Chop Chop Noodle House

Chop Chop Noodle House is a re-enactment of a downtown Tokyo hole-in-the-wall eatery.
Will Seal
March 19, 2014

Overview

In the finest style of Japanese street food, the Chop Chop Noodle House is a re-enactment of a downtown Tokyo hole-in-the-wall eatery, serving up the finest in quick, juicy and staggeringly delicious ramen bowls, pork buns and fried goods – accompanied by a substantial list of cocktails, whiskeys and other beverages.

The atmosphere and fit out is fantastic, a thatched roof and zebra pattern combined with Kung Fu themes across the menu and eatery make for a fun and entertaining place to hang out.  With a wraparound wooden bar-style setup surrounding the kitchen, the feeling is very much ‘prop the bar, down some eats’ – all the while observing yours and others dinner sizzling away before your very eyes in all its mouthwatering glory while you knock back an icy cold beverage.

The menu is short and to the point:

1. Noodle bowls – gigantic and superbly flavourful, a soup-based dish of aromatic and heartygoodness.  While literally all of them are excellent and a filling meal in itself, I would suggest the crispy fried jerk chicken with green chilli salsa, fried garlic and rye noodles or twelve hour organic beef brisket topped with bacon, chilli, pickled mustard seed, shiitake and rye noodles.  If you feel like taking a step into glutton madness, go bold with the mammoth size COBRA KAI SUPER MEGA RAMEN.

2. Fried goodies – in all honesty a super satisfactory meal in itself; all are perfection.  Our last adventure here consisted of only this menu, selecting the Chop Chop Pork Bun (so far the best pork buns we’ve found in the AKL) and Korean Fried Chicken (topped with crushed peanuts).   To call these snacks would be disingenuous, they’re all large and in charge and all gastronomically enrapturing.

3. Booze – with an extensive selection of whiskey, Japanese cocktails, plum-infused rice wine, their very own (excellent) beer, snake bites and more – plus the bar style setup – you’d be confused for thinking its more about the drinking at Chop Chop than the eating, but don’t make that mistake.  You’re here for the insanely good food, drinks are just an added bonus.

The flavours, quality and presentation for all the dishes are all top notch and mark Chop Chop as a must-visit eatery and jewel in the Ponsonby Central crown.  The speedy service, energetic vibe and involving cooking process all combine to create a truly exciting experience, making this noodle house one of our favourite new establishments in the AKL area.

The brainchild of Blue Breeze Inn crew, expect nothing but goodness from the moment you step through the curtain – but be smart with your arrival time as you’ll be hard pressed to find a moment when it’s not packed to the rafters.  Nonetheless be assured, it’s worth the wait.

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