Huami New Menu (Auckland CBD, New Zealand)

I love this place, I so like their menu I kept on coming back but during my last visit I was surprised because the menu that I get used to changed, was it for better? Well let’s find out. Huami is unlike your usual Auckland Chinese restaurant, while it is still offering Chinese dishes, they put some a modern twist on most of it, menu showcases regional Chinese dishes which includes Canton, Sichuan, Huaiyang and Beijing while using amazing local New Zealand produce. Located centrally in Auckland this place easy to find, if you can see the Sky Tower then you won’t get lost, its below it, just find the big red door.

The last time I visited this place prior to this post I specifically enjoyed the duck, taro puffs and steamed barbecue bun while I really enjoyed those, I was also torn between trying the new things I saw on the menu, so today I will stick on exploring these new items from that new blue menu.

We started with this Marinated bang-bang chicken, spicy peanut sauce (NZ$15.00), I certainly do not look like the bang bang chicken I got used to which was rustic, this one is quite refined, clean and fresh taste, a very nice appetizer.

We also grabbed some Wok-fried rice, minced chicken, salted fish (NZ$24.00), it may not look impressive in the photo as it does look like just rice with a few bits of ingredients but this one is quite tasty, very tasty, it was so good it is addictive, after one spoonful you want to drop it but you unconsciously eat it again and again, non-stop.

Then I had a repeat order, the “Ha Kao” fresh truffle prawn dumpling (NZ$12.00), who can’t resist this earthy dumpling, ordering these multiple times means something and how many times you see truffles used dumplings?

Shanghai “Xiao Long Bao” (NZ$9.00) was the next dumpling of choice, a delicate flavoured dumpling paired with a mild sweet-sour vinegar. Tasty soup, flavourful filling, this is the perfect Xiao Long Bao you can get in Auckland. Be careful these are hot, so eat them by putting in soup spoons, piercing the side to expose that wonderful juices inside and cooling them.

Next dumpling was this Beef, Shrimp dumpling, Water chestnuts (NZ$9.00), not a fan of beef dumplings eversince but this one was quite special, not my fave out of the bunch but this might start me from grabbing some beef dumplings in the future. Tasty specially that sauce smothered on it.

We then asked for steamed barbecue pork buns but the waiter said they don’t have it at the moment hence she suggested to get this Baked Crunchy Char Siew Chicken Bun (NZ$9.00), was quite hesitant at first as my taste buds was already for that steamed bun but luckily, she suggested it. If there one thing I would recommend at this place, this would be it, honestly this goes on one of the top 5 things I placed in my mouth :), it was so amazing, it was 10 out of 10 delicious, it may look so humble from the outside but once you take a bit out of it, wow it was so heavenly.

Lightly crisp outside, and once it hits your tongue it literally melts in your mouth, like an ice cream. Sweet, savour, soft, fluffy, crunchy and a myriad of textures. The bun was perfect, the filling was so smacking good, it was out of this world. It was so good we grabbed two orders of this one.

Then came another bun in the form of Pan-Fried Minced Pork Bun (NZ$9.00), while it was good it was not as good as the Baked Crunchy Char Siew Chicken Bun, so I suggest if you will order my recommendation then consume that last as it will over power everything.

And for the last savoury, we ordered another favourite, the Crispy Taro Puff with chicken and Black Pepper Sauce (NZ$9.00) while it was not the same as their old Crispy Taro Puff filled with chicken and scallops, while the scallops were absent this time it was as nearly as good, creamy, crunchy and savoury goodness.

Then the desserts came in, first was this Warm Egg Custard Layer Cake (NZ$10.00), this steamed cake was another great dish, warm, fluffy and not too sweet with the perfect amount of custard on each layer.

And for the finale they recommended this warm dessert, Braised Ginger Sweet Soup, Avocado Dumpling (NZ$12.00). It sounded weird because the combination does not work on my head, when it came it does not even make sense. But after I bit that warm dumpling, it was another out of this world dessert, Interesting flavours and texture but a definite must try. Light sweet ginger soup with creamy avocado dumpling, is a good way to finish this wonderful meal we had at Huami.

Visited this place many times, still it does not stop amazing me, now I am waiting for their next menu change, I will definitely give it ago for sure and hopefully they still serve that Baked Crunchy Char Siew Chicken Bun as I will, with no doubt order them again.

Huami
Address: SkyCity 87 Federal St, Auckland, 1010 New Zealand
Website: https://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/restaurants/huami/