NEW ADDRESS! One of my best meals in Auckland so fire ramen and beef skewers are the hitters…read moredefinitely hit if you love Japanese you won't regret 5/5

Awesome yakitori joint! Felt transported back to Japan eating at Ken's. I lived in and around Tokyo…read morefor two years and this place took me back. If you want GREAT food late night, hit up Ken's Yakitori. Ken-san is a master at his craft. His movements at the grill are rhythmic, the way he works the skewers from hot spots to low spots, the meats were all cooked perfectly. Tender, moist, lightly charred, and so flavorful. And the sides were just as good! We had the karaage, OMG the best karaage, the ramen, the curry rice, edamame, miso shiru. If you want something delicious to eat late at night, Ken Yakitori is the place to be!

I was often walking past the Don without even noticing it was there... and yet one day their black…read moreboard sign outside of the restaurant caught my attention with a $10 lunch deal that changes every day. I have only had take away so far at the Don but the teriyaki chicken is delicious! I really like the fact that for $10 one gets a full meal including miso soup. And I only had to wait a few minutes for my food, perfect for those short lunch breaks when I have to go back and eat a my desk. I cannot wait to try more items of their menu.

The ambiance is fun, feels like Japan and I appreciate the all Japanese staff, but best to stick to…read morecooked food here. As a former sushi chef apprentice I was frankly offended by the sushi and sashimi. We ordered a 6 piece hamachi sashimi and it came with 5 decent pieces, but the 6th was a pile of chopped "lesser quality" fish. We also ordered two rolls, a spider and a rainbow. The centers were sparse at best and there was SO much rice around the roll it was like kindergarten sushi. The fish on the outside of the rainbow roll was weak in multiple ways. Our salmon misodare and chicken karage bowls were a bit better. If you want good sushi, look elsewhere, sorry.

Fukuko (meaning 'lucky child' in Japanese) is a small but funky bar tucked away down Tyler St in…read moreBritomart. Serving shochu (somwhere between sake and whiskey) drinks/cocktails and snack food, Fukuko is the perfect place to go to for after work drinks and Japanese bar food. A friend and I came here for a light meal and shochu cocktail one Thursday night. We had just spend an hour shopping as part of Britomart's VIP Winter Shopping Spree. It was relatively quiet when we arrived, but soon filled up while we were looking at the menu. We decided on the shochu cocktails. I ordered the 'Baku' ($16) which consisted of whiskey, lime juice, sugar, mint and blended together with an egg white. Very interesting cocktail, as the egg white made it creamier! For food, we ordered two lots of the Steamed Pork Buns ($5.50) with pork belly, cucumber, spring onion and hoisin sauce and the New Style Sashimi Lettuce Cups ($6.50) with seared tuna, avocado, jalapeno and lime. Both dishes were fantastic! The pork buns were perfect and the sashimi lettuce cups fresh and tasty. I would definitely come back just to try these two dishes again - maybe next time I will order three of each!!!

After hearing rave reviews, Mils and I finally tried out Fukuko on Friday night and I must say, I…read moreloved it. Fukuko is relatively small and dimly lit but being street level with lots of the windows the space still feels open. The vibe is relaxed and casual cool, which is hard to find in downtown Auckland, particularly on a Friday night. The high tables and stools add to the informality as does the laidback hip hop D.J and friendly bartenders, who don't mind a double boston shake...efficiency at it's best. Fukuko is a Shochu Cocktail bar and whilst you can get the Japanese spirit neat, they also have a number of delicious Shochu based concoctions, including a Earl Grey Martini, which Mils opted for (and I tasted....it's as good as it sounds). I went for the Japanese Gimlet, which was refreshing but, as to be expected with a gimlet, a bit boring. I didn't really care too much though, as the drinks were a steal at only $12 each!! As for the food, Mils and I shared a massive bowl of Edamame beans, the Wayku beef and ginger dumplings and the fried chicken with Japanese mayo. All were delish - the Edamame perfectly salted, the fried chicken crispy not greasy, and the dumplings delicate with a hit of ginger (albiet, a little bit underwhelming). Definitely come here if you are after a fun, laid-back vibe but can't bothered dealing with the usual Friday raucous!

