Sunlight Cafe & Takeaway 新樂餐廳

About Sunlight Cafe & Takeaway 新樂餐廳

Sunlight Cafe & Takeaway 新樂餐廳 sits on Gooch Place in Somerville, Auckland, serving the kind of Hong Kong-style café food known as cha chaan teng cooking. The menu runs from breakfast and brunch plates through hearty lunches: single set meals with iced drinks, stir-fried chicken, beef, pork and seafood dishes, bubbling hot pots, fried rice, baked rice and spaghetti, noodle soups, grilled Western-style plates and sandwiches.

Dishes people return for include the aromatic chicken leg with curry sauce, comforting baked pork chop on fried rice, and the refreshing red bean ice drink. The hot milk tea draws particular praise — reviewers say it tastes exactly like the versions poured in Hong Kong — and the French toast is known for arriving light and fluffy rather than flat and soggy.

The decor is modest, but the genuine flavours and reasonably priced meals have made it a beloved stop for both locals and visitors after a slice of Hong Kong. It's good for kids, accepts NFC mobile payments, and offers a dedicated vegetarian menu. Service can be brisk during busy hours, but the cooking shines through.

Sunlight Cafe & Takeaway: Somerville's Cha Chaan Teng Bringing Authentic Hong Kong Flavours to Auckland

On Gooch Place in Somerville, Auckland, Sunlight Cafe & Takeaway 新樂餐廳 keeps a beloved tradition alive: the cha chaan teng, Hong Kong's everyday neighbourhood café where the milk tea is strong, the portions are generous and the menu stretches from breakfast plates to baked rice. For east Aucklanders — especially those who grew up with these cafés — it has become a destination for a genuine taste of Hong Kong that is getting harder to find in the city.

A menu built for comfort

The menu reads the way a cha chaan teng menu should. Single set meals pair a main with one of the house's signature iced drinks — chicken with sweet corn alongside a red bean ice, or a chicken leg in curry sauce with a pineapple ice. From there the list spreads wide: stir-fried chicken, beef, pork, prawn and fish dishes; bubbling hot pots that run from curry chicken to Japanese-style seafood; an extensive 'on rice' section covering everything from sweet and sour pork to beef brisket with curry; fried rice in styles from Yeung Chow to chicken with salted fish; and Western-style plates such as grilled steak or cutlet pork chop.

The baked rice and spaghetti section is where the cha chaan teng heart beats loudest. Pork chop baked on fried rice, seafood baked with cheese, chicken fillet in Portuguese-style sauce, or a simple ham and egg on spaghetti — these are the dishes Hong Kongers grew up on. Sandwiches, from ham and egg to the combination sandwich, cover quicker bites, and a full vegetarian menu offers tofu hot pots, stir-fried greens and vegetable rice for non-meat eaters.

Milk tea, French toast and afternoon rituals

Ask regulars what to order first and the answers come quickly. The hot milk tea is the headline act — reviewers describe it as tasting exactly like the versions poured in Hong Kong, high praise in a city full of imitations. The French toast runs a close second, praised for arriving light and fluffy rather than flat and soggy. The red bean ice drink, a chilled signature that comes with the set meals, rounds out the trio. An afternoon tea set featuring that French toast turns a spare hour into a proper cha chaan teng ritual.

What a visit feels like

The room itself is modest rather than fancy, and that is part of the charm. This is a cozy, accessible café suited to a quick bite or a leisurely meal — brunch and lunch are when it shines, kids are welcome, and NFC mobile payments keep things moving. Meals sit at the reasonable end, and takeaway is right there in the name. One honest note that shows up in reviews: when the café gets busy, service can be slow or brusque. Regulars treat it as the trade-off for food this authentic, and many simply plan an off-peak visit.

Worth knowing before you go

Come hungry and consider one of the single set meals, which bundle a main with a red bean or pineapple ice drink. If it is your first visit, the safe bets are the milk tea, the French toast and something from the baked rice list — the pork chop version is the classic. Vegetarians have a genuine menu of their own rather than a token option. To check anything before heading out, the café can be reached on +64 9 869 4109, and it sits at b3/9 Gooch Place in Somerville.

For anyone craving the flavours of a Hong Kong café in Auckland — curry chicken leg over rice, seafood baked with cheese, a proper hot milk tea — Sunlight Cafe & Takeaway delivers a slice of Hong Kong, one comforting plate at a time.

