Review Kabuki Teppanyaki - Auckland Central

The food here was amazing as was the show we got from the chef. The setting is pretty intimate as well, but allows you to enjoy the meal with your own group. My one issue was that the times they gave us weren't accurate, but the staff were really good in getting us out in time so we didn't miss our booking somewhere else.

Located in Auckland's Stamford Plaza hotel, Kabuki is a well established Teppanyaki restaurant. Your personal chef uses best quality produce combined with amazing culinary skills to create tasty dishes as you look on. Great fun and delicious food.

Great service and great food. Excellent Teppanyaki experience with throwing and catching food. Skilled chefs and attentive service from the service staff. A show and a meal combined.

Firs time here. Took my fiancé for his BD. The cheff looked after him very well. He felt very special. The 'show'while cooking is fun, interactive and entertaining. Food is delicious too and it is a lot of food. Amazing experience!

Fiery dinner, delivered with a good amount of showmanship and drama. The food was nice, a salad to start followed by grilled vegetables, then prawns, chicken and beef. No seasoning required, and a good range of drinks to accompany the meal, and the tiramisu to finish off was excellent. The service was attentive and fast.

Amazing experience. We completely love this place. The chefs are awesome. Good is out f the world but the dinning experience is great. Totally worth it. Highly recommended.

Love this place! Fantastic service, our chef was awesome (sorry forgot his name) , was really entertaining and the food was delicious!! It was my boys first time experiencing Teppanyaki and so happy I found this place as it was a really great experience, by far the best one I've been to so far :)

We shared two dinners here with family. Both times the food was outstanding. The chefs do their best to cook individual meals, while entertaining by showing off their skills with twirling utensils as they cook. Portions are generous and staff create a happy atmosphere. We recommend this restaurant if you desire good food with an entertaining flare.

On a Groupon voucher - the food was very tasty and the show was so funny, mum - 77 - had tears rolling down her face. For the teenagers in the family tgey did not have to wait long for their food - bit kept coming out all the time, the chef really made it fun for them too. The whole meal/show was about 1 hour. We all left very full and will be back! The 2 vegetarians were well looked after too.

Great food, service and awesome entertainment

Very nice food, scallop and eye fillet are sooooo fresh!! Please do try the plum wine, perfect match with the food. Chef is very entertaining, do not wear dress and catch the poached egg. Take my advice😂😂 and tried green tea ice cream. Love it!! Not too sweet and its just perfect!! And portion is big too🤗🤗

I took my family to Kabuki to celebrate a birthday. This is not a standard sit-down Japanese dining experience. It is highly entertaining; our chef, Argus, was very friendly, he made us feel comfortable, cracked us up with his jokes and my children totally enjoyed themselves, watching Argus artfully cook our dinner in front of our very eyes. He even led us in singing "Happy Birthday" to my hubby; what lovely showmanship! Thank you, Argus, I really appreciated that on my hubby's behalf. The food was superb; meal portion was a good amount, the taste of our salad, miso soup, vegetables and best of all, the meats, were spot-on and oh, the dessert of green tea ice-cream....Mmmm! The team at Kabuki did a great job of serving us well, were attentive and polite. Our family left with full and happy bellies, and the wonderful experience was a hot conversation topic among our kids all the way home. I strongly believe that they will write about it when school reopens shortly! ;) Truly a memorable and wonderful experience! 5 stars.

Awesome food and amazing experience! Loved every minute of it. They were lovely and catered to vegans. The chef's were hilarious and very talented. Definitely recommend!

Had my first Teppanyaki experience here and was not disappointed whatsoever. Had Agus as the chef/entertainment and was left in stitches throughout the night. His passion for the job is shown very thoroughly resulting in not only an incredible show, getting absolutely everyone involved, but some bloody good food to add. Will definitely be back

We had such a fantastic time at Kabuki. Our chef Jeffrey was amazing and made the best suggestions for our meal. It is entertaining, interesting and most importantly absolutely delicious! Go and try!

I enjoyed the tsubaki meal plan especially the steak. The atmosphere was really lovely and the chef had a good sense of humour. Though the chairs were very close to one another and felt a bit crowded other than that had a great time 😊

Went there tonight for the first time... AMAZING!!! Staff are so friendly, atmosphere is great and our chef was SUPERB!! Lots of fun and laughter.... we will be back!! If you haven't been to Kabuki.... you haven't experienced Teppanyaki!! Highly highly recommended!!!💯

KABUKI is very special restaurant for me--- and unforgettable--!!! Last night my family enjoyed our 30th wedding anniversary's dinner with fantastic three courses of meal. The chef was so excited and entertaining that were pleased and beautiful staff was very kind. After having dinner, they present ed a special cake (I love chocolate cakes) for us--we were very happy and impressed. We'd love to visit soon again--! Thank you so much Kabuki for celebrating my special day!!!

