. I think the staff forgot our order but they were quick to fix the mistake once we brought it up and offered to take one of the dishes off our bill. Look forward to visiting again :)

Blackpearl

Finally tried this place and it didn't disappoint! We sat in the courtyard area and it was beautiful. Ordered their kimchi fried rice with pork belly and chilli chicken. Dishes are beautifully presented and they're delicious! Such a balanced meal, price wise it's more expensive than your typical korean restaurant but it's worth it to splurge a bit!

Alisa Wang

Trendy? Clean? Nice environment? Whatever! Not much taste and flavour. Good, if you like food that has not much to discover and expensive.🧘🏻‍♀️🛴

Grace Huang

I was craving some korean fried chicken and I had heard about the secret garden, so I gave The Kimchi Project a try. Service: 10/10 We were welcomed and shown towards the dining area. The waitress that served us was super cheerful and bubbly which brought a smile to our faces. She brought us water and cleared our plates to keep our eating area clean. She checked up on us and made sure we were having an enjoyable dinner. I thought it was professional of them to inform us that they were having problems with their fryer so we knew the food would come out a little slow. The food actually came out reasonably quickly, everything was served in about 15 minutes. Food: 5/10 We ordered the two way korean chicken, kimchi waffle fries, soft shell crab bun and tempura fish bun. The honey soy chicken was my favourite, it was crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The sweet honey flavour was elevated by the fatty chicken. I did eat a piece of doughy chicken though. The gochujang chicken was a mix of sweet and spicy. The chicken was juicy but wasn’t as crispy. The kimchi waffle fries were only crispy on the edges, most of the fries were soft and soggy. The kimchi was marinated nicely and had a nice pickled aroma. The soft shell crab was super crunchy and basically flaked apart. The crab meat was soft and tender. The tempura fish wasn’t very crispy but the creamy sauce tasted great with fish. The baos were soft and sweet, but they fell apart when I tried to pick them up. Ambiance: 9/10 The restaurant has two sections, the indoor cafe section and the garden section. The sheltered garden section allowed natural sunlight and sounds to grace your meal. The wooden furniture theme and green plants create a wooded scenery which is quite fitting for the open area. There are beautiful lanterns and umbrellas hanging off the room that boast an asian theme. There is also calming jazz music which is great background music for a chat. The only thing that slightly bothered me was that since it was open, it was a little chilly and birds were flying around the tables. They have a beautiful location which would be great for a coffee date or brunch, I wouldn’t recommend them if you want a cheap or high quality meal though.

Shuyi Wang

I love the aesthetic of this place, but the food is pretty average. I personally don't think the small portion and flavour of the food was worth the price. The service was really friendly and they checked back with us to make sure everything was great. They seated us in the room which allowed for more privacy and less noise, but the lighting was relatively dim which made it difficult to eat. Ambience and decorations are really unique. Food - 3/5 Ambience - 4/5 Service - 5/5

Jason Jolly

Wow. Yes. Definitely go prepared to spend money but prepared to have some of the best fish you've ever had. Stunning dishes, beautifully presented. We did the custom menu and it was worth every cent. The drinks were also amazing. Can't recommend enough!

😎

I went for breakfast and I had the avocado toast and nuttelino coffee. The food was very nice and will definitely come back to try their lunch menu.

Jewel

They have a good coffee here. But for the food is good but still not have wow factor for me. Restaurant decoration very beautiful inside. I would like to come back again to try different dishes.

Liza Cosme

We came here as a recommended by a friend. I ordered the kimchi fried rice with pork belly it was finger licking good. My partner ordered bulgogi beef...it's tasty but a little dry it would be nice to have a bit more juice/sauce to flavour the rice with. The restaurant setting is great, we did like the use of live plants however some of them needs a bit of lovin'

Its Me

A good Korean fusion restaurant I like it here deff better than hansik I just wouldn't call this place Korean but it's a good Korean fusion place. A good cafe in the city to chill at day time and turns in to a nice low key bar at night. Their deco is impressive for nz standard tho! This is how most of every single Korean cafe looks like in Korea tho lol.. everyone here is so friendly and cheerful I just wouldn't come here all the time only because I like my food all the way Korean.. but they got something for everyone (Korean/non Korean/spicy/non spicy/ vegetarian and meaterian like me lol) so that's another good thing about this place!

Tony Shi

Modern and chic restaurant. Thoroughly enjoyed the dishes. Standout was the DIY Ssam, pork+roti+pickle+tempura mushroom is surprisingly an amazing combination. The fried chicken was also delicious. Not the traditional Korean type (this was deep fried covered in batter). Salmon sashimi was another standout. Due to the preparation method the salmon isn't overly rich. Fantastic. House kimchi was average. Felt it could be fermented longer. Food: 4/5 Environment: 5/5 Service: 4/5

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This is a great korean fusion restaurant. Love the interior & ambience of the place. It looks like a small cafe from the entrance but there is a large covered outdoors seating at the back. Couldnt fault the service nor the food. Beautifully presented tasty food. We had the kimchi fries & chilli chicken. Both were great. Will definitely come back to try other dishes on the menu

Chai

honestly? overrated i had a green smoothie and it was really watery and had little lumps of spinach in it? like it wasnt blended smooth a friend had a noodle salad but it was like all leaves and not alot of noodle or meat. i had a bao and it was quite small, especially for the price. i came back another time and when our table ordered drinks they took like 25 minutes to come out - the restaurant was almost empty and we had gotten an iced coffee and two teas?????? too expensive, but the food is pretty so i guess its okay

Silvann

This place is a hidden gem! Sister dragged me there for lunch, have always walked past it before, looked interesting but never enough for me to go in. I did not however expect the hidden decor in the back garden, was really surprised Not a big fan of the menu choices. Food I got was really pretty, seasoned well and fulling. Would go again

Dennis Kee

We were there for lunch on Saturday. The place was half packed. There is a nice sheltered courtyard with overhead heaters warming up the space quite well. Very cozy. We had the chilli chicken rice, basically Korean fried chicken with special gochujiang type sauce. I enjoyed the chicken, batter was light and non greasy. Rice was well cooked. They used good quality wild rice mix. We also had kimchi laksa. I was intrigued when I spotted it on the menu. To me the flavour of kimchi and laksa will not blend well. When I tasted it I actually couldn't taste much of the kimchi. I could see the cabbage but they must have washed the kimchi to dilute the sour taste before adding it to the laksa vermicili. So in actual fact they could have called it laksa with cabbage. I thought the laksa broth was average. On the plus side they gave me four large and fresh prawn in my laksa. I had the yuzu honey tea. I loved it. We will most likely be back in the future, keen to try their kimchi waffle and bulbogi but I advise giving their laksa a skip. You can find much better laksa in Auckland.

JenniferJ

Simple food but very tasty! Went there for lunch and my family and we ordered poutine waffle fries and Korean pork on rice and fish and chips for the kids. Everyone loved their dish. Will definitely go back there to try their other dishes. We also enjoyed the secret garden set up.

Edwina - Let’s Eat!

Absolutely brilliant! The food is beautifully done with a modern twist. Every single meal we had was very good. This restaurant could be completely underrated just because of its appearance from the outside. I diligently try and experience the latest top 50 restaurant list and The Kimchi Project is just one of those gems that will not be rated ‘up there’ with the big players, but it’s value is great!

Thom

I'd have to be honest and say that Kimchi's permanent menu is not really my favourite, except for the fried rice which is quite nice. So I do find myself hard to decide when the seasonal items are not to my liking, but that only happened twice I'd say. Food is good, smoothies are good, coffees are good. I like how their drinks menu expands everytime they make changes. The courtyard is very nice, it is just hard to get a table during main lunch hours in the courtyard because they seat people whenever a table is available rather than holding it for a little bit so a bigger group could actually dine there.

Jenny Da

From the entrance you would never expect a beautifully renovated garden style restaurant hidden inside. The kimchi project serves Korean fusion style food, such as kimchi waffle fries, kimchi fried rice and kimchi laksa. They also have a range of “baos” (seems to be everywhere) with the soft shell crab bao being my favourite. Interesting flavours and healthy ingredients are used in most of their dishes. The menu also changes seasonally! Love the bright atmosphere of the restaurant.

Svetlana Banerjee

The ambience and setting are the winners here. The outdoor garden area is beautiful with climbing vines and greenery. It is perfect for a small catch up with friends. I’m not sure they have them anymore but they had delicious fried dumplings with a sweet sauce! Unique but delicious combination.

Vic

Came here with a few friends for dinner... be careful when out for dinner on Fridays/Saturdays! The beer garden is sometimes home to large after-work gatherings and it can take a while for food to come out. The service was great though and the waiters gave us a complimentary bowl of nachos! I was intrigued by the kimchi served in both the kimchi fried rice and waffle fries - don't expect normal cabbage as it seemed to be made of small cubes of other vegetables. The jury is still out on whether or not I actually enjoyed this type of kimchi over the normal kind. Food generally had good flavour otherwise!

