Amazing service from the staff at Tanuki. The food was great especially the beef steak. The best in my opinion. Although the tempura prawns which I was super excited about was a bit disappointing because it wasn’t crispy. It was quite soggy. But everything else was great. I had a great meal. We also ordered some miso soup, salmon teriyaki, karaage chicken and the broccoli. For drinks we ordered Asahi beer and the grape cocktail juice which was great.
Great place with great ambience. The Chef’s selection of sashimi platter and nigiri sushi is fresh and delicious. Busy on the weekends tho, but great place for a first timer. Thoroughly enjoyed my meal 😊
Haven't been here for so long, we just walked in and it's almost full for early dinner.
Friendly greeting on arrival. Was gonna to order my own sake but the waitress recommends a special one ... good choice, we had two bottles.
We had 5 dishes. Beef Tataki- my favorite as usual but if more sauce would be better. Soft Shell Crab- cut in smaller pieces, crispy and easy to eat. Eel in a deep fried cup - authentic taste with different style. Chicken mince with tofu - one of the chefs special, Sashimi- fresh and cool, if it could come at the start of our meal would be much better ... the chef forgot about it .. lol
always a good time @tanukis, great food service and atmosphere. had the beef tataki which was off the hook. the sashimi so fresh and tasty. karage chicken deep fried to perfection and the mixed tempura. i can't wait to go back!
A special blue abalone & scallop "hama-yaki," served & grilled over a flame at the table; a dish of deep-fried soft shell crab; stir-fried noodles with seafood & lettuce; together with the tiger roll sushi should be good enough for a couple of average eaters. The special plate of scallops & abalone was appealing - be careful, the scallops can be easily over-cooked. The soft-shell crab was crispy & nicely-cooked. The noodles were a bit too salty. The worst dish was the sushi - uneven-sized with very loosely-gripped rice & bland. Our dinner finished with kinako ice-cream & daifuku rice cakes.
(Food - 3.5/5; Service - 4/5; Ambience - 3.5/5)
Visited on 8 June 2019
I went here for my 21st Birthday and all I can say is WOW!! The food was amazing! In my opinion it was the best sushi place I have ever been too! The service was quick and the staff were so friendly. There were so many delicious dishes to choose from, a huge variety. I was very impressed and will definitely be going back again! 😍
Dined here for a birthday where we got the set menu and the restaurant let us book out the whole place. The food came out quite fast however portions weren’t big enough to make us feel full (the clay pot rice ran out before it reached me 😞)
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant, but a bit disappointed with some of the food. The rice paper rolls were clearly prepared beforehand and tasted like they had been refrigerated for at least a couple of hours (you know that icy cold taste and texture). The steak dish also had too much sauce and tasted way too salty I had to order additional white rice.
Quite happy otherwise! Good value for money, the course was $25 pp.
As a single person dining in a foreign city, I often find myself sitting at the bar of a sushi restaurant. Here you can expect elegantly prepared nigiri served straight from the palm of the chef as well as other options that I neglected to sample. I am by myself after all. However there is a great beer and sake options too.
Naturally for the price and the fact you are in the a city of less than 1 1/2 million people, you can’t expect the quality to the likes of what you find in Tokyo or even Melbourne for example. But this is highly enjoyable and feels very authentic. I would highly recommend Tanuki as a modestly priced dinner option for solo diners, although I think you would have even more fun here with a rowdy group of friends.
My favourite Japanese restaurant in Auckland! Nice to have proper Japanese food and not the mainstream fusion dishes. The soup that comes with the set meal is fantastic!
The place actually makes you feel as if you’re dining in Japan. You just know the food is made with skills and love
Went here with a big group of work colleagues on Friday night. The restaurant it nice and little with a semi private area down the back for large bookings.
The staff were really friendly, offering help with the menu, making suggestions and always asking if we needed anything else or more drinks which was great!
The food was good my partner and I shared a number of dishes and we tried a little bit of other people's dishes too. It was all well cooked and well presented.
Would definitely go back again with any number of people!
Excellent authentic Japanese restaurant. Services second to none. Food was amazing and well presented. Great variety on the menu. Highly recommended.
Once again another restaurant I would definitely dine at again. Food was simple, fresh and delicious!!! Staff members were welcoming which is always nice when you walk into a place.
I love this place! We always have work functions here and they have the most perfect service and try to accomodate everyone's needs. Good authentic food! A little pricey but it's the city and you get what you pay for!
Have heard so much about this place and once again, we finally made it here. They seem to always be packed in here! (Which is a good sign that the food must be bomb as).
