Review Cocoro - Auckland Central

I must say, their service was truly professional. The atmosphere was wonderfully subtle. The food exceeded my expectations, with each dish being top-notch. The presentation was impeccable, and the dry ice show when serving the sashimi platter was a delightful touch. Tiger prawn tempura was unbelievable as well.. I absolutely loved it.

An amazing dinner at Cocoro. We felt the food was very fresh and the flavours were carefully executed. Some reviews I have read have mentioned that the service could be improved. We experienced very good timely service. I wonder if some of the feedback on bad service could be down to cultural mannerisms. For 4 people we ordered from the a la carte menu: 1. Traditional sashimi of market seafood, 5 varieties; 2. Salmon, kingfish, snapper in new style sashimi, with a beautiful citrus sesame sauce (ponzu) 3. Karaage chicken 4. Seafood Tempura 5. Chumaki rolled sushi - prawn tempura roll 6. Inaniwa handmade udon noodles with cloudy bay clams, shitaki mushrooms which was introduced to us as a Japanese take on pasta. An added bonus was that the clams were huge. 7. Tobanyaki angus beef eye fillet on a sizzling plate. All dishes performed but standouts were the eye fillet, new style sashimi and the tempura sushi roll was a real underdog with that crispy rice made with akazu red vinegar. The portion sizes are not huge but the dishes are carefully executed and to have all dishes perform deliciously meant that we felt happy to pay the premium price. We appreciated the calm ambiance of the restaurant and I personally appreciated the dampened acoustics as sometimes you can find that restaurants can be acoustically poor.

Went here for lunch. We ordered signature sashimi plate and wow, it was amazing selection of fishes, prawns, shells. Their dishes are very delicious. Very professional service gave us detailed description of every dish.

I enjoy my stay here and good food. Would be near 5 if disregarding the price. I like the presentation of the appetiser Flavours: wasabi, smokey, umami, matcha

I have seen a lots of review about this restaurant is not kids friendly on social media, I need to say that's false. We took our 2 year old daughter in with us tonight for the wife birthday, and the staff are super friendly and helpful. Highly recommend the Lamb and the Udon noodles. My daughter had 2 bowls by herself. Thank you for the awesome service.

I had the best Japanese food outside of Japan at this restaurant. 10/10 highly recommend

Honestly, this is the most expensive meal we’ve ever had. We enjoyed the meal very much for our special occasion. Very delicious food and nice service. Hopefully we can go back again on our next special day. 4 stars for the fact that it is so expensive.

The best Japanese in Auckland. A unique experience and totally worth it. So many things we ate. The stand out to me was scallops, so chuch and creamy never had it like that before can still taste it now.

Cocoro is flawless in every aspect! Amazing food, service and atmosphere. This restaurant is recommended if you love Japanese food and seafood. The presentation and attention to detail is amazing. Cocoro has to be the best Japanese restaurant in Auckland.

One of the best Japanese food we have tried in the whole of New Zealand. We came in for lunch and went for the set menu. It had a bit of everything so it's a good way to taste more dishes without getting really full. We really love the freshly grated Wasabi on shark-skin grater. This restaurant is also one of the rare few that serve Kusuda wines so that's a bonus.

Went for the deguststion menu. The service was superb and the food on offer had a huge amount of different and unique flavors. Only thing that just stops it hitting 5 stars is that we were still hungry after the meal as while the food quality is very high, the portions and amount of carbs are on the low side.

Probably one of the best if not the best Japanese in Auckland. One of our go to favourite restaurants. All of the dishes are fresh and beautifully presented. Decent selection of beer and spirits. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Tip : do try their sakes!

Subtle and thoughtful fine dining with a Japanese twist - well worth a visit. The degustation is terrific, with each dish highlighting a different technique or style, and there is a fantastic array of saki available to complement each dish. The serving staff are more than willing to talk you through the dishes and the drinks options to suit - my wife chose wine when I chose saki, and we were able to get good advice on what styles of each would suit the dishes that were coming out to surprise us. It's at the seriously good end of fine dining, but not as innovative as I would have expected from some of the reviews. A very good meal and night out, recommended highly.

Delectable, fresh and unique dishes. The best Japanese weve had since we were in Japan.

Terrible experience！Booked for family. This restaurant do not serve for KIDS！The owner must do not have kids！Ugly

I chose to come here with my husband last weekend for my birthday. We were immediately greeted warmly upon arrival and showed to our seats. The servers were all friendly and knowledgeable about their wine and menu. We opted for the degustation menu and later decided to add on the optional sushi course (one for each of us). The food was excellent and creative and we thoroughly enjoyed our wine and sake. The presentation of the food was amazing and I must say that the scallop dish was my highlight. However, if we did not add on the optional course (which we had to pay extra for) we highly doubted that we would've been full. This was definitely a low point for us as we have been to several degustation restaurants similar to Cocoro's calibre and been satisfyingly full at a similar price point. Also it was still a little chilly in the restaurant despite the heat pump being turned on but I was wondering if it was because we were given the seats next to the windows on a cold night. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and would visit this restaurant again to try it's ala carte menu.

Absolutely great service and delicious food! 😍

I have been hankering to get to Cocoro for years now and a 10th wedding anniversary seemed to be an appropriate occasion!! This meal did not disappoint from the moment we entered the restaurant to the moment we left.... such meticulous preparation and attention to detail made everything just “perfect”. Some dishes like sashimi are obviously plentiful around the traps but you haven’t had Sashimi till you try some of the goodness served at Cocoro! I cannot rate this highly enough and I am slightly concerned that my words may fall short of the experience...... however my advice is simple.... Have a meal at Cocoro, it will leave you speechless.

The second time back to Cocoro, I still love their food and amazing customer service! Sashimi platter is definitely their signature IG pose but their wagyu premium a5 steak is over expected!!!

My favorite restaurant in Auckland! The price can be more friendly but I still think it’s worth that.

Frankly expected better from a place that's been raved about by so many. 4 of us went for a friend's birthday, the service was friendly when we could get their attention, but for a place that is close to fine-dining(& certainly charges like one), you would expect their waiters to be more attentive, rather than us constantly having to wave down our waiter. Food was presented beautifully, most of the items we had were very lightly seasoned(I assume it was on purpose as the chef was from Kyoto(?), I think I read somewhere previously, as to showcase the freshness of ingredients). Sleek interior but lighting could be a bit dimmer & music more appropriate to bring out a bit more atmosphere. Overall food was probably a 6.5/10, please work on the service side of things to accommodate for all guests, while we had to flag down staff, some tables had much more attention, we felt as if they didn't really care about us since we were a bit younger looking.

Thanks guys, an amazing set lunch - incredible!

Absolutely amazing restaurant. The food was delicious and the wine and sake pairings were also great. Possibly the nicest Japanese food I have had outside of Japan. Highly recommend the degustation.

Amazing food. Beautifully presented. IMO, one of the best Japanese restaurants in Auckland.

This is my third review on @cocoro_restaurant. 🍱A variety of dishes were ordered from their a la carte menu and I’ll be reviewing them one by one🥢<br/><br/>1️⃣Murasaki Uni (Sea Urchin)<br/>Although it is presented as pretty as a plate can be, the taste of the sea urchin served was underwhelming. It lacked the rich sea urchin flavor and tasted a bit watered down. Although I do understand that each sea urchin opened can be a hit or miss, I would expect the restaurant to be better at selecting the best to serve.<br/>💲price $13<br/>😋 taste 3/5<br/><br/>2️⃣Oh-Toro Nigiri 🍣(Fatty Tuna Sushi) <br/>The oh-toro nigiri was not as fatty as one would expected for $17 a piece. At this price point, I would really expect the kind of fatty tuna that would melt in your mouth. The oh-toro nigiri served was relatively lean and not quite on par with the kind of oh-toro I’ve had overseas.<br/>💲price $17<br/>😋 taste 4/5<br/><br/>3️⃣Tempura (mixed)<br/>I was pleasantly surprised by their tempura dish. Tempura isn’t something I’d normally crave for, but it turned out to be the highlight of the meal. The prawn and scallop used were quality and batter was fried just right, really loved the bites into crunchiness!<br/>💲price $24<br/>😋taste 5/5<br/>📍Ponsonby<br/><br/>Overall, I still enjoyed my experience at Cocoro as their service is always great and it is still one of the best Japanese restaurants in Auckland. Head to @pandadrools on Instagram for my two previous reviews on Cocoro!

