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    Azabu

    4.2 (13 reviews)
    InexpensiveJapanese
    Closed 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

    Azabu Photos

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    Tuna Sashimi Tostada
    Theo D.

    Japanese-Peruvian! I've been waiting to write this review until I visited Azabu a second time. Azabu was officially my first meal in Auckland a week ago and it's officially now my favorite restaurant in the South Pacific. From the outside one might miss this stealthy restaurant as it virtually has no signage - reminiscent of all the best places in NYC. But this place requires zero gimmicks to attract its legions of devout patrons every night. Let the food and ambience do the talking! Dimly lit inside with simple chic decor, this is THE PLACE for a night out with your foodie friends as the concept here is to share plates. Heck you can even invite your drunk friends as it houses a bar in the far back. Dancey, uptempo music pipes through the speakers which sets the tone for your dining experience. Good-looking servers methodically intertwin with runners as they graciously bring out each plate and interpret the masterpiece that's sitting in front of you - the presentation alone gets 5-stars, it's seriously a work of art. May I talk about the food now!?! I've tried the follwing items and believe me when I say this, each one is a masterfully crafted experience for your palette. It's a mind-blowing sensation of sorts as so many combinations of ingredients mesh seamlessly together. Grilled Octopus - I've NEVER had octopus like this before! Perfectly TENDER octopus with yuzu pepper soy, aji amarillo (Peruivan mild yellow chile) mash potatoes, shichimi tatar and chives Tuna Sashimi Tostada - Don't get me started on the quality of fish here! The Tuna was definitely a Grade 1 (highest quality ranking). Served with corn, wasabi tartar, picked daikon, chopped jalapeño and coriander (cilantro for my Cali friends haha) Snapper Ceviche - I've had a lot of fish ceviche in my day but not like these big chunks. Snapper marinated in lime soy dressing, plum dressing, aji amarillo and topped off with tobiko (cavier).. this is a must try! Salmon Tiradito - 10 pieces of the creamiest, firmest, richest salmon you'll ever have! The salmon is marinated in leche de tigre (citrus based marinade) with a passion fruit and coconut cream sauce that eloquently surrounds the plate and topped with crispy spaghetti squash. You'll literally want to lick the plate to get every last bit of that sauce! Rainbow Sushi Roll - Yes yes yessss! I know what you're thinking - that sounds like a typical sushi roll. It's faaaaar from typical here at Azabu! I watched the Raw Bar chef lovingly assemble this pièce de résistance and was blown away by his technique and attention to detail. Salmon Avocado inside Tuna, Salmon and Hamachi Kingfish outside. Eggplant Tempura - veggie lovers dream! Lightly breaded and deep fried eggplant stacked with hatcho miso and spring onions. Braised Pork Cheek Bun - Azabu's twist on the classic bao! A soft milky bun stuffed with delicious slow cooked pork drizzled with a sweet, tangy tamarind sauce. I wouldn't share this if I were you! This is probably the longest YELP review I've ever written but I had to make sure I showed my favorite restaurant proper love!

    Monday night and a full house here so lucky we had made a booking. Buzzing and busy but still provided very good service to our table of six including two children. There was a menu for them that didn't include fried food and fries so everyone happy. We enjoyed a selection of tasting plates of Japanese food with an innovated twist' of spicy well balanced flavours. I thought the wee lamb chops were amazing until the beef on skewers came out....... incredible. Loved our daughter's birthday celebration A wee hint... ask for the kids dinner to be served first if possible.

    Dina M.

    Great service overall but especially from our "foodie" waitress Bailey. Every one of her recommendations were spot on and when I thought I knew better well, turned out she was spot on. The star was the Tuna Sashimi on tortilla chip, followed by the Chicken Katsu Bun.

    Chicken Katsu Bun
    Hiran T.

