Japanese restaurant in New Zealand

“You need to try this place if you haven't already! My partner and I highly recommend it to everyone we know. The food is excellent, the service is amazing, the price is great for what you get, and the portions are big! My partner and I usually get the teriyaki salmon and chicken katsu donburi. The ingredients are very fresh and balanced with the fresh salad. The sauces are very flavourful. We've tried other items on their menu and their sushi and they are all excellent. We'd say their sushi is some of the best we've ever had! The service is also amazing - the staff are very friendly and always have a smile on their face. It feels as though every order is very important to them. They also always remember preferences we have (e.g. not liking onions). This place is so good that even when we moved out of the blockhouse bay area to about half an hour away we still try to go regularly. We would give them more than 5 stars if we could!”

“stopped in for dinner on our way home from watching the ALL BLACKS and i must say the owners are absolutely beautiful people, food was absolutely amazing and the atmosphere was so peaceful and friendly i would highly recommend the food was delicious and will definitely be back. this place is a must especially if you get into photography aswell the owners both have some awsome photography work on display on the walls and in a few published books our whanau throughly enjoyed it ❤️”

“Tasty comfy in big portion fresh sashimi. Also surprised with their sizzling lamb. It was perfectly cook soooo juicy and tanky and don't forget to order their desert!”

“Sakura is a real “cherry” treasure well hidden inside Asian Mall. When we first found it, we couldn’t believe our luck. Small , family run Japanese restaurant with amazing options of both vegan and not vegan food. Our favourites are Agedashi Tofu, veggie tempura and seaweed salad which is must try ! There are some choices of sushi including vegetarian but if you ask they make it vegan. Plenty of choice of Sake as well for connoisseur of that drink. Staff is always nice and friendly and very polite. Since tables are limited booking is recommended especially on weekends as place is always packed. Sakura is No. 1 Japanese restaurant in town without doubt!”

“This place was delicious. Very quick and convenient and great service. They have a separate vegan menu and I got the tofu bulgogi which was so good.”

The kitchen at RAMEN CHIDORI Japanese Noodle Restaurant takes a Japanese‑leaning path and lets the food speak. A riverside backdrop rounds out the stop. Front‑of‑house runs with calm, helpful energy. Sushi and hot dishes come out clean‑flavoured and precise.

“Gorgeous spot tucked on the top end of town. I can honestly the best sushi I’ve had in New Zealand and even rivalling tastes from my travels to Japan. Pricing was well and truly fair for the quality and the staff there were so joyful. Can’t wait to come back ❤️”

“Beautiful meal with fresh ingredients well price with lovely service atmosphere. Thank you”

“Great value for money! Lovely service and super quick. The meat was all super tasty and the takoyaki was delicious. Definitely coming back :)”

“I'm so glad we tried Hayami. The food was excellent along with the service. The food must have arrived at the table in less than 10mins after ordering. Reasonably priced good quality wine too.. The decor inside gave a real Japanese feel, which just added to everything. It was one of the best Japanese I've had in Auckland.”

“Had the tanto sushi lunch that happens once a month for around $60+ pp. The experience was very authentic and was one of the best authentic sushi that i've had in NZ. Most of nz sushi is Americanised and sweet and although taste good I still prefer the just fish with rice. All the dish here had a lot of natural taste to it but taste very delicious. The sushi ingredients was fresh and I especially love the sweet potato tempura. The tempura reminds me of a place in Japan where they focused on the item being fried to bring out its naturalness and the batter was just a light batter that doesn't overwhelm whats inside. The sweet potato tempura was the best and had really nice texture. Overall very enjoyed the meal and experience and highly recommend for people to treat themselves and come here.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever eaten this much before! It was so delicious, highly recommend. I also wanted to make a point of the customer service that was greatly appreciated, we had a small miscommunication in the beginning as it was our first time here, but our waitress was gracious and helpful.”

“The food was DELISH! Loved the different little tasters we got in our bento box’s, all so succulent and divine. We always stay at hotel 115 and I’ve never been here before, It’s good to know it’s nice and close and I’ll definitely be back next time I’m in Christchurch for work. Such a cute little place and the staff are lovely. The only thing id recommend, is they need The lights to be a little softer while dining, would make it a different vibe again if they were dimmed. But that’s isn’t a deal breaker of course haha!”

“The best sushi in Hamilton, if not NZ! Very friendly staff, great sushi and noodles and very affordable. Love thus place!”

“We adore this place - they serve incredibly fresh fish (their nigiri platter is delicious!), freshest fish in Hamilton. Their food is always perfectly cooked and beautifully prepared. Beer is ice cold, sake is delicious and hot (if you like it that way) and their service is warm and personable. We can’t say enough about this place and the rad people that run it ❤️”

Inaka Sushi & Japanese Restaurant keeps things Japanese‑leaning and focused on flavour. Meat‑free options are woven into the menu. Plates offer plenty without weighing things down. Service stays present without fuss.

“This is a place I often go when I visit Omokoroa. The food is delicious and friendly.”

At And Rice Japanese Kitchen, the menu stays Japanese‑leaning with tidy execution. Takeaway travels well and holds its crunch. Front‑of‑house runs with calm, helpful energy. Orders move at a steady pace.

Deliciosa Restaurant keeps things kebab and pita and focused on flavour. Meat‑free options are woven into the menu. Cakes and scoops finish things neatly. Portions are generous yet well judged. Meats...

At Piku Izakaya Japanese Restaurant & Cocktail Bar, the menu stays simple, bistro-style, served with an easygoing pace. Meat‑free options are woven into the menu. A sensible spend for the quality. Plates offer plenty without tipping heavy.

Hana Japanese Restaurant keeps things simple, bistro-style and focused on flavour. Easy to carry out for a simple night in. Value feels fair for the spread. Plates offer plenty without tipping heavy....

Hashi Japanese Cuisine keeps things simple, bistro-style and focused on flavour. Good value shows in the serve sizes. Service stays present without fuss. Packaging keeps things crisp on arrival. Value...

“Went there early evening so no need to book a table. Food was good but the eel bento box was little disappointed with the amount of eel served. Other food was good !”

“We love this spot! Very fresh, clean and delicious flavours. The menu is extensive and offers a bit of everything in terms of variety and price. Haven’t had a bad dish here so far. The team are very friendly and warm. The interior is full of Japanese theme with a homely feel. Yaruki for life!”

“The waiters in this restaurant are very polite and made me feel very comfortable when dining in the store. They will ask you carefully if you need more water? Still need some service? It's been a long time since I've tasted such delicious Japanese food. The vegetable tempura is not greasy and the ingredients are chosen just right, so it tastes delicious. The most surprising thing is that I didn’t expect the portion size of KIWI DINNER to be so big, so I think the portion size for two people is just right. A Japanese restaurant that is worth visiting again.”

“Cute small japanese restaurant. The restaurant is clean and has a comfortable athmosphere. The staff is very nice and helpful. They seem to like working there and do a lot for the positive vibe. What I've ordered so far: Takoyaki - new favourite dish at Coo's, I just had it today and it was so creamy and delicious! Gyoza - absolutely amazing, especially with some soy sauce. Can 100% recommend this as a starter or to have with a drink. Katsu don (Pork) - was amazing, it could do with some extra tonkatsu sauce for the rice but was still very (!) good. Ikageso - delish little calamaries. Nothing more, nothing less. Karaage don - the karaage was nice and juicy. I am not yet sure how it compares to the chicken katsu don but can recommend. Eel don - beautifully presented and I loved it, but I like eel in general, so if you are not big on fish, I would not recommend this. Umeshu - nicely presented and tasty, reminded me of some dried plums I've had back in europe”

“Great selection, build your own pack in 3 suggested sizes. Good pricing; on par with more commercial sushi such as St.Pierres Newmarket. Love it here. Absolutely lovely service”

“Absolutely delicious food.A great selection of vegetarian options.”

“This seafood fried noodle was the best I had in ages, so much fresh seafoods with tons of vegetables as well. And apparently it comes in chicken, pork, and beef I would highly recommend to everyone ☺️ Oh and free miso soup comes with it! The customer service was very good as well :)”

“We will definitely be back! Cold beer and delicious food. The food was so good - Chicken Teriyaki, Chicken Katsu, Fish Katsu, Vegetable Tempura. Loved that the mains came with Miso. Very reasonably priced plus BYO (which is so rare these days). The only negative was the restrooms could do with a bit of a refresh, but you go for the food, not the loos!”