Came here today with my family (inc. my little baby). They graciously allowed for the presence of my wee little one to join us for lunch. I was quite nervous as the restaurant was a fine dining restaurant and although I know that my little one is a very chill baby, I just didn't want to disturb the other patrons by her baby babbles (no cries or whines at all, thank God!). They don't have a highchair available, but they gave us ample enough space for us to put baby in her stroller at the dining table.<br/><br/>Food was amazing! We had the mixed seaweed wakame salad, sashimi platter, bluefin tuna maki, agedashi tofu, soba noodles, tempura, salmon & snapper new style sashimi, yuzu & miso creme brulee, ume plum kakigori, and matcha ice cream. <br/>Didn't even get to take much photos as we just couldn't wait to dig in.<br/><br/>10/10 would definitely come back and recommend.

We ordered their degustation menu. The food was delicately presented and each course had a story. The highlight was 10/10 the beef. It was soft and tender and literally melts in your mouth. The only downside was that it was too small!!

what happened to the fine dining exp we used to hv 5 yrs ago......went back there this week and order the degustation($120pp), it was the worst deguststion we ever had. we rememver b4 it was very good and combination would make you full at least for what you are paying! all the dishes we had were cold dishes except for the main which only come with protein (lamb), no veges nor any carb on the dish. presentation were also lacking. its autumn which means its cold outside so at least provide hot food!!! we will not ho back to this place nor recommend to anyone! lastly who would pay $120 pp and to have 3 small cubes of chocolate???? are you kidding me??? i can buy a chocolate bar for $1!!! this is ridiculous!! also their staffs r not friendly, look like a food court staffs....esp the one at the till to collect payment.....no thank you after he takes ur $$$

Lovely meal at Cocoro. We splurged and ordered the Signature Sashimi Platter for the four of us. This was well worth it, great WHOA factor.<br/><br/>Friendly team and good service.

Beautiful sashimi platter the tuna was super amazing, the wagyu beef were done perfectly. Personally I didn’t like the oyster tempura because it was quite oily and then followed by the makeral egg dish after was too full on for me. The atmosphere is nice with great service.

My favorite Japanese restaurant in NZ. Their ingredients are always so fresh. Great variety of sashimi, nigiri and other Japanese dishes. You can also have chutoro and otoro here. The signature sashimi platter is a must have, you have to pre-book the platter 24 hours in advance but it’s definitely worthy of the hassle. Good atmosphere and food presentation. <br/>Probably don’t recommend the wagyu tataki, as I don’t like the clash of flavors they input. Any other dishes are highly recommended.<br/><br/>Food: 10/10<br/>Food presentation: 10/10<br/>Service: 8/10<br/>Location: 8/10<br/>Ambience: 10/10<br/>Price $80

I'm really disappointed. I haven't dined here but have been wanting to for the last 2 years. Finally thought I'd get my chance for my birthday which would also be a chance for hubby and I to have a date night since having baby. I find out upon ringing that unless you order the set menu, you can't make a booking until the day. Unfortunately set menus don't suit me as there are many things I can't eat. And it didn't help that the gentleman was very blunt in stating that there's nothing I can do but call on the day and hope there's a table for a la carte bookings. My excitement level during those few minutes literally went from 100 to 0 like that. Such a sour experience and felt slightly discriminated. Why have an a la carte menu if it's so difficult??

That wagyu beef was amazing!!! The spiced banana in tempura batter was actually quite nice and the pairing with the ice cream made it great. Also had the karage chicken

Good but seriously not at the price. I would expect more. It’s too fusion for my taste so much that it has lost the essence of Japanese cuisine... for the price I can think of many other places

Everything is just perfection from the friendly staff, craft cocktails and amazing food. Everything was so tasty! It is perfect for large groups as well as dining alone at the bar. Personally I have never experienced a bad thing here!

Friendly and professional servers. Great food really. Only complaint is paper serviettes poor quality and chairs weren’t so comfortable. It was the best Japanese food experience ever!

Cocoro has always been a restaurant I wanted to visit as I see amazing photos of the sashimi platter posted on social media from time to time. It is definitely a standout course, with the variety of colours and mere selection of raw fish presented in the most aesthetically pleasing way. <br/><br/>The food is absolutely divine combined with sake pairings, this restaurant is a must visit for Japanese cuisine lovers! Trust me, it all tastes as good as it looks!

Came back for lunch and I was not disappointed. Assorted Sashimi don was amazingly fresh. Steamed eggs with giant Hokkaido scallops. Tasty and beautiful.

Ambience was relaxed but intimate, food was exceptional. We had the degustation menu which had a nice range of hot and cold dishes and we washed it down with a couple of white wines from their extensive range. The sashimi is super fresh, the pork shabu shabu was surprising and delicious, the lamb rack was cooked about as well as can be, and the savoury egg custard took me back to my childhood. It's been a while since I've eaten at Cocoro but I left wondering why it took so long to get back

This is a really weird restaurant. My experience didn't convince me this is a restaurant has 4.3/5. The waiter who served us was very unprofessional. I think this restaurant is way too expensive considering their poor service attitude and quality of food. We will never come back.

We went there for our wedding anniversary celebration. Beautiful and fresh food, nice presentation. A bit pricy but worth it. Special flavor and creation. Enjoyed it. Thank you.

Their food were great, very tasty and different combinations which I never tasted before, they are so delicious and beautiful representation. Their staffs are friendly and we enjoyed our time there very much, highly recommended <br/> <br/>

I love this place. I dream of eating the food here. <br/><br/>If you like Japanese food that is outside the standard fare this is great. Lovely umeshu and sake selection as well.<br/><br/>Real wasabi always makes my heart beat just that little bit faster.<br/><br/>The service is faultless. <br/><br/>Why didn't I give it a 5?<br/><br/>Given the level of the market Cocoro is in I felt the toilets needed a bit of attention and paper napkins at lunch service were a disappointment.<br/><br/>

Got off work at the last minute and needed a nice place to go for the mrs birthday, this place ticked the boxes. They don't require advance booking for their degustation menu which was good.<br/><br/>I've been here roughly in 2012/2013 and the ambience is nice but seems very much the same. The service is your usual good standard.<br/><br/>Every dish was beautiful, delicious and well timed. I can't quit put my finger on it but it just seems to be lacking something for me to give them the 5.0 but otherwise it was really good.

Sashimi taste fresh, nice and tender beef sirloin served with rich flavour homemade sauce, also it has a romantic environment such as a nice place for dating if you like Japanese style dinner.

I love the sashimi, it was amazing! But for two people it is way too much. Good atmosphere, good service. Will come back to try something new.

1-2 months lead time for a table in weekends. Outstanding food. Service really good. Amended degustation for one of our guests. We did wine matching option. Great international selection. Great detail. Treasure box presentation delightful. Great use of local and japanese produce.

Cocoro is one of the best dining experiences in Auckland.<br/>Humble and professional service, incredibly fresh and creative food.<br/>Sustainably caught fish and ingredients make this one of my most loved Restaurants.<br/>We ordered a number of dishes off the Tapas menu, some very rare Sake and some Plum wine.<br/>Everyone is talking about when we can all go back.<br/>Thanks to the staff at Cocoro!

