Zap 4

It has been a mystery for us of where do Thais go to get authentic good value Thai food in Auckland. One could easily spot a Thai eatery lacing the city of Auckland, most with stunning decor but pales in authenticity. Often, you find that Thai food in Auckland is on the sweet side and are only mostly available for fine dining.

So when my Thai friend recommended Zap 4 to me, I couldn't contain my excitement of finally having some well-deserved Thai food in a place where the food is cooked by Thais and eaten by Thais.

Wow!! Assured by the Royal Thai Goverment.......don't play play!!

Zap 4 is located on the dingy Commerce Street and not very appealing from the outside or if you have not heard about them. It looks like one of these forgotten food courts in the city with rows of rectangular canteen style tables and chairs and a counter where you order and pay your food.

Curry Puff with Sweet Chilli Sauce (NZ$ 7)

Our entree was the Curry Puffs .....it tastes like some frozen curry puffs you get in from the shops. The filling is a bit too sweet for my liking and I didn't enjoy it too much because I am very spoilt by the Karipaps at home with generous potatoes and curry chicken filling.

Pad Ped Beef (NZ$ 10)

The first dish that arrived was the Pad Ped Beef which is a spicy stir fried beef with phizom, green pepper seeds, bamboo and carrots. It the flavour is rather mild but gives more uummpph after you have swallowed it, that you get that tingle in your throat and tongue....it was very well cooked that none of the ingredient overshadowed the other...taking their turns to evoke your taste buds.

Curry Roasted Duck ( NZ$ 14)

I simply adore curries, and being a big fan of roast duck, this dish has won my attention amongst the long list of offerings at Zap 4. Unlike the version that I have tasted in another Thai restaurant that I went to couple of weeks ago, this one is a lot nicer because not

Pad Prik Grapoan (NZ$ 10)

My Thai friend ordered Pad Prik Grapoan; hot thai chilli stirfried with onion, basil and french beans. I personally think that this dish is the most interesting for the night. It may look like an ordinary stir fry but it packs more flavours than its looks. Would definitely go for it again during my next visit.

Chicken Nam Tok (NZ$ 10)

Nam Tok is a Northeast Thailand dish cooked with bbq meat with ground rice, chilli, lemon juice, spring onion and coriander. I have to say that this is the most ordinary dish of the night although it is rather good. Maybe because that I generally don't enjoy eating chicken breast that is why I didn't like this dish too much but I could imagine that if this would be pork or beef it would be much better just for the fact that these meats has more flavour than chicken breast. Perhaps, even if it was chicken thigh meat it would have been better.

I read in NZ Herald that there's a Zap 2 on Dominion Road. My Thai friends told me that they are the same as Zap 4, only with nicer decor for a proper sit down dinner. It's good to know because I am really looking forward to another trip for Thai food now that I have found something decent and not another cookie cutter Thai restaurants in Auckland serving overpriced food served by waitresses with ADHD.

Zap 4
6 Commerce St
Auckland City
10.30am to 9.00pm

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