Fort Street is so much better these days. In my uni days it was a place almost to avoid – too many drunks on weekends, too many backpackers, all too loud. Things have changed a lot since then, and the street is way cleaner, smarter, and more desirable than back in the day. Lucky Buddha was almost the starting point to my Fort St food scene exploring period. It’s a cosy place, modern Asian, with an almost an upgraded foodcourt like feel to it. It was the first time I tried baos and the beer with which the restaurant shares its name, the happy little fat Buddha smiling out from its green bottle. Loved the little dishes, loved the baos – would definitely go back just for those! Thanks to this place, I’m always up for more baos – Chinoiserie in Mt Albert, for example – though not quite as much as my previous soft taco obsession, because nothing will quite beat my soft taco obsession just yet.

Lucky Buddha
48 Fort Street
Auckland CBD