We got seated almost instantly. This place is more of a tapas kinda restaurant. Lots of snack, appetisers and small dishes.
But nevertheless, I got into it! Ordered the spicy tuna roll, selection of nigiri and beef steak. Overall, the food was delicious and got me wanting more! Although the spicy tuna roll wasn't very spicy, the food was great. Not very filling obviously, unless you order dishes after dishes. Little on the pricey side so unless you're out for a treat then maybe not an ideal place to have a good feed.
The food is really good! High quality. We order Beef tataki and lamb chops. Better to make a booking during peak hours. We will definitely come back again. Highly recommend
Real good service here, highly attentive staff, even when it's busy busy busy.
There is a wide selection of food, but some dishes are worth missing.
Staff always ask if you want drinks so that's probably more the focus of this place than the food.
I would avoid the agedashi tofu here, as it doesn't quite have the combination of crispy coating and soft tofu inside nailed down. We also didn't really get the konjak (or konyaku?) Jelly noodles. The rest of the food was pretty good though.
However the mochi dessert is one of a kind. Not too sweet, and a huge hit with us, especially with the nutty icecream
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Great place to eat before a show or movie as it is really close to Aotea Centre and IMAX movies.
This place does get really really busy, so be prepared to wait for a seat during peak meal times.
Very dark mood lighting in the restaurant. A bit too dark for my liking because you can't see your food as well lol.
Top picks:
Tuna tataki and beef tataki. You can't go wrong with tataki. Great marinade flavours and flash seared to perfection. Melts in your mouth.
Chicken Karaage because who doesn't love fried chicken
What wasn't so great was the egg plant. It was very disappointing. The texture was all wrong. It was like a few slices of steamed egg plant with a meat paste spread on top of it. Not the best combination of textures and flavours in my opinion.
Great dining experience here on Tuesday night. Good atmosphere, friendly staff with great service .
We ordered multiple dishes to share, my favourites were the fried soft shell crabs, chicken with the cheese dish (can't remember the name) and the spicy tuna roll! Not all dishes made the photo as we were all very eager to eat it !
Shut out to the token white guy that works there , extra point for hitting me up about my zomato hahaha .
Love this place food staff atmosphere epic yum stoked. Go the Tuna Tataki so good. Nice lighting feel well treated and we'll fed. I want to live here
Location is good if you want dinner before a movie at imax or a show at the civic. Nice dim lighting and it has a Japanesey feel.
Food was good but I wasn't blown away. We ordered an eel dinner set, salmon & avocado sushi, mixed tempura and soft shell crab. It was enough for the 2 of us but quite pricy.
The service is the reason why I'm only giving 3.5/5. Dirty glasses with only half-filled lukewarm water, and none of the staff paid any attention to topping up the water glasses. We had almost finished our meals but still hadn't got our tempura yet, and saw the chefs not doing anything. We weren't sure if they had forgotten or just taking a break? We ended up asking about it and then they started cooking..so must've forgot.
Well what a taste sensation this little gem of a place is. We came here for pre show dinner, they had the courtesy to ask if we were going to a show so we would receive our dinner on a timely fashion, and they delivered. Definitely recommend, not fine dining but for a fun night out with a group of friends, ideal
You're gonna find some delicious Japanese food in this izakaya on Queen Street.
I tried several dishes there, and could say that everything is good, specially the fried today and the spicy tuna sushi. They also have more exotic options, like raw octopus and eel, so if you're into trying new things, you can also have some fun there.
The place itself is quite nice and beautiful, with a welcoming Japanese atmosphere and a good service.
Everything in the restaurant was quite mediocre. We had a king prawn and scallop dish which was delicious and the teriyaki chicken was run of the mill good. The broccoli with the mayo was my favourite but other than that nothing else to really brag about. The service was definitely great, the staff were attentive.
I was actually trying to go to Tanuki's Cave but ended up here instead. No regrets. Service was lovely and the waiter knew his stuff. Dish after dish came and I have no complaints about any. My favourite was the oven grilled lamb chops, so tender and the sauce I would have licked off the plate if hadn't stopped myself. The soft shell crab was amazeballs, a surprisingly large portion with a mild dipping sauce. I loved the beef tataki as well, nicely marbled with an array of garnishes. We also had the scotch fillet with eggplant, seared perfectly and I'd recommend it with ponzu sauce. Overall, a really good dining experience with a lot of flavours and textures carefully put together but working well with each other. Portion sizes were also decent. I'd go back here with deeper pockets next time as there's still more to try.
