Ratha’s Restaurants: New Zealand Café
Place: New Zealand Café
Address: 1717 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270
Cuisine: New Zealand, Chinese, Japanese
Price ($-$$$): $
Sweet Tea (Yay/Nay): Yay
I first heard of New Zealand Café last summer while doing extensive Google searches looking for good Asian food. Asian food in Charlotte is decent at best, but the Queen City offers a handful of phenomenal spots. New Zealand Café is one of them.
The best way I can describe NZC is hole in the wall. When you pull up, you drive past an old, abandoned run-down building of what looks to be a former Burger King. The parking lot of the strip mall isn’t in the best condition, but do not let that deter you from dining at NZC. To me, these are the best spots. Sometimes restaurants tend to focus on their location, interior decoration, and food presentation over their actual plates. Don’t get me wrong, those types of details are cool and all, but nothing should be prioritized over the quality and taste of food. This of course does not mean compromising sanitation standards in any means.
There is almost always a wait. NZC is a very small restaurant with about 10 tables in total inside and a few tables outside. Surprisingly enough, the food is very cheap. Sushi rolls range from $3.95 to $11.95. The Bento Box styled meals are around $7.25 to $13.95.
It never fails, I will get the Bento Box styled meals damn near every time I go. On to the entrée, each Bento Box meal comes with a salad, two pieces of fried shrimp/chicken skewers, rice or noodles (your choice), and two crab raviolis. My favorite is the honey chicken and shrimp. The shrimp and chicken aren’t breaded for filler, but instead for texture. The taste is sweet with a side of tangy. Broccoli, celery, and onion compliment the sauce as well as the chicken and shrimp. The shrimp sauce is a perfect balance between sweet and fatty. The rice is good, as it is with 90% of Asian restaurants. The rangoon is crunchy with cream-cheese filling, very yummy when dipped into either the shrimp sauce or the sweet and sour sauce provided. Fried shrimp and chicken skewers are up to standard as per usual. Ironically, my favorite part of the Bento Box besides the entrée is the salad. The salad is always fresh, and the dressing (which I’ve speculated to be the shrimp sauce, idk I could be wrong) is absolutely perfect. The salad isn’t overdressed, and it’s not bland so it doesn’t make you feel like eating it is a chore. It’s minimal, but it’s quite refreshing. NZC does more with less. Pair this meal with either water or sweet tea, and it’s unbeatable, not to mention, their service is great, too.
I’ve had their New Zealand Chicken, Mango Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Calamari, Miso Soup, Teriyaki Chicken Noodles, and their Seafood Roll. All have been excellent and have left me extremely satisfied. When I go to restaurants, I never make judgement on location or even service to be honest with you. It’s 100% about the food. Everything else is extra. Before I make my final judgement on a restaurant, I make sure to try different dishes, a couple of appetizers, and a few dishes special to that place. New Zealand has it all, the food, the service, the sweet tea along with all the extras. New Zealand Café is my favorite restaurant I’ve been to since I’ve lived in Charlotte for the past 7 years. They blend different cuisines that gives you a taste of what New Zealand could be like, enhancing your imagination one bite at a time.
Check out my impressions below, let me know what you think. Have you been to New Zealand Cafe before? If so, what did you think?? Leave a comment below!
(Click on the photos to enlarge and right key progress through photos. If photos appear pixelated while enlarged, wait a few seconds for the display to adjust. Thanks!)
