Up the ornate stairs beneath a glittering chandelier at the Esplanade Hotel, you’ll find contemporary Cantonese diner Mya Tiger. The restaurant has city and bay views over the tops of palm trees. If people-watching is more your thing, then high tables offer a view down to the stairs and bar below.
The menu has nods to Chinese classics. Snacks include five-spice ribs and cumin lamb spring rolls. Raw kingfish is given an umami-rich, smoked-soy and truffle treatment, while the bao and dumpling menu features staples such as pork and chilli wontons and char siu pork bao. Larger dishes include XO pippies; steamed fish with ginger, soy and shallots; crispy pork noodles; and a whole roast duck.
The wine list is built around the flavours of Cantonese cooking, avoiding oaky whites and high-alcohol reds. There’s a number of options by the glass, and by the bottle you’ll find a mix of local and New Zealand producers along with classic internationals: German riesling and malbec from Argentina. There’s also a refurbished old fridge you’re encouraged to grab your own beer from. There’s Kirin and Asahi, and also more esoteric beers such as a seaweed sour beer from Sailors Grave Brewing, or the Dawn New England IPA from Hop Nation. Cocktails put regionally suitable twists on classics, such as Shiso-Shiso Mule, which features gin, passionfruit, shiso, lime and elderflower. There’s a kaffir lime Margarita, and the house Espresso Martini has an oolong tea infusion.
