Impression Restaurant
CONTACT
Ph: 09 623 1088
Visit Website
395 Mount Eden Road
Mount Eden,
1024 Auckland
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Opening Hours
SUN | 11:00am - 3:00pm |
---|---|
5:00pm - 10:00pm | |
MON | closed |
TUE | 11:00am - 3:00pm |
5:00pm - 10:00pm | |
WED | 11:00am - 3:00pm |
5:00pm - 10:00pm | |
THU | 11:00am - 3:00pm |
5:00pm - 10:00pm | |
FRI | 11:00am - 3:00pm |
5:00pm - 10:00pm | |
SAT | 11:00am - 3:00pm |
5:00pm - 10:00pm |
The Details
Cuisine
- Chinese
Need to Know
- Function Space
- Good for Groups
- Great for Dates
Serving
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Dessert
The Verdict
Following their success in Dunedin, the team behind the popular Chinese restaurant Impression Manor has opened a new eatery in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Impression Restaurant, perched on the corner of Mount Eden Road and Valley Road, raises the bar for the ambience of a traditional Chinese restaurant—think Chinese designs with Western influence. The dining area is decked out with plush velvet booths, oriental windows and a mesmerising red art piece hanging from the ceiling.
From the uniquely numbing Sichuan heat to the delicately balanced notes of Northern cuisine, Impression's dishes showcase the best of what each region has to offer. With categories spanning small plates, cold cuts, soups, poultry, pork, beef, lamb, seafood, vegetables, tofu, fried rice and noodles, you'll be forgiven for wanting to try it all.
Lucky for you then, that Impression offers dishes that traditionally come in table-bending proportions in half sizes, which means you can indulge in more dishes. The Peking Duck is a case in point where a quarter bird easily satisfied four of us and left room for all the other goodies on the table.
A soup rarely leaves such an impression (sorry, not sorry) on us, but the Hot and Sour Soup hits all the right savoury, peppery and tangy notes. Filled with tofu, shredded bamboo shoots, chicken, mushrooms and black fungus, each spoonful of broth is an adventure of different textures.
The Crispy Fried Oyster Mushrooms deliver what their name promises—moreish bites of fungi housed in a sensationally crunchy batter. Mushrooms have never tasted so good.
Impression's Crispy Pork with Vinegar Sauce ain't your average sweet and sour pork—this dish is the OG of northeastern Chinese cuisine. Featuring both black and white vinegar, the use of two types adds a deep tang that can't be achieved with just one vinegar on its own.
The Chef's Special Tofu is an absolute best-seller at their Dunedin restaurant, and with one mouthful you'll understand why. Their housemade tofu is steamed, dipped in egg, fried to golden perfection and paired with a shredded chicken, mushroom and carrot sauce. It's tofu at its finest and you'll want to keep coming back for more.
Of course, a nice dinner out isn't complete with dessert. Don't let the Candied Kumara put you off—named 'Basi Digua' for its pulled threads of sugar, this northern Chinese dish will delight you with the crunch of caramelised sugar coating the warm sweet potato.
Impression also has a sizeable range of cocktails on offer. Ranging from classic to modern, there's something for every palate. For a drink that also comes with a show, order the Old Fashioned. Presented in a glass cloche, this bad boy is smoked at the table and the theatrics add flair to the tried-and-true drink.
Non-drinkers and sober drivers—fear not, Impression has a stellar selection of mocktails and flower teas, meaning that your thirst will be quenched no matter what you're in the mood for. Feeling like a floral number? Try the Jasmine Cucumber Tea—featuring jasmine tea with cucumber, lychee and lime, this mocktail is equal parts botanic and zesty.
For a Chinese restaurant that leaves a lasting mark on your palate, dine at Impression and experience the true essence of Chinese cuisine.
Image credit: Wono Kim