Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar

by Phil T.
16th February 2013

This business is a MenuMania SponsorOne of the Business' Favourite Reviews

My wife and I went for dinner last night at this beautiful Thai Restaurant. Excellent food and service. If you like Hot Thai food will like this restaurant. Highly recommended. The waiting time was good, we only had to wait about 5 mins for our entree and about another 5 mins for our mains to arrive.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 16/02/2013

Thanks Phil for your review! All the waitress are very happy! We… More »

by Jay M.
15th June 2013

Came here for dinner last night after being given a voucher from a daily website and had an enjoyable night. We got mixed entrees to start with and a garlic prawn dish and massaman chicken curry. I found the dishes to be above average however I wouldn’t pay full price for the portion size we were given. Wait times in between courses were good and not too long. A slight downside is the lack of charm of the staff however they weren’t rude. Decor is very nice which created a nice ambiance.

by Dmitry Y.
20th May 2013

I got a voucher from a daily deal website and went there last night. Food was quite average – the duck dish had hardly any duck in it and beef pad thai had only a few pieces of beef. I saw the same dish at the table next to us and there was a big difference – heaps of meat on it. I guess that were full price paying customers.

This place seem to sell vouchers quite often on various daily deal web-sites but what they forget to mention that voucher customers will get a different treat from full paying customers.

by jbr89
13th May 2013

I bought a voucher for this restaurant, my partner and I went after hearing great things. The staff were rude and ordered us instead of asking us to hand over our voucher, to follow ‘that man’ to be seated, and when asking for a bottle of sav we got told we only have a choice of white wine or red wine. Staff obviously need a brush up on what the types of wine are. The starters tasted dry and tasteless like supermarket bought puffs and spring rolls. I ordered the Red curry with tofu. The dish was bland and quite a slop, the tofu had not been pre cooked, tasted as though it had been thrown into the curry raw upon serving. We sat waiting for ages not being served while other tables that arrived after us had their orders taken already. Only one place had a serviette and cutlery, we had to ask after out mains were delivered for the extra set. We left with out mains half eaten and went to get something to eat on the way home. Will definitely not be returning again.

by Ming P.
6th May 2013

We’d been here 2 years previously and had a good time and quite authentic food and when we saw the deal voucher we got it
We used MenuMania to make a booking however we received no confirmation of booking from the restaurant.
We called to make a booking in the end.
It was the service that was disappointing (especially having read a good review previously about how good the service was from Feb 2013). We had been seated for 30 minutes and no one had come to take our order. We had to advise someone who was walking past that we were ready for someone to take our order.
It took 15 minutes for the appetizers to arrive. They weren’t the best deepfried appetizers. Quite heavily deepfried and stodgy.
Once that was finished there was a 25 minute wait between the appetizers and the mains.
The mains were overall average but what was reassuring was that it wasn’t a westernized version of thai food.
While this wait time was mentioned at the end when payment was being discussed a perfunctory sorry for the wait time was the only apology or explanation offered.
Sadly we’ll be less keen to buy a voucher again.

by Kim B.
4th May 2013

Absolutely appalled. To start with our bottle of wine was plonked on our table for us to open and serve ourselves. The mixed entree was dry, tasteless and served with bottled sweet chilli sauce. The mains, both stirfry….beef and duck were appalling. The duck had been burned and the dish tasted of it. The beef, thinly sliced and well soaked in baking soda to tenderise. Apart from the difference in taste of the sauces, the dishes looked the same and the sauce base was the same. It looked and tasted like cheap takeaway food. We only ate half our meals as they just weren’t enticing. We asked the female waitress to package them and we would take them home. Her attitude left a lot to be desired. She stomped off in a huff and returned, almost throwing the plastic containers at us. We were then told we had to pack them ourselves. Don’t ever bother going to this place, an insult to Thai food and and insult to the patrons.

by Vidya L.
28th March 2013

It was good and enjoyable, the dishes were very tasty and service all good.

by Billie ..
25th March 2013

We had heard good things about this restaurant so were happy to see a coupon deal come up around the same time we were going to visit. We thought perhaps being on a deal we may not get the service or quality/quantity of food we would normally expect but were pleasantly surprised to find this wasn’t the case. While the mixed entree wasn’t outstanding, I didn’t particularly like the money bags, our mains were very good. Our favourite was the Red Curry Chicken. Creamy, fresh and with a good heat. The Jungle Thai Beef was also good.
The staff were very attentive while the restaurant itself had a good ambiance. We would go back.

by Melita E.
25th March 2013

I absolutely love this place!
If you haven’t been you need to try.
Every single time I go it taste the same, fast, delicious!
Never disappointed.
the ladies are always friendly and efficient.

by Sarah
19th March 2013

I’ve been coming here for a while now and the food is usually good. However I think the customer service needs a bit of work as I realized they got my order wrong on my way home. Drove back and It was a bit awkward since the lady tried to make out like I ordered wrong, but I order the same thing every time and I know I ordered correctly. They didn’t even include the chilly I ordered on the side. Anyway I happily paid extra and they replaced the incorrect part of the order promptly and apologized which was good, but the replacement came out so fast it lacked flavour and wasn’t cooked properly. Disappointing.

by Hao W.
10th March 2013

I love this place! My favorite Thai restaurant in Auckland for sure!We were a group of 4 that ate here on Saturday night. The restaurant was really busy, gave it a great atmosphere. The food was divine (chef’s special, fish cake and chicken wings for entrees, and pad thai, red seafood curry, deep fired whole snapper with tamarin sauce and vegie stir fry with cashew for mains), generous portions and beautiful presentation. Staff were friendly, service was spot on. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and being BYO certainly helps make it one my favourite, best value for money Thai restaurants in Auckland. Will definitely be back.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 10/03/2013

