simon & lee

this little place has so much potential.  i love the decor and themenuis exciting and enticing.  my mum had the dumpling soup which was divine.  i had the pork belly on rice which was a little underwhelming.  loads of meat and rice, but not much else.  i would definitely go back and try some other dishes though.  my main reason for only giving 3 stars is because the service was so terrible.  you felt completely ignored and almost like they resented you being there.  at the end of our meal we sat for so long with our dirty plates in front of us that eventually i moved them myself to the empty table next to us.  pick up the service and this place would be fabulous.

i love fried chicken 🍗 whoever decided to start frying chicken is honestly a genius and i want to hug them. korean fried chicken is my absolute favourite 😍 had a craving for it so i decided to finally try out simon & lee! ordered the chicken lunchbox ($17) which comes with korean fried chicken, slaw, pickles, shoestring fries and aioli (we never got given any aioli tho 🤔). for the chicken sauce i chose garlic soy and safe spicy 🌶 the chicken was sooooo good, cooked to perfection and juicy. this chicken looks like it does the korean 10 step skin care routine because it was glowing ✨ the fries were crispy and i enjoyed the slaw. pickled radish is essential to the korean fried chicken experience to cut through any greasiness. the pickles seemed pretty random but i still ate them cause your girl doesn't like to waste food 😂 i'd love to go back and try the danger spicy sauce and othermenuitems!

overall rating: 9/10 🍗🍗🍗

oddly enough, we discovered this place through their clothing collaboration with checks and we decided to “check” it out since it seemed quite different from our usual spots in parnell. it definitely did not disappoint. from a bare-bones minimalist ambience to a fusionmenuthat’s as out there as it comes, simon & lee gave our taste buds a solid kick that i hadn’t had in a while after going to a bunch of places with rather homogenous menus for some combination of bacon and eggs on toast at brunch time. the staff were also friendly and willing to explain the dishes to us if we needed them to. solid vibes 🤙🏾

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 themenuas 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 was good but 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 heard good things about the place. but the most disappointing thing was the coffee. if you want good coffee 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. overall good but a bit meh for me. i would like to go back and hopefully get my opinion changed. but that's to come.

unfortunately i’m only basing this on about 2 minutes of my first impression, as i did not have the chance to dine. nonetheless, i had been wanting to try here for awhile, loved the idea of a “lunchbox” which had a bit of everything i’d want for lunch. visited here yesterday at approx. 2pm, grabbed amenufrom the person behind the counter, sat down just to be told themenuwas very select at that time (only the ‘more food’ section available, aka side dishes) as they weren’t ‘doing’ the lunchmenuand were preparing for dinner. which starts at 5pm. that’s a 3 hour window. lunch should roll all the way until dinner, with a seamless transition rather than a stop/start approach and all the originalmenuitems vanished. it was a wasted visit, won’t be venturing out again simply based on this haphazard idea.

food and beverages ordered: been here a few times and have tasted most of their food

environment: trendy and stylish

services: super friendly

costs: $30 per person on average

will i return: yes (and have been coming back once every 2 months)

comment: nothing much to say, other than just go and try it out for yourself.menuchanges quite often and they are mostly korean fusion dishes. if u feeling a bit naughty, the korean fried chicken (kfc) is a must ! the mushroom on toast and the black waffles are amazing, but i personally loved the congee the best (no longer on the menu). old photo attached.

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 very good and attentive.

some of their specialitymenugets 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.

another korean fry chook (kfc) place fusion style, hidden gem at back of main parnell shopping drag, i had the chook slider which is  sandwich style with pickle and slaw and felt like the chook is lost inside (or flew away), quite pricey at 6$ each. i really just wanted the chook and fries but must be on the lunch timemenui guess. like to come and try this next time i'm in area.
wonder if if this place has anything to do with this other hidden diner i saw in newmarket call candy shop? someone enlighten plz.

i've had food at simon & lee twice now and coffee 4 times (coffee is always good, but strong and bitter, so if you have alternative milk i recommend soy over almond). the first time i had ramen and it was delicious but a bit pricy for the portion, the new lunchmenuwith items like the chicken box make it a more reasonable place to get lunch. the korean fried chicken is amazing! holy moly. but beware if you get the saucy options you're in for a messy time- thankfully they give you plastic gloves so you can go back to the office still looking presentable. also special mention to the pickles, slaw and fries that were all delicious! i wish i'd ordered so kim chi to go with the lunch box, but i'll have to wait till next time to try it! my second experience won me over and i'll be visiting simon and lee for lunch more often!

great food and quick service with friendly staff. small portions for the price you pay andmenuwas a bit restricting if your not keen on tofu. was also disappointed to not see any smoothies featuring on the menu. although food was delicious and they had a really cool atmosphere :))

dear waffle fries with kimchi: where have you been all my life?!

i was seriously impressed with the food and photogenic fit out at simon and lee. wandered in at 1pm-ish on an ordinary monday arvo, and there were still a few spare seats. i love their contemporary vibe, mix of clientele, and the amazing smell of korean sauces and seaweed wafting from the kitchen.

my miso ramen came out first, and it wasn't as spicy as it looked. the pork belly was on point, and the portion was quite filling.

the novelty of waffle fries was irresistible, so i ordered a bowl even though i knew the ramen was probably going to be filling. the fries were delicious and the kimchi wasn’t over-powering. i liked the little bits of soft cheese that added variety to the flavours and texture.

although i personally like simon and lee, i suppose it’s not for everyone; anyone who visits needs to manage their expectations and realise they’re going to get high-end fusion food (it’s in the name, after all). service was friendly, but prices are a little steep because it’s in parnell. however, there’s heaps of interesting stuff to try from theirmenu– i’m already looking to coming back!

while new cafes and eateries continue to grow in auckland, so does my list of ‘where to eat next’. my latest dining venture took my friends and i to simon & lee, a new cafe in parnell opened by ollie simon and david lee from major sprout. theirmenuis crafted with dishes that you would normally see in a typical cafe but with an asian twist such as savoury rice porridge, black waffles with sesame ice cream and kimchi burger. i decided to try something different today and order the bibimbap which has a mixture of pickled vegetables, raw egg yolk, and rice served in a sizzling hot pot. you could opt to add beef bulgogi mince for an extra $4 and it is served with a small side of spicy kimchi and red pepper paste.