Can't go wrong coming here, except for getting a table if you haven't pre-booked. Make sure you do…read morebook , else you may never get a table or be " left out in the cold " for a while. This particular night we came we could not get a booking until at least an hour or so later, so we popped in when passing by to see if maybe they could maybe squeeze us in somehow. Luckily, yes, they could give us a table as long as we were finished in an hour. Thank you! We gratefully took it. The service is pretty quick here so did not have to wait long for the orders to be taken. I had the Pork Katsuni with rice ( it can be ordered without rice ) , and my other half had the Pork Miso Katsu. My order came out in the little pot still cooking above a flame and a timer placed next to it for 10 minutes. When it beeps at 10 minutes then it is fully cooked. Worth the ten minutes wait as is pretty good .. Of all the Pork Katsuni i've had this rates up amongst the best. Pork well cooked and all. So overall, service is great, food too, ambience very good, it's clean...and i really like how the split long tables into seperate seatings for 2, 4 or however many. And the price is as expected..not too bad. Well worthy of 5 stars!

Despite the lack of reviews - yes, yelpers, I'm talking to you;) - this place is gaining a quick…read morefollowing. Even on weeknights the place is packed (and they told us we would be fine on a Thurs evening with a large group, but not a seat left in the house as the night wore on). The food is tasty but expect small portions, so eat before hand, or after if need be! I even got to cook my own fish dish at the table with bunsen burner and timer. Tasted pretty good chef. Service was ok, but seemed a bit unsure of themselves at times, could have been new staff perhaps? Well worth trying out if you are in the area or a local. Hefty price tag but worth the occasional splurge. Enjoy!

Recently opened in mid-September 2013, Tanoshimu is a Yakinuku (Japanese BBQ) restaurant. A range…read moreof meats and seafood are available. It was my first time dining at a Yakinuku restaurant so the server was very handy at helping us cook some of the meats as well as explaining the condiments that go with each dish. Because the server helped us cook and compliment the meats with a range of condiments, including sauces and powders, the food was absolutely great. I was a great fan of the beef tongue, although not so much of the pork selection. The interior decor is simple, with japanese themed paintings on the wall. From the outside it looked very dark that we almost drove right past thinking that it was already closed for the day. The room gets quiet smokey if there are many others dining (especially those who aren't good at cooking the food) and it becomes visible in the room as well as noticeable when breathing, hopefully they figure out some better ventilation system. Currently open 6pm-12pm Everyday except Tuesdays and they say will open for lunch when business picks up!

Ok it's not Tokyo but for a hole in the wall joint in west Auckland it's very good. Recommend the…read moreseared salmon nigiri and the banana toffee pie. Great that there are places serving proper genmaicha tea. My wife loves her tea!

Yeh!! Auckland is now in Level one so we can at last leave our Titirangi bubble and so ventured out…read moreto our favourite Japanese restaurant. We received a very warm welcome from Junko san and proceeded to enjoyed a much missed fabulous meal. So glad this small boutique restaurant survived COVID. We will be back

Hidden amongst a few other Asian restaurants, Banzai is lovely. Great space and vibe…read more Food was awesome and reasonably priced.

Banzai has been one of our family favourites ever since it opened quite a few years ago. Small but…read moreperfectly formed, it's best to book as it gets busy, although every time we've turned up they've managed to shift things around to give us a table. They go out of their way to make kids welcome and will supply books. pens, paper and often lollypops - they even ask the parents first if the lollypops are ok. The drinks list is basic but the few wines are well chosen and affordably priced, as is the incredible food. They do the usual Japanese favourites but I would recommend going for the Yakisoba or my favourite, especially in Winter, the Soup Noodles. The Lemon Chilli is the best and comes with your choice of Udon or Soba noodles. I get my Vegetarian version without the tempura batter and easy on the tofu. Indeed I am a person who struggles to order off the menu (I want it my way y'know?) and Banzai is another of my favourite establishments that has no problem with this. The salads are also delicious, particularly the not-very-Japanese-sounding Feta and Sundried Tomato. New visitors should definitely try the Korokke (potato cakes with sweet dipping sauce) and the creamy Potato Salad. The staff are absolutely lovely and never complain about us customising our dishes in a myriad of ways. You can phone ahead for takeaways or ask for a doggy bag if you over-order and they even have a small library of truly classy coffee table books to read while you wait for your takeaway. We always leave to a chorus of "thank you very much" from the entire staff. Me and mine have a lot of love for Banzai, so much so, we have even learned to copy the correct cultural protocol when paying at the end of the evening. Banzai makes me very ureshii.

Sukiyaki set meal. Seared salmon nigiri and fried chicken were all delicious. This level of quality…read moreis amazing in Auckland! It's a restaurant I'd like to visit again.

So, I'll definitely admit to being one of those white guys who reads Haruki Murakami and kind of…read morewishes he was Japanese, and the guy who runs this little joint is like the kind of white guys who wish they were Japanese. He wears like a karate kid style headband! Yes! And sometimes to drum up business, he'll go up onto the main part of New North Road, by the Kingsland train station, with this big (BIG) Japanese flag and start kind of flailing it around and (I think) yelling out stuff in Japanese. Which is obviously a big plus. The food is Japanese and it is delicious. I think the prices are okay. Pretty good.

Yuzu is one of my favourite weekly dinner spots. It's usually quite busy but i always manage to get…read morea seat. Jane the woman who runs it is a huge part of why I've given Yuzu 5 stars. She is so lovely, and smiley, her service style is really cool and she always says hello and goodbye. The food is really good. The new special sashimi is amazing, tuna or kingfish with a grapefruit dressing. All the sushi is great, so are the sizzling plates. The Karaage chicken is succulent and juicy and the coating has actual cornflakes. My boyfriend and i always order way too much as its so hard to choose! There are a few Korean dishes that have snuck their way in there as Jane is Korean. The bimbimap is really yummy, I love anything with a fried egg on top! This place is BYO, i think it's a really cute date spot.

Yuzu, what a treat!…read more Super fresh & fast, just as Japanese should be! Their edamame beans are served w a decent sprinkle of salt and on our table, lashings of soy sauce. The sashimi is fresh to death and cut with such precision. For mains we usually either go the sizzling plate or my new favourite, the bibimbap - seriously the best! Always service with a smile, always bustling with loyal locals - it's everything you want in a casual Japanese eatery.

This sushi house is definitely not a commercial chain: smells and looks like the 'real deal' when…read moreyou walk in. What I mean by that, is the service is personable, the Japanese fare is delicious and tastes like it was made with love and attention. I hand picked all my sushi and sashimi with precision, it took me a few minutes to decide as it was a process! I think they call it sushi-love! You can sit in or take away, great service, a little expensive, but you don't care. Definitely a place to visit, if in Pt Chevalier!

I needed to get some food into me quick smart so popped into Bon Sushi one afternoon. It's a cute…read morenew sushi place in Point Chev and I instantly knew I'd be back there. What struck me was how lovely and cute the staff were. There was a young woman on the till who gave off a real grace and helped me decide what sushi to get without pushing me to buy more or anything. From what I could tell it's a family business which made it feel really homely. They have great sushi packs and not a lot of individual sushi but I didn't mind that. They went down a treat and I was deliciously full. I will definitely be back there and I suggest you go too!

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.

Wouldn't have found this one without Yelp. It is a small little restaurant in the CBD with…read moreauthentic Japanese food. Service was excellent, friendly and fast. This could have been right in Tokyo as everything was perfect. Thanks.

Truly an experience! I felt like I was back in Tokyo. The lighting, decor, and the 80's music made…read morefor a good vibe. The food was great for drinking beer! We had the snapper salad, salmon, pork belly, grilled veggies, chicken thighs, everything was great. Definitely worth checking this place out if you're hanging out in AKL.

This is an amazing find! The door is kind of hidden and you go down and you see a nice bar room…read more All the food we ordered was amazing. Their yuzu plum drink was great. This was a great dinner. The place is a little loud. The staff were very sweet and quick to serve. We walked here from our hotel so not sure on the parking. :(

Who would have though such delicious sushi would be tucked away in this weird little mall in Pt…read moreChev?! Sushi Wasabi was an absolute delight to discover. The staff are all really friendly and supply you with lots of genuine smiles and conversation as you peruse their fresh sushi collection. Though partial to teriyaki chicken sushi, I have also tried their rice balls and crispy chicken sushi options and they were fantastic. All the ingredients were very fresh and tasty - you could tell none of it had been sitting on the shelves very long - always a good sign. Another good sign is that every time I have been to Sushi Wasabi there have been other people in the store - and many of them have been Japanese. It's always reassuring to see people of the culture eating from these places as it makes you feel like the food is authentic and as it should be! Prices are pretty standard, so although Sushi Wasabi is not cheaper than the usual, trusted St Pierre's I do urge you to give this place a try is you're in the area. It's a great experience and you'll definitely head back for more!