Recently tried their spicy chicken wings, bibimbap, teriyaki chicken noodles along with the side dishes and I must say I absolutely adore it. I love Korean food and it was just off the hook. Chicken was spicy and crispy, noodles were great and the portion was nice. Even the bibimbap was awsome. Above all the ambience was very pleasing. I will definitely visit them again after the lockdown.
Have now been here several times and each visit has been fantastic. Service is super quick and friendly and they're open until late. The tofu stew is a favourite and their deep fried squid and scallops are great. The bulgogi has nice flavour and portions are all really good for really reasonable prices. The Korean fried chicken wings are alright, the cheese one was a bit underwhelming as it was just covered in barely melted shredded cheese but it was still alright. Banchan is also good. Will almost definitely be back in the future.
The foods are so fresh and high qualities. The staff is very friendly.
Best Korean place I've ever had in Auckland. Super authentic! Probably even better than those in Korea. My favorite is the crab soup. They use a whole crab instead of just some cheap frozen crab meat. The price is also very friendly compared to a lot of the places in town. Definitely recommended!!
We bought the Fried squid and seasoned spicy chicken.
Both tasted great. Soo much flavour. Perfect sauces and spices added.
Overall very happy 10/10
Had an enjoyable dinner with friends at Ah Saks. I ordered the Pork bone soup or Gamjatang. The portion was big with 3-4 large pork bones with slowly cooked meat on it. Pork was tender and falling off the bone. It was slightly tricky to find meat pieces though. Would have preferred the ribs rather than back bones. The broth was well seasoned and had a good flavour. I especially enjoyed the generous side dishes that came with the meal- seaweed, kimchi, deep fried fish and egg roll. They were delicious when paired with my main meal.
Had the kimchi pork noodle soup and pork bone noodle soup $17 each, including sides. Simple hearty delicious winter food. Good portion size relative to price. Friendly staff. Pleasant decor.
Great place to dine at. I ordered the Dolsot Bibimbap and Seasoned Spicy Chicken (half = 7 pieces?).
You can never go wrong with bibimbap so I don't have much to say about it. But the chicken was definitely the highlight of the night. The crispiness and balance of flavors was really nice. It wasn't spicy at all and the seasoning was just right. I've had it twice and both times were great. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone that's craving for some quality fried chicken.
We had a Korean Fried Chicken cravings so decided to come here for lunch. It's located on Upper Queen Street amongst the other food places there. They do have quite a range of different Koran food like soups, pancakes and noodles but we went just for fried chicken. We ordered 5 pieces of spicy and the seasoned spicy nibbles as well as half a plate of the spicy chicken thigh. We also had a plate of tobokki to share. The spicy isn't that spicy. The seasoned spicy had a nice flavour but I found it a bit too sour, it was almost like American hot wings. The chicken was nice and crispy. I quite liked the thigh since it was boneless so it was a lot easier to eat. The tobooki was quite liquidy but had a nice chicken flavour to it.
A really good place for Korean Fried Chicken.
Dora The Food Explorer
+4
Great service and actually quite like the ambience compared to some of the other restaurants along that stretch. ordered the Cheese fried chicken, tofu soup (we improvised by adding some kimchi into it), and fried dumplings. side dishes were also not bad. the batter for the chicken wasnt my favourite but still delicious with the melted cheese. Overall nice food and service, our server was very polite and even catered to our needs when we wanted to tailor our dish slightly.
Easily my favorite korean restaurant in Auckland! Their pork bone soup is to die for.☺️. I love their garlic fried chicken too. Would highly recommend this to anyone craving for authentic korean food.
Ah Ssak is a great restaurant that has authentic food and is open late. I always order the pork bone soup which is always filling and delicious.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
HEARTY. Usually it’s so hard to find good, authentic Korean food. However Auckland has been blessed with a true gem for korean cuisine - Ah Ssak. I’ve been recommended this place by my Korean friends and my goodness, it just tastes so homely and hearty.
My favourites are their pork bone soup and spicy beef soup. Their soups and stews are all made with a rich broth, infused with fresh vegetables that will easily sweep away the hardest hangovers (Fun Fact: Pork Bone Soup is commonly known as hangover soup in Korea since it cures hangovers so well). I would highly recommend this place to anyone who loves soups and stews. Now let me just warn you… their fried chicken is on another level. If you’ve never tried authentic Korean chicken then I’d say this is probably the closest experience you’ll ever have. In fact they’re so light, juicy, and crispy that they actually feel refreshing!
They have the friendliest staff and appear to be very hygienic. I noticed their waitress was even wiping down the backs and legs of all their chairs with a seperate cloth. Located in Upper Queens St.
It’s been a while that we visited Ah Ssak but we love Korean food from here. Worth the money and time you would spread to find parking around. Food is absolute yum and delicious. Ambience is alright.
Great tasting and authentic food!
Ordered the spicy beef soup, ginseng chicken soup, and bbq chicken.
Everything was tasty.
Would come back.
I had dinner with my family at this restaurant as usual. I had spicy chicken, pork bone soup, tofu soup and spicy rice cake. The chicken was crispy and meat was juicy. The soup and rice cake were so good. Love this place.
This is our go to Korean Restaurant around Queen Street. They offer one of the best fried chickens with an affordable price. Also the rest of their menu are superb! I love having their Ginseng Chicken and Pork Bone Soup on those chilly days and would definitely come back often!
They always serve the best food. All ingredient are fresh and the foods are so tasty. You can eat real korean style food in the restaurant. Love this restaurant.
Recently started dining here more often, Ah Ssak is one of the good Korean restaurants that are on this part of Queen Street. Three of us went in for dinner, we ordered 'Hoemuchim' which is spicy raw fish salad and a Medium sized 'Pork Bone soup' which comes out with 2 bowls of rice. The spicy raw fish salad comes out in a large portion, and has a slight sweet and sour taste but surprisingly more spicier than the soup. The soup is hearty and goes so well with the rice, it is the best Pork Bone soup I've ever had in NZ. The owner lady may not seem so but she is very nice and friendly. Great place for a casual Korean dinner!
Erin - Gold Code For 20% Off : CATH6386
+4
Another dinner take away (30/10) - nice place in the middle of the city, also good to hangout with friend.. nice food and drink, next time we plan to have drink in here..
This restaurant is famous for raw fish salad. I added noodles for that. I also ordered pork born soup. This one was large one. We were 6 pple :) chicken was yummy too. Tap beer was great:)
I really like the Hot & Spicy fried chicken with pepper sauce. If you like it spicy food then this is for you. Will definitely recommend this place and will go again for sure.
Yummy raw fish and pork bone soup just as good as I used to have here few years ago, I went last Saturday, the place is still the same owner and busy as it used to be. Welldone.
I've tried many Korean restaurant. But this is the best place to go. Garlic Chicken and Chilli Chicken was so crunchy, crispy and succulent. Ah Ssak's Korean Spicy Chicken is THE BEST.
One of the best Korean restaurant in town. I tried chicken and pork bone soup. Spicy chicken is so crispy and yummy. Also the soup was so nice. I've been this place so many times. Love this place
A friend took us there on the weekend, we had pork bone soup and fried chicken with garlic sauce. Their pork bone soup is my favorite out of all the korean restaurant I’ve visited! The soup (size M)comes with 6 pieces of big bones full of meat, and the flavor of the soup is absolutely delicious 😋 Their fried chicken is highly recommended! Crispy and Juicy ! Me and my friends were so satisfied eating fried chicken with 🍺Will definitely return soon to try other things on the menu.
We were on Upper Queen Street and wanted to have Korean. And guess what? Having so many Korean restaurants side-by-side didn't help as we were just spoilt for choice. We decided to go for the one with the most people inside... That's Ah Ssak.
Great service, good food.
Spicy Soup - delicious broth, could do with slightly more beef :)
BBQ Beef and BBQ Squid - yum, pretty standard Vs other Korean restaurants in terms of taste, but good thing is they are less oily
The garlic chicken is AMAZING. It's not crunchy fried chicken - but its certainly got a lot of flavour. Give it a go! If you're skeptical get the half size, guaranteed you'll want more.
Best place for literally THE BEST Korean fried chicken!! Only come here for their chicken. From their Soy, Garlic, Spicy range, all are crispy, juicy and tender. Been here about 5-6 times now and have never been dissapointed!
Yummy Korean food!! I tried 3 dishes last Friday. Staffs were all nice and friendly. I love their Korean food. I felt like I was in Korea. I hope to visit their soon.
Went here for dinner. It's a pleasant place with a simplistic design. The music played sometimes however I would suggest they keep the music on even if there's just a few customers to create better ambiance. I really liked the food. Lately I've been into bibimbap so I ordered the beef bibimbap. For $15 the price wasn't too bad I guess. I would suggest to add a bit more meat in it though otherwise it was good and very flavourful along with the sauce. The service was fine. The lady is polite and understanding. Food came out in 5-10 minutes I think. I would suggest for the lady to smile more I guess - something to possibly improve on but she was still kind anyway.
Overall, ambiance and service can be improved. Still a nice little place to hang out and chat for small groups, friends and/or couples.
The best pork bone soup 😋. Definitely recommended if you are a soup lover and they have the best side dishes (free refill as well). Great customer service and waitress was so friendly. My favourite Korean restaurant so far.
The first time I went I tried their pork bone soup and spicy chicken. I love their pork bone soup! The spicy chicken was very tasty too! Service was good. The second time I had their fish roe soup and original chicken. The chicken was very bland, although it was still very crunchy on the outside and moist inside. The fish roe soup was also average. One thing I have noticed, not just with this restaurant, is they only give you one piece of thin serviette, although you can ask for more it is still inconvenient at times. My husband has been there several times and highly recommends the spicy chicken over the others. My friend also like it how they open till very late at 3am. I will definitely go back for my pork bone soup and spicy chicken cravings!!
What I like here is free side dishes and their service. Staff members are friendly and nice. I really like their pork bone soup that comes with rice. So you can get 4 side dishes and your main meal for around $15. Moreover, you can ask to refill your side dishes for free!
My girl friend really like their food. I think their side dishes is best I have tried so far flavour wise. However, I only have tried around 10 Korean restaurants in Auckland
Customer Service: 6/10
Food: 7/10
Side Dish: 8/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
Date: August 2017
The best Korean restaurant I have been to in CBD so far.
Ambience is a little dim, making it a comfortable place to enjoy friends company without feeling in the spoplight.
Food is amazing. I recommend spicy fried chicken and fried flounder.
Service is great. Never had an issue.
Also Ah Ssak is open really late, so it's a good choice for a late night dinner!
I had pork bone soup, spicy fried chicken and spicy raw fish. You definitely need to try it. It was so good. This is my best Korean restaurant.
Yum this place is really nice :) a bit busy even on a Tuesday night. I loved the BBQ pork with cheese, cheese just seriously adds another great texture to it. So delish with rice. Super soft pork and tender onions. Also had a bowl of pork bone soup but was not fully enamoured (though my partner loved it) my main gripe was that for $17 I thought it might have something more than a few scattered bits of onion and cabbage with the pork bones. Pork was nice but it was mostly bone and not quite as melt in your mouth as I'd imagined (I was still very full though because the liquid is rich and delcious). Overall great flavour but not quite enough extra chunky bits. Side dishes were unusual and delicious - silky egg, bean like vege and peanuts and two kimchis both great. Free refills!!! Which are becoming a rarity in the city. Waitress was super friendly and accommodating to everyone which was nice to see :) I'm excited to come back and try the spicy sashimi dish everyone mentioned.
If you are a pork bone soup lover, you definitely need to try their pork bone soup! Heavenly good 👍🏻 MY ALL TIME favourite ☺️🍴 📍AhSsak Korean restaurant, upper queen street #aucklandeats #annieeats_
Their Cheese Chicken was so good!! I personally wasn't a big fan of their rice cakes but that's probably because I'm not a huge fan of rice cakes in general. However the noodles that came with the rice cakes was very nice!! It had the right amount of chicken flavouring and the spiceyness was not too extreme. Customer service was alright- not bad, not extremely good.
Pork bone soup is their signature dish and it's sincerely good. The soup is really tasty and with big chunks of meat in it, so tender so gooood😋😋
I've been wanting to try out this place for awhile now since they are well known for their Korean fried chickens and beer.
We were impressed with the wide range of selections on the menu, and the option to add cheese to most dishes (although for $2-$3 we wish they added more cheese).
The side dishes were delightful, their kimchi were actually spicy and authentic, we ordered lots of refills!
The spicy rice cake was generous in serving size, though the sauce was not as spicy as I would have liked.
Rest of the dishes were on point. Everyone enjoyed the cheese fried chicken which was perfectly crispy. The favourite of the day was the BBQ pork with cheese, which had this thick sweet BBQ sauce which has a slightly kick to it, very appetizing.
Would definitely be happy to visit again. The perfect spot for takeaway or late night supper with friends!
My favorite Korean restaurant in town. Reasonable price, good portion and it tastes sensational. Must try their BBQ squid and pork bone soup :)
Came in here for dinner and ordered the cheese chicken dish and the stir fried squid. The side dishes consisted of egg, kimchi and sliced cocktail sausages. The staff were friendly and nice when we came in. Our cheese chicken dish was quite cheesy and nice, and the stir fried squid wasn't that spicy either. Although a bit pricier compared to other Korean restaurants, the food was spot on and the service was spot on.
Nice spiced fried chicken! The best I've ever had in AKL.
The service is great, too. It has been my usual spot for lunch&dinner for long. Recommend to all!!!
Been here many times with my Korean friend. We always order the fresh raw fish with the spicy sauce. It's like a sashimi salad with raw salmon and white fish. Well worth it as the dish is huge and the they are so generous with the fish! We always share it between the three of us. I've also tried their spicy chicken and garlic chicken. If you've never tried Korean chicken before you are missing out on the best chicken ever, even KFC is nothing is comparison to Korean fried chicken!😊👍👍 Their chicken is packed full of flavour and even better it's not oily unlike the typical fried chicken.
For the drinks they serve soju, sake and beers. We often either order soju or byo wine. Prices of the food is very reasonable. Service is fast.
Fantastic Service.
The menu didn't look exciting at all but when the food arrived it looked really good and every dish was delicious.
Would definitely go back again!!
Haven't been back in awhile just because Upper Queen St is such an inconvenience to walk to since its so steep. But went here ages ago because I was craving chicken soup, also ordered beef bbq and a bowl of rice. The broth was very satisfying. Korean BBQ is probably my favourite comfort food and I've been planning to go back for awhile now
I came here late on a Saturday night and the food was excellent. I see that everyone below is banging on about the fried chicken - and indeed it is good, but the udon noodles, dumplings and soups are also flavoursome and hard to fault.
The Korean sides we had too were also good - egg with pea and the fried fish being the highlights.
Nice ambience. Owner seems to understand very little English so just stick to basic questions if you have to.
Ordered the spicy bbq pork and we shared some fried chicken. Eaten here a few times before, the food always comes out quickly and always tastes fresh. Enjoyed my spicy pork.
Fried chicken is always good, super crispy and juicy, it's Korean style, so different to what you might expect.
Ah ssak is one of the nicer eats on the upper Queen st strip.
Ah Ssak was my first experience eating korean fried chicken. As a whole it was an interesting experience as the batter was completely different to western fried chicken that I'm used to. However it tasted good and flavourful. The chicken was tender and the skin was super crispy.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Tried some of their fried chicken after hearing good things, and it didn't disappoint. We ordered half spicy fried chicken and half tebsaki fried chicken to takeaway, however on getting home we realised we'd received half original fried instead of the tebsaki. We ordered over the phone and thought communication had been clear, but just be wary, there can be a slight language barrier. Probably safer ordering in person if you can avoid a phone order. We were excited to try the tebsaki but no biggie as the plain was tasty too.
The chicken was super crispy without being oily. We both agree the plain could have done with some sauce, and the spicy could have done with less sauce. Next time, we'll get the plain, with the sauce on the side for dipping. Perfect ratios!
The order also came with a little side salad which was a nice surprise as it was unexpected, but a nice refreshment to the heavy chicken.
Not sure yet if I think it's the best fried chicken in the CBD - but it's quality and I won't hesitate to order it again.
Decent prices and cosy atmosphere (compared to some of the others in the same row on Queen St). Nice for a cheap dinner with a bit of atmosphere.
Went on a saturday night for an early-ish dinner. It's located on upper Queen St (about 3/4 up the hill before K Road). The food was well priced for an Auckland eatery. We had the bbq chicken w/rice and a fish katsu type dish. Both were delicious. The katsu was huge. Two large pieces of fish with salad and rice. The crumb was thin and crispy,even with sauce on the top. A great deal. I'm unsure of what is usual with the korean side dishes, but they weren't refillable and they weren't offered for all dishes on the menu either.
Best fried chicken ive had in Auckland! Relatively cheap and friendly staff. With my order i got a range of sides which came with the meal inc various types of kimchi, rices etc. Would recommend going with friends and getting a half chicken worth of each type of fried chicken
A relaxed little Korean place where you can have a few beers or soju with spicy raw fish or any one of their spicy stews.
My favourite here is the pork bone soup and I have it all the time.
I have a big liking for korean fried chicken however this place does not quite deliver. Its too soggy and oily; even with the spicy sauce coating the chicken should be crispy underneath.
Service can be a bit hit and miss but overall good.
During the nights fri sat can be a place that sounds like a drunken shouting match but its kind of what you get with a korean drink/eatery.
Amazing korean food, almost every dish is great, very good value for money, fast service, waitress always with a smile and best of all open till very late at night
Excellent value and authentic flavours and atmosphere. Open really late so very convenient for an evening out and about. Staff are attentive and friendly.
Chin And Prony Powichitkul
+4
Come here purely for the chicken wings!
Love the spicy wings, normal fried chicken is good too.
The side dishes are amazing, best kimchi I've had from any Korean restaurants. Soups are okay. Salad portions are huge!
Really wide range of drinks as well as alcohol which is always a good thing.
Service is friendly and polite although it can sometimes be slow as they seem to have only one waiter and the restaurant is really busy.
Nice set up and decor, great ambiance!
Best of all, opens til late! Good for night owls like me to grab a midnight supper!
Really great food! The atmosphere and inside of the place was really nice. The service was pretty good too although she seemed kinda annoyed at times. I ordered a vegan bibimbap without beef and egg, however there was a bit of a language barrier so I did get served the meal with meat and egg, however she did apologise and removed the meat and egg, and it was a bit of a fault on my side, but it was still a bit of a bummer. If you are ordering vegetarian/vegan, definitely make sure your request is getting across to her. Overall, this place is still great, and I recommend it!
Best korean restaurant in Auckland cbd. Great side dishes and very friendly staff. I always feel welcome and their food never disappoint me.
One of my local favorites on a strip of nearly identical Korean spots, mainly due to the name (Ah Ssak!) and their spicy fried chicken, which I've been eating for years. Decent service (although the owner woman often seems pretty depressed), good sides and open late. $5 beers are good too.
Love this place, one of my favourite korean places. Spicy raw fish salad previously recommended by another user was super tasty (and spicy) and comes in a huge serving. The korean fried chicken (comes in nibbles i.e. wing drummettes and flats) is perfectly seasoned, deep fried and rolled in some rediculously good spicy sauce. Their side dishes are always good. Not a lot of drink options though.
By far my favourite Korean restaurant, I usually come once a week! The BBQ chicken and BBQ beef is my all time favourite.the staff are amazing and very friendly and accommodating. Very yummy food at a great price.
Love this place..best Korean food we have been coming here for over 3 years and have never been dissappointed I have to disagree with previous comment we find the staff and owners very friendly and kind always greet us warmly and always see us out at the end of our meal ..The food is YUM and well priced I highly recommend
i love the fish and chips, it is very very YUMMY, you get always water and its cosy. staff,boss could be a bit more friendly but as long as i get my fish and chips there i am happy :D its very cheap and huge . happy that i found this place
Not just another Korean food joint. Quaint clean little restaurant with some unique Korean dishes we haven't seen elsewhere. We loved the Fresh Raw Fish with Spicy Sauce (basically Spicy Fish Carpaccio Salad) highlighted in blue in the menu. Not sure what the Korean is to add in this salad for $7 tho. I also enjoyed my stir-fried squid meal, it wasn't spicy but in a red sauce with really tender squid! The Korean lady is quite friendly but spoke very softly and not very good English - for example when you order she will probably ask you if you are ok with the spiciness and/or how spicy you wanted (eg for the fish salad). Not too much drink choices here tho. Other table ordered the bone soup and smelt amazing!
A cheap and cheerful restaurant to indulge in Korean food and liquor. Come as a group and try the fresh raw fish with vinegared vegetables and red pepper paste: it is a refreshing alternative to the somewhat heavy hotpots and BBQ options you’re used to. Wash it down with a soju and yoghurt cocktail. For a full review and dish recommendations go to http://cheapeats.co.nz/ah-ssak/
Good hearty Korean food - the lady serving us had a ‘mom’ vibe, you feel like you are in her front room and she is looking after you in a caring yet understated, quiet way. The little extras that come with the food are really great - them gooey chewy potatoes! The atmosphere is noisy, cluttered and not at all chic, but for a quick, warming meal this is the spot. Most dishes have heavy sauces, fatty meats and deep fried fare, but it’s good old comfort food. The service can be VERY slow, but the family vibes make up for it.
If you are looking for a place which closes late night, this place is the one! There are lots of options and the food is amazing!
I had a fantastic experience!! The staff were friendly, the atmosphere was cozy, and the food was amazing. Highly recommend trying the bibimbap and kimchi fried rice. Fresh ingredients and generous portions made it a great dining choice for sharing with friends or family. Can't wait to come back
Beautiful food and restaurant run by a wonderful mum. Side dishes is very VERY good!
Our family favourite Korean restaurant on Upper Queen Street. Been here many times for a long time, and always enjoyed the range of authentic and delicious Korean food. The food never disappoints, even our kids have their own favourites to order from. Side dishes to complement and must try their Korean Kimchi 👍 We will be back
I absolutely love the side dishes here, delicious! I got the seafood soup, it was pretty good. One of my favorite Korean places to eat late at night, but sometimes it closes early for no reason.
Love the fried spicy squid~~ and BBQ pork are well marinated and flavored.
Would love to come back try more dishes,
my new favorite place. ❤
We had a Korean Fried Chicken cravings so decided to come here for lunch. It's located on Upper Queen Street amongst the other food places there. They do have quite a range of different Koran food like soups, pancakes and noodles but we went just for fried chicken. We ordered 5 pieces of spicy and the seasoned spicy nibbles as well as half a plate of the spicy chicken thigh. We also had a plate of tobokki to share. The spicy isn't that spicy. The seasoned spicy had a nice flavour but I found it a bit too sour, it was almost like American hot wings. The chicken was nice and crispy. I quite liked the thigh since it was boneless so it was a lot easier to eat. The tobooki was quite liquidy but had a nice chicken flavour to it.
A really good place for Korean Fried Chicken.
One of the best Korean restaurants ever!! Delicious food. Highly recommend and am definitely coming back again!
Yum! Had the spring rolls, pork katsu donburi (it had a more Korean name!), Spicy beef noodle soup (mild) and teriyaki chicken noodles (which were a bit too sloppy and sweet). Food came speedily. Went with kids so didn't get more typical Korean dishes... Good value Asahi on tap. Also had a grapefruit shoju. A nice vibe and decor. Will be back!
We always came to have Korean BBQ 10 years ago. The price and quality has not change at all. Food is tasty and services is great ! Still enjoy the tasty pork bone soup and BBQ pork. The dish is lovely and great !
•One of the best Korean Restaurant I’ve ever tried so far
•Delicious and super yum food
•Tastes so good that it never disappoints
•Been going there from almost 4 years now and that’s mine and my partner’s favourite restaurant in the Auckland CBD on Upper Queen St
•The lady owner of the restaurant is warm welcoming and super friendly
•Here are some of my favourite dishes, must try
Spicy Chicken
Cheese Chicken with Rice
Honey Thigh Chicken
Kimchi Soup with side dishes
Pork Bone Soup
Fried Cheese Chicken
Fish Pancakes
Teriyaki Noodles
•They also do hotpot
•Car parking is on both left and right side based streets
•Open late until 2 AM
“ Strongly Recommended “
Michael Jerome de Loyola
+4
Food was great. Good service. Fried chicken was not that crunchy though, maybe because of the sauce that caused it. Other than that, food was great.
4/5 food (homey Korean food)
3.5/5 service (short staff hence longer wait)
Overall recommended to try out Korean food.
The best Korean fried chickens I ever had! Crunchy outside and moist inside. Their fish roe soup has three sizes, small, medium and large; and full of fish roes in our small sizes. Services are good too 👍
Food is good but not really something that would blow your mind
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes