Keep in mind that Lake Tekapo is a small town with small city centre, so dining choices are…read morelimited.
Kohan Japanese Restaurant appears to be the only Japanese restaurant in town, and it might be the usual, basic items, but it did not disappoint at all! It's been here since 1993!
It's located at the righthand side of the city centre. Finding the entrance was confusing as it was connected with the Aotea Gift shop (that we didn't go in) from the inside, through the parking lot.
The inside felt like those old-fashioned diners with the faded red cushioned chairs, wood colored dining tables, and wide open dining area. There's big windows with unobstructed views of the beautiful mountains and pristine Lake Tekapo, which makes the experience all the better.
The special was Popcorn Chicken, which was not bad. Chunky, tender pieces of deep fried chicken coated in a tasty, sweet Teriyaki sauce.
The Agedashi Tofu was good. Lightly battered, and lightly fried tofu. The sauce was on the light side, but still acceptable.
The Buckwheat Soup hits the spot if you're looking for something light, homey, and warm. The broth was clean and light with a good amount of shiitake mushrooms and chicken along with the buckwheat.
Lastly, I had the Tempura Sushi Bento to try a little bit of everything. It came with salmon and ahi sashimi, tempura combo (shrimp, blue cod, kabocha, and sweet potato), teriyaki chicken with salad, miso and sake malt marinated fried salmon, broccoli with walnut miso sauce, edamame, Japanese omelet roll, a slice of orange, and a choice of teriyaki chicken roll or 2 piece avocado salmon roll (chose this one).
Can't say everything was a hit. Chicken was OK. The salmon sashimi was good. It was more so light and firm rather than soft and buttery. Ahi was the same. Fried salmon was good, but a touch on the salty side. The sushi roll was ok. Rice was bland, and basic quality. The tempura was good though, and the tempura sauce was excellent.
Overall, if I compare this meal to my personal experiences, it wouldn't be that good. But thinking about where this restaurant is located with the amazing views, and other options to eat around the area, this was a decent meal. The service was very good. Friendly and attentive servers. Good atmosphere. Food came out quick.