Review: Fung Bar & Restaurant *CLOSED*

[Added 10 January 2013: I wondered if this place was just closed over the holidays, but it looks like it is well and truly closed.]

When we first came across Fung several months ago, we weren't too sure what to expect.  It had the same interior as its predecessor Jimmy Wong's, and while we'd never actually eaten there, we had the impression that it was expensive and maybe more Asian inspired than actually Asian.   Would this new restaurant be much the same?

Smart interior at Fung

The menu at the door had nothing obviously terrible.  Actually, it looked pretty interesting, especially that Special Menu which no longer seems to be available.  Although the main menu contained Chinese dishes that were more than I would normally want to pay for lunch, the lunch menu offered individual servings that were very reasonable.

We were tempted by the Crispy Pumpkin with Salty Buttered Yolk special, which at $14 must be the most expensive chips I have ever had.  I am glad we opted to try them, however, even though they cost nearly one and a half times the price of a lunch main, because we have not seen them offered again, and they were certainly unique and tasty.  I can't imagine how many Chinese salted eggs they would have needed to go through to make all the "breadcrumbs" for this dish.

Crispy Pumpkin with Salty Buttered Yolk

We also ordered off the lunch menu, and were suitably impressed by the taste, size and presentation of rice bowls, though we did have to send a bowl back because the vegetarian Ma-Poh Tofu came with mince.  A vegetarian replacement arrived quickly, however, so the incident did little to dent our opinion of the restaurant.

Ma-Poh Tofu on rice

The lunch bowls are great value and make delicious and balanced meals, but if you are prepared to splash out a little, there are more interesting items located in the many pages of the main menu.  It makes sense to get a group together to share these dishes, not just for the greater variety, but also because in true Asian style, nothing arrives at the same time.

Don't be afraid to assert yourselves either, because it's not unknown for the waiters to walk straight past you in the busy lunch hour unless you are waving your arms around.  Well, that just makes it more Asian, doesn't it?

Panda Recommends

There are so many dishes here to try!  You're on your own with this one, I'm afraid (their main/dinner menu is available for lunch also).  If there are no more than a couple of you, you probably want to stick to the individual servings from the lunch menu.  If you have a proper group, you could eat the Chinese way and order several dishes from the more extensive (and expensive) main menu to share, but this does feel pretty pricey for what you get.

[Added 17 May 2012: Apparently, the lunch bowls with the fresh vegetables (which were their main point of difference for me) aren't really there anymore.  You could probably do better elsewhere.]

Vegie Pandas
Vegetarian items are clearly marked on the menu, but some dishes are vegetarian without being marked, such as the Beancurd Leaf Rolls.  If ordering the Ma-Poh Tofu on rice, make sure you stress the fact that you want the vegetarian version, as there is also a version with mince.

Lunch Menu - page 1

Lunch Menu - page 2

Special Menu - we haven't seen this one for a while

Restaurant Details

Fung Bar & Restaurant
5B Lorne Street, Auckland Central
(09) 300 6381

Opening hours:
Wednesdays to Mondays 11am - 9pm
Tuesdays closed

Fung is on a bustling part of Lorne St, nestled between the fancy La Couronne Cake Boutique and the upmarket Korean BBQ restaurant Faro

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