Review Pearl Garden Dim Sim Restaurant - Auckland Central

Had dinner here. We ordered 2 claypots (tofu, eggplant), sizzling beef and roast duck. Everything was so delicious! Portions were large and filling. Our family loved it! Prices are on the higher end but definitely worth it. Will be back again.

The dim sum here is great. Loved their bbq pork buns and pineapple buns, both were fluff and of good quality. Wouldn't recommend their roast duck, will instead order more dim sum dishes next time. Customer service isn't great and the dishes are a bit pricey, but still 5 stars as it's the best dim sum place in Auckland.

November 2022: Took parents here as they never been to this restaurant before. With paper menu, pricing is much more transparent. Food was good; although a prawn dumpling kinda tasted like it had a bit of detergent in it? The food arrives quite quickly. Staff present at the time were nice... 3 stars. January 2023: Much improved. Went here on weekend with 10 others and we paid $30each which was reasonable. I enjoyed all the dumplings, prawn on toast, sticky rice, and desserts. Everything is delicious. Just teapot needs to be filled up more often. 4 stars

Quality restaurant for Yum Cha in Newmarket. We come often as a team for lunch. They have a good variety on offer and the custard buns are a must if you have a sweet tooth. It's recommended to book ahead, as they always seem to be busy. Service is always excellent. Edit: Prices have gone up significantly, service not so much

Dined here & ordered for take away. Great experience either or food is always top notch! My family were able to get a taste of some of my fave dishes from here. Shao Mai, steam beef balls with fu jung, prawn dumplings, Custard buns Egg tarts Pan fry dry shrimp rice roll Steamed pork spare ribs And the feedback was great! Thank you Peter and the team here for providing great food and service.

We came from Hong Kong and we want to say it’s so good and even better than many of the dim sum places in Hong Kong! We traveled to NZ for vacation and saw many good reviews online for this place so we wanted to try how authentic the dim sum in Auckland can be. And it didn’t disappoint! We ordered turnip cake, siu mai, bbq pork rice roll, prawn toast, tripe. And everything tasted amazingly delicious. The ingredients were fresh and the portion was large! I had never seen a prawn toast with so much prawn paste! The price was very reasonable and we were very happy having such good quality and traditional dim sum while away from home.

Had yum cha here not too long ago. There was a crowd but not overly crowded. Sitting arrangement was good and spacious. It was comfortable. Service was as expected. We enjoyed the food. It was a good place for yum cha. If you are keen on yum cha you may like to pay this restaurant a visit.

Pearl Garden Yum Cha in Newmarket, Auckland, deserves an enthusiastic 5-star rating! From the moment we stepped in, we were treated to impeccable service by a friendly and attentive staff. The variety of dim sum and dumplings they offer is simply exceptional, bursting with flavors that attest to the quality of ingredients used. What truly stood out was their extensive tea menu, which perfectly complemented the meal. We can't wait to return for more delectable dishes and delightful moments!

THE BEST Yumcha ever!🥠🍜🍤🥢 We ordered a variety of different dimsum, sticky rice and vegeterian spring rolls. Soooo yum. Highly recommend 👌

Delicious yum char! With friendly service. The setup reminds me of dim sum places from South East Asia. From the hipster streets of Newmarket to Hong Kong - you are transported instantly when you enter Pearl garden Restaurant.

What we ordered: - Golden custard buns - Egg tarts - Steamed prawn rice roll - Steamed chicken feet - Prawn Dumplings - Mini Shanghai buns The golden custard buns were so fluffy and not too sweet but the custard was thick and just the best thing I've ever tasted. The egg tarts were also amazing with flaky pastry and this soft silky texture. It was just so good! The prawn dumplings (har gow) and steamed prawn rice roll (cheung fun) weren't that different but in both cases the prawn was so bouncy and delicious. The rice rolls come with this sweet soy sauce and they are extremely slippery and extremely worth it. The mini Shanghai buns (xiao long bao) didn't have as much soup as I thought they would but they were so juicy and flavourful, the wrapper is soft and slippery and the meat just has this incredible bite to it and all of the juice just runs out of it (it's wonderful. And last but not least, the chicken feet were good, it was the first time I've ever had them but my god they are a pain to eat.

Pearl Garden Restaurant was a perfect spot for post work dinner en route home, as a hankering for Chinese food was had and we were most fortunate to get a table walking in as there was a large group function. The staff were most inviting and attentive to us and we were promptly seated and served jasmine tea. To share, we ordered Steamed Pork Balls, Panfried Pork Dumplings with condiments and these were succulent and delicious like having yum char at night. Our mains were Crispy Beef, Chicken & Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice and these were most satisfying and exceptional. Our overall dining experience was wonderful, the restaurant was bustling and the ambiance was lively as you would expect with any great Chinese restaurant. The service was extraordinary! Highly recommended with distinction!

One of the oldest Chinese restaurant in Auckland. Clean and cozy environment. Foods are good and friendly service. Reasonable price in Newmarket area.

one of the best yumcha in auckland, delicious and very consistent every time I eat here. would recommend booking in advance as they are very busy during lunch time!

Fantastic! I have found myself another paradise! Love love love Of course this is definitely not like my all time love 928 Dominion Road "where has already gone" Pearl Garden absolutely my new love in the Central auckland. I love the way how they demonstrate the old Cantonese authenticity including the table wears. Business is so packed! No reservations no tables.

Everything was good. The only one star down from food as we found our other local restaurant has better flovour chicken feet to our taste. Otherwise everything is flavoursome.

Beautiful decor in a central location. Very easy to get to. This place is pumping! Excellent service and top notch food which attracts a huge crowd during peak hours. Of the many yum cha restaurants we frequent, Pearl is definitely very high up the list. Make sure you book in advance as this restaurant is extremely popular and walking in usually results in a disappointingly long wait. Great prices and outstanding flavours. Will definitely be back very soon. (One star down because I saw a waiter leave the bathroom without washing his hands...)

It is a bit difficult to find a good yum char place in Auckland these days, but Pearl Garden is above average in the yum char scene in Auckland - I would rate them the best in the local area!

🥟I never done an epic yumcha shot before and last weekend my wish came true! Thanks to our lovely foodie friends we got to not only enjoy some high quality yumcha at @pearlgardennz but also take some epic yumcha shots for the first time! The table we had wasn't the biggest but we sure got loads of food to binge on🤤. We loved their dumplings selection including Spinach Dumpling (菠菜饺), Prawn Dumpling (虾饺)and Coriander Dumpling😱(香菜饺). The Coriander one was not as bad as we thought with only a slight hint of coriander.<br/><br/>Their Prawn Cracker was one of our favorites with loads of prawn inside and super crispy on the outside. 🍮 Bun was super soft and fluffy, kinda wish the filling was more runny than it was. Steam BBQ Pork Rice Rolls (叉烧肠粉) was delish with good amount of fillings. We can't wait to come back again!

My favourite Chinese restaurant for over 20 years Great to see you back<br/>Mike Moore

Everything I had today was authentic and fresh. My favorites are the shrimp steamed vermicelli rolls and salted egg yolk buns. The shrimp vermicelli rolls were soft but bouncy, with large shrimp patties throughout, the highlight was how much shrimp there was wrapped inside. The Bun filling was gooey, sweet, and savory all at the same time and there were crunchy sugar pieces to add extra texture.<br/><br/>I came during the lockdown and although service was a bit slow (understandable) the service was great, very friendly and helpful!

Recommended. 👍

Was my first time here and will just say I will be returning. Had great flavour through all of the dishes and was my first time trying a red bean pancake which I really enjoyed. Will rate the place a 6/10 just because the service could have been just that bit more.

I loved the dumplings and the Chinese breads and desserts! It did take a while for the Shu Mai dumplings to come out and could be friendlier but otherwise, seating was in a large area and food was overall good! Will be returning :)

Thought we’d pop in for a well deserved yum cha date with mum, and we were seated quickly (tho this was just after 1pm) amongst a fairly cluttered room laden with tables but a busy and homey setting perfect for yum cha chats. We got the classics of course, but I do have to say everything was presented very well, very glossy and fresh looking, everything tasted very delectable and up to standard, quickly surpassing my expectations. Highlights were the classics of course (chicken feet, spare ribs), beef tendon(?) was done so tenderly, it lived up to its name 😉. I was very pleased with the service and food, however wish I could’ve seen more variety. Otherwise I really enjoyed my time. There is one thing I’d like to point out; both me and my mum became terribly thirsty after, to the point it was unbearable and we physically had to go and buy some drinks from countdown. My mum proposed this could be due to the heavy amounts of msg present in our meals-so beware if you’re not a fan of msg and it’s controversy it carries. I definitely would’ve considered going back if I’m ever around new market again craving yum cha, however I think I’d still pick other places over this due to the after effects of the dish.