Thanks for your review dear customer, I am really happy to hear… More »

by Ranita S.
26th February 2013

The service was excellent, waitress friendly, a welcoming. But the food not so good, I ordered a jungle curry it looked more like a soup and had no taste at all had to ask for salt to try put some taste into it veges were hard didn’t seemed cooked. My husband ordered the fish with chili sauce, he had no complaint so I’m glad one of us had a nice meal

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 27/02/2013

I am so so so sorry Ranita, about the jungle curry! I believe that… More »

by Nilesh P.
21st February 2013

The food and service was awesome.
The food was full of authentic thai flavour.
We ordered Fish in Turmeric sauce , Pad Thai Fried Rice and Cashew chicken. All hot.
The Waiters are friendly and attentive.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 27/02/2013

Thanks Nilesh, Pla Ma Kam, the fish in turmeric sauce is one of… More »

by Allan F.
20th February 2013

been there multiple times with the deal vouchers. great place to dine, food taste great. we always order a green curry and a noodle.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 27/02/2013

Thanks Allan. The deal is not bad, isn’t it?! We are very happy to… More »

by Mimosa W.
19th February 2013

I spent a wonderful night for my 26th birthday with my friends at this restaurant yesterday. It was absolutely fabulous! The food was divine, especially Red Curry Duck which was the best one I’ve tried in any other Thai diner. Also, the service was awesome and the atmosphere was great. Will come back again!!! Highly recommended!!!

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 27/02/2013

Thank you Mimosa! All the staff like your review! We also enjoyed… More »

by Ian L.
16th February 2013

Terrible food … Tom yum was like drinking water and steamed chicken …. The mains were equally lacking in flavour… Waisted $72 …
Service was average but the food was really not edible did not feel like Thai food .. It was jungle food indeed…
Sorry for the bad review but the food is really pathetic and the price is top dollar…

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 16/02/2013

Hi Ian, sorry to hear your experience at my shop. We have been in… More »

by Jacqueline S.
23rd January 2013

I went to this restaurant last night for my birthday. It’s a Tuesday night at 5:30pm, we arrived right on time and were seated. For about half an hour at least, we were the only ones in the place. In fact, I only recall one other family coming in but did not stay. (Takeaway I believe)

I have to agree, as I took a chance even with the reviews, that I would not have to wait long. However, that did not happen. Irrespective of being the only ones in the place, we still got our order placed about 20 minutes after being seated.

When we did give our order, drinks were not offered. So we had water, but would have liked some beers or wines.
I will say, the food was presented well and tasted delicious. Very good price, however, the service could really use alot of work.

I used to work in the hospitality industry and I have never ever let my clients drinks go empty. In the USA we had to work for our money as it was an hourly wage of $2.13 per hour plus tips. You did your all because you knew your income relied on it, but not only that, because you genuinely wanted to be there.

I think I would only go back if I know I had alot of time to kill and was not really hungry.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 16/02/2013

Hey Jacqueline, sorry to hear your experience at at my shop, I… More »

by Meredith
27th November 2012

Have been here several times and keep going back because of the great food. This experience was not as good as the others. I missed the hot towels that you usually get when you arrive. After the lovely entrees, eaten by hand, I asked for a towel but got a cold one. The food was delicious but one of our dishes arrived well after the others- a good 10 minutes. We were not asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu or if we wanted more drinks. I paid cash and got my 17 dollars change in coins. Just average.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 7/01/2013

Dear customers, I am sorry about the hot towel issue. As the… More »

by g r.
20th November 2012

This place is perfect. Food has always been delicious and authentic. I always order curry puffs as my Entree. Mains will be Panang for me ( chicken of course ) and either khao phad for the Mrs… or if I have it my way with my smooth talking.. Getss us the cashew chicken. Double yum…

Place is nice. Chilled out. Get your whiff of kfc to get you hungry and chow down on thai food after..

by Amy L.
17th November 2012

Returned to the restaurant a second time due to its delicious food and beautiful decor. Sadly our experience was far from our first one. We came as a group of 6. There was a 20 minute lag from the time the first person’s meal came out to the time the last person’s meal came out! The rice on our plates were freezing by this stage and the first person to get their meal had pretty much finished by the time all meals arrived. We were also not offered drinks on our arrival. The food was also warm not hot which was a shame. This restaurant was amazing with a group of two people but very poor service with a group of 6. Came away very disappointed and unsatisfied.

by leigh b.
12th October 2012

Went with a Voucher for entrees, mains, rice and a bottle of wine. The food was very tasty, a good mix of spices and good portion sizes. The entree was the chiefs platter with curry puffs spring rolls and money bags, again very good the only small thing was the money bags a little over cooked. It was good value for money the only little thing was the bottle of wine was only a small bottle holding about 2 glasses of wine not the standard full size bottle. But it was still good value and contrary to other reviews the staff were nice and smiled often.We enjoyed our meal and would go back.

by Melanie M.
18th September 2012

Had a very nice dinner. The food was sumptuos, best padthai ever. The larb was something new to our tastebuds & it was very delicious. Very good service too. Ambiance was very thai!

by Darren N.
16th September 2012

Awesome evening had by all! Surprise 40th for 30x. Food was awesome and plentiful!! Very reasonably priced banquet menu! Top quality service from Ray and his team. Allowed us to decorate main area by the bar prior to guests arrival and play own music. All requests were accommodated. $8 corkage was enjoyed by all!! Highly recommend!

