I can’t believe I’ve only just tried this place. Wish I’ve know about it for longer. The food was amazing, best and freshest sashimi I’ve ever had. The tostadas are a must try too. Can’t wait to come back
Went here for my birthday, great customer service, amazing food and cosy ambiance. Definitely recommended and will surely be back.
Had a superb meal. All the dishes were good, some better than others. Standout dishes for me were: Volacano Roll - topped to the brim with flying fish roe which were toasted (with a blowtorch) at the table adding a smoky flavour and texture to the dish.
Eggplant tempura - must try, tempura coating was fried to perfection. Crunchy and not oily at all.
Nikkei steak - tender and elevated to another level with the sesame soy dressing.
The service during our meal was faultless.
Does not dissapoint!
You can taste the work and culinary skills that goes into each sauce.
Amazing japanese fusion that never fails to please. From the subtle atmosphere to the award winning cocktails, this restaurant is doing everything right. Their service is also consistently top notch. An examplar for Auckland’s dining scene. I’ve tried 90% of the menu and can safely say there won’t be anything you won’t like.
Rating 4.5 The food were really amazingly delicious. Stopped by for lunch on the weekend. The place was pretty quiet was seated up the front which made it hard to get service as the waitress was juggling the tables at the back as well, she was also not the most helpful. Anyway none of that matter when the food eventually arrived. The seared beef tostada was perfectly sauced, sesame sauce just gel everything together. The tempura eggplant taco was just as good. Sweet sticky soy on the melt in your mouth eggplant tempura. So good.
This fusion Japanese restaurant is situated on Ponsonby Road. One of my top 3 favorites for Japanese.
The dim lighting and classy interior makes this a great place for intimate dinning. They offer a decent range of smaller sized plates, so you can try a bit of everything.
The restaurant is consistently busy so I recommend booking in advance if you don’t want to be seated at the bar.
The food is excellent. Well combined Japanese food with European techniques. We ordered the kingfish ceviche, beef tostada, seared scallop roll, tiger prawn dumplings and grilled octopus. Everything was fresh, well flavored and cooked to the perfect condition.
The service is average, waiters can be a little slow and inattentive.
Taste: 10/10
Presentation: 9/10
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 9.5/10
Value for money: 9/10
Price $50 per person (excl alcohol)
Visit my blog for my latest set menu dining experience at Azabu.
Fantastic food. Second time dining here and it did not disappoint, The crispy pork belly was super tender and the volcano sushi roll was awesome too. Highly recommend!
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Finally got to go here recently after hearing very positive things about the place. It's a hidden little gem that you could very easily walk past, but definitely don't do that!
Firstly the aesthetic of the place is very modern and more Japanese inspired than peruvian. It's very dark inside but it creates a luxury atmosphere that definitely delivers a finer dining experience. The restaurant is layed out very nicely and the seating arrangements offer everything you need for various group sizes. Overall it's a contemporary place with a touch of class.
The staff here were also brilliant and there are no faults in this department. We were served in good time and the food came out in good time also whilst being very professional.
The food here left me wanting a little. There were some dishes that were absolutely delicious, but others that didnt quite fulfill my excitement. For example the ceviche was good but definitely not the best, I personally wasn't the biggest fan of the smokiness, but that also comes down to personal preference. However, the dumplings were brilliant and if you do come here definently try them. The octopus was another dish that didnt meet my expectations, unfortunately some pieces were a little rubbery. However, the menu has heaps of options and there is definitely more I need to try next time as it all sounds so good!
Overall this is an excellent place with little left wanting. Unfortunately some of the dishes were underwhelming but it is still an excellent place and I would reccomend to anyone. Definitely try this place as there aren't many peruvian places around I Auckland.
If I had to only eat at one restaurant for the rest of my life, it would be here. They never fail to deliver on extraordinary food and service, we always give a good tip. Am always a huge fan of the prawns dumpling and the beef short rib. Wish I knew their recipe. I enjoyed it all but those were my favourites. For cocktails the San Sora was my go too, such refreshing taste and was nice and light.
Amazing food and drinks, ordered one of the bento and Rozu Chan
Always excellent food, great variety and service. Everything is beautifully presented and the dining experience is enjoyable. Recommend you eat here for a great meal.
Excellent food and excellent service, we will be back again !
A very interesting fusion of Peruvian and Japanese, and very well done. Prompt and friendly service as well as quick serving of the cold foods.
First up was the black tiger prawn dumplings - large pieces of sweet prawn wrapped within silky dumpling skin, tangy with the Peruvian aji Verde condiment which was strongly flavored with coriander (yum!), and topped with crunchy kumara crisps.
Seared Hokkaido scallop roll came with very fresh and succulent scallops layered on top of a sushi roll of fragrant rice, avocado, and crunchy asparagus. The creamy Wasabi mayo topped it off, bringing together all the separate flavours of the roll.
My favourite was the spicy wagyu hangar beef skewers - smoky, a perfect medium rare to retain the tenderness, super juicy as you bite into it. The salsa brought a refreshing twist to the Japanese style skewers, and the bed of creamy mash soaked up the chimichurri and adobo sauce, again molding all the flavours together beautifully.
We had the set menu, crowd favourite was the beef tostadas (which we ordered more of), chicken dumpling, lamb and pork belly! Ive never had squid that wasn’t chewy but Azabu prepares it in such a unique way. All the dishes were super flavoursome and really fresh. Portions are bit small but by the end of the set menu we were surprisingly all full 😂
Service was really fast, our waiter was really attentive and kind too. The place is a bit cramped and deceiving from the front. Although it’s on the pricey side it is definitely worth trying out! Also definitely book in advanced!
LOVE the food here, everything is delicious. Maybe I’m bias, as Japanese is one of my favourite cuisines. But everything is so fresh and flavourful. You won’t go wrong here.
The restaurant is a little compact. I quite like sitting at the bar though, as you get to see the food prepared right in front of you and there’s a kind of theatrical element that goes along with that.
Highly recommend, especially if you love Japanese.
Really great experience here. Staff were very friendly and food was delicious. Food definitely on the pricier end so wouldn’t be a regular place to eat but food is definitely of high quality. Thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered. Service was a bit slow. Had to wait a while before we were given a menu and water. But not to the point of worry!! Highly recommend.
Absolutely amazing meal. The food was divine, fresh, all the flavours match together. We had a set menu, so we could try a bit of everything. The pork belly melted in your mouth with a lovely crispy skin. The octupus cooked to perfection with a well prepared mash. Even the desert, we are not huge fans of sweets, it was a beautiful surprise. Why that missing star? The service. No love, nothing. She was alone and clearly needed some help. And maybe try to don't make the guests feel that you are in a rush. If it wasn't for it, I could name it one of the best restaurants in Auckland
It was a great experience, great ambience with yummy food. Every dish tasted really really nice, and staff were friendly. The only thing is that we spent 50min waiting for our main, we think the staff forgot to put order through or forgot to let the kitchen know we finished the entree... If not, the service is incredibly slow.... We ended up staying there for three and a half hours at Azabu.
Food 9/10 Service 7/10 Ambience 8/10
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Attended with a group of 5 including a guest who came over from Dubai.
Started off being seated, served promptly with a good drink selection. I was slightly disappointed they did not have any Japanese whiskies being a Japanese/ Peruvian fusion restaurant. Nonetheless a great selection of wines, sakes, and ok selection of beers.
We has the set menu ( price on zomato picture is incorrect it is actually 70 per head) and sashimi large platter which had all the items as shown in the photo. Started with the edamame with lime salt goes great with any drink! Then the sashimi which was beautifully prepared. So difficult to choose a favourite.... 3 dishes deserve mention though: coconut passionfruit salmon sashimi well executed with an excellent combination of sour from passionfruit, sweetness from coconut mixed with the flavour of salmon that had some crispy bits on top to add to the texture.....vs. beef tostada, was essentially very tender beef tataki with a very flavoursome truffle, daikon topping served on a crispy corn chip..... vs the lamb cutlet which being a carnivore was amazing as although simple was a perfectly cooked piece of lamb. Perfectly seasoned with a nice coriander and aubergine puree on the side.