Very pretty restaurant and hands down the BEST service from the host I have received at a yum char restaurant. <br/><br/>However, we were both disappointed in the food especially how it is more expensive than other places, we really expected more.<br/><br/>The table setting was beautiful and the tea was very nice (although, most yum char it is complimentary - here you have to pay). The dumplings had thick and gelatinous wrappers which fell apart. The xiaolongbao had no soup in it - was just like a very average dumpling in a different shape. <br/><br/>Fried taro was bland and disappointing. We did enjoy the steamed pork buns and the pork Sui Mai but we found there was quite a limited range of dishes to choose from. If you have a small dim sum menu it needs to be good dim sum!<br/><br/>Probably would not go again unless we heard that the food has improved. Money best spent elsewhere.

Very quaint decor. A decent place to have dim sums at late night. They serve till 10pm but only accept order food and steam style dim sums(all $7.5) at night. Will have more choices and cheaper rates in day time(from $5.5). The chrysanthemums tea we ordered charged $2.5 each person. <br/>Very casual and friendly staffs. <br/>Dim sum I tried last night was okay. Maybe chef was hurried home and made them in rush which I can understand because it was 9:20 already.

The service was good — it was a slow start but the food was worth the wait. Will definitely come back again.

Yumchar was extremely disappointing.<br/><br/>We walked into the restaurant at 1.30 pm, the lady behind the counter was not busy yet she struggled to acknowledge our presence. We didn't know if we should sit ourselves down because that isn't typical practice. <br/><br/>A lady eventually came and pointed us to a shared table, I kindly asked her if we could occupy the vacant four seat table, she said no. We were alright with that thinking that the restaurant was relatively busy. However, less than a minute later, the waiter pointed a European lady to the vacant four seat table. The customer came by herself and sat at the table by herself for 10 minutes waiting for a friend (note ONE not THREE friends). This was the table we were initially denied. <br/><br/>Unfortunately we decided to continue our uneventful dining experience. Yumchar is known for waiters pushing food trolleys around and us selecting food off the trolley. There was one particular lady that kept avoiding our table. There was a point where I had to loudly raise my voice to call her so we could see what she was carrying. Even after doing this, she still chose to intentionally avoid our table. She made sure to not smile and had a face more sour than a child who didn't get what they want.<br/><br/>The food was horrible, well below yumchar standard. I've definitely had my fair share of yumchar and I can tell you this is below par. The shumai was extremely chewy, the rice rolls had negligible filling, the list can go on.<br/><br/>We went up to pay and we paid more than we should have. If you do unfortunately venture to Pearl Garden, please check your bill because they will definitely overcharge you. The price on the menu is completely different to what is on their website.<br/><br/>Service 0.5/5<br/>Food 0.5/5

Beautiful interior, lovely location too! The cutleries are just so antique and rustic. Dim sums were huge in size, they taste pretty authentic as well! Definitely coming back again!

Yum char was nice!! Often came hot / fresh. I recommend the Prawn toast, sao mai and hargow plus black sesame balls to finish! Came to about $28ish dollars including tea. A nice treat, definitely Abit pricey but relatively less so compared to Grand Park and some other dim sums I've been too. Sorry for the small photos, I ate them all xD haha - lovely lunch. Service was decent, younger staff were less pushy to getting u to buy more compared to older staff. This other older lady tho helped me out with my order by telling me not to get the squid etc - dishes such as those she said r not worth it as prices can go up to $20 per small portioned plate. Best to stick with dimsum only!! As at least the prices r more transparent :)

My go-to yumcha place, the food is pretty good(not as good as Grand Park but better than Sun World), and the service is good(topping up of tea) and reasonably friendly. Their siu mai and har gao are fantastic, as with most of the steamed dishes we tried. Pricing is also reasonable with the cost per dish on the pricing card.

A better place in the area for yum cha. I regret that all these years I just knew about this place. The place has good decoration and not big compare to another popular one in the area. However the service is a lot better and food taste better. There are so many dishes that I haven’t tried so that is my reason to go back there again :)

Ambience 4/5 <br/>Food 4.5/5 Food is tasty<br/>Service 3.5/5 a pushy lady trying to get us order the most expensive dish...Said no but kept pushing<br/>3 people spent $160

Had prawn toast (highly recommend), shu nai, prawn and chives dumpling, a wonton soup, chicken feet, mango pudding etc. I personally enjoyed the food here, it was really nice. But as other reviewers pointed out, the service can be a little disappointing.

I have dined here for lunchtime yum cha many times and it is consistently up to a high standard. The dim sum is really yummy - I’m not really ever disappointed with dim sum anyways so yeah.

The food we had was good but I don’t think there was much variation circulating the time we were there. <br/>It was a Friday lunch so I would have thought here would be more going around so that was a disappointment but definitely a much nicer setting than sun world! If you’re fine with paying a few extra bucks then try this place out 👌🏻

Haven’t been to Pearl Garden for a while due to parking but used really like their yumchar. Can get super busy from what I can remember. Came here few months back for friends’ wedding. They booked out the restaurant. Lovely traditional chinese cuisine with South East asian influence. Everything is so well cooked, seasoned and presented. Food came out really fast and everyone so full and had happy occasions.

We have been to Pearl Garden on numerous occasions for both dine in and takeaway. I suggest a booking if you are dining in as sometimes the place is very busy. When dining in, the service has been consistent and good. The wonton soup is to die for and has homemade wontons in it. We also love the chun chiew chicken and prawn fried rice.

There are two ladies seems like owner. One is really nice and friendly, but another just don't suit for service industry. She might be a good person but definitely not a good service staff. Food always tasty, environment nice too. Service sometimes 5/5 , sometimes 1/5....

Food, and eating environment are good. Quantity is ok, not too much. Price is a little bit expensive, and flavour is fine. Staff is friendly.

Disgusting service by the folk at Pearl Garden. We had a table booking for the Sunday and when we arrived they said that our booking was incorrect? According to them they called our number yet we didn’t receive a call.<br/><br/>They didn’t provide a solution for us and instead just acted like there was a problem and we could just piss off. I’m an advocate for Asian business and it’s disappointing to see such service from one of the better establishments. <br/><br/>Shame on you Pearl Garden! To the lady manager I appreciate you trying to help but get a better system for handling bookings. <br/>

Came here on a Saturday lunch - perhaps the busiest time and day! So we queued up for at least 15 minutes to be seated.<br/><br/>Then the wait continued. Food took so long to come out from the kitchen. Dining area was squished and packed with diners, and there was limited working space for trolleys to go through. Since we were seated at the open area farthest from kitchen, only the leftovers reached us. :-(<br/><br/>Food trolleys containing fresh dishes were also used for collecting used yumcha dishes (very unhygienic).<br/><br/>The only consolation was that food tasted great.<br/><br/>Would still prefer the yumcha place in Mt. Wellington for overall dining experience.

Gave this restaurant a try because the ratings were above average. First of all, it’s expensive and the serving size is too small for the price paid. Sad to say that the food lack authenticity and tasted below average. Besides, service is too slow as we waited for almost 1&1/2 half hours before they start serving the dishes. Staffs weren’t too friendly and they came to us a couple of times at the very last minute advising that the dishes that we ordered are no longer available. Disappointing. Don’t plan to come back for second time.

Pearl garden is one of the best dim sum restaurants in Auckland, the food is absolutely amazing and the service is also ok. It has the right amount of flavoring and the texture is awesome. The restaurant is quite crowded and sometimes food can come up a little cold, but overall I still think it’s a great restaurant!

We had yum cha for lunch here today.<br/><br/>During our last visit, the dim sums here were pretty good, but this round, most of the dim sum items did not taste as good.<br/><br/>The black sesame balls were pretty good though. The steamed BBQ pork rice roll was not bad too, the roll was thin and translucent. The BBQ pork pies were tasty and the amount of the fillings were generous.<br/><br/>The steamed chive dumplings and spinach dumplings were not warm enough, probably they had been left idle for quite a while before being served on us. The skin of these steamed dumplings got detached easily from the stuffings the minute we scooped them up.<br/><br/>The steam vegetarian tofu roll did not taste good too, the vegetable fillings inside the roll were overly oily.<br/><br/>I love the interior decorations, they looked very Oriental. I like the antique looking tableware with beautiful and intricate designs especially the plates, bowls, tea pots and cups.<br/><br/>Nice, clean and cosy ambience. Good customer service too. Reasonable prices.<br/><br/>Food & Beverage : 6/10<br/>Service : 7/10<br/>Price : 6/10<br/>Ambience : 8/10

Made a booking for Yum Cha for 3 for 1 pm today.  When we went there at 1 pm, even those there were tables in the restaurant which were not occupied, the owner asked her staff to take us to the end of the restaurant and we were given a round table with 2 proper padded seats and one that is hard with no padding.  I looked around and there was a table with as European couple at one corner and behind us was a table with European customers.  It seems that Europeans were asked to sit outside the main restaurant, the balcony and Chinese customers are allowed to sit inside. My husband is English and my daughter is half Chinese.  Not impressed with the treatment. <br/>Food was very good, service was mostly good except the owner who is rather unfriendly and treating customers differently.

