Craccum’s Zomato Gold Reviews
The restaurant scene in Auckland is heating up with the recent introduction of Zomato Gold. With the purchase of a long-term subscription, users are able to enjoy a plethora of highly rated dining locations with a member-exclusive buy-one-get-one-free food deal.
With an annual subscription costing only $80 (use my referral code BRIA4680 for a 10% discount!), and no limit on annual unlocks, I’d highly recommend Zomato Gold if you’re a fan of dining out. Having only subscribed to the service two weeks ago, I’ve already had the opportunity to save at various restaurants across the city.
Anyways, when I was given the opportunity to channel my inner Zomato reviewer for this article, there was no way I could possibly say no. So, here’s a taster into some of the locations you can expect to save with your Zomato Gold subscription!
The Botanist
8/10 – CBD, Auckland. Café at the City Works Depot.
A cozy café within a floral store setting, the Botanist at the City Works Depot is an ideal lunch destination for two with Zomato Gold.
A burger at the café is usually $25 on the menu, which is more than enough to price out the average student. However, this would mean being priced out of treated to the absolute works. With Zomato Gold, that splits to a generous $12.50 per person in return for a loaded burger.
Visiting the location with my brother for lunch, we both ordered the chicken burger with fries and aioli sauce. The servings were more than proportionate for a filling lunch, and our delicious burgers were healthily stacked with a juicy piece of fried chicken.
This location appears to be a Zomato Gold favourite, and it’s easy to see why. Fortunately, I will be working in the area over the summer, so I will be able to make many more visits to this excellent café again.
Four Seasons Hotpot
8/10 – Newmarket, Auckland. Hotpot (Asian Cuisine).
I visited this place with 8 friends on my birthday, with the intention of introducing some of my friends to a new experience. If you’ve never tried hotpot before, it’s where you cook your raw food in a boiling, flavoured broth in a pot at your own table.
Being a highly rated location on Zomato, we were eager to try this place out, and gladly we were not disappointed. The selection of meats, vegetables and other raw foods were constantly being restocked by the kitchen staff, meaning the food was fresh once it reached our table. The waiting staff were also attentive and helpful, as hotpot can be a messy and difficult dining experience.
Also make sure to go for the steamed/fried buns with condensed milk. They were an unequivocal crowd pleaser.
At the end of the night, a fun experience and a filling meal cost us a measly $19.75 per person. Four Seasons Hotpot is definitely a place you should hit up if you’re looking to try a new cultural dining experience, or if you just want to have a good time with a large group of friends.
The Commons/The Gardens
9/10 – Takapuna, Auckland. Family Dining and Bar.
Having attended a 21st party at the location recently (shout-out to our friend here at Craccum Sherry Zhang), I was keen to try the dinner service at the restaurant downstairs. Of course, when I discovered this place accepted Zomato Gold, the decision to visit was a no-brainer.
The staff are friendly, the dishes are excellent, and the location is beautiful. Eat in the outdoor garden if you can; a beautiful setting at the centrefold of this Takapuna mainstay.
Fine dining at less than $20 dollars per-person is unheard of in the restaurant scene nowadays, so the deal that the Commons have put forward in conjunction with Zomato Gold is honestly a testament to how great this service is.
I would highly recommend trying this place with Zomato Gold – you will not be disappointed!
Kimchi Project
6/10 – CBD, Auckland.
The reality is that as impressive as the Zomato Gold directory is, not every destination is going to be a winner for you. Unfortunately, I’ve landed myself in a bit of a pickle, as the place I’ve chosen to criticize has an unprecedented 4.5/5 rating on Zomato.
The Kimchi Project is an Asian-Western fusion restaurant, nestled within a beautiful centre-city location. Its beautiful back-room garden setting is a favourite amongst diners, and offers a unique dining experience isolated from the background noise of the city.
The menu prices were comparatively low for such an upscale location, which was a good sign. I ordered the kimchi and bacon pasta on a friend’s recommendation. This dish just wasn’t for me though; the kimchi sauce lacked flavour, likely to make it more palatable for Western cuisine. Given that, I honestly would have rather preferred regular spaghetti sauce on my plate.
Fusion cuisine is always a risk, particularly Asian-Western (as Asian cuisine is known for strong flavours and spices while Western is not). While I haven’t given this location the highest of ratings, the common consensus on Zomato seems to be that people LOVE this place, and perhaps my experience was just unfortunate.