I had a very pleasant dining experience here with two others for the chef's 8 course degustation at 6pm on a Friday. The menu is slightly different to the one currently linked to this restaurant's zomato page. I don't think I could pick a favourite as I enjoyed each course thoroughly. The sashimi selection was so fresh and really enhanced by the pickled ginger (loved the manuka honey infused one) and fresh wasabi. Also noteworthy was the creative presentation of the persimmon dessert dish. I think what I really loved about the degustation was the use of so many different textures and flavours in every single dish. Each component was interesting and delicious on its own, and then the combination of the components took you to a whole other level. The wait in between each course was never any longer than 5 or so minutes. Personally I don't like spending over 3 hours at a degustation waiting for ages in between courses so this was perfect. <br/><br/>The service is also impeccable. We had a number of different waitresses throughout the night but each of them were very polite and explained each dish to us. Our water was also refilled automatically as they got low but service was never overbearing. <br/><br/>The only thing I didn't quite enjoy was the proximity of the tables. It was possible to hear the neighboring table's conversation without trying as the seats are all so close together. <br/><br/>Food: 5/5<br/>Service: 5/5<br/>Ambience: 4/5

Brought my dad here for his first ever degustation and was glad he enjoyed it very much. I ensured him even though they were small portions of food, they came with big flavours :) Each dish was well presented and with a modern Japanese flair. There were some unique yummy dishes! <br/><br/>My favourite was the sashimi box! So fresh! One other fish dish in a delicious broth, scallop cawanmushi and the dessert we got was spectacular! A persimmon with panna cotta inside! Too amazing. <br/><br/>Service was polite and attentive even though I couldn't really understand some of the components of the food being explained. Ambience is warm with bamboo and wood contrasting the concrete walls. Love the decor! <br/><br/>It was definitely a well valued meal and left us satisfied and happy. <br/>

Everthing is too expensive, the raw seafood looks nice garnished well, but actually we found the portion is too small, location is quite hard to find, but I would probablly hard to come again, every Japanese retaurant provide sashimi, sushi, all they provide same fresh ingredients, I would prefer come to a cheaper place to eat.

Awesome! Came here for my bday yesterday! Great food, good sake, fab service! We had tempura oysters, and their lunch set with sake pairing. Everything was perfect! Will be back for sure!

I feel I can't really be too picky with my review as I'm not a huge seafood lover so basing some of my opinions off my other half as he is. We ha the degustation menu on Saturday and the shank and the desserts were the courses I really enjoyed lovely mix of sauces flavours ,textures and a well cooked . the fish courses were somewhat of a miss for me not enjoying some of the flavours the smoky salmon was really good and himself had the eel which he thought was fab but we didn't enjoy the others too much. Friendly staff and a nice atmosphere for special occasions and an amazing sake menu

Took J here for his birthday and ordered the degustation menu. Quite hidden however there is parking all along the street. Walking in, the ambiance was elegant and welcoming. Once seated, we were greeted instantly and were told of the specials with complimentary lotus chips. They were crispy yet light. J ordered the Asaki Beer & I order the Plum wine (chef's favourite). Few minutes later, the degustation began. The first course was a tempura oyster. Simple plating yet deliciously moist and juicy. The second course was a beautiful box that opened up with 4 selections of sashimi and a nigiri. The sashimi was very fresh. As for the nigiri, it had a strong taste of wasabi which (C) is not too fond of. The third course was a seared salmon with miso dressing. It had a crispy salmon skin on top with salmon caviar. It was very beautiful and refreshing. The fouth course was a steamed egg with scallops. It was served warm and tasty. The scallop tasted fresh and cooked well. The fifth course was a Leigh Snapper Karage. This again was beautifully plated with lovely coloured and textures. The fish was nicely cooked with a crunch to it. The sixth course was the charcoaled finished rack of lamb! This was by far our favourite! The rack of lamb was cooked perfectly and the sauce was amazing! It was a Sansho pepper and balsamic vinegar infused with miso sauce. The seventh coarse was a dessert which included peach and saka ice-cream. It was a playful dish has around it had crumbled biscuits and with surprise popping lollies. Interesting dish with different textures. Our last course was saka chocolate ganache. 3 simple squares of chocolate with sea salt flake which brought out the flavour for each one. Good way to end the degustation. Overal, J and I had a wonderful time here. Would suggest ordering the degustation for special occasions as it was quite pricey per person.

Came here to celebrate Valentines Day. It was recommended by the waitress that we try the Omotenashi Degustation Menu as it was our first visit. We were impressed with our overall dining experience at Cocoro. From the ambience to the wonderful staff and of course the delicious food, it ticked every box! I really enjoyed the chefs selection of sashimi and nigiri sushi - it was presented in a lovely box and we really enjoyed being able to grate our own wasabi from scratch. The A grade tuna sushi was unforgettable. Also the tempura oyster and karage snapper were definitely our favourites for the night. Highly recommend this place and we look forward to our next visit. They have extensive menu's to choose from and we look forward to trying something new for our next visit.

Cozy place with amazing food served. Reasonable price and good good service. Definitely the good choice to go if you ever want some Japanese taste.<br/><br/>

Had really lovely time here yesterday, me and my partner had Degustation course meal as a dinner. The staff memebers were so kind and informative, explained every dishes and ingredient to us. The presentation of the plates were so stunning to look at and also tasted beautiful too. Really enjoyed every dish here =)

Simply the best Japanese fine dining restaurant in Auckland, excellent customer service and great presentation 👍🏼⛩🎎🎏🎉🍾 every meal come as a surprise and supreme ingredients

Suddenly wanted to try here for the first time this morning. Very surprised to find out that it is not situated on a main road, despite its popularity. The kitchen staffs can be seen working behind a window when dinning but they worked in utter silence, with only the chef yelling briefly when a dish is ready.<br/><br/>Ordered the special lunch set. Absolutely no wait between each dish at all. The renkon chips was as thin as paper, the tempura was hot and crunchy, while being not too oily and maintained its moisture. The wasabi mayonnaise was so refreshing that I finished all of it, even without the tempura. The chicken in their tiny teriyaki chicken don was so crispy and flavourful, but sadly I couldn't finish the rice beneath them as I was already full from eating everything so quickly.<br/><br/>10/10 would come again.

My best friend took me here for my birthday and I just have to say this place does the best Japanese food in auckland. We ordered sushi and sashimi course and ordered few cocktails. "What a feeling" I think it was called was absolutely amazing cocktail. <br/><br/>I really loved the sashimi platter! I cant wait to go back there again.

I was just gonna pick some place random in Ponsonby for dinner last night. We walked pass Cocoro, thinking "alright~ baby it's you!" <br/><br/>They were celebrating their 6th anniversary, they have this delightful degustation menu - stunning presentation, very delicious, first class service. Will definitely go back to try their signature dishes when their chef is back from Japan.

Visited this restaurant last year for an anniversary. The atmosphere is great and the food is amazing - the staff is very accomodating and adjusted their degustation menu for me. Possibly the best Japanese ever!

bad customer service experience. They really should change their way by being more flexible on service.................. seriously!!!!!!!!!!

Visited there for lunch on last Saturday. Ordered one $50.00 short course lunch, I chose four courses below.<br/><br/>1. Two small welcome dishes - deep fried one was nice, but octopus was tough, hard to chew. <br/><br/>2.  Sashimi - Just fresh! And very funny to make freshly ground wasabi.<br/><br/>3. Beef Tobanyaki with rice - Beef was very tasty, made lots of sense with soft white rice. Very good smell. But just a little bit salty to me. <br/><br/>4. Dessert - Pretty and was not too sweet, I like it.

One of the premier Japanese restaurants in Auckland. The service and food is top notch.I had the pleasure of taking my family here for dinner a little while ago. All the dishes were made with care and showed a high level of polish. Would recommend to all :)

The sashimi here is really fresh and the dessert plating was super pretty (the desserts itself were yummy too 😃). My brother and I picked the $50 short course lunch.<br/><br/>So I probably ordered all the wrong things to order and should've stuck with getting sashini or nigiri. But I didn't feel like those for some reason so I went with the karaage chicken and wakanui beef. I didn't particularly like either of these because there was a lot of fat in the chicken and the beef came in a sea of oil. I liked the beef itself but there was just so much oil that I couldn't eat the veges underneath.<br/><br/>Anyway, my parents got the special lunch and that seemed alright except they didn't like the mini donburi that came with it because the rice was soaked with oil too.<br/><br/>Not the smartest choice I've made at a Japanese restaurant but the sashimi my brother ordered was pretty good. If you don't mind oily food then feel free to give this place a try but I would recommend getting sashimi or nigiri dishes.<br/><br/>I loved the environment and we were allowed to get the special lunch for only 2 people instead of the whole table so thank you to the manager. The portion size for the $38 special lunch isn't really enough because you only get 1 of each thing (e.g. 1 piece of tempura, sushi, salmon etc.) so I wouldn't recommend it for big eaters.

