When Pearl Garden opened on Teed Street in 1975, it was one of just a smattering of Chinese restaurants in Auckland. That’s hard to believe these days, when we live in a city full of incredible restaurants covering everything from Szechuan to Cantonese, but there was a time when we were a little more meat and two veg than xiao long bao and chow fun. Pearl Garden and its owner, the late Pauline Kan, were integral in introducing New Zealanders to a whole new world of food, from yum cha which is now a firm favourite across the city, to lesser known ingredients like bok choi and water chestnuts. These days, the restaurant is still run by the same family, and remains an Auckland icon.