Set in a smartly renovated space on Fenton Street, Spa City Noodle Bar is on a mission to ditch the tired takeaway stereotype and show Rotorua what modern Chinese dining can be. The Sichuan-inspired menu is built around homemade noodles and dumplings, with the spicy and sour beef noodle soup, crowned with a hearty slab of brisket, and the ever-popular Dan Dan noodles leading the charge. Playful entrees roam wider across Asia, from Japanese-marinated chicken bites finished with a Korean glaze to calamari paired with a Mexican-style mojo sauce. The fit-out is just as considered as the food, with clever colourways, stylish shelving and neatly labelled condiments at every table, plus cocktails and Asian beers to wash it all down. Spice levels are happily adjusted, locals swear the flavours rival the real thing, and the whole operation punches well above its price point.