East Restaurant Auckland Review: Pan-Asian Dining Reimagined
- Feb 5
- 3 min read
Where Continental Ambition Meets Plant-Based Innovation at Sudima Hotel
East Restaurant presents an audacious premise: a menu spanning the entire Asian continent, entirely vegetarian, approximately eighty percent vegan. Located within the Sudima Hotel, this modern establishment challenges conventional wisdom about both geographic focus and plant-based limitations. The venture represents a labor of love from the vegetarian Jhunjhnuwala family who own the hotel, bringing together a culinary team from Japan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka to execute a vision that could easily collapse under its own ambition.
The decision to embrace pan-Asian cuisine rather than focusing on a single region initially seems precarious, Asian culinary traditions differ as dramatically from each other as Italian food does from Uruguayan. Yet the kitchen's international composition provides genuine qualification for this breadth. Chef Harmeet Singh, who developed his skills at Bamboo, a premier Asian restaurant in Mumbai, anchors the operation with an understanding of how piquant, sour, sweet and umami notes can create depth without requiring meat.
Luchetti Krelle designed the space with moody bottle-green tones and blonde wood creating an upscale environment that accommodates over one hundred diners. The aesthetic leans contemporary rather than overtly Asian, allowing the food to provide cultural specificity while the space maintains sophisticated neutrality.
Technical Achievements
East's most impressive accomplishment may be the Dan Dan Noodles, a dish that achieves the creamy, oily, unctuous sauce characteristic of the pork-fat-rich original Sichuan preparation. The kitchen substitutes mushroom mince for pork without sacrificing the texture or richness that defines authentic dan dan. The noodles arrive spicy and nutty with proper spring, demonstrating significant culinary problem-solving.
Similarly audacious is the vegan Kaffir Lime and Coconut Crème Caramel. Traditional crème caramel relies heavily on eggs for structure, yet East has engineered a custard-like consistency without them. The large, firm dessert proves aromatic and refreshing, with kaffir lime and coconut enhancing each other's qualities while maintaining measured sweetness.
The Ginger Caramelized Bang Bang Shiitake Mushrooms demonstrate another approach to plant-based satisfaction. These vegan, gluten-free preparations offer substantial chew, amplifying the mushrooms' natural umami with a sticky, spicy, sweet ginger-caramel coating typically reserved for chicken wings or spicy ribs. Peking Jackfruit Pancakes arrive as an interactive experience with tapioca chips and plum sauce for table-side assembly.
The menu ranges from edamame with black shiso salt to crispy cups filled with pineapple, Thai chili jam and reduced tamarind. Gochujang cauliflower arrives sprinkled with spring onion and sesame seeds, while Caramelized Black Pepper Tofu, Typhoon Shelter Fried Rice and Chocolate Spring Rolls demonstrate the kitchen's range. Indonesian Gado Gado Salad, Southern Thai Yellow Curry and vibrant som tam represent the menu's geographic breadth.
Beverage Program and Special Events
The cocktail list features lemongrass and coriander infused vodka, blackberry and balsamic bitters, and jasmine syrup in creative combinations. The Umeshu Dandy functions as a riff on the Old Fashioned, incorporating sweet vermouth, coffee and pimento bitters with a Lapsang Souchong atomizer. The wine list maintains complete vegan and organic credentials, complemented by New Zealand craft beers.
Final Assessment
East succeeds through careful thought and determined execution. The playful spirit of invention that characterizes the menu grounds experimentation in genuine flavor development, creating dishes that achieve richness, satisfaction and textural interest typically associated with animal products.
The pan-Asian approach provides the variety necessary to demonstrate vegan and vegetarian cuisine's full potential. By drawing from culinary traditions across the continent, East presents compelling evidence that plant-based cooking can match and exceed any cuisine for depth and creative expression.
Auckland's plant-based restaurant landscape remains modest compared to its non-vegetarian offerings, making East's arrival a significant expansion of both cuisine types and geographic accessibility. For vegetarians, vegans and curious omnivores alike, East offers an opportunity to experience plant-based eating that challenges preconceptions while delivering genuine culinary pleasure.
East Restaurant
63-67 Nelson St
Auckland, New Zealand