Wei

We had dinner here during restaurant month. The food was amazing - generous portions packed with flavour and the service was very friendly, informative and attentive. The $40 set menu was delicious and really good value. I really enjoyed the fried chicken, the bulgogi stew was the best I've ever had, the Korean pancake was so tasty and the chocolate parfait was delicious -not too sweet and the dehydrated mandarins added some nice crunch and texture. I would also recommend the kimchi waffle fries - they lived up to the hype! We also ordered the fried chicken served with gherkins and that was delicious too. I really liked all the accompaniments served with the dishes, a really nice touch. Definitely will be back here again.

Squiddy

Beautiful decor, whether you're sitting in the garden area outside or a cozy booth inside. Wonderful staff who smile at you and are happy to be at work and happy to have you there. This adds so much to the dining experience. This was yet another inspired choice from the Entertainment Book. I was really hungry after a sparse lunch of Marmite on toast so ended up completely over-ordering. Between the two of us we shared a soft-shell crab bao, the burnt carrot and kimchi dumplings, the Korean chicken two ways, and the DIY Saam. They call the last two dishes 'big plates' and they really are BIG plates! We were completely stuffed full and had no room for dessert. All the dishes were beautifully cooked. The burnt carrots were gorgeous and the bao had a huge, deep-fried whole soft-shell crab. The DIY Saam was my favourite: I loved assembling the lettuce wraps to my own taste. The only reason I didn't give a 5 was because of the sweetness of many of the dishes. I haven't eaten much Korean food so I don't know if that is a feature of the cuisine. The bao bun itself was sweet, the soy cream gel with the kimchi dumplings was sweet, and the DIY Saam would've benefited from more acid in the house pickles to enliven the dish. Both the chicken coatings/sauces in the Two-ways Korean chicken were sweet (honey soy and sweet gochujang), and yes, I knew that would be the case because it says so on the menu. I thought that the gochujang would be spicy and fiery so that the sweetness would balance with it, but that wasn't the case. Please note that l definitely want to go back and try more of the things on the menu. I know I prefer more acid flavours so please bear that in mind when reading my review.

Steph Coulton

Cute spot in a courtyard style set up. We’d booked a table for lunch (highly recommend) and enjoyed yummy eats, I especially enjoyed the criss cut fries. The drinks were well presented too. Will come back!

Dini

I was really impressed by how many different dietary requirements this place could cater for despite the rather small menu. The secret garden is perfect for anything, a date, a dinner or even a birthday celebration. The staff were so lovely, I thought I had booked online, but it hadn't gone through for some strange reason. So they booked a table for us instead. We loved it! The two vegetarians we're happy, so were the two dairy free people, and the boys absolutely loved the ribs. Highly highly recommended!!

Lalal

The watermelon soda tasted artificial. The pork fried rice didn't go together - pork slices were over cooked and the rice was barely warm when served. The sauce came with the dish was honey mustard which was really confusing cause the ingredients simply didn't relate. The beef stew was just another disappointment tbh. I was expecting them to use their own sauce at least, rather than some cheap easy supermarket shit. I don't know what this restaurant actually offers that worths people coming, except for the instagram/south korea style decoration and the alright service. P.S. Those seats in the hall way are uncomfortable + other people talking loudly too.

Food.review.nz

Looking for a Korean inspired place to dine? This is the place! With beautiful interiors and a nice outdoor covered courtyard, it makes you feel as if you are dining overseas in Asia. Not to mention the food is absolutely delicious! Options on the menu are enough for you to pick something you fancy. I went for lunch with a friend and I ordered their famous Poutine waffle fries. I have been craving hash fries for the longest of times and I finally got to eat them here. To top it off, they serve it with pulled pork, feta crumbs and a delicious sauce. To spice it up, they sprinkle chilli flakes on top, however, if you aren't a spice fan, you can ask for it to be removed. All the flavours in that dish are balanced and you can taste the difference between European poutine and their Korean inspired poutine. I love this point of difference as it is something new and my taste buds are always keen to explore new dishes. Service is alright depending on where you are seated and I would say it is on the more pricey end however, it is definitely worth a try if you haven't been and the presentation and ambience of the place make up for it! Food 8.5/10 Ambience 8/10 Service 6.5/10 Price 6.5/10

STRADS

The Kimchi Project has several big dining areas which one might easily overlook from the entrance, as we did. We had a soft-shell crab bun, a seafood kimchi laksa, & a TKP house-made kimchi as a side. The soft-shell was not too oily, but good. The noodles in the Laksa were vermicelli - I prefer a little thicker noodles instead. The TKP kimchi was not very spicy. P.S. The Blooming tea (with handcrafted flower) was interesting, but with not much flavour in it - it's more of a look than taste. (Food - 3/5; Service - 3.5/5; Ambience - 4/5) Visited on 30 July 2018

Erica Zhang

We are meat lovers and the pork ribs we ordered is definitely a good choice for us! And I am super love their decorations, we will come back again;)

Ronagrail Totanes

The food was great small portions though. The kimchi fried rice was not even half the plate. Good customer service, the staffs are friendly and polite.

Eggster Eats

Decided to head to The Kimchi Project and I ordered the Korean BBQ Pork Rice and Cookies and Cream smoothie whilst my friend ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice and The Maker Gisborne Róse. The customer service was great, the ambience of the restaurant was brilliant and the food was lovely. The pork rice was filling and was a superb experience for fusion Korean cuisine!

Auckland Foodie

Friendly staff and a great atmosphere in their secret garden out the back. It is a little bit cold but they have put some heaters there which was nice. I had the Avocado Yuzu Salad which was beautifully prepared and tasted nice. Also tried their Nutellino Coffee (coffee with Nutella) which was very sweet but a must have for all chocolate lovers! Will come back to try some more of their menu.

Amara Benson

I don’t like to complain but I was very disappointed in my experience at the kimchi project. I have been told by friends it was good but something must of gone downhill as the food was cold and the kimchi was some of the worst I had, was more like a defrosted vegetable medley with tomato sauce mixed in. The prices were far too high for this poor service. Waste of time and money overall, I genuinely wanted a refund and when I told the waitress our experience was bad and our food was cold she pretended not to hear me.

Jay

This is one of those places where you just know you're going to gram their food - so I did. Food & Service was excellent. Bit on the pricey side, but to be expected for that atmosphere. Cozy place out back - great for a date or catch up with the close ones.

Lizzie

One of the best Asian fusion places in Auckland! The courtyard is beautiful, cocktails are delicious and food is out of this world! Service is always top notch - a must-do in Auckland! Favourites include the kimchi waffle fries and the chicken bao!

Emily

What a delightful restaurant!! We were seated in the back courtyard area and it is just beautiful. Food was all exceptional! We tried the loaded waffle fries, fried rice (full of flavour and perfectly spicy) with cauliflower and the pork belly. The gochujang on the pork belly was sublime! We’ll be back!!

Misscocolitten

The 1 star is purely based on the non-existent service we received on a very quiet Monday night. My husband and I were the only table here, yet we had to go to the counter to grab water ourselves and to order. Dirty plates were piled on the unwiped table and the waitresses seemed more interested in making cocktails for themselves than serving us. We will be thinking twice before we return.

Sammy & Raphy

If you are looking for Korean fusion food, the Kimchi project is great. But as someone who really loves Korean food, I felt that the Korean side to the dishes (that I tried atleast) was too subtle. Otherwise was a good foodie experience.

Lauren.creative

One of my favourites! The interiors of The Kimchi Project are so creative and inspiring - it makes for the perfect spot to work on assignments etc. Free wifi, good service and a classy selection of magazines. The carrot cake was a bit pricey but other than that - very impressive!

Lacey Thompson

We went for an early dinner before a show. Great timing as they had some happy hour specials on snacks and wine! The soft shell crab bao was delicious and their kimchi on our fries was excellent too! Delicious Rose 😊

Diogo Reck

So rare to find a place like that in the city. The tiny entry hides a beautiful secret garden that can be enjoyed even during winter and on rainy days! Food is great too. Precise balancing of flavours and temperature. The cold duxelle gave freshness to the plate. Presentationwise, I wish the chesse didn't hide the beauty of other ingredients.

LilMSunshine

Wow, a hidden gem at Lorne St. I've already heard about awesome reviews at this place so I gave it a try and it didn't disappoint. You will be greeted by friendly staff and guide you through the garden. Food was a good portion and filling. Ordered chicken and pulled pork baos and chili chicken rice (missed taking photo). Infused tea was presented beautifully and the dessert at the front counter was so appealing and mouth watering. Will try dessert next visit but today was a good and satisfying one. Highly recommended!

Rosanne Choy

Came in with friends last year and quite a few times this year. Heard lots of people talk about their kimchi waffle fries, so we ordered them to have a try. The waffle fries did not disappoint. Environment was comfortable to be in and staff was friendly. Avocado Yuzu salad was so good. Baby potatoes were roasted and seasoned perfectly. Mushrooms were soaked in the salad sauce and tasted absolutely amazing. Loved every part of the dish. Buddha Bowl was vegetarian, served with purple rice and some sweet chilli sauce on the side. The sauce was so good when mixed into the rice. It gave the rice so much flavour.

