Review Turo-turo Philippine Cafe - Auckland Central

The place is not that big so might be crowded when the cafe is full and not that fancy. We ordered the Joyful Chicken Spaghetti meal and Joyful Fried Chicken. They were generous to give us 3 pieces (missed from the picture) of the fried chicken instead of 2. Chicken was juicy, delicious and have that hint of a taste from Jollibee fried chicken. I haven’t tasted the spaghetti but my sister in law said it was nice. Halo Halo Deluxe is good for 2 people sharing. Overall all experience is excellent.

I got the spring roll type stuff. It's stuffed with meat and very delicious. However it feels abit expensive but worth the money @$12 for 8 small peices.

Been here twice but the first one was for takeaways order. Place is generously enough for an intimate party. Portions are good enough for one person, would recommend the place to a friend.

It tastes so good... I love it, the boss are nice and staff . Spring rolls are the best😋😋

Never disappoints!! Good portions, fresh and hot when received. Very friendly & good customer service. Our go to when we need our Filipino fix ☝️

Lovely food, fantastic service! The staff are the most friendly people I've come across in a restaurant. Food is made with love, for sure! You cannot go to this place and not get dessert!!! They're super sweet but very delicious!

Fantastic food and very friendly staff. Definitely recommended. Very authentic and welcoming place. Not overdone. It is not a fancy restaurant but it does make you feel like you were in Manila.

Busog sarap! Just a bit too far from the North Shore

Nice food and affordable. The only thing that I didn't like was the cooking time. It's better to ring them before you go as it takes time for them to cook the food. Other than that, all good

It’s hard to find Filipino food restaurants in Auckland, that’s why this place is special. Food was slightly salty for me, but the flavour is very nice. My Filipino friends say their food is authentic, it must be true!

New owners Jun and Ning cooked wonderful all time filipino classics- crispy pata, kare kare, sinigang, lumpia shanghai and bicol express. The quality was superb. A surprise winner was the bicol express! Then we learned that they are from Bicol. Halo halo was fantastic too.<br/>The service was super friendly. <br/>Only minor negative comment was the use of plastic plates and cutlery. Will definitely come back!

Came here once with my mum and ordered noodles which took over 30 minutes to cook, by the time it was ready I had to quickly eat it because I was short on time. Their plates and cups made it really anxious for me to eat as it looked unclean with scratches on it not at all what you expect to see at a restaurant period

No one picked up the phone when I tried calling on to order. When going to the shop there were no customers or other orders. <br/>They took 25 minutes to make my one order of spaghetti, which I only have 5 minutes to eat during my 30 minute lunch break... There was also a hair.. People were friendly though

Food and service was great. Decor is quite dated though and well overdue for an upgrade. Also was a bit of a surprise to see the manager of the restaurant bringing McDonald's in the place for his dinner. Not a very good look for the restaurant!

I’m not a Filipino but have eaten at this place several times and it never disappoints! The place is warm and simple and I love the staff always friendly! Highly recommend it - there’s something there for everyone

I highly recommend this place! I love Filipino food and my sister has never tried it so I decided to take her here. The first thing that hits you when you walk is in the amazing smell. We knew we were headed towards a good meal. We ordered the Pinoy spaghetti, sizzing sisig and chicken ginataang manok. The spaghetti was a first for me and I really enjoyed it. Sauce was different and tasty and the pasta was cooked well. The fried chicken that accompanied it was the juiciest piece of chicken I have ever had! Not to mention it's was HUGE! Lived it app much. Sisig is a already a favourite and this place did it exceptionally well. My sister really liked her chicken ginataang and we appreciated it being made with movies as it was flavourful and tender. She mopped up all the sauce with her rice. As we were leaving we also decided to get a flan which was lovely too. Service is extremely friendly and accommodating. The girl at the front was so warm and inviting. Will surely visit again.

Had my hopes up as I was on a youtube binge watching people try jollibee and random Filipino street snacks like halo halo. This place was extremely underwhelming. Pork rice dish was way too salty, sodium levels up the roof. And worst of all, the pricey fried chicken dish made me cry, just look at the portion. Save me colonel sanders!

Went here for lunch to try their $10 lunch special which we saw advertised outside the store. <br/>Found it a bit awkward to communicate with the person at the counter as her English wasn't great so we just took the menu's she gave us after trying to ask what was included in the lunch special or if there was a separate menu for lunch. She said no but when we went to order we found out that the lunch special wasn't actually on the menu and was just chicken or pork but she could not explain what the dish actually was. Decided to just go with it and order one of each anyway.<br/>Both turned out to be really similar: the chicken was deep fried chicken with a small container of gravy and the pork was a deep fried shoulder chop with another sauce. Both dishes were served with some sort of deep fried shrimp rolls which were really nice.<br/>The dishes were quite nice and cheap with the special but I would not go back as it was not what I would have normally ordered had I known in advance. The other dishes are also a lot more expensive and did not seem worth the price.<br/>Service was average due to the language barrier but also lack of service as there is no table service other than bringing the food to the table, everything else is self-serve or go up to the counter and ask.<br/>

Emailed an order about some dessert to take away. After a bit of a misunderstanding about the price we finally managed to clear thing up.<br/><br/>It was easy enough to pick up. <br/><br/>I liked their leche flan and buko pandan.