Cocoro offers authentic but modern Japanese cuisine at a fine dining standard. I dined here a couple months ago and decided to order off the A La Carte Menu as opposed to a degustation. The beef tataki was my favourite from Cocoro as it was full of flavour and seared perfectly! Although I liked the food at Cocoro, I would not be back here because I feel the high prices didn't match the quality of the food and the selection was quiet limited on the A La Carte Menu.

Having degustation dinner with group of 7, the food is amazing and service is top class. The food nicely cooked and so fresh. The salmon was my favourite, marinate for a day and nicely seared. Good job Cocoro!

Just visited this place and I have to say its a must visit for Japanese cuisine. Fantastic fish selection and style. We had the deguestation and found it a great representation of Japanese art and creative tasting dishes. Sake was surprisingly delicious and staff service was superb. Wine list was very unexpected and a great range of international wines. Tables were close together and if its full you probably wouldn't experience the intimacy that we did (my butt swiped glasses on the way out of the table next door).

It's good to find a Japanese restaurant that that has its own chef created menu. Loved the different dishes along with the Japanese beers. Would probably go back and try their degustation menu as it looks delicious.

So as our first attempt to review all of the Metro top 50 restaurants (it'll take us a couple of years) we thought we'd head to Cocoro in Ponsonby.<br/>First impressions were very good and it felt like a modern Japanese restaurant, the type we frequented in Ginza or Shibuya.<br/><br/>So when we sat down for our degustation course we had high hopes.<br/><br/>We started with a nice medley of sashimi including tuna and salmon that was both very fresh and equally delicious.<br/>The next course was salmon on courgettes. The courgettes were hard and bland and the salmon, though well cooked offered nothing special. My scallop chawan mushi was good though the scallop was on the over cooked side of things and the fish and chips was dry and lacking some oompf. It needed some acidity. There was a small amount of yuzu foam which was nice but nowhere near sufficient for the serving which was a shame but the potato crisp was excellent.<br/>The lamb was on the well done side of things which was a little disappointing but what was most disappointing about the course was the service.<br/>Prior to the course being served my partner had asked for the wine list. And up until this point the service had been very good. We'd both decided on a glass of Shiraz and numerous...numerous waiters walked past us as we had two empty wine glasses in front of us and by the time they came to take our order we'd finished the lamb and decided to order a sake instead.<br/>I'd also like to point out that at this point customers started leaving and they started preparing the dining room for tomorrow's lunch setting. Which makes the rest of the meal feel rushed.<br/>The deserts were okay, and overall it was a reasonable meal but from previous experience there are better Japanese restaurants in town. All the more disappointing as this was more authentic than the likes of Masu but didn't deliver.<br/><br/>Rating<br/>Food 26/40<br/>Service 13/20<br/>Room 10/10<br/>Delivered on expectations 10/10*<br/>VFM 12/20<br/>Total: 71/100<br/><br/>* this rating is based on our expectation walking in and we'd expect all to be a 10. We'd expect McDonald's to deliver a slightly greasy burger with salty fries and a cold drink...to score less than 10 would be to provide something below expectations. Today we expected a decent Japanese. Which is what we got.

amazing place.  recommend highly.  attentive staff, food very subtle.  we had the set lunch and was fabulous.  nice environment.

Food was excellent and as fresh as possible. The dishes were big enough. The price for a glass of wine is really reasonable. The music could be a few louder..

We went to Cocoro for a special occasion and had very conflicting experience from the restaurant.<br/><br/>Firstly, the food was beautiful. We ordered their set menu, every dish was delicately prepared, well presented, and absolutely delicious. Their Japanese style fish and chips has to be one of my favourite; crunchy, crispy, smooth, flavourism, and really tasty. Their steamed egg-custard silky smooth, really devine. Their dessert did not fail to disappoint either, their sake chocolate ganache with sea salt was simply gorgeous. Shame that only 4 cube-sized chocolates were given, not enough to feel satisfied yet.<br/>Their service was friendly and professional, staff were very attentive and approachable.<br/><br/>Here is the down side; the portion size for each dish is very small, not ideal for big hungry people.<br/>Next, our fellow dinning guests were of disappointment. They were very loud, making an already quite a small restaurant very noisy, and very unlike those serene and relatively quiet fine dinning places we went to in the past. There should have been some noise-control from the management, unfortunately the staff seemed to be too polite to do anything about it.<br/><br/>Overall, would go back again for special occasions, perhaps on a weeknight to avoid big crowds.

Hmm.. not too sure what all the hype is about for this restaurant. I came here with group of 4 as always keen to try out more auckland japanese restaurants. The customer service was excellent however the food and atmosphere was just OK.. nothing amazing. Very pricey for small dishes which would be ok IF the food was delicious like MASU - don't bring tall hungry kiwi men here lol they won't be impressed. I won't be returning.

It's best to book the table before going there, or you can only sit in the long table sharing with others.<br/>The dishes are very delicate, especially for the sashimi. <br/>It's a quiet and romantic place for couples and partners.<br/>Next time I think I will try the courses there. They look very tasty.<br/>And the service there is excellent!

My friends and I came to have the set menu, apparently if we wanted to book that was the only menu we can have. The meal was amazing. Top quality Japanese cuisine and an amazing atmosphere. I've been wanting to come for a long time and it did not disappoint. I really recommend everyone on coming to try, you won't regret it!

Nice set-up, nice environment, friendly staff, fresh ingredients. I loved how the chef has a theme/story for every dish and the staff explained what the dish was trying to portrait. I believe the chef has done a great job modernising Japanese cuisine in a creative and innovative way.

Beyond imagine to describe a true culinary art.<br/>Degustation menu at its best.<br/>When you think Japanese cuisine and think style contemporary class - cocoro is the place !<br/>Oysters were fresh <br/>Avocado sushi and tuna sashimi were divine.<br/>Great cod and went great with some cold sake <br/>The service was class apart.<br/>Ponsonby has so much choice - but cocoro not to be missed !

Cocoro is bliss. We visited on a chilly Friday evening, with a booking for 7pm having specifically requested their vegan degustation menu. This in itself is an impressive offer! The restaurant itself was buzzing but not at all crowded, with a minimalistic interior that felt intimate and spacious at once (the lighting made it exceptionally cozy).<br/><br/>The food was simply stunning. Seven small courses of Japanese vegan dishes, made with New Zealand ingredients such as kawakawa, horopito, and kumara, beautifully presented over the course of just over two hours. We drank sparkling water and plum wine, indulging in ume plum and shiso perilla granita, agedashi shiki tofu, and of course, sushi. Each meal was presented impeccably. The fare was so innovative and unique - yuzu foam was a standout ingredient. Staff were friendly, professional, and polite, answering all questions and elaborately explaining each dish as they presented it. Most definitely $89 well spent.<br/><br/>Cocoro is Auckland's answer to fine Japanese cuisine - simply gorgeous. A sheer pleasure to visit. I look forward to returning!<br/><br/>Food: 5/5<br/>Service: 4.5/5<br/>Value: 5/5

If u find Cocoro is located on such a quiet street while it's well known, u will easily know the food is fantastic. friendly staff & Morden decoration restaurant. U can eat cheap but beautiful donburi here, u can also have expensive sashimi here. none will disappoint u. highly recommend to my friends.

What a teat to dine inn if you like Japanese cousin. . I love theirs set menu and seafood platter a lot. All food is a state of art really. Must go place for a special occasion.

My boyfriend and I sampled the degustation menu here the other evening for my birthday. We added the chef's sashimi and the sake/wine pairing. <br/>The wait staff here were attentive and knowledgable about all the flavours in each course and the accompanying wine or sake. <br/>The interior is minimalist and tasteful. We went on a Wednesday night so it was quiet, maybe 10 other diners. This was really nice as we weren't struggling to hear each other, which you sometimes get at other restaurants.<br/>I loved the freshness of the seafood and the complexity of flavours. <br/>My favourites were the chef's choice of entrees which was sashimi and an oyster -amazing presentation! I also loved their version of chicken karage, the tempera fish and the yuzu cheesecake - delicious!<br/>I think this place is great because it's low key yet excellent quality.<br/>Will definitely be back for a special occasion.