Jeffie

Seen some great a reviews of this and we were in that part town so we came in. The ambience is nice, still pretty much like the old o bar but just redecorated of course. Service is fast, friendly and helpful but we came in at the tail end of service so maybe it's a different story at peak time? We had the Strawberry & Plum House Iced Tea, Kissing Panda, Ginger Bear, Grilled Calamary, Kimchi Waffle Fries, side of naan bread & Wild Jasmine Rice, Korean Panang Curry and Two-ways Korean Chicken. I think after we ordered, I blinked and drinks followed by all the dishes, one by one came out straight away. I take it could be due coming at the tail end of service again? Not complaining though but it was very quick. In saying that though none of the dishes were hot temperature wise, unless that's how they were meant to be? I liked the iced tea while the mrs liked the soju cocktails. Everything was beautifully presented, the grilled calamary was nice, it taste particularly grilled though. The waffles looked a like show stopper but again were just nice when we tucked into them. The naan was our least favourite dish, we each had a piece and that was it, points for the generous serving but it was just really dry, tasteless not know that the curry was water based, it wasn't good dipping in it either. Speaking of the curry, seeing the 3x chilies next to it on the menu, I thought it was going to pack quite a punch and it didn't it whatsoever. You could argue we have a high tolerance for spice but we really couldn't taste any spice. I thought it was also a bit pricey being a curry soup with some veges, a small crab and what felt like one medium sized prawn cut up into about 8 pieces in it. Lastly the chicken which was our favourite, really tasty, liked the pickles but again lacking any spice and a really pricey menu item. Overall some highs and lows, I've never really food behind but I did here and I also never get the mrs to finish something I don't like but considering the price on some of the things, I didn't want to waste anymore. I do like this place and I do want to give a better rating but this is what this visit has earned.

Hansi Dissanayake

One of my favourite restaurants in town! The ambience is absolutely gorgeous, beautiful decor inside and outside with a lovely outdoor eating area. This time round I went for the Kimchi Fried Rice and it did not disappoint! It wasn’t overly spicy and almost had a sweet flavour to it. Very filling, would definitely order it again. When coming to the Kimchi Project the waffle fries are an absolute must, they serve the best waffle fries I’ve ever had!

Maree Brogden

Beautiful presentation of lunch dishes; menu not extensive, but perhaps this will continue to be developed. Conveniently situated inner city courtyard dining. My dine; Spicy Crab curry with nuts and micro greens, and red rice as a separate serving. I recommend the Blossom Tea served in a glass teapot, for a pleasant visual and tasting experience. Overall, definitely recommendable.

Marina :)

Food: kimchi salsa and nachos were so good for the $4 happy hour price! I probably wouldn’t get them at normal price tho as the portion is kind of small. The happy hour price I couldn’t complain about tho lol. I also got the tofu bun which was really good! The tofu was nice and crispy. My only complaint about it is it could’ve had a bit more flavour. Drink: Nice selection of tea, I had a feijoa Teza and tried some of my friends maple tea which was good. Service: Speedy and attentive, and refilled water quickly.

Tashee

Cute place, great for drinks. Loved the backyard area with little nice touch of pretty plates and tea pots. The food was good but a bit overpriced for the portion.

Lilo

Amazing tastes! Loved the kimchi rice, prawns and soft shell crab curry! I highly recommend the kissing panda cocktail and the Korean strawberry wine!

Inkles

I love this place so much... I just want to go there again to try more of their menu! The courtyard area was definitely not what I was expecting, since the shop looked like a cozy café from street view. The clear roofing, bamboo aesthetic with plants as well as the neon sign aasfjjkldlslsk 😍

Belly Rumbles

The Kimchi Project offers a fresh Korean fusion menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the heart of Auckland’s CBD. The Kimchi Project was high on my must eat list when I last visited Auckland. Don’t you think the name is pretty cool, “The Kimchi Project”? For me it conjures two thoughts, firstly somebody really loves kimchi and has dedicated a whole business to it. Secondly, I think it sounds like the name a super villain could give to their evil plan of world domination (I’ve watched Austin Powers way too many times).

Mon.

Taste: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 Interior Deco: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 Customer service: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 Recommend: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 Love their interior design more than the food! Must walk into the internal part of the restaurant as there will be a outdoor dining place which looked amazing!! Food taste pretty good and looked really nice! Each dish were served in relatively large proportion which will be filling for each meal! Highly recommended! Amazing place! Must try!

Cat

Love the courtyard. Been twice on a Saturday morning and it has been so lovely & peaceful. Interesting menu. I couldn’t decide what to have on my first visit as I wanted to try everything (!) but eventually settled on the wontons. They were delicious & presented so beautifully. Also tried the kimchi waffles which were good but I was expecting better. Coffee was excellent. Great place to have right in the city.

Elmocookie

An unassuming Korean cafe from the front. We had second thoughts about entering despite the good reviews as the front was empty. Little did we know that there was an outdoor area at the back with quite a few people! The dishes were generally good but the dumplings were a bit of a disappointment. The sauce was too creamy. Nonetheless, a good visit if you were looking for a modern Korean cruisine!

G

Got the fried kimchi to share and a bao each. It was really good but the wait was unfortunately too long, around 45 mins. The owner (?) gave us green tea while waiting but it'd be nice if we got the food faster. Cute place though.

Vanessa Gao

Came here for lunch with a workmate and sat inside which was a lovely setting. I ordered the beef noodle salad which was a good portion and very flavourful. However the beef seemed a bit old and the vinegar in the dish was super strong. If they had cut back on the vinegar sauce, then with less sourness In the dish it would be perfect.

Marggie Pascua

Went here for lunch once with my friend, the atmosphere was great at the back. Totally different. Takes you to a different place almost. The food are quite pricey for what they are and the size, but they were good food. The staff are really nice and friendly. I ordered the bao(buns) because I wanted something that would fill me up but at the same time was light and not too heavy. So that was good. They also offer great drinks like ice tea, coffee etc

Annie Ren

Very delicious food and a huge variety of pan-Asian food which tick all my boxes! For dinner, I enjoyed the ssam (lettuce cups with assorted meats). It was refreshing and light, perfectly for a pre-dinner snack! We also ordered classics including kimchi waffle fries (although could definitely do with more kimchi to add the flavour), and the fried prawn and pork dumplings in a very creamy sauce- would definitely have preferred more mushrooms to go with it though. The two-way chicken was also a winner as I loved the flavours of both the sweet chili and soy. There were also a couple disappointments in our meal. The soft shell crab salad was tasty but I thought the portion of softshell crabs in there was too little- probably maximum of 4/5 pieces despite being dubbed a "big" plate. I'm a big fan of buns (loved the ones served by Lucky Buddha, Kiss Kiss etc). Kimchi project charges the same for their buns but their fillings were substantially less compared to its competitors. My softshell crab bun was also not very flavourful although the bun itself was nice and fluffy. Overall the restaurant has a very cute interior, great range of drinks and food, but could definitely do better with bigger servings that match the prices!

Garima Talwar

What a lovely little place! Beautiful interior design and a comfortable ambience. After hearing so many good things about The Kimchi Project I had high expectations and it definitely met my expectations. I will most certainly be coming back again! Kimchi Fries- 3/5 Chilli Miso Chicken on Rice- 4/5 Bao Bun- Chicken: 5/5 Pork: 3/5

Rachel

Walking into the place, the design is beautiful, especially in the second area. It has been a while since I have been in a restaurant with such neat and professional design. This place has a natural and comfortable environment. You could get lost in conversation here and restaurant feels separate from the busy city. We ordered TKP Tacos, Pork & Prawn Wontons TKP Style and Kimchi Waffle Fries. The presentation of their dishes is beautiful to take pictures of. Each dish had different yet delicious tastes mixed together on your taste buds. I appreciated my time here and the staff were friendly to converse with.

Emma

Came here for lunch with my friend and it was a really nice experience. The place itself is beautifully decorated and the courtyard is always lovely to sit in. The food was very good, I ordered the softshell crab bao and it was amazing, crunchy and beautifully complimented by the soft bao. My friends tempura chicken bao was equally delightful. The serving portions are indeed rather small given the price so if you're looking for something filling then I would not recommend the kimchi project unless you have a decent sized budget. We also ordered a peach iced tea which was really good and really nicely presented.

Angela Hollings

Came here a few months ago with friends for dinner. We ordered the ssam, soft shell crab salad and kimchi waffle fries. The crab was good and i enjoyed the waffle fries, however the portions were quite small. I was not overly amazed but decided to try coming back for lunch. I had the peach/passionfruit ice tea and the tempura chicken bao. The tempura chicken was so satisfying to eat. It had exactly the right amount of crunch from the tempura which was complimented so nicely by a very soft bun, the sauce was absolutely delicious to top it off. Would definitely recommend the bao over anything else (my friend had the soft shell crab bao and also enjoyed it) . However, i did not find it very filling so i would recommend ordering a side to go with it.