Ebisu is the Japanese god of fishermen and luck, and Auckland is one lucky city to have it's fresh…read morefish in town. The service is top notch and the flavor combinations are umami-tastic. From the sous-vide Abalone to a sashimi tasting with wasabi tartare, there wasn't one item on the menu that didn't make my tastebuds jump for joy. As if the friendly service and flavorful food wasn't enough, Ebisu is also a must try for any serious Sake lovers (and the Japanese whiskey menu is also a treat!)

The food itself was very tasty, I did not have much to comment about. It was a very pleasant…read moretasting experience and the price was really good, (110 NZD = $66 USD) for all that much food. Beef was tender and easy to chew, veggies were full of flavor. Fish was full of flavor and well textured. Definitely well balanced but I'd trim the cabbage salad to half as it was hard for me to finish, and maybe add a few more slices of salmon/tuna. Service was a bit slow considering the restaurant was not considerably busy, but all of my meals were served in a timely fashion. There was a party that got the same menu as me (shame on her for judging me eating alone but whatever), and the difference in time for us getting our foods wasn't too far apart. Ambiance - it is a very popular restaurant, has the stereotype of an up-scale buzzy restaurant. Definitely good for solo and accompanied dining :) I'd give this a 4 star rating. Food was great but the service could be better and more attentive.

Japanese restaurants outside of Japan can be a bit stuffy. But when you've been to Tokyo and eaten…read morein their version of a greasy spoon diner, you realise that there are places where you can eat great food at a reasonable price. A group of five of us arrived at Genta after seeing a show at the Civic. We ordered quite a few dishes from the menu. For me, I was after ramen! The ramen I had was was okay. I gobbled up the whole lot. But it's very hard to compare Japanese ramen with ramen made outside of Japan. As for the ambience, I loved it. This place has a great feel to it and was true to Tokyo dining tradition...apart from the smokers. The smokers were missing from the diner. As a place to share a meal, the dishes are like tapas and able to be shared amongst a small group. You can buy beer towers of Orion Beer but I was happy having a half litre handle of Sapporo Beer. Orders are taken by the waiting staff who then call to the chef to prepare the food in similar fashion to that in Japan. To be honest, you could go to another Japanese restaurant and pay more for a lot less. But why would you? This is how food is done in Japan. Only it's in New Zealand. And I'll definitely be going back again and and again. ;-)

I'm a fan of this place! The prices are reasonable and everything is made delicately. We ordered…read moreour items a la carte as seen in the pictures, but they also have hot-pot available which would be great for those cold winder nights Great japanese atmosphere apart from the fact that they play urban/mainstream music, which wasn't totally a bad thing.

A bit ambivalent about this place. Don't get me wrong, the food is good, but for the price you sort…read moreof want a wow factor as well. The place- spacious, mixture of two and four sweaters as well as some private rooms if you reserve early. Parking is a b*%#h in Parnell as you all know. The food- good quality traditional Japanese food. Most of the stuff on the menu is pretty traditional. None of those twists or flair as you sometimes get from places in the city. The flavor is well balanced. Seafoods are all fresh. Would definitely recommend the oyster and beef tataki if you are into raw meat. If you really want to go all out, order the wagyu beef. The service- no real complaints. Polite as it is in many Japanese restaurants. They do charge for tea, considering what you are paying for the entire meal, it's kinda annoying to have to pay for greentea. The price- I would definitely put it as $$$. Nothing really is under $20. Overall, it's a good restaurant, good quality traditional food.

Thank you so much for looking after my group last night for my birthday dinner! The food and…read moreservice were impeccable. The freshest sashimi served in a breathtaking presentation and very patient wait staff made for a most memorable evening. I will see you again!