Staying at the Stamford for the duration of our holiday, we had to try Kabuki located in the hotels lobby. <br/>Our server/chef was extremely entertaining and kept everyone laughing and enjoying the night. <br/>In the midst of tricks and games, the food delivered was impeccable. Fresh as expected, nicely seasoned and well presented ( a difficulty for food that is sometimes thrown onto the plate ) . The set menus are very good in value and surprisingly filling despite appearing as small portions. <br/>The other staff were wonderfully attentive and the atmosphere was beautiful and traditional.

Great food, great value, great show and a great place to meet and share some yummy food with friends. It’s a cool experience that you should definitely experience a couple times in your life. So much fun catching food in the bowls!

Great food

Had dinner here for my birthday. The chef was entertaining and the food was really yummy! Worth the price. They even brought out a little chocolate lava cake with a candle and sang happy birthday to me. Will definitely go back. Staff were very attentive.

Amazing experience as per usual the best teppanyaki around. Not the cheapest and the menu has recently changed so it is a bit dearer than before. But in this small restaurant you get amazing food and service it’s spotlessly clean and there is the best teppanyaki show in Auckland

Very good environment and friendly cook, fresh and yummy food. Beautiful prawns and steak. Full of laughters and fun at this restaurant. The green tea ice cream was nice with rich green tea flavor too. We had a good time there. :)

Great teppanyaki, we came here as group of 6 for birthday and everyone enjoyed the cooking entertainment. Chef and staff were friendly. We got to do some interactive activities and the birthday girl felt special. Meat and veges are fresh. Generous tempura, fried rice and veges. Sushi was standard. Came with miso soup and green tea mousse cake as well. Full to the tummy.

THE FOODOLOGIST RATING:-<br/><br/> FOOD:- 2.5/5 (Teppanyaki,Showboating,Not Good enough) <br/><br/>SERVICE:- 3/5(Casual ,Fun ,)<br/><br/>AMBIANCE:- 4.5/5 (Good entertainment , 5 star ambiance, communal dinning)<br/><br/>CLEANLINESS:-4.5/5 ( Stamford five star hygiene)<br/><br/>VALUE FOR MONEY :- 3/5 (Expensive for over all quality of the product )<br/><br/>FOOD POCKET DAMAGE:- */***** (Cost For 2 $120)<br/><br/>THE FOODOLOGIST REVIEW:<br/><br/>I have been to a teppan restaurant once before . This was my first experience of one in New Zealand . It is located in the Stamford plaza hotel in CBD so if travelling by car please ensure you get parking sorted as you would shell out quiet a lot to park at at the Stamford . There is a hostess at the entrance who will great you and ask you for how many its always good to make a reservation especially if you want a private affair , she will guide you to the table and have you seated on this occasion me and my mates were seated with another group about 14 of us in all . The order is taken by the waitress of what you would have you have a choice beef ,prawn and chicken i went for the prawns order for drinks are also taken . Just before the chef comes in miso soup and a salad is served the chef comes in and the entertainment starts its like kind of being funny and tricks with food i would say the skill level of the chef is not the best i have seen there are some real talents out there . The scrambled egg trick is good where he tries to put a piece of egg to be caught by the guest using is mouth quiet a few blooper moments  with the girls , Its difficult to understand the chef but the atmosphere was lively . I would say not a great experience overall but a good change and if you just want to try something new

Dinner didn't start till about 40 minutes after the booking, wine list kept being taken away despite being asked for it to stay (was having a special night and wanted a few drinks!), wait staff and manager had absolutely no clue about allergies and brought out two dishes containing deathly allergic foods. Wait staff could not speak English. Wine took 30 minutes to arrive on two occasions. Overall incredibly disappointed. Only two stars because the chef was amazing and did a good job. Will never go back.

Pre-booked for dinner. Arrived on time for our session, it did take awhile as we had to wait for others to arrive. Food slowly started coming through. Took awhile before our chef showed. The show was entertaining. Food was nicely cooked. I feel if they start with the fried rice first it would worked better to have with the meats/fish. Overall a good experience for Teppanyaki. Food was just enough to fill us up without being too much. Would recommend & consider returning again.

Staff are not too professional.<br/>However the foods flavour are delicious. Meal portions were just enough to fill the tummy, not too big nor too little.<br/>Chef i got didnt have a good throwing skills, he threw several times until we can catch the foods.<br/>I would say it’s worthed for the first time to watch fire show, they nice environment in that little room.

Celebrated a friend's birthday here and had their tsubaki set menu. The salad for entree was fresh and I liked the sauce, it really whet your appetite on what's to come. Miso soup was fine. For mains the chef cooked us prawns and stir-fried veggies. Followed by fried rice, teriyaki chicken, sirloin beef and a dessert, which is sesame&green tea ice cream with crumbs. Honestly, apart from the fried rice and sirloin, the food was pretty bland. But we were there to enjoy teppanyaki, so were pretty satisfied.

Nice service but food had little flavor. Cost was high. Wine pour was so small it was a joke wife was not happy. Would not go back. Shame as we do like the Stamford.

What a wonderful experience. Never tried the Teppanyaki way and now I most say I'm a fan.<br/>Very friendly staff and the chef was very down to earth and welcoming.<br/>We tried the Tsubaki menu and everything was awesome, specially the prawns and sirloin beef.