by Lisa C.
12th September 2012

Had a meal with 3 friends last night & thoroughly enjoyed it. We did have vouchers, but that didn’t seem to affect the meal portions as they were very generous & very tasty. Lovely waitress. Great to have wine with the offer too! Thanks, we will be back.

by Veronica V.
3rd September 2012

We had a great time here – food was excellent & reasonably priced. Staff were very helpful, friendly and fast. Great atmosphere! Will definitely go back again!

by Nicola C.
6th August 2012

We had a really good meal here, the quality of the food was excellent, and the service was fast.

by Tom P.
2nd August 2012

The food was very good, good atmosphere, the staff very attentive, liked the decor. The only down side was that we were sat in the first area nearest to the bar, and although we had a heater fairly near us, we had to keep our coats on,because it wasnt very warm.

by duke m.
26th May 2012

Came here with a voucher for 2 mains and 2 wines. Bit disappointed to find out that my partner and I were not allowed to swap our wines with soft drinks, as we both did not drink alcohol at all! Surely the soft drinks would have been cheaper for them….?? Made it feel like the voucher was a bit wasted. On the plus side, the curry was a decent size and nice and creamy and the pad thai was good as well. The decor was quite night nice with a little waterfall and plants around the dining area.

by eugene K.
18th May 2012

My first dining experience at Jungle Flavour and I wasn’t disappointed.
With so many ethnic eateries to choose from in Auckland these days, it is the little gestures and tokens of service that set this restaurant apart.
- the staff were attentive for a busy Friday night and water was serve almost immediately when we were seated
- the interior deco and tables were impressive with lovely placemats and proper napkins and Thai cutlery
- the warm hand towels served when we were first seated is a real bonus not normally offered in other Thai restaurant of this category

We even dined on a discount voucher and the set menu we were offered was generous.
The entrees were delightful and both our main courses were substantial portions.
At no point were we regarded as non “full” paying patrons.
Staff were friendly throughout and explained nicely about the additional cost for seafood and duck mains.
My wife did ordered a fish main but a waitress did apologize later that the kitchen had run out so we replaced it with a Larb which was still very good.
Overall, a great meal.

by Malika G.
18th May 2012

Terrible ! No one got back to us so we never had a reservation. We rang and rang… the phone seemed to be off the hook. We rang again but this time no one picked up. Then we emailed and no one answered. What do you think the rating will be !!

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 18/05/2012

Hey M.G, thanks for your review. I do apologize what happened to… More »

by Ella
9th April 2012

What a great find! Located down a quiet side street and good parking. Dinner was tasty and staff were very friendly.

by Talei G.
28th March 2012

What a great restaurant! I live in Manukau and go out of my way to come to Jungle Flavour. The restaurant has such a humble, relaxing atmosphere. The service is great and the food is just delicious! Please keep offering vouchers for Jungle Flavour I love giving them as gifts or taking friends and family to enjoy such fantastic Thai cuisine.

by Sheila N.
19th March 2012

Food was fantastic and reasonably priced!!! Would’ve been nice to get some nice staff – one lady couldn’t even smile and we got no thanks from her when we left. We did like the setup of the restuarant…very Thai!!!

by michael
6th March 2012

I enjoyed my experience at Jungle Flavour.
They were very attentive from the moment we walked in.
The food was delicious (recommend the Red Curry Duck) and the atmosphere was wonderful. The only reason it’s not 5 stars was because of the plastic plants.. But I would go back.

by char
21st January 2012

We ordered delivery an hour ago as it was hard to find delivery places but I would rather stock up the kitchen for the price & cook. The jungle curry was very oily & tasted only of chillie (I like it hot but want flavour too) the green curry was not great either, it was too much cream & not enogh flavour. The portions look ok but hardly any meat in them & quite a bit of cabbage which is not very nice. I would prefer to not have to leave a comment but really, it wasnt cheap & I expected better for the price. Actually for any price it should be good if you are paying for it.

by Vinko
28th December 2011

This is the worst Thai restaurant ever.
Satay chicken – dry
Curry puffs: Pastry not soft enough
Peanut sauce: not tasteful/shortage of balance
Tom Yum/Extremely sour – not enough of chillies and sugar, but in excess of lemon/not even limes
Corkage – On this site it says it is free- I paid $4/Bottle

There are no words to describe my experience, is there a possibility to vote for the closure of this one for the sake of our good taste

by philip
26th November 2011

GOOD POINTS:
Tremedous decor, like a Thai jungle. This is the best decor I have seen in an Auckland Thai restaurant.
The pricing is right. Parking is easy.
The food is high quality and the service is friendly and efficient.
There did not seem to be a charge for extra rice.
The portions were well sized.
They regularly offer great web discount coupons.

BAD POINTS:
I tried hard, but really there is nothing to fault about this place.

by Elise J.
3rd November 2011

Thanks to the new app on our smart phone, we ended up at Jungle Flavor as it had the top rating for Thai in the wider inner-city area. We were not disappointed!

We loved the aesthetic (jungle theme) – it wasn’t tacky, it was quaint.

We ordered the Curry Puffs and Tom Kha for our entree – this was very tasty. We had the Green Curry for our main (we were not super hungry, so shared – yet the portion size was more than enough for us both). It was tasty.

The service was fine. Nothing over and above, per se, but they were on hand when needed and very friendly!!

Thanks for a lovely enjoyable two-and-a-half hour dinner date.

Ben and Elise

by Jaime R.
14th August 2011

I went to this restaurant with a voucher during the week. Although admittedly they didn’t seem overcome with happiness about the voucher, in no way did it affect the food or service, which was friendly, efficient and helpful.
We enjoyed the delicious food which was plentiful, and they packaged up leftovers.

Loved the atmosphere, would be great for a party!

by Guann
11th August 2011

What a fabulous night! we went to there dine in with a new Spreet voucher on 11/08/2011, the dishes looks always good, taste good, and we didn’t find any drop on the portion even with our 2 vouchers. They even offer the hot towel when you sit on the table. Perfect! highly recommended!

by *~tabinoke~*
3rd July 2011

My partner & I had our first experience with Jungle Flavour about 3 years ago when they had first opened. Although we only had gotten a takeout, it was the most elaborate takeout experience ever! From being welcomed by the owner, to being handed our takeout selections in a thick brown paper bag complete with fancy plastic cutlery and patterned red napkins…all with no extra charge. Even the appetisers were served on paper doilies, not just dumped and sweating in plastic containers like with most takeouts. AND, the food was fresh and delicious! Alas, we moved away from the neighbourhood for we would’ve been regulars.

Fast forward to 3 years later: An unsuccessful booking at another thai restaurant for a get-together-dinner with 9 friends and a panicky-swear-lots moment (for the said dinner was 2 nights away) brought to our mind, Jungle Flavour. Thankfully, they accepted our booking for a table of 11! However, my partner and I were honestly a little worried about whether it’d be a good place to go to due to the fact that it has been 3 years and it has recently been receiving negative reviews here on Menu Mania.

SO.

I’m pleased to say that our worries were utterly unnecessary! The place and food was still gorgeous as ever (although it’s really hard to ignore the whiffs of the neighbouring KFC as you make your way there!!…so good but oh-so bad for you…). A cosy environment is created with tasteful decor and separated areas, each with warm lighting and gas heaters. Our own area only had two other small tables. The food was still just as fresh and tasty, and I particularly love it that when I ask for a medium-hot that I’m not met with the disappointingly meek. We started with some appetisers including the Chef’s Specialty which consisted of money bags, spring rolls and curry puffs with pastry that just crumbled in your mouth. For mains we had the Jungle Curry, Red Curry Duck, Stir-fried Prawns and Krapao Duck (duck stir-fried with chilli and basil). All dishes were sublime with plenty of meat and fresh vegetables. A special recommendation has to be made for the tender and tasty duck. One friend, who was a vegetarian, was happy to see that over half the dishes could be made as vegetarian and fully enjoyed her sweet and sour tofu. To top it all off, we greedily shared deep fried bananas served with whipped cream, ice cream and a chocolate flake. Deep fried bananas remind me of my childhood in South East Asia, and Jungle Flavour’s version made me smile…although my tummy was about to burst! And of course, there were refreshing and chilled Chang beers.

And the service? To be honest, we were just so caught up in catching up that I didn’t notice the service too much. Yes, they don’t always smile at you but who wants flakey hospitality? They were incredibly helpful and accommodating to all our requests from wanting vegetarian dishes, to needing extra rice and dessert spoons to share. They were also sensitive enough to allow us plenty of time to chat before we even made our selections and seemed to know just when to make their presence known. Never once did we feel rushed: it was a fully booked Saturday night and we were happily there from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

So yes, thank you Jungle Flavour for a very pleasant experience. We’ll certainly be back! In less than 3 years too!

p/s: no, we did NOT have any vouchers (the pricing was satisfactory, by the way)and I don’t know if the use of vouchers lessen the quality of experience but I think it may unrealistically raise expectations of some bargain hunters… Anyhow, it’s good to see that the manager personally responds to each criticism as it shows that they do take pride in what they do and learn from their mistakes.

p/p/s: the only complaint I have is that the supposed jasmine fragranced hand towels did not smell of jasmine at all…but it was warm!

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 3/07/2011

Wow! Thanks a lot for the return! That was the longest and warmest… More »

by Adeline
22nd June 2011

We used our Spreets voucher to treat ourselves for our 4th wedding anniversary today and were very pleased with our experience. To be honest, I did read the reviews below before actually dining there, so I was pretty apprehensive. But I think the key is to go on a non-busy day, i.e. NOT a weekend. We tried making reservations for a Saturday night earlier but it was always fully booked and was advised to book at least a week earlier. So that’s why we went on a weekday.

They gave us their utmost attention and care, always asking us if we wanted to fill up on rice, how was the food, clearing our plates, etc.

Food had both quantity and quality. The deep-fried snapper with tamarind sauce was excellent. Fried red beef curry with stir-fried vege was yum and the killer was the tomyum goong (we went for Thai spicy for kicks and very well deserved it. Haha).