I ordered the tonkatsu set, which came with a generously sized cutlet, a small bowl of rice, miso…read moresoup, mixed greens, Japanese potato salad, and a cup of tea that tasted like genmaicha. The tonkatsu was spot on. The pork was juicy, the coating was crisp, and everything tasted fresh. I added an order of potato croquettes and enjoyed those too. Price-wise, it's a bit on the higher side, but it's Auckland. My Kiwi coworkers warned me that eating out here isn't cheap, though it's still relatively affordable compared to the US. My total was around $35 NZD including a can of Coke, which comes in under $20 USD. Honestly, that feels like a bargain since you'd never get a tonkatsu set under $20 in high cost of living cities like LA, SF, or NYC, let alone a tonkatsu set along with 2 croquettes and a drink. Service was great. The cashiers and servers were friendly and welcoming, which may just be a Kiwi thing. I also appreciate that the place is actually Japanese owned and operated. The food quality shows and is noticeably better than most spots I've tried back in the US. The ambiance feels very similar to a small restaurant in Japan. Minimal, clean, and limited in seating. They have solo dining spots, small tables, and some bench seating, but I wouldn't recommend coming with a group larger than four since you'd end up taking over most of the dining space. Overall, I really enjoyed the food at Yoshizawa. I even came back later in the week and tried the chicken katsu, which was just as good. This place is definitely going on my list for a comfort food fix every time I'm in Auckland.

Growing up in Japan tonkatsu and katsu don were my comfort food. After moving around and living…read moreabroad for decades when I find a good katsu restaurant I am in heaven. Visiting Auckland I immediately Googled where I can find a good katsu place and this place showed up. I was so happy I came here. It is not a big place, but the service was quick, orderly, and efficient. The food was very good! I ate every morsel presented to me. It is right near the university so you see many university students having lunch here (lucky them!). Would love to come back here next time I am in Auckland.

Ramen was excellent. I Would definitely recommend the food and the service was good as wellread more

Quick and easy dinner…read more Everything is done by QR code that sends the order to the kitchen, which moves relatively fast Ramen was ok, just quite salty, perhaps it's at the end of the day, the broth is concentrated. The large portion option and noodle servings are huge, enough to split one order between 2 adults and a child, chashu was good on it Gyoza ultra greasy and heavy, not quite as light with the skin and oil as in Japan however I was appreciative for the portion size Ambience felt like asia, lingering cigarette smell and families who come in. Floors slightly sticky and the wood definitely aged, not well cleaned Overall it was good in a pinch, however i would personally not come back. They looked like they had a lot of regular customers , so maybe it was just what we ordered

Edamame, curry poutine, and a mix of yakitori. We were lucky…read moreenough to stumble upon this gem in Auckland. We tried a bunch of different menu items, and especially loved the Yuzu Kosho yakitori, curry poutine, and tofu salad. Thank you for feeding us so well while we were there.

Tucked away in the basement under Pie Face. This is a little gem of a place for a quick and easy…read morelunch. Okay, it may not be that quick. But it's surely going to satisfy you all the same. My favourite is the lunch set, which consists of a miso soup starter, Fried to perfection Pork Katsu over rice and a bowl of ice cream with fresh fruit to finish. All that for $14.90. Which to me represents really good value for money. Their lunch service is only available from 12pm to 2pm. So be sure to get there on time to sample their pork Katsu. :-)

Another of my favourite " nothing flash " eating venues. It's small ;so seating can be limited if…read moreit gets busy ; the staff I find are quick in taking order and then the food coming out. The menu consists of all the usual in these sort of Japanese restaurant plus they have monthly specials. The price is pretty good , the place clean and a good thing is you can watch the food being prepared as the kitchen is open. But I find their portions of meat a little less compared to another Japanese restaurant I reviewed but barring that it is equally delicious. Drinks are available as well as help yourself water. No credit card facilities though , only cash or eftpos. It's tucked away in the queen st side of Tyler st and could be easy to walk past if not really looking.

Seeing is believing. However, when it comes to restaurant, it should be eating is believing…read more I believe it is a fairly nice Ramen place to fill the hungry stomach in this crowded city pace. Soy sauce, Miso, Salt and Tonkotsu Ramen, four elementary Ramen but classic to choose. There are more to come if you would like some special treat to your noodle. Quite a Japan Style! Honestly, for this kind of noodle place, always try the basic and best one. Tonkotsu is not a bad choice. Nice soup, slow cooked pork slice, bamboo shoots and fresh spinach for a taste bonus. What's more, you can choose fried dumplings, they call Gyoza and some pork stew for small bites. They are both quite authentic. Just wish they could turn these seats a bit more tidy, then it would be closer to my Ramen Place expectation.