Ima

Overview

You know when you go to your Grandma's house looking like a bikini model and then you leave looking like a sumo wrestler? Yeah. That same thing is going to happen when you go to Ima.

Inspired by a range of cuisines from across the Mediterranean, Ima offers cultural comfort food like no other - making you feel like you're stepping foot into your own home. It is warm, fun and the staff are so friendly you'll just want to cuddle them all.

In terms of food, I can recommend the Mezze plate ($20) to start. Mainly to save your waistband, but also because it will rock your world. The Mezze plate offers a range of vegetarian foods served on a large platter, and including (big call) the best falafel in Auckland. After that, go for the stuffed chicken. You can order a quarter ($16), half ($30) or whole ($60). I got a quarter but could have devoured the whole chook, no sweat. The snapper ($37) and the haloumi ($14) also deserve an honourable mention, but you really can't go past that chicken.

You may be feeling comfortably full after your main, but with the sides option costing $12 per person (each person getting a platter to fill with their choice of food), it won't hurt the wallet to overindulge. I piled the arab rice, carrot and feta, mint salad, spicy tomatoes and seasonal veggies high on my platter, the food so dangerously moreish that I honestly was not able to stop eating until I was in physical pain.

I guess I should have Google translated the name Ima before I went. It means 'mother' in Hebrew. That way I might've been more prepared to be fed until not only did I have to unbutton my jeans, but also needed them surgically removed.