Silver Spoon - Hillcrest New Zealand

This place was recommended to us by a friend and after a long time of meaning to go, we took the opportunity post lockdown to eat out. It may not look like much from the outside, the street veranda signage is lacking but this place is a gem. The staff there are all really nice and one older lady was super friendly and welcoming. The waitress gave us some good suggestions on what was popular amongst the diners and we took upon her suggestion for the special Stewed Lamb Pot, Spicy Braised Beef, Di San Xian (Trio veges of eggplant, potato and capsicum , Cucumber Salad, and rice. The chef was really fast after we ordered our food, the salad came first, then the mains and rice. The salad was great! Tastes just like the small side dishes I'd find back home. Fresh, crushed open, marianted in a soy sauce, garlic, vinegar and seasame oil dressing. Delicious! Both the lamb and beef were wonderful. We had the spice level adjusted for our group to mild. The lamb broth was flavourful, with the aroma of various spices that help cut the gaminess of the lamb, and the meat was stewed tender and juicy. The bean curd has soaked up all the broth, just divine. A really good balance in this dish and pairs perfectly with rice. Not too heavy. The beef was tender, and the vege in it has also soaked up the broth and cooked so that it's soft and tender in your mouth. The broth pairs excellently with rice as well. Now one of my classic favs, the Di San Xian vege trio. There was just enough oil and flavour in this dish which makes it light enough but also flavourable. The skins of the veges are slightly firm from the frying, and the inside remains soft and chewy. The sauce really tops it off with the balance of sweet, salty and umami. We got the opportunity to try some of the dessert, the custard pockets? Deep fried custard rolls in dough. Skin is nicely caramelised, thin and crispy, a nice amount of custard filling for the inside. The serving sizes are definitely on the bigger side and we ended up taking our leftovers home and ate it for lunch the following day. The service was great, premises were clean and have cute little Chinese decor, from the lamps to the ceiling fan in the same style as you would find in Asia. : I would definitely make the trip down from Auckland again sometime to eat here again. Absolutely delightful.

Wow the service here was absolutely incredible, the owner is so lovely and sweet. She made us feel so at home and even taught us some games. And to top it off the food was DELICIOUS

This place is owned by a lovely lady, great service and highly recommended!!! She even gave us a little present. We ordered the sweet and sour pork and it was really yummy

Amazing food and lovely boss. This is my first time come here but definitely will come next time and share with my friend !!

Had the coolest and nicest experience here! The place is well decorated and feel relaxed and well looked after. Went on my birthday and the service was incredible, teaching us a new game to play while we wait for our food and even got a Chinese soup bowl from the lovely lady there. The food is delicious and lots of options!! Definitely will be eating here again soon!!