New Zealand Herald

Reviews for Wooden Board Kitchen

by Nicol A.
5th February 2013

This business is a MenuMania SponsorOne of the Business' Favourite Reviews

WOW, I was speechless… Had an AMAZING meal and was pleasantly surprised on Sunday!

This is a real little gem in the heart of Auckland CBD. Only open for 2.5 months and what outstanding food and service. There is no doubt in my mind that once the word spreads about this place its going to be very sort after.

If you are after well presented, flavorsome, balanced dishes…this is it! The atmosphere is also very laid back with a real minimalistic look, so don’t judge a book by its cover! Dishes well priced and especially for the kind of food you receive! The scollops, portabello mushrooms and spicy tempura cailuflower entrees were all very nice. The Fish, lamb and chicken mains were also very tasty.

Do yourselves a favour and go get a slice of this heaven…you wont regret it!

by lucy
4th May 2013

Amazing food at amazing prices. We went after reading the other reviews on this site and we will be new regular customers. Food is so tasty and a lot of thought has gone into the food, presentation and flavours. The food is simple but delicious. I also signed up to this site just to review this restaurant as I really want to see it do well.

by EeLaine Y.
5th April 2013

My first impression of this restaurant was that it was nicely decorated, but when we were seated and I had a look around properly, it actually seemed like the interior design was a bit confused. In some ways the theme seemed to be rustic, with wooden tables and tiled floors etc; but then many of the decorations were Middle Eastern themed- and nothing on the menu reflected the Middle Eastern decor! So that was weird.

As for the food, we didn’t have to wait too long, about half an hour which was acceptable. Our waiter was pleasant/polite and told us the specials, asked how our meal was going etc without being intrusive. My friends said all their meals were tasty, and they certainly looked appetizing, particularly the beef burger which came with perfectly cooked chips.

As for my meal, I had the daily soup (French onion) with ciabatta bread and seasoned vegetables. Soup was…average at best. I know restaurants don’t make soup fresh from scratch every order but the soup felt like it had been either insufficiently (it wasn’t even steaming) or had been sitting out too long. The seasoned vegetables…what a tiny portion. About 6 green beans and 3 baby carrot halves for $5- I would not recommend this purchase at all! To top it off, a “dressing” of what tasted like plain oil(an entire tablespoon of it just sitting in the bottom of the dish so the vegetables swim in it, how lovely) and -even worse- a garlic skin sitting on top?!Why does food like this leave the kitchen?

All in all, average to below average meal for me personally, and only the praise of my friends for their dishes saves this review from a poor rating. Would only dine here again if somebody else paid.

by Dee
6th February 2013

Spotted this place on MenuMania when looking for a BYO in the city (there aren’t many and most are Thai or Italian). Booked on the strength of all the positive reviews and can now add my own! Talk about great value – both their so-called ‘stingy’ and ‘generous’ plates are large and reasonably priced. All can be individual entrees and mains or as easily shared ‘tapas’ style. Our group tried a wide variety of the menu and everyone’s verdict was the same – delicious and filling. The decor is pleasant with a mix of small tables, and long tables with benches hence the name Some of the food is also served on little wooden boards. The waitress was friendly and attentive despite it being quite busy. It was no problem to pay the bill separately too. The only suggestion I can make is to get some champagne flutes for BYO bubbly, because this wee gem is perfect for celebrations, whether couples, friends, family, small or large groups. Thanks for a great night Wooden Board Kitchen

by morningdew
4th February 2013

This place is great! Ate here while on holiday mid Jan, the food is great (they make their own pasta!) we tried the steak, chicken and pasta and would recommend the chicken dish although they were all nice and huge portions. We also tried chicken, squid, fishcakes and Stuffed Portobello for starters, the chicken was great as were the homemade fishcakes but again, couldn’t fault a thing, however – we were seated outside where a man (I think he lived above) was cleaning the path with a hose with NO respect for paying customers, the water then overflowed onto the tiles making them slippery and hazardous which is why ive only given 4 stars. The waitress did see him doing this and I thought she would have talked to him but she didn’t.