Bring The Hot Sauce

Outdoor area is fab! Great date venue 😉 food is nice. Not mind blowing but tasty. I'm just a sucker for cute decor so it's a winner in my book 👍

Neverstopeating (20% Off Zomato Gold Code: NEVE9390)

Hidden gem in Auckland CBD! They have the coolest courtyard! Always pass by this cafe and it looks empty from the outside. However you'll be amazed by its courtyard, so instagramable LOL. Went there and kitchen was closed so me and my partner had hot matcha and iced matcha. Hot matcha was very good and its better than iced one. My partner's iced matcha was a lil milky and matcha was quite thin. Its not easy to find a cafe that serves good matcha so i'll definitely recommend this place!

Jin Yun

House sodas are brilliant and the fusion food is superb. Great ambience in the lil bit out back. Would not have expected this quaint courtyard bit and so was a pleasant surprise.

Cnjo

Best courtyard for a nice little getaway from the fast pace of the city within the CBD. Friendly staff and very delicious food. Highly recommend the Saam And the soft shell crab bun from their menu!

Amy Fhl

Great experience in here. The decor is lovely especially in the courtyard. It has fire heater so it's warm and nice even in winter. Food is delicious so are the drinks, they look pretty as well. Friendly service but it looks a bit short of staff. Recommend having a date in here. Also great for groups because they have some platter sharing food. Definitely will come back again.

Irina Milana

Great atmosphere and such a cool idea for a cafe. The service was average, our waiter looked like she didn't want to be there. The food looked delicious but tasted below average? My coconut curry had 3-4 green beans in there, 2 pieces of mushrooms and onions? And I paid around 22 dollars for it which was a joke. My friend got the avocado bowl and the salmon tasted weird half raw half smoked. Overall was disappointed and let down

Bobby Anderson

The courtyard is really well decorated and sends a good vibe around. I have come here when it used to be O-bar. The refreshed premises brings about a steeper price range. And I do miss the yoghurt soju O-bar used to serve. Found the food here tasty but comes at a high price.

Nozomi Oishi

Really good ambience, especially at the courtyard. A really good place to study or to catch up with friends. Large coffee comes in a big cup and they open till pretty late.

Wallswecrashedthrough

Really good place to study or meet up with friends. Had the Asian Style bruschetta. Prawns were big and the mango gave made the dish refreshing. Large coffee comes in a really large cup. Ask to be seated at the Courtyard.

Sam Lowe

Fantastic food. Great atmosphere. Had the beef short ribs and they were perfectly cooked and my partner had the soft shell crab. Both were delicious. Recommend to all.

Cathy Fan

Came here to celebrate mums birthday and it was lovely!! I never knew they had an backside area through their sliding areas but it was so aesthetic inside!! Love the ambience. Thought it would've been cold but they had heaters everywhere so that was thoughtful. I found their fusion of Korean and white culture food really interesting. Their food setup was really nice too and instaworthy. Their kimchi fries is a must try if you come here and their baos are quite nice too. I reckon the poke bowl was just quite average. I think an improvement they could have is to have larger portions. The lighting inside was quite nice to take photos in and overall it was a lovely experience. My family enjoyed it too and would probably come here again with either friends or family

Sophie

Have been here a few times now and the food has always been delicious. A really calming backyard courtyard in the middle of town, it's a nice break away from a busy day. Keep in mind the food portions are quite small and the drinks a tad over priced, plus have had my tables order lost and forgotten a few times. In saying that, I still recommend the kimchi project and will be returning

Emma Kostanich

Came for dinner for 4, plates are easy to share, Something for everyone. I left feeling satisfied but not too full. It's like a little hideaway, beautiful decor. Service was pretty good.

Keaton Hamilton

My friend & I came here on a wet afternoon day. My friend grabbed something from the cabinet and I ordered the Renkon Chips off the sides menu, after what felt like ages I finally received my order which was the Kimchi Waffle Fries instead. The waitress apologied for the mistake and went to return my dish to the kitchen, a few minutes later she came back with the Kimchi Waffle Fries asking if I still wanted the meal because I'll still be charged for the $16 dish, even though I didn't order it in the first place. I felt extremely ripped off and utterly disappointed. In hindsight I wish I had gotten up and left straight away instead of paying for a $16 mistake that the waitress made.

Stephanie

Have heard this place for long time and finally come for a try. we came here around 1pm and sit the outside area which is nice and warm. I had the southern asian style kimchi fried rice and my friend had creamy mushroom, we all feel satisfied, but i hope they have some more staffs at lunch time coz the service is a little bit slow but the staffs were friendly!

Queena

We discovered this place while we were walking for High St looking for a place to have dinner at. First time going in was a real bad experience. The waitress there appear to have not placed our order at all. We were starving. Waited for at least 30mins and she came back with a pen and paper re-jotting down everything we had ordered initially when we asked her where our food was at. My partner was not happy and we left Second time we went with a friend (my partner was real hesitant to come back) but we did it! Service was definitely a lot better this time and good definitely was served way faster. Food itself was nice but nothing that unique. The kimchi waffle fries was nice and probably the most unique and tasty... The main I ordered (Ssam) was not what I expected. I was expecting a full on meal not a "salad-type" dish. Quite disappointed. Wasn't very clear on the menu. Also ordered the matcha latte and it was not what I had expected. It was quite bland -tasted more like warm milk than matcha. Was totally not worth $6. The ambiance and the decor of this place is very nice though.

WeiTing Ashley Shyu

The Kimchi Project is incredibly pleasing on the eyes with their lush courtyard. You wouldn't even know you're in the hustle and bustle of the city. This Asian fusion cafe/restaurant is my new favourite! From the ambience to the staff, to the food. Be prepared to be transported to another place.... the atmosphere is mellow, in the best way possible. A team of 15 including myself dined here tonight. I had already heard amazing things about the beautiful courtyard and food. The Kimchi Project did not fail to impress. We ordered separate mains: a heap of us ordered the ssam, some ordered ribs, the beef cheeks, kimchi fried rice with pork belly, avocado yuzu bowl, fried wontons and the Penang prawn curry. Not a single dish let anyone down. My ssam dish was incredible (ssam is a Korean dish were lettuce cups/leafy vegetables are used to wrap meat) - the flavours were divine especially the bulgogi beef one. The pork belly and chicken were bang on too. They were garnished beautifully and presented on a wooden serving board. Obviously you can't visit a place called "The Kimchi Project" without ordering Kimchi so we ordered a few plates of it. The Kimchi wasn't as spicy as I'd like and it was a little on the sweet side but seriously, this place is a foodie's heaven; you can't really fault it. I'll be back a million times more with friends, family, colleagues etc. the ambience and vibe of the place is unbelievable! Blown away by my experience here. Highly recommended.

Jc

Been 2 times in the past month. Had miso chicken as well as eggplant mince don. Both were nicely presented with great flavours. A little on the expensive side compare to other establishments in the area but the food and atmosphere more than make up for it. Highly recommended.

Emily She

This place is good! My friends and I can came here for dinner. We ordered a variety or plates and shared. I recommend the pork ribs! It's a cool little place with a cool vibe, but a bit noisy, so hard to have conversations.

Maria Chen

Love the ambience and decoration. The food did not disappoint too! Good kimchi fries and the bun with the crab was amazing. Get the platter with beef and chicken as well. Amazing fusion food and would come back.

Dxlche

We got the Yuzu avocado bowl and the Miso Chicken with an egg as well as a flat white and the matcha latte. These bowls are pricy ($17-20 something) but they are absolutely delicious and filling too. They look really healthy so I don't feel so guilty on binging. Service was just a bit above average, the coffee came a while after we got food. But there was only one waitress and she looked really busy the whole time. The atmosphere is amazing and it's such a nice place to escape from the busy cityscape. Highly recommend, this is my second time here and it has not disappointed.

Rena Holstein

Fries were a little cold, but overall a good experience! Definitely worth the money! Would recommend going there if you're up for trying a mixture between Korean and Western food! Hansi Dissanayake

Emmelyn Fuentes Rosell

a new 'asian' restaurant with their take on korean inspired dishes and asian flavours. a bit pricey but worth the experience. the food was great and yum! the ambiance was pretty great especially if you are seated in their 'outdoor seating'. the photo below is their dish called saam. it has 3 flavors: bulgogi, pork, and gochujang chicken. it may seem small especially with those who have a hearty appetite but it can sustain you for the night. P.s. bring friends to share food and split bills with. 😉

Jasveen Kaur

Sorry about the crappy photo, looked so good and completely forgot to take photos when the food came! We have the beef short ribs, waffle fries and the two ways chicken. Quite a lot of food for 2 people, we had to take away. Beautiful fusion flavours for everything. Will definitely be coming back to try the rest of the menu!