Great experience, atmosphere and food, we would definitely come again

by Varun C.
29th May 2011

Has been my fav thai resturant for a very long time..the food is great specially med ma muang…friendly staff specially sophia..who is very friendly…Nan and Varun

by Sharon
25th May 2011

Had dinner here recently WITH a voucher. Was skeptical after reading reviews from others who had bad experiences when using their vouchers. I didnt book, tried but couldnt get thru, but it was early in the week so took the chance we would get a table. Would have been annoyed if turned away though as coming from the Shore its still a bit of a hike. However no problem and we were promptly seated and given water for the table. Surroundings and table settings were lovely.
Staff were friendly and attentive but not pushy. Food was lovely and although not being there before meant not knowing if we were getting less by using a voucher we were happy with the quantity and quality of food we were given. Normal prices I feel are very reasonable so would be happy to recommend to others.
If I have to make one, my only gripe would be being asked “You have a voucher??” as soon as we sat down. Not very welcoming and honestly it should make no difference to the treatment you get. I appreciate that vouchers are a good deal for us and not so much for them, but they, like other business offering these vouchers, have gone into it to get repeat and referred business. They make the conditions and as long as they are fully stated on the voucher the aim of the game is happy customers, happy business. Dont make people who use vouchers feel like 2nd rate citizens just because they are getting their meal cheaper. Remember you want them to come back. Thank you though for a pleasant evening.

by Jennifer H.
19th May 2011

good service. however, the mains are quite less…for example, ordered a seafood dish…only had 3 prawns,2 scallops and 3 mussle… and chicken dish with really less chicken

by Shaari
13th May 2011

I have been here on a few occasions and I took my friend here yesterday for her birthday using a spreets voucher. We both thoroughly enjoyed the food, the garlic and pepper prawns were great and so were the satay chicken and curry puff entrees and their accompanying sauces. The service and staff were excellent and I wanted to say a big thanks to one of the staff Josie, she was so helpful and lovely and made us feel very welcome! My friend had a really nice birthday.
I came here last time with a dailydo voucher and have come without a voucher and I have received the same service.The time before I came was in March, I called on a Wednesday and asked if I could book a table for Friday without mentioning i had a voucher. They said they were fully booked and then I explained to them that I had a dailydo voucher and it was my dad’s birthday on Friday and they managed to fit us in for an early dinner reservation, which I thought was very nice of them. All in all every time we have come here we have had a good experience.

by Kerry S.
29th April 2011

We went the restaurant with a group of 10 people during the Easter holiday. It is not the first time for us to go there, and we didn’t feel any difference because of we got a $120 voucher. And also I read the reviews here before we go to the restaurant, and i told all my group members to keep an eye on what will happen to us, but unfortunately, they have done a great job! We even feel they behave better than normal. For example, one of our group member he thought he is good at spicy food, when he order the fried rice with Chicken he said want to Hot, even we told him there hot is quite spicy but he still insist.and finally he couldn’t finish, however, when the waitress notice that she bring a big glass of ice water and cucumber to him. We were quite impressed by that. Anyway, you have done a good job!Jungle Flavor! We support You!

by FoodLover
28th April 2011

I would absolutely concur with the high number of one star ratings on this thai restaurant. Disappointing is all I can say. Firstly when I ring to make a reservation they ask whether I have a voucher, it damn well took me three calls to even get a reservation, and the only slot was over a week away from when I called! I suspect the crap service was due to the voucher. Right, once seated I asked for a baby high chair and the response I got was their only chair had been booked for the night. Well because of the length of time it took to cook our meals we were at the restaurant for at least three hours and during that time the high chair just sat in a corner of the restaurant unused. We left at 9pm and I doubt there would have been more guests with young children come in at that time of the night!! Next the food was hopeless, curries appeared to be watered downand I could literally count the pieces of chicken, duck and beef in the curries we ordered – my goodness that was shocking. We ordered appetizers and following that the staff didn’teven care to replace our appetizer plates with proper sized main sized plates (as what everyone else in the restaurant was being served their mains on). It was very annoying having to eat rice with curry gravy on a dirty half sized plate!!! I won’t be going back to this place anytime soon and I will be making sure friends and family are told of our unfavourable experience. it ou can’t cut the losses from participating in voucher deals then don’t do it as lack of service and bad food experience will only result in lost customers. Thank you.

by Thishan
17th April 2011

We visited this restaurant recently for dinner. The starter was good however green curry, the main we ordered was horrible. It was a very diluted version of the green curry we’ve had at other thai restaurants. The customer service was mediocre with the waitresses not making any effort to be pleasant. I wont be visiting this restaurant again nor recommending it to anyone else.

by Karen
14th April 2011

To be fair, I have not actually eaten at this restaurant…but that’s because I can’t even get a reservation for a table after admitting that I have a voucher! I have rung on 3 separate occasions now over 3 weeks, and get told each time that the restaurant is full during the weekends, when we want to go.
I understand that the owner doesn’t make a profit from these vouchers – but that’s because this is essentially a marketing tool! If customers enjoy your food, then they will come back again next time and maybe even bring friends.
If you have so many conditions surrounding when people can book tables – such as no weekends, weekday dining only, etc – then perhaps you should be honest right from the start and state this on your voucher.
This experience has left me really bitter and I would like a cash refund for my voucher please, as I don’t think I can get a table there anytime soon. I am also no longer excited to try this place.
I’d like to remind the owner of this section from the Fair Trading Act about using bait advertising:

“Bait advertising is advertising goods at a price which is likely to act as a lure to customers where you do not have a sufficient supply of those goods.”

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 18/04/2011

Karen, first of all just let you know normally the booking for… More »

by Charne
11th April 2011

Probably the worst Thai restuarant I have ever been to!!! We were there for a birthday celebration. The two waitresses were rude, did not have a smile or a response to most questions. Had two menu’s to pass around a table of 20 people. Not only that, but the food really was lack luster. You think you are going to get the duck dish with actual duck in it. Paying $22 for a dish with 5 little strips of duck in it and mostly onion was the worst dish I have ever seen! Their garnishes takes up a third of the plate. It was not an impressive looking garnish, it is coldslaw leaves from a supermarket packet, just thrown onto the plate. They were very reluctant to give rice too. Was not greeted on entry, was not seeted, water had to be pleaded for. I would recommend this establishment and their chef and staff take a visit to Ruan Thai in mission bay to get a better sence of what a restuarant should operate as. I actually wanted to walk out and not pay- this is how strongly I felt that this restaurant was definitely not worth it!!!!!