Went with friend for dinner and it turned out to be amazing. Very polite and prompt service, loved the decor. And the food was fresh, hot and gloriously delicious. Had 3 different kinds of dumplings, noodles and crispy pork. All the dishes were on the mark. Would definitely come back for more.

Poor quality food and horrible customer service. Every waiter/waitress except one walked right past us when food came out. Ignored us unless we called out to them to come to the table. Didn’t talk respectfully to anyone despite us being respectful to them. Would not recommend, disappointed with this level of service despite the reviews read and location. Appeared to prioritize European and Chinese customers over anyone else.

Probably one of my favourite places in central Auckland to come have yum Cha. <br/>They're not as busy as some of the Chinese restaurants but the food is just as good but without the rush. <br/>They have a great variety of yum Cha and people are friendly and prompt. The price is also reasonable as well. <br/>Highly reccomend if you're in the area!

This place has amazing Yum Cha food. The price is incredibly affordable (for yumcha food). My only complaint is that there is always a queue (which is a good thing), however this means that you need to wait for 5-10 minutes usually, even if you have booked prior.

It’s really not hard to see how Pearl Garden has kept its doors open for over 40 years. It’s still fully packed for Yum Char every single weekend. <br/><br/>If you are a Yum Char connoisseur or that you think you are one. Then you need to come and try Pearl Garden. They may not offer as much variety as some of the other well known places, but they do make what they offer to the highest of standards.<br/><br/>Price wise, Pearl Garden is actually on the lower end compared to the other Yum Char restaurants in and around the Newmarket area. <br/><br/>Yum Char aside, Pearl Garden also does a wonderful a la carte menu. <br/><br/>All in all, it is still a pearl after all those years. They still live up to its reputation as one of the best old school Chinese restaurants in Auckland :-).

A group of my school friends and I met here for dinner on a Friday evening two weeks ago.<br/>It was easy to find a free park close by. <br/>We chose from one of the set menus because one of my colleagues loves squid. $46 pp If my memory serves me well. Our food was delicious with a varied selection of meat seafood and vegetables. It even included dessert. <br/>The family are great hosts. <br/>One of my school friends family often ate there 20yrs ago, with the same fond memories. <br/>I recommend this restaurant without hesitation <br/>

Came here for Yum Char, really amazing selection and very good service and atmosphere for a Chinese restaurant. Looking forward to going back again and trying their regular menu.

An awesome find. Loved the yum Cha. Staff were so friendly. It was a change to see some China. Good variety of food and since we got there early, everything was really fresh.

This long standing restaurant has been around for a generation.<br/>the owners have always been friendly and ran the place with class.<br/>I love coming here for yumcha for the nice China and friendly staff. <br/><br/>Food 4/5<br/>Service 4.5/5<br/>Setting 4/5

Have had a lot of Yum Cha but this is easily the best we've had in Auckland.<br/><br/>The restaurant is very clean and the decor is beautiful.<br/><br/>Service is also a huge positive :)

Went here for Yumcha on a Saturday morning! The place was crowded, be sure to make your appointment before you go. I love their yam cake as they make it with a very special way, super strong Yam taste. Their dumplings are not bad too. Great ambience

Looking for high quality yum cha with a range of dim sums? Located in the heart of Newmarket, this place is open for yum cha at lunch and is an authentic Chinese restaurant for dinner. If dim sum isn’t your cup of tea, you can also order off the menu for a range of Chinese dishes like fried rice or noodles. <br/><br/>With fresh dim sums made frequently, no doubt you’ll see your favourite dish roaming around. If you don’t see it, you can order it too! <br/><br/>I personally love the ‘Ha gow’, which is a shrimp dumpling often called a shrimp bonnet for the pastry is folded in a pleated shape. <br/>I also love the classic ‘Shaomai’, which is a pork and mushroom dumpling with chopped shrimp. These dim sums are usually eaten with a side of sweet soy sauce and chilli oil. <br/><br/>Never forget to order their steamed pork buns! This is arguably their most famous dim sum enjoyed by many. Their buns are soft and fresh with deliciously marinated bbq pork stuffed in the middle - no wonder it’s one of their most popular dishes!<br/><br/>Looking for something sweet to end off with? I personally go for the authentic egg tarts, which does its job. It sweet yet the mild savoury flavour of the pastry balances the tart. It’s best served warm and they are always baked fresh at Pearl Garden. <br/><br/>You can find parking from numerous side streets but you can also find parking at the “Tournament” car parks around Rialto and Kent Street. <br/><br/>Food 7.5/10<br/>Ambience 7/10<br/>Service 6/10<br/>Price 6/10

nice place for yam cha, food is good, generous portion as well.<br/>however the information in zomato is incorrect. there is no buffet for this place.

OMG! The Peking duck is unbelievable!!! The chaps and I left school at lunch and had a 3 course meal and got back to school in time for 6th period. The food quality and selection is outstanding. <br/>The Sheikh of Auckland <br/>Instagram: @sheikh.of.auckland

I love their dim sum ,it's really traditional taste just like I had in Hong Kong,I'v been there twice with different friends and they all like it,I recommend make reservations before you go,It is really busy during lunch time!

Gotta say definitely one of my favourite Chinese food places in Auckland. They are professional, from my experiences. Great spot for yum cha although I personally hope they were open earlier especially in weekends. Food quality never disappoints here!<br/>Great dishes for dinner too, fresh fish everytime. Ambience is quite lovely with a homey feel and good ventilation.<br/>And very impressed with their service, especially in comparison to a lot of other restaurants with the same offering.

Avoid having dinner here at all costs. We were charged $7.50 for a pot of water and $3.50 per small bowl of rice. The waitress was rude and when we asked if water was free, because the tea isn't, she snapped that everything there costs money. The restaurant was basically empty but it took over forty minutes to receive our first dish. We couldn't taste the beef in their speciality dish, which was fried beef strips. It was super doughy and chewy. We don't appreciate being extortionately ripped off and won't be back ever.

Came for yum cha yesterday, we were a group of 6. We made a booking at 11.30am and thank goodness we did as during the hour that we were there a line had built up outside waiting for tables. The food was quick and hot and fresh plus a good variety. However, we had to ask a few servers to give us more hot water for our tea before someone eventually did which was quite annoying but quite normal for yum cha due to how hectic it is. Overall a great experience, good prices and would be happy to go back

First time to try their yum char today and we were satisfied with the food. We had a reservation and the staff directed us promptly to our table. Normally food comes around by trolleys but the place is too congested to move therefore the staff walk around with the dim sum selections on trays. We had prawn dumplings, pork spareribs, steamed BBQ Pork buns, panfried turnip cake, almond on prawn toast, pork chive pancake, sticky rice and Chinese sausage and prawn & coriander dumplings. Generous servings of meat, succulent prawns and generally the food was tasty. The staff was friendly although they forgot the drink that we ordered. They are very busy during lunch time so booking is recommended. Will definitely come back again.

Up the stairs to the restaurant. The rotation of the varying dishes was poor. However the food was scrumptious and satisfying. Stand out dish was the salt&pepper squid, it was unlike the usual yumcha squid tentacles. Also the tofu rolls, yum!

The first thing we noticed were the innovative plate that can become a bowl instead of the usual small bowl and saucer combo. This is sooo much more practical and less washing. This aside we were served with more innovation such as changing out the peanut dumpling with cashews and taking out the meat from the tofu skins. Impressed with 3 lots of dipping sauces that were already on the table and we did not need to ask for them. We also had chrysanthemum tea. The usual dumplings were very fresh. We especially enjoyed the deep fried squid which just came out of the deep frier to our table. Sesame balls were good but one of our party thought the chicken glutinous rice needed more flavour. Kudos to the families who have ran this place forever. There were lots of families eating here today. It was a nice atmosphere to be part of. One person said they were the usual dishes but here, they have thought about them and improved them and made them more delicious. I couldn’t agree more and will be back again.

Kinda pricey if you go for dinner . Food was average, I had he chicken curry and sweet and sour pork . I personally wouldnt go there again. :/

Went there for yum char, had a reservation and walked in straight to our table no waiting! This is the first time I go to a Chinese restaurant for yum char and don’t have to wait when I have a reservation. Service was good and food was good also. As we were a table of 10 we ordered some dishes and it came not long after. Will definitely come back.

Food is average. Sticky rice with chicken is the highlight, good tasting but they categorise this dish as special dish which costs at $6.50. No other yum char restaurant thinks this dish as special dish. Chicken feet is the worst I have ever had, and even you complainted, they did nothing. Moreover, they are pretty proud to charge everything including FOAM takeaway box. Fro all other restaurants I visited, foam boxes are free, plastic box are 20-50 cents each. This is what they said: we put a sign there, we charge All Boxes! My wife works in food packaging industry, she told me foam box is less than 10 cents each, and plastic boz is around 20 cents each when her company sells to restaurants.

