Chikos Restaurant and Cafe
Where? Chikos Restaurant and Cafe (Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Thursday January 23, 2025
Who? Dad
Food Style? Pacific Rim Cuisine
Chiko's has been running for close to twelve years now, and the couple in charge are still going strong at their place out in West Auckland. With wife Chiko's Japanese background and husband Roberto's Filipino heritage and French training, the restaurant showcases a fusion of Pacific flavours with elegant, refined techniques. They’ve won several awards for their food, and I've been here many times with my parents to enjoy their seasonal menus.
It's a fine summer day and to start the meal off, I’ve ordered a lychee rose mocktail. It's slightly effervescent, but sweet and pleasant to drink, without the flavours being too overpowering.
Mains #1
Prime beef scotch fillet steak: mustard hollandaise, crayfish wonton, herb vegetable, crispy potato chips, beef jus
I've chosen the steak for mains. Though I asked for medium rare, it is a little on the undercooked side, with the fat needing to be more rendered. The presentation is fantastic though, with a myriad of colours and textures that blend really well together. The lobster wonton is super tasty, without losing the sweetness of the protein inside the deep-fried wrapper. I love the puree and jus, they're rich and delectable, and the fries help to bulk out the meal. There’s always a risk that fusion causes confusion with the flavours becoming muddled or being too jarring but here they complement each other really well. Though the plate might seem a bit small, the ingredients skew rich, so it does fill you up - but I do have room for dessert, naturally.
Mains #2
Chikos style kare kare: tender braised angus beef shin, rich annatto garlic peanut gravy, selected vegetables, chili coconut bagoong, fragrant jasmine rice
Dad is a little disappointed with his meal though. It's a bit dry and his flavours didn't harmonise as well as mine. A pity, because we know the calibre of the chef and the restaurant, and they've definitely done better in the past.
Dessert
Mango pudding
We request dessert and the dessert tray is brought to the table. The samples look so good that the neighbouring table starts ogling even though they have yet to receive any of their food. I’ve ordered a mango pudding because I can't get enough of that summer vibe, and it’s a wonderfully hot day, which makes me super happy to be here in Auckland and not Toronto. The pudding is creamy and well balanced with some great crunchy textures mixed in. I love the passionfruit custard. At $18, I do think it's quite overpriced, but it was a nice, sweet way to end the meal.
Overall, it feels like the standard has dropped over the years, but it's tough for the hospitality industry at the moment, and we're trying to support local as best as we can. The cost of living has gone up, especially fresh produce, so it's no surprise that it's harder for restaurants to survive and make profit in this kind of economy.
Posted by Jeremy at 5:05pm on Thursday October 23, 2025 :: 0 comments :: 