Japanese restaurant in Auckland

“My friend and I had a beautiful lunch yesterday! My friend was not feeling very well. The staff were EXCELLENT and accommodated her request for something clean. They were willing to go 'off menu' and offered her a lovely lemon and ginger hot tea as well as a nice fresh chicken breast, veggies and rice. It sounds simple but it was exactly what my friend needed and wanted and she was very happy. I had a vegetarian meal of tofu, cashews, veggies and rice and it was DELICIOUS! Food and drinks arrives quickly. The lady serving us was so kind and genuinely wanted to find something that would be good for my unwell friend. We will DEFINITELY be back, it was a great experience and also a nice environment.”

“Fantastic sushi and sashimi, always fresh. Friendly service and reasonable prices. Recommended.”

“First time at Sushi-Ya and have to say this is the best sushi I have had in a long time! Incredibly fresh, and the pieces are huge and loaded with fillings! Great value for money.”

“Best sushi we've had in Auckland. Real Japanese food. Lovely service and people.”

“We’ve been coming to this sushi shop for several weeks in a row. It’s tasty and good value, and the chicken comes in whole pieces, not shredded chicken.”

“The most delicious Japanese food ever. I had the teriyaki chicken donburi and shared some dumplings. Amazing service, taste and quick and very cheap. Will be back again for sure!”

“For a sushi chain, this place is excellent. Sushi chef is ready to make to order, he and the team provide a friendly service too. Lovely seating area. Plenty of parking. Lots of options to fit your tastebuds. Make sure to pickup chopsticks though, they don't assume you want them so you need to pack them in yourself.”

“Recently visited Ebisu with a group of friends to experience their Oki No Saturday Buffet. The selection was truly generous- fresh sashimi, sushi rolls, shrimp, udon and miso soup as well as hot dishes like salmon, braised beef brisket. And many delicious desserts. I have to say the sashimi was beautifully arranged and fresh. The service was friendly and attentive throughout. Our group wholeheartedly enjoyed the Oki No Saturday Buffet. I will recommend it without hesitation to anyone if you are looking for a relaxed Japanese buffet in Auckland.”

“We had a meal here as a family and I had the deluxe salmon bento . Also came with miso and salad. It was an excellent meal served by friendly people.”

“We had amazing dinner here we did the à la carte menu. The sashimi was fantastic possibly one of the best in Auckland. If not New Zealand. The steak was amazing. The staff were really friendly and helpful and all around great restaurant. I haven’t been for awhile. It’s nice to see they haven’t dropped their standards.”

“Love her sushi. Some places don't get the filling to rice ratio right but hers is always perfect. Around $1.70 per piece. Freshly made and if you want something you don't see she will happily make it for you on the spot. Sushi bee and St Pierre's are my go to's for sushi.”

“SO GOOODDDDD!! have to stop by and try this chicken teriyaki sushi sandwich and it was really good!!! go before it gets viral!!! can't wait to try some other things!!! best sushi in CBD!!!”

“Tasty & fresh sushi! Had photo with owner & founder!”

“Excellent Japanese restaurant set in a traditional ambiance. The restaurant has an A grade by Auckland Council. The food was very tasty and the staff very friendly. There’s also a bar in the Japanese style.”

“One of the best Japanese restaurants in Auckland! It has such a cozy atmosphere, and the staff are incredibly lovely and friendly. Everything on the menu is delicious, but I highly recommend the sushi rolls and bento boxes:)”

“Great little sushi shop i stopped in for lunch the sushi was super fresh and tasty I had the salmon and avo the lady at the counter was super friendly definitely recommend visiting if ur a sushi fan”

“Best sushi I have ever tasted. The freshest you will find anywhere. Lovely staff too. Very friendly and kind.”

“They have the best vegetarian sushi with many different tasty options. You can choose from the wide variety in the cabinet (which they are happy to make fresh if run out) or buy from an even wider variety of delicious hot food made to order; bento boxes, donburi, tempura etc. Can sit in or takeaway. They always have miso soup to order too. Best service, very welcoming and lovely. Highly recommend! My favourite sushi shop.”

“The best little spot. Our favourite spot for the freshest fish, best selection and best value for money on sashimi. We always get a deluxe set each - and it’s consistently great each time. Kind workers and free miso soup too. Not a single complaint.”

“You have to come and try it to understand why it is delicious. It's a small space, but the menu and atmosphere are the best for me”

“Very tasty sushi whit lots of meat”

“Called in here today for 2 piece's of sushi $4.40 & a miso $3. Thursday 9 October 2025.”

“Of course, the taste is not as good as real Japanese sushi, but it is certainly fresh sushi that is handmade every morning. It is quite good for sushi in a mall food court.”

“I only order salmon and avocado sushi. Came here for the first time 2 days ago and the workers were very friendly and accommodated my request for a newly made pack of sushi without the wasabi and ginger in it (allergies). They did not hesitate to make a new pack and they smiled and were attentive to me and other customers the whole time. The sushi itself contained a lot of salmon compared to St Pierre's. I will definitely be back.”

“Affordable prices compare to other sushi place. They always have a warm welcome for customers”

“The teriyaki chicken was delicious - perfectly cooked chicken and flavorful teriyaki. Service was quick. My husband enjoyed his Katsu curry as well. Good place to eat for a quick and filling meal.”

“It's like stepping into a little pocket of Japan. I really enjoy the slower pace of this place. And ordering a few things at a time. They have a top 5 recommended skewers list, and I'd have to second it. The only other thing I'd add is the beef tongue and the grilled rice balls. The latter has such an interesting texture when grilled. The karaage is also a classic must have, as well as the beef tataki. I've also tried the gingko nuts and it's quite the interesting flavour and texture - worth trying once. Though Google tells me I shouldn't eat more than 7 of these nuts in a day... Great sake and classic Japanese beer options. And a very cosy ambience. If you're not a big group, would recommend sitting by the kitchen. Always fun to watch them grill.”

“The food is delicious and well served. I ordered the Teriaki salmon donburi. The vegetables are fresh, the portion well served and delicious. The service is good as well and the food was ready in 15 min. Really recommend the place.”

“Definitely the best (and most beautiful) sushi I ever had. If you have a few minutes you should eat in the seating are which is located upstairs in a business lounge with a glass front facing the harbour. The prices start at 1,50$ for the basic ones and they also have other options than sushi (e.g. Edamame, seaweed salad etc.) Totally recommendable!”

“I organised an end of year dinner for our class at Mr Tanakas tonight (13 of us). The entire process for organising the dinner was seamless and the team were so accommodating even when things changed a few times. The vibe of the restaurant was really cool, the service was awesome, the food was scrumptious and we were all full from our the $65 p/p set menu + a couple of other yummy dishes. The cocktails and wines were great and we had the pleasure of dining in the Lantern room which was such a fun vibe and included karaoke. Unfortunately we didn’t capture photos of the food. Anyhow - I’d like to thank the staff for their wonderful service tonight!! ❤️”