Anise

Located on Symonds Street in Auckland, Anise is one of the city's best-loved pan-Asian restaurants. The family-run eatery is independently owned by culinary visionaries Sid and Chand Sahrawat, the husband and wife duo behind Auckland's celebrated The French Café and Cassia. Together, they've designed a vibrant dive into the bold flavours of six different Asian cuisines, from Indonesian to Cantonese, Thai to Japanese.

Perfect for experiencing what Sid calls "pan-Asian street food meant for sharing," Anise is open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. And boy, is it worth a visit.

The modern and cosy setting of Anise transports guests into the heart of Asia. The space lends itself well to intimate dining (think date night) as well as larger gatherings. In fact, it’s ideal for dinner with friends as the entire menu is what Sid likes to call "truly shareable".

Even the most well-versed of diners will be intrigued by Anise’s unique and ever-evolving menu. Consisting of the chef’s selection of dishes that will surprise and delight, expect your meal to feature an array of Asian flavours paired with the freshest New Zealand produce available.

And, while leafy greens might crop up regularly, know that there’s still room for guilty pleasures and sweet delights. The oh-so-decadent combination of sticky black rice, jasmine rice ice cream, chewy mango and pavlova is an absolute must-try. Each dish is delicious in its own right.