Tomorrow’s lunch: Eat, Drink, Laugh

Auckland’s Grey Lynn has welcomed yet another café. Digital Editor Izzy Brimeau reveals why this modern establishment is a fantastic place to do just as its name suggests.

It was cold, I was groggy, and it was one of those days where I was in need of a meal worthy of curing a hangover. I wasn’t after anything fancy – just good, flavoursome food.

I was a little sceptical of the name – it reminded me of those wall stickers that read ‘live, laugh, love’. My scepticism died somewhere between being seated and my first bite of the fish tacos. The first thing I noticed was the décor – carefully thought out and designed to be an Instagrammer’s dream. Think marble, plants, and a colour palette of mint green and pink. The icing on the cake – the plush booths upholstered with pink crushed velvet and a neon sign reading ‘Eat, Drink, Laugh’.

Our waitress, a young bubbly girl called Brianna, was sweet-as-pie and incredibly efficient. To tell you the truth, I felt more looked after than I have in a long time.

I started with an Apple, Carrot, Lemon and Ginger juice, in the hope that it would remedy my fuzzy brain. My boyfriend Nick opted for a flat white. Both drinks were exactly what we needed.

Overwhelmed by all the menu options, we decided to share a number of small plates. I’d already eyed up the bao buns and Nick had immediately clocked the kumara fries. The sirloin was recommended and upon hearing that the fish of the day was terakihi, we agreed on ordering the fish tacos.

There are no special mentions for Eat, Drink, Laugh as each plate was worthy of praise. The sirloin was juicy, medium-rare and a quality cut. The combination of homemade béarnaise sauce and Dijon mustard (cleverly termed dijonaise) really elevated the meal. I’d never thought of serving steak with both these condiments and now that’s all I’ll ever want.

Fish tacos can be hard to get right, but these were bang on. Crispy-coated fish, crunchy slaw, not too much red onion or mayo and a little heat courtesy of the jalapeños. The bao buns were fluffy, the pulled pork was meltingly-tender and the sriracha mayo served as a welcome addition. My only suggestion would be to incorporate a smidge of hoisin sauce.

And the kumara fries? Well, they were just how you’d expect them to be – crunchy, moreish and served with aioli. Just when we thought we couldn’t leave feeling any more satisfied, we decided we needed something sweet to finish off with. Feeling indecisive, I sent Nick to peruse the treats in the cabinet. He decided that we’d share the ginger slice. Now, I love a good slice and this was quite possibly the best ginger slice I’ve ever had. A buttery base with a thick layer of ginger icing, cleverly paired with natural yoghurt to cut through the richness.

Turns out we’re not the only people who think Eat, Drink, Laugh is a great addition to Grey Lynn – Nick’s sister, who lives in the area, had been there for lunch the day before and also had a memorable experience.

Eat, Drink, Laugh
25B Pollen Street,
Grey Lynn

Opening hours: 
Monday - Wednesday: 6.30am - 4pm
Thursday and Friday: 6.30am - 9pm
Saturday: 7.30am - 9pm
Sunday: 7.30am - 4pm