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 13/04/2011

Hi Charne, sorry about you experience at my restaurant. It has… More »

by Kevin
7th April 2011

We bought a spreets voucher online because we have always wanted to try this restaurant. The voucher was for value up to $75 but we were told we could only choose 1 starter and 1 mains each (and no dessert) – it would have been nice to put this in the fine print. My partner requested her meal to be mild and in the end I had to swap my one (which was medium) with hers because it too spicy to eat. It was also hard to find the meat in the meals and the flavour was not really worth going to a restaurant for. The deep fried starters were nice though. Although not having paid the full price we still feel somewhat ripped off. When people come in with vouchers this should be used as a chance to impress the customer into repeatedly coming back again. Other people have obviously had a much better dining experience…

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 13/04/2011

Hi Kevin, I am so sorry about your experience at my restaurant. I… More »

by Shaari
26th March 2011

Thank you Jungle Thai for the lovely night! We came here yesterday for my Dads birthday with a daily do voucher this time and I must say the food was excellent! The service was also great and very quick! We have been here a few times before without a voucher and we found no differences at all! We arrived at 5.45pm for a 6pm booking and were promptly seated and took our time to order. The snapper with tamarind sauce was out of this world and we cant wait to have it again, it was amazing! The satay chicken entrees and curry puffs were absolutely delicious and I enjoyed my yellow chicken curry very much. The garlic prawns were cooked extremely well and tasted fabulous. Would highly recommend the food to others.The atmosphere was great and one of the staff dressed in yellow was particularly lovely and pleasant and kept asking us if everything was okay and if we needed anything else. My father thoroughly enjoyed his birthday here and we are so happy about that! So a big thank you to Jungle Thai and all the lovely staff!

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 13/04/2011

Thank you Shaari. Your comment at the time really means a lot for… More »

by MO
19th March 2011

Not impressed with service and I didn’t even get to eat there! Purchased a daily do voucher and called to book a table. Before confirming if there was a table available they wanted to know if I had a voucher; the answer was then no and they said to come during the week (not practical for me). Not good customer service; what could have been a good new regular for our group will now will not be frequented at all. Feel ripped off – what a waste of $45. I understand the earlier the booking, the better, but if not confirming availability until knowing if you will be using a voucher, it is obviously not fully booked at all. If wanting to limit weekend voucher bookings, this should have been one of the voucher conditions. Very disappointing.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 13/04/2011

Hi Mo, first of all thanks for your time to put a comment here,… More »

by Jacqui H.
10th March 2011

One of our friends had a voucher from those deal websites, we have been here before (without a voucher) and had great service and food. However this time, notice had to be given regarding the voucher before booking – which was fine. Arrived, had a 25 minute wait for service, placed order straight away in hopes we wouldn’t have to wait that long for our food – wrong there. Had to wait longer than others who had placed their order after us. Requests for water were ignored until the waitresses had to be asked 2-3 times. Finally our ‘food’ arrived, which in comparison to our last visit was missing a whole lot of meat. Dishes were brought with gravy and we could literally count the pieces of chicken in our red curry dish. All dishes were lacking meat and the taste was so different to our last visit, watered down gravy dishes. Used to love the spice and taste and quantity most. If this restaurant does not like serving customers that have a voucher they have advertised on Spreets etc then they should not opt for that type of business, as what we got was a whole lot different to what we have had before less the voucher.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 15/03/2011

First of all, Please take my sincerely apology for your bad… More »

by danielle
18th February 2011

We had a voucher from dailydo for $120, so 4 of us booked in for dinner this week. The meals were delicious, and our voucher covered four entrees and four mains which was great value for money. Unfortunately the service was seriously lacking and after a 25 minute wait, had to ask for menus, for our wine to be uncorked, and for water. Once that was sorted the rest of the evening was great. Would be back again for the food.

by Annabelle R.
19th January 2011

It’s very delayed but we had as great dinner on the 9th of December at Jungle Flavour. The food was delicious and the service was great. Thanks for a great dining experience on a very special night

by Noe
17th January 2011

We came here for a birthday dinner on Monday 27th December. The staff were very friendly, the place was very nicely decorated and it had a very cosy atmosphere. The food was nice – plentiful dishes and lots of different flavours. We certainly enjoyed our dinner.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 19/01/2011

Noe, We are appreciating your compliment. We are very happy to… More »

by Carolyn
16th January 2011

Had takeaways from here tonight and it was really good! Had Jungle Pad Thai (pork). We eat Pad Thai often and this is one of the nicest ones we’ve had. Also had the Beef Salad which was beautiful. Shame the lettuce was a bit soggy by the time we got the food home but the delicious flavours made up for it. Very much appreciate slightly cheaper prices for takeaways compared to eating in. Will definitely be going back. Yum, yum, yum!

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 19/01/2011

Thanks for your nice comment. We will keep our food quality as… More »

by Rita
23rd November 2010

great food and service – must go there again

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 17/12/2010

Thank you Greg. We are appreciate your reivew here. Thank your… More »

by Praveen
12th November 2010

We went to Jungle Flavour Thai for a birthday celebration on a Thursday night. There were 10 of us and two babies. Generally we all left feeling quite happy.