Came here for a celebration dinner. The was a bit cramped for our party of 14 on one table. I do like the Chinese decorations, furniture and decor throughout the restaurant. However, the chairs were difficult to seat around the table with so many of us.<br/><br/>Service was quick. Tea was constantly topped up and plates were cleared regularly.<br/><br/>We had so many dishes I lost count but the highlights for me were:<br/>The starter: really well presented and had a lovely array of BBQ meats. The duck was warm and crispy and the jellyfish was lovely.<br/>The Veges in special soup: the soup was super tasty and the Veges were on point. Crisp and fresh.<br/>Prawn Yee mein: tasty and large portion size.<br/><br/>Really enjoyed the ambience and decor. Felt really authentic.

Stopped by for a late yum cha (2pm) since it was open the latest. The food came out on trays rather than trolleys so there wasn't as much selection when they stopped at the tables. We were also passed a few times so we ended up just ordering items.<br/><br/>Food was nice. It probably would have been busier with more variety closer to lunch time.

Been in this yum char restaurant a few times over the years. The waiting time in here is quite good compared to other popular yum char places. We like the atmosphere and their tea selection (I believe other yum char restaurant also have all the different tea but Pearl Garden listed all the teas+description in the menu, for me who loves tea like crazy this is definitely a plus). <br/><br/>The food taste are quite good too! We probably prefer this restaurant instead of other yumchar place close by. Our favourite from here will be beef ribs and sticky rice in lotus wrap. Other steam dishes also quite nice. Siomay and hargau are texture were great.<br/><br/>Try to be here a bit early as during peak hours restaurant got very busy and food flow got distracted. They don't really serve the food in the trolley as place quite congested. Most things got serve in trays.

Nothing special, it's overpriced with small portion sizes, dumplings too salty for my taste, chicken feet too oily. First time I learnt that you had to pay to drink tea lol.

The customer service is great. The location is quite good since it's in Teed Street off Broadway. The atmosphere is great. The only issue is that they do not have the teas separately.

Food was pretty good and the prawn dumplings are filled with generous amount of succulent prawns. But I always judge a dimsum place by their char siew puff and their puff was abit too yolky. Overall I wasn't totally blown away, it was just slightly above average imo.<br/><br/>When we wanted to take away an egg tart because we ordered too much, we were told we had to pay for the takeaway box. This is the first time I've been asked to pay for a takeaway box. It's pretty ridiculous. Given that this is not exactly the BEST dimsum place, I wouldn't go back.

I visited Pearl Garden Tuesday last week. I experienced great service, they were very attentive, and they seemed to be happy with what they were doing. The waiting time for food was also very impressive.  I thoroughly enjoyed the meal.  Dishes that stood out in particular were the Steamed Pork Balls, Dim Sum (4 pcs), Pan Fried Pork Dumplings, and Shrimp Fried Rice. The atmosphere of the place was lively, and was packed even though it was a Tuesday Lunch. The only thing standing between me giving the restaurant is the fact that the dumplings weren't that juicy. And at times it was hard to hear what the waiter was saying, due to the noise level. It also seemed as though it was rather cramped with all the tables.

The decoration, plates and cutleries are great. The dim sum is average though. Waitresses kept bringing the same items around and couldn't list the desserts available. I only saw the wide dessert selection when we went out to pay. Best to make a booking if going on a weekend.

Pearl Garden is still one of our fav place to go yum cha in central Auckland. Authentic food, great service and reasonable price. Weekend lunch time generally very busy so make sure you call them to check first.

We've been to Pearl Garden a few times before today, and had a pretty pleasant experience. It's always rushed and crowded, but that's the yum cha experience. Today, our experience was so bad that we may never visit again. We arrived early for our reservation, and the two women at the counter berated us for being early despite the several empty 2-person tables we could see near the front. We got the most horrified look from the hostess about being seated early, but got led to a table straightaway. We asked for water, which never came. We had to flag someone down to get a second soy sauce bowl after we ran out a few minutes into the meal since we were only given one bowl with a splash of sauce. Then, the nail in the coffin - we chose a plate of green beans when it was proffered because it looked delicious. And it was delicious, but how much did that small yum cha-sized plate cost? $18. Eighteen dollars for about 100 grams of green beans with a sprinkle of minced pork and soy sauce. There's an expectation when you're picking plates off a tray without quoted prices that the costs are reasonable, especially because even the "specials" are only $6.50 a plate. When we suggested that $18 was quite excessive for beans, all we got was a blank stare. We can't live in fear that any plate we agree to eat will cost as much as all the others combined, so we won't be going back.

Excellent service!<br/>Staff were kind and unlike most yumcha places they spoke good English<br/>Their prawn pancakes were to die for<br/>And their icecream bowls were delicious<br/>Shu mai and other dumplings were good also but nothing out of the ordinary<br/>Food rotated quickly so we got to try lots of things<br/>Also had the sticky rice w chicken- that wasnt as good as some other yumchas<br/>Overall happy w the experience<br/>I liked how they had an outdoor porch! Great for sunny days

Nice place, mostly good service and the price is quite reasonable. Food isn't in the wow factor, and some of it is a little too oily like the spring rolls, but it's mostly decent enough and nothing is disgusting. The staff aren't always all friendly, but they do their job in a satisfactory manner. Great place for a relaxed lunch or if you're just in the mood for some Asian food, I've been here a lot of times and I'll still be going back.

My favorite dim sum place. Always going for their dumplings, curry squid, black pepper chicken, seafoods and vegetables with oyster sauce. They are usually always busy for lunch and dinner so call to book in advance. The owner is usually present and speaks very fluent english along with majority of her staff.

Have been here three times. Like the dim sum here and the tea. But every time we came here, we felt quite uncomfortable about the service. The women who helps to take the orders is not patient. <br/>The dim sum deserves 4-4.5 rating. But due to the poor experience, we would not go this place again.

Heard so much about this place, i had to try it myself. I've been to so many Yum Cha restaurants and this by far is my favourite. The food was AMAZING and very affordable. It's definitely a hidden gem in the heart of Newmarket. The staff was very welcoming and went beyond measures to check on all their guests even with a full house. Definitely will be back !!

My boyfriend and I wanted to go to grand park for yum cha but the wait was too long. 40 mins wait at least. So we thought we'll try somewhere else. We came to pearl garden. It was also busy but we got seats pretty quickly. The food here was surprisingly good. The tables were bit crowded (as expected) and they served the people behind us in line first. But otherwise we really enjoyed the food and will come here again.

Yumcha is very good and usually busy but they do need to work on their dinners, the food came in small portions and were very expensive whereas the taste was pretty average.<br/>Yumcha experience 8/10<br/>Dinner experience 5/10<br/>

Pearl garden is always busy. But, the past few times I've been there, I've managed to get a table (for 2 or 3) without a booking. So, I guess they have a pretty efficient waiting system.<br/><br/>Their dim sum is not the best that I've tried but it is okay. I didn't particularly enjoyed their Loh mai fan. But then again, I don't really like that dish to begin with.<br/><br/>Their cheong fan (with Yu char Kwai) was delicious - that's probably not the correct way to describe it but I'd recommend you try it. <br/><br/>Also had their cha siu puff (basically a pastry version of the Cha Siu bao. The fillings not bad, albeit the pastry was quite big and not as delicate as dim sum should be. <br/><br/>We had a mix of good and bad service from the servers working there. The food took some time to come over to our end (we were placed on the balcony), and sometimes they even deliberately choose to skip our table). Not sure why. <br/><br/>All in all, go there to fill your tummies with decent food, but not for a mindblowing dim sum experience.

Came here on monday for dim sum lunch. The seating area isn't very big but is sufficient for a weekday afternoon. The menu has both English and Chinese names, and is easy to refer to.<br/><br/>I really love dim sum and have eaten at many places. Strictly speaking, dim sum here is average at best. The dough skin of our pork buns and custard buns were too thick. The pastry of our BBQ pork pies was too thick and not as flaky as it's meant to be as well. I could barely taste the fillings. It's only saving grace was the deep fried pork and taro puffs which were hot and crispy.<br/><br/>Service was ok and our food came quickly. The young man who attended to us was earnest and nice. However it was quite hard to get the attention of the staff.<br/><br/>This place is good enough if you aren't after an authentic taste. It spots a nice ambience with its oriental decor and doesn't look shabby. Good for small group gatherings.

Been here a couple of times for yum cha and as much as I love the food, the service is really terrible. They aren't very nice and speak to you very bluntly and I felt like a bit looked down on...Probably wouldn't bother going back again, would rather find somewhere else for a good yum chat that is nicer to their customers.

Avoid if you can! <br/>The food was slow and extremely average. The front of house manager was arrogant and it seemed like she didn't even wanna be there.<br/>We were heavily over charged on rice (2 bowls of plain rice for $14), as well as another dish marked as "miscellaneous" which we didn't even order. We had to go back and ask for refund.<br/><br/>I can't believe the standard of this restaurant can drop so quickly in the past few years.

