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.

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.

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!

After a walk around the Ponsonby Market day , my friend and I were verging on the lighter end of…read morehangry ( hungry / angry probably due to the choice of places to eat ! Decisions , decisions !) anyway after a looksie at Ponsonby Central , sushi seemed like a good idea . With a miss 2 ¾ in tow, sushi was a good kid friendly option . Bento boxes started at $25 and seemed very substantial , I went for the beef teriyaki Katsu bowl and my friend the chicken karrage Katsu bowl . Both were alright portions and seasoned nicely , tho miss 2 ¾ was more down with the chicken karrage than her own sushi roll and ate most of mums fried chicken . Service was fast and friendly , but I've never really had bad service in a Japanese place and hope not to . And at $50 for two , lunch with beer and wine is a winner on the day for me , will probably be going back .

Finally found a real Japanese restaurant in Ponsonby. Awesome food and Service !…read more Friendly waiters and the Size of our plates worth the price of it.

Best experience here on our honeymoon visit to New Zealand!…read more The restaurant is trendy and romantic. Service was so friendly. We ordered the Tokyo platter which had so much variety!

Once again Yelp reviews failed us. We were looking forward to this restaurant by Nic Watt, but the…read moreexperience left us underwhelmed. Restaurant itself is very prettily decorated. Lively ambience. Our waitress was "nice", but nothing beyond the bare minimum. Food was just ok. The crab hotpot was more like a porridge. Drinks were watered down.

Japanese-Peruvian!…read more 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!

Came to Mission Bay to get off the beaten path, so to speak. So glad we did! Drinks were good,…read moreservice excellent and food was great as well. Our server, Anung, was awesome! So personable! We had the spicy edamame and it was def spicy and delicious! Next was the volcano roll, which they fired up with a blow torch (never saw that with a sushi roll before) . It crackled and sounded like fireworks on Chinese New Year Highly recommend!!!

The sushi is artfully presented and sublimely fresh and tasty at Yaruki…read more The last time we ate at Yaruki was with a large group and yet another fantastic meal was had in an ambient setting. I suggest you order a Japanese set meal like Tensin platter for two which gives you a good variety of items off the menu including sushi, sashimi, chicken teri, and gyoza, tempura and daily special. The dinner box meal has additions of tonkatsu and choice of beef, chicken or fish teriyaki. Many of the customers are locals and will tell you that, hands down, this is THE best Japanese in town. Not just me but every member in our large party agreed.

As always the food at Yaruki is astounding! Nice to have a…read moremenu that isn't the traditional "NZ Japanese fare" This is one of those restaurants frequented by locals so can be difficult to get into. however on our most recent visit it was no problem, Interestingly I felt the experience on my last visit last week was not up to the previous standard hence the 4/5 rating, but this restaurant is always worth every cent you pay and more! The seafood here is always top notch, you are unlikely to go away disappointed in the Sashimi or prawns! Most definitely a recommended restaurant!

Absolutely delightful and delicious food. The pipe working there are so kind! The place is very…read morewell cleaned.

We were invited to lunch here and to be honest did not have high expectations. However we were…read morehappily surprised. Bian has both cooked meals and pick your own sushi. The salmon nigiri and eel nigiri were great. Salmon was fresh, and they were on point with the eel to rice ratio. For pick your own sushi I usually tend to steer clear from ones that are wrapped in seaweed, unless it was just made, as the seaweed is always soggy from sitting there for a while. In terms of cooked meals, the spicy chicken katsu don was delicious. It was missing spice but the chicken was tender and coating was perfect. We also tried the pork curry don. The pork was very dry (get chicken instead) but we enjoyed the curry itself. They do small donburis for $8 which is great if you are wanting to have some sides too - highly recommend. Our favourite has to be the tempura. It's $9 for a small and $14 for a large with assorted veges and prawn. The veges were super sweet (kumara, pumpkin, long beans, onion) we actually enjoyed them over the prawns which is definitely a first for seafood lovers like us. The batter was just right, not too thick and not overcooked. They provide tempura sauce unlike some sushi places that just give you soy sauce. The staff there are also super friendly and food comes out quickly. There is lots of seating both inside and out. Will definitely be getting tempura and chicken katsu before hitting the Takapuna shops next time we are in the area and craving Japanese!