Don’t be fooled by outside appearances, which looks like a green shed, inside the restaurant is just gorgeous! Very traditionally decorated, well lit, lovely water and garden features. The staff were also dressed in traditional Thai outfits and looked beautiful.

I loved the hot towels to wash our hands after we were seated. We ordered entrees and dinner which arrived promptly and all at the same time. The main servings were a good portion to share and was delicious but not outstanding. But the prawn tempura’s are what really stood out. The prawns were glistening when the batter fell of and were succulent and moist…hmmmm…yum.

They could improve however the service side…they were polite and prompt, but seemed abit unsure. For instance no one greeted us when we came in through the door or seated us.

We had to ask for water several times and were pretty much left to our own devices until we had to signal for their attention. We didn’t get asked if we wanted any more servings of rice and couldn’t sometimes see the waitress to request for more rice.

It wasn’t malicious…they just seemed abit unsure of themselves and waited to be guided by us instead of being the host.

However I would still go back and recommend others to go. Corkage was cheap at only $3 a bottle and no cakage fee. It was good value for money. However best to have coffees somewhere else as the coffee and hot chocolates were made boiling hot.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 13/11/2010

Hi Praveen, I am appreciating your suggestion, it may not sound… More »

by Rosina-marie B.
7th November 2010

I would like to thank Jungle Flavour Thai Resaurant for the lovely dinner that we had on Thursday 4 November, we were a table of 8 in for a special birthday dinner, the food was wonderful! the service fantastic and our waitress always had a smile for us! We will definately be coming back and I have been recommending you to all my friends:)Thanku!!

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 7/11/2010

We are really appreaciate your reviews Rosina. I showed this… More »

by Anna T.
27th July 2010

My brother always used to get take aways from here and rave about them. We live locally and decided to try one night after the movies – and we were thrilled we stopped to try it!

Great service – pleasant and attentive.
Great food – fresh and tasty and very authentic. Definately one of the better thai restaurants I have experienced in Auckland – always get our thai take aways from here now!!

by Tai
20th May 2010

Beautiful food, just delicious, service was good and so was the price. i will be back.

by Dipal P.
9th May 2010

Delicious FOOD!

Excellent. Loved it. Best Thai Restaurant.

Me and my partner went for dinner one evening, it was around 9. They had us seated in a very nice spot. Quite and romantic. They gave warm hand towels to wipe our hands with. Entrees and food was served quickly. And always paid attention to what you needed.

Must Go!

by Billy
9th April 2010

We have been there twice, the first time was introduced by one of my colleague who is a regular to them, the layout is very impressive and the the food is great. We feel the food they make has been modified a bit to suit the local customers. (We lived in Thailand for 10 years, there are still some Thai food we can’t eat now). Their indoor water fall is spectacular and the service is warm. They quite busy on a Tuesday night with talbe all fully booked, but it is worth for us to wait 25 minutes to be seated, by the way, we received 10% discount from the owner for compensate the waitting time. Highly recommendated! Will come back.

by Andrew
3rd April 2010

A wonderful restaurant with the atmosphere from the front gate leading you to the jungle-theme dine in environment. We just love the idea of the jungle style layout, the place is beautiful, not only mention to the table setting with the brass cutlery and beautiful golden pattern napkins.

The staff are very warm and friendly. The food is fresh and authentic; We love the Panang prawns and the deep fried fish. We drop in on regular basis, we not care about the mileage have done （we live in Northshore) as long as my friends and myself enjoy the food and the memory! highly recommendate.

by steve l.
28th February 2010

I go to this restaurant often and usually in groups of 6-12 people and find it fantastic . The food is high quality and in very generous servings and the location and parking are handy . Service is good and the value for money is outstanding .

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 5/03/2010

Thank you very much Steve. I am very happy to make all your… More »

by Raina S.
18th February 2010

The restaurant is beautiful, with a wall-length water feature as you enter, lovely lighting and jungle-like atmosphere – my parents have recently been to Thailand and they mentioned number of times that it felt like they were in Bangkok.

We ordered three appetisers – the satay chicken, spring rolls, and tempura prawns. The satay chicken was deliciously nutty and very fresh, and the prawns were beautifully cooked and in ample quantity. The spring rolls weren’t spectacular, but weren’t awful.

All of our mains were delicious, highlights being a beautifully cooked duck stir fry and the deep fried snapper – we ordered two different types and thought that the deep snapper with tamarin sauce was divine. I was completely caught off guard by how delicious the Pad Thai was – most other Pad Thai I’ve had has been oily and greasy and it was a delight to taste the nutty, rich flavours of the noodles and not the sickening weight of the oil it was cooked in.

The staff were friendly and polite, even when I elbowed one of them in the head when they bent down to pick up a knife that had fallen off the table (oops!). The facilities were clean, and the tableware and cutlery were fantastic. Parking – both off street and on street – is ample and accessible, and the restaurant was quite full for a Wednesday night.

Our only complaint would be that for summer dining in Auckland’s humidity, it was quite uncomfortable sitting in a non air conditioned environment. We were fanning ourselves with the menus for the majority of the evening, and whenever we ordered water, it was chilled, but the lack of ice-cubes therein meant it didn’t last long. Though the manager saw us and how we were feeling uncomfortable, and without us mentioning it to him, he sourced some cold towels for us and brought it over to the table.

They also obliged to our requests for a knife, plates and spoons to cut a birthday cake with.

Highly recommended!
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[EDIT]: Since originally going to Jungle Flavour, I have been a regular patron of both dine in and takeaway (I work on Dominion Road so Jungle Flavour is a handy lunch option) and have always been thrilled by the food.

