I have been to Xi’an Food Bar but over on the North Shore, and I thought I would try it again, but the one in the CBD. It is off Queen Street and closer to the East side of Britomart. FYI, you don’t go here for the decor. It is very simple, and some people may say dirty. However, I feel it adds character and may be one of the reasons why this place serves such cheap food.

I ordered; Sliced Beef (tripe) and Ox Tongue in Chilli Sauce and Hand-pulled Noodles with Xi’an Style Braised Pork. The food came out pretty fast, and I totally forgot that the beef dish could be served cold as it was. However, that did not stop me from enjoying it. The sliced beef tripe and tongue were tender, and I was slightly surprised how it didn’t pack a punch in terms of spiciness as I thought it would have. The Braised Pork with Hamd Pulled noodles were good. I missed the green vegetable as there was no Bok Choy but just this overcooked cabbage (yuck). However, there were some bean sprouts in there as well. The noodles were nicely cooked and tender but chewy. I preferred having a bit more bite, but it was still good. The braised beef was really tender and had some nice flavours. However, I thought there would have been more meat in the bowl. However, for the price you pay, maybe not.

Overall a good cheap meal. Everything I ordered was below $30, which is very good by today’s standards. Maybe I am a bit fussy, but I feel. They could have done slightly better, but maybe my standards are too high. Also, as a future reference. Always add some vinegar and chilli oil to your dish. It will make it even better. However, don’t add the soy sauce. That is just not right.

Address: 11 Anzac Avenue, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010

Website: Xi’an Food Bar