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.
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.
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