by leannex
25th January 2013

I tend to write reviews when I am either very impressed or very disappointed and I was definitely very happy with my experience at this restaurant. We sat outside, which was lovely on hot summer’s night and interesting watching all the passerbys! The service was friendly and very efficient, but best of all, the food was excellent. We had pan-seared scallops ($8) and chargrilled chicken skewers ($6) to start – both excellent and then both had the market fish ($22) for mains. The fish was snapper and we both received a generous serving that was super-fresh and cooked to perfection, crispy skinned with moist flaking flesh -absolutely divine and loved the parsnip puree and pickled fennel, cucumber and watercress salsa. Although we really didn’t need it, we did have dessert each (Chocolate Brownie and Apple Crumble with Kapiti Icecream and both were also delicious). Another plus is that this restaurant is BYO! Can’t wait to go back and sample more!

by Julia P.
20th January 2013

A real gem at very reasonable prices. With no starter over 410 nor main over $20 this was outstanding value Our fishcakes and scallop entrees were divine. Our main courses of lamb shoulder and snapper were although a little on the small side fabulous. Saying that however we had no room for desserts

Well done Wooden Board we hope your seasonal well cooked meals will be well supported. You certainly deserve it!

by Juanita M.
19th January 2013

Considering all the five star reviews this place has had, I was quite disappointed. The service was average at best, with our meals coming out at different times. The waitress might have been new, given her service levels, but she was the only one on. The food was tasty with a few exceptions (like the onion rings which were deep fried onion skin), but portions were small, even for the relatively cheap prices. They have a bit of work to do in my opinion!

by Fiona T.
18th January 2013

Feel like this is one of those ” little gems” the service great and attentive but unobtrusive. The food was outstanding and the prices were excellent. Fantastic for those group occasions when people have varying means but also lovely for romantic evening for two which is what I enjoyed on my visit.

by Anne.H
15th January 2013

This is my second time here and as usual the food was great! Great food + Great service + Great company = Fantastic Night, I would highly recommend this place to everyone, the food is cheap but not the quality, will be coming back again with friends so they can enjoy good food at an affordable price.

by Arna B.
11th January 2013

We came by due to reading these other great reviews. Definitely not disappointed! Very much enjoyed the music, service and mostly the food. Only had room for the veg buckets, squid, mushrooms, scallops, cauliflower and chicken skewers, will come again due to not having a big enough belly!!

by Elaine S.
7th January 2013

I was elated when Wooden Board moved in practically next door to me–finally, a nice place near K Rd and Queen. My only hopes were that a) it would be decent food, and b) it would stick around for a while.

I was a bit nervous the first time I suggested Wooden Board when with a work colleague, having never tried it out, but it worked out very well–the atmosphere, service, and food were divine! I’ve been back many times since, both alone and with friends or work colleagues I want to impress.

I pass Wooden Board on my way to and from work, and go on a run every night past it, and I’ve noticed that it is getting more and more popular. I’m happy that a local restaurant is getting the attention it deserves! It is a great option in the midst of all the lower-quality fast food places near K Rd. Finally–an affordable, higher-end option to take visitors, or for takeaway when I’m too tired to cook after work. The curries were getting old for both me and my friends!

by Charlotte B.
4th January 2013

We only had one night in Auckland so I wanted to make sure we went to the best possible place without breaking the bank. After reading the reviews I chose the Wooden board. Although its at the top end of Queen street, it was only a 50cent bus ride to get there then a pleasant stroll back down Queen street. The food was absolutely delicious – way nicer than restaurants i have been to that charge twice the price. Its not a flash part of Auckland but if you care more about food than a 5 star dining experience then I highly recommend the place.

by Natalie M.
2nd January 2013

Friends and I dined here twice during our stay in Auckland. Such an awesome little find that we will miss very much! Between us, we ordered the vegetable buckets, chicken skewers, squid, steak and lamb. All meals were fresh and delicious – absolutely no complaints! We were beyond impressed with the food, service, and prices. Highly recommended!

by Myrna R.
21st December 2012

Last Thursday was our third visit to Wooden Board Kitchen..the food was always hot and tasty, friendly staff with excellent customer service and the most important thing is the price..really affordable!for sure will come back again..Highly recommended!