D_Vicky

East meets West fusion cuisine. Simple but delicious and aesthetically pleasing food. Lovely atmosphere and overall wonderful customer service. All dishes came to our table in less than 15 minutes. We had the kimchi waffle fries (kimchi and waffle fries, need I say more), the soft shell crab bao bun which was uh-mazing. The soft shell crab was crunchy and worked perfectly with the fillings inside the bun. We also had miso chicken on rice. Was a little disappointed that it lacked the miso flavour and tasted more like teriyaki chicken. But still a lovely dish overall. We went to Kimchi Project on a busy Thursday afternoom a little after lunch hour. There was plenty of seating available. Definetely a place to visit if you are a fan of asian cuisine with a slight western twist. Overall a lovely experience! :)

Swl102802

I heard about this place so I came here with my family for dinner. The tables were so close to each other and I could hear the people next to us. The food was slow according to the amount of people. Need more people working, hard to get attention. But I overall enjoyed the food and the interior.

Brenda Phu

We came here on Friday night as a group of 4. The ambience and design of The Kimchi Project is urban and different for High St. But the service was lack-luster. We were ushered to a shared table and ignored by the waitresses. We asked for menus but got dismissed whilst she paid full attention to the other half of the table. I ordered the Avocado Yuzu Bowl and my friends ordered some baos and kimchi fries. My bowl was surprisingly a reasonable portion size. But it lacked in flavour. The Yuzu rice was bland, it had no real taste and was just wet. The avocado puree oddly didn't taste like avocado. I get that it's vegetarian but it wouldn't hurt to add some seasoning, for $16 it's not worth it. My friends said that their baos tasted nice but the portion was tiny. It was $10 for 1 bao that only lasted 4-6 bites. We came here to celebrate our friend's 21st and brought her some cupcakes. We had no clue that we weren't allowed to but were asked to leave. The waitress didn't ask us politely to not eat food not from the premise, but to "finish off our meals and to pay outside." TO LEAVE. The place is Instagram worthy and has a cool warehouse vibe. But honestly the menu is overpriced, lacking flavour, small in size and not suitable for anyone with dietary requirements. They "politely decline any modifications to the meals". I wouldn't come here again and don't recommend the restaurant.

Lucyeatsakld

Super trendy little restaurant with a nice outdoor covered seating area but it feels like more effort is put into aesthetics than the taste and quality of their dishes. I got the soft shell crab bao and shared a curry and kimchi waffle fries with friends. Nothing was terrible but nothing blew me away either. I liked the concept of waffle fries but the kimchi component was sparse and definitely doesn't compare to kimchi fries at other joints. My bao looked yummy but the bao was a bit dry and cold like it had been left there for a little while before being assembled/brought out. Food: 3/5 Service: 3.5/5 Price to satisfaction ratio: 3/5 Instagrammability: 5/5

Yuko Saito

Went for a dinner for two with a friend. I really love the interior and the atmosphere especially in the courtyard - which you can't see from the street. The food was good and it had some original twist to it, but it lacked in some definitive flavours that made it distinctive or memorable. We had kimchi waffle fries, tempura chicken and bulgogi beef bao and ssam. Presentation was very well done though. I would still probably go back and try the other food, but I wouldn't put it on my favorite restaurant list.

Linh 💛

The Kimchi Project is my usual dining place in CBD, i've been here countless times. Loving everything about this place, the deco, the ambience, the food and the service. If you come for lunch I would recommend the prawn curry, it's sublime. If you come for dinner the beef short ribs is a must. Also, the crispy kimchi fries is a signature so give it a try. The price is reasonable given the quality and potion of food. Ordering 2 big and 1 small plus 3 glasses of wine would cost you about 40$/each for 3 people, and fulfilment is guaranteed!

Rebecca

A cute little Korean inspired restaurant. The food has a Korean influence so not the place to go if your looking for traditional style Korean food but everything is ate was beautifully presented and tasty. The service was quick and friendly.

Charmaine

Beautiful looking food. I wonder if my expectations were too high, but I did end up a little disappointed. Went in on a weeknight for dinner with friends. The renkon chips were the cold kind (as if they were processed crisps but we were told they were made on site). I missed the kind made in other restaurants where it's freshly fried when ordered. Some also season with sauce. In general, the food here is more fusion-y and experimental (as opposed to refined which is what I expected). On the whole I thought the food was nice when I didn't think about my expectations, but service could have been more attentive as staff occasionally were more keen on chatting amongst themselves than looking out for diners, however since I actually visited 3 months ago things could have changed a bit! When staff were with you they were fully present and personable though. I would go back if it was a group event and someone really liked this place. Wonderful environment here too.

Davyd Antipov

Have only been here once, was early in the morning where their kitchen had only just opened. Because of this we had to wait about 50 minutes to get our food and it was fairly cold. However the food was well cooked and tasted perfect. The garnishing was very unique and was a nice touch compared to most other cafes of this style. The service was decent, to a standard that you would expect from a place like this. The atmosphere was very pleasant, and their flower garnishing on the food adds to their outdoor garden style. Would definitely recommend

Jason Zhang

Another great modern korean-european fusion restaurant. The environment is amazing and refreshing. The interior layout makes the whole restaurant spacious and it looks like an inside mini-garden. The dishes were not only cooked nicely with a lot of distinct flavour in each one, but they were also aesthetically presentable. The kimchi pork fried rice is the one to try out - the mixture of braised pork and kimchi fried rice went pretty well but the kimchi's flavour was nearly covered by the braised pork. If you feel like full on kimchi, give the kimchi risotto a try. The eggs benedict dish was a bit too creamy because the hollandaise and salmon were too creamy. You do not need to worry about the portions or the service as well. $50 for two is ideal. Taste - 9.5/10 Quality - 10/10 Size - 10/10 Service - 9/10 Price - 8.5/10

Titeuf

This place is a beautiful hidden gem. Was really surprised by how relaxed I felt with my friend the whole time, and how great the food and service was. We came for lunch and each got one of the cabinet meals, which came with a nice salad and this sauce to die for. Will definitely will be coming back soon to try more of the menu :)

Belle Chalisa

My favorite place to go in Auckland. Love the foods, vibes, and services. The Kimchi fried rice is the best fried rice I've ever had. Haven't tried any foods there that arent good.

Mysticmojito

I suspect this place is a little over amped on account of its newness. I wanted to like it more than I did. We sampled some buns (pork bun was very tasty, chicken bun was ok), the pork rice bowl (nothing special) and the waffle fries (these really confused me... seemed very overpriced. I'd give these a pass). I had wanted to try the matcha tiramisu I had heard about, but it wasn't listed on the menu or available when we asked. Girl who served us seemed extremely bored, there was another guy who was very friendly and attentive, though he was usually behind the bar. Ambience was its strong point, the interiors were quite nice and the courtyard was adequately heated for the chilling evening.

Janet Wu

First time going to Kimchi Project for a friend's Birthday. The food there was ok, but the lighting in there at night was very bad, couldn't take good photos in there because of the lights. The Waffle fries were good and scrumptious, however, the soft shell crab I have ordered wasn't too nice and the dish was cold, quite bland. The pricing for their food is not that great as the waffle fries were $16 for a small portion. Don't think I will visit unless required.

Connor X

Came here with a mate of mine on a saturday morning. The decor of the patio/courtyard was very comfy, albeit hidden at the rear of house. Food was great, a nice blend of korean style cooking with hearty NZ tastes. Portions were a bit small for me, but sizable for people with smaller appetites. All in all, I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone who's looking for a little taste of fusion.

Sophia

Once O-Bar, a dark, smoky party bar serving soju cocktails and large plates of greasy food, The Kimchi Project now boasts a refreshingly clean, bright interior with plenty of sunlight and fresh greenery. With its natural aesthetic, the inner city gem has been said to have one of the best courtyards in town.

Jade

Stumbled across this little eatery. Awesome little place - lots of hidden seating out the back in the courtyard. Really nice environment. The food was fast and tasty - would definitely recommend. Great menu, a mix of european/asian.

RsheNZ

An amazing restaurant in Auckland. Exceptional food and refreshing ambience. I celebrated my graduation day with my friends here. The food Chicken &Prawn dumpling and Bao (pork, beef & softshell crab) exceeded our expectations. We also ordered their special cocktails -Kissing Panda &a Fizzing Tiger . Overall beautiful presentation, taste and great staff.

Adrina T

Lovely place, from the outside it seemed like a nice little cafe. We decided to stop in and try the food since the menu caught our eye. We were lead to the back and to our surprise there was a courtyard which was very lovely and more than we had expected. The staff were nice and the food was just spectacular I absolutely loved the tofu dish. Will definitely visit again !

Ian

Came here a few days ago with friends and ordered the beef soba salad and mince pork eggplant rice. Although the staff and environment was nice, the food was super disappointing considering the hype this place has been getting. The salad had the smallest portion of soba which was badly seasoned. But what was worse was the pork mince, which smelt and tasted extremely bad.