Sashimi galore if you opt for the signature platter. Would recommend to share with more than the suggested two people. The reservation system is a little strange and being the only people seated at the communal table with a party of two was also bizarre. Other than that, staff were extremely friendly and worth a visit for indulging in Japanese food.

Cocoro strikes (for me) the perfect balance between creativity and not ruining a classic. Many highly rated Japanese restaurants in Auckland are guilty of playing it safe by offering a menu with flavours that will appeal to the mass public but at Cocoro the dishes are riskier, yet with great risk comes great reward in this case. Service is impeccable (& always is) - I would highly recommend Cocoro to anyone looking for a true sense of occasion.

Without a doubt 'nz best Japanese restaurant by a country mile.<br/><br/>Ok so you may pay more than your average Japanese, but let's face the truth, 99% of Auckland Japanese restaurant's are manned by poorly owned and trained Koreans, the sad thing is ,most kiwis think the food is good.<br/>If the true flavours of Japanese food is your thing, then COCORO, is the place to go!<br/>Outstanding sashimi , lip smacking agadashi tofu , mouthwatering wagyu tataki and some of the best sake in town.<br/>Highly recommend

Cocoro has been on my 'must visit' list for quite some time now, and it was almost at the point where the anticipation had transformed into incredibly lofty expectations.  For anyone that follows my instagram - you will know that Japanese Food is one of my favourite go-to's.....<br/><br/>I love the fusion that Cocoro have - showcasing the best of New Zealand produce with the most elegant of Japanese cooking - very clever.  A lot of time has been spent sourcing these ingredients!!<br/><br/>Suffice to say -  the menu was exquisite - every dish - had me wanting it again - but also knowing that the next dish had potential to make me feel the same way....<br/><br/>I have a few pictures below  to help explain the situation....<br/>Otago Coast Queen Scallop 'Chawanmushi'<br/>Steamed Maori Octopus Japanese Ceviche<br/>Chefs Selection of Nigiri Sushi - included this stunning gem...<br/>T'sukuri Appetizers - included gorgeous fresh sashimi<br/>Yuzu and Miso infused rare cheesecake<br/>Sake 'Nabeshima' Ganache

One of our family favourite Japanese restaurant in Auckland. <br/>The restaurant was very high end, romantic set up. <br/>They served very authentic Japanese sushi and sashimi. <br/>But the price was high end 5 stars price.<br/>Our favourite is miso past grilled blue cod and clam spaghetti.<br/>Ask the supervisor or manager for recommendation on which food you love the most. A must try restaurant in Ponsonby, Auckland.

Saturday lunchtime and Cocoro was humming, we got one of the last tables. Although busy the food was to the normal very high standard, the lunchtime set menu is highly recommended and allows you to get a number of taste sensations in a balanced and relaxed way. Ashai on tap an added bonus.

Had high expectations before coming here; had been to a restaurant the chef was prior to here and loved the food. This place serves what I think is western japanese fusion food but seemed a bit restricted in its diversity.<br/><br/>My wife and I had the octopus ceviche, salmon sashimi, bluefin tune sushi rolls, paradise prawns, scallop and whitebait chawanmushi, seafood tempura, tuna nigiri (specials) with a bottle of president traditional sake. <br/><br/>The Good:<br/>Nice lay out, quiet, fine dining<br/>The dishes are pretty, creative and look appetising<br/>Tuna nigiri on special (fresh, fatty subtle taste, melts in your mouth however $12 bucks a piece)<br/>Paradise prawns are surprising good rich in flavour<br/>Octopus ceviche is worth a try if you dont mind the raw flavour of octopus<br/><br/>The Meh:<br/>Considering the price, the sushi, sashimi and tempura were just okay; no complaints but there are plenty of other things to eat than these.<br/>Small portions<br/><br/>Cost: Moderately price, wasnt too bad considering how much we ordered, $250 for two ($80 for sake included).<br/><br/>Verdict: Enjoyed a few of the things we ordered, but neither full or blown away; not 100% satisfied considering how much we paid.<br/><br/>3.5 Oishiis

I love Japanese, and this was definitely a great place to have dinner. we had the Omentanshi Degustation dinner. Every dish that came out was like a work of art, and was topped off, by the great mix of flavours, and also the freshness of the dishes.<br/>If you want to spoil yourself, or you are going out for a romantic date, I highly recommend.

I love Japanese food & this being a fine dining one appealed to my partner, so we decided to give it a try. Food was pretty good. Tried a few interesting dishes, thanks to molecular gastronomy. We did however feel that the restaurant was quite over priced. Yes the menu does deserve to be on the pricey side but not as pricey as it is. Flavour wise, after the 1st 2 dishes, everything started to taste the same which was a downside. Palette cleansers would have been good. Sashimi was great, exceptionally fresh but my dishes of the night would have to be the chawanmushi and the dessert. Overall its a decent place, but not worth the price.

It's been a while since I'd last been to Cocoro, so I wasn't sure if it would be as good as I remembered.  I was glad that I wasn't disappointed.<br/><br/>We had the 'Omotenashi' degustation menu.  The food was well-cooked and delicious.  Some of my favourite dishes were the snapper, piko piko and konbu tempura course ('Agemono') and the duck leg confit ('Yakimono').  We also enjoyed the scallop chawanmushi - it had a beautifully silky texture - and the dessert, which wasn't too sweet or cloying.  I liked how their menu included a lot of native NZ ingredients that you don't often come across in restaurants.<br/><br/>Cocoro was a great place for a date night, with the food providing plenty of talking points.  The service was attentive and efficient, and they were great in helping my husband select which sake to try.<br/><br/>A few of the tables near us had the seafood degustation which looked very impressive, particularly the sashimi course.  If you're interested in trying a different take on Japanese cuisine, this is definitely a place to check out.

I was taken here for my birthday. Nice place to go for an intimate dinner. Lovely presented food. Great Japanese food. A bit pricey but was worth it.

Cocoro offers the best Japanese cuisine in Auckland. Have dined here regularly for lunch and dinner since its opening. Its an absolute standout for quality,seasonal food that is created with amazing creative flair. Would recommend to anyone who appreciates fine food and great service. Also the best place to take visitors to NZ to show off our awesome seafood at extremely reasonable prices. Standout beverages list that will leave you spoilt for choice.All in all, out of this world .

Just had a beautiful lunch at Cocoro. I was extremely impressed with the service, of course their food, but mostly to the attention to detail on each dish. I have to give it 5 stars because they really go all out on the food, only bummer would be the portions are quite small. My advice would be; best to over order if you are sharing. <br/><br/>Its a must check out! <br/><br/>For three people we spent $85 for lunch.<br/><br/>Hope that helps :)

We ate here recently with their $85 degustation menu.<br/><br/>The service was EXCELLENT. As good as (or better) that any restaurant I have been to. The waiter explained each food item as they came out, and provided wine matches. The food came out at just the right pace.<br/><br/>The food was also excellent. New Zealand food but with a Japanese twist. Recommended.

As much as I love the Tanuki's and Nishiki's of this world, Cocoro is classy, modern and authentic. Shared several dishes from their a la carte menu with the missus and although there have been references to portion size in many of the reviews here, totally agree with the last reviewer. These are izakaya dishes for one, but more importantly, we're not at the pub any more Dr Ropata. The standout from our meal was the seafood gratin - for me one of the best dishes I've had this year in Auckland. In fact it was so good we both wanted to lick every last bit of that sauce off the plate. Other highlights included the octopus sashimi, the prawns with the spicy mayo and a trip down memory lane from our travels in Japan with the simple yet oh so good zaru soba. All in all we spent about a hundy plus tip which represented brilliant value considering we had ordered a few drinks as well. Best part is we only tried a fraction of the menu which means there is so much more for us to explore next time we go back.

