The Spinoff's long-running Kai series landed in Glen Eden this week, and our founder Marlon was the local they called on. The result is less a listicle than a walking tour of a neighbourhood most food writers overlook, Silver Fern Sushi & Pho on West Coast Rd ("no hyped up menus or influencer endorsements, just good solid food"), Latte Tei for coffee paired with koko brownies, and Glen Eden Fish Stop, where Bob has been serving the roastery's staff since they moved in five years ago.
Marlon has been roasting koko in Glenmall for five years, often late at night or before sunrise, which means he's clocked more hours in this suburb's streets than almost anyone else.
Woven through the food talk is something closer to the heart of why Aunty Tommy's exists. Marlon told The Spinoff that Pacific and Indigenous food sovereignty is something that sits at the very core of our business model, a reminder that koko, and the wider food systems Pacific communities depend on, have too often been shaped and controlled by companies with no real connection to the Pacific. It's the same principle behind every batch we roast in Glen Eden: made by us, on our terms!
Glen Eden made Marlon. This is him returning the favour.
Read the full guide: Where to eat in Glen Eden, Auckland
Sources: Charlotte Muru-Lanning, "Where to eat in Glen Eden, Auckland – an insider's guide," The Spinoff, 25 July 2026.