Local Grams-ma

I came here for brunch on a whim with my sister, and had the fried wontons. It was packed with flavour and tasted delicious, not fatty at all. The interior was simple and elegant, and the atmosphere was lovely as well as the employees. Definitely worth the wonder-in, and I would suggest it to anyone ❤😊

Michelle Ma Belle

This is one of the places that my friends and I have been very excited to check out after having heard so many amazing reviews and seen beautiful photos online. Loved the backyard seating area, it was surrounded by greenery and gorgeous lighting, and had a very romantic ambience. It was very popular, so definitely recommend booking a table in advance if you are planning to dine here on weekends! Service was friendly, and the house red wine and the cocktails were lovely. My friends and I ordered a bao (Asian bun) each and a couple of mains to share. The baos had wonderful fluffy textures, and the pulled pork filling was flavoural, juicy, and tender. They were decent in size, and totally worth it at only $10 each. Other favourites of the night include the kimchi waffle fries, the kimchi fried rice which to our surprise came with big pieces of pork belly, and the sweet chilli fried chicken (which was actually quite spicy! All in all a wonderful evening was had. Everything we ordered was delicious, and we were fairly certain that other items on the menu would not be disappointing too. This is Korean fusion cuisine at its best.

Oones Connor

Delicious food. Amazing decor. Charming out door area. Kimichi project has such an incredible atmosphere. The food is delicious and super creative. Could do with bigger portions however.

Miss Kiki

After walking past here one day and reading about it from various places I knew I had to try it. We were 4 ppl and ordered prawn n chicken dumplings, kimchi fries, soy glazed yakidori, spicy sweet chilli chicken and panang prawn. We also order chicken two-ways but they forgot this dish and we were full anyway so cancelled it. All the dishes were good, I quite liked the dumplings the sauce tasted like it is European style so it was a nice twist to an asian dish. All the other dishes were good to as well as the cocktail. I would like to come back and try the bao.

🌹

food & service was amazing, prices were reasonable, I definitely recommend this place! I especially loved the kimchi waffle fries, the drinks however were a little disappointing :/

Two Dark Coffees

If you're looking to experience what Korean cuisine has to offer, there's no better place to start than the Kimchi Project. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there's really no excuse when it comes to checking out Lorne Street's latest addition. For breakfast the Kimchi Project serves up a wicked breakfast bagel with berries and house made marscapone cream cheese. It'll impress on the gram and in the stomach - I promise. One not to miss out on for lunch would be their soft shell crab buns. They are absolutely stunning and made for some of the best BAO I have had in Auckland to date. That being said, I think the best time to experience The Kimchi Project is in the evening. Grab a table no where else other than the glass-roofed courtyard and let the sun go down and the lights dim - note this one down for the perfect date night spot. The Feng Shui inspired layout and combination of bamboo and polished woods create a dining environment unique to the CBD. With attentive service and impeccable food, you'll find yourself unwinding in no time.

Jade0289

I had a quite high expectations on this new cafe in town. So I visited this place alone on a rainy day. However it ended up with disappointment after visiting. The cafe was pretty empty at that time and I wanted to sit in their garden, but they just lead me to a table that close to the entrance. Stuff not attentive, service was an average notch. I ordered a Prawn & Chicken Dumpling and a Matcha Latte. The deep fried Dumplings were pretty nice-- very crispy outside and succulent inside. The latte was fine. Not sure if I am going to visit again.

Karen

I came here a few weeks ago but never got around to writing a review. The place is beautiful but quite disappointed at the food here. I'm surprised it has such good reviews. I ordered a soft shell crab bao. The crab was good but the bun was awful. It was dry and chewy like it was leftover from days before and reheated in the microwave. I also shared a curry and a kimchi waffle fries with my friends. The fries did not have much flavour and hardly any kimchi. I've had much better kimchi fries elsewhere before. The curry was probably the highlight but didn't really have much to compare against. The staff were friendly, however I think the waiter who served us was very new and didn't know the answer to our simplest questions but made a decent effort to go ask the kitchen for us. Even if it were at a cheaper price point I'd probably not pick to come here again.

Majingi

Absolutely beautiful inside. I think the backdoor terrace is just too gorgeous. A bit unclear on the menu and the style of food they are wishing to achieve. It's supposed to be Asian fusion right? The only asian fusion I've seen was Korean? Not too sure on kimchi fried too. Also coffee was blend. But 3 stars cause the interior is gorgeous and the staff are friendly.

Miah Dixon

I recently ordered KimChi waffle fries as well as the chicken and pork bao through UberEats. The food was outstanding, but in my honest opinion, isn't worth the cost for one person. Maybe if you're ordering with a partner or group who you can share plates with, but for a solo diner it was pretty pricey.

MS LKDG

Newly opened joint in town and it has caught the hype of many people around. I've heard and seen so many good reviews about this place and I've come to see it for myself some time about few weeks ago with a friend and it didn't disappoint. I was surprised how every single food from their menu tastes so good. I've visited many food places now and only few of those have impressed me with the quality of the food they serve and that includes this joint. The service was quick. We were lucky we've gotten there before they got busy so we've got served before the others. It's a cozy place as well with the wall decors all over. I would definitely recommend this joint to every one. I just really love the food.

JungYun Lee

Love their kimchi fries 😍😍 Only downside of this place is the price of food are quite expensive and small portion. Great atmosphere with lovely decorations! Definitely worth it to try :)

Shirley Yu

Bad weather but great food! Heard of Kimchi Project many times, and finally have time to make it! The pork and prawn hunton is a bit salty but it tastes good with the creamy sauces. Definitely will come next time!

Anna Wei

This place will definitely stand out as you walk along Lorne street, with its picturesque set up. Don’t let the size of this place deceive you because they do have more seating at the back in a beautiful courtyard, surrounded by sunlight and greenery. You can definitely see why this place is so popular, with its lush setup and and welcoming staff. There is even a room which would be perfect for private events or functions.

FoodieOodie95

▪️Close to UoA ▪️Lovely service ▪️Asian Fusion The KimChi Project definitely suprised me coz from the entrance, it looks like a congested and tiny little cafe but the servers lead us all the way to the back and to my surprise, their courtyard is so beautiful. Almost like a sheltered garden area that's hidden from the rest of the busy city. They've got a cute little menu that’s simple and straightforward with a small mixture of sharing and individual dishes. We had the TKP tacos, the soft shell crab Bao , and I can't remember the name of the other dish...it had salmon and avocado though 😜 The portions are pretty overpriced and could be bigger for what you pay, however the flavours were light and mild and doesn't leave you overwhelmingly full afterwards which was good. I would definitely recommend tucking into their Bao buns! They're like little fluffy pillows that were filled with a deep fried soft shell crab, sauce, cashew and onion filling. I wish they had more of a spicy kick or more tanginess to them though, otherwise they would hit it home. The staff are super welcoming and friendly and the food arrived within minutes. More than the food itself, TKP is such a neat little place to unwind and chill!! UPDATED REVIEW (3 years later) ~ Popped in here and tried their Laksa. Can’t say that I loved it as it had a really odd flavour and after taste to it compared to Laksas Ive had previously. The service was still lovely and fast.

Mya

Fun and inviting atmosphere. Food was tasty but missing the spicy and sour kick you get with kimchi. From the name I expected to be falling over with delicious and stinky kimchi. I was craving the sour and spicy and crunchy pickled cabbage. I ordered the kimchi waffle fries and soft shell crab bun. The table beside me had them and they looked amazing. The waffle fries were golden and crispy, but only a the top layer had any kimchi or bacon. The rest were just plan waffle fries. Word to the wise, divide up the toppings yourself to make last till the bottom. The kimchi was average (I'm thinking store bought). The bacon overpowered the dish with smoke. But the dish was enjoyable just not spectacular. Next up the soft shell crab bun. The crab was delicious. A light batter left a salty crispy coating on the perfectly deep fried goodness. The bun was light anf fluffy and held the crab nicely. The missing component would be kimchi. The dish itself was unbalanced, it needed something sour and something spicy. It was also a rather large bun. Two smaller buns would have made it easier to eat and share. The tableware was devine. I love nice tableware. 🍽😉 The glasses were unique and the condiments well presented. It all fit with the trendy but comfortable ambiance. I could spend a lovely afternoon here with a nice book and macha latte. Next time I'll try the fried rice with pork belly (with extra #kimchi).

Avi

Had a reasonably disappointing meal here. I was looking forward to fusion quirky Asian. What I got was just so so and quite average flavours. Room is nice. Service was good. But really just average eats. Tried waffle fries which were not bad, prawn curry that didn't taste complex, and fried rice which was just ok, and "spicy" chicken which was sweet and sour and not spicy at all. All in all for the price and the hype I was disappointed.

Darren Big Belly

There's nothing bad to say about this place. The food was great, service great, nice setting in the lounge. If you want a seat in the lounge you need to book in the weekend. This used to be Obar - a korean bar where I used to get sh*t faced in the weekends. It's definitely turned into an elegant place since. Would recommend the kimchi fried rice and waffle fries.