Prior this year when we haven't tried the other good Filipino restaurants like A'meza or Azon or even Boracay, we dine or buy takeaways here. But man, once we have visited the other restaurants, I can honestly say that Turo Turo is overpriced and the quality of their food needs to be addressed to cope with the competition. Had a takeaway sisig which costs $17 ($16.50 plus additional 50 cents for the garlic rice). Unless the dish is fried or sizzling, the other dishes may not be freshly cooked. The restaurant may feel and look grubby sometimes. I can understand the location may not be suitable for fine dining but the quality of food, price and the restaurant itself should be reviewed and improved. Excellent customer service though.

Food was microwave-heated and it costs $16.50. Beef was not tender and the carrots were undercooked. I could have gotten a couple of hot Chinese takeaway orders with that price. Definitely not worth it. Staff will not care about you unless you know them personally. The tables and chairs are squeezed in this tiny place. Food boxes are scattered at the counter. Basically it was mostly self service. Food was horrible, staff unfriendly, place is not good, so I'm not ever going back.

This was the worst lunch experience for me, food was just heated and Caldereta was not even heated all the way through , for that price, definitely not worth it. The food should only be about $4, really a turo turo style food, where food where not cooked by order and that's not even the worst part, I had to get my own order from their fridge where there are boxes blocking the door so I even have to move them to get to my Iced tea, the service is so low quality and the food is so disappointing and this is coming from a Filipina, all they do is chat and they seem to forget about serving customers, you're food is not really cheap and not really good so we at least expect a good service for it

I went there twice. The food was really nice in my opinion but I think the price was a little bit too high for the portions! Definitely overpriced.

Wasn't very impressed with the food.. way too overpriced for what I got. The spaghetti was a ridiculous portion, I finished it in 5 spoonfuls and it was meant to be a main. The 'garlic bread' was cold and had no butter or garlic on it (or if there was, i couldn't taste it). Very disappointed. The halo halo was good but definitely not worth $11.50. Only reason I come back is for the dessert but everything else is overpriced and under portioned. There are better Filipino restaurants out there.

1. Foods ok<br/>2. Customer service 🖓🖓🖓🖓<br/>3. Took 45mins to get our food <br/>4. For two people got only a glass of water...if I wouldn't ask for another another prolly won't get one <br/>5. For parents had babies pls pls don't ever go there<br/>They only had one High chair<br/>6. Not 120% kids friendly <br/>7. Over all as a first time customer.....very disappointed

Food ordered:<br/>Caldereta<br/>Tocilog<br/>Brazo de Mercedes (one slice)<br/>Ube Ice Cream<br/><br/>Bill: $37.50<br/><br/>Big tummy: Since having our faith in Auckland-based Pinoy cuisine restored at another place, we figured we'd give another local Pinoy restaurant a shot. Firstly, I kinda need to point out that Turo Turo is relatively small for a dine-in restaurant, so you somewhat have to adjust your expectations accordingly when it comes to ambiance. However, what they lack in ambiance, they more than make up for with their dishes. <br/>We ordered the calderete and tocilog for our mains, both of which were cooked and seasoned to perfection. The portions are a bit smaller than we're used to, but then you are only paying roughly $12-16 per dish, compared to the higher price tags at other similar places. If you want a small feed that fixes your cravings without breaking the bank, TT is the place for you. As for dessert, I only got to try a tiny bit of the Brazo (cause somebody ate all of it *cough*), but the ube ice cream was to die for. Personally, I think it could do without the pink cone triangle that comes with it (maybe just shaved almonds or something for texture instead), but otherwise it was a great way to end the meal.<br/>One of the things that we did mark them down for was an inconsistency between what you are served and what the menu states. Similar to what another reviewer previously pointed out, we also didn't get the soup that is supposed to come with our order of tocilog (and we dined in). Not sure whether it's just a case of the menu needing updating or not, but we didn't really let it bother us. The thing that did put us off though was the creepy "homeless" woman/dude (I honestly couldn't tell) outside who kept bugging us and even came up to our car. I know that isn't really the restaurant's fault, but it's not something your diners want to be dealing with - I guess just put it down to poor location. <br/>All in all though, I'd happily come back here if in the area - I'd just keep an eye out for the freaky homeless person.<br/><br/>Little tummy: We've been meaning to try Turo Turo for some time (it is basically in the opposite end of Auckland from where we stay) and being in the area, we finally got to pay them a visit. The restaurant was surprisingly small, but the atmosphere wasn't bad - my bf was quick to note that they were playing all the songs from Fili-teleseries that he "loves" so much hahaha. As for the food, the menu was cheaper than we expected, but the portions were also a bit smaller. The caldereta was delicious and very well cooked - I couldn't make better myself. The tocino wasn't quite to my taste though - my bf loved it, but personally I think mine is better. Their desserts were amazing as well. The Brazo had just the right amount of filling and the ube ice cream was perfect - not too creamy, not too sweet. I'd definitely be happy to come back here. if anything, it made me look forward to our trip to the Phils at the end of the year even more.