Got a Groupon voucher for two @ $75. It's definitely worth it. Entertaining tepenyaki chef even if he dropped a few things while cooking and the staff are lovely. Thanks and would highly recommend to others.

The place was nice n cosy, staff/chef was very friendly and our (philipino) chef did some awesome performance.<br/><br/>However, food wasn't great, the rice in the fried rice was mushy , dessert tasted bland, I ordered tiger prawns n it turned out so tiny and almost like those de-shelled frozen ones bought from supermarket...all the other side dishes was alright. Overall, The food wasn't worth for how much ur paying for it

Came here for a dinner with some friends this week. Wonderful service. The chef was really entertaining and overall was a lovely experience. Would definitely recommend Kabuki for a great meal

I’m pretty sure we got a voucher so this experience wasn’t as expensive. <br/>The chef cooks your meat in front of you and it’s extremely fascinating to watch him. The food is really good and it definitely isn’t your average dinner. <br/>Worth trying at least once.

It was my birthday dinner .really enjoyed it was more like entertaining with bunch of friends . Enjoyed the food cooking front of us and fun .

Have been here twice and thoroughly enjoyed the food and experience on both occasions, both times using Grabone vouchers. Took the family on our second time round and they all loved it! It was a great night of fun, so much laughter and great food!

Perfect for a group gathering as the dining experience and the live show is quite interactive. The food is average but the show and the ambience make up for it.

Came here for a friends birthday. Really enjoyed the show, with the chef cooking the food right in front of us and doing tricks. He was very entertaining and got us all involved by throwing food at us which was a good laugh. Only downside for me was that the food portions were a little small, I thought there was going to be a bigger variety of food to try. Not sure if I would go back again even though I had a great time, as it's more of an experience you only need to try once at the same place.

The restaurant is located inside Stamford, and is beautifully located inside around the corner.<br/><br/>We came here for a dinner with a voucher we bought. Inside the place is very warm and had a welcoming atmosphere. I've never experienced a teppanyaki show before and this was my first experience.<br/><br/>We had a 3 course meal starting with the entrees, a salad, tempura dish and some sushi. The portions for the entrees were not bad and tasted quite nice.<br/><br/>The mains consisted of a performance where the main chef prepared the food in front of you with a large grill. It was a really master class display from the chef as he was a younger bloke. He entertained us through his skill and as others mentioned, allowed us to participate where I got hit by an egg to the eye but it's part of the experience.<br/><br/>Overall the mains were pretty average and the lambs were cooked a bit rarer than what we asked for, but really you are paying for the experience and it was delightful to watch.<br/><br/>The desserts were predetermined and I believe was green tea with a mango centre, a bit too sweet for my liking.<br/><br/>It is an enjoyable experience and I would recommend to go if you have the opportunity to go, but probably at a discounted price.

Went with a Groupon voucher. Worst teppenyaki ever. <br/><br/>Disengaged chef, no theatrics, and the worst fried rice we've ever had. It wasn't even cooked properly with big clumps of white cold rice. Basically rice with soy sauce and frozen mixed veggies - one of our party refused to eat it. Partly due to the fact you got your rice 20 minutes after you got your main protein and 30 minutes after you got fried vegetables (all part of the main course). <br/><br/>The best part was the entree of tempura, but from there it went sharply downhill. Mains were steak and prawns for us - chewy beef (because he cooked it too long despite taking my order for<br/>medium rare at the beginning) and supermarket prawns which were well overdone to the point they tasted like egg. <br/>Dessert was a couple of tablespoons of a green tea mousse and cream in a martini glass. Not exciting. <br/><br/>The chef kept running out of sauces and things and frequently left the cooker to steal them from another trolley. So disorganized. Our chefs idea of engaging was making siren sounds as he cooked and making other guests uncomfortable by calling them sexy, then trying to save it by calling the sauce sexy. <br/><br/>We sadly dragged along a friend who had been to Japan and experienced teppenyaki for real and he rated it a 1 out of ten purely because he ate food. <br/><br/>Not worth any more than $15 per person.

I wouldn't even give 1 if I could. Horrible chef the chubby one. The foods are so horrible. I ordered the prawns. It doesn't even look like tiger prawn it likes those cheap frozen prawn you could get from the supermarket. The way the chubby chef cooked it made it even worse. No entertainment or whatsoever. The salad was soooooooo sad. Few pieces of leaves and tomato and some dressing on it. The worst is the fried rice. Basically just pour some salt and soya sauce on it. The entitled menu don't even worth 10 dollar. Waste of time and money! Worst dining experience ever!

Came here to celebrate my Partner's birthday. Great ambience, great Teppanyaki show. Food was average, but it's all about the moment.<br/>It was 3 course meal. We started with some salad with miso, then Sushi and later the teppanyaki show and ended with dessert.<br/>The "Relatively chubby" Chef (sorry I dunno his name) has great sense of humour. He tried to engage the audience by inviting everyone to participate: From trying to eat the fried eggs which he threw at you, to trying to catch a bowl of fried rice thrown at you with your hand. Be ready to get slightly dirty, but hey, that's the fun.