Megan Miao

Nice service, Nice food! Definitely top 3 on my recommending list. Try out the Kimchi Waffle and the fried rice here. Price are bit high but definitely worth spending it❤️

Jay

My instagram feed is photobombed with pictures of the kimchi project. It is Asian fusion cafe/bar which is a hidden gem on lorne street. It's very hard to find a nice place around queen street area so when I heard this place was open and saw the pictures I was so happy! I tried kimchi fried rice and beef soba noodle salad and they were both yummy! Food is quite pricy but thinking about the ambience of this place, I am fine with paying few more bucks to sit down and chill with nice food and coffee. I will definitely go back.

Angela (A Style Collector)

Over a month ago, I checked out The Kimchi Project along with a few food bloggers. I’ve heard about this new Asian Fusion cafe/restaurant and I was quite excited to try it. Thanks to the lovely Tiffany of Heartshrooms, I had my first dining experience here. First of all, this place is like a breath of fresh air from the busy Lorne Street. You wouldn’t expect the more relaxed vibe in the backyard dining area. It’s covered by a glass roof and adorned by pretty lights. It is definitely a nice surprise from the cafe front.

Stephy_NakiGirl

Great visit to this popular spot. Friendly service & the option of inside, street front or courtyard seating. Clean & tidy. Tried the pulled pork bao, kimchi waffle fries & lemonade on this visit. All were well made & well balanced flavours - those waffle fries are really something! Service was prompt. Looking forward to visiting again & trying more of the menu.

Ariel Chen

Came here on a date with my boyfriend and we ordered 4 dishes. The pulled pork Bao was good but in my opinion it wasn't worth the price. The kimchi fried rice was nice and the addition of the pickled nicely balanced put the flavours of the fish. We also ordered the soft shelled crab salad. The crab itself was cooked nicely and tasted delicious but overall there was nothing special about the salad. We also ordered the fries and although the taste was decent, i feel like so much more could've been done to the fries to make then a lot more special and unique. The decor and ambience of the place was nice but the food was a bit overpriced for what you actually get. Also, my bf called to make a reservation but the person that answered said they only made reservations for groups with 6 or more people but when we got to the restaurant, there were reservations made for groups of 2 and 4 etc..... :/

Simone Yeoh

Such a beautiful hidden Gem on Lorne street ! Great service and friendly staff and chef. We ordered a Panang curry and signature kimchi fries, taste-wise is average. Will definitely go back for the cozy ambience and creative food.

I_like_pickles

Really love the garden feel of the dining space. It gives a very refreshing feel to the space. I love the lantern lights and greenery. Food was pretty good. We had the Korean fried rice which was plentiful and beautifully plated. Flavours were wonderful. The tacos were a nice fusion of two different cuisines. There was bulgolgi beef in one and prawns in the other. The matcha iced tea was lovely and refreshing. Perfect amount if matcha and not too sweet. The chicken is quite expensive for the small portion. At $39 there isn't much chicken at all and you can get more for the same at other Korean eateries. The kimchi fries at $15 had little to no kimchi. A little bit disappointing.

Amesirv

Went here for celebrations with a friend and found it excellent! Service was great, the waitresses were all friendly and patient as we struggled to decide what to choose between the great selection. The steamed buns were nice and soft, with flavourful fillings, and the kimchi waffles were a nice take on the classic dish. The decor was also very warm and relaxing, even though it's quite a tight fit. Will definitely be coming back here again to try more of their menu!

Vivi S

11.45am. I'm getting pretty hungry. I'd been looking forward to checking this place out ever since I'd heard about it by chance two weeks ago. Having deliberately eaten only half the breakfast scone so I could be properly hungry, I was keeping track of the time to get a group of colleagues out into town to the Kimchi Project.

Marcella

Another fine example of don't judge the book by its cover. This place definitely doesn't seem elegant from the outside but when u go inside, it's a different story. The courtyard is lovely and the decorations are on point. Food is a bit on the pricy side. We came for brunch so my partner got the big breakfast and I got the dumplings. I love my dumplings!! The sauce is amazing. The big breakfast is average. I was expecting a Korean twist to it but it's basically just like any other breakfast at normal cafes. I would come back to try the dinner menu next time.

Oksana Zhang

Excellent food and service! Came here with a friend and we started off with 2 mains and a side, then ordered another 2 mains--we couldn't get enough! The interior decor is also beautiful and really gives off a nice summery vibe, perfect for summer! And for winter, it'll make you feel less chilled to the bone!

Raymond Tiong

Delicious food, friendly service, beautiful setting – definitely worth checking out at least once if you're in town. The Kimchi Project (TKP) is probably the first café/restaurant where I’d say it's worth going just for the interior design itself. I was really impressed with the courtyard at the back; it's like a secret zen garden in the city – perfect for a break from work. I heard from a friend that the portions were rather small, and when I saw the prices on their window menu my skepticism of TKP only grew. But once I bit into the first of my 6 pork + prawn wontons, I was converted! The deep-fried wonton skin was crunchy and fresh (without being too oily), and the filling went well with the amazing sauce at the bottom of the bowl. This sauce had a strong mushroom flavour, but also a bit of meatiness for extra depth. Flavour-wise, the only flaw was that the sauce does taste quite salty after a while (so I’m glad I ordered an iced chocolate). I’m keen to come back and sample more of their menu, like their bao burgers. I also caught a glimpse of a bulgogi salad, which looked delicious! A tip for timing: I noticed that the courtyard starts to clear after 1pm (on the Thursday I went), and I suspect small groups have to share the big tables when it’s busy.

Kirsten

Newly opened Korean and Western fusion eatery! Lovely decor and design of the place is stunning, when I first walked in. My friend and I ordered the Shabu Beef noodle salad, the tempura chicken bun and a cappuccino. The salad was delicious, but I didn't expect the noodles to be cold, more so of fried noodles. Nevertheless, the noodle salad and beef went so well with the yuzu dressing! A good option to choose if you're wanting something healthy! The cappuccino was a bit bitter, in comparison to all the other cafes I've been to. Attractive coffee art, but every cafe has different roastery beans! Keen to stop by again!

Bonita Tiamo

From the street you only get a glimpse of a small restaurant but out back is a lovely surprise. There is a lovely large outdoor courtyard at the back. The courtyard was lively and packed with diners. Food was super good and filling!! We ordered a berry smoothie, a small dish (bruschetta) and a large dish (short ribs) for dinner. I enjoyed everything!!! soo good. In particular the short ribs was the best I've had. The meat was so soft and the mash potato was buttery smooth. My partner even enjoyed it even though he doesn't like fancy food, now that says alot. I highly recommend the short ribs!!! 👌👌😛😛 The Asian fusion twist really makes this place stand out from the other cafes :). Our waitress was really nice. She asked if I was cold and turned on the outdoor heater for me. It is a very classy and fancy place. Great spot for Valentine's day ;) !

Miura Elikana

Modern & chic restaurant. Great customer service, and food was served promptly. I ordered kimchi fries and Asian fried rice with pork belly. My friend ordered Ssan. The kimchi fries were delicious and filling. I would say it's an Asian version of poutine. The pork belly was moist and full of flavour. My friend ordered Ssan and she found it easier eating with her fingers as it's quite delicate. She found this meal substantial and absolutely delicious.

Lily Chow

Wow!! The food was amazing and I love the courtyard. It's quite hidden and that's what love about it. We ordered the beef tartare, 2 way chicken and the Saam. Being an observant person I do notice when things don't look right such as the waitress picking her nose not once but twice. It's ok to do it but not in the public eye. That kind of put me off which is why I've given it a 4. The same waitress served us the 2 way chicken and laughed how it was too big for the table. A thinking out loud comment. Another thing was it would've been better if someone had described to us about the menu as we didn't realise that it was shared rather than just dumping the menu and walking away. Careless I would say. Other than that, the food was well presented and tastes amazing. Would definitely come back and try other items or even just have a drink.

I Love To Chew Real Food

Okay how do I start? The first time I stepped into this cafe I was in love with the decor and the vibe. The crews in the cafe were nice and good communicators. We had the salad which was absolutely fantastic! The courtyard was genius. It didn't feel like we are in the city! Everything was great. Might have to come back for more tries!

Shazza

Took my staff member here and we both had great experience. Entrance is clean yet could be small but if you walk in, it leads you to the stunning garden like place! Foods were well presented and were rich in flavour. Lots of selection of dishes to choose from so definitely need to visit more to try other dishes. Personally the dish called 'Ssam' was very nice! I would probably ring them up during the peak time as it gets pretty full.

Lin Kee

Heard lots about this place so I just had to try it out! My friend and I had the beef noodle salad, pulled pork bao and chicken & prawn dumplings. I must say the dumplings are AMAZING! They really do embody asian fusion. It's like an explosion of different tastes (both Western and Asian). The beef noodle salad was another favourite of mine (although I do like simple tasting food). I feel that it was a nice contrast to the strong tastes from the bao and the dumplings. The beef was really good although there weren't that many pieces. The soba noodles could have had a tee bit less bland but it was still good. Also, the pulled pork bao was really good. To be honest, the food was amazing.We also had their special coffee to finish off the meal. It is quite a unique (with hints of mint) and worth trying out but in terms of quality as a coffee, well, I'd say it was alright. I just wish that their portions were more standardised. The prices were similar among most of the main dishes but the portion size difference between the dumpling and salad was quite big :(

Heartshrooms

What once used to be O Bar has now been replaced by The Kimchi Project, and the change is incredible. The dark courtyard with strings of fairy light are long gone and instead, you’re greeted with a lovely suburban looking backyard that is the most welcome escape from the brisk, businesslike tone of the city. They have not held back at all in the renovation with the glass ceiling and rocky walls adorned with leafy green plants high enough to block out views of the adjourning buildings that would have otherwise ruined the illusion.

