bunga raya

this is agreatplace to have a meal, the staff are friendly. it’s very difficult to find a table because it’s always packed full with customers.

i've never befriended a malaysian family. i think i must, because if the hospitality you feel walking into auckland's malay restaurants is anything to go by, it's a warm and loving experience.

recently i've eaten at sri pinang on k. rd, my favourite experience on the night was the maitre d's presence. she walked the floor like we were eating in her house, big smiles, lots of chat and even a hug to end the night (yes i'd had a bit of wine that night).

last night i visited bunga raya which i hear is a bit of an institution in new lynn. they've been serving malay food for decades, it shows. the entire restaurant was full of ex-pat malaysians, this was a good sign. the interior is simple, with barely any thought gone into decor, with my anticipation building i felt this was a good sign, does this mean all efforts then go into the delicious food?

like my recent experience in sri pinang, the service again like a big welcoming hug. instantly i felt at home.

the combination entree - 6 deep fried forgettable morsels with a sweet chili dipping sauce, not agreatstart.

slow beef in rich coconut sauce - i have no idea why they call it this. this dish is beef rendang. i'd like to think the majority of diners these days are cultured enough to know what a beef rendang is without the need to "dumb" it down. anyways, this was everything you'd want it to be, soft, luscious, melt in the mouth slow cooked beef. some rendang's are cooked too sweet, packed with too much sugar, this wasn't.

honey garlic chicken - these were sweet and sticky adult lollipops.

the food here won't blow you away, but it is cooked with enough love and tasty enough to keep it on your radar for future visits.

oh and btw, they're byo for wine!

hands down the best malaysian restaurant in auckland! although i come here very rarely, i know it's a family favourite. the food is authentic as can be and so delicious! the restaurant is cosy and always busy! the staff are super friendly and helpful.greatvalue for money,greatservice and most importantlygreatfood. what more could you ask for?

really nice place to eat authentic malaysian food!huge portions and devine food. the service here isgreatas the hostess is the owner and shes just a joy! highly recommend this place!

love everything about this place, excellent food,greatservice! went there today after a few months and the food and service is exactly how it was when we first started coming here! love all the suggestions the staff give us to try different things. definitely one of my favorite eateries in auckland!

such delicious food! staff were so friendly and helped us order and was spot on with everything! will definitely be back often! owner got the whole restaurant to sing happy birthday to a customer. very lovely atmosphere, didn’t feel rushed to leave. very busy so book table in advance.greatfor groups as portions are made for sharing.

if you are looking for authentic malaysian food this place is it!!!! never dissapointed ever. food is fresh, tasty,greatvariety! the thought of it makes me salivate everytime. highly recommended!!

what agreatway to celebrate chinese new year with a prosperity toss. the waitress explained that each vegetable represent luck for the oncoming year and with some raw salmon and clink of bowls, we used our chopsticks and threw the salad in the air!!!greatfor a group. i forgot to mention the plum dressing that bound the salad together. yum. what a start before the mains. kung po chicken, fried tofu, spinach, steamed snapper. yum. the owner is very friendly. this restaurant is an institution.

the food at bunga raya are good.
they nailed taste, texture & temperature with fresh ingredients. agreatplace for a big group to enjoy delicious dishes together.
the appearance of the restaurant is casual, so it's good for casual gatherings.

this place requires a reservation so book before you go. the food is good and quantity is sufficient. but i can't say it's worth the price though. there's plenty ofgreatmalaysian places in auckland which serve similar or better food for a lot less money.

if you like malaysian cuisine then this is your best pick in auckland.
this place is always busy so it's better to go here with a booking.
nice decor andgreatambience it surely is a fine dine restaurant.
butter prawn curry, haianese chicken, sambal fish, haianese chicken rice and kway teow soup are my favourites.
love visiting this place. have always had a good experience.

came here last night with my family. make a booking ! good thing we rang in to see what time we could come in but downfall was there were no spaces available till about 8:20pm.

we sat down and the waitress got my sons high chair his cutlery which in other restaurants we have to ask for but i was very impressed at how "on to it" they were.

i ordered the chicken curry, rice, roti, noodles and spicy beef and spring rolls(forgot the names of them) . roti was so delicious so soft yet crunchy. i wanted to order more but we had more than enough on our plates. the portion size of everything is huge and worth the money you spend , will begreatfor large groups. the chicken curry , oh my goodness the soft succulent chicken with potatoes. the curry flavour was intense but the most delicious. the beef was so soft and moist so much flavour.

my highlight was the "aunty" that works here she is so caring and as written before has a warm welcoming feeling like an aunty. she will take care of you and help , i didn't notice my jacket fell on the floor and she picked it up and shook it and put it on my chair for me, she interacted with my son which is always a bonus when i go out to eat. it was our first time there and while we were ordering she said "roti?" and when i said "yes please" she said "don't worry i already knew you would want roti" i love that about some places that make you feel comfortable makes the experience so much better.

will be back !

this is by far the best malaysian restaurant i've been to. ignoring the slightly-cold attitude from the lady staff initially, the flavour of the food more than compensate for the lack of smiles from the staff.

we went there at 2pm on a saturday and ordered sambal fish fillet rice and nasi lemak. the sambal sauce was absolutely amazing although it could be a tad more spicy. the fish was tender and absorbed the sambal sauce really well. this dish goesgreatwith rice.

the nasi lemak comes with fragrant pandan rice. the curry chicken was soft and succulent. the combination of flavours for this dish was spot-on as well.

i would definitely come back again to try other dishes! glad that by the time we were done with our lunch, the staff started to show a hint of smile and friendliness too! would highly recommend anyone who wanna try authentic malaysian food. forget the commercialised paparich. bunga raya is the place to go!

have previously been a fan of bunga raya's menu and food, however i went there recently and ordered their kungpo chicken and was really disappointed  with  such a small quantity of  meat in the actual takeaway dish.  the rest was lots of filler such as onion and veges.  although they still makegreattasting food i would be a bit hesitant to visit again.

i hadn't been here for a few years and recently came back for the haianese chicken which i was craving.

it was very authentic with the side of spicy, slightly sweet, garlic chilli sauce and sesame/soy sauce. the chicken was soft and poached perfectly, rice was flavourful and fragrant as it should be. definitely one of the authentic haianese chicken dishes in auckland.

i got mine takeaway for lunch for only $12,greatvalue and it was a big portion! will definitely be back more often.