    Japanese influences on cuisine are strong in many parts of South America where immigration and cultural mixing have led to interesting combinations of flavor and texture. Yukio Ozeki, ex-chef at Ebisu and Lucky Lucky dumplings offers strong competition to existing Asian fusion restaurants on Ponsonby Road with his Japanese-Peruvian menu at Azabu. Set in a trendy Paul Izzard designed long space with a raw food bar at one end and a sake bar (Roji) at the other, the dark walls, wood and leather upholstery all lend a sense of intimacy that is reflected in the bonsai bowls set upon each table. Any concern that the decor is the best thing about this place is quickly dispelled when meals arrive (albeit a bit haphazardly among a large group - something for them to work on, but it's early days). Each plate is beautifully presented and everyone is bound to feel envious of each other's meals. I tried the chicken katsu bun, a variant on the deconstructed pork bun perfected by Blue Breeze Inn and was pleasantly surprised by the crispy coating of the chicken, warmth of wasabi and sweetness of caramelized onion that resulted in an optimum mouthful of satisfaction. The pork belly with pancakes is another twist on a traditional Chinese meal - Peking duck, and it works mainly because the pork belly is cooked to perfection and the accompanying beansprout and mint filling is a zingy counter-balance to the unctuous hoisin-covered protein. The Peruvian influence is notable in a number of dishes such as the salmon and passion fruit tiradito with crispy butternut squash and tuna sashimi tostada with pink grapefruit, avocado and wasabi lemon cream. In case you are wondering, Azabu is a district in Tokyo and also means linen cloth. Given the long line-up of plates you are going to want to try here, you may hope the night and tablecloth are as wide as the pacific between the shores of Tokyo and Lima and I promise that your stomach is likely to feel as swimmingly full. I'll see you there.

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    Review Highlights - Azabu

    Favorites that stood out were the salmon tiradito, chicken karaage, and the lamb chuleta.

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    Asakusa - California Sushi roll- love this taste! They are perfectly match each other prawn tempura, avocado, salmon, fish roe and more and more!

    Asakusa

    4.4(7 reviews)
    5.8 kmRemuera
    $$

    Low key homey restaurant hidden in the Remuera Village with surprising good food!…read more The place- typical Japanese decor. quite dim atmosphere. 2-4 seaters and a few bar stools. Well maintained. Clean. Some street parkings limited to 30 min during the day. The food- menu is smaller than many other westernized Japanese restaurants but they do bring out good daily specials. Amazing quality seafood. If you are lucky, you may get the highest quality part of tuna (otoro) the menu. Has a rich creamy taste to it. Also recommend the tuna wings. Lightly flavored, juicy and tender. Of course the lunch box options are of good quality and value. The service- as expected from a Japanese restaurant. Helpful and knowledgable. Will definitely visit this place again. Look forward to trying out their next special.

    I love to support local businesses, especially when you can have decent chats with the owner. It…read moremakes it feel so much friendlier and that there's a connection there. We've come here heaps of times for lunch and dinner and have always been impressed. The meals are not just your usual Japanese - its fancier! Everything is presented so carefully and beautifully. Check the board for the specials - it will be totally worth trying. And the fresh grated wasabi is really quite something else!

    Photos
    Asakusa - Japanese Wagyu beef steak. You can check out its beautiful marbling at Asakusa. Chef's recommendation to cook is medium rare.

    Japanese Wagyu beef steak. You can check out its beautiful marbling at Asakusa. Chef's recommendation to cook is medium rare.

    Asakusa
    Asakusa - New menu Japanese Katsu curry. You can choose katsu from Chicken, Pork and Prawn. It comes with rice and bit of salad as well.

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    New menu Japanese Katsu curry. You can choose katsu from Chicken, Pork and Prawn. It comes with rice and bit of salad as well.