Have been to the azuba in the fish market which is great. But this really is next level.
Would strongly recommend this place to any one who loves good food. 4.75/5
I have been this restaurant several times, I’d like to say this is my favorite sushi restaurant in Auckland.
Food is always fresh and delicious! Stuff is friendly too.
Azabu is great. Love their refined Japanese food here - in particular the seafood. Ordered the Volcano roll, rainbow roll, tuna tostada, lamb cutlets and crispy pork belly and grilled octopus. Surprisingly, the entrees won it for me. Volcano roll which is flamed in front of you was simple and delicious with crunchy components to it. Tuna tostada's flavour mix between Japanese and Spanish was a delicious idea. Loved the charred flavours from the grilled octopus.
Wow!!!!!!
Had dinner here for my birthday
Service was 10/10
Food 10/10
Our waiter was awesome!!!
What a great experience
Love everything about this place
We will definitely be back to try more of the menu
Thanks
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What a great dining experience! It pays to reserve a table here particularly for the busy Friday and Saturday nights. Japanese/Peruvian...who would have thought! But the Nikkei cuisine that has been created by these two cultures will bring us back many times. Add to it excellent service; a great restaurant design with three different areas and a great drinks menu. Our waiter suggested a number of dishes and he wasn"t wrong. We have to go back to try more...but it won't be super soon as the place isn't cheap so this won't be an every week place for us. But it is certainly worth the price. Our food faves? The Big Glory Bay King Salmon Tiradito. What a flavoursome dish! Then there is a grilled Octopus ...on potato mash. Such comfort food! And those Lamb Chuleta cutlets...I'm still dreaming about them. These come as a dish of four and there were three of us so the ever helpful waiter suggested we might have six. A restaurant with flexible portions! Perfect.
We found nearby street parking but apparently they do have their own parking. Yay!
We arrived via the parking lot around the back which seemed to have plenty of space.... Restaurant was buzzing, and I enjoyed the decor. Food was amazing had some ceviches, which were small portions for the price, but the quality was superb! Had a few buns, and finished off with the Steak in chimichurri sauce!👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽 All in all a great night out with some damn good food! Highly recommend!
Impressively delicious food. Every single dish brought a different excitement to our palates, exciting ambience and the service was top notch.
I look forward to coming back 😍
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Whenever I’ve been to a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant I’ve never left disappointed, and Azabu is no exception. This fascinating fusion seems to offer such inventive and flavoursome dishes and I can’t get enough.
It’s not easy to find, but once you walk through the doors of Azabu you can tell that it’s a dining experience unlike anything else in Auckland.
On the menu at are a range of plates that are made to be shared, including dumplings, tostadas, salads, tempura and sushi, all inspired by Japanese & Peruvian ingredients and flavours. For vegetarians, the options aren't super extensive, but there are certainly enough to satisfy. The two stand out dishes were the heirloom tomato tostada, which was an explosion of lemon, mayo, jalapeño, mint, basil, almond & coriander in every bite, and the eggplant bao, which consisted of a soft, melt-in-the-mouth steamed bun complimenting the crispness of the eggplant filling. Quinoa salad, artichoke dumplings and eggplant tempura are among the other notable vege options.
Just be aware- portion sizes tend to be on the smaller size, so you will probably end up ordering (and consequently spending) more than you might anticipate. Overall, I’d give it an 8/10- all the flavor combinations were amazing, but a few more vege options wouldn’t go amiss.
Very busy fine dining Japanese restaurant in Ponsonby. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. Service is really quick even at peak hours. Food is just awesome. Don't hesitate to try their raw fish menu as you will never regret it. Drinks are also nice. Only thing is I don't recommend this restaurant for a quiet dinner date as you will just find it a bit uncomfortable with noise & lots of people around :). Will come back definitely
More of a 4.5 for me given the reverence this place holds amongst the dining community.
Beef Tostada was excellent and I really liked our ceviche. Karaage is a bit on the salty side but my dining partner and I love salt. The lamb main was a hard pass for me. Not terrible by any means but I've definitely had better at Cassia and the now-closed Cuban restaurant down the road. Best to try another main.
Came here for my friends birthday dinner with no idea what sort of place it was. From outside it looks like nothing but as soon and you step in you’re transported into an epic Japanese fusion environment. The staff were super lovely, and the host was very kind. We were showed to a table and sat down with some drinks menus whilst waiting for the rest of our group to arrive. I ordered a glass of Riesling and my friend got the Rosé. Both were $12 a glass and a generous pouring- really great selection of other drinks too. I got the vegetable bao bun, the eggplant tempura and a bowl of edamame and honestly I was blown away. I never knew tempura could taste SO GOOD (and I’ve been to Tokyo). Highly impressed. Amazing service, great atmosphere and even better food.
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Azabu is such an amazing restaraunt. It is quite dark inside and lightly lit which isn't everyones thing but I really like it. The service is so lovely and the workers always help you out with ordering and tell you whats good. I've been here a couple times and leave so full and satisfied. The first time I came here for dinner with the fam & we got all the popular stuff like the rainbow roll which is super gram worthy, the volcano roll which is so cool because they blowtorch it in front of you. We also love the chicken karaage here. Then we recently came here for lunch and weren't as impressed as we were the first time but we were still satisfied. I got the rozu chan mocktail and I really liked it as it had lychee in it and tasted so refreshing. I also got the heirloom tomato tostada which is really fresh and the avocado roll was nice and ripe. The only thing was we ordered chicken karaage which came out so much later than everything so we had to get it takeaway as we didn't want it anymore. Definielty recommend if you are in Ponsonby though :)
This is a great place to go for a special occasion! The food was delicious and presentation was on point. We ordered the tiger prawn dumplings, Nikkei steak and wagyu short ribs.
The tiger prawns were delicious! The prawns were juicy and despite the thin skin of the dumpling it didnt break open. The tangy sauce brought the flavour to the next level.
The short ribs were also great, it was so tender and flavorful that it melts in your mouth.
The only (slight) let down was the steak. We asked for medium rare and the steak was definitely well cooked, making it too chewy. But the suave and flavour of the steak wasnt too bad.
For dessert, we ordered the charcoal meringue and the tapioca with coconut meringue. Very interesting combinations of different flavours but definitely worth a try since it's delicious.I would say the dessert portions are relatively large so next time I would share one with someone instead.
Tldr: everything was good. Order the tiger prawn dumplings and the wagyu short ribs.
Undoubtedly one of the best dine out spots in the country! The salmon tiradito is an absolute stunner! So fresh, such intricate flavors, true representation of nikkei food!! The chicken dumplings & the nikkei steak were also packed with flavors, would recommend time & time again. Abundant choice of wine, sake, cocktails as well as boosting probably the largest selection of Japanese whiskies to be found in New Zealand. We even moved from the bar to the main dining area & back to the bar to finish up the day!! Can’t go wrong with this gem of a place!!
This is one of the most amazing places I have ever eaten and there will be something for everyone. The seared beef tostada is the most incredible dish I have ever eaten
A friend brought me here when he found out I love Japanese. I can not believe I have not been here before! The food is delightful; everything is presented beautifully and tastes divine. The house Sake is also fantastic so I will most definitely be back! Top notch!
Amazing food, brilliant service - I loved the interior of the place as well as the vibe. A highlight dish for me will always be the pork belly for sure! A must for anyone in the area.
Not a common place for your budget but would be top option if you need somewhere to date or celebrate things. I took my husband here for his birthday and as a sashimi fan he totally loved it. Very creative combination and decoration. Every dish is just so photogenic and even though it may not be everyone cup of tea but be honest, you can't resist trying. Recommend Grilled Octopus and Kingfish Ceviche.