We came here for yum cha last Sunday. The place was packed! It was even busier than I remember. <br/><br/>We choose a few dumplings and we ordered a few dishes. They were all really good! The service were fast and efficient. The only complaint i had is the fact that we got kicked out after 1 hour. From memory pearl garden was the only yum cha place i know that serve good food and that you can eat in peace with out being rushed or have this fear of being kicked out after an hour. I understand the place was really busy and they are probably keen on having faster turn over which means more money. It seems to be common practice with most popular yum cha places.. But it doesn't make it less annoying! I would have given the place a 4.5 if we weren't pushed out of the door after 1 hour. <br/><br/>Will i go back? Probably yes because the food is actually pretty good. But i will probably be annoyed next time too!

Unfortunately on my visit here I was overcharged, so please be aware. The menu online says the dishes don't exceed $5.50 (for a special dish) however I was charged $15 for BBQ pork and $16 for steamed beans, all of the other dishes I was over charged for by $1-2. We had a reasonably small lunch and was charged $60 just for two of us.  At this stage they are refusing to give me a refund for what is due. <br/><br/>We also shared a table with 2 strangers in a completely cramped restaurant ... dine elsewhere I would say :(

Came here for dinner at around 6pm for a family gathering. We ordered the Sweet and Sour Pork, Hapuka and Tofu pot, Crispy Chicken, Lamb chops, Sizzling Beef, Deep fried Squid, BBQ Pork & Duck, Crispy Pork, Prawns with nuts? etc. Honestly speaking, the food tasted average. The fish from the Hapuka and Tofu pot was not fresh. The prawns from the cashew nut dish had an unpleasant taste when I bit into it. The dishes took quite some time to arrive. The deep fried squid was too salty for me. They almost forgot about the crispy chicken that we ordered. It arrived at our table, when we were about to leave. By the time I took a bite from a piece of the chicken, it was dry. The service was absolutely appalling, I am not impressed. I couldn't be bothered to take pictures.

One of the best places in Auckland to go for Yum Char (if you can get a table)! Have all the favourites plus a good selection of tripe and other specialties. They also take orders so if you want something you can't see then they will make it for you :)

A Hidden Gem in the heart of Newmarket! We only found this place through an associate who makes a monthly visit here & we have also made it a monthly place to visit which is well placed next door to the Nespresso shop which is great. I recommend calling a head to book a table as this is a busy little place & you could be waiting a while if you just try & turn up. The food here is tasty & lots of choices to choose from. Reasonably priced too. Service is also very prompt . Weekends have to be their busiest times as we go on a Sunday and it is generally packed.

No doubt the food it serves can satisfy your taste bud.<br/>But the service is quite poor indeed. It's always full and somehow the staff don't bother to get you a table. <br/>One time we also witnessed how a waiter tidied up the dining table -- used the other side of the used table cloth as if the table was ready for customers. <br/>Yuck! It's totally unacceptable for me.

The food is not too bad. They offer Cantonese style food and cheap Chinese tea. The food are ok, But the price is a little bit higher than what you can get, the good things is you don't need to wait tables for too long!

Went here for yum cha first thing on a Saturday morning. The food was good and there was a lot of it. Only disappointment was only steamed yum cha came out while we were there. If you are going to try this place, make sure you go about an hour after they open so you can get a mixture of steamed and fried.

The food here is expensive and service is slow.<br/><br/>They overcharge you for rice. It was about $2 for each person which was outrageous.<br/><br/>The ambiance was poor and it was noisy. <br/><br/>Not a great place to dine.

First time here with a group (6 people) food was ok, didn't have a lot of variety, and no green vege. We ended up ordering some from the menu instead of waiting for the trays to come to our table. It took a while for our food to arrive in dribs and drabs. Waiters were friendly, lady at reception wasn't. Also there were birds flying around and perching on the wires near the ceiling, one pooped on my friend...

This place probably seen alot of history in Newmarket  been around for a while, very popular Chinese restaurant for natives of Auckland and/or non-Asian diners and to their question 'where to for Chinese tonight?' Answer; Pearl Garden. the English speaking hostesses are welcoming and communicated well with em.<br/>Main menu is your typical Chinese for 2-3+ diners and has a dim sim Tapa one as well for you yum char fans, and they also have a special lunch menu if you ask them for it. <br/>To me dishes is average. Sometimes i order takeouts there and is always ready when i come to get.

I eat yum char 2-3 times a week, and have been all of gem from the shore all the way to papatoetoe. This is by far the best and my favorite. They don't have a lot of that weird Chinese innards and stuff I like. However their typical dimsums are with care. A lot of the dish contains finely chopped garlic which brings out even more flavour. Prawn dumplings 5/5 here. Parking a bit annoying but isn't a big deal. <br/><br/>Food Quality: 5/5<br/>Food Quantity: 5/5<br/>Environment: 4/5<br/>Wait time: 3/5<br/>Price Range: $25pp

Pearl garden is a must do for everyone who loves a bit of Chinese cuisine for any occasion! this place has the most amazing menu that is affordable and tasty! i will always regularly go here with work mates on my lunch break and even for dinner as its such a quick and easy service, the environment of Pearl garden is warm and cosy and tucked away for a getaway experience, a meal i would definitely recommend would be there prawn dumbling and coriander prawn dumbling. Also for a sweet tooth you must try there ice cream balls! so yum, would 100% recommend coming here, my reasoning behind the 4.0 rating is because although the staff, food and environment is amazing the restaurant can be quite packed around lunch time and often the staff can bring the meal delayed by at least 25 mins or so, so if you're a person who would be bothered by that i recommend going just after peak time around 12:30 is the peak hour for being busy there! other than that great place to go with friends and family!

I've been here a few times for yumchar and it's always been a great time. The food is delicious, great vibe- always busy and lively and service has been good as well. However, my family and I came here for dinner tonight, and the poor dinner service was a dissapointing start, no one came over with menus or drinks or anything. After they kuffufle, we finally ordered and when the food came out, it made the dinner experience better. The food was delicious, everything was so flavoursome and the portion sizes were good. I definitely would come back again and I hope the poor service at the start was just a one off

More than just a Yum Cha place...<br/>Have been here several times for yum cha over the last several years and always had good food served. I get that most people expect attentive staff etc... but given the hustle and bustle of the place and rapid turn over if you are expected to be waited on hand and foot, you should probably go somewhere else.<br/><br/>However never been here for dinner until a couple of nights ago..<br/><br/>The place was not too busy but full enough to give it a little buzz about the place<br/><br/>We had for entrée some of the steam dumplings which were the yum cha dishes and as always very well made.<br/><br/>For mains we had the lamb cutlets which was served in a dark sauce and brought to the table on a sizzling pan which added to the theatre but did leave all of us getting splattered a little by the oil. In addition we also had the beans in XO sauce and the soft shell crab. All dishes were cooked really well with excellent flavours of China. The crab was exceptional in the crispiness and seasoning which made it the dish of the meal<br/><br/>Overall a very good meal which was a nice surprise

Busy full in central new market<br/><br/>Great food overall but depending on where you sit you may get the left over plates after the trays rotate everywhere but your table; and we sitting right in front of the restaurant. We sat for ages with a single plate - if a floor manager could direct staff to be more observant because they seem to be on autopilot; have to admit it was pretty busy on the floor.<br/><br/>Overall tastes good.<br/><br/>3 Yums

Unfortunately our recent experience was quite disappointing. Pearl Garden used to be my favourite yum cha spot. It has unfortunately gone downhill since I have last been. We were lucky enough to get a table quite quickly for 5 people. Were able to get Shiao mai and Harkau immediately, and then we waited.... and waited.... and waited. If I had to guess someone only came around with food 4 times in the whole hour we were there. What we had was good but we hardly had anything, although the chicken feet were not cooked long enough, usually it is soft but this time it was quite chewy. Between the 5 of us I think we had 6 or 7 portions. They may have hada problem in the kitchen, but no one bothered informing anyone. All the diners looked annoyed as no food came out for ages! I will be very hesitant to go back.

A very nice place with elegant decoration and atmosphere. Feel so relax once step in the restaurant! The ladies whom we believe are the boss are so nice as well!<br/>Among those we tried, we love the shrimp rice noodle roll the most!

Dear owners<br/>Your service is atrocious and food lacking the finesse and quality. Usually you get trolleys coming around offering food. They seem to think a tray with 2 or 3 trays is a better way then a trolley. If you sit 2 tables down from the kitchen door you end up with no options. Service is slow.<br/>So. Damn. Slow.<br/>I ended up ordering so I didn't have to wait but the food never came. When I ordered CRISPY PORK, I saw the waiter write crispy pork but the same waiter returned with bbq pork and she clearly knew the difference because she wrote bbq even though she knew I ordered crispy pork. The bbq pork was tough and overcooked and chewy... You are a Chinese place, how can you screw up bbq pork?!?<br/><br/>Chicken feet was badly made! So tough though the flavour was good it was tough. Calamari came... It was rubbery and overcooked and such thick batter that you couldn't tell if it was squid or a pencil eraser.<br/><br/>I ordered xiao long bao... Waitress said yes... Never came. Ordered again... She said yes... Never came. In the end I walked out.<br/><br/>To the owner. Get your service right. I will not return and I advise anyone to try another place as there is no shortage of yum cha places... There is one down the road that's better.