    Cocoro - Murasaki uni (bright orange bit at the top) mixed with local Kina (bottom darker brown bit), in a Gunkan boat with Salmon Caviar

    Cocoro

    4.7(14 reviews)
    0.8 kmPonsonby
    $$$$

    Absolutely a hidden gem! Down a residential street in Ponsonby, and behind an unassuming door…read more I've had my fair share of really good Japanese food globally, including at several Michelin starred places, and this was up there in terms of quality. The pricing was very reasonable for the price you pay, and the service was very warm and kind, efficient, and spot on. Highlight dishes? - The "udon" with clams was amazing. Not had anything like it ever. - Nigri omakase was perfection. And a good selection of expensive and interesting fishes and seafood that you normally don't get in a chef's selection. Definitely will be revisiting Cocoro in the future. Note that if you would like the tasting menu, you need to order in advance, not available on the day itself. It did look quite interesting, looking at the tables next to me, but I think the a la carte menu also has plenty of interesting dishes, some more so than the tasting menu IMO.

    Lunch at Cocoro. Nice bright ambience, tranquil, comfy seating. Service is prompt, attentive but…read morenot intrusive. Wine list is good, good selection of local wine & French. Serves good quality Sake (eg they serve Kubota Manju), good selection of Japanese whisky too. Seafood selection & quality is probably one of the best in NZ. They have Ora King Salmon, uni to Otoro tuna from Japan (farm raised though). ingredients are super fresh. I love eating Chirashi sushi rice, it has a bit of everything but often fraction of the price! Price reflects the quality, $145 for chirashi, uni Gunkan, 3x pics of top quality Tuna sashimi & glass of wine. (I feel full in the end!) Definitely will come back again for top quality, best in NZ sushi!

    Photos
    Cocoro - Interior

    Interior

    Cocoro - Dessert

    Dessert

    Cocoro

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    Yoshizawa - Tonkatsu set; very juicy pork cutlet and the breading was crunchy and perfect! Potato salad was flavorful too! Really loved the tea as well!

    Yoshizawa

    4.8(6 reviews)
    1.7 kmAuckland CBD

    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.

    Photos
    Yoshizawa
    Yoshizawa - Katsu Gozen

    Katsu Gozen

    Yoshizawa - Tonkatsu don

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    Tonkatsu don

    Daikoku - Menu4

    Daikoku

    3.9(14 reviews)
    1.6 kmAuckland CBD
    $$

    We stumbled on Daikoku after wandering a bit off of Queen Street, towards the Sky Tower. We were…read morequickly seated on traditional tatami Japanese seating on the floor (after removing our shoes). After scanning the broad menu, we ordered up two lunch bento box specials, an eel plate and tonkatsu shoyu ramen bowl. Food arrived mere moments later, seemingly faster than your local Maccas! The lunch special included miso soup, takoyaki, tuna/salmon sashimi salad, chicken teriyaki and a bowl of rice (and some unknown yet tasty chicken cucumber marianated dish). Not a bad deal for $16 NZ. Chicken teriyaki was excellent, btw. The eel arrived in a very generous portion (3x what we'd normally get in the states) and delish! Ramen was perfectly flavored (not too salty) and the noodles were tender. A good lunch stop in the heart of the CBD, and a good value if you're used to paying in USD! A nice refreshing Japanese meal preparing us for our upcoming experience in Japan -- should be ranked higher than the 3.5 stars currently on Yelp!

    So far is the best authentic Japanese food I've tasted so far. The staff speak Japanese and…read moreEnglish. You wouldn't know it's there until you walked past it a few times. The entrance is dark so you can't really tell if it's a restaurant. Also, it's definitely hard to tell if it's open or not. There are signs, but it's a bit confusing still. Ha! When you do go inside it, the atmosphere is quiet and calm. It definitely does feel like one of those smaller Japanese restaurants that you have been to if you have ever been to Japan. There's a sushi bar area where you can sit. There's also an authentic Japanese dinning area, set up with the tatami floors, walls, cushions and table where you have to take off your shoes in order to be seated there. There are also western seating available where we sat. The staff are quick to serve and are friendly. The food was delivered fairly quickly, and we didn't wait long. The taste of the food was really close to the kind that you would find if you lived in Japan. If you're looking for a good meal, this place I would recommend!

    Photos
    Daikoku - Dining area

    Dining area

    Daikoku - I wish I could take this home for my kiwi friend

    I wish I could take this home for my kiwi friend

    Daikoku - Menu2

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    Menu2

    Azabu - japanese - Updated May 2026

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