Michelle Hwang

Heard some negative comments about this new restaurant from my friends before. I visited here this noon and ordered one Kimchi waffle fries from the main dish menu and one TPK special iced coffee from the drinking menu. Coffee was great! Check my photo! But I could not finish the food dish, because there were just waffle fries and fried kimchi, and the quantity of waffle fried was too much as a main dish. It was more like a side dish but in large size only. I am not willing to have too much deep fried food at one meal. Staff were friendly, service was good, nice music. Will visit again for trying other dishes.

Tavita Milford

I ordered the Southern Asian Style Kimchi Fried Rice and as fancy as the name sounds, so is the taste. This is probably what it feels like to dine five star. The person who greeted me was so cool, really down to earth kind of lad. And the service from the staff is fantastic, my experience at these types of restaurants just blows me away especially this one.

Annie Bananie

Great atmosphere big outdoor area at the back. Pricing is slightly over priced for certain items ($10 for one bao). Asian bruschetta was super fresh and mango salsa was so refreshing. The special coffee was good but probably not for everyone! The hash potatoes were good but needed more kimchi flavour for sure! Overall a good time but maybe add more lighting in the bathrooms!

Mark

Visited with a group of friends. The space is stunning but the food was underwhelming. We tried a variety of dishes which were predominately small portions so overall not good value. A $5 "side" of kimchi consisted of about a tablespoon of cabbage and micro-greens, disappointing considering the restaurant's name. The "kimchi waffles" were tasty but at $16 we expected more than 7-8 Carl's Jnr-like crisscut fries and a sprinkling of kimchi. The Baos were also disappointing; they came out cold (not steamed and warm like Blue Breeze, Chinoiserie etc) and were very bland. Service could be more slick and efficient (I.e provide water and glasses for the whole table, not just the person who asked for it). Great courtyard and drinks list but do not recommend for flavour or value.

Michelle Chua

Nature person? There's a courtyard at the back. Don't be fooled by the small space from the front. Get a nice cozy nature feel at the back. Food is delicious. Had the kimchi waffle fries and sister had the buns! Great potion. Just nice. However, staff service was a bit unpleasant. Would prefer if they would wait till we finish talking before asking "that's it"? And also would prefer if she wasn't rude in terms of her expression and way of serving the food to us too. However ; still recommend you guys to try!

Ffionachua

I'm in love with location and the decor of this place. Do not be fooled by the tiny cafe front - there is a beautiful courtyard out at the back with a nature inspired setting (think greenery and bamboo designed couches) in the midst of concrete walls and tall buildings. There's nothing quite like it in auckland just yet. The food (which is what Zomato is all about anyway), is a great fusion of western x Korean. My sister had the Kimchi Waffle Fries (basically Criss cross fries) - I'd give that a 10/10 even though I'm generally not a big fan of kimchi (so I'd say it's really good!). I had the baos (steamed man tou) with chicken tempura (amazing flavours) and pulled pork belly (equally delicious). But I must say that the bao (bun) itself wasn't the best - it was a bit cold and a bit thick/hard. Baos should be soft and fluffy, and this wasn't! Overall, great vibes and decent food. I'd go back just cos of the atmosphere (and u should check it out too!)

Albert Fu

Great interior design, friendly staff! Ordered all 7 mains on the menu to get the full experience, all i can say is its a good take on korean fusion cuisine! Will be back!

Tingting Zhang

Great vibes and nice food, staff are friendly. We two ordered one fried rice, one fried waffles and two buns, the portions are small, it's better to order and share. Anyway, it's a really nice try, definitely will be back again and have other options.

Paul O

For the most part, we were served up tasty fusion food. The softshell crab bao was a hit but the Asian-style bruschetta less so. Prices were quite high based on the portion size - I expected to be less hungry for the money spent. I know good ingredients and inventive cooking cost money but still..... Went back again and tried the kimchi waffle. Far too salty, almost to the point of being inedible. I'm not sure why the chef felt the need to drown things in salt; the kimchi and other toppings were flavoursome enough without adding that much salt.

Jules Landsman

The Kimchi Project is a Korean inspired casual restaurant with a very cool ambience and excellent food. My wife and I had dinner here before going to the Academy Cinema, and the quick delivery of our food made for a relaxed meal, with plenty of time left to walk over to the Academy. Outstanding choices include the Kimchi Waffle Fries (we requested them without the bacon, which they were happy to do), the Portobello Mushroom Bun, the Soft Shell Crab bun, both super tasty, and the Asian Style Bruschetta with prawns and Thai Mango Salsa. Every dish has bright flavors, bold and colorful. It's a fun place to eat - give them a try!

Spencer Zhan

Nice restaurant and it has a good location in AKL CBD region. Asian styles food and decorations, so many people here no matter lunch or dinner time or other times, the big garden area is very good to hang out with friends.

ShoRt

Do not be deceived by the small store front, ask to be brought to the courtyard out back and you will be amazed! Beautifully decorated with such a relaxed ambience. Lovely fusion menu with our favorite baos! Unfortunately our bao did not arrive for us to try which was a blessing in disguise since we were too full from our waffle fries topped with kimchi (could really do with more kimchi) and saam (various meats wrapped in lettuce). Delicious. Enjoyed the service and Would definitely be back for more!

Pamela Mansell

The dumplings were AMAZING. Hands down favourite. The kimchi rice was also very good, the egg was cooked perfectly. The waffle fries were good. Only let down were the bao, we tried the chicken and the soft shell crab. The buns themselves weren't very good and the fillings lacked flavour.

Lillian

Visited The Kimchi Project the second week it opened and we were pleasantly surprised. Lovely friendly staff and beautiful food in an equally beautiful space. Along with 2 friends we first started with drinks - a blooming tea (beautiful), and two soju cocktails (the one with the leaves better than the others, sorry fuzzy memory) - ordered a range of dishes to share: Kimchi Waffle Fries - 9/10 - I'm not a huge of fries (sorta take it or leave it kind of person) but if you make it into waffle shaped and topped with kimchi I will order it and it did not disappoint. Asian Style Bruschetta - 6/10 - Most un-Korean/Asian dish in term of flavours, fairly decent with quality ingredients but nothing special. Ssam (lettuce wrapped pork belly, bulgogi or chicken) - 7/10 - Most difficult to share as each one had different meat on it and the portion seem quite small for a dish from the "Big" section (the only Big we ordered). Good flavours but too delicate. Chicken & Prawn Dumpling TKP style - 9/10 - this is a plate of deep-fried dumpling with house-made soy cream with prawns and mushroom. Love the flavours - the sauce is a bit salty by itself but perfect going with one of the dumplings or prawn. The prawn was juicy and succulent, even the mushroom was amazing. The Denizen dubbed this place with the best courtyard and they were right. From the door - it appears like a skinny cafe, but through to the back, it opens up to a gorgeous courtyard that has beautiful lights, airy space, interesting rock walls and you are not cold as you are sheltered from the wind from the cover. Just moved back from London recently and I think this can compete with some of the best courtyard over there! As we arrived for a fairly early dinner, there were only a few other occupied table but it started to get a bit busier later on. Hope this become more popular cos I so far enjoyed their idea of well executed Asian fusion. Toilet needs to be improved a bit as it was super dim!

Chloe Sharrock

Visited The Kimchi Project today for lunch. New obsession! The service was great, selection of food was decent and the food was full of flavour. We ate out the back in the courtyard, it was so cute and cosy. Will definitely be returning to try out some cocktails and other dishes!

Priscilla Khang

I heard about this new Korean inspired cafe from my friend and we were super keen to try it out. The ambience and setup was extremely nice and serene - definitely a hidden gem. Would recommend sitting out at the back for a real treat. The waitress recommended the portobello mushroom bao and that did not fail to disappoint. Mushroom was crunchy and the bao had a great balance of flavour. Really enjoyed the kimchi fried rice. However was a bit disappointed with the beef noodle salad, it lacked flavour and had nothing special to it. Also the portions are a bit on the smaller side compared to many other cafes with the same price range.

Ana

Very impressed with the atmosphere of the place. When I walked in with my workmates we were greeted with friendly faces and got sent to an amazing courtyard for lunch. The atmosphere was great and the menu looked great. I had the fried rice and tried the Kimchi criss cross fries. All the dishes ordered were amazing. Needless to say I will be back with more people.

Tw393

The food is amazingly good, I love the decoration , the food is nice , beautifully presented !! Would definitely come back again. A perfect place for friends gathering or company function!!