One of the best teppanyaki restaurants I've been to. The show was amazing and the food was delicious and full of flavour. The service was fantastic from start to finish in a traditional way. <br/><br/>Teppanyaki, a style of Japanese cuisine which involves live cooking on a large iron griddle. The deciding factor of a good teppanyaki restaurant is the chef's ability to cook delicious food and performing tricks that would amaze the diners. Kabuki has all the necessary factors to be one of the best teppanyaki restaurants you'll visit. However, the experience is pricey so I would recommend coming here for special occasions. $100 for two is ideal. <br/><br/>Quality - 10/10<br/>Taste - 10/10<br/>Size - 9/10<br/>Service - 10/10<br/>Price - 7/10

Best word to describe this experience: entertaining! :) We had such a fun night at Kabuki! Arriving through the Stamford Hotel made quite a impression, beautiful and classy. The restaurant itself is cozy and has that typical  look of a Teppanyaki. The chef we had was very energetic and chatty. Was really nice to had that interaction. However, I couldnt help but notice that he almost look worn and repetitive, like he had done the same show 10 times before that  night (which was probably the case!). The food was good, super fresh, and quite simple as it is cook in front of you. Really fast service from the waitress. Good place to go for the entertainment! :)

staff are friendly and helpful.<br/>service can be high level in auckland.<br/>food was great. The course designed very reasonable, salad, stir fried vege, sushi, miso soup, fried rice, main meat, more rice and desert. cannot remember the sequence of diahes.<br/>miso galic butter tuna was great. and so as the lamb rack. our dessert is matcha ice cream and mousse, very nice one. <br/>we are so full after all the courses. and I think its the best tappenyaki in Auckland so far.

Stamford Plazas best kept secret. The Kabuki is hidden to a side in the lobby/dining area. Freshly cooked/grilled seafoods, meats and vegs accompanied with sake is amazing! We've had numerous birthdays and work dos as they can handle groups well. Too bad Zomato won't let me upload video of the teppen grill.

Using a voucher for 2 people for the basic Live-show menu. The service is terrific, the waitresses are attentive, the chef is witty. The food are freshly cooked right in front of you. Everything were good except the taste of the mains.<br/><br/>We have had Lamb Cutlet & Prawn as mains; The lamb was too salty, the Prawn was served with too much sauce that we could not even tell name(not aioli for sure) and tasted very weird. Everything, I really meant everything, cooked in a teriyaki sauce, which was not prepared properly, as it is not sweet enough. Whoever made that Teriyaki sauce should not have a mercy death, he/she has murdered that sauce & my taste bud.<br/><br/>The fried rice was not done properly, it is too moist to be a proper fried rice, rice were so dense that you can make a rice ball so easily. The rice has too much moisture in it, it should have been cooked with much less water to be used as fried rice. Trust me, I know fried rice :)<br/><br/>Saying that, the entree: Kabuki salad, the tempura vegetables,the miso soup, teriyaki chicken and avocado sushi roll  & the green tea tiramisu cake with praline mascarpone sessert, which were tasted very nice. <br/><br/>The flying rice bowl, the catching flying egg roll & real flame on the grill were nice to see, also the interaction with the chef, but the so called experience was ruined by the taste of the mains. Would I come back for more? It would be a firm NO, not with that taste. <br/><br/>In summary, very basic food that were not cooked right, very disappointed with the food but service was good.

Two people ate the $65 per head menu. The food is quite basic but it is served in a " food experience" way. The chefs are terrific. They cook the main course in front of you. Very exciting and humerous with their actions and how they interact with their guests. We felt you didn't really get much. We left partially hungry. If we'd have filled up on fried rice this would have been different. I'd rate the food as 3.5. Basic Japanese / European food. I'd rate the dining experience as 4.0. The waitresses are great, and the execution of the dining experience is first class. We loved the experience but we wouldn't hurry to return. <br/>

If you're looking for a bit of a "show" at dinner for a reasonable price then I'd recommend Kabuki.<br/><br/>For $50 pp, you get served a bowl of miso soup, green salad, a few tempura vegetables with a dipping sauce and a plate full of sushi and sashimi. You get to enjoy each course while waiting for the teppanyaki chef to prepare his table. The courses are served efficiently and plates cleared out promptly. <br/><br/>And then the show begins! You get to watch the chef play with fire, do a few tricks and watch him cook your protein of choice (just 1) on the open grill. I got the salmon which was delicious. I would agree with the other reviews that it's not a whole lot of meat, I only had about 2 thin strips of salmon but you're getting a whole lot of food for $50 and good ambience.<br/><br/>Then comes the fried rice where again to get to see the chef do some cool things and send bowls of rice flying to you. <br/><br/>Dessert was good as well. A mousse of Siem sort with whipped cream served in pretty glasses. <br/><br/>At the end of the meal I was so full! I went with a group of friends but it's not much of a conversation place due to the seating arrangement and also you're there for the show not chit-chat! <br/><br/>I would probably return for a reasonable priced fun birthday dinner.

we came early as we were hungry and after the staff waited a bit to see if anyone else was turning up we had our very own private dinner session with the chef.  He was very professional and friendly although his english wasn't very good.  The portions were a bit on the small side but otherwise very nice.  When one of our kids spilled their water and made the fabric chair wet they were still all smiles and helped us change it.

really fond memories of this place. I went for a friend's birthday and had only ordered an entree as it was quite pricey - this meant that i did not get the rice, veggies, soup etc. that came with combo meals. However the chef made extra and was kind enough to offer to me seeing as I was sitting on a table of 10 people with a small plate of sushi. The chef was also extremely friendly, communicated with us and performed awesome tricks. Really enjoyed this place, although it is pricey, you pay for luxury!