Pearl Garden is a Chinese restaurant located in New Market. The interior is nice and staff are friendly. We went there while there was only one other table so there weren't any trolleys being pushed around but we could order from the menu so everything was made fresh. The waiter forgot one of our dishes but we were too full to finish it anyway.

Took family for Friday evening meal. The dumplings and BBQ pork were really good, as was the fried rice - kids loved it. Would return again in a group or with family.

I've been here a couple of times for dinner and the food is really delicious and not overly pricey which is good since our family likes to eat a lot. Been here once for my first yum cha experience and it was fairly decent. The staff weren't too nice and my friend asked one of the waitresses if we could get some cold water and she just told my friend to get it up the counter ourselves which was a bit rude, I personally do not mind getting water myself but the woman sounded very rude and careless.

I think it is quite an impressive Yum Cha restaurant overall. However, Shao Loong Bao is dry that needs improvements. If not because of this, my rating will be 4.

This is fantastic Yum Cha! The service is great. They always are close by with a smile if you are needing more food. One of my favorite local stops. You want to have an empty stomach coming here, you won't be disappointed. #gidschallenge

Service: 7/10<br/>Food: 6/10<br/>Cleanliness: 8/10<br/>Value for money: 7/10<br/>Overall: 7/10<br/><br/>Came here for yumcha. Wouldn't say it's the best place for yumcha but it's definitely up there.

Pretty good Yamcha however a little "Hyped Up" as to being the best one in town.<br/><br/>Don't expect to be able to walk in for breakfast on Saturday or Sunday morning. This place needs breakfast reservations so plan your weekend breakfast accordingly.

Absolutely beautiful food so much variety, quick friendly service, I would defiantly recommend the golden custard balls and the ice cream balls for anyone who has a sweet tooth <br/>5/5 amazing

I would have regarded Pearl Garden to be one of the better yum cha venues in Auckland and in my top 5 for over a decade. Will always be a fond place as here and One Tree Grill had meals with a former workmate sadly now deceased.<br/>The place was busy before 12pm but it was a sunday and it was a lovely sunny winters day in deep and dark July (hehe). My mum had wanted and outing so she choose yum cha. Again I know its a place she holds in high regard.<br/>The dishes were up to a very good standard each one was faultless. From simple prawn dumplings in glutinous rice to the more acquired taste for marinated steamed chicken feet or turnip cake squares. All 3/5 to 5/5 as dim sim dishes go bar one dish.<br/>What was a let down is the reputation was built on a better than the average selection at yum cha. However it was well short of my expectations. In fact most items were the common dim sims that you can get easily and of a good standard at most other yum cha outlets in Auckland. I was surprised as the same stuff circulated three times that I noticed. It's probably fine for some westerners who won't be too adventurous unless with an Asian diner. Some dishes were only on a order such as glutinous rice rolls with prawn pieces call Cheong fun. That is not the norm in Auckland.<br/>Service staff were mainly young staff and had good English. They were mandarin speakers mostly some had cantonese chinese. Instead of trolleys staff carried the dim sim baskets on trays so to move between the tables. It gives you an idea that the popularity of PG meant tables were close together as trolley width aisles were not viable. Also there is a change in level when you head out to the tables on the covered deck.<br/>Final disappointing service act was to bring a derp fried dish ( see final pic) that was very cold and as it was an order should have been heated specific for a table. It was a sure case of being palmed of a cold dish at least five mins after leaving the pots or fryer. It also was poorly prepared as it should have had a coating of sesame seeds on the crust thst was quite sparse.<br/>Could have/should have been a 4.5 -5 out of 5 yum cha venue. 1/5 pt off for the cold dish serving and a point for the over simplified food options. Won't be rushing back given there was no standout dishes and mediocre service and probably outside my top 5 now. Was not cheap but never was for the quality and point of difference you once got. Child friendly rated 4/5 can get noisy if baby asleep; staff were mindful not to serve steamed food next a baby in a high chair.<br/>RIP Panu.

This is easily my favorite and the best Yum Cha restaurant in Auckland. Mabel and her son Chris are fabulous hosts and always make you feel welcome. When dining for Yum Cha I prefer to sit out on the terrace, this gives you a good view of all the action. <br/><br/>All of the dumplings on offer are very tasty, the pan fried pork dumplings are a must, along with the bbq pork buns which are fluffy pillows of heaven. If you are a duck fan, the duck dumplings are fantastic. There are a variety of prawn dumplings all of them bursting with flavor so go ahead try them all. Their fresh fruit juices are great, watermelon is my go to. <br/><br/>A little secret, you can order peking duck dim sum, it's about 6 or 7 pancakes filled with peking duck, onions and hoisin sauce. This is a nice way to get a little taste of their famous peking duck. Now I say famous because it is probably the best peking duck outside of Hong Kong that I've ever had. The skin is always crispy and the meat is moist, cooked to perfection and full of flavor. <br/><br/>So, not only is this a great place for Yum Cha it is also a great place for dinner. I recommend ordering the Peking Duck in two courses or all the courses if you have a big party. The two courses are the traditional peking duck served with pancakes, stripes of carrot, cucumber and onions and of course hoisin sauce. The second course is San Chow Bow which is diced duck meat cooked with vegetables and deep-fried vermicelli, served in lettuce ‘bowls’ with more of that tasty hoisin sauce. <br/><br/>Both portions are quite large so if it is just two of you dining then you will definitely have leftovers for lunch unless you are like me and end up eating it when you get home, even though you are incredibly full and about to burst. <br/><br/>I highly recommend visiting Pearl Garden on a Saturday or Sunday morning, or any day of the week for that matter, it is a great way to start your day :)

YUM CHA - This restaurant is hidden down the back streets of New Markets popular shopping lane Teed St. In fact its above Taylor Boutique, Up a pokey staircase. You'll find it always super busy. So take your luck if you dont book. The waiters don't speak a lot of english but thats across the board. The food is like any other yum cha restaurant - super yum, but dont gorge yourself like I usually do - cause you end up overfull and leave rather sick. The decor is old but Chinese and appropriate.

Been to Pearl Garden a number of times over the years now. Quality of food is never a let down. A great selection of tasty and authentic dimsims, great environment, great service. I can see why this place is booked out most weekends.

Finally a yum cha place that impresses on all levels. The food was outstanding, definitely one of the best in Auckland, service was super helpful and quick, and the interior straight out of Hong Kong.... Normally yum cha houses get either the food or the decor right (or neither) so I was ecstatic that the stars aligned here, but also disappointed that I hadn't been before! We had all the usual dishes, couldn't fault any of them, loved the atmosphere, and even though they looked full they got us to a table fairly quickly. The hidden yum cha gem of Newmarket...

This is a great 'go-to' yum Cha place in Newmarket and despite some reviewers finding it not as authentic as other places (maybe because everyone speaks English), and pricey, I still feel this is still a great place to come for consistent food and service.  <br/><br/>As a rule for this place however, we do tend to just order the dishes we want 'just in case' the item we're craving doesn't roll around for whatever reason.<br/><br/>Our favourites include, <br/>- prawn and coriander dumplings<br/>- a variety of the duck dumplings (you definitely have to order these)<br/>- spicy squi<br/>- prawns and spinach<br/><br/>As a rule of thumb, always grab a beer with your yum cha, it helps wash down the chilli and salt flavours!

This place is one of my go tos. Reliable and pleasant asian food that's of a good standard. I always leave as full as can be! Pricing reflects that of newmarket and it's convenient - if you can get a table during the rush!

Tried pearl garden the other day as I was craving yumcha baaaadly. Service is okay - hard to get their attention but they are polite. 9/10 of them can speak fluent English too which made it a little easier here as opposed to the Chinese restaurants in East Auckland. <br/><br/>Food was good - Came a little towards the end of the lunch service so trolleys were not roaming around anymore. We ordered a few dimsum dishes and they all came quickly and extremely hot. Personallyl, I feel that pearl gardens dishes cater more for the westernised population, as some do not taste as authentic as other restaurants; food is definitely still good though. I highly recommend their dumplings!! The pastry is delicious! <br/><br/>I wouldn't be in a rush back, only because there's so many places that I would rate higher within the same price range.

Work above Pearl Garden. Been here a dozen times and have had fantastic meals each time. Affordable and great staff. Busy restaurant tucked away on Teed St.

Food is average. Staff were polite.<br/>We went there in the summer and sat near the entrance to the kitchen.<br/>OMG, it was sweltering and the ceiling fans did little to help.

So, we went here for yum cha at dinner time, which is the worst time to go I think. They had a different menu for dinner and we were told that the food is gonna take "a while" if we ordered from the yumcha menu. But since we were not in a hurry and the food is just gonna take "a while", we stayed and ordered from their yumcha menu. However, it took over an hour for the food to come. I was already quite restless as I felt like it was too late to go and find another place to eat. The staff was quite rude as she was speaking to me in chinese and i am not Chinese at all. She laughed at me speaking in English which I think was very unnecessary. The food was okay. Nothing special at all. I wouldn't recommend this place as I think there are more better yumcha places to go than this one. ?? LG.