A Japanese restaurant with a classy, bar vibe. Came here once for dinner but it's really the kind of place you'd go with a couple of friends after a long week. The staff are all very approachable and warm. The food is quite different, not your typical Japanese dishes - they're all jazzed up and reinvented. Some of them are quite good; I recommend many of the sushi platters, the look and taste is quite modern. I didn't like the pork belly dish that I had because it was so soupy and it was just chopped pork with overcooked asian cabbage.
Hustle bustle and fantastic atmosphere.
We had 40 min to spare before our show started and even though the place was jam packed we were seated in seconds
Our waiter was friendly and our Japanese dark beers arrived in light speed.
We ordered the medium sashimi plate and katsu chicken which arrived separate but again quick and amazing presentation.
The food is fresh clean flavours and really enjoyable. The mix of upbeat service atmosphere and great food meant a terrific experience.
The only slight negative was one staff member didn't seem to realise hygiene rules around using the same prep board for salad and cooked chicken( some parts of the chicken was pink and bleeding and the same board then used to slice salad tomatoes on!) is a huge no no.
I mentioned this to the waiter and hopefully this has been passed on to management .
Other than that can't fault this energetic stylish jem
Lucky us, came here on Thursday noon and found out that's the only day they serve lunch? Lunch plate is worth and u can enjoy sashimi, salad, miso soup, main and steamed rice. Yummy!
Great place for Friday dinners with friends. Staff are friendly and attentive especially when this place is packed. I usually order the Salmon and Avo sushi roll as its made fresh to order unlike a lot of other places. My partner quiet enjoys the agedashi tofu, which is deep fried to perfect topped with sweetish dashi sauce. Definitely worth a visit.
Beautiful Japanese eatery, arrived with no booking, it was not an issue, seated quickly and served very softly, even though they were busy. Sis not wait long for drinks or food and service was very good.
Ordered Sashimi platter and seafood butter soy, absolutely wonderful. Would recommend this place too anyone, it was a great summer before a show.
Enjoyed a really nice evening with a group of 6 and though we were probably a bit rowdy(!?) they handled us well. The service was prompt and unobtrusive. Good selection of wine and great selection of sake. The yum yum prawns were to die for!
I engaged in a feeding frenzy here with a large group of friends, it was excellent. The sashimi was a highlight. The staff didn't mind that we spent 20mins arguing about what to get, I guess cos we wound up ordering almost everything on the menu... The only thing I wasn't that into was the ribs, but I don't really like ribs generally. Touching greasy bone = nope. Everything else = yes. Especially sake.
Very rustic but cozy ambience
Amazing selection of sake
Staff very friendly and knowledgable
Try the octopus and sashimi platter
Also some nice steak !
It's a busy place on weekend but worth the wait
Great time always
Dined here on a Sunday night - so it was pretty quiet - we had the full attention of the staff! Food is flavourful and prettily presented - which is pretty much standard with most Japanese restaurants. However, overall it was an okay experience. For me, it rates lower on the value for money side, as the menu is slightly more expensive (I imagine it caters to the theatre crowd, so it has to have an element of 'cool - pricey' attached to it).
I also think the menu is quite limited. We ordered 2 rounds of food and really struggled to pick something different the second time round. Having dined downstairs several times over the past few years, I prefer it more than its upstairs restaurant. I also think Kushi and Kura are slightly better alternatives (in terms of value for money).
But customer service-wise - they were perfect.
Went here last night with a couple of friends. Such a great atmosphere there and brilliant service. We decided to get a few dishes and share them between us. Really enjoyed the food, especially the sashimi and the tofu steak. The guy that served us was so knowledgeable and really welcoming - recommending a few dishes and also a Sake for us. Will definitely be going back
The atmosphere is so good, great place for gathering with friends, food is about average. The services also good. But end of all, hard to find parking at City.
After having friends recommend Tanuki's, we booked in advance for a weekend away. Glad we did as it was busy. Seated by the kitchen, our orders were taken very quickly and the food arrived almost within 1-2 minutes. Each plate looked amazing and tasted delicious. We also got to see many other items leave the kitchen, stunning! Would definately return as the food and service were very good.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Tanuki, Tanuki's Cave and Kura have been at the forefront of Japanese food in Auckland for as long as I can remember, and whilst I usually opt for Kura, the couple of times I've ventured upstairs to Tanuki have been well worth it.
With Japanese decor and awesome staff it makes for a really fun and more importantly, delicious way to spend the evening. Notably, the first time I came here it was with a $200 voucher I'd won in a competition. We fed eight people with sake and beers as well for $250!
Highlights of the menu for me include the agedashi tofu, soft shell crab sushi and whilst not very Japanese at all, the salmon carpaccio is mind blowing - thin slivers of raw salmon with olive oil, basil and cocktail tomatoes.