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Well where do I start. There was certainly some hype with Azabu before me going there as friends, colleagues and even acquaintances could not fault it. Me personally I go in with low expectations wherever I eat so everything is a surprise also had no idea what to expect with a Japanese Portuguese Fusion.
1. Seared Beef Tostada - dayuuuuuum the level of crunch mixed with the soft tenderness of the beef is like yin and yang. The sauces pack so much flavour they slab box your tonsils. No pic coz we were hungry af
2. The Taco Range. We got one of each which was tempura eggplant, beef, and tempura fish and literally had a bite of each so we taste it all. Best one for me was the Tempura Fish.
3. Tiger Prawn Dumplings. Tbh I've never had a gourmet dumpling and it makes me happy to know that whole nother spectrum exists. The casing so soft and the once again the sauces this baby swims in is so goddam good.
4. Lamb Cutlets with Smoked Aubergine and coriander puree. Cooked PERFECTLY. No joke. Tasty. Juicy. Succulent. That is all.
5. Crispy Pork Belly. Full disclosure I've eaten this 3 times because I needed to check consistency and hands down best pork belly in town. The layers of pork belly literally MELT because it's so tender and as for the crackling I really don't know how such a thin layer can be so crunchy and delicate the same time. 12/10 Would live here.
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Came here for the first time for my birthday dinner. We were asked for preference of water and said sparkling and after being asked this same question twice we were given still water which I didn’t mention as I didn’t care and they also looked busy but it wasn’t exactly the best impression.
Moving onto food the kingfish ceviche looked so pretty! The fish was delicious but the lime wheel on the bottom made it very bitter because of the rind.
Volcano Roll- they lit the salmon roe and the presentation was really cool and they put ALOT of salmon roe which was great but wasn’t too sure if it was worth $25. Other than price taste was good!
Eggplant Tempura- super delish! The Eggplant was cook perfectly and the tempura batter was light and perfectly cooked.
Steak- sooooo good and the sesame sauce on the side was amazing! I wish the chimichurri had a stinger taste.
It was really busy for a Sunday night so definitely book if you plan to go!
The only problem I had was the service. I were spending $100+ I expect my plates to be cleared before the next dish arriving or water being topped up efficiently and I think they lacked the quality of service that goes with the food.
Not too too if I’d ever go back in my opinion but definitely worth trying it out once!
Please let me know if anyone out there recommends any dishes from here that I should have tried :)
Everything is just sooooooo tasty and they put so much effort into presentation!!! One of our favourite places to eat and it’s always amazing!
I loveeeeee azabu. The ambience the food and the drink list is amazing. Lamb Chuleta 9/10. Crispy pork belly 10/10. Kingfish ceviche 8/10. Chicken karage 9/10
Blink and youll miss the place. I Got lucky with the last remaining seat! Ended up sitting the bar which is fantastic as you get too see many types of dishes prepared and sent out. Venue is nice particularly liked the wooden framework for the plates behind the bar. Karaage chicken was top notch but is best shared. Spicy pork gyoza very good too but lacking any spice may have been the soy but i did try without. Finally the Nikkei steak. Hands down the tastiest steak combination i have ever had. 100% recommended.
Awesome vibe, superb cuisine, prepared and presented as Japanese food should be: minimalist & tasteful.
Enjoyed a great chilled sake with our sashimi, ceviche and karage. I had some delightful company, and the evening was overseen by helpful and friendly staff.
Friday evening, so packed out. Conversation was possible, but music was barely audible. Didn’t really detract from the experience; I had a great evening.
Delicious food and great service! Ordered the karaage chicken, eggplant tempura and pork belly. All three were flawless and it was the perfect amount for two people. Service was friendly and efficient, our waiter was a French guy called Nico and he was awesome! Ambience was nice, quiet noisy and intimate but not overwhelming and the music was great!
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Just Wow!! I think this is the first review I’ve ever given 5 stars and Azabu deserves it!
Everything about this place was amazing - the food, the environment, the service, and the staff.
We started off with a steak tostada - which was delicious, the truffle sesame sauce was out of this world.
The eggplant tempura was the star of the night and holy shit I would order plates and plates of that!
My partner ordered the pork belly steam bun, which I had a bite of - the bao was the best I’ve ever tried and the pork wasn’t too fatty - but the sauce was too spicy for me.
For the main I had pork belly which was served with a cabbage slaw to die for, and my partner had the John Dory (market fish) dish.
The place is a little dark so the photos aren’t the best, and everything was so incredible we just ate before I even had the chance to take photos.
I cannot wait to go back to Azabu already - the sashimi and sushi dishes looked amazing too but felt I’d prefer it at lunch time.
Was far too full for dessert but next time I will give it a try!
Honestly a beautiful experience you must try!
Exeptional service. Food is delish and beautifully presented. I really liked octopus dish and king fish ceviche. Portions are in a smaller side for the price but it's Ponsonby location I guess. We spend over $100 for two without alcohol for lunch and I felt hungry within one hour! Will come back for dinner one day definitely.
Awesome place to eat, and their cocktail menu is seriously underrated. Such a unique concept mixing Peruvian and Japanese cuisines. The Tiger Prawn dumplings are the best in the city, and the Crispy Pork Belly just melts in your mouth. Awesome spot for a date night, as well as being a good group spot to go all-in on the set menu.
My new favourite place to eat!! Honestly everything was so delicious! the restaurant itself is so big and trendy and the presentation is top notch! Must try’s - tuna tostada, pork belly, lamb cutlets and volcano roll! So yum, can’t wait to go back!!
We had dinner on friday before christmas, it was fully booked, but the level of service was consistent and the food was delicious. We had sashimi, rainbow sushi, shrimp dumplings, and a great surprise was the cabbage salad. highly recommended
Went to this lovely restaurant last week with my partner for a special occasion dinner. We ordered a good variety of food: seared beef and tuna sashimi tostada, soft shell crab bun, lamb cutlets, seared hokkaido scallops and charcoal Meringue with yuzu ice cream. Each dish was truly delicious but personally, to me, the hokkaido scallops were exceptional. Service was attentive and we had a lovely experience. Would recommend this place to anyone.
Went for lunch on Wednesday. Busy place but great service and the food was superb esp, the pork belly, Full drinks menu. Would go again easily,
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Best dining experience in a while! Came here for my birthday on a Monday night, it started off quiet around 6pm but halfway through the night we looked around and the place was packed and noisy. A sign of a restaurant that's doing something right!
We wanted to try the omakase menu which is normally for groups of 4 or more but the chef kindly let us do it for a table of 2. I don't think i could have faulted any of the courses, and such good value for $85 for over 10 of them. Personal favourite was the smoked octopus and the spicy chicken dumplings. I literally wanted to drink the spicy broth as soup, it was bursting with flavour. Presentation was also beautiful and they did a thoughtful little extra as it was a birthday celebration.
What was great about doing the set menu was that you get to try all the different type of dishes azabu offers without having to think too much about it. Would highly recommend it! We had a bottle of cold sake as well, which went really well with the meal. Our waitress was bubbly and attentive and made the evening smooth and seamless.
Came here for my sister’s birthday and I couldn’t believe how busy the place was on a weekday!
We tried a decent amount of items off their menu as our server for the evening warned us of their portion sizes and recommended how many mains would be enough to fill five hungry bellies! And I can say, we were all very satisfied by the end of it all.
All dishes were pretty good including the seared beef, the tiger prawns and the scallop roll! But the star of the show was definitely the Nikkei steak. It was unbelievably tender and juicy, it literally just melts in your mouth 🤤 We did also try their desserts - the charcoal black meringue and the tempura custard. Both were delicious but neither of them particularly stood out.
Overall, a great experience. Had a nice server who was friendly and approachable, willing to answer all our questions and the place had a good ambience to it.
Taste: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Interior Deco: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
Customer service: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Recommend: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
5/5 customer service, the grilled octopus is a must try!! Fav dish out of all! all the dishes have its unique taste! Quite like most of them except from the vege dumplings as there were too many different tastes combined in one, no balance of taste. But overalll very recommended!!