We stopped in for dinner. A group of 30. It's been sometime since I've been here. The food is well priced. Great flavours and tastes. We ordered collectively and after around 30 minutes of wine and conversation a stream of food arrived that kept all diners eating and talking. I am really surprised that they were able to put out so much food with well timed delivery between plates. What a great place to eat, what a great night out. This is definitely a place to stop in for dinner. It's upstairs with lift and stair access. The place is clean tidy and beautifully presented. It was  a pleasure dining here.

Midday Sunday yum cha run to new market was quite tasty. Service was as you expect during a busy time but not lacking in any way. Reasonable prices and selection.

Travelling to AKL due to a business trip, heard bout Pearl Gargen several times so I went there by myself today, it was just about 2:00pm. I pushed oped the door, no one was trying to greet me, a young man still putting food into his mouth and waved hand signalling the waitress to come to the front. I was starved, I ordered 4 different yum cha dish, the beef noodle came out quickly, but the rest took 15+ mins to serve. Alright, when I ask for TA box. First of all, I don't mind paying for a better container(which I got told it is 1dollar extra for each "good container"), but somehow I was getting a slightly broken "good container", Never mind, because the waitress seems struggling about give away TA box. At the end of my experience for this place( Sorry, I don't even wanna mention the name!)  The boss lady with motionless face calculated my bill, food and tea total is 19.4 PLUS(you can actually see how much you add on the till) + 2 TA container ( written on back of the dim sum order card which is $1!!!), then the total bill is 21.5. COME ON, PEARL GARDEN, IS NOT ABOUT THE 1 DOLLAR, IS DECEIVING! I CAN TELL FROM YOUR FACE IT TELLING ME YOU THINK THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 20.4 AND 21.4. BUT ACTUALLY YOU TELLING ME YOU ARE RUNNING A DISHONEST BUSINESS. So guys calculate your bill before you pay, if you love them. The food also looks nothing like popular yum cha restaurant...

A group of 5 of us went here for yum cha. Pearl Garden Restaurant was recommended to us by a friend so we thought we should give it a try. Turns out, worst experience I have ever had. Staff were horrible and spoke very fob English. When the food came out, the first two plates were cold. When the rest of our food came out, the food was bland and disgusting. Soup dumplings were inedible, chicken feet was horrible, beef spare ribs were so chewy that I had to spit it out. We had more food and all was the same, big let down. Tea was also bad. When we went to pay the bill, we had complained that the food was not worth the money (over priced compared to other places) and that the staff were negligent and did not attend to us. The manager (Asian woman) did not apologise nor try to compensate us for the bad experience, and the things she said was that if we didn't like it, we should have sent it back. Overall, do not go here. Food is disgusting and inedible, service is horrendous, and the atmosphere and decor is run down.

Read the reviews but thought I'd try Pearl Garden anyway. Reasonably priced and food is fine- average. If it wasn't for the staff I would have had a pleasant time. 4/5 I came across had a horrible attitude, acting like you have done something rude to annoy them. I don't know how they get people coming back again when they act so snooty- Kiwis do not like that attitude.

We usually enjoy our yumcha experience at Pearl Garden, but not today. To the managers and owners of this restaurant, please note that the attitude of your staff can affect business. <br/><br/>There was a lady dressed in traditional Chinese costume who was shockingly rude and impatient. <br/><br/>As we were shown to our table, we realized there was a high chair missing, which we requested when we booked our table. She rudely remarked "well you didn't ask for one", of which I replied "oh I most certainly did". In fact, I was certain she was the same person who took our booking. She then impatiently rolled her eyes, pushed one of us who was standing in her way so that she could yell across the other end of the restaurant to get the attention of a co-worker. We were shocked. Needless to say we had no idea what she said, as it was said in Chinese. <br/><br/>We could see today was especially crowded with packed customers, but yelling and pushing??? The next thing we saw, this lady left us standing, and quickly walked over to another table and happily chatted to customers she appeared to be friends with, completely ignoring us. <br/><br/>We waited a while before someone else brought over a high chair for our child. <br/><br/>I managed to get the attention of another co-worker later on and voiced my concern over this lady's attitude, and the co-worker quickly jumped to her defense, saying perhaps the high heels she wore didn't fit well and she stumbled, and did not mean to have pushed anyone. <br/><br/>Well, what can we say - if this person continues to work at Pearl Garden, we will not be coming back, and will most certainly tell all our friends and families not to ever eat at Pearl Garden again. <br/><br/>A kind reminder to his lady dressed in traditional chinese costume - pushing or unwanted bodily contact in New Zealand is an act of assault. We could have easily filed an official complaint against you.

Dreadful experience at dinner. The food was horrible, the service disorganised and careless. Some dishes never arrived. There they were on the bill though. Rice arrived after most of our food had been eaten. The vegetarian dishes arrived at least half an hour after all the meat dishes so two members of our party had nothing to eat if others wanted to eat their food hot. Will never eat there again.

Lovely Chinese restaurant with a cozy and relaxing feel and a balcony upstairs. A little on the pricey side but is expected for fine dining and the food here is consistently well-made and beautifully presented. Have taken my partner here a couple of times and enjoyed dinner here.

Very good for Yumcha lunch. We chose here if around Newmarket. Maybe the best in Auckland. The service is sometimes not so quick when they are too busy as in the weekend, but some of the staff attentive enough.<br/>In Auckland quite a few yum cha place are too pushy and we feel like we have to eat and eat without stop. Too many Chinese restaurant bring food all at once. But Pearl Garden has somewhat Western style of service so we don' have to be so rush. <br/>I love their deep-fried squid, soya noodles, prawn dumplings, and pork buns. They serve yum cha in the evening also but I recommend the lunch that is less pricey with more menu.

Went there for yumcha and it was packed during the weekend. One of my favourite yumcha places in Auckland. Service was excellent. There was a period where they hide their food hygiene grading, and I stopped going there for around half a year. Happy to see them displaying the A grade certificate again.

Went for lunch today.<br/><br/>Authentic, busy and very good. Waiters zip around with steamed bun and dim sum, and you just pick what you want. You can also order from a main menu too.<br/><br/>We had fried squid, coriander dumpling, scallop dumplings, duck in lettuce and two beers and it came to around $60. Good service, exciting eating experience, and full of chinese people, so it must be pretty good!<br/><br/>I would book in advance as we had to wait 15 minutes for a table. It would be a fun place to go with friends for lunch.

Yum cha is excellent at this restaurant. Good variety, VERY tasty, and averagely priced. The atmosphere is great, and service good, although we were left with the feeling that once we'd had enough we should leave !<br/><br/>We have been several times and will return, unlike many other Yum Chas that either have little choice or taste poorly.<br/><br/>Wanted to score 3 1/2 stars as it's better than average, but not quite excellent (as opposed to dinner ?)

It has been my first time and the last time I would ever go to Pearl Garden. I spent $49 on a voucher purchased online which includes 2 entres and 2 mains plus two glasses of wine (supposedly worth $106). I order half a dozen of fried pork dumplings from the entre menu, but only got served 3. When I asked the waitress, the reply she got from the kitchen was that it was a voucher size. I didnt go further as I wanted to see what the mains were like. We ordered two stir-fried dishes. Not to our surprise, we got a reduced size--Barely more than the 10 dollar lunch menu you can get from any Chinese cafe and restaurants. When we brought it up to the owner / manager, she said the kitchen staff were busy and confused with the order (isn't it just a pure excuse-- how could they be confused. Don't dishes of food come as a standard size). She exchanged the food and barely topped it up. We had lost our appetite by that time. By the way, the food was plain and over-priced. If a shop can't afford to do vouchers, don't. A business has to be at least honest to attract customers. Dont rip people off.

Yum cha is quite good.<br/><br/>Their dinner menu is average, went recently and thought the food was very average and over priced! <br/><br/>Pekking duck was disappointing as all the pancakes were stuck together and they give skimpy amounts of veges to go with it.

Terrible experience at this restaurant. A group of nine of us went for dinner for a friend’s birthday. I had been there years ago with family regularly and it had been great. Not any more. Slow service, (2 1/2 hrs to receive our mains!) and then they kept a bottle of wine we brought as we had asked to have it chilled, then it was never brought out to us. The corkage is $7 a bottle, quite steep as it is.<br/>I complained about the awful service we received and got a shrug from the restaurant owner. He stated it was a busy night. A Saturday should always be busy in a restaurant, I would think you could prepare for that.<br/>Dinner came to $61 each for fried spring rolls, wontons and very standard stir fry dishes.<br/>Terrible waste of money and time. Will never return here. Was embarrassed I had suggested the place.

just go yum cha occasionally. busy place &amp; food is mostly good.

The first couple of times this place has been very pleasant, nice servings and service.<br/><br/>However recently I went for a birthday dinner and I must say this place is now ridiculously overpriced considering the portions. We ordered crayfish sashimi, and it was prepared in a ikizukuri style, meaning the crayfish was still moving while we were eating. With children, this was horrifying and I suggest they remove this type of preparation!

I've read the reviews and felt I should set the record straight, the food is great and the staff are very pleasant. Pricing is reasonable, the place wouldn't always be so full most days around lunch time if they weren't doing a good job.<br/>Don't listen to the narrow minded noddy's, you need to try it for yourself. They look after us just fine.

Pearl Garden has been my favourite Chinese restaurant for a long time.

I love visiting Pearl Garden. It has been a while, but everything met my expectations as per usual, the options come around regularly but not so much that you feel interupted, the prices are fantastic, the flavours delicious. 2 guys and 1 girl filled up for $38.<br/><br/>My improvement suggestions are: have more space between tables, and while most customers are of Chinese origin, a bit better english would assist in understanding the less obvious dishes.<br/><br/>Another delicious meal, "Sheh Sheh" :)

After reading a few of the recent reviews we were a little wary about coming to Pearl Garden but the meal we had tonight was excellent. We had a Spreets voucher - and were not treated any different to any other guests. It sounds as though some of the confusion lies with there being two menus - the 'tapas/yum char' menu - and then a full menu. Some meals are on both however those on the 'tapas' menu are understandably smaller. We chose items off the tapas menu and were really pleased with the size of each dish. The Crispy Beef and Chun Cheiw Chicken is absolutely recommended. This is definitely not the cheapest Chinese restaurant in town - but we didn't expect it to be. We really couldn't fault the food, the service or the whole experience. Will definitely return!

I eat out at Chinese restaurants at least 3-4 times a month and over the years I have eaten at dozens of Chinese restaurants all around Auckland. Perl garden was one of the few I had never eaten at.<br/><br/>First - I ordered the $9 crab and corn soup; I received a small bowl of relatively bland soup which did not have crab. For crab meat they used Surimi which is not crab! (Surimi is a fish-based food product intended to mimic the texture and color of the meat of lobster, crab and other shellfish). I would rate this soup a 4/10.<br/><br/>For my mains I had Mongolian lamb ($31.50), five spiced seafood ($31.50) and a bowl of rice ($3.50). The sizes of the dishes were small (when compared to most Chinese restaurants).<br/><br/>Mongolian lamb has spices that were not well cooked and I could still get the raw spice flavour. The spices must be well cooked in order to bring out the flavour and associated aromas! The lamb was not over cooked so I would rate the dish 5/10.<br/><br/>Five spiced seafood which is crispy fried seafood pieces tossed with spices, small pieces of onions and capsicum. The dish had lots of squid and a couple of scallops and fish pieces. The fried seafood pieces were hardly coated with the spices so the whole dish was very bland. The seafood was not over cooked so I would rate the dish 4/10.<br/><br/>Overall this restaurant gets a 2 star rating from me. There are plenty of Chinese restaurants here in Auckland which are way better. The food was average quantity small and definitely not worth the money, I would not recommend this restaurant.<br/><br/>By the way when I told the management that there was no crab meat in my soup and Surimi is not crab they said they know but still choose to call it crab. This in my opinion is false advertising and shows that the management does not care about the customer.

A shameful meal. The portions were pitifully small and VERY overpriced.<br/>Come here with a bulging wallet otherwise you will leave hungry.<br/><br/>The sevice was painfully slow. It took us almost 1 hour to receive all the food we ordered.<br/><br/>The only good thing I can say about this place is that the decor is nice.<br/><br/>Never again, would I come here. There are FAR more better Chinese restaurants in Auckland.

Had dinner with my partner using Sprees voucher ($29 for $70 value meal). Shocking thing was size of our dishes are much smaller than other people's who seems paying full price! <br/><br/>Asked the casher to confirm, and she said 'because you are using voucher'..<br/>Hum.. isn't that breaching 'The Fair Trading Act'? If they are intending to serve smaller size of dishes than normal ones, they should clearly write on terms and conditions.<br/><br/><br/>**<br/>The Fair Trading Act 1986 is one of the cornerstones of our consumer protection law. It protects you against being misled or treated unfairly by traders or shops by prohibiting what is called "misleading or deceptive conduct, false representations and unfair practices".<br/>**

I had yum cha at this restaurant with my friends and I really like the food. The restaurant was very busy and beautiful.

A group of 10 of us went to Pearl Garden for dinner and opted for a $40 pp set menu. Bad choice! Food was soooo disappointing,service average and restaurant empty on a Sat night(probably explains why)! There are so many other Chinese restaurants in Auckland that are much much better! All 10 of us left hungry :( Wouldn't go back there again

The yum char here was good and will be back to try the a la carte meal for dinner in the future

I took an out of town guest and was so embarrassed. Overcooked dry Westernised Chinese food. There Sunday Yum Cha was very very good but the waitress said they had a new chef! Avoid this restaurant for a while.

I liked the interior as it was colourful and tasteful. The service was average and the prices not cheap. There was too much sugar in the drinks for my taste. The most bizarre thing was that they cooked a crayfish from their basin and then as it was served on the big table beside us it was half cut open but the legs and face were still moving and kept on moving for a long time, very clearly. My son said this was torture. I did not dare to look.

My favourite yum cha and have been coming here for years. Usually very attentive service and good quality hand made dim sum (served steaming hot) with a very clean environment. All staff speak English well which is a plus! Reasonably priced as well which makes this place a good regular. Highly recommend the egg tarts baked fresh and the golden custard buns - nowhere else has molten custard buns like pearl garden!!

Another Yum Cha restaurant in Auckland, located in New Market. Nothing compares to Yum Cha in Hong Kong and China, but hey, its New Zealand. <br/><br/>Came here some time ago with my Mummy and little brother, the decor of this joint has a traditional Asian feel, yet contemporary and modern - I quite like it a lot. Mummy knew the lady that runs this place, so we got some sweet discounts and special treatment (hence the reasonable rating) Food is good, from what we chose to eat, but you could tell that somethings that isn't normally 'Yum Cha' dishes looked a tad off or over cooked, such as the BBQ dishes.<br/><br/>As an customer, if Mummy didn't know the lady, I would of had an horrible experience here. Looking around, you can see staff members being rude to customers and lacking in communications with non-Asian speaking customers. They were not attentive enough, seeing some people with empty teapots while staff just stand around. <br/><br/>Don't get me wrong, this place is beautiful with tasty food, but the staff do add a lot to the experience. I don't know, I think I need another experience here but with different people to give a better opinion I presume. Mixed feelings.

I have had yum cha at Pearl Garden a couple of times this year with both friends and family. Pearl Garden has been around for a long time and their Newmarket location means they are often busy. <br/><br/>Pearl Garden have all the classic yum cha dishes and also some other dishes that are not usually served at yum cha such as BBQ meats. I find their roast duck to be disconcertingly chewy. Perhaps it has been sitting around for some time? They are not a BBQ restaurant so perhaps we shouldn't have got the BBQ duck.<br/><br/>The dishes that come around can be random and sometimes the dish you want never turns up and the dish you don't want comes by many times. The service is good, with our teapot being filled many times during our visit.<br/><br/>Their website looks great is a lot more contemporary than the style of the food and restaurant, which looks traditionally Chinese just like it might have looked during the '90s or '80s.<br/><br/>The price is good value, around $14 per person for a very filling brunch.

Standard yum char fare here with large tables (so great with a group of friends to get a range of dishes and then split the bill, I went with a group of like 20 and we ended up only paying like $9 each) but unfortunately poor service. It's in the heart of the Newmarket shopping precinct and is frequently jam packed so make sure you book to avoid disappointment. We were seated in a corner table and the waitresses pushing the carts of dim sum around kept servicing the table next to us, the table opposite us, and then moving on to the table on the other side of us and therefore skipping us. Where possible, we insistently waved them back, but sometimes they didn't hear (or ignored us, I'm hoping it's the former) and so we lost out on some dim sum we wanted. A bit disappointed, and when we went to pay the bill and I mentioned this the person at the till sullenly shrugged and said nothing at all. The dim sum is nothing special, with the skins either too thin or not translucent, and the cheong fun in particular had very little filling to my surprise. The egg tarts were great though, with flaky pastries and a smooth centre, but many dim sum chefs in Auckland do them well. The food wasn't horrible, but it wasn't exceptional enough to counteract the poor service either.

We were quite lucky that we had yumcha here almost at the end of the lunch hour. First off, I think this place looks grand. I’ve only been to a few Chinese restaurants and this is probably the one that paid lots of attention to aesthetics. I appreciate that. <br/>My friend actually suggested we come here because she likes the deep fried squid and I found out for myself that it's really good. They have a good range of yum cha food that was well presented. I came with friends and we also liked that they let us split the bill. <br/><br/>more on: http://sweetsandbrains.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/yumcha-adventures-pearl-garden/

One of our favourite Yum Cha haunts, this place is always packed (make sure you book!). The dumplings are wonderful and we often go for Chinese greens with oyster sauce, dumplings and their divine spicy squid. Perfect way to split up a heavy days shopping in Newmarket. For a full review and dish recommendations, go to http://cheapeats.co.nz/pearl-garden/