Java Room Auckland, New Zealand

The owner, Hooi Hing, is a graduate of Les Roches, a Swiss hotel and catering school, and has managed several 5-star hotel restaurants. Exotic, fragrant and aromatic, the menu embraces the cuisine from Bali to Bangkok and India to Indochina. The menu will delight Asian food lovers, from the marinated raw terakihi (fish) in lime jus coated with ginger coconut dressing to Bebek Sumatra boneless roast duck in fragrant green chili curry. Cool down the palate with a refreshing dessert of lychee sorbet. The Java Room is licensed, with a good selection of mainly New Zealand wines.