I went here for a recent birthday dinner with my husband. We had the degustation. It was simply the best Japanese food I have ever eaten. Everything from the high quality seafood to the presentation to the service to the portion sizes was spot on. Our waiter helped us choose fantastic sake to go with the food and it was a revelation! I can't recommend this restaurant enough. (Though I wouldn't go if you can't/don't eat seafood as this was the bulk of the degustation). A truly great find!

Had dinner there two days ago. Took the menu. Food was really good. Presentation is fantastic. Good value for money. It is definitely worth a try for lovers of something a bit special. Service very friendly and efficient. Do not know enough about sake to comment on their choice but seemed pretty extensive to me. Wine list is as good as you gonna find it in New Zealand. Big choice although wine prices a bit on the top side.

I heard that the food should be quite nice at Cocoro, but the fact that they only let you book if you choose the $80 per person menu is a real turn-off. How can you make a worse first impression with that customer service? This wouldn't happen in Japan. No thanks.

Great service ! Great food ! Went there tonight for late Mother's Day dinner, heard about Cocoro a lot lately and wanted to try! and it was absoultely the best Japanese restaurant in Auckland

My son took me here for Mothers Day treat. How special did I feel? He knows I don't eat huge amounts and this was perfect. Before arriving he said he might have to go and have a burger after dinner because he was so hungry and Japanese portions seem small, but at the end of the dinner we were both totally happy and no burger needed! <br/>Lovely design of restaurant, simple and clean. Chairs very comfortable. The food is perfectly described above by NomNomPanda and I agree with everything he says. It is a special occasion sort of restaurant and I will return. Service was fantastic with just the right wait between courses so you could savour the delicate flavours and the waiters explained each dish in detail. The clam miso was divine.

Tried to make a reservation but they would only take reservation for set menu. Explained I could not do set menu due to special diet and they then advised they would not accept booking. Business must be good to turn away a potentially good customer who loves Japanese food.

Great flavours, beautifully presented dishes and really novel items are served at this slick restaurant. Nice details too, like giving you a hot hand towel and a bowl of lotus root chips as soon as you sit down. I had piko piko for the first time here, as well freshly grated wasabi root, filo tempura and "mountain caviar". The degustation is great value for money at $80 for 6 dishes, and it is far too much food. You could easily spend as much ordering a la carte, especially as you go for special orders like the wagyu beef, a tapas-sized plate ($37). Some menu items are actually relatively inexpensive: fresh bluff oysters tonight were $23 for a half dozen, a high quality side of noodles is $6-7, and the delicious black sesame creme brulee I ordered (served with a strawberry, cape gooseberry, raspberry and a sesame shortbread biscuit) was only $7. Fantastic venue for a special occasion, and easy to find parking on this side street off Ponsonby.

had lunch with friends last weekend. lunch menu price was less than we expected. nice menu and presentation, and of course the taste too! service was excellent. we loved this place for everything including the decor. we knew this place belongs to Soto restaurant owner, the menu is similar to Soto, but much less price. <br/><br/>Soto is also wonderful but we thought we might like this place better because of the price, plus this place is much quieter than Soto where they have very talkative manager who always wants to talk a bit too much when we prefer to have our own space and moment.

Absolutely amazing! Service was fantastic, food and drinks arrived promptly. We had the degustation, with matching wines and sake. I'm new to sake so i requested a mix of both wines and sake - and they were more than happy to accommodate this request. The food was simply sublime! Not cheap, but for a special occasion - you can't got past Cocoro.

I could not recommend this restaurant enough. We headed a long for the Saturday night Omotenashi degustation dinner. It was an amazing food journey made better by the matched sake selection. Not cheap, but you are getting the best of the best.

I stumbled upon Cocoro by accident - I walked by and it caught my attention so I talked my friend into having dinner there and we were in for a lovely surprise. <br/><br/>The ambiance was inviting, the layout generous and the decor stylish and reserved. <br/><br/>We were immediately tended to and drink orders taken. There is a large selection of cold sake to choose from - in a good price range. <br/><br/>We had Kingfish / Hamachi sashimi which was excellent. <br/>Bluefin tuna / Toro nigiri which was generously portioned and of great quality. <br/>Bluff oysters, prawn tempura, scallop dynamite and chawanmushi made for a excellent meal.<br/> <br/>The style of the food was based on traditional Japanese cooking but with some great twists to it. <br/><br/>The service was excellent, unobtrusive and swift. <br/><br/>After we paid and gave our compliments to the kitchen, the chef and owner came to see us with a little treat. We enjoyed chatting about his restaurant and his food for a few minutes. <br/><br/>I've had a passion for Japanese food for years and this was a dinner experience I won't forget. <br/><br/>Needless to say that I will be coming back to enjoy Cocoro's hospitality and food again.

The food here is probably good, but good luck getting anything to eat. The service is hopeless. They lose the order, leave you sitting hungry for ages and then are perfectly happy to charge you for your drinks and send you away hungry. Hopeless ... if you want food go some where else.

Cocoro serves technically accomplished visually impressive food but it often miscalibrates the taste - marbled, pink and glistenting O-Toro (very rare in NZ) is obscured by pre-added wasabi, potentially terrific Chicken Karaage is drenched in ill-suited sauces, moreish prawns starters are wrapped in too much of filo pastry, rainbow-dressed pork-belly is more pretty than intensely savoury, while octopus is forgettable. The ambience is casual-chic, neatly blending corporate style with bucolic touches and Service is average. The slightly overpriced $ 49 Crayfish spicy miso gratin is a luxurious crunchy treat of buttery succulent shellfish, while Antarctic Toothfish is a gentle blast of decadent richness. If your partner doesn't mind dishes of moderate portions, likes style and doesn't insist on repeatedly getting flavour orgasms, you may bring that person here. 2.75/5 = Close to Good. Photos http://www.upnworld.com/restaurant/view/id/51/title/Cocoro

Order in advice for the Sashimi and sushi course !! This is our number one choice for fancy dinner out location !!

I was recommended to this place by my Director and told it was experimental/fusion Japanese food, so I didn't know what to expect. But with good recommendation, I took my folks here for Mum's birthday.<br/><br/>First of all the interior design was very well done, the contrast between the old concrete and the new joinery is something I always liked. It feels like it's been here for a very long time.<br/><br/>We went with the degustation menu as it was the only choice suitable for a birthday. To my surprise, all the dishes were presented in a way that breaks free from the traditional Japanese presentation. Every part was given careful thought and each dish exceeded the last.

My first visit and the food was stunning. Was lucky to be at a wine tasting for pyramid valley wines and the 2 together were excellent