What really sets Tanuki and it's fellow restaurants apart however is the service, their staff are incredibly helpful - if you mention you're heading to a show at one of the theatres in the vicinity, they'll make sure that you order items that will see you fed in time (within reason of course!)
I'd recommend that if you're planning to head in, definitely book - and make sure that you're booking for the right restaurant! Tanuki is upstairs, Tanuki's Cave is downstairs and next door, Kura is downstairs and down the road a couple of doors.
#challenge
A dining institution on Queen Street and it's not hard to see why! The decor is authentically Japanese and I've always found the service friendly and efficient. The Edemame has the right level of saltiness and is matched well with a crisp Asahi. I love following this up with a main of perfectly cooked salmon served with lotus flower chips.
It always gets busy here, so get there early if you don't like crowds. This place is a great option for a pre-show meal, before happily sauntering over to Q or the Comedy Club.
I usually don't eat raw fish or sashimi, but Tanuki is the only restaurant I can eat sashimi, very fresh !! Place is too small, too confined, walk-in would be very unlikely to get a table. My favourites are Tuna tataki and lamb grilled (only in special menu), one of the best Japanese cuisines in Auckland.
I would say that the restaurant space for this restaurant is a bit too cramped for me. It's hard to get around especially when there are a lot of people eating around as well. Otherwise, food is great and can get you filled up quite quickly. Enjoyed our dine here and it won't be our last. Though, I would also be keen to try out other Jap Restaurants - this is a "safe" place to go. It would probably cost you around $40 - $50 for 2 people.
Five stars! Went there for lunch yesterday. It was a bit quiet but the food was awesome and served very quick! Very flavoursome and fresh. Not our first time there, will be definitely visiting again!!!!
Really good atmosphere and authentic tasty Japanese. The service is attentive and the sake range is excellent. Highly recommend.
Was there last night with my Japanese wife who like Japanese food,ha!ha!.Sat at counter which is the best place for 2-3 people.
The Japanese , he said he was from Kyoto passed over a highly decorated plate sashimi which had six different kind of sashimi which looked like a piece of art work.
That plus snapper and prawn tempura washed down with a crafty boys craft beer made the evening.
It was Chinese lantern night so it was very busy but the service was good
My favourite Japanese place. Try the broccoli and the karaage chicken. YUMMMM. 10/10 love this place. The service can be a little poor but it is totally worth it for the amazing food.
The place was packed on a Wednesday night but we managed to get a table for two without booking when we arrived Tanuki at 6:00pm, provided that we finish by 7:30pm.
The entire place is heavily decorated to give an old Japanese restaurant kind of feel. The special that I ordered was really great value. For $15 I had a delicious dinner set including grilled fish (sanma?), beef tataki, edamame, pickles, rice and miso. The beef tataki was perfectly prepared with special dressing and the portion of the edamame side was very generous.
Some items on the menu are expensive compared to other Japanese restaurants. You just need to be careful with what you pick.
Went there the other night and loved it!!
The prices are average, but the venue is outstanding making this a very cheap awesome Japanese restaurant.
The staff were all friendly and the place had an awesome atmosphere. Will go back again soon for sure!!
Genie @ BunnyEatsDesign
+4
Three of us had dinner at Tanuki's on Friday at 7pm before a show next door. The restaurant was full but we had a reservation and the waiter showed us to our table right away. The decor inside is nice with wooden panelling, koi wallpaper with golden accents, bench seats and cozy tables. Drinks orders were taken quickly and we were left to peruse the menu.
Most of the dishes are designed for sharing and we were happy with this. We ordered the beef tataki, tofu steak, their famous broccoli, eel sushi, fresh spring rolls, grilled scallops wrapped in pork belly, a couple of bowls of rice and drinks. I think an average of 2-3 dishes per person is a good guide for ordering and you can always order more later on (we did).
The plates of food are small for the price, but delicious. My favourites were the beef tataki, tofu steak and broccoli. The Tofu steak in particular was unexpectedly lovely. Silky, soft and creamy with a crispy skin. I felt the grilled scallops with pork belly was a bit lacking, probably because I am used to bacon wrapped scallops so plain pork belly seems anemic in comparison. I never feel there is enough beef tataki and this case was no exception. While the eel sushi was tasty, the presentation was messy.
The food was about on par with other Japanese restaurants that I have been to but a little bit more expensive considering what we ordered. Where Tanuki really shines about the others is their staff. The service is excellent at Tanuki's. The food and drinks come quickly. There is plenty of staff for the full dining area and all the staff we dealt with spoke perfect clear English. When we wanted to order extra items, this was dealt with easily and quickly. This place is a well oiled machine and it's clear why it is so popular with the pre-show crowd.
