The Nightcar, written 夜班车 in Chinese, is a modern Chinese restaurant and underground late night lounge at 44 Queen Street in central Auckland. It grew out of founder Daren Zhou’s wish to make a place that feels both familiar and foreign at once, reflecting what he calls a third culture experience. Zhou came to it after years in the creative industry, with a background in video, art direction and hospitality and influences gathered in Beijing and London, and he set out to capture the buzz of cities after dark together with the closeness of sharing a meal with friends.
Film and the romance of train travel shaped the concept, which revolves around movement, connection and curiosity. The rooms are moody, with warm, immersive lighting and careful attention paid to how the place sounds and feels as well as how the food tastes. The main dining room holds about 65 people, a separate upper room seats 25 at most, and a secluded lounge fits around 30, while curved booths under soft light inside the dining room give small parties some privacy. Music is part of its identity: on Tuesday evenings the lounge hosts live jazz with cocktails, and the venue hosts birthdays, engagements and corporate dinners with menus shaped to each group.
The kitchen pays tribute to the cooking of China north of the Yangtze River, given a contemporary twist and designed for sharing. Noodles fill a whole section: zha jiang mian with pork belly, black bean and daikon, cold ji si liang mian tossed with shredded chicken, sesame, black vinegar and chilli oil, sao zi mian on dao xiao noodles shaved from the dough, and a beef brisket noodle soup in bone broth scented with osmanthus. Smaller plates include cucumber dressed with garlic and black vinegar, a potato cake with doubanjiang and spiced coconut, and prawn toast built on you tiao, the fried breadstick. Larger dishes might be scallops in chilli butter with lemongrass and XO sauce, or wok fried snapper with galangal and curry leaves.
Duck appears twice, as dumplings of spiced duck with mustard greens and water chestnut and as a duck leg cooked with white bean curd and coconut water, alongside barbecue pork glazed with hoisin and five spice, squid stuffed with pork, prawn, brown rice and truffle, and cumin lamb tucked into a fried bun with smoked yoghurt. Little codes beside the dishes flag the vegan and vegetarian ones and those made without gluten or dairy, and a set menu suits larger tables. Cocktails are named for their base spirit and lean on house infusions: Fenjiu baijiu with green grape, butterfly pea tea and osmanthus, oolong infused gin, cucumber infused tequila with elderflower, and a coffee and strawberry Nightcar Express. Champagne, New Zealand and French wine, Kirin and seasonal craft beer, and alcohol free spritzes round out the list.
Address: 44 Queen Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
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