Restaurant Month 2026: 7 Auckland Events Celebrating the Stories Behind Food

We all know Auckland is a melting pot of cultures, and this year’s Auckland Restaurant Month is putting a spotlight on these rich food stories with a series of one-off dining events. Presented by Chow Luck Club, How We Eat brings together city-centre restaurants for seven intimate dining experiences.

From an Ethiopian feast and sizzling teppanyaki night, to a Korean street food journey and Latin American celebration, discover events that go beyond the plate, revealing the culinary traditions that shape Auckland’s food culture.

A Shared Table

Communal dining sits at the heart of Ethiopian hospitality, and Addis Ethiopian Cafe is opening its table for Habesha Night. Centred around the gebeta (communal platter), guests are invited to follow Ethiopian customs like eating with hands and feeding one another. Expect a generous spread of beyanetu – a vegetarian platter layered with aromatic flavours – alongside the slow-cooked chicken doro wat stew, before the evening concludes with the ritual of a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony.

Community also plays centrepiece at HomeCooked’s Kamayan & Crackling Boodle Fight Night. A dining tradition that hails from the Philippines, guests will gather around a long table lined with banana leaves and participate in traditional kamayan dining (eating by hand). A custom that originated in the military, this communal style of dining represents camaraderie and equality, bringing people together to enjoy delicious Filipino grilled meats, seafood and rice dishes.

Chefs Honouring Their Family Roots

A number of Auckland chefs are drawing inspiration from their family roots with a series of special dining events during Auckland Restaurant Month.

Chef Angela Nguyen is celebrating the unique Hue cuisine of Vietnam as she invites her mother, Mai Le, to host a family-style dinner at her restaurant Chè Việt for A Hue Culinary Journey | Hương Sắc Huế. Celebrating her family’s style of cooking that is rooted in royal tradition and features bold, spicy flavours, Nguyen will showcase family recipes that she learnt from her mother growing up, and invite diners to learn about Hue culinary customs along the way.

Chef Sid Chopra is also offering a peek into his family food story at his modern Indian restaurant GOAT by Sid Chopra. As a chef showcasing Aotearoa’s vibrant Indian dining scene, Chopra draws inspiration from India’s vast culinary landscape, weaving together the regional flavours of Goa, Nagaland and Bengal with memories from his own family table. His Indian Memories to late - Sid’s Table event sees him bring together nostalgic dishes from his grandmother’s kitchen alongside modern plates influenced by his years of travel.

Street Food Comes Alive

Street food is the bustling heart of many cultures and Korean restaurant Ongi is celebrating a 600-year street food tradition with a four-course dinner. From Royal Court to Modern Table recreates the flavours found at pojangmacha street food carts, paying homage to a tradition that emerged out of the Joseon Dynasty of the 1400s and continues to today. Dishes will be paired with specially-crafted drinks including soju and makgeolli (rice wine).

Dinners with Flavour and Flair

Two Auckland restaurants are injecting tableside flair to their How We Eat dinner events.

First up, Daikoku is hosting an exciting Teppanyaki & Sake: Sizzle and Show event on Wednesday 19 August. As the city centre’s oldest teppanyaki restaurant, Daikoku is all about upholding the lively tradition of teppanyaki. The feast begins with a traditional sake barrel opening ceremony, starting off the evening with a symbol of good fortune. Those who have experienced teppanyaki – the Japanese tradition of cooking in front of diners on a sizzling hot plate – will know it is a thrilling experience and Daikoku’s skilled teppanyaki chefs promise a lively evening filled with delicious food, Japanese culture and a bit of culinary theatre.

Chilean eatery El Origen will be taking guests on a culinary journey across Latin America for the How We Eat: Somos Latina event. Starting off in Chile, the multi-course dinner will wind its way through the diverse flavours of Peru, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico. As one of the city’s best Latin American dining spots, El Origen will give guests a full-sensory experience, pairing tasty bites with live Latin American music and dance to get you into the full spirit of celebration