East opened inside Auckland's new Sudima Hotel in January, bringing Asian-inspired vegetarian cuisine to the central city. The restaurant, led by head chef Harmeet Singh, showcases the regional flavours of Japan, China, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka with a plant-based approach. The wine list is 100 percent organic and vegan, too, while the cocktail menu utilises a range of Asian ingredients. In time for the colder months East has expanded its offerings to include both express lunch and set menus. As the name suggests, the express lunch is best suited to diners who are short on time. Between 11am–3pm from Monday to Thursday, the service dishes up a selection of vegetarian mains with a house wine, tap beer or kombucha for $30 per person. East's new set menu is $59 per person (or $95 with wine pairings) and features a selection of the restaurant's most popular dishes — all of which are vegan. Your meal might begin with southern Thai corn cakes, larb salad in lettuce cups, or Peking jackfruit pancakes. From there, diners can select one main dish — from yellow curry to Typhoon shelter fried rice, spicy garlic eggplant and pad see ew noodles — while desserts include the choice of kaffir lime and lemongrass crème caramel and chocolate spring rolls. The set menu is available for a minimum of four people dining. [competition]809315[/competition] Images: Jono Parker.