It was with some trepidation I had originally eaten at Hare Krishna on the always friendly Karangahape Road. As a red blooded, carnivorous male I looked with scorn upon those I deemed vegetarians. What could they possibly know? With their bacon-less existence, steak-filled nightmares and tofu-fuelled war cries against the mainstream. As far as I could tell, they were barely alive. Boy, I was wrong.
Snazzy digs these ones
Like all good stories, it began at University – a hotbed of experimentation and new experiences – and one that led me, during a particularly wild bout of trialling, to give ‘Hare Krishna: Food For Life’ a go. The result? I knew this was the goodness. I knew that I had to share this experience with my Corporate Lunchbox compatriots, if only to open their minds to the possibilities of a 100% vegetarian meal.
Are you not entertained? Just look at the face on that Desmond.
Hare Krishna have an eclectic range of options, from a fried potato mix-up, to vegetable lasagne, samosas, soups, vegetable curries and my personal favourite – pakoras (like a very soft falafel that has been deep fried, seriously delicious).
Options, is what I am saying.
We went with the regular deal, a $6 combo, with more rice, vegetables and unidentifiable ingredients than I can handle. You get your standard rice and vegetable curry, 3 pakoras, some kind of soup, and a dessert that is a delicious blend of some kind of pudding, raisins and custard. This is the mainstream combo, and perfectly agreeable – if you want to branch out, feel free, but to be honest I’ve never felt the need.
A tasty dish
Drink options aren’t hugely varied, but your basic free water keeps it easy, or go dangerous with a can of SARSparilla or similar budget $1 can. With a DIY dishes (please put the dirty dishes in the box at the back of the restaurant) and the prison style plates and cutlery, you can’t beat the dinky, Super-Max style atmosphere.
Like Bunnings, Hare Krishna can’t be beaten on price, so if you’re after a seriously cheap, but extremely delicious meal, this meat-free option is hard to pass. I highly recommend.
Overall Rating: 7/10
- Location: 8/10
- Value: 15/10
- Service: 4/10
- Quality: 8/10
- Environment: 8/10
- X-factor: 10/10
Hare Krishna - 268 Karangahape Road, Auckland
