Joy Bong

What a joy!
Joy Bong Thai is great for groups — the restaurant is quite big and there are three separate dining areas. The décor is tasteful and unique plus the addition of an underground cellar with a glass ceiling makes an interesting thing to peer into. If you ask nicely, one of the friendly staff will take you down for a gander.
The food is fresh and vibrant. The mixed appetiser is a good choice to start with as you get a mix of flavours. My other half had the ribs and he nearly started licking the left over sauce from his plate! I had the sizzling beef served on a hot plate for my main and it was great (and it’s always exciting to get food sizzling away in front of you). You are given your main plus a bowl of rice which can be a little messy but it works if you want to share your meal with others. Other people at my table rated the duck curry with lychees and the chicken massaman curry.
The restaurant is BYO which makes the bill a bit easier to swallow (corkage is $ 7 each) however I found I was still hungry a few hours after my $ 23 curry. If the portion sizes were bigger then I would be raving on about it to all my friends.
The staff do have a sense of humour though as the cocktail section of the menu is called «A Hit From The Bong.»
Overall I would recommend Joy Bong Thai. The added bonus of easy parking on Hereford St and K Rd means that it’s easy to get to so make sure you give it a try.

Best Thai in Auckland. Larb Gai and Crispy Chicken are really excellent.

This place was Joy Bong for years, then briefly Monarchy, and now, the restaurant that stood proudly on that corner of K’Road for so many years is back. While the wait staff couldn’t help me solve the mystery of how and when the restaurant had changed hands, they were able to serve up some of the nicest Thai food I’ve ever had.
From the shredded roast duck to the Chiang Mai larb, I had no complaints at Joy Bong. Right down to the sticky rice served in woven baskets, this felt like the real deal (with a bit of swank thrown in for good measure). The restaurant is exquisitely laid out and has polite and swift service staff. Would recommend.