Signature items

• Hot Milk Tea
• French Toast
• Red Bean Ice Drink
• Baked Pork Chop On Fried Rice
• Chicken Leg With Curry Sauce
• Baked Seafood With Cheese On Fried Rice

Menu

Grilled

• Grilled Bolognese — Grilled bolognese pasta
• Grilled Pork Chop Spaghetti Or Rice — Grilled pork chop with spaghetti or rice
• Grilled Steak Spaghetti Or Rice — Grilled steak with spaghetti or rice
• Grilled Chicken Fillet Spaghetti Or Rice — Grilled chicken fillet, spaghetti or rice
• Grilled Seafood Spaghetti Or Rice — Grilled seafood with spaghetti or rice
• Grilled Cutlet Fish Fillet Spaghetti — Grilled cutlet fish fillet with spaghetti
• Grilled Sour Veges Beef Fried Noodle — Fried noodles with beef and sour vegetables
• Grilled Combination Meat Fried Noodle — Fried noodles with a combination of grilled meats
• Grilled Chicken With Portuguese-Style Sauce Spaghetti — Chicken in Portuguese sauce with spaghetti

Hot Pot

• Fish & To Fu With Beancurds — Pot of fish with tofu and beancurd
• Fish & Veges & To Fu Pot — Fish, vegetables and tofu simmered together
• Fish & Eggplants Pot — Fish and eggplant hot pot
• Fish & Potatoes With Curry — Fish and potato curry pot
• Curry Chicken Pot — Chicken in a curry hot pot
• Chicken & Potatoes With Oyster Sauce Pot — Chicken and potatoes in oyster sauce
• Jill Jill Chicken Pot — House-special 'jill jill' style chicken pot
• Chicken & Mushroom Pot — Chicken and mushrooms simmered together
• Chicken & Vermicelli With Satay Sauce Pot — Chicken and vermicelli in satay sauce
• Spring Onion Chicken With Black Bean Sauce Pot — Chicken with spring onion in black bean sauce
• Chicken & Eggplants Pot — Chicken and eggplant hot pot
• Chicken & To Fu With Salty-Fish Pot — Chicken and tofu with salted fish
• Japanese Style Seafood Pot — Seafood hot pot, Japanese style
• Curry Seafood Pot — Mixed seafood in curry broth
• Seafood & To Fu Pot — Seafood and tofu hot pot
• Jill Jill Spare Ribs Pot — 'Jill jill' style spare ribs pot
• Pork & Veges & To Fu Pot — Pork, vegetables and tofu in a pot
• To Fu & Pork With Spicy Sauce Pot — Tofu and pork in a spicy sauce
• Pork & Salty-Fish With Eggplants Pot — Pork and salted fish with eggplant
• Pork Belly With Sweet Veges Pot — Pork belly with sweet vegetables
• Combination Meat Pot — A mix of meats in one hearty pot

On Rice

• Chicken With Black Pepper Sauce & Green Pepper — Chicken with capsicum in black pepper sauce
• Chicken With Pineapple & Sweet Sour Sauce — Chicken and pineapple in sweet and sour sauce
• Chicken With Vegetables & Sweet Sour Sauce — Chicken and vegetables, sweet and sour
• Chicken With Sweet Corn — Chicken in sweet corn sauce on rice
• Pork & Cash Nuts On Rice — Pork with cashews on rice
• Pork & Sweet Corn — Pork in sweet corn sauce
• Sweet & Sour Pork — Sweet and sour pork on rice
• Spare Ribs With Black Bean Sauce — Ribs in black bean sauce on rice
• Pork & Veges — Pork with vegetables on rice
• Spare Ribs & Veges — Ribs and vegetables on rice
• Pork With Egg — Pork served with egg on rice
• Sweet Veges Pork Belly On Rice — Pork belly with sweet vegetables
• Pork & Eggplant With Salty Fish On Rice — Pork, eggplant and salted fish
• Beef With Black Bean Sauce — Beef in black bean sauce
• Beef With Veges — Beef with vegetables on rice
• Beef & Raw Egg — Beef topped with a raw egg
• Beef Brisket & Veges — Beef brisket with vegetables
• Beef With Tomatoes — Beef simmered with tomatoes
• Beef With Curry Sauce & Potatoes — Beef and potato in curry sauce
• Beef Brisket With Curry Sauce — Brisket in curry sauce
• Chicken With Curry Sauce — Chicken in Hong Kong-style curry
• Chicken Fillet With Curry Sauce — Chicken fillet in curry sauce
• Steak With Curry Sauce — Steak in curry sauce
• Pork Chop With Curry Sauce — Pork chop in curry sauce
• Chicken Leg With Curry Sauce — Chicken leg in aromatic curry sauce
• Steak, Pork Chop, Egg & Sausage — A hearty mixed plate on rice

Fried Rice

• Fried Rice With Diced Pork In Five Spices — Fried rice with five-spice diced pork
• Fried Rice With Double Pork — Two kinds of pork in one fried rice
• Ham & Egg Fried Rice — Classic ham and egg fried rice
• Beef Fried Rice With Curry Sauce — Beef fried rice with curry sauce
• Fried Rice In Japanese Style — Japanese-style fried rice
• Seafood Fried Rice — Fried rice with mixed seafood
• Shrimp Fried Rice — Fried rice with shrimp
• BBQ Pork Fried Rice — Fried rice with BBQ pork
• Fried Rice In Fukien Style — Fukien-style fried rice
• Yeung Chow Fried Rice — Classic Yeung Chow fried rice
• Bacon, Sausages, Mix Veges With Tomato Sauce Fried Rice — Fried rice with bacon, sausage and tomato sauce
• Fried Rice With Beef & Mix Veges — Beef and vegetable fried rice
• Chicken Fried Rice — Fried rice with chicken
• Pork With Shrimp Sauce Fried Rice Or Beef — Pork or beef fried rice with shrimp sauce
• Chicken & Salty Fish Fried Rice — Chicken and salted fish fried rice
• Combination Meat Fried Rice — Fried rice with mixed meats
• Fried Rice With Scallop And Egg White — Scallop and egg white fried rice
• Shrimp With White Sauce & Chicken With Tomato Sauce — Shrimp in white sauce, chicken in tomato sauce

Special Meal

• Pickled Cabbage & Pork Vermicelli Soup — Tangy pork and pickled cabbage vermicelli soup
• Beef With Satay Sauce Noodle Soup — Noodle soup with satay beef
• Ham Pasta Soup — Pasta soup with ham
• Spicy Pork Noodle Soup — Noodle soup with spicy pork
• Grilled Steak — Grilled steak plate
• Cutlet Pork Chop — Cutlet-style pork chop
• Grilled Chicken Fillet — Grilled chicken fillet
• Cutlet Fish Fillet — Cutlet-style fish fillet
• Steak With Black Pepper Sauce — Steak with black pepper sauce
• Pork Chop With Onion Sauce — Pork chop with onion sauce
• Steak, Pork Chop, Chicken Wing, Sausage And Egg — A mixed grill with all the trimmings
• Chicken Fillet With Garlic Sauce — Chicken fillet in garlic sauce

Fried Noodles

• Spicy Pork With Vermicelli — Vermicelli stir-fried with spicy pork
• Stir-Fried Beef Rice Noodle — Rice noodles stir-fried with beef
• Pork & Bean Sprout Fried Noodle — Fried noodles with pork and bean sprouts
• Stir-Fried Vermicelli In Singapore Style — Singapore-style stir-fried vermicelli
• Pork & Egg On Fried Rice Noodle — Fried rice noodles with pork and egg
• Stir-Fried Black Beef Spaghetti — Spaghetti stir-fried with beef in black sauce
• Stir-Fried Pork Chop Spaghetti — Spaghetti with stir-fried pork chop
• Ha Mun Stir-Fried Vermicelli — Ha Mun-style stir-fried vermicelli
• Stir-Fried Chicken With Satay Sauce Spaghetti — Spaghetti with chicken in satay sauce
• Mushroom & Veges Or Yei Mein — Yei mein noodles with mushroom and vegetables
• Dried-Scallop With Vermicelli Or Yei Mei — Noodles with dried scallop
• Beef With Sour Veges Fried Noodles — Fried noodles with beef and sour vegetables
• Stir-Fried Mushroom Yei Mein — Yei mein with mushrooms
• Stir-Fried Spicy Pork Noodles — Noodles tossed with spicy pork
• Pork With Pickled Cabbage Veges Stir-Fried Vermicelli — Vermicelli with pork and pickled cabbage
• Stir-Fried Beef Pasta Or Instant Noodles — Beef with pasta or instant noodles, stir-fried
• Stir-Fried Seafood Udon — Udon stir-fried with mixed seafood

Chicken Dishes

• Chicken & Lemon — Chicken in a tangy lemon sauce
• Veges & Chicken — Stir-fried chicken with seasonal vegetables
• Chicken With Spicy Sauce — Chicken tossed in a spicy sauce
• Chicken With Pepper & Salt — Chicken seasoned with pepper and salt
• Chicken With Cashewnut & Veges — Chicken stir-fried with cashews and vegetables
• Sweet & Sour Chicken — Classic sweet and sour chicken
• Beef & Veges — Tender beef with seasonal greens
• Beef Filet With Tomato Sauce — Beef fillet in tomato sauce
• Sauteed Beef Fillet With Black Pepper — Seared beef fillet with black pepper
• Beef With Black Bean Sauce — Beef in savoury black bean sauce
• Beef With Cash Nuts & Black Pepper Sauce — Beef with cashews in black pepper sauce
• Beef With Spicy Sauce — Beef in a hot, punchy sauce
• Beef & Tomatoes With Egg — Beef and tomato cooked with egg
• Sweet & Sour Pork — Golden pork in sweet and sour sauce
• Pork Chop With Salad Sauce — Pork chop served with salad-style sauce
• Pork & Veges — Pork stir-fried with vegetables
• Ham With Seafood Egg Fu-Young — Egg foo young with ham and seafood
• Pork & Pineapples — Pork with sweet pineapple
• Pork Chop With Salt & Pepper — Fried pork chop with salt and pepper
• Prawns With Salad Sauce — Prawns dressed in salad sauce
• Prawns With Pepper & Salt — Prawns with pepper and salt
• Prawns With Egg — Prawns cooked with egg
• Prawns & Veges — Prawns with fresh vegetables
• Fish & Cash Nuts With Black Pepper Sauce — Fish and cashews in black pepper sauce
• Fish & Eggplants With Spicy Sauce — Fish and eggplant in spicy sauce
• Deep Fried Fish & Veges — Crisp fried fish with vegetables

Noodle In Soup

• Ham Paste Soup — Soup with ham paste
• Ham & Egg Noodle Soup — Noodle soup with ham and egg
• Pickled Cabbage & Pork Vermicelli Soup — Tangy vermicelli soup with pork
• Beef With Satay Sauce — Beef in satay sauce with noodles
• Beef Brisket Noodle Soup — Beef brisket noodle soup
• Chicken With Satay Sauce — Chicken in satay sauce with noodles
• Pork & Bean Sprout Noodle Soup — Noodle soup with pork and bean sprouts
• Pork & Veges Noodle Soup (Big) — Hearty pork and vegetable noodle soup
• Shredded Pork And Vegetables With Rice Noodles — Rice noodles with shredded pork and vegetables
• Japanese Seafood Udon Or Noodles — Seafood udon or noodles, Japanese style
• Shredded Rice Noodles With Seasonal Vegetables — Rice noodles with seasonal vegetables

Single Set Meal

• Chicken With Sweet Corn + Red Bean Ice Drink (Single Set) — Set of sweet-corn chicken with the house red bean ice drink
• Sweet Veges Pork Belly On Rice + Red Bean Ice Drink (Single Set) — Pork belly with sweet vegetables on rice, plus red bean ice
• Chicken Leg With Curry Sauce + Pineapple Ice Drink (Single Set) — Curried chicken leg with rice and a pineapple ice drink

Vegetarian Food

• Choy Sum With Oyster Sauce/Soya Sauce — Blanched choy sum with oyster or soy sauce
• Pak Choy With Oyster Sauce/Soya Sauce — Pak choy with oyster or soy sauce
• Cabbage Veges With Oyster Sauce/Soya Sauce — Cabbage with oyster or soy sauce
• Mixed Veges & Vermicelli Pot — Vegetables and vermicelli hot pot
• Deep-Fried To Fu & Veges — Crisp fried tofu with vegetables
• To Fu & Beancurd Pot — Tofu and beancurd hot pot
• Spicy To Fu & Eggplants Pot — Tofu and eggplant in spicy sauce
• Mushroom & Lettuces With Dried-Scallop — Mushrooms and greens with dried scallop
• Eight Kinds Of Veges Mixed — Eight vegetables in one dish
• To Fu & Cash Nuts With Veges — Tofu with cashews and vegetables
• Deep-Fried To Fu With Pepper & Salt — Crisp tofu with pepper and salt
• To Fu With Pickled Cabbage Veges — Tofu with pickled cabbage
• To Fu With Sweet Corn — Tofu in sweet corn sauce
• Mix Veges Baked With Portuguese-Style Sauce — Baked vegetables in Portuguese-style sauce
• Stir-Fried Choy Sum With Garlic — Choy sum wok-tossed with garlic
• Stir-Fried Pak Choy With Garlic — Pak choy with garlic
• Stir-Fried Veges With Ginger — Seasonal greens with ginger
• Stir-Fried Mix Veges With/Without Garlic — Mixed vegetables, garlic optional

Vegetarian On Rice

• Potatoes With Curry Sauce — Potatoes in curry sauce on rice
• Mix Veges With Curry Sauce — Mixed vegetables in curry sauce
• Eight Kinds Of Veges On Rice — Eight vegetables over rice
• Mushroom With Veges On Rice — Mushrooms and vegetables on rice
• To-Fu & Veges On Rice — Tofu and vegetables on rice
• Fried Egg With Tomato — Fried egg with tomato on rice
• To-Fu & Eggplant On Rice — Tofu and eggplant on rice
• Deep-Fried To-Fu With Sweet Corn On Rice — Crisp tofu with sweet corn
• Deep-Fried To-Fu & Pickled Cabbage Veges On Rice — Crisp tofu with pickled cabbage
• Mix Veges Fried Rice — Fried rice with mixed vegetables
• Baked Rice With Potatoes & Curry Sauce — Baked rice with potato curry
• Mix Veges Fried Noodles — Fried noodles with mixed vegetables
• Baked Rice With Veges & Portuguese — Baked rice with vegetables in Portuguese-style sauce

Western-Style Rice

• Beef On Rice — Beef served Western-style on rice
• Pork Chop On Rice — Pork chop served on rice
• Chicken Fillet On Rice — Chicken fillet on rice
• Pork Chop & Steak On Rice — Pork chop and steak on rice

Baked Rice & Spaghetti

• Baked Pork Chop On Fried Rice — Pork chop baked over fried rice
• Baked Steak On Fried Rice — Steak baked over fried rice
• Baked Bolognese Spaghetti — Spaghetti baked with bolognese
• Baked Seafood With Sauce On Fried Rice — Seafood baked over rice in sauce
• Baked Mushroom With Cheese Spaghetti — Mushroom spaghetti baked with cheese
• Baked Seafood With Cheese On Fried Rice — Cheesy baked seafood rice
• Baked Chicken Fillet On Fried Rice — Chicken fillet baked over fried rice
• Baked Fish Fillet On Fried Rice — Fish fillet baked over fried rice
• Bolognese On Spaghetti — Spaghetti with bolognese sauce
• Seafood On Spaghetti — Spaghetti with seafood
• Steak On Spaghetti — Spaghetti with steak
• Beef & Tomato On Spaghetti — Spaghetti with beef and tomato
• Pork Chop On Spaghetti — Spaghetti with pork chop
• Chicken Leg On Spaghetti — Spaghetti with chicken leg
• Chicken Wings On Spaghetti — Spaghetti with chicken wings
• Pork Chop & Steak On Spaghetti — Spaghetti with pork chop and steak
• Pork Chop, Steak, Egg & Sausage On Spaghetti — Loaded spaghetti with a mixed grill
• Ham & Egg On Spaghetti — Spaghetti with ham and egg
• Baked Chicken With Portuguese-Style Sauce On Fried Rice — Baked chicken in Portuguese-style sauce

Frequently asked questions

What kind of cuisine does Sunlight Cafe & Takeaway serve?

Authentic Hong Kong-style café (cha chaan teng) food — baked rice and spaghetti, fried rice, noodle soups, hot pots, grilled plates, sandwiches and afternoon tea sets.

Where is the cafe located?

At b3/9 Gooch Place, Somerville, Auckland 2014, New Zealand.

Can I call ahead?

Yes, the cafe can be reached on +64 9 869 4109 for enquiries and reservations.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes, the cafe is listed as good for kids.

What payment methods are accepted?

NFC mobile payments are accepted.

Are there vegetarian options?

Yes — a dedicated vegetarian menu with vegetable dishes, tofu hot pots, and vegetarian rice and noodle options.

What should a first-time visitor order?

Reviewers recommend the hot milk tea and the French toast; the single set meals with red bean or pineapple ice drinks are also popular.

Tips

• {"body":"Reviewers call the hot milk tea the most authentic in Auckland — pair it with anything on the menu.","title":"Order the milk tea"}
• {"body":"Single set meals pair mains like sweet-corn chicken or curry chicken leg with a red bean or pineapple ice drink.","title":"Take a set meal"}
• {"body":"Service can be slow when the cafe is busy, so an off-peak visit makes for a more relaxed meal.","title":"Time your visit"}
• {"body":"The baked rice and spaghetti list — pork chop, seafood with cheese, Portuguese-style sauce — is classic cha chaan teng territory.","title":"Go baked"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Good for kids","dietary":"Vegetarian menu available, including tofu pots and veggie rice dishes","payments":"NFC mobile payments accepted"}