If you want a luxury, quality experience for a reasonable price then I suggest you come here. The food is so fresh and the whole experience of them cooking in front of you really brings out a good vibe! <br/><br/>You have a set menu where you can choose either fish or meat and you get a few sides to go with it plus an entrée. I chose the salmon with a side of mayo prawns and it was cooked perfectly, not over cooked just right!

The food here are in very small portions. The prices are expensive although it was a good environment.<br/><br/>There are better Japanese restaurants that do cheaper prices for more food.

I went there for my dad's birthday and I ordered a New Zealand lamb cutlet which to be honest was quite disappointing. I am personally a lamb lover, so when I ate the lamb which lacked much flavour, had a bit of a rough texture and was quite chewy, it didn't really please me. However the rest of the food was really good. My dad ordered a set menu and I was able to try the sushi which was quite nice but there was nothing really special to it. The beef tataki was very very delicious though; the texture was soft and the authentic rare beef flavour was there. The tempura was also really nice, but it had a bit of an oily taste to it. I also got to try the NZ Akaroa salmon which was also really nice, it was soft, it wasn't oily and it tasted quite nice. I also got to try the teriyaki chicken, and that was honestly the best chicken I have ever had in my life. It was the softest most delicious chicken and it was cooked to perfection. (I got to try all these things because the rest of my family ordered it and I tried a little bit of it) The live teppanyaki show was also really interesting and entertaining. The chef cracked a few jokes and maintained a light and cheerful mood, and he also performed a few tricks with the knives and fire which was pretty cool. He also threw some food at us and we had to catch it with our mouths, and that was pretty fun. Overall although some aspects of the food weren't as great, it was still quite delicious and I will definitely be going back, but I probably won't order the lamb again.

We went on a Groupon lunch voucher. It was Japanese Teppanyaki. We Started with the soup and salad, I had the fish for my main and my friend had the chicken. Both dishes were served with vegetables and steamed rice. They both tasted nice. Finally ice cream was served for dessert. It was good food and the portions were filling.

Enjoyed stake lunch set with a grab*ne voucher for $15.00 only. Absolutely it's quite high price effective. Warm hearted service and tasty.

Love love love this place. Sometimes the theatre of Kabuki style restaurants make up for some ok food.<br/><br/>Not the case with Kabuki in Stamford plaza: Not only is it thoroughly entertaining but the food is simply amazing. Well worth the visit especially great for large groups

First visit at Kabuki Teppanyaki situated inside Stamford Plaza hotel interior restaurant has a modern Japanese style setting tailored to traditional Japanese cuisine I had a custom seafood platter made which was excellent another good thing about this restaurant is that your food is cooked in front of you. Good service and presentation

Great place to go for lunch. They do set deals from $15pp upwards. The staff are friendly and the chefs are hilarious. Born showmen. The food was fantastic actually. We got the rare steak and also the fish. They give you a miso dressed salad and a miso too. With an ice cream to finish. I would have rated it higher if our chef did a few tricks, as we have seen previously at these sorts of places. The chef on the othet table was doing all sorts of interesting things.

The food here is not bad but you'd go here more for the dining experience instead (flying fried rice, fire show, etc). Usually you have to sit with other customers which is fine, but probably not a good choice if you want a quiet romantic date!

Came here a little while ago with close friends and their employees and wasnt sure what to expect! Pretty cool experience! We had the whole place to ourselves as we were a rather large party and adults at one table anf the kids on the other. The kids seemed to be having a great time and the adults also! Its great how they get everyone involved and make it fun. The food was nice aswell but i could of eaten way more of it! I just feel the portions are very small and i feel its more the experience you go along for! Its not too cheap either and i ended up eating later on that evening aswell! I would go again if i had a voucher deal or something for it but i wouldnt pay full price.

This is such a cute little place and I love how all the host chefs have different personalities and add their own touch to each time they serve the meal. As much as I love teppanyaki, though, it's always embarrassing when I don't catch that stupid flying egg! Hahahaha but it was definitely a fun experience and the food was quite delicious. Although I must say, the host played a huge part in my enjoyment! He was awesome!

Great place.took a group of 15 to celebrate my wifes birthday. Food and atmosphere was great. Alcoholic drinks are over priced and the show could have been a bit longer. Apart from that the wait staff were really great.

Came here using my grab one deal for lunch. Greeted by a lovely host who was fast a clearing plates and to bring food, the food itself was good, the beef was my favourite. My only complaint is the fried rice was greasy and mediocre could of made better at home. The chef wasn't quite as exciting and entertaining as most teppanyaki places I've been to, probably cause it was just me and mum in the whole restaurant. But It left me feeling quite underwhelmed by the experience cause I've had better teppanyaki for cheaper but my mum loved it so it equaled out the rating.

The first time we went here it was fantastic. We bought a Teppanyaki Lunch Special off a deal website and went along with 8 people. Had a wonderful time. The food was good, the chef was very entertaining and we had a lot of fun.The second time was a bit of a let down. The food was not as good as the first and the chef gave off a vibe that he really did not want to be there, which was disappointing as we had brought some overseas visitors with us and had raved about our previous visit.

One word. GREAT!<br/>HIGHLY recommend this place!! :D I love it!! The chefs are really talented. It's dinner and a show. What more could you want! :D Although I was hoping they would toss the shrimp for someone to catch bt I guess there was no time 8 ( GET THE LEMON FISH. SO GOOD! 8]

A must experience one time when your in Auckland. <br/><br/>Staff were really friendly and the chef was the entertainment of the night. The chef was really friendly and kept the table lively. We shared a huge 'table' with about 4 other families that we did not know. However it was awesome because the chef makes everyone interact. Its a fun environment and there is lots of different foods to try.<br/>Be aware that at one point the chef does "throw" food at you, so get ur Black Caps hat on and catch it with your mouth.

Myself and five other work mates visited Kabuki last night, just for fun. The wait staff are like Ninjas, empty plates/bowls are cleared before you even notice. We got suckered into a couple bottles of warm sake which surprisingly went down well with the food. Chef Josh is the Best! He didn't drop a SINGLE utensil/bottle during his set. I ordered my sirloin medium-rare and he delivered. I swear to God I could drink that Yum Yum sauce used to drizzle on the prawns, it is so creamy and delicious! If you can't catch flying objects I would advise you make that very clear to the Chef otherwise you'll be catching food with your face. Just a side note to my fellow ladies out there: Make damn sure you're not wearing a dress or shirt with low cleavage, coz I can promise you'll be digging rice/eggs outta there. Hahaha. Enjoy!

Perfect setting for a group to go to and enjoy not only great food but fun entertainment as well. Food comes out a tad fast otherwise is very tasty and freshly made! They also have forks on hand for those who can't quite hack chop sticks. The food cooked i front of you is super tender and has lots of taste. Fantastic place to go!!

My bf took me here for our 2.5 year anniversary. It was a truly unique experience. It is a 3 course meal. first with some entrees and miso soup, then the mains are cooked in front of you by a chef. Basically the chef puts on a show with cooking the food in front of 8 people. he would throw his cooking tools around and make loud noises by banging them on the cooking stove. Then he would ask us to play some games which he would throw some eggs at us and we have to catch the egg in our mouth. then we would have to catch a bowl of rice with a bowl in our hands. It is quite fun, im not fussy about getting a little bit of food on me.<br/>we also ordered 2 very nice cocktails and a delicious desert.  (cant remember the names)

The food was really good! The cooking guy we got was really cool and really nice! I really enjoyed the food overall and I also had lots of fun trying to catch the egg and the fried rice! The juggling of the spatula and the really cool flames really entertained me :) I liked the service a lot but I guess the price was abit too high but still worth the experience. The prawn cutlets were amazing with the Japanese mayo! The salad was pretty good and so was the meat. I suggest adding more flavour to some of the appetizers and to change the flying fried rice to something easier for the customers so the rice doesn't go to waste. Anyway great food and experience would come back for a lower cost!

The best teppanyaki restaurant!!!! Have been here 3 times so far, and loved it everytime. I went using grabone voucher- loved the menu. I also really like the entertainment portion of the evening. And the best egg fried rice!!!!

This is my second time to this place, first time was for their tepanyaki dinner and this time I went for their bento box lunch. Both times I went there with a grabone voucher. First of all, in my opinion, the food is only worth the price if you go there with a grabone voucher. <br/><br/>I ordered chicken bento box and my friend got the fish bento box. Our voucher includes a drink(beer/wine/juice). They didn't have any other beer available, so we both got heineken. The bento box was served first with miso soup by the side and we were shocked with the amount of meat served in the bento box as we weren't sure if that was all. Fortunately, the meat will be cooked in front of us by the chef a few minutes later. The value for money was good(witha voucher) and the taste was good too. We enjoyed our lunch.<br/><br/>On the other hand, on my first visit, we went for tepanyaki dinner in a group of 6. Even with a voucher. However, we didn't really find the food reasonably priced. It was a good experience though, as the skillful chef does all kinds of skillful moves to get our attention. <br/><br/>The service by staffs were good as they were really welcoming and nice.