I promised this review a while ago, but lack of any photography kept me from posting it. On the bright side this has given me an excuse to go back and more of their food and given me time to reflect.<br/><br/>As may be obvious to my followers, I really like Japanese food. Cocoro would normally be regarded as Auckland’s premier Japanese restaurant. Located in Ponsonby it is one of a growing number of fine dining restaurants emerging that area. Off the beaten path, Cocoro is the sort of place that will trade on reputation rather than location. It is set in a quaint brick building on Brown Street with the classic late 19th and early 20th Century villas lining the street. Of the fine dining establishments in Auckland, with the possible exception of Antoine’s, Cocoro, is probably in the nicest location. <br/><br/>The Food<br/><br/><br/>Lotus Root chips<br/>The first thing that is served is a bowl of lotus root chips. These are not far off a really delicious potato chip. They were nicely coloured (lotus root can discolour easily) and well fried, evenly browned, a delicious little hors d'oeuvre.<br/><br/>Miso grilled wakanui beef mince ‘Niku Miso’ with Iceberg Lettuce, spring onion, ginger<br/><br/>Beef mince grilled in a miso sauce served in two pieces of iceberg lettuce. The best thing about it was the miso based sauce that bound the beef together. Pungent, sweet, deep and complex of flavour, I really enjoyed that particular taste. The mince was also well cooked and relatively juicy. However the dish had several marked deficiencies. Firstly it was too big for chop sticks. This may seem a small complaint, but given Japanese food is generally prepared with chopsticks in mind, this dish clearly was not. As a result it was cumbersome to eat. More crucially the dish was uninspired, while the flavour of the sauce was nice enough, nothing could change the fact it was mince with some miso served in iceberg lettuce. I am a believer in a place for simple food. While complex and highly refined food may give us a sense of wonder, good food is still good food. I do not want to criticise the dish for its simplicity as an absolute problem, but in its context I do not think it worked. Either the technical aspects of the dish were not sufficient or the recipe itself failed to create interest. I would personally lean on the former, the lettuce while adequate was not inspiring and the dish as a whole failed to impress. Great food does not need many components, but it does need to impress. If the dish is simple it still should move the person eating it. Good sushi and sashimi are great examples of this. Also while I appreciate that brown mince and a leaf of iceberg lettuce is hard to present nicely, this was not the most visually stunning dish. <br/><br/>Sashimi (No 1)<br/><br/>Served in a triple tiered lacquer box that opened up, it looked impressive. The sashimi included Salmon, Bluefin Tuna (farmed) and another whitefish that I don’t remember. It also included fresh wasabi, pickled leather fish and pickled ginger.<br/><br/>Fresh wasabi in particular is a real treat. It is notoriously hard to cultivate, expensive and loses its flavour very quickly. The wasabi was grown in the South Island. Unlike the wasabi that we normally get, which is usually just mustard, horseradish and some old powdered wasabi, fresh wasabi is a markedly different experience. It is very intense in heat, but it does not last in the mouth like the paste you would normally get. The flavour is slightly different too, less mustardy, more fresh grass notes (which complements fresh fish pretty nicely). One of the difficulties of fresh wasabi is the flavour does not last, once grated it begins to lose flavour very quickly, so it is only really worth buying fresh. <br/><br/>The actual fish was good but not outstanding. First up Bluefin (farmed) tuna; this is obviously a tremendous luxury and at one level it was delicious, fatty, mild and easy on the palate. There was also Atlantic (farmed) Salmon, which had lovely texture luxurious texture. Despite the superb texture, I prefer the New Zealand salmons in complexity of flavour. The other Atlantic salmon preparation, which I will discuss later, I think worked better. As sashimi, the salmon was luxurious, but added little complexity or depth. The white fish, which I do not remember the name of excellent. One of the aspects of it that I really enjoyed was the grassy overtones and the subtle complexity of flavour. The cured leatherjacket was actually my pick of the items with the sashimi and was served in what can roughly be described as ceviche style. <br/><br/>I have two small complaints about this particular sashimi dish, which would easily be answered for in the next. Firstly the farmed Bluefin and farmed Atlantic Salmon were good, but lacked a real depth of flavour. I think this would not be too detrimental in the context of the large platter discussed below, but this was more of an issue in the context of three primary sashimi fish. I felt no deep sense of place from the sashimi as a whole, since there was so little that was from New Zealand, and what fish was presented was dominated by the salmon and tuna. Not too fine a point should be put on this, but it was a little disappointing. Secondly the sauce served with their generic soy, it would have been nice to have matching sauces, like ponzu or other prepared soy based sauces to match the fish as appropriate. <br/><br/><br/>Sashimi (No 2) – Platter<br/><br/>This was perhaps the most stunning of all the courses. Served in a traditional presentation style of a shared platter, what is pictured is a platter for four people. It also harkens back to the splendour of presentations before the move to individual portions. To individually identify all the fish presented and go through it is beyond the scope of this review, but I will pick out a few of the highlights. <br/><br/>The main feature of the platter was the Rock Lobster (what we wrongly call crayfish in New Zealand). This was served in two ways: raw and pickled. Both were delicious, paired with ponzu (yuzu, soy sauce and other ingredients allowed to develop in flavour for months). The ponzu was relatively light, which was a great pairing with delicate taste of the lobster. The cured lobster was also excellent and much more intense in flavour.<br/><br/>One of the nicest features was the diversity of New Zealand seafood, including snapper, mahurangi oysters, crab and New Zealand salmon. There were also imported seafood like Abalone (interestingly not paua) and Bluefin tuna. The abalone was served with a delicious sauce made from the livers, intensely flavoured and a wonderful contrast to the more mild meat. Unlike the smaller sashimi plate served with the normal degustation menu, I think the seafood made much more sense in context. Most of the fish was wild, not farmed and while we may wonder about the ethics of this, it meant that the fish tended towards a more complex and individual flavour. In that context, the farmed, luxurious fish, such as the Bluefin Tuna and to a lesser extent the salmon, made a lot more sense to me. We still were able as diners to enjoy, the diversity and the complexity of the fish, since only minority of them emphasised texture. Furthermore I find the farmed New Zealand Salmon better than the farmed (Australian) Atlantic Salmon as far as flavour complexity goes and so I think in the context of sashimi, where there should be an emphasis on fresh local fish, it made a great deal of sense.<br/><br/>The scampi was perhaps the highlight of the platter. I have never eaten them raw and they were superb, a bit of bite in them and perfectly paired with a little fresh wasabi and ponzu. Another very nice detail was the miso based sauce that was to accompany the cucumber; it was delicious and provided another excellent contrast. <br/><br/>Sashimi is in some ways a hard thing to analyse with our normal haute cuisine glasses on. Ultimately what you are eating is uncooked fish, with some grated wasabi and some pickles. One could level the criticism, that the majority of sashimi preparation is simply shopping and that it is not cooking. I however would disagree with this. Firstly sashimi and sushi, still involve significant technique (sushi especially). Sashimi is about the details, how the fish is cut, the match of the sauces, the quality of the fish chosen and the accompaniments. More importantly perhaps this presupposes certain techniques as superior to others, something I question anyway. Lastly I think rather than resorting to standards of whether the technique involved is complex enough, we should rely on whether the food itself is good. Simply, this was great sashimi, need we look further? The fact is sashimi is not all created equal. I have turned my hand at it, and cutting the fish so as to maximise its texture is not an easy task. It takes a deep understanding of the fish and excellent knife technique. In this sense I really enjoyed the dish, the lavish presentation, the mixture of textures, some crunchy, some supple, some a little chewy, all combined to make a wonderful dish. <br/><br/>Paradise Prawn.<br/><br/>Prawns are difficult to deal with in New Zealand because we do not have warm enough waters to really make our prawns commercially viable or of good enough quality. As a result we import our prawns. The difficulty here is that you have two options. Firstly freeze them as soon as they are caught in order to maintain freshness and thereby stop deterioration, but in doing so you reduce the quality, because they have been frozen; or you can pack them in ice and rush them into market and serve them as quickly as possible. This latter option has problems because shrimp quality degrades, very quickly. The result is, we will almost never have truly amazing shrimp in New Zealand. It seems however that Paradise prawns from New Caledonia are gaining popularity and as I discussed in my review of Kazuya, they can be excellent, although perhaps never as good as a truly fresh one. I state this from the outset, because I appreciate the difficulties of trying to serve fresh prawns and shrimp in New Zealand.