Seoulmate St Lukes is the Mount Albert outpost of Seoul Mate, a New Zealand-born Korean street-food brand. Sitting in the St Lukes shopping area on St Lukes Road, it focuses on the two snacks Korea does best: Korean-style fried chicken and Korean hotdogs, backed up by Chi-Bap rice bowls and fresh, simple sides. The brand began in Westfield Mall, Riccarton, Christchurch and has since grown into a family of stores across New Zealand, with this store bringing those flavours to Auckland's west.
The kitchen uses halal-certified chicken exclusively, chosen for its quality and taste so everyone can order with confidence, and the fried chicken is boneless and dairy-free (though the odd small bone is possible). Flavour comes from four signature sauces — Crispy, Sweet Honey, Korean Spicy and Soy Garlic — and the Chicken GangJeong is prized for staying delicious even once it cools, making it a smart pick for takeaway or delivery.
Beyond the chicken, Chi-Bap pairs rice with two flavours of fried chicken on top, the hotdogs are made with pork and beef mixed sausages and eggs with mozzarella options, and coleslaw and pickled radish round out the meal. Doors open from 9:00am, with late closes on Thursdays and Fridays, and delivery available through Uber Eats.
Seoulmate St Lukes is the Mount Albert outpost of Seoul Mate, New Zealand's homegrown Korean street-food brand. Sitting in the St Lukes shopping area on St Lukes Road, it specialises in the two snacks Korea does best: crackly Korean fried chicken and hotdogs, backed up by Chi-Bap rice bowls and fresh, simple sides. Whether you are mid-shopping-trip, chasing a quick lunch or ordering in for the evening, it is built for big flavour without any fuss.
Seoul Mate's story began further south. The first store opened in Westfield Mall, Riccarton, Christchurch, born from a deep love of Korean cuisine and a vision to share the bold, irresistible flavours of Korean street food with Kiwis. The idea clearly resonated: what started as a single mall counter has grown into a family of stores across Christchurch, Auckland and Tauranga, with the St Lukes store carrying the same promise to Auckland's west — a piece of Seoul in every meal, one delicious bite at a time.
Fried chicken is the headliner, and it comes with a few differences worth knowing. Seoul Mate uses halal-certified chicken exclusively, chosen for its quality and taste so that everyone can order with confidence. The chicken is boneless too — although the odd small bone can slip through — and the fried chicken itself is dairy-free. That combination of halal, boneless and dairy-free is unusual in the fried-chicken world and a big part of why the brand has won such a wide following.
Flavour comes from four signature sauces: Crispy, Sweet Honey, Korean Spicy and Soy Garlic. Pick your favourite, or mix and match for a personalised taste adventure — you do not even have to choose on Chi-Bap, which arrives topped with two flavours at once.
There is one dish the team loves to talk about: the Chicken GangJeong, their tantalising Korean-style fried chicken. Its party trick is that it stays delicious even after it cools down, from the first bite to the last — which makes it a smart choice for takeaway or a delivery order that spends a few minutes on the road.
Chi-Bap answers the question of what to order when a full bucket feels like too much and a snack is not enough. It comes with rice and two flavours of fried chicken heaped on top — a complete meal in a bowl and an easy way to sample more than one sauce in a single sitting.
The Korean hotdogs are the playful half of the menu. They are made with pork and beef mixed sausages and eggs, and come in Original and Ugly versions, each with a Half Mozza option featuring mozzarella cheese. It is Korean street-food snacking at its most fun, and an easy hand-held bite if you are eating on the go.
Keeping things balanced, the sides list is short and sensible: coleslaw and pickled radish. Add both, as the menu suggests, and you make your meal healthy — a little crunch and tang alongside the richness of the fried chicken.
This is mall dining at its easiest: walk in, order, and eat in or take away. The St Lukes store opens at 9:00am from Monday to Wednesday and on Saturdays, stays open late until 9:00pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and runs from 10:00am to 5:30pm on Sundays. If you would rather not leave home, delivery is available through Uber Eats.
Seoul Mate describes its mission as making every experience unforgettable, from friendly staff to a mouthwatering menu. Longtime fans know exactly what they are coming back for; first-timers usually start with the fried chicken, pick a sauce, and work their way around the rest of the menu from there. Either way, the idea is the same one that started in a Christchurch food court: bold, irresistible Korean flavours, served fresh in every bite.