It was my partner's birthday and I thought my family and i could take him somewhere different. Jap Teppanyaki! My partner is not big on seafood nor Japanese food but we thought we'd give it a shot. <br/><br/>Food was good but not amazing! A little disappointed with the chef as he didn't do much tricks throughout the night. (and I've been told they do comedic punch lines, the typical egg throwing stuff and making us catch our foods with our mouths (lol) etc) <br/><br/>We ordered 2 couple menus ($42/ea), California sushi ($6) and the pink lady sushi ($7) and few drinks. The sushi was on point!! You must order em as entrées! (even though there are starters in the couple menu - trust me, it's not enough!) It consisted of... Rainbow Garden Salad, Kobachi Appetiser, Miso soup & Prawn Cutlet. The prawn was juicy with translucent moist shells! All buttered up and finished with wasabi mayonnaise! My partner LOVED it - and remember he's not fond of seafood! Our were mains was definitely mouth watering and delicious. Had the teriyaki chicken & catch of the day (Moki). The "egg flying fried rice" was a bit disappointing. It was overcooked and lacked flavour. <br/><br/>Service was a bit slow at the beginning, we had to wait approx. 35 mins for our chef...and we had to ask about our entrée twice. But the chef ended his service writing thank you & happy birthday in English - backwards! <br/><br/>Cost us ~$129 for 4 people.<br/>Which isn't pricey at all - considering we're at Stamford Plaza Hotel, seafood was fresh and we all left nice and full.

We went to Kabuki for a special birthday dinner and really enjoyed ourselves. Teppanyaki is best had when you want something more than food from your dining experience and are up to participating with the chef and his antics. I was really into the teppanyaki given that there are not many restaurants in Mumbai that serve it <br/><br/>I had along with me my parents who are not the biggest fans of Japanese food and the fact that they enjoyed themselves is reflective of the great service we received at Kabuki. All the menus include the Kibachi Salad, Miso Soup, Flying Fried Rice (yes! you have to catch it in your bowl), and dessert. <br/><br/>We tried the Teriyaki Chicken and the Sirloin Steak and being the steak lover that I am I really enjoyed the latter. BawaGroom had a ball trying to catch the omelette directly in his mouth while I enjoyed the Cabbage and Mushroom Vegetable Gyoza and the Edamame. <br/><br/>At the start the portions seemed quite tiny but we were stuffed by the time we went through all the food and had no space for dessert. My favourite bit? The flying fried rice! <br/><br/>Overall, a great place to go to if you have a celebration around the corner and with the Entertainment Book voucher it's pretty affordable too considering it's in the Stamford.

It was my sister's birthday and we chose to have dinner in Kabuki. It was rather interesting to see the chef's show though it seemed to be a little bit silly (lol). The food was fine and the service was all-rounded. However, I don't think it worths 30 dollars to have a bowl of fried rice, a small plate of vegetable and a plate contained only 4 prawns. And I also recommend to replace the throwaway chops. Nice visit!

A very nice place. Came here with my partner and 2 other friends. We were immediately seated and managed to have a look at the table next to us to see what we will be expecting. Use a voucher and it was definitely good value for money.<br/>The chef was great a getting us involved and joking around. Had some egg thrown at us to catch in our mouths and rice in bowls to catch. Very entertaining even as he was cooking our starters and mains.<br/>It was my partners birthday and the waitresses were very kind and brought out a slice of cake for her at no extra charge, which we couldn't finish due to the overwhelming amount of food.

Also came here with a voucher - it was a nice experience. The food tasted good, the place had a nice atmosphere and I had fun trying to catch flying food! The staff were polite and helpful. I would definitely return.

We went there as a large group for our work Christmas party last night (too busy in December!) and we all had a fantastic time. The service was excellent, the chefs were brilliant and very entertaining. Very clever in how they interacted with us all. The food was very tasty and kept on coming. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for groups who are keen for a good night out. I will be sure to go back again.

Impressively bad.<br/><br/>Went there last week for my sister's birthday. The waiter spilled boiling hot miso down her back, leaving her with a massive burn.<br/><br/>We went to cool it in the bathroom with wet towels - burns should be cooled for minimum 20min. After 10 minutes the waitress came to ask us to hurry up because there would be another booking coming in!<br/><br/>The food and the chef were average, at best. At the end of the night, they charged full price for the food and only offered dry-cleaning for the dress.

Came here with a voucher for two for lunch last week and we really enjoyed it. I'm quite surprised by the poor reviews as we found the food enjoyable and we definitely left feeling full. Our chef Steven was entertaining and interactive and I had to laugh at the comment from the person covered in fried rice. I think she may have opted in for that experience because it was definetly optional for us. Either way it was part of the fun and experience of a more interesting restaurant meal. Service was friendly although we did have to wait for a while to be seated.<br/>Highlight of the meal were the prawns, and beef starter. Accompanying sauces added flavour to each dish.<br/>Excellent value with a voucher.

