Review Moto Sushi Bar - Auckland Central

Allan C

Sashimi was very good. Beef donburi was also really good. Nice combination of flavours.

Tessa J

Love Moto sushi so much, it’s been my go-to sushi restaurant for years now. The staff are lovely, the sushi is fresh and delicious. Highly recommend.

Curtain Creations

Great place Japanese food and service authentic. My friend and I visited after gym for a dinner and the lovely owners were very accommodating and kind.

Jennifer Zhou

Great cozy spot for dinner with loved ones - good selection of Japanese dishes including nigiri, udon, ramen, tempura etc. I got the salmon bento box which was absolutely delicious. Would recommend booking ahead of time!

Rung -Ch -Rung

We went to this shop before lockdown. The shop quite busy at evening time. The prices is quite high but not bad. Food is beautiful. Service is great as well.😊

Hannah Roberts

Keep coming back for the sushi! The food is super fresh & the dynamite roll is to die for. Friendly & quick service, a bit of a hidden gem! Can't wait to try some more dishes.

Susie Spiller

I love this vibe, my daughter and I have been going for years for our catch ups, epic your open on a Monday night too!

Samantha Hau

We randomly looked up this place on google guide and it worths the price! A hidden gem on Parnell road. The tempura is yummm that we had to order a second set. Don’t miss it when you are here.

Greta Anderson

My absolute fave local spot! Moto always provides fresh sushi, delicious bento boxes with such fantastic quick service.

Gloria Wu-Anderson

Cute little restaurant! Our go to spot for Friday lunches, great selection, we particularly enjoy the eel box, salmon sashimi box and sashimi box! Friendly service. They were very accommodating when I was pregnant, very easy to swap raw fish sushi with cooked meat sushi.

Jimmy Fitzpatrick

Been coming here for over 10 years. Allways good fresh food

James Ashwin

Massive fan of the chicken bento! Have been coming here for years and highly recommend to all James Ashwin Kakapo Business Sales

Catherine Chee 卡特林徐

Very private space and peaceful environment to have lunch.

Rida Narida

Their salmon sashimi is always the best! Fresh and good quality.

Irina Iris

Very nice little place at Parnell, quality food and service.

Silene Pedron

I have been coming here for the last good 9 years now. This family business is welcoming with enhancing decoration that makes the experience pleasant and genuine. We always order sushi, chicken box and sometimes edamame; I must say that the food has the 6 qualities of good food, making us always to come back at any season of the year. Thank you guys for for the great work.

Chris Khoo

I’ve been to moto sushi in Parnell probably half a dozen times and got sushi every time. Haven’t tried anything else on their menu so can’t comment but It’s the best sushi I have had in Auckland. I can’t explain why or how exactly they do it differently but when I want sushi I don’t bother going anywhere else

Karina

Came to Moto Sushi Bar for dinner one night. I ordered the chicken salad and it was good but the avocado was so hard and wasn't ripe at all which I was disappointed in as I love avocado :(( The portion was quite big and I couldn't finish it. My brother got the chicken sushi which I tried and I liked it but I thought the seaweed was a little hard. The actual restaurant is a little small but is super cute and traditional. Quite a few meals come with miso soup as-well. The bill came to something like $180 for 4 of us and we hadn't ordered that much so we were confused: we got - spring rolls, veggie tempura, the medium sashimi platter, chicken sushi, tuna sushi, chicken salad and a few drinks so it seemed a little ridiculous so we thought that we were overcharged but we counted it all up and it was all right so I think the price was a little high for a small Japanese restaurant. But I would like to come back and get the salad again as it was quite good.

Anastasia Matiatos

Moto Sushi Bar is the damn best. I went there with my now ex boyfriend for the first time because I've heard so much about it and see so many people going there on instagram. I got the chicken salad and it was honestly the best chicken salad I've ever had, it was full of flavour and the dressing was delicious I highly recommend it. And he got the chicken katsu donburi which he also really enjoyed as it was fresh and full of flavour. I can't wait to come back here its amazing, I really recommend trying it if you're in Parnell 10/10 I can't hype this place up enough x

Lucy

I love this place! One of my favourite go-to Japanese places for bento boxes, great value, delicious and the staff are very friendly. Every time I go I always order the salmon dinner box and this is more than enough to fill you up. If only their restaurant were a little bigger for more seating.

Steamed Hams

This was a beautifully decorated venue. We chose a chicken sushi roll, and a 5 piece salmon sashimi, each dish came with a bowl of miso soup. The sushi pieces were quite small but at the same time they also were fresh and tasted amazing.

Daniel Chou

The food was ok, price was reasonable for quite a big portion. But nothing special, you can find food like this everywhere around Auckland. The reason why i gave 3 stars is because the place was not clean. First thing came out to greet me at my table was a spider. Next thing were flies. Never been to a Japanese place that have flies flying around this much, literally irritated me in every single bite. Carpet lying in the middle of the place looks like never been cleaned. Please use insect bomb or whatever thing you can find in the super market to solve this problem and ppl can focus on enjoying their food.

Carley Peng

A cute little spot tucked away on the Parnell Main Street. Moto Sushi offers a good dining atmosphere for a Sunday night sushi as well as a dinner date. The service was average - we sat right in front of the kitchen area where the staff could see us but we had to raise our hand multiple times before someone noticed and came to take our order. However, it could be (partially) attributed to the fact that it was busy as it was during peak hours. The food came without too long of a wait. I went with three other people and amongst us we had ordered udon and ramen noodles, and bento boxes, all of which came with a complementary miso soup. I found the udon to be a little too salty. The ramen tasted pretty good, and it had quite a bit of toppings in it. The bento boxes seemed quite filling, and the vegetable tempera was really good! I’d like to see better service, and try something else on the menu that might fit my taste buds a bit more. Moto Sushi has a lot to offer, so I’d be happy to come back to give this place another shot! Food: 7/10 Ambience: 8/10 Service: 7/10

Dragon88

The food is reasonable for a Korean run Japanese restaurant. Decor is nice and staff were friendly but sometimes the Korean take on Japanese food doesn't work imo. Eg. The Agedashi tofu while nice in itself didnt match with the spicy chilli sauce. It is normally made with a dashi, mirin&soy sauce and topped with grated daikon. The sashimi was of reasonable quality(except for the tuna) but the pieces were way too thin and small- cut in to small squares. A nice little restaurant but the food is somewhat lacking.

Velia Zaiiden

First visit to Moto Sushi Bar today !came here today with my little one and loved the food.& the staff are so friendly ❤️ thanks for the yummy food much appreciated.

SpoonMe

Came here for dinner with friends on a Monday. Hearing good things I had high expectations. The food was yummy but it just felt like standard Japanese food you can get that’s kinda pricey. Not too sure why people think it’s amazing in my opinion, you could literally get this kinda of Japanese food anywhere in Auckland. