Cheap Eats Auckland CBD: Japanese Curry and Pancakes
My previously regarded cheapness, coupled with a desire to continue content on my blog has given birth to The Student's Guide to Even Cheaper Eats, in which I endeavour to satisfy my tastebuds and stomach during my schooling years in Auckland CBD with a meal on no more than $5 a week.
Evidently, about four months since returning home from Japan, my sister and I had a sort of nostalgic desire to return to the country to eat the food, to be in the country itself and relive the excitement of visiting a place we had, for years, desired to go to. However, it's obviously not as easy as purchasing a ticket and taking a long weekend off to eat the food, so we picked the next best option of a true Japanese-run fast food-style Japanese eatery: Japan Dining You.
Japan Dining You, sells predominantly Japanese-style curry, along with donburi bowls for those who feel like more substantial dishes, and a variety of sides to add on top such as mini spring rolls, potato croquettes, and breaded meat for extra protein. Though the layout of this small eatery is more of a typical Western-style restaurant of a service counter and benches for eating, it's still a very in-and-out method of Japanese fast food: everything is cooked and prepared, ordering and paying at the counter. Cutlery, serviettes, and water are provided at a side bar, and the dishes are returned to the counter by the customers themselves, increasing efficiency.
My sister and I decided to share a large portion of creamy chicken curry at only $6, and to share a karepan (curry bread), which I had so sorely missed. The portion, as expected, was very decent for such a price in the city.
The curry was also good, tasting somewhat like a creamy tomato pasta sauce, or a strange variation of Westernised Indian butter chicken. It was flavourful, but due to its creaminess became quite heavy, making it a good choice to have shared the curry between the two of us.
The meal, due to have been comprised mostly of rice and sauce, has very little nutritional content, but makes it good for a quick, hearty meal at a low price. With possible additions of vegetables and other toppings, it makes it a good place for a meal on a budget, thus placing its rating at 19/23.
My sister and I had spent, at Japan Dining You, spent a record-low $8 on a meal for two, but we weren't finished yet. Making another stop outside Auckland library, we visited Serious Hippo Wheelcake, a food-trailer selling Japanese-style pancakes called goza-soroh (or imagawayaki, or ohban-yaki, none of which I know the difference), not dissimilar to the ones I had in Himeji station in Japan on Day 7. Very simply put by a girl checking out the trailer I'd overheard, goza-soroh are "two things with stuff between them".
At $2 apiece, I wasn't expecting too much from it. We ordered a red bean wheelcake to keep with the Japanese theme, and after a few minutes were handed a steaming-hot pancake that was surprisingly heavy despite a small size of 7cm in diameter. This was devoured quickly: hot, sweet, and stuffed with a huge serving of red bean paste, it hit the spot for sweets. However, I wasn't satisfied. Without having finished the first one, I ordered another chocolate wheelcake, which was again served piping hot.
The chocolate wheelcake wasn't as good as anticipated. The filling tasted like chocolate syrup, but still sweet, gooey, and hot, it made for a good, sweet end to a meal, and at a relatively decent price for something so heavy I rate it also 19/23.
Evidently, about four months since returning home from Japan, my sister and I had a sort of nostalgic desire to return to the country to eat the food, to be in the country itself and relive the excitement of visiting a place we had, for years, desired to go to. However, it's obviously not as easy as purchasing a ticket and taking a long weekend off to eat the food, so we picked the next best option of a true Japanese-run fast food-style Japanese eatery: Japan Dining You.
Japan Dining You, sells predominantly Japanese-style curry, along with donburi bowls for those who feel like more substantial dishes, and a variety of sides to add on top such as mini spring rolls, potato croquettes, and breaded meat for extra protein. Though the layout of this small eatery is more of a typical Western-style restaurant of a service counter and benches for eating, it's still a very in-and-out method of Japanese fast food: everything is cooked and prepared, ordering and paying at the counter. Cutlery, serviettes, and water are provided at a side bar, and the dishes are returned to the counter by the customers themselves, increasing efficiency.
My sister and I decided to share a large portion of creamy chicken curry at only $6, and to share a karepan (curry bread), which I had so sorely missed. The portion, as expected, was very decent for such a price in the city.
The bun, we were told, had a filling of garlic beef curry, which we were very keen to try. It was, however, spicier than anticipated, even recollecting the meal making me salivate due to the idea of such a sharp kick. Though certainly not as good as the curry breads in Japan, it was still enjoyable, with a crispy exterior, chewy bread, and a good, if spicy, curry flavour inside.
The curry was also good, tasting somewhat like a creamy tomato pasta sauce, or a strange variation of Westernised Indian butter chicken. It was flavourful, but due to its creaminess became quite heavy, making it a good choice to have shared the curry between the two of us.
The meal, due to have been comprised mostly of rice and sauce, has very little nutritional content, but makes it good for a quick, hearty meal at a low price. With possible additions of vegetables and other toppings, it makes it a good place for a meal on a budget, thus placing its rating at 19/23.
My sister and I had spent, at Japan Dining You, spent a record-low $8 on a meal for two, but we weren't finished yet. Making another stop outside Auckland library, we visited Serious Hippo Wheelcake, a food-trailer selling Japanese-style pancakes called goza-soroh (or imagawayaki, or ohban-yaki, none of which I know the difference), not dissimilar to the ones I had in Himeji station in Japan on Day 7. Very simply put by a girl checking out the trailer I'd overheard, goza-soroh are "two things with stuff between them".
At $2 apiece, I wasn't expecting too much from it. We ordered a red bean wheelcake to keep with the Japanese theme, and after a few minutes were handed a steaming-hot pancake that was surprisingly heavy despite a small size of 7cm in diameter. This was devoured quickly: hot, sweet, and stuffed with a huge serving of red bean paste, it hit the spot for sweets. However, I wasn't satisfied. Without having finished the first one, I ordered another chocolate wheelcake, which was again served piping hot.
The chocolate wheelcake wasn't as good as anticipated. The filling tasted like chocolate syrup, but still sweet, gooey, and hot, it made for a good, sweet end to a meal, and at a relatively decent price for something so heavy I rate it also 19/23.
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