Zood is a Thai noodle house on Sandringham Road in Auckland, built on the comfort of Thai noodles — rich broth, bold flavours and a touch of home in every slurp. The name is part of the fun: in Thai, 'Zood' (ซู๊ด) is an onomatopoeic word that mimics the sound of happily slurping noodles, a playful word tied to deliciousness and enjoyment. The kitchen blends tradition with creativity, cooking simply and soulfully with fresh local ingredients.
The menu runs from snacky bites like prawn wontons, tamarind fried chicken and pork satay skewers through a full noodle lineup — Famous Boat Noodles, Seafood Yen-Ta-Fo, braised pork rib noodles, tom yum prawn noodles and khao soi — plus rice plates, Thai desserts and classic iced drinks.
Zood keeps its own rhythm: open Monday from 11.30am to 5pm, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and open Thursday to Sunday from 11.30am to 9pm. Online ordering is available through the Order Online link on the website if you'd rather slurp at home.
Zood brings the comfort of Thai noodles to Sandringham Road in Auckland — rich broth, bold flavours and, as they put it, a touch of home in every slurp. The cooking is simple, soulful and made with heart, blending tradition with creativity, fresh local ingredients and honest cooking. It is a place built around one idea: a good bowl of noodles is more than dinner. It's a vibe.
In Thai, "Zood" (ซู๊ด) is an onomatopoeic word that mimics the sound of slurping noodles — the "soood" you hear when someone is genuinely enjoying a hot bowl. It's a playful word, often associated with deliciousness and enjoyment, especially around noodle dishes, and it sets the tone for everything Zood does. The food is meant to be slurped loudly and happily.
The noodle section is the heart of the menu. The Famous Boat Noodles lead the line — a rich, spiced broth that "hits deep", served with your choice of pork or beef and available in a smaller "stacking" size or a regular bowl. From there, the bowls get more adventurous: Seafood Yen-Ta-Fo with its pink broth, funky tofu kick, seafood party and crispy taro crunch; Braised Pork Rib Noodles with fall-off-the-bone ribs in clear or tom yum broth and crushed peanuts; and Prawn Wonton Noodles, which team BBQ pork and crispy crackling with juicy prawn wontons.
Dry-noodle fans are looked after too. Dry Egg Noodles with Roast Duck or Crispy Pork come tossed in fragrant soy sauce with crushed peanuts, while the Spicy Pork Dry Noodles are loaded with pork meatballs, seasoned minced pork, BBQ pork and chilli crackling. The Tom Yum Prawn Noodles offer a creamy, zesty, spicy prawn broth — the kind, the menu promises, that makes you go "Zoood". And for a taste of the north, the Khao Soi delivers Northern-style curry goodness with a braised chicken drumstick, egg noodles and a crispy noodle crunch.
Around the bowls sits a proper Thai street-snack lineup: big, juicy Prawn Wontons with a punchy chilli soy dip, Tamarind Fried Chicken in a sweet-tangy glaze, Pork Satay Skewers with toast, peanut sauce and cucumber relish, homemade Pork Sausage stuffed with glass noodles and Thai herbs, and street-style Fried Meatball skewers with a cheeky sweet-spicy dip. The DIY Crispy Pork Wrap is the fun one — crispy pork, noodles, herbs and lettuce you wrap your way, with a zingy seafood sauce. Vegetarian bites include Crispy Tofu, Taro Fritters and Crispy Chive Bites.
Rice plates cover the classics: Roast Duck Rice with savoury soy sauce, Crispy Pork Rice with golden pork belly, seafood sauce and a soft-boiled egg, Red BBQ Pork Rice with its sweet red glaze, and Kao Lhao Soup Rice — a comforting herbal broth with pork or beef and hot rice on the side.
Save room for dessert. Coconut Pudding Cups are soft, creamy steamed custards; the Thai-style Shaved Ice arrives as a mountain of bread, candied yams, palm seeds and grass jelly; and Chendol Coconut Cream and Ruby Tapioca bring pandan noodles, candied taro and crunchy water chestnuts in sweet coconut milk. The drinks list runs from Thai Milk Tea and Black Iced Coffee to Pink Milk, Butterfly Pea Lime Soda, Chrysanthemum Iced Tea and Longan drink.
Zood keeps its own rhythm. It opens Monday from 11.30am to 5pm, closes Tuesdays and Wednesdays, then runs Thursday to Sunday from 11.30am to 9pm — so evenings are a Thursday-through-Sunday affair. You'll find it at 164 Sandringham Rd in Sandringham, and online ordering is available through the Order Online link on the website if you'd rather slurp at home. Come hungry, order the boat noodles, and don't be shy about the sound.