Warm welcome at Cinta

Jo-Lene Mahon is an experienced writer and editor, having written Food, Wine and Travel articles for lifestyle magazines throughout the Asia Pacific. Originally from Malaysia, she is currently living in Auckland with her German husband and their pet border collie, and on a constant mission to discover the pleasures of her new city. She is currently a freelance writer and shares her daily adventures as an expat living in Auckland on her blog Diary of A Hedonist.

As an expat, and not just any expat but a Malaysian expat, one of the first things you do when you move to a new country is to look for food – Malaysian food to be precise. I’m always excited when I discover an authentic Malaysian restaurant that will satisfy my craving for delicious Malaysian cuisine.

Cinta Restaurant on Dominion Road is one such discovery. The smell of food wafts through the door the minute you walk in. While not a big restaurant, the space is cosy and welcoming, a haven on a cold, autumn night.

With my German husband in tow, we ordered our drinks and settled in, ready for a feast. Wine lovers will be happy to know that they have not one, not two, but up to six pages of wine for you to choose from, a rarity in Asian restaurants.

Both our appetisers arrived in good time, a pleasant surprise considering how full the restaurant was. The Satay Tofu ($7.50) was rather bland on its own, but dribble the sauce on and the dish comes alive. I liked that it wasn’t oily or greasy, with the tofu crispy and light. The peanut sauce was tasty, although a little mild for my Malaysian tastebuds.

Next was the Meat Parcel ($8), which I was happy to see was a rather sizeable portion. Served with sweet chilli sauce, they certainly whetted our appetite while we waited for our mains.

I’d heard about the Butter Prawns ($22), and decided to try them for myself. The prawns were fresh, juicy and succulent and we both really enjoyed the creamy butter sauce. We’d ordered the single portion, which was just nice for two people to share.

Our second main item was the Sizzling Beef with Spring Onions ($22), which arrived sizzling hot as promised, and certainly turned some heads as it made its way to our table. I loved the brown sauce and the fact that it came with plenty of vegetables. The meat was tender and juicy, and overall it was a truly enjoyable dish.

Satiated from our meal, we decided we needed something sweet to complete the experience. I initially wanted a traditional Malaysian dessert, and ordered the Honeydew Sago with Gula Melaka, which they were unfortunately out of.

We opted instead for a Mango Sorbet ($6.50), which was flavourful and refreshing, and arrived in three large generous scoops.

We left Cinta restaurant already planning our next trip back, which is always a good sign. If everything else on their rather detailed menu is as good as the dishes we’d tried, it’s safe to say we’ll be back quite a few more times to try them all.