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Come here often for work lunch, we always share the Eggplant Tempura, Seared beef tostada and Tuna tostada – the tostadas are a must, they come out like thin mini pizzas so are fun to share and all the ingredients on the tostada complement each other very well.
The dumplings and bun section is expensive but still very delicious, the presentation of the Pork belly bun was very cute.
The tasty Pulled pork taco is also miniature but surprisingly leaves you feeling full.
I remember we had ordered a few plates of sushi, but there wasn’t anything special about these.
You can’t miss the Dessert! The custard tempura is a good plate to share, if you eat the whole thing you could even be sick (from the sweetness). The Charcoal Black Meringue might be difficult to share, but it has unique ingredients and the pear that comes with the meringue is to die for.
The place is usually packed for lunch, it is relatively bright when you get inside, (from the outside looking into the restaurant it almost looks like the place is closed). Service is always exceptional.
Had a great experience at Azabu last week. Had the volcano sushi, salmon ceviche specula, gyoza and pork belly. Every dish hit the spot! Especially the pork belly which was cooked to perfection.
Can’t recommend this place enough!
Expected a Japanese digestion but find out it was more about fusion of Japanese and western cookery. A bit crowded and noisy in peak hour. Nice fusion food, but not recommended to original Japanese food lover as not tasted like in Japan. Good service, nice alcohol and wine list. A bit expensive but worth the money.
Nice fusion restaurant. Like the sashimi plate and soft shell crab bun very much. The sauces on sashimi plate are very special. Wish there are option of ramen as well, as many kids like ramen and udon.
My dinner at Azabu was the best dining experience of my life.
I was blown away at how each dish served was incredible. There was not one dish I could fault at all out of the 9 we ordered. The sashimi was melting in my mouth, I have never had such high grade sashimi in my life. My two favorites among the dishes has to be the tiger prawn dumplings and the pork belly bun.
Our server was incredibly sweet and funny to boot.
Hands down the best dining experience of my life. Azabu is definitely a place to visit!
Was extremely surprised to see the restaurant was about 80% full even though it was a Monday night! Was glad that we had a booking. I had heard lots of my friends rave about it so had high hopes for our experience too. Interior was quite nice and was greeted by friendly staff.
We ordered quite a few dishes and drinks. Generally found the entrees and small dishes really yummy. We ordered the grilled octopus and spicy pork dumplings twice! Sushi rolls were delicious too. The mains though were a little bit disappointing. We ordered two beef dishes and the pork belly. Pork belly was quite good, cooked to perfection especially the skin! The main beef dishes though.. we found nothing special. Quite salty and the portions were extremely small for a main.
I would recommend just to order a variety of the small dishes and avoid the mains.
Great place to take the kids though as the kids meals were extremely impressive! Table waitresses were very helpful and approachable!
I really wish this restaurant had better lighting so I can take clearer photos of the food!
The beautiful presentation shows how carefully the chef prepares each dish, even though the restaurant is always busy.
Easy 5 star service, quality and food.
Remember to make a booking!
Came here with family. Tried chicken and steak bento. Food is well above average but not “wow”. Service and atmosphere was great.
Recommend to friends? Definitely. What to improve? Salad was a bit salty but this is only my opinion.
If you want to discover a new side of the Japanese cuisine, Azabu is the place to go.
Excellent food and great presentation. From the beef tostada to the grilled octopus going to the chicken dumplings and the Nikkei steak and volcano sushi everything was top shelf.
Staff extremely helpful and kind.
Not the traditional Japanese restaurant but this new Japan makes Azabu even more interesting.
Highly recommended.
Went dinner last night for our wedding anniversary it was an excellent service from the staffs, will go extra mile just to cater our needs ❤ and the foods were definitely well executed. Delicious! Just delicious. Oishi! Cannot fault the food. For the environment though it could've have been offered little more child friendly. Also, when we were in Japan all restaurants have colouring books for kids (think some in Auckland too) to keep them occupied. When paying the bill, you have the option of tipping, although not used to it here in NZ, it's worth giving though. Above all it is a 4.5 rating for us. 😀
It’s our first visit tonight and we had a great night - stunning presentation, lovely ambiance, great service and delightful taste. We ordered king fish ceviche, traditional sashimi mixed platter, beef tataki, prawn tempura and grilled octopus for entree; spicy pork gyoza, crispy pork belly and Nikkei steak as mains; dessert we had tempera custard. Beef tataki with thin slice of pears was quite refreshing.
Amazing little restaurant! Highly recommend; even ended up having food I wouldn’t usually such as snapper ceviche; got to try wagyu beef for the first time; beautiful tender beef that melts in your mouth; thumps up azabu chefs
We have been wishing to try this place for so long and finally got the chance to go tonight. We ordered fried chicken, seared beef, beef short rib and tiger prawn tempura. All with exceptional quality. Seared beef is superb. Service is friendly and fast. Will definitely come back to try sushi and sashimi.
The best place to dine in Auckland . Azabu combines the best of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines to offer something truly unique. The food is extremely flavoursome and well seasoned. It is plainly evident the effort that has gone to plan the menu and kudos to the chefs for executing it so well. An absolute favourite and a must must visit in Auckland albeit being slightly on the high end in terms of cost but so worth it. No complains! There s also an amazing cocktail bar at the back so one can relax and have a drink whilst waiting or a table! Most recommended.
Staff we're friendly and attentive, and food came out quick. My favourites were the grilled octopus (starter), seared beef tostada with the truffle sesame dressing (starter), the crispy pork belly (main), and the nikkei steak (main). We tried all of their 3 desserts and my favourites were the charcoal black meringue and the tapioca with orangr coconut meringue
Azabu is a beautiful place with beautiful ambience and lightening. The menu was perfect there . Service was good and rapid. I had porks there . It was pretty awsome and very tasty . I loved the flavour of that . I highly recommend this place ❤️
We ordered the lunch box and dumplings. We were impressed by the beautiful food presentation. And they taste good too!
Dumplings are different from those traditional ones in my memory but they are tender and moistured.
This is one not to miss!
They really nailed the Peruvian touch in their menu, the portions are REALLY small but the food is amazingly good. It's totally worth it, just don't go there thinking you'll end up full without spending a fortune.
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Yeah these guys are good ...
You're going to spend more than you want, but you're going to enjoy the food.
The Wagyu Beef Short rib and Crispy Pork Belly were like having Penelope Cruz and Margot Robbie in your mouth ....... I don't even know if that statement makes sense, all I know is that both of those dishes were very good.
All Gyoza's and Dumplings were a treat, a special shout out to the vegetarian Artichoke Dumplings with mushroom puree, amazing texture.
My only constructive feedback on the evening would be around the Volcano Sushi Roll. Tempura Tiger Prawns, sliced and placed inside a sushi roll with pickled daikon, this is then stacked on a plate, covered in Salmon roe and served, they then torch the Salmon roe just before you eat it (see picture below). Great theater, but unless you like a burnt tinge to your sushi, not necessary and adds nothing to the dish. It's a shtick, the food's good enough, Azabu, you don't need shticks.
The sushi rice was overcooked also, knowing the care and dedication that goes into perfecting sushi rice around the world, I was surprised this left the pass at the kitchen.
Another Metro Top 50 ticked off the list, these guys deserve the kudos.
P.s For dessert, go straight for the Tempura Custard, hands down the best choice on offer, the "less is more" motto rings very true on the desserts here.
Bon appetit.
Azabu is a world-class restaurant. The Japanese/Peruvian food is beautifully presented and explodes on the taste buds. Service is excellent. I especially recommend the tostadas, but everything we had was superb.
Food- The food here is absolutely top notch. Delicious and immaculately presented.
Ambience- the restaurant is gorgeous!
Service- The wait staff here are very knowledgeable and very attentive
The only reason I'm not giving this place 5 stars is because of the obnoxiously snobby maitre d' that was working when my partner and I dined in. My partner and I made a late booking and she made sure we knew she did not approve. Other than this single experience everything else was fantastic and I highly recommend this place!
