simon & lee

really lovely convenient spot for a work lunch and catch up. flavours are okay - could pack more punch on the three-way tofu but i’ve really enjoyed the “good bowl” i’ve had in the past plus portions aregoodand most dietary types are covered. also just want to shout-out some really great service from the girl who rang up our bill - had a laugh and made us feel really welcome! so kudos to that simon & lee team

trendy korean fushion restaurant,goodservice, food is beautifully presented. bibimbab wasgoodbut not the best i've had, it seemed to have a milky taste and i'm not sure what from, but didn't particularly like that. tteokbokki was in a delicious sauce but unfortunately the rice cakes themselves were far too chewy and we didn't finish them. if i went again, i would try some different dishes as those might be better.

i have visited simone & lee over a year ago, today’s visit made me wonder why i haven’t come back earlier. the korean infused european brunches and the excellence in taste; the attentive and friendly services, are all thegoodreasons to love this cafe.

starving since the morning, we ordered a couple of small and main dishes.

the tteokggochi rice cake was crispy on outside and chewy on the inside, excellently flavoured with korean spices.

the garlic soy chicken nibbles was super delicious as well, one of the best fried chickens i’ve ever had. the nibbles were tender and juicy encased in a layer of crispy batter.

the bulgogi spaghetti was a hybrid from the menu. the korean styled bulgogi beef blended nicely with the creaminess of cheese. the spaghetti noodles were springy and tasteful.

the benedict was rather lavish. the kumara were fresh and soft; the smoked salmon and bacon were flavourful; the fried kimchi made, which added a mild spice to your palate.

to finish off, i ordered a flat white to go. their coffee was strong but smooth to drink.

if you like a korean style brunch with intensified flavouring, this is a cafe not to be missed.

taste: 10/10
presentation: 8.5/10
service: 9/10
ambience: 8.5/10
value for money: 10/10

price $25 per person

it’s a very clean place with quality food. i could tell it was a famous place by the amount of people seated. the food was very delicious and authentic korean food. the chicken lunch was verygood(safe spicy) it was the perfect amount of crunchy and had a generous amount of fries and radish pickles and coleslaw. the bulgogi spaghetti was also nice as well with a decent quantity andgoodtaste and the bibimbap was also very delicious but a bit too much rice i guess? it was still very yummy. at first i didn’t know how the kimchi waffle fries would taste but they were very yummy and filling as well. i will definitely come here again. the staff is very friendly and the environment is nice!

this is one of my favorite cafe. i went to here fourth time. all of my friends likes here and enjoy  the food. verygoodfried chicken and friendly staff. i recommend to come here and have a great time.

as you can see from my photos (some screenshots from my instagram stories, sorry for the pixelation) - i dine here quite often. there's agoodrange of options avatar available, including for vegetarians and vegans. for breakfast, the mushrooms is my favourite dish, and for lunch, i can't pick cos there's so manygoodoptions. i'm a fan of their kimchi waffle chips, and i know it's not just cos i love kimchi cos my coworkers rate it as well. enjoy the banter with staff here too.

the chicken lunchbox was agoodchoice. the chicken was fresh and crispy, although i would probably try the spiced one next time as there wasn't a whole lot of flavour. the staff were nice and friendly, and the atmosphere wasgoodtoo.

this is one of those places i probably need to revisit and amend this review accordingly. but i just can't connect with the place, i have also been to candyshop (which is another one of simon and lees establishments) which i also had the same issue with.

i struggle with the menu as everything just doesn't always quite sound right to me and nothing ever jumps out. which could be a positive as it may push me outside my comfort zone? but i'm not so sure 🤔.

the food and the idea of the chicken lunchbox wasgoodbut i'm afraid in my opinion it wasn't well executed. for me the presentation was average and the flavour was lacking, overall the meal was so so... my partner got the avo on toast and the same issue, just so so... nothing to rave about. this was disappointing as i have heardgoodthings about the place. but the most disappointing thing was the coffee. if you wantgoodcoffee it is safe to say don't bother here.

the staff were friendly and was probably the best part about the place. the atmosphere was trendy but nothing special. overallgoodbut a bit meh for me. i would like to go back and hopefully get my opinion changed. but that's to come.

verygoodfried chicken and friendly staff. tucked away from other restaurants in parnell, it is quite and perfect for date night. the chicken is moist and crunchy and flavoursome, everything you would want for authentic korean fried chicken.

a mixture of cafe food and korean cuisine is simon & lee. the food isgoodand is nicely presented. the bibimbap is so colourful and inviting.

the fried chicken is full of flavour and is served with some pickled korean veges. service is quick and the dining area is tidy and spacious.

we went here for the fried chicken and ordered the hottest one because we love spicy food. couple first bites were soooogoodthen it was too spicy for us to handle haha however we managed to finish them all. i would recommend others who love spicy to try the level before spiciest first to see how you can handle. we also ordered bibimbab which was pretty average.

you know when you have fried chicken and straight afterwards you'll feel bad?? you dont get that eating here at simon & lee. i had the chicken lunch box which was nice as it comes with agoodamount of chicken, fries, slaw and radish. cute small location and coming on weekend you get free street parking. interested in trying their baos next time. service was great and welcoming

great tasting.goodportions.goodprice. nice environment. would like to see a bigger drink selection and maybe bathroom inside restaurant eventually, but as it is, i would give rating of 5

food : 5/5
price : 4/5
atmosphere : 4/5
service : 5/5

i’m personally very proud of this restaurant for their effort and creative ways to convert traditional korean food into trendy and friendly food that everyone can enjoy.

their korean fried chicken is just on point. its very crunchy outside but the meat inside the batter is just so succulent and juicy.

the dumpling also was very juicy with mouthful of flavours. spicy gochujang noodles were fantastic. it had a plenty of different veges and delicious pork belly in it.

service was verygoodand attentive.

some of their speciality menu gets sold out pretty quickly on the weekend i think. this also proves how popular this restaurant is to a lot of aucklanders at the moment.

i am more than willing to visit again.

ordered from ubereats today and it was great! chicken was nice and crunchy, the seasoning had great flavour and the sweet spicy sauce was a great addition!
the kimchi waffle fries were amazing! the kimchi tasted really great and i would definitely order that again.
the slaw that comes with the meal is also verygoodand compliments the flavours nicely!