I was excited to introduce my friends to Jungle Flavour when they saw a voucher for it on Spreets. I encouraged them to buy it and then we attempted to make a booking. Phoning into the restaurant to book turned out to be a huge drama as there were several different phone numbers published that were associated with Jungle Flavour, and given that if you rang a bit early you got a phone message that said “The number you have dialled is invalid or inactive”, it made it even more confusing knowing whether the number we were dialling was the correct one. When my friend finally got through (and it took a phone call barrage of three of us calling before one of us finally got our call answered) the woman on the phone to her was very rude when she told her that she had a voucher.

She already had a sour opinion of the restaurant and I tried to assure her that the food was fantastic. However, when it arrived, both our green curry and our panang curry were incredibly watery. There was little meat and little vegetables. The pad thai and the pad med mamuang were up to standard, but it was such a shame that the curries were so disappointing. My friend who had been spoken to rudely on the phone had ordered the panang with beef on my recommendation and was incredibly disappointed, and never wants to go back.

I will continue to go to Jungle Flavour as this was only one experience out of several that I have had there, however I would like to issue a word of caution to the restaurant. *Please* do not treat voucher holders any differently to diners without vouchers.

My friend loves Thai food and I am certain that had she been treated with the same courtesy that I had when I first went to Jungle Flavour, she would have been a fan. Unfortunately, the treatment both with her food, and with the service she received because she happened to hold a voucher was bad enough that she has made a decision to never return, and to tell as many people as possible about her experience. Given by the number of reviews on the site with a similar story, my friend is not alone in her experience.

This is not the way to win customers. Should people come in with a voucher, they should enjoy the experience so much that they are keen to experience the food again without a voucher. In the case of my friend, is an opportunity lost, big time.

by anny
11th October 2009

The restaurant is beautifully decorated!!!!!!
My experience of the staff that work there has always been friendly ,efficient and well presented ,that and the food is why we keep going back
After waiting 45 minutes (not 15, as had been stated), we received a disgusting meal…notably before the poor customer beside me who’d been waiting over an hour.
Taste and Quality has gone downhill. Use to have a great flavour now there is barely any. May be due to a new chef? Sauces have become quite thick too. The duck was very good while the panang curry was more like a satay and used far too much oil and sweet.Prawns and Scallops used to be big but now are smaller ,kind of like a cheap takeaway food.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 12/10/2009

Hi Anny, I am appreciating your comment which show me that the… More »

by Foodie
8th October 2009

We have been a few times and while the food is really tasty and reasonable I was very disappointed recently in the cleanliness of the ladies’ toilets which leave a lot to be desired. The walls and floor need regular scrubbing. I hope it gets fixed asap as it is a handy consistent restaurant.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 12/10/2009

Hi there, I personally judge the quality of a restaurant from the… More »

by Harjinder
25th September 2009

Best Thai food I ever had. Very Authentic food. Best part is their consistency. Food taste the same since I went their for first time more than a Year Ago. No Parking Problems. Highly recommend this.

Comment from Ray D. of Jungle Flavour Thai Restaurant & Bar 12/10/2009

i am appreciating your highly recommended comment, hope you enjoy… More »

by Thai food fanatic!
6th August 2009

This is my local Thai restaurant, and my partner and I come here on a regular basis. The best Thai in Auckland at a fraction of the price!

The restaurant is very warm and cosy with fantastic friendly staff.

Won’t go anywhere else!!

by Dirk Diggler
20th July 2009

Amazing food with gorgeous service staff and a warm homely welcome.

Pina Coladas so good that you’ll end up having 3.

Try the deep fried snapper Yummy!

Always seems to be busy but oh so friendly.

by Jid
29th June 2009

Fantastic Thai food in a comfortably warm environment, great polite service, good bathrooms, clean premises and again Fantastic food.

I came here just after it opened a couple of years ago and they have definately picked up their game considerably, I rate this the best Thai in Auckland, and thats saying something because I’m a picky bugger.

This place also got me a lot of mileage with my date which is good.

Well impressed, will be coming again.

by Sandeep
20th June 2009

It was our first time to this restaurant and it was nothing but spectacular! The service was top notch and the food was very great! Strongly recommend it for anyone with a big occasion.

by stephanie
15th June 2009

the best thai i have ever eaten in auckland, cant go anywhere else now!! wondeful service with a superb water feature and hot towels!! five star service for a fraction of some of auckland thai resturant prices!!

by Robin
8th June 2009

It was even better than we had expected. The place was superb! The service was attentive but not invasive and there was a warm friendly atmosphere – with most tables booked. The food was as good as any Thai I have tasted anywhere in the country and is close to Sema’s Thai in Christchurch. Fresh with great flavours and good portions. The panang curry was excellent as well as the deep fried fish. Prices are a few dollars dearer than advertised presently! (Please update your menu!) Whatever happens, we will return. Just hope the crowds will not have increased!!

by Rob Wilkinson
6th May 2009

This place is awesome. one of auckland’s best kept secrets. the people are always friendly and welcoming and the food is the best thai i have ever had. the curries are always creamy and super tasty, the stir frys are fresh and packed full of good veges(and prawns if you’re a seafood fan) and the pad thai is second to none. My personal favourite dish is the panang curry. recommend it to all!

by LoveEat
16th April 2009

We went to there couple of times, it was great experience there. The food is very spice, but the waiter will tell you that their medium is actually hot in other restaurants! They also have a water fall inside which is very awesome! We will return. Highly recommended

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