Below is a list of the top and leading Japanese Restaurants in Auckland. To help you find the best Japanese Restaurants located near you in Auckland we put together our own list based on this rating points list.
Auckland’s Best Japanese Restaurants:
The top rated Japanese Restaurants in Auckland are:
- Masu by Nic Watt – serves delicious meals cooked in a robata grill
- Tanuki Japanese Restaurant – patterned after the casual dining experience in Japan
- Ebisu – serves irresistible classic set menu and signature platters
- Azabu Ponsonby – a fusion of culinary specialties from Japan and Peru
- Musashi Japanese Cuisine – New Lynn – a known Izakaya eatery in Auckland
Masu by Nic Watt
Masu by Nic Watt is a Japanese restaurant based in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a robata restaurant and bar serving sumptuous Japanese meals and dishes. The chef and owner want to promote the purity of the ingredients used with his meticulous preparation that maintains its flavour. Sushi lovers would surely enjoy their sushi, sashimi, and tuna bar that offers tuna, kingfish, bluefin tuna, king salmon, trevally, snapper, john dory, scampi, pacific oysters, and Chatham island crayfish as the choices. Maki rolls, on the other hand, can be either a combination of prawn, avocado, and takuwan, cucumber and pickled plum, crab, daikon, and mayonnaise, bean, carrot, takuwan, and ginger, tuna, chilli mayonnaise, and avocado, salmon, mayonnaise, and avocado, eel, omelette, cucumber, and sansho, and jalapeno, kingfish, aioli, and tenkasu. The robata grill has options for either just meat, seafood, or vegetables.
Products/Services:
Sashimi, Nigiri, Maki Rolls, Small Dishes And Salads, Tempura & Fried, Soup & Rice, Robata Grill
LOCATION:
Address: 90 Federal Street, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010
Phone: (493) 636-278
Website: www.skycityauckland.co.nz/masu
REVIEWS:
“All of Masu’s meals are delicious!! The raw fish ingredients are fresh, but not very good value for money. The emperor crab hotpot is super delicious, every time I go must point! The soft shell crab sushi is surprisingly tasty. His steak is also excellent, and the Japanese steak sauce is surprisingly delicious. It’s the best Japanese food in New Zealand.” –Xu Cai
Tanuki Japanese Restaurant
Tanuki Japanese Restaurant is situated in Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 5 pm to 10 in the evening. The restaurant offers an Izakaya dining experience to Aucklanders which is best enjoyed with friends or families with a serving of sake or Japanese beer. It was opened in 1994 and pioneered the Izakaya-style eateries in the country. Their small sharing menu has seafood miso soup, edamame soybean, fresh raw octopus and wasabi, steamed broccoli, deep-fried eggplant, beef tataki, and oven-grilled lamb chops. Sashimis features the chef selections of 5 varieties of market fish served either in medium or large portions. Sushis are either vegetable-rolled sushi, salmon and avocado sushi, or a mix of fresh tuna, spicy sauce, and cucumber.
Products/Services:
Small Sharing Dishes, Sashimi, Nigiri Sushi, Sushi, Deep Fried Sharing Plates, Large Sharing Plates
LOCATION:
Address: 319 Queen Street, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010
Phone: (493) 795-353
Website: www.tanuki.co.nz
REVIEWS:
“We booked the private dining room for my partner’s birthday. The staff were attentive, friendly and helpful. The room was great and the decor felt like we were in Japan again. Because we were a big group it was really nice to see the manager allowing complimentary sake shots for some of us, which added to the overall experience. The food was nice, the portion probably on the smaller side for what you paid but that’s ok, we came for the experience. Thank you Momo and Team for a great evening! :)” –Quynh Pham
Ebisu
Ebisu is an Auckland-based Japanese restaurant that serves signature platters, sashimis, a tasting menu, and other irresistible snacks popular in Japan. It operates from Mondays to Fridays offering lunch and dinner selections and on weekends opens from 5 pm onwards. Diners should try their Ebisu signature platters which are made up of Angus beef scotch, teriyaki chicken, beef tataki, chicken cup, and seared duck breast. Sashimi lovers would have a blast with their chef’s selection of premium market fish, paired with scallops, ginger garlic soy, wasabi tartare and tobiko with cucumber. Lastly, diners who are new to Japanese cuisine can get a taste of Japan’s pride through the tasting menu.
Products/Services:
Traditional Set Menu, Vegetarian/Vegan Set Menu, Sashimi, Dumplings, Tempura, Small Plates, Large Plates, Rolled Sushi, Ebisu Signature Platters, Nigiri Sushi
LOCATION:
Address: 116 – 118 Quay Street, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010
Phone: (493) 005-271
Website: www.ebisu.co.nz
REVIEWS:
“Loved it! Many classic Japanese items made perfectly. Some shining stars bursting with complex flavours. Will definitely visit again when the budget allows a splurge.” –S. Whyte
Azabu Ponsonby
Azabu Ponsonby is a Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant operating in Auckland, New Zealand. The owner and executive chef Yukio Ozeki was inspired by Nikkei’s perfect representation of the two culinary cultures in Peru and hence Azabu was born. They offer both small and large plates which are best shared. The omakase menu boasts the finest local produce infused with a Japanese flair. It has edamame seasoned with lime salt, beef tataki, salmon, chicken karaage, tuna sushi rolls, grilled octopus, spicy lamb cutlets, crispy pork belly, served with Japanese short-grain rice and tapioca topped with spiced apple, orange coconut meringue, honeycomb, passion fruit and miso vanilla ice cream.
Products/Services:
Small Plates, Tempura, Main Plates, Raw Bar & Sushi, Omakase Menu
LOCATION:
Address: 26 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1011
Phone: (493) 205-292
Website: www.azabu.co.nz
REVIEWS:
“A fantastic place for modern Japanese food with contemporary decor, great cocktails, and excellent food. The sashimi was fresh, and the fried soft-shelled crab was nice and crunchy. The flamed fish roe is a first for me, I’ve had torched scallop and salmon etc but never fish roe.. to be honest, I think it’s gimmicky as the flavour is more pronounced as on scallops, just it’s taste, and hearing all the roe crackling under the torch was strangely satisfying.” –Jerry Wong
Musashi Japanese Cuisine – New Lynn
Musashi Japanese Cuisine – New Lynn was established in 2006 serving flavourful and mouth-watering dishes. It serves Japanese fusion cuisines prepared from the finest local ingredients cooked via the traditional way. The restaurant offers an izakaya-style dining experience highlighting the casual vibe present in Japanese tapas bars. Their menu has the kojiro zen packed with miso soup, garlic edamame, shrimp dumpling, aburi nigiri sushi, tempura, sashimi, prawn twister, and salad and Musashi zen bearing the same menu with an additional serving of salmon avocado rolls.
Products/Services:
Musashi Zen, Kojiro Zen, Akemi Zen, Yagyu Zen, Vegetable Zen, Course Menu
LOCATION:
Address: 3073 Great North Road, New Lynn, Auckland 0600
Phone: (498) 260-622
Website: www.musashirestaurant.co.nz
REVIEWS:
“We are regulars of this fantastic restaurant. In fact, this place is our 2nd home. The staff are simply wonderful. The seafood is always fresh and the food simply delicious. Combined with an adequate selection of sake, the experience is always memorable (well mostly;)” –Andrew Souter