by Yvonne C.
17th December 2012

Excellent food. I came here with 3 friends and all four of us were really impressed with each of our meals. The variety of the menu was great and theres definately something on there to suit a wide range of people. The service was great and we didnt have to wait long for our food to come out. Everything was cooked to perfection and its definately value for money. Would return again and will do soon.

by Bernie A.
16th December 2012

We visited this restaurant twice on our five day stay to Auckland because we found the food was fresh, tasty and modern. The chef was very friendly with a great knowledge of good food. Highly recommended!

by Rui H.
23rd November 2012

Fantastic! Just had lunch there today ~ Herb chicken salad is devine! I’ve been 3 times now, and have been delighted every time. Great varied menu, with so much of what I like! Thanks again guys

by Cameron K.
23rd November 2012

Just had lunch at Wooden Board Kitchen as I’d had it recommended to me. It exceeded my expectations, great food and great value for money! I had the Pork sandwich.
I’ll have to make this a regular and would definitely recommend!

by Rebecca
14th November 2012

I can see I’m not the only one who only signed up to the site in order to rate these guys Came in with a group of student friends for a BYO the night before Coldplay – on a pretty tight budget as you can imagine! We were really really pleased with the quality of the meals and service for the price that we paid! Great atmosphere, convenient location, awesome food, staff, everything! (Stoked with the cheap as corkage too, by the way. I think it was just $3? Cheers!) Thank you very much for a lovely meal, as I promised one of the chefs, will be sure to tag you guys in the photos once they’re up on Facebook.

by Matthew N.
11th November 2012

Just like the guy below, I signed up to rate this place too.

It’s a fantastic new restaurant that deserves to be known. Been there 3 times for dinner now and taking my dad for his birthday in a couple of weeks. Great food, ridiculously low prices, lovely staff. The chicken mushroom and mash is my favorite. Bottom line… try it!!

by Joy D.
31st October 2012

Amazing food, so good!! We enjoyed the pork dish which was very tasty, and had it with some nice Red wine. Fresh and will definitely be coming back.

by Maksim M.
31st October 2012

I have been here 4 times now, tried different dishes each time (chicken, squid, beef, pork, and tagliatelle pasta). Very fresh, delicious and healthy dishes! Keep the good work up, will definitely be back here again…also, very friendly and helpful staff!
Well done!!

by Aaron C.
31st October 2012

You know a place is good when you join up to a website just to rate it! Came here with my partner within the first week of it opening as it is right next to her apartment. What a stroke of luck as it was amazing and will be making it the local!

I could tell the owner/chef’s have a lot of commitment into making dining experience unique. After talking with him at the end of the meal he was noticeably upset that the waitress forgot to read us his special for the evening as he had put a lot of effort into crafting it. Not to worry though as the plates we did order were fantastic. Ended up costing $35 for two people so very very affordable for the quality.

All up the food, service, and prices were 5-star. Also gave a nice complementary tempura vege snacks while deciding on what to order. Show this place some love its definitely worth it!

by Sudhir
25th October 2012

I had the veg pasta and the garlic bread. Great food. Great location and very friendly staff. And to top it all of, it was reasonably priced. As the terminator would say… I’ll be back. Do hope you can serve alcohol next time I come around.

by Carlos
19th October 2012

I just had lunch at this place and loved it. For a lousy $10 I got a huge tasty chicken, plenty of avocado,tomato and relish in turkish bread sandwich. The rest of the menu looks delish and prices are so low!!! will try work my way through the menu for the rest of this year (:
and the chef is also very helpful….amazing food, great value, will take workmates next time!

by Mayur K.
13th October 2012

Amazing food! One of the best places I have eaten in Auckland! This is a great warm place with customer service to match! the food is of such high quality you think you were in a European Michelin star restaurant!

Comment from Anto R. of Wooden Board Kitchen 14/10/2012    Hide »

Hi there, We are glad that you had a good experience at our…    More »

Hi there,

We are glad that you had a good experience at our restaurant! Please say hi when you come back next time!

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