Allow 1 and a half hours for dinner if you are visiting before a show and a booking is preferable. With Entertainment Book voucher, the bill came to $83 which made it just under $30 per person for dinner and drinks.
I went to Tanuki sushi and sake bar for an early dinner on a Friday night. It was very busy so I would recommenced booking. The menu consists of the sushi classics you would expect; nigiri sushi, sushi rolls and sashimi as well as appetizers, main dishes, deep fried dishes and salads. The dishes are meant to be shared. We were not super hungry so only ordered the grilled scallops wrapped in sliced pork belly and a medium sashimi. Both dishes had beautiful presentation and tasted delicious. The sashimi was lovely and fresh with different accompaniments for each fish. However at $40 it was a bit pricey for what was a small meal. The service was excellent and the dishes were brought out promptly. If Tanuki sushi and sake bar wasn't so pricey then I would love to go back and try more of the menu, however I think there are equally good Japanese restaurants with better value for money.
Booked a table for my wife birthday celebration. First time we had been there. Atmosphere was superb, busy for a Thursday. Staff were outstanding, great service. Food was the best Japanese we had ever had.
You have to try the sashimi and soft shell crabs!
My wife is planning to head back with friends, and I am looking forward to my next booking
Nice to get here earlier and on a bad weather night, little less busy than usual.
Always great food, such a nice treat while I'm here, easy place to eat alone.
A must do when in AKL, especially if you're visiting as an international guest!
Have been going here for quite a few years went on a Thursday night around 6.30 no problem getting a seat at all food is so tasty and fresh awesome quality.
The food was exceptional. We had the upstairs private dining room. We had a group of 21. The staff were outstanding and Sophia our server was always attentive looking after our group.
I implore any group to go here and just relax. The food again... second to none!
Had a lovely evening here at tanuki! Everything was delicious! We came here with first table, the staff very kindly explained the requirements of the first table to us and through out the night they were very friendly. 4 stars because I probably wouldn’t come here without first table as it’s a little over priced for what it is.
Pls pls pls have an experience in here!
everything was amazing, so beautiful fresh sashimi, nice drinks options and good service!! Ive never seen ever better than Tanuki in New Zealand. Never disappointed!
Will definitely come back!
Reliable, decent quality Japanese food in a nice (if rather cold) setting with friendly service. Serving sizes are pretty small so you need to order quite a lot of items especially if you're hungry
Nice, quite unexpected way to sit. Chief knows his stuff very well 👍
Wonderful evening experience. We arrived to a bustling restaurant on a Thursday night. Super friendly and helpful staff were very attentive and pointed out the gluten free opitions availabe on a separate menu. Although I'm gluten intolerant (not allergic), I chose to try the soft shell crabs, cooked in a very light batter...."Incredible", and it did not affect my dietary issues at all. Every dish we tried was amazing, Compliments to the Chefs. Excellent atmosphere, food, staff, and dining experience. I will definitely return with friends.
Haven't had fish this fresh and delicious since visiting coromandel in 2022. I would go as far as to say this is one of my favourite restaurants in the entirety of Tāmaki Makaurau! Every single meal is outstanding! Staff super friendly and the atmosphere is so pleasant to dine in. Thank you so much!
Sushi over here is incredible, and if you are a fan - you cannot go wrong with this place. Even if the range is not that wide - anything you choose will be finger licking. Cheese on the sticks was very good. One thing that was a bit surprising- we didn’t finish our salmon and asked to pack it away with us. We were given an empty plastic box, to do it ourselves :)
Yummy food and great atmosphere 10/10 overall experience!
We had such an amazing time. We ordered the Octopus with Wasabi for our starter.
Mains we had Sashimi platter and Sushi.. Everything was beautifully presented and so tasty.
Special mention to the chef Taka for his amazing hospitality and friendly personality, he explained to us the different cuts of fish etc.. Definitely made the experience more inviting and fun for both my partner and myself. Definitely coming back 😁
The food was excellent, especially the karage chicken! Service is impeccable and the staff is lovely!! Highly recommend tanuki Japanese restaurant to any friends.
Work do this time, fun night upstairs in the big room. Great food and service as usual
Truly delicious food and excellent service. My party of 8 arrived without a reservation and they were able to accommodate us provided we were willing to eat quickly. For their part, they responded with super speedy service. Would definitely dine there again. Did I mention? Delicious!
Great food, very fresh and reasonable pricing for a nice night out.
Food is quite nice but only a little servings, should have bigger pork belly. Steak is quite good though.
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