Great taste! Definitely coming back again. The feed me menu is very worth it :) not too bad for a nice company dinner. I thought it was small portioned but everyone came out pretty full.
Definitely recommend this place. Do yourself a favor and order the chicken dumplings you won’t regret it! Service and atmosphere is good and the sashimi is super fresh!! Oh and the tempura custard is heaven 🤤🤤
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The venue is nicely set out, the staff are friendly and courteous and the food menu is interesting with an extensive drinks list. Parking is behind the building but I was pretending I lived in a real city and caught a bus.
The dishes are beautifully presented.
I was a bit disappointed that while there were several dishes that featured eggplant it was only served as tempura.
We had the soft shell crab bao and eggplant taco. Both were hot and delicious. We asked for a knife because we were sharing and wanted to try as many items as possible. However, the waitstaff removed the knife really quickly so we couldn't cut anything else.
We had several plates of dumplings. They were not as hot as the taco and bao fillings but still tasty and we were very happy with them. It was great that there were 4 of each so we could get our fair share.
We didn't order sushi because the choices were a bit pedestrian.
Things that annoyed me?
The staff were too prompt to remove plates. On a couple of occasions we were savouring sauces and had the plates whipped away.
Taking away our "share" knife.
Our water glasses didn't get replenished enough.
No one asked us if we wanted another drink (and again, my glass got whipped away before I had completely finished).
And why was the genmaicha served in thick white western style cups??? That was incongruous and felt cheap.
The place was full. It is obviously and deservedly really popular.
I would go back, especially with friends who wanted to try Japanese food but would feel uncomfortable in a full blown Japanese eatery. Or with people who want to try something a little different but no too different.
My wife & I were here for lunch. Wait staff was friendly & prepared us for this Japanese fusion cuisine. We had seared beef tostada, prawn dumplings, an assorted sashimi, a bento box with Nikkei steak, chicken karaage & fried rice; dessert was tempura custard with ginger jam & motcha. Tostada was refreshing & special. The prawn dumplings made me compared them with those at Woodpecker Hill (Parnell) which were way better. Sashimi was very ordinary & was highly over-priced. Bento boxes should be the favourites for customers for lunch. Tempura custard was a nice dessert.
(Food - 4/5; Service - 4/5; Ambience - 4/5)
Visited on 18 Feb 2018
We tried coming here at night but way too busy instead we came here for lunch ...
Service was great and the food is excellent .. we ordered:
Chicken Karaage
Pulled pork & Fish Tempura Tacos
Snapper ceviche
Tiger prawn dumplings
Rice
Miso soup
Everything was really nice & tasty.. favourites would be Fish taco, snapper & dumplings ... delicious.
Really yummy & unusual cocktails too esp the margarita.
Will definitely be back
Phenomenal show of an exceptional understanding of flavour - the Peruvian influence on modern Japanese cuisine is executed to perfection. The drinks list is also impressive; be sure to order the Yuzu Mocktail if you are the sober driver of the night!
A beautiful restaurant with immaculate decor perfect music and ultra efficient staff. The food is truly delicious and perfectly balanced. The volcano roll, spiced pork gyoza, eggplant tempura, prawn dumplings and quinoa salad were of top standard. A must visit
One of my favourite places in Auckland. Nice cool ambience, great service and awesome foods and cocktails.
Was really impressed about the fusion between Japanese and Peruvian cuisine, which I didn't even know existed but proved to be great.
For me it's an extra that they are one of the few places in Auckland where you can have octopus. But they didn't even need to serve that to make me come back. Each and every dish was great!
Impressive how such a new place can start as one of stars of Ponsonby!
First time dining here for a work dinner and the place was packed for a Wednesday night! Ambiance: very nice, modern, the room is a bit crowded but very long. Service: staff were all excellent and very attentive and friendly! Food: something different, very elegant and flavours are subtle but satisfying, from memory I really enjoyed the lamb rack, pork belly, pork and chicken buns and their desserts are amazing!! All their dishes was well presented (note the serving are small but flavours are excellent) Will be back for sure!
This place has great vibe! Good sushi and mix of different varieties with small plates allowing you to try different dishes with rich flavors. The service was outstanding! I’ll definitely be back
Was brought here by a friend who loves the place and we can safely say that the food here is great! Loved the steak and the gyozas were great too! Definately try the dumplings. Would love to come back here again one day :-)
Decent place to eat, better off going in a group that way you will order more and explore the
Menu more. Also the portions are not huge so it's also a good way to get a bit of everything without being too full. Ambience is alright considering it is ponsonby so it is relatively calm and quiet. Overall this place is on the up and a good place to go with friends or family or even to have a casual drink. Lambs a star also
Have been twice for lunch on a Saturday now, returning as the first visit was wonderful. Creative take on Japanese with a South American influence. Highly rate the chicken dumplings and beef tostada. Can't really go wrong and staff are very knowledgeable about the menu
What a feast we had here! Loved the dining area and the ambience. Very comfortable with great mood lighting.
I have to say the service was exceptional. The staff were very attentive. What I loved about our waitress was that she didn't force us to order food, didn't hurry us and she knew the menu well.
The highlight of her service was that she recommended we didn't order so much lol. We ordered so much food that she suggested we wait and order more if we weren't full yet.
The beef tataki was the highlight for me. It was so good we ordered seconds. The ceviche was well marinated and had a lovely citrus zing to it.
AMAZING! Food looked and tasted awesome and the service was excellent. The food came out fast and was presented so well! Such a great experience. ❤️
Firstly service was great, they were really friendly and helpful, and the food wait wasn't too long. We started with the octopus, which was absolutely delicious. The potato and mayo went really well with the octopus, which wasn't overly chewy and had a really distinctly delicious flavor to it. Next was the edamame, which was kinda average in itself, but I loved the smoked lime salt which I think is quite unique (well I've never tried it before) and it tastes quite nice. Next was the rainbow sushi roll, which was nice but it wasn't like special or anything and the same goes for the tiger prawn dumplings. But the kingfish sushi roll, the wagyu short rib and the beef tataki (my favorite of the night) were very surprisingly delicious. They were so full of well balanced flavours and textures, and the wagyu was so soft and tender. Overall a very delicious meal, and it's definitely worth it to come if you are into quality food (rather than large portions worth the price).
It is a fine dining restaurant so the portion sizes are small, but the quality is superb. Had the sashimi, and the fish was very fresh, the miso here is amazing and not too salty. Really impressed with the quality of the food. Service was also excellent, and didn't have to wait long for the food.
An enjoyable evening with friends from Hong Kong at Azabu. We were so glad that we had chosen the right restaurant: we simply love the vibe there and were impressed by the flavorsome dishes we shared. Highly Recommended: Tostada, sushi, and pork belly
i love strong flavours and Azabu does strongly flavoured food so well. The extra dimension of the Peruvian influence on Japanese food - just yum! I especially loved the pork belly, served with soft pancakes - reminiscent of peking duck. every dish we tried was delicious and a decent wine selection too. Service was good, food was great - we will definitely be back!!
Another spectacular dining experience.
Tasteful decor, lovely staff and scrumptious Peruvian/Japanese fusion. We tried all the vegetarian options and simply the best Sushi I have ever eaten. Fresh and creative food of the highest quality.
This is our new favorite place!
I had the rainbow sushi roll, chicken katsu bun and the tempura custard. Overall very good food, good service and nice ambience. The sushi was really pretty and tasted very nice, loved the variety. The chicken bun was great, bun was soft and warm while the chicken was crispy yet juicy on the inside. The tempura custard was ok, i felt it was too oily and rich. That being said, I enjoyed my dinner very much and will come back!
In a word? Faultless. Service, atmosphere, cocktails, wine list, food.....it's stunning. Price-wise it matches nicely alongside far lesser restaurants.
