Cassia

Had the tandoori chicken, partner had the caramelised duck. He enjoyed the duck very much, however the chicken tandoori was pretty bland and I was disappointed with it. We should have gone for the tasting courses instead, I feel we would have been more impressed. Very expensive for the meals we had, which were on standard with other cheaper Indian restaurants in the city. Will return to try the tasting menu

Food is delicious, great presentation but small portion. Cocktail was average. Friendly staff and cool deco, love the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, looks very cool, but too dark inside so non of the photos taken was perfect.

My wife was luckily gifted a voucher from work for Cassia. It feels quite exclusive based on where the restaurant is situated i.e. tucked away in Fort Lane just off Queen Street.

Modern feel with exposed brick, exposed wiring for lights, and dark decor.

Service was great - attentive staff and food came out quickly.

Modern Indian cuisine - we said we do not have dietary requirements and wonder if we could have told them my wife would have preferred mild / medium (she can eat spicy but prefers mild). The eggplant dish was fairly spicy but still tasty and not overpowering. This is not a complaint but rather a point to make for future visitors.

The food was not 'blow-your-head-off' spicy, but offered flavour and a general heat and tingly mouth feel.

Plates are made to share, except for the bites which are almost literally just that - bite sized portions.

We have fairly large appetites (!) and also wanted to sample as much as we could in our visit so we ordered x2 bites each, x3 small dishes, x1 'To Share', x1 garlic naan side, and x1 dessert to share.

Every single dish had heaps of flavour and was presented beautifully!

We ordered the following:
- Pani Puri - my wife had this and is not a huge fan of mint but she wanted to try it and was not disappointed
- x2 Wagyu Beef croquettes - these came to us hot and came with a delicious type of mayo / cream that I wish we had more of!
Crayfish and beetroot cone - also beautifully presented and delicious with a bit of a kick
- Roasted carrot - the macadamia masala was to die for
- Eggplant - divine and a good hit of spice. Perhaps could have done with a little more smoked yoghurt
- Tandoori fish - not too much heat, great flavour, and the fish was cooked perfectly!
- Caramelised duck - this came with rice, and also a bit of a kick. Tender duck, so good
- Chocolate, banana cream, walnut - ice cream, bits of cake/brownie, raspberries, banana cream. Great way to finish off a warm meal with a bit of tart, sweet, cool flavours

This is a fine dining restaurant so expect to pay a little more for your dishes though you certainly get what you pay for at Cassia.

We decided to go with the Taste of India tasting menu. So many delicious courses, served with enough time to relax between courses. The execution of the plates is next level. This would have to be one of the nicest restaurants in Auckland

Mains we ordered the beef short rib and the caramelised duck. Unfortunately we did not enjoy the beef, the cardamom was so strong it overpowered everything. I actually could only have 2 spoon fulls, was so strong. The duck was delicious, soft and the acidity made that dish.