<br/><br/>In this preparation the prawn was wrapped in shredded filo (kataifi) and cooked served with tartare sauce and a house made “Worcestershire sauce”, there was also a microgreen salad and the head was cooked as tempura. The biggest sin was the prawn, firstly it just wasn’t that well-cooked. I won’t say it was over cooked as an absolute fact, but it was definitely cooked through. As a result we lost a lot of the luscious sweetness of it. Then it was coated in kataifi and cooked until well brown. The kataifi surrounding the prawn was executed with technical efficiency, well browned and very evenly surrounding the prawn. However I did not really enjoy this as a combination. The excess of kataifi did contribute to the lost flavours of the prawn. The sauces were excellent by themselves and intense enough to stand up to the thick coating of the prawn, but all of them for me detracted from the prawn itself. When I think of how singular and self-reinforcing many of the dishes were, this one seems odd, instead of elevating the prawn, the emphasis became on the coating the sauces. The shrimp head was absolutely delicious and the highlight of the dish, which to me indicates that the tempura coating is much nicer than the kataifi one, no matter how clever it might be. I have discussed this dish with others, some of whom enjoy the dish. This is one of Cocoro’s signature dishes; it was served identically every time I had it. I just cannot seem to understand its appeal; it is dry and lifeless in comparison to what is otherwise live, vibrant food.<br/><br/>Queensland Spanner Crab Chawamushi/or Queen Scallop<br/><br/>When the waitress brought a spoon and chopsticks, I knew it would be savour custard cup (traditionally eaten with both). I was I admit excited; I had just been reading about them and was looking forward to having one. The dish was relatively simple. A savoury custard enriched with dashi and embedded with crab, topped with salmon roe, shiitake mushrooms and chives. This was absolutely delicious. It epitomises the economy, subtlety and depth of flavour that characterises Japanese food. The custard was superbly cooked, just set and still wobbly. It was delicate in texture, but deep in flavour with complexity from the stock. The shiitake mushrooms and salmon roe complemented the custard beautifully with a strong hit of umami. Even the very fine sliced chives (a classic pairing with eggs), added to the dish. This was probably my favourite of all the dishes.<br/><br/>Hokkaido Scallop and Spinach with Sea Urchin and Miso Sauce<br/><br/>One of a trio of small dishes served at the beginning of the Sushi and Sashimi menu. Hokkaido scallops are a very special piece of seafood. They are quite unlike any other scallop I have had. It is hard to describe the exact flavour, but I would say they taste almost a little smokey or earthy. They stand up to much complex flavours I think than normal scallops. This is why a miso and sea urchin sauce makes a lot of sense. The dish was good. The miso and sea urchin flavours were not overpowering and the scallop was well cooked.<br/><br/>Confit Atlantic Salmon flavoured with Cinnamon<br/><br/>This was one of the more exotic dishes. It was also surprisingly delicious. The use of cinnamon with the Atlantic salmon (that was farmed) I think was a better use of the fish than sashimi. Secondly cooking the fish confit was incredible, unctuous, soft and meltingly tender; it was a superb way to eat the fish. It was very clever and relatively simple dish, maximising the ingredients.<br/><br/>Miso Marinated Antarctic Tooth Fish with Stuffed Courgette Flower and Courgette Tempura, Pickled Cauliflower, Yuzu miso and Yuzu foam or alternatively served with Eggplant Tempura.<br/><br/>The tooth fish was superb, gelatinous, moist, fatty and scrumptious. The combination of the citrus was nice with the fish and helped break up the richness of the fish itself and the white miso added sweetness. The pickled cauliflower and ginger also gave a nice contrast, especially with the sweetness of the sauce. <br/><br/>The tempura was a mixed bag. I love courgette flowers and tempura in general, beautifully light and delicious. The pieces of courgette were a little large for my liking in this dish, but that is a small problem. The biggest issue is they didn’t fit the dish for me. The courgette flower stuffed was fine, but its pairing with the fish seemed off. Furthermore the decision to stuff with corn and rest it on a bed of cut in half corn was odd. The whole thing felt misplaced, the watery, slightly buttery nature of the courgette did not really complement the rest of the dish. I would rather the courgettes have been left off the plate or served as a small amuse boushe between the other courses. It felt unnatural and took away from the look and feel of the dish. So as a whole the dish was still pretty awesome, that fish was just amazing and even given the courgettes, it was hardly a failure, but it was not quite as tight or as good as it should have been.<br/><br/>Having said this eggplant tempura, pictured below, was far more successful than its courgette counterpart. The texture was complementary with the fish and the less watery eggplant seems a more natural fit. This version of the dish, I think was far better. <br/><br/>Grain Finished Angus Eye Fillet with Teriyaki sauce and parsnip puree<br/><br/>For some reason I always feel a little let down, after all the fish, when we finally get to the beef, but this dish was pretty good. The beef was well cooked, succulent and very tender. Teriyaki is not my favourite of the Japanese sauces, it can be a little sweet for me, but the sauce had good subtlety and did not overwhelm the dish. The parsnip puree was enriched with stock and quite savoury rather than sweet and no cream was added. I liked this and its lack of richness was an upside for me, the play of savoury puree, juxtaposed the sweetness of the sauce and added a lot to the dish. A solid course, but perhaps not as impressive as some of the fish dishes.<br/><br/>Nigiri Sushi - Bluefin Tuna, Snapper and Scallop. (No 1)<br/><br/>We paid the extra to get to try some of the sushi. It featured three Nigiri (handmade sushi), bluefin tuna, snapper and scallop. The bluefin was luxurious, but lacked that intensity that you might get from wild fish. Fresh snapper is an excellent fish, I really enjoy that it offers some depth of flavour, compared to other white fish. The best however was the lovely scallop, sweet and juicy. I had not had it before on sushi and it was excellent. The course was served with the same soy sauce as for the sashimi. More thought about matching sauces would have been good all served with fresh wasabi. I would have preferred instead of extra wasabi, that the chef had simply added what they thought was appropriate to the nigiri, rather than serve extra on the side, but perhaps this is forgivable in a western environment. <br/><br/>Nigiri Sushi – Bluefin Tuna with Truffle, Paradise Prawn, Salmon and two anothers – with Miso Soup and Crafish (No 2)<br/><br/>This was the final platter before the dessert. In classic banquet style rice was served with miso soup, nigiri counting as a rice dish. The nigiri was excellent, the pairing of Bluefin with truffle, while not traditional, was a really nice match; the volatile flavours of the truffle mingling with the luxurious fatty tuna. One of the fish, that looked to me to be terakihi, although I do not think that is what the waiter said introduced it as, was my favourite. I would have liked more wasabi applied to the nigiri itself rather than a “help yourself” stance. The miso soup was also superb. Again the use of lighter white miso, provided a little more sweetness and did not overwhelm the crayfish. It was wonderful to get to have three preparations of crayfish in a single meal, raw, pickled and poached.<br/><br/><br/>Milk Marinated Strawberries, Soy Ice Cream, Green Tea Meringues and Gooseberries<br/><br/>The ice cream was pretty good. I think it was made without any egg yolks and so it seemed closer to me to a gelato. There is no problem with this, but it means it was lighter rather than heavy (this could also be from higher milk, as opposed to cream content as well). It was pretty good; the soy was a nice and not overly powerful flavour. I love green tea, so the small meringues were a treat. The strawberries were good and it was clever to marinade them in milk to complement the ice cream. It was a nice finish to the meal, relatively consonant flavours.<br/><br/>Vanilla and Yuzu Icecream, Candied Yuzu, Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Cake, Black Sesame Tuile with Yuzu Puree<br/><br/>The ice-cream was again more in a gelato style, without egg yolk. The heavy use of yuzu in this dish really brought its flavours to the fore. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus, not unlike a grapefruit mixed with lemon in flavour (probably closer to a grapefruit, but without the bitterness). Surprisingly for me this worked with the chocolate and I think the pairings were very nice. The mousse was excellent, smooth, but thicker (perhaps no egg whites) than a traditional mousse. The tuile was delicious and the puree again brought the strong citrus flavours. My biggest complaint was the chocolate cake. It was a bit dry and dull. I think the dessert without it would have been stronger. Both of Cocoro’s desserts were good, but not outstanding and this was perhaps the weaker of the two.<br/><br/><br/>Wine and Sake<br/><br/>I tried both wine matching and sake matches. I personally preferred the sake matches for the food; I think the fermented, yeasty characteristics of the sake, suits the cuisine at Cocoro better. The only miss was the initial sparkling sake that was too sweet for my tastes. There was an excellent dry sake served with tooth fish. Generally the matches were thoughtful and interesting.<br/><br/>Overall<br/>Cocoro is an excellent restaurant. At its best, Cocoro serves some truly sublime dishes; the savoury custard is probably my favourite of all of their dishes. It is not however without its problems, particularly the desserts and frankly the signature dish of paradise prawn was a little lack lustre. Having said this Cocoro is head and shoulders above other Japanese restaurants in the city. It demonstrates interesting food with exceptional technique and range of ingredients. It is serving reasonably traditional food with great attention to detail. It costs between $85-110 for a degustation menu. Matching sake or wine is $60-65.<br/><br/>http://foodtrace.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/cocoro-review/