We met up with friends for the second time there and it was just as good as the first time, if not better! I'm not usually a huge fan of fusion style food, but this only just crosses the border in my opinion. If you haven't been, go now.
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Went to Studio One for a popup event and the organizer highly recommended this place and as it was just across the road that was a plus.
Usual standard of service.
Ambience is great, it was warm, slightly dim and relaxing inside with a contemporary setting. We were seated on the wall bench seat which was really nice to kick back and lounge a little bit.
We had the Eggplant Tempura, Chicken Dumplings, Spicy Pork Gyoza, Lamb Chuleta, Cucumber Salad and all three desserts with a bottle of hot sake.
All of the savoury dishes were delightful and delicious, no complaints there. The lamb was the stand out dish for me. All of the desserts were ok, they just didn't quite hit the mark for me, they looked good but taste wise it just felt a bit lacking but that's just me, I do recommend trying something once but I won't be trying the desserts again.
Overall a great place for a date night, everything was brought out rather fast but it maybe because gets quite busy here so do book ahead and be prepared for a limited dining time.
Lovedddddd this place! Great menu, very authentic yet awesome spin with Japanese & Peruvian. Ordered a wide range of food in a group and everyone loved it! Stand out was the lamb! So much flavour and so tender! Highly recommend this place. Very decent service size portions too!Great service and location. Aasahi black on tap!! Awesome cocktails too. Definitely gives ebisu a good run for their money.
Amazing!food amazing +++ bit hard to hear friends dining with because of close proximity with other patrons
10/10 food and service 8/10 atmosphere and vibes. I'll be back
Amazing! We went here last week for my birthday and it was sooooo good. We had the tuna tostada, the octopus, the pork belly, chicken dumplings, the sashimi platter, the chicken and a heap of awesome cocktails.
The vibe is awesome that staff are super attentive and lovely. The food is top notch such awesome flavours and combos. We were full and liquored up and went away very happy. One of the best places I've been in Auckland.
Absolutely loved this restaurant. Each one of us had a drink which included 3 different cocktails and two different mocktails each one was just superb. We ordered the gyoza, pork belly, tostada, bento box and the dumplings to name a few just absolutely loved each dish. Great service, amazing ambience. Must Try!!!
I have dined at Azabu on multiple occasions and simply cannot fault their food or service. The maitre d is always lovely and welcoming and the wait staff are fantastic. The atmosphere is relaxed, though the restaurant does typically get very busy. I have managed to get through almost the entire menu but my favourite dishes are the octopus and volcano sushi. The food is high end and delicious although a little pricey given the serving size. This bothered me a little at first but having dined there a few times now and seeing how consistent they are, I think the price is justified. Azabu is where I would take visitors / out-of-town friends to. They're in a great location and they always deliver on taste and service. One of my favourites in Auckland
Superb modern Japanese - Salmon Tiradito possibly the best Japanese dish I've ever tried - tiger milk sauce outstanding. Tempura Custard with Ginger Jam left the tastebuds in heaven
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Stopped by for a fairly late dinner and was able to get a table without booking. The place was still quite full but it wasn't very loud so having a conversation on the table was easy.
There was three of us so we ordered a few items from each section, 5 small plates, 3 larger plates and a side.
The tostada was really nice. Really good flavour and there were so many textures in one bite. The other items we got were also quite nice like the mushroom special, prawn tempura and pork dumplings. Of the mains the lamb chops were the best, tasty, juicy and delicious. The pork belly was a bit dry and lacking the layer of fat I enjoy with pork belly. The duck special would have been nice if the skin was crispy.
Overall nice place for food.
The service was really good. They explained the specials and also told us they could add extra items with most dishes (with a minimum of 4) like the dumplings, lamb chops and tempura.
It was quite pricey, coming to almost $90 per person with the food (9 items) to share and a sparkling jelly sake each.
Went here last night for an anniversary celebration. The fit out is stylish and funky and we requested a quiet table which had an awesome view of the rest of the restaurant. The menu is designed for sharing which is how I like to eat! We started with the beef tostada which was crunchy and delicious. Followed by snapper cerviche which was fresh with a bit of a kick to it. We then had prawn tempura accompanied by delicious dipping sauces and a chicken katsu bun. My partner said the bun was his favourite. We then had the pork belly main which was succulent and tasty. After a dessert each too we were full to the brim. Desserts were a hit with the tempura custard and tapioca. Also the wine was great too. I will be back to try some of the other menu items :)
What can I say! Went here after several recommendations from friends. I'm so glad I tried it out. AMAZING!!!! I really can't say anymore. Everything we ordered was just divine. My new favourite place. We ordered the ceviche, edamame, tiger prawns, rainbow sushi, the pork and steak.... yummm. I can't wait to go back. Service also was so good.
Peruvian Japanese cuisine was something I'd never tried before - and I love it! Azabu is a really small hidden gem on Ponsonby road which has some of the most delicious and unusual food I've tried.
I love the combination of Japanese flavours with that perfect level of heat from the Peruvian influence. I would definitely recommend this place for someone who is sick of the usual suspects and looking for something different. Food is of a really high quality and I love the layout of their open kitchen where you can see your sushi being prepared in front of you.
Dishes to try would be the tuna sushi roll and the grilled octopus. Yum yum yum yum yum.
Awesome attentive, friendly service. Food was amazing! Chicken was tender. Steak was juicy. Fish was cooked to perfection. Cocktails were yummy. What more can you ask for??
I love this place! I went here on my friend's birthday dinner. I didn't expect anything from this restaurant but they just surpise me with everything. But there is a thing that I regret, I forgot to take pictures of the food... I think that was because I enjoyed it so much. So I absolutely will come again.
Food: we had edamame, tuna sashimi, seared beef, pork cheek bun, assorted sashimi, the chicken, nikkei steak, and crispy pork belly. All foods are meant to be shared, everything was just simply delicious. I can't even pick which one is my favorite, but I strongly recommended to order their nikkei steak.
One more thing that I love about Azabu is their staff. She gave us a warm welcome, explained what you expected from their restaurant for first timer, kindly recommended all the food for us. It just great. However, I kinda feel this place remind me of "Ebisu" but with a better price and upgrade foods.
Great service, great food and great ambience. I cannot fault Azabu. We have thoroughly enjoyed every dishes we ordered and would come back again in a heartbeat.
The sashimi and sushi were superb, especially the Salmon, but my favourite dish is definitely the chicken dumplings.
Everything is presented impeccably and there are so many beautiful and delicate dishes.
Would highly recommend!
Impressive! The service, the deco, the drinks list and menu all surpassed expectations. Our highlights were the gyoza, chicken meatballs and pork belly. The best night out I've had in Auckland so far this year.
What an interesting mix of Peruvian flavours with Japanese ingredients. Love how the place has soft lighting but provides a very casual feel. BEST Service from start to end, super welcoming.
Must try their beef tataki tostadas. Lovely flavours. The pork bun is soft. The sashimi is fresh! The lamb cutlet flavorful and tender. Don't get me start on the Bluff oysters with ceviche dressing (drools!)
Didn't know coriander and lime and wasabi go so well in dishes together. Yummy!
Azabu, with its Nikkei cuisine (Japanese Peruvian fusion), piqued my interest when I first read about it and I was eager to taste for myself. The outside is understated, I liked the dining room which was dimly light and inviting. The service was excellent, we felt very looked after, the wine list was wide and varied but the undisputed star was the food. The food is designed to share which was great because we got to try much of the menu. There were no weak dishes, the highlights for me were the snapper ceviche, the gyoza and chicken dumplings, the octopus served with a delicious smooth potato purée and our steak pork belly and lamb cutlet mains were super delicious. As you would expect the food was recognisably Japanese but the addition of South American flavours made for an exciting gastronomic experience. I can't wait to go back
A great dining experience. Food was superb, staff are really great - very attentive right from start, very personable. Steak was the best ever, classy and certainly not overpriced for the quality. Great variety and exquisite flavours. Tapioca dessert was an eye opener - combinations of flavours was interesting and delicious. Will be going again
Dined in December 2016 for an end of year work team lunch. Great opportunity to try everything as all dishes were easily shared! Advised the waiter I had a nut allergy, he was very accommodating and double checked each item ordered. Parking is a breeze and the food is even better. Well priced considering you feel as though you are having a 5 star dining experience from presentation and overall ambience of Azabu! Definitely returning!
Great to try the delicious menu at Azabu. I'm an Asian fusion fan & although many menus are the same, this relatively new spot had some great dishes.
It can get a bit noisy in the narrow centre area of the restaurant but it was fine for our group & we had a good night.
Service was great - very engaging & friendly with staff who knew the menu well.
The twice cooked chicken lacked a little flavour but was helped by the sesame sauce from another dish. The pork belly & steak were particularly delicious
Azabu has become mine and my partner's favourite Japanese restaurant.
The food is prepared and served of an extremely high standard. The menu is interesting while still maintaining core Japanese ingredients and dishes.
The prices are on par with the other top tier Japanese restaurants in Auckland, but I'm a fan of Azabu for the location, ambiance, setting and the consistently great food.
Had dinner here last night. I agree that this deserves a much higher rating than it has on here. Delicious food. The portion sizes aren't the biggest but is more than compensated by the flavour. I will absolutely be back!
Amy @ My Dining Journey
+4.5
On the K Road end of Ponsonby Road, behind a heavy dark door and blacked out windows is Ponsonby’s latest Japanese restaurant – Azabu. With a Japanese menu that include dishes that pays homage to Nikkei cuisine (aka fusion of Peruvian-Japanese), the eatery is co-owned by Executive Chef Yukio Ozeki from previous establishments such as Lucky Lucky Dumplings and Ebisu.
Fresh fish and great service. Food arrives fast and the presentation is amazing. Would definitely recommend Azabu to anyone thinking of going.
I don't understand how did that happen that this place has that low rating on Zomato. I just don't understand how people could rate this place lower at least 4 stars. Everything we tried there was beautiful. Very fancy, cooked with passion, with pedantic attention to details and beautifully served. Staff is very friendly. We were very happy! Will definitely come back.
Interesting find, a lovely little japanese restaurant focused upon delivery of Tapas style food, with suggestion to guests to order 2-3 dishes each.
Our group of four tried 16 dishes (in retrospect that was WAY too many)
Food superb. The delivery was almost faster than the consumption, the staff really attentive.
Port Belly & Twice Cooked chicken are definately highlights.
Nice selection of choice, and the staff were very responsive, communicative and had a good knowledge of their menu and were great at guiding good decisions and great wine.
In our case the table was too small for the food.
Cost, four of us, $ 300.00 approx, so it worked out to be $ 75PP. However price definately reflected the cuisine.
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Came here as a table of 4 after having read great review in Viva. Struggled to find the place, but fortunately we stumbled across the dedicated parking out the back (entrance from Maidstone St.). Waiter was very pleasant and helpful with the menu - not so great with the wine choices, but not a huge negative. Food was great - had 4 or 5 items from the smaller dishes - loved all of them, particularly the tostada (we had the tuna) and the salmon taradito. Chicken dumplings were very good as well (the sauce made the dish). I loved the mixture of the octopus with the mash but others on the table not so fussed (and mash is tricky with chopsticks!). Went on and had the lamb and beef off the main menu as well as the spinach and cabbage sides - all of these were outstanding and we nearly ordered another dish of beef, however decided to keep trying the menu so had the twice cooked chicken - very nice, but not as amazing as the steak. Only disappointment was the prawn tempura - tempura batter was not at all light - wouldn't repeat these. Obviously the fab new place in town - pretty busy for a Wednesday night and quite a 'cool' looking crowd. Definitely one to come back to - need to have that steak again............
Amazing food!! Great setting, only been for lunch so far, but will definately be heading back for dinner. Service was very prompt, attentive despite the busy lunch time rush. Well recommended
Tasty tasty. I usually order sushi at Japanese but we were with somebody who doesnt eat fish so ordered some of the meat dishes. Highly recommend the steak dish and chicken cooked twice.
Good atmosphere although the music was a bit cheesy.
Decided to pick this place for catch up with friends on my recent work trip to Auckland - definitely made the right choice.
From the cool vibe of the restaurant and the dishes that just flies out of the kitchen in record time !
We loved all the dishes - faves were the Teriyaki Tsukune w/ Aji Tamarillo, Hakusai Cabbage w/ Mustard & Twice Cooked Chicken.
Japanese + Peruvian flavours - perfect marriage.
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Went here for dinner last night with a group of friends. Already being big fans of Ibizu we had high expectations for this place. Located at the quieter end of Ponsonby, parking isn’t bad especially if you can get one at the back of the restaurant which is dedicated for Azabu diners. The dark wood, dim lighting and black interior definitely sets a modern but elegant mood.
The menu is sectioned accordingly and is sure to have something for everyone (vegetarian and GF options too). Our waiter advised that the dishes are best suited for sharing. They have a great drinks menu with some unusual options. The service was friendly and attentive. I didn’t catch the name of our waiter (shaven head and star tattoos on his elbows to be brief) but he was really pleasant to deal with and helpful during our time there.
We ordered about 12 different dishes between the 10 of us - all were well presented and tasted as good as they looked! Star dishes of the night…. The Chicken katsu bun – soft, plump and moist. As for the chicken – crispy and succulent as it should be. The Spiced lamb cutlets had just the right amount of spice and the puree balanced the dish nicely. The Twice cooked chicken is hard to beat, cooked to perfection and full of flavour. The Hakusai cabbage and chicken karaage were also highlights. As for drinks! If you love a good cocktail, I’d recommend the Yukatan Breakfast and the Dulce Nectar.
Overall we were pleasantly surprised by our experience here and I’d definitely dine here again. Best to go in a group so you can try a selection of the dishes they have on offer. A great addition to the Ponsonby food scene!
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I went back here again for a surprise anniversary dinner and I was hoping that customer services have improved since 2 years ago. (see my last review ) and I was amazed how they looked after their customers really well. We were greeted by a lovely young lady and was shown to our table and asked what kind of water we wanted to have. Then got left alone to look at the menu and then a young guy introduced himself and explained the menu. I like the way how they suggested something from the menu, makes it easier to choose. We ordered the pork belly bun. This was unique but wasn't enough to feed one person. Then we had the Karaange chicken dipped in Amarillo mayo. Nicely done and crunchy. Next thing we had was the Volcano Sushi roll which was the highlight. They grilled the fish roe with the cooking torch bringing the plate to live. Then we had some tiger prawn dumplings and lamb cutlets, with some eggplant tempura. I really enjoy the cocktails: East meets west and Rozu. I'll have it any day. Overall, the food was amazing and maximum 10 minutes waiting time on the food. Attentive staff, always topping up our drinks. Reasonably priced and will come back again.
Review Aug 25, 2016 3.5/5
Secluded restaurant with mysterious feel to it. Only a long window was allowed for you to view from the outside. A lack of entrance presence. Not greeted nicely and wasn't asked for our coats or umbrella. Led us to our table and asked what kind of water we wanted and walked away. Didn't serve us again. It's quite annoying when staff would walk past us not looking or would stand by the kitchen waiting for the finished dish. Or even worse serve others and take other peoples coat! Definitely lack customer service. Another waitress served us that we didn't see before. She was kind and was willingly to go through the whole menu. We ordered the beef tutaki, Salmon with passion fruit, pork bun, chicken bun, crispy pork belly, twice cooked chicken and sesame cabbage. Our favourite dish was the beef and the cabbage. The cabbage just melts in your mouth. Crispy pork reminded me Chinese pancake wrapped with duck. Decent size meal for the chicken and was full of flavour. Definitely had to order a rice. Rice was super soft, felt like baby food. So it wasn't so bad after all. The food made up for the lack of customer service. Good entrance presence is important as it sets the mood when you enter a restaurant. Hence way I gave it 3.5. With improvement in that, the restaurant will go far.
