Aigo, Auckland

David Lee arrived in New Zealand from South Korea, aged 26, in 2004. His entrée into hospitality was on the tools as a kitchenhand – he knew then that he wanted to run a food business, but without being a qualified chef, felt it was an essential first step. Fast forward 19 years...

His love of food and impressive drive are so innate that his initial dream became a reality with the opening of his first cafe Ben Gusto in 2008, where he developed the menu and cooked in the kitchen himself. Now, in 2023, David’s name has become synonymous with success in the industry. Not only is he the mastermind behind well-known eateries Gochu, Candyshop and Poni – which he still owns – but also previously Little King, Dear Jervois, Major Sprout, Simon & Lee and more. He is recognised for fostering Korean food in the Auckland dining scene, and we are truly grateful!

David has always been fascinated by memorable experiences and cultural diversity and explains his passion this way: “It seems that I have pursued expanding my experiences through acquiring cultural diversity in all aspects. For me, hospitality is an aggregate that allows me to portray all of these cultural compositions in one space at its height. This fact has been the driving force behind my love for hospitality, as I endeavour to provide the experiences that encompass all these elements at their best.“

Although, thanks to the travel restrictions of recent years, David hasn’t returned to South Korea as often as he would like; he did manage to head back recently to catch up with his parents and relatives and immerse himself in his native cuisine. That’s not to say David’s food is exclusively Korean – his clever introduction of other flavours and techniques into traditional dishes is breathtakingly successful. Like David, the New Zealand dining scene is constantly evolving, and he has seen big changes in the last 20 years.

“The world is changing rapidly. Even Auckland has changed scenes dramatically from when I first arrived,” he says.

“I remember feeling that there was a huge wall when I first started my business in Auckland, which has now been removed. It is now that I see that the hospitality scene in Auckland is accepting of new experiences and cultures. Auckland can truly be described as a multicultural city. This gives me excitement to see what this city’s future holds. Of course, I endeavour to be a small addition to the cultural affluence.”

David is extraordinarily humble about his achievements, and like many great entrepreneurs credits his team and family for much of his success. He has even more plans for future innovation and growth.

“I just love what I do so much. I think this is why I was able to continue with passion without giving up despite constant obstacles. Above all, I have been blessed with a great team and am super grateful for those who trust and follow my vision.

“Now I’m going to share what I’ve experienced with them and move on. Their growth is also part of my future. This year, it will extend to Wellington and the South Island as well as Auckland, and all of these projects will involve partnering with the team members I’m working with.”

Meanwhile, his latest venture, Aigo, is destined to be as much of a winner as all those that have come before.

Situated smack bang in the middle of Ponsonby Road’s hospo mile, Aigo is perfectly located to provide a fresh offering to Auckland diners.

On our visit we were immediately struck by the exterior – casual, fun, open and inviting with seating extending out onto the footpath. The tiled bar and kitchen are on full display in the front dining area, with bar, table, and booth seating, on this, (and I imagine most occasions), packed with diners having a fantastic time. The vibe is one of effortless, laid-back cool and immediately feels like a fun time. 

We moved through the front dining area to be seated in the internal space with rough-and-ready, faux-exposed brickwork, a larger group table and banquet seating with eye-catching checkerboard tiles. On the walls, bold, colourful textured art provides a hit of colour. The crowd was mixed, but predominantly young-ish…or, at least, young-at-heart. As we took our seats, we could already catch wafts of the irresistible char of pork being cooked – anticipation for the food was rapidly rising. Staff were friendly, efficient and cheery, and the service fast but not rushed. We were eating fairly early and got the impression everyone was there for a good time, not a long time.

And so, toes tapping to the great playlist, we kicked into the meal, starting with Chilled Cucumber with Kimchi Mascarpone, crispy shallot and granny smith. The mascarpone was creamy and smooth with a gentle heat that kicked in afterwards, a perfect foil for the crunchy, cold, cucumber.  Somehow this inventive combination brought with it a whisper of nostalgia. Next up was Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna Tartare and flying fish roe. Crispy rice bases, fried, light and slightly chewy, topped with soft roe-spiked tuna tartare and more than a hint of wasabi – these were utterly delicious… and gone in no time. We sipped glasses of chardonnay-esque Marlborough Still Life Pinot Gris from beautifully fine-stemmed wine glasses as we eagerly awaited the arrival of the most satisfying Crispy Eggplant, with Sichuan chilli syrup and cashew nut butter – so crispy you can hear the crunch (McCains fries have nothing on these) tender, soft and luscious inside. The Szechuan provided a great chilli hit offset by the soft cashew nut butter.

On my last visit I hadn’t managed to try the Cacio e pepe tteokbokki with torched cheese and truffle so enthusiastically greeted its arrival, chopsticks poised and ready. Thick, soft, rice ‘noodles’ (actually rice cakes) with cheese and truffles, the tteokbokki provided an epic contrast to the first dishes – from chilled and fresh then spicy and crunchy, to the rich indulgence of the soft, spongy/chewy noodle rice cakes coated in creamy truffley cheese and pepper. These have fast become a repeat-customer favourite, and I can totally see why – an indulgent delight. 

I generally have a modest appetite, but on this occasion, there was no holding back. Somehow, I managed to squeeze in Scampi Prawn Meatballs, with hand-pulled noodles, scampi broth, xo sauce, prawns and chilli oil. The ‘meatballs’ were large and tender, and the noodles so wide you could make a lasagne with them, bathed in intense shellfish flavours from the scampi broth – another sharp contrast to the other dishes. The broth and XO sauce slickly coated the noodles as we leaned over the bowl to deal with them in good order. Not a first date dish. Or second. Much slurping and ungainly chopstick action is required, but so worthwhile.
 

And finally, we finished with the Bibim Naengmyeon, charred pork galbi skewer, gochu sauce, sesame seed snow and nori (David Lee’s favourite dish). Traditionally served separately in South Korea, then mixed together to eat, it is imperative to get stuck in with your chopsticks, swirling the noodles, sauce and sesame ‘snow’ before eating in the same mouthful with the rich and smoky pork.

Aigo is an absolute delight – go with a taste of adventure, and there’ll be no fear of disappointment. It is ultimately clever food. If authentic ‘fusion’ was a thing, this would be it: not tentative, but bringing Korean techniques and flavours together with the occasional Italian twist – fusion that goes BOOM! Take a moment to recalibrate your tastebuds after each dish and book to go with a crew so you can sample as many of the dishes as possible. Or an enthusiastic (at least) third date. 

168 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011

https://www.aigo.co.nz/