Went here on a deal voucher - disappointed all around.<br/><br/>The cut-down menu was lacking - despite the number of small plates (~5) given - we left hungry. <br/>The vegetable dish that accompanied the teriyaki chicken was a poor choice - all beansprouts with one slither of courgette.<br/>The fried rice dish unfortunately tasted like it was cooked the day before and visibly reheated in front of us - end result dry and tough.<br/>Then personally I got covered in an entire bowl of oily rice when I failed to catch a flying dish of rice thrown at me - literally. It took restaurant staff way to long to cleanup the mess from over me and the table by which time the experience was ruined. <br/>While the chef tries to make it fun - don't go here if you lack depth perception, hand eye coordination, or motor skills otherwise it *will* be embarrassing - seriously.<br/><br/>Menu and service lacking unfortunately.

Came here with a voucher for two and in contrast to a majority of the reviews, my experience was a fun and exciting one.<br/><br/>The staff were very friendly and attentive but I have to agree that the food was very average. The show by the chef was entertaining, interactive and exciting and I guess it may have seemed short for some people but I thought it was an okay length of showtime.<br/><br/>Would recommend for a fun night out.

Went with a voucher but it turned out to be a very average experience. 79$ for two? Not worth going. The waitress was friendly tho.

What has happened? We went to this restaurant about 3 years ago. It was fantastic. We took our 2 children for our daughters 13th birthday thinking we would treat them to a fantastic fun night. The biggest let down ever. Only 2 of the 7 courses was cooked in front of us, salmon and rice. The other cooked courses were cooked by another chef at a different gas cooker out of view. There were minimal 'show' antics aimed at only 2 other people. The floor was slippery, we never had a chance or asked if we wanted a drink. The steak was tough and chewy, rump like. In 30 mins we were out, yep 30 mins. My daughter said, is that it? I'm, still hungry. In order to save the night, we went down the road to Burger King! We dined at Kabuti with some deal vouchers but never had the opportunity to select from the menu what we wanted other than choosing between salmon, chicken or beef. It was just dished up. When I looked at the menu on line, it appears we got the express lunch option for dinner. Kabuki, major disappointment. You should be ashamed to display the Metro award on your wall.

Cannot believe how much the standard dropped since my last visit a year or more ago. The floor of the restaurant was slippery and greasy. the fried rice was oily, teriyaki chicken was over marinated, beef was well done when i asked for medium, salmon was fishy (not fresh) tough and greasy. only good thing about it was that chef was entertaining, but I think it's more important if he can cook…

I'd have to say very average, the staff performance was poor and not much of a show at all.<br/>For a $70 meal for two, you got very little food, poor vegetables.<br/>Top it off, if paying by credit card there is a 1.5% fee...<br/><br/>I wouldn't be returning, there are a far better Teppanyaki Restaurants in Auckland.

It's a little on the expensive side for me...I know the show is what they're selling but still...the food is great never the less and great for a special occasion, I like the fact you can pay for a dessert upgrade to the buffet(good for picky littlies that don't want to try the Japanese desserts haha)

Good food and great service - what more could you ask for!<br/>My family and I have visited this teppanyaki restaurant on 4 very special occasions and every visit was memorable<br/>Highly recommended.<br/>Keep up the good work!

great food great service value for money, exceeded expectations

A lot of fun, great for groups but my husband and I went. Exciting, a lot due to the cooking flare and service staff encouragement. Set menu is great. I had the crayfish etc husband and the meat one. Both left full...

Having been to Fuji Teppanyaki in Ponsonby, I was a little spoiled on the Japanese teppanyaki experience. The food at Kabuki was good, as Japanese often is, but wasn't overly amazing or had that kick to make you want to come back. The chef and his bag of tricks are always entertaining but unless they're truly invested in it, it begins to feel almost awkward when no one wants to participate. Service is efficient at best so if you're after a quick meal that's a little different to your daily flavours, Kabuki is the place to go.

Kabuki is one of a the few teppanyaki restaurants in Auckland. Tucked away behind the Stamford hotel Knights restaurant, Kabuki would be what I call a "standard" Japanese teppanyaki experience. <br/><br/>I've been there a few times now and have had a different teppanyaki chef everytime. They all have their tricks of the trade but you will expect the typical egg throwing, crazy flames and some comedic punch lines throughout the night. The food is good, not amazing but I do like the service there. <br/><br/>On Tuesday, we went as a big group and took up most of the 'u' shape table. They really packed us in and I did feel sorry for the couple stuck between us and the family of 5 on the other end. Furthermore, I was rather disappointed with the food, particularly the fried rice, it was incredibly undercooked and lacked flavour. On a good note, our chef 'Fred' ended his service writing thank you in Japanese and English - backwards. It was a nice exit to an overall fun night. <br/><br/>Kabuki is a great place to go as a group. You will be entertained and fed at the same time - who can really complain?

I have been here three times for the Teppanyaki and my experiences have ranged from excellent to amazing. It is pricey (starting at $40 per person), but you're paying for quality food AND entertainment.<br/><br/>If you want to impress someone, Kabuki is the restaurant to do it at. This is fine japanese dining with crazy antics thrown in - knife tricks, games, setting the hotplate on fire, etc. For the mains I would highly recommend the salmon. The chicken and beef are good too!<br/><br/>Also they'll sometimes have a special on groupon/grabone with Teppanyaki for two for $40. Highly recommended!