Went here for dinner and everything was delicious! We ordered the beef tataki, karaage chicken, gyoza's, chicken dumplings and the really crispy pork belly pancakes (my favourite). All well presented and lovely flavours, service is top notch too. Get in quick with bookings online as they book out fast with limited tables!
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Took me a good 5 minutes to find even with the help of Google Maps. If you're looking for it along Ponsonby Road, it's next to the bright EastWest Yoga sign!
While the Ponsonby road entrance is almost hard to find after the sun goes down, the moment you walk in there's a giant heavy curtain to push aside and Ta dah! A sleek yet modern layout of a Japanese restaurant fusion with Peruvian influences.
Attentive staff the moment you sit down, catering to your water needs - bottled still, sparkling or simple tap water to choose from.
A seemingly simplistic menu easily broken down by the waiter we had that night, although very flustered when questioned on whether the items were vegan friendly - eg, the miso soup. PS, it's not.
While my vegan friend opted for the Japanese short grain rice, cucumber salad with lightly pickled daikon & spinach ohitashi without the dashi dressing/vinagerette - she throughly enjoyed her meal to the point of us having to stop her from licking the plate clean ... Since its still considered a fancy place.
The 3 omnivores opted for the twice cooked chicken, spicy tuna sushi roll, crispy pork belly, rainbow roll, tuna sashimi tostada & beef tataki.
Everything was beautiful present & tasted as good as it looked. I highly recommend the beef tataki as the persimmon added that extra something you never knew it needed! The crispy pork belly reminds me of a reinvented Japanese take on Chinese Peking duck. Delicious & extremely filling.
Also, nothing beats a glass of Asahi super dry. Consider having one if you enjoy beer. And if you're into red's, The Last Shepherd Pinot Noir is very light.
The waiter recommends to share the meals & I wholeheartedly agree!!
We went for lunch. First impression is that it's too dark inside for lunch. Dark wood and subdued lighting. A night time setting. It was so dark that when we left we were blinded stepping back out int the grey overcast day outside. Thank goodness the sun wasn't shining. Also the music was more suited to night time funky dining and was a bit overwhelming for the middle of the day.
The food is beautiful. We loved the beef tataki on tostada. Nice presentations. The duck with pancakes is crisp and very very smoky. Could have done with more pancakes and sides but very tender.
This is a new restaurant so understandably the staff want to make sure everything is going well but we got tired of being asked how we were finding our food. We had 6 dishes and I think and without exaggerating would have been asked about 10 times over the course of lunch. Just relax guys. You are doing fine.
Absolutely loved our experience at Azabu. The food was absolutely divine and cocktails were delicious. Servers were super attentive and professional. Definitely recommend the tuna ceviche and the sirloin.
Just a side note to please get the lounge seat fixed.
Great dumplings, good sushi. Though the soft shelf crab wasn't soft at all, rather crunchy.
We had a corner table, hence not too noisy.
The food is great here and has been consistently good over the years. I’m always skeptical of fusion restaurants or when mashing together of cuisines- in this case Japanese and Peruvian. However, the recipes work here and are delicious. The highlights of our recent meal were the tuna sashimi tostada and the pork belly. The tiger prawn dumplings were ok. And so we’re the kingfish ceviche and soft shell crab. The atmosphere is ok as you’re packed in like sardines. The dishes are on the expensive side but I don’t think it’s value for money for what you get, but could have justified it if the atmosphere was better.
One of the best meals I’ve had. Every plate was outstanding. The attention to detail of the plate presentation matched the taste experience. Will be back and have already told friends. Well done to the whole team!
So many things to really enjoy about Azabu Ponsonby. Comfortable tables (high bar stools would be challenging for the elderly/frail). Attentive service, great menu, delicious Japanese fusion style food. Comprehensive cocktail and drinks menu. What's not to love?!
We got the tiger prawn dumplings, tempura crab, kingfish sashimi, cucumber salad. All were yum 😋
What a great vibe!
The staff is so nice and accommodative!
The drinks for 2-3 people are so great for sun! The whole drinks menu is very original.
Good was great. Small portions but that's what Japanese food is about. The steak (in mains) was like absolute butter and full of flavour.
Def worth the buzz! Lots of restaurants in NZ mess up with sushi too much with adding too much to it. These guys nail the thin line in between. I like simple fresh sushi, and this was was absolute delicious.
Food was good but a little expensive. It was not extraordinary for the price. To get more water for our glasses, we had to ask. I wish the service was more attentive and more personable and not so rushed. Really, there isn't much more to say than that—nice vibe, decent location, famous big restaurant chain.
Nice location, good presentation, great food. Service was a bit robotic, no real warmth or interest coming from the waiters (that’s fine we can let the food do the talking).
The volcano sushi roll (not pictured) is a must-try, and comes with a bit of a show. The dessert pavlova, well let’s just say there is a reason I didn’t put a picture of that, not good, sticking to the plate like glue.
Still despite this a 4/5. When the food is on point it is that good.
Loved each and every dish here, and we tried quite a few. Appreciate how all you need to do is place your order, then they bring the dishes out to you one at a time so you can enjoy each one before moving on to the next. Special mention to the sushi, which got blow torched at the table!
Our second visit. The food never disappointed us. We enjoyed every bit. A very small disappointment that my partner had waited too long for his main, came after I finished mine.
Awesome place. Food was flavoursome, punchy and had great combination of flavours.
Service was excellent, especially from the Italian Maitre D.
We went on a Sunday night and it was packed.
Will definitely come back 👌
Our dinner was amazing. Service is one of the best I've experienced. Niko was really sweet. He dressed up my sister's birthday cake(we brought in ourselves)made it so special for us. We loved every single meal there. Thank you again!
Wow what a luxurious experience, the balance of the food was like art! Every dish was unique in flavor and never before tasted elsewhere! Great place for special occasions and dishes arent your usual casual dine in price. We had a waiter that was very friendly, but maybe too friendly as it almost interrupted some of our conversations. But overall amazing restaurant would definitely come back !
Love this place!
The staff are polite and quietly efficient, and the flavours in the dishes are a journey in every mouthful.
I always take a trip through the smaller dishes - I'm never bored.
I prefer sitting at the sushi bar where I can see the chefs at work. Such respect, attention, detail and passion in every dish..
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Delicious little Japanese fusion place from the same restaurant group as Amano.
We walked in not expecting to get a table but were fortunate enough to find a spot.
We tried the lobster tostada, soft shell crab tempura, artichoke dumplings, and rainbow roll which worked out just right for 2 ppl. We walked away satisfied but not full.
The lobster tostada was subtle and light, probably the weakest dish we tried.
The soft shell crab was fantastic, the yuzu kosho mayo that comes with it was absolutely delicious. I wish I could have this for other dishes.
The best dish we had was the artichoke dumplings, it was so light and complex. The mushrooms puree add a wonderful umami to it, be sure to get some with each bite!
The rainbow sushi is standard fare however the quality of the fish is what makes it stand far above other places where we've had it.
The staff were attentive and able to help guide you through the menu which is always a plus. It was a great meal for an affordable price.
I would highly recommend checking this out if you like Amano or other restaurants by the same group though I suggest making a reservation to get a table. If we were to come back again we'd definitely get the softshell crab, artichoke dumplings, and try the volcano roll.
The entrance is subtle and easy to miss. When you walk in you'll find yourself in a cosy space with the chic dark bar/restaurant feel. The waitstaff were prompt and happy to help. The food was delicious, though pricey as it is upper end. The flavours are exquisite and the food was all cooked very well. We ordered 2 mains and a small plate to share between 2 of us, and I think I was happy not to come out feeling bloated, but I think if you're a guy, or just have a bit appetite, you may need to order more which would mean spending around $60-70pp or more... I'd recommend it for if you want to splash out on a special night :)
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