We haven't had Filipino food for years. I had the Pinoy spaghetti with a piece of "joyful" chicken & garlic bread; my wife had Dinuguan (pork intestine cooked in black stew) served with 3 pieces of steamed sponge cakes (or with rice). Chicken was exceptionally good with crispy skin (soft but crispy); spaghetti was not cheesy but again just right; pork intestine was a bit tough in texture & the taste was "funny" (peculiar). We also had home-made purple yam ice-cream, which was not creamy to my liking. We took home Leche Flan (a custard-style dairy dessert with caramelised sauce) which I've had years ago made by a Filipino friend, & it tasted just as good. I'll be back soon for the big crispy hock (good for 2-3) ... (Food - 4/5; Service - 2.5/5; Ambience - 1.5/5)

I have been here on several visits, food is cheaper compared to the other Filipino restaurants here in Auckland and it's closer to my place. I love the Joyful<br/>Chicken here no wonder my brother consistently orders this every time we go here. My other favorites are Sizzling Porkchop and Crispy Pata. I think their food tastes better compared to before. I love their Bico and Halo-halo Deluxe.:) Place though is not more of a restaurant but like a takeaway shop as my boyfriend had said but still rating it as 5 because of my food faves especially the Joyful Chicken!😊

Possibly the best Filipino restaurant we know - we'd rate it a 5 if we didn't have to drive top far for it!<br/><br/>Been here many times since moving to Auckland.<br/><br/>We usually come for the Crispy Pata and the kids have the normal pinoy Spaghetti and Fried Chicken. We've tried the Lomi which my picky eater of a son enjoyed. It's perfect for a wet and cold auckland day.<br/><br/>The desserts - well, we've driven from Browns Bay all the way to GI- We must have dessert! Can't pass up the Halo Halo special!

We ordered crispy pata which is an all-time fav of me and hubby. Our daughters ordered their all-time favs too - sisig and joyful chicken. Burp!!! Keep it up, Turo Turo!

Crispy Pata, Sinigang, Sisig....A pitcher of IcedTea... A must try restaurant. Awesome Chef and FOH!!! Friendly staff and great meal!!! Highly recommended!!!

My friend and I go to eat at Turo Turo frequently because of our love of filipino food. We always get the pork and prawn sinigang which have been adequate in the past in terms of quantity. The quality is what makes us go in the first place! Last time we went though, we only had 3 pieces of pork and most had so much fat that we ended up with just the soup. It seems unreasonable considering its $15? Next time I will be taking it up with the kitchen. Other than that, my other fav is the spaghetti which I was pleasantly surprised was really great considering.

Food wasn't too bad. The beef was soft and had a nice spicy kick to it, just the way I asked. However, for $13 you expect something more than a small bowl shaped mound of rice, 2 tablespoons of beef, a slice of cucumber and an egg. The portion was really small and so I don't think it was very good value for money. Also, if you're ordering the dish "Tapsilog" to take away, you might want to tell the person at the counter that you want the soup which is mentioned comes with the meal or else it will not be given to you. The reason I got for not getting the soup was that I had to mention that I wanted it. Wouldn't go back.

It's not really a restaurant. It's more like a takeaway shop but food is really yummy. I wish that they will move to a bigger placenin the near future.

I am an ultimate fan of their fried chicken! We always go here if were wanting good filipino food. However i didn't quite like their sizzling sisig because it was too spicy that overpowered the whole dish. The service got better than before as well.

Best place to go for your Filipino dishes cravings! Love their joyful chicken and crispy pata! Service is always good as well! We love coming back here and prices are affordable!

Reviewing the ube (taro) cake only:<br/>After what appears to be a change in the recipe or supplier, what was originally a light, fluffy, fragrant cake has now been updated to something dark and dense, whose colour resembles nothing I can recall as a natural food product. Its buttercream is also hard upon consumption, a strange contrast to the cake itself.<br/><br/>It's not a terrible cake, still with a relatively strong taro flavour and fun to eat, but I would no longer consider it my first choice for future birthdays.

I always enjoy dining and the mouthwatering joyful chicken. Not to mention the smiling and very accomodating ate buntis :) <br/>I have made friends with staff as every friday evening coming from the airport and tiring flights, there will be no time for me to cook and find myself famished driving home all the time.<br/>Highly recommended

Another filipino restaurant that would satisfy your pinoy food cravings. Joyful chicken really is a joy to eat. We had the combo meal that has the chicken with canton noodles and rice. Very filling for $15. The pares braised beef and rice with soup is not bad, but its a bit too sweet for my taste. The place is cozy but needs a good spruce up. Staff is very friendly and shows the classic filipino hospitality.

Awesome place!! Every Time me and my friends crave for filipino food we always go to turo-turo.. Food is super yum! Never failed to take us back home! Affordable price and great staff!

We are really disappointed cos we expect that the food is fresh! I ordered sinigang and pinakbet but the vegetables are not fresh such as squash/pumpkin and bitter! The sinigang pork is only 4 small slices! 😔😔😔😔 much better to eat japanese chinese or malaysian restaurant!

I was really excited to try this place. Never had Filipino cuisine before and I've been eyeing this place out for a while now. Today it finally happened, yay! <br/><br/>We ordered the sizzling sisig and the Pinoy spaghetti. First off, I loved the joyful chicken. The name says it all. It was nice and tender with a tasty gravy to dip it in. The spaghetti was a bit weird and sweet which is how the Filipinos like it I guess. The bread on the side was just meh, could do without it.<br/><br/>The sizzling sisig was disappointing. To me it lacked flavour and the sizzling plate was just a bit overkill for the poor meat. Left it charred and crispy. Probably the wrong choice for our first Filipino experience? <br/><br/>We also go the small leche flan for dessert which tasted a lot like creme caramel with a harder texture. Was a bit too sweet for my liking tho. <br/><br/>I'm still excited with this cuisine and I'm definitely looking forward to try out other things on the menu.

We were part of a Filipino wedding reception (3o guests or so) and were delighted at Turo Turo hosts' attendance to the many unexpected extras needed. ie additional seating, unexpected decorations and voluntarily-offered photography. Their joyful chicken, beef caldereta and kare-kare featured near-unique spices ideal for both guest cultures. Equally, staff friendliness, efficient table service as well as realistic pricing, will ensure our repeat visits.

Had lunch here recently and was disappointed by the food. The chicken adobo wasn't very good, it was a bit flat and boring and was needing a kick to it to excite and awaken the taste buds. The one i usually taste at family's and friend's houses are better. Also ordered the pancit palabok and unfortunately i have to say it was lacking in taste as well. It was very plain and was not really enjoyable which was sad coz i was craving for some good palabok that day. I actually struggled to finish it... Visually it was also lacking colour and the sauce toppings were looking pretty sad (usually palabok comes with a variety of seafood, spring onions, crushed pork crackling, egg slices, etc but not their version...). The $5 palabok i buy from filipino markets on sunday church are definitely much much better. I also took away pandan cake slices but unfortunately this was a disappointment as well... I will probably still come back to this place again because it is the most convenient filipino food place from where i live but will definitely not be ordering the above dishes next time. The previous times i have eaten here, though the food was not special, was ok and much better than my last visit.

Whenever I'm craving Filipino food, this is the place I always go to get my fix and really does never disappoint! Worth the effort to travel to & truly great service with reasonable priced dishes always leaves me with a happy tummy 👍🏻

my go to Fililipino restaurant, i love their sizzling sisig & my husband love their topsilog & empanada. nice small place a lil bit too bright for my liking, they should really work on atmosphere. The service is usually great & the food is usually really good

A small cafe sized outlet in converted shop near or more correctly situated behind the post office. Dont come here for flash decor or romantic ambience. Its right up there with Tanpopo for rough dated basic facilities. On the door I see it featured in the cheap eats edition of Metro. Well might be a stretch to think it was featured in the Best Restaurant edition given the down market positioning the owners clearly wish to capture.<br/>For my lunch prior to a few chores I had the Caldereta and a coffee. Portion size was average but acceptable for $14 and presentation very good.<br/>I had the misfortune of having beef meat that was still slightly cold when bitten into; some pieces were ok yet others were coldish. Rather odd I thought. As it started to preoccupy my thoughts (as oppose to the choresi needed to address that day) I had asked for my meal to be reheated but without saying so the chef insisted or decided on cooking a fresh dish. A generous offer and shows the pride taken in their food. I would have been happy with a reheat in the microwave. Given my timeline had woshed they asked first as this delayed me. Meat was cooked hot but still a little chewy not really spicy. The sauce was similar to a mild Japanese curry. It used carrots, red capsicum and potato. It is served on simple oval plates. 4/5.<br/>However the mochacino was not convincing. Tasted like decaf was used and the coffee was bland. Yet the choc was neither sweet nor rich in chocolate taste. picture looked the part though. 2/5<br/>8 Jul: back for the spring rolls 3/5 and noodle dish called pistango 3/5.

Just came here today and my first impression was: A bit hard to find especially if you arrive by car. Very nice ambience and interesting photos with captions on the wall. It looked a bit out of place though.<br/>The food: We ordered siomai and shanghai for side dishes, (I preffered the siomai more) and Kare-kare, sisig and sizzling pork chop for main. The Kare-kare was spot on, I loved it! It was bursting with flavour so I didn't even see the need to use bagoong to season it. The sizzling pork chop was nice, very tasty and the meat was tender but nothing to make it stand out from others. The sisig was a bit disappointing but that's because we have something to compare it with. If I haven't tasted sisig before then I would like the first experience.<br/>Dessert: Halo-halo deluxe is the MEANING OF LIFE. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS!!!<br/>Overall: I think the price is really reasonable and the serving is enough to make me full. Staff are super super nice and accommodating. I strongly think that this restaurant would do well in Glenfield or somewhere in the Shore. A lot of people would line up for it and I surely would keep coming back if it weren't for the fact that it's just too far away from where I live. I shall come back with my family and friends after this experience. The best filipino restaurant in Auckland, indeed. Keep it up guys!

My very first Filipino dining experience! Went there today with 2 of my Filipino friends~ I had the Ginataang manok(??Don't know what it means, but it's chicken cooked with coconut milk & ginger ?) this is my type of thing, light taste! My friends ordered the Caldereta tender with mild chilli flavour • as for the joyful chicken ... Deep-fried chicken wasn't that fascinating, but my friend was super happy after his meal, maybe the joyful chicken can really cheer u up and make u happy? Haha. I didn't remember the name of the dessert, but it was pretty nice and sweettttttt! One fine meal, one fine day aye aye hah. ?

Location is pretty much proximal to downtown auckland,just 3 stops from britomart..,food was quite good,had bulalo,dinuguan and sisig for dinner,service was great,overall experience was pleasant...:-)

The place is easy to get into it's just near the train station. I had dinner there with my husband and son a few days ago. The customer service was good, very friendly staff.  We enjoyed our crispy pata, sinigang na baboy, and joyful chicken. My husband really loves the leche flan and brazo de mercedez. Yumm. But we were a bit disappointed at the taste of dinuguan and sizzling sisig. I don't know, it seemed that the ingredients were not fresh or "recycled" especially for dinuguan? The sisig was not hot like how they described it, a bit oily hmm and it did not really satisfy my taste bud sorry--like the ones we used to have in the Philippines .The dinuguan was also just soso. I hope they could improve the taste and quality of these two because these are the foods that most filipino people crave for.

Simply Delicious <br/>I am an Indonesian who lives in Bali and not really familiar with the Philippine's food. I come and visit New Zealand almost every year and once I tried their joyful chicken, every time I come and visit NZ, I have to come and taste that simply delicious chicken. I just found out on my last trip in March this year, that they make bitter melon (it's a bitter vegetable, maybe not for everyone), but this vegetable dish is common in Indonesia, I guess it is common too in the Philippines. My mom makes the best one, but Turo-Turo makes a different style that, again I must say, Simply Delicious. I will be back for sure! Plus their smiles and the friendly service always reminds me of home.

Turo's crispy Pata is something everyone should go for. I also like their sans rival and puto. Sometimes they sell isaw too. Their food is definitely very Pinoy. Their joyful chicken is crunchy and tender. Reminiscent of comfort food in the Philippines. People are big fans of their purple ice cream and purple cake which is made of ube.

Very authentic filipino taste. Their Biko, a Philippines native food, that can be eaten both as an appetiser and as a dessert.?#happytummy ?

I would recommend everyone to try turo turo it is one of the best cafe I have ever been to. I have try several different dish's they were all really good my favorite dish's so far would have to be the joyful chicken very moist and well cooked and had a lot of flavor. The sisig wow it is so delicious I definitely going to have it again and the crispy Pata was nice and salt and had that beautiful crunch to it.Thank you turo turo for such wouderful food I will always come back to eat here with friends and family.

This restaurant is over rated. We ordered 4 dishes and ending up with 6 complaints. 1st, (TOSILOG) the rice is too soggy, when you take a spoon full it will stick to your upper palate (ngalangala, that's how soggy it was) and they call it sinangag? LOL! in addition, the tocino does not taste like tocino at all. 2nd, can't even cook a fried egg, because from the bottom up to the sides is all plasticky and yet the yolk in the middle was still raw. 3rd, (JOYFUL CHICKEN), chicken meat in the inside part was still raw and very bland, no taste at all. They just covered it with heaps of flour mixed with salt and pepper to make it big and look yummy. Mind you, it was really salty, it's not really JOYFUL, SORROWFUL if you ask me. 4th, (TOKWA'T BABOY), priced at $5.50, I wouldn't order it again, because it was portioned too small and the cuts of the pork and tofu is just as big as your pinkie nail. To top it all, it comes with a root bulb of spring onions with it's roots literally (just imagine looking face to face with Fido-Dido, LOL!). 5th, (MAMI with PORK SIOMAI), broth tastes nice but it's lukewarm. They should have served it hot. Carrot strips was raw, they should have blanched it a bit. The siomai was not cooked well, still raw inside. 6th, (SERVICE) you have to ask for water to get one, they don't even bother to offer, VERY POOR! if you ask me because that's the first contact with your customers. It goes with their facilities too, the air/smoke coming from the kitchen goes to the dining area. They should install proper exhaust system inside their kitchen. As a conclusion, me and my husband rated them 1. We will never recommend this place to anyone. You will not get your money's worth and effort just to go there. We hope that this review will be a wake-up call for Turo-turo's management and staff to improve on the said matters and take this constructively for betterment and consistency.

Went with friends from Slovakia and China who saw this on the Cheap Eats 2014 list and wanted to try Filipino food. We ordered Tokwa't Baboy for starters. Mains were Kare Kare, Crispy Pata, Sisig, and Bicol Express and had them served 'family style' for sharing on serving dishes (which may be a good idea if you're new to Filipino food and want to try different dishes with friends). As per usual with these dishes, you get a cup of rice each and will be given spoons and forks. :) <br/><br/>The Tokwa't Baboy (Fried Tofu and Pork) was perfect, I really liked the crispiness of the pork instead of them being lightly fried as what is more common back home. Sisig is something I'd really recommend to people who have never tried Filipino food and Turo-Turo's did not disappoint. The Crispy Pata was OK, I'd like it to be a little bit saltier but nevertheless I did like it. I loved the dipping sauce it came with as well. The Kare Kare was good but lacked a bit of the nutty flavour for me. Bicol Express is one of their most popular dishes, so we said why not try it. I have to say it may be quite spicy as it was for me (seeing that I like spicy food). (You may want to check if the chef can adjust the level of spiciness.) What I really loved about the Bicol Express was the flavour of gata (coconut milk) which I really missed and how it blended with the pork and the spiciness. <br/><br/>My fiancé wanted to have dessert so we decided on the fly to have our friends try Leche Flan (my favourite Filipino dessert!). I loved it and they did too! <br/><br/>All in all, I enjoyed dining at Turo-Turo. The ambience is typical of neighbourhood eateries in the Philippines (hence the name!), with no nonsense decor, and friendly staff as well.

There aren't many Filipino food establishments in the city, so a visit to Turo Turo was much looked forward to. <br/><br/>It did not disapppoint. Reasonably priced dishes (in good quantity too), good range of dishes and an easygoing service. Prepare to wait a bit (we waited at least 30-45 mins for our mains - but at least it all arrived together). Dessert is simple, but do not expect it to come out pretty. It's a pretty simple place in a tired looking town centre - but an interesting experience nonetheless.<br/><br/>We had the BBQ chicken with Java rice, sizzling pork chop, bicol express and caldereta. I liked the bicol express the most :) For desserts we had the custard and meringue - nothing to shout about, it was passable :)<br/><br/>If I visited again, I'd def try the pork hock and jollibee fried 'chickn' :)<br/><br/>A suggestion :Do something about the flies.

I’ve been wanting to try Turo Turo for a while after reading about it on Zomato, and they had mentioned on their FB page that they’d be open during the Christmas break, so it only made sense to head there last weekend. :) The bf and I are both new to Filipino food, despite hailing from SE Asia, so it was interesting to try it for the first time.<br/><br/>I ordered the bangsilog ($13.80) – fried fish with garlic rice, egg, and soup. The fish was lovely, with a tangy lemon marinade flavour, and fried to crispy perfection. There were lots of tiny bones in it, though – I personally don’t mind them and actually prefer my fish this way, but fillet fans be warned. The garlic rice went well with it, too. The bf’s ‘bicol express’ – pork cooked in a coconut milk and chili ($12) was also good, albeit fairly standard, reminding me of a creamy Thai curry.<br/><br/>For dessert, we had the halo halo ($9.90) – an icy confection with coconut, jelly, beans, and other sweet stuff within. I came expecting this to be the highlight of the meal, and went away rather disappointed. It was served in the middle of our meal, even though I had requested for it to be served after the meal when I ordered it. By the time I had finished my meal and got around to eating it, much of the ice had melted. It still wasn’t half bad, but was fairly pricey at $9.90. To balance that out, the serving was huge, but we just ended up not being able to finish it.<br/><br/>We’d probably return, but might give dessert a miss.

Had read the reviews online so thought we would give Turoturo a go.We arrived just before 12pm and their closed sign was still up. Nevertheless the waitress saw us and said they were just opening so let us in. The restaurant was very hot and stuffy with no aircon or ceiling fans, so was quite unpleasent as it was a very hot humid day. The table we sat at had crumbs all over the seats and floor looked like it hadnt been swept for a few days. Food was mediocre though the pata pork was lovely and husband enjoyed the joyful chicken dish. We have been to Chikos in Henderson and much preferred this restaurant

I had never tried Filipino food before, but after hearing about dishes like 'Adobo' and 'Crispy Pata' from my Filipino friend on the bus, I knew I just had to try this cuisine out!<br/><br/>I must admit, it took me quite a while to visit Turo Turo. I was nervous about trying a new cuisine and worried that I would not like the food. However, I am so glad I have finally been. A friend and I visited on a quiet Sunday evening for dinner and to try their intriguing desserts.<br/><br/>Turo Turo is located in the Glen Innes shops - there is plenty of parking and the train station is just across the road. Turo Turo also opens out onto the main square, so it would be a perfect place to eat on a balmy night, while watching the kids play outside.<br/><br/>Upon arrival, we first noticed the size of the restaurant - small compared to usual places I eat at, the simple décor and the basic set up of tables. Also, when we walked in, no one there to greet us. Instead, I mistook a customer for one of the staff members! So embarrassing! However, when the waitress finally came out to help us, she was very friendly and sweet. <br/><br/>From the menu, we ordered the 'Lomi' (noodles with pork or chicken and vegetables in a thick savoury soup), the 'Siomai' (steamed pork dumplings) and of course, highly recommended by my Filipino friend, the 'Adobo' (we chose pork and it is cooked in vinegar and soy sauce). The Adobo also came with rice. <br/><br/>Everything was great. The dumplings flavoursome, the noodles and broth tasty and the Adobo was just how I imagined it. The pork was cooked perfectly and it was unlike anything I have ever tasted before - which is a good thing! <br/><br/>We also ordered dessert. I had been recommended the 'Sans Rival' (a layered dessert of meringue wafer, butter cream, and crushed cashews), but unfortunately they had run out! Very disappointed! Next option was the 'Leche Flan' (a caramel custard dessert). OMG it was so sweet and delicious - highly recommend! My friend ordered the 'Ube Ice Cream' (homemade ice cream made out of purple yams). We couldn't believe it when we read it on the menu. Purple yams?!?! This too was delicious and a beautiful purple ice cream shade, which I have never seen before! <br/><br/>Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Turo Turo. The food is delicious and I am so glad I finally decided to give Filipino food a try. If you are ever in the area, I recommend you try some Adobo or one of their funky desserts for something different and hey, it might even become your new favourite cuisine!

I love this place and yes I will be back.<br/><br/>The pork crackling was excellent, the rice portions are accurate. There was no grease or disgusting oil dripping off the pork, it was absolutely divine. The sweet chilli coconut milk chicken had such beautiful flavours. Every bite was savoured. I am looking forward to coming back here with the family. I had the leche flan or desert. Beautiful, simply beautiful. Staff are so friendly I can definitely see this restaurant on the big stage in the near future :) thank you for the loyalty card :)

I live overseas and come home to NZ every six months or so. Each time I come, I make sure I take the Eastern Train from Britomart to Glen Innes for my fix of Turo Turo. Each time I go, there is a new and delicious dish. This time I got stuck into the desserts... I tried the Egg Pie (YUM), Brazo de Mercedes (just like a pav without the crunch) and the Sans Rival with the meringue butter cream and cashews. I also had my all time faves - Beef Caldereta, chop suey and Adobo chicken, among others. It is a great place to bring the whole family, with a fun swing set and large open space outside to play. And the staff are just wonderful - they make you feel like you're part of the family! Salamat Turo Turo!

Chose to have lunch here when in Glen Innes because it looked authentically Filipino and very hygienic. Set in a square closed to traffic makes it quiet and private. I loved everything about it - the welcome, the service, the setting, and above all the food. The light crispy spring roll entree was lovely but the piece de resistance was the crispy pork. If you love pork crackling (and I do!) then this is a must try. I have never seen so much crackling on one plate. Heaven!! I'll be back.

Excellent service and the food was delicious. We enjoyed the crispy pata, a perfect dish for 2. We were served some lovely soup which was a nice palate cleanse before the main dish. I also liked the Puto or rice cakes (sweet and dense)and Lumpiang or spring roll (crispy with a flavorful filling).

Great location to take kids as can eat outside at tables and they can play outside in GI's main square and rock playground.<br/>Friendly and obliging service. Tasty dishes.

On my latest visit, I had beautiful, tender Chicken thigh fillets, in a very flavoursome coconut milk, with ginger and chilli. Spicy and delicious, it was just right for my tastes. The chicken was succulent and falling off the bone.<br/><br/>For dessert, I chose something called 'sans rival', which was like out-of-this-world amazing. Layers of desserty goodness mean it gets pretty rich by the last mouthful... but that first mouthful of sweetness was: oh my goodness ... I've also really enjoyed their purple yam cake and loved it.<br/><br/>I usually zip in for lunch on my way to grab some stuff at Nosh, which is just down the road, and parking's easy in the carpark beside McDonalds. The courtyard in central Glen Innes is surprisingly neat and tidy these days, so sometimes I'll sit at an outside table on a sunny day.<br/><br/>The first time I came to Turo-Turo was a couple of years ago, and I didn't have a great experience - I tried some empanadas, which were re-heated, and just not my style at all. But I'm happy that I returned to try other things, because these guys have really upped their game since then (I see no reheated empanadas on the menu now, phew!). All the mains seem to be freshly prepared.<br/><br/>There's a range of adventurous Filipino things on the menu that I'm still to check out. I'm loving having this place so near the Eastern Bays that's so unique, so I can surprise my tastebuds with new flavours.<br/>--<br/>PS: I've since been back to check out the intriguing icecream flavours. The purple yam icecream is SO good. The cheese, I had to try out of curiosity - and it was intriguing - my partner liked it! Also tried the beef burger patties in mushroom sauce - AWESOMEly delicious.

Friendly staff that suggests a Pinoy dish to diners, especially Kiwis or non-Filipinos. Great atmosphere and makes you feel you are back home in the Philippines. The food tastes very Pinoy! My favorite dishes are crispy pata, ube ice cream (which I order every time), sansrival, and Joyful chicken. Worth the trip!<br/><br/>I check them out ever so often.

We got a dinner there last month,its' in the town center of Glen Innes, very easy to park and find, we order Crispy Pata, Adobo, Chop Suey, all the price of dishes are around 15~20 bucks, a reasonable price to try something new.<br/><br/>Crispy Pata looks perfect, I especially like crispy pata, it is very tender, served with soy souse and garlic, it just make my day and worthy the visit. Adobo is Chicken, pork, or both, cooked in vinegar and soy sauce,very similar to chinese cooking. In the hot summer, the cafe only has fan not the air condition, so I think they need to improve this part. The service is good as the service stuff is very helpful, explain the menu for you nicely and recommend real good choice for us. Next time we would like to try the dessert.

The Philippines is a place of mystery to me, even for someone who grew up in Malaysia Borneo, which most people would consider an exotic locale. And no wonder; the NZ Filipino (colloquially know as KiwiPinos) community only numbers a mere 17,000 (2006 Census) spread across the main centres. Due to this, Filipino food, or Pinoy food as it is commonly known, is still a relatively undiscovered cuisine in this part of the world. <br/><br/>Turo-Turo Phillipine Café was started by best friends Charie and Mary-Jane in 2010 with the goal to bring authentic Pinoy food to homesick Filipinos and adventurous Kiwis. Turo-Turo is located in the main Glen Innes village, facing the community centre, with plenty of parking nearby just off Apirana Ave and a train station across the road. This is a great location if you have to eat with squirmy little people, as the adults can enjoy their meal while the kids gambol in the playground outside. <br/><br/>On the Saturday we were there, Charie was grilling some pork kebabs and isaw (pork intestines) on a rather unique-looking charcoal bbq. Charie explained that her secret is to scrub the intestines with lemongrass. These grilled kebabs are served with an onion-vinegar dressing. The pork kebabs were a great hit with the kiddies, and I enjoyed the isaw, which were rather tasty. <br/><br/>Turo-Turo’s menu includes the traditional Filipino –silogs dishes, - sort of mixed set meal which consists of a meat (beef – tapsilog, milkfish – bangsilog, pork – tocilog and sausage – longsilog) with garlic rice and a fried egg. However, I was here to feast on the crispy pata, which is a boiled, then deep-fried pork hock, served with sasawin dressing made from vinegar, soy sauce and chilli sauce. The crackling is absolutely scrumptious, and only the fact that I was sharing this dish stopped me from eating it all. The meat was tender, though it would have been even better if it were cooked a bit longer. <br/><br/>We also ordered a serving of chicken adobo, a famous Pinoy dish, cooked in sweet soy and vinegar. The kids also got some healthy mami , which is noodles and vegetables in a clear broth with meats, dumplings and a hard boiled egg.<br/><br/>What I had not realised was the wonderful range of Pinoy desserts. These hark to the Spanish influences, and are a delight. Biko is a traditional dessert made with glutinous rice with a caramelised topping. This was sticky, starchy and sweet, just delicious. I chose the sans rival, and it’s true to its name. The Filipino version of dacquoise is spectacular; layers of decadent butter cream sandwiched between the meringue wafers and cashews.<br/><br/>The kids chose the halo-halo deluxe. Halo is Tagalog for ‘mix’, and this is one psychedelic mixture! It consists of a mound of shaved ice drench with evaporated milk, with a veritable circus of ingredients including sweet kidney beans, coconut meat, green jelly, jackfruit, gulaman jelly and several others I could not identify. This was topped off with purple yam (ube) ice-cream, a slice of leche flan and a wafer stick. You mix it all up before eating. The kids loved it, and I was a believer after one taste. As a Malaysian, I am still loyal to ais kacang, but halo-halo certainly has its own appeal. <br/><br/>A huge thanks to Alyssa who took great care of us. She has such a sunny disposition and made us feel at home even with our big group, which included 5 restless, hungry kids.<br/><br/>Turo-Turo is a great addition to the melting pot of cuisines in Auckland. The food has familiar elements, yet is intriguingly different. I found the liberal addition of vinegar takes some getting used to, but I would happily chow my way through the crispy pata on a regular basis and I will definitely come back just for the stunning desserts.<br/><br/>http://easyfoodhacks.blogspot.in/2013/07/turo-turo-philippine-cafe-glen-innes.html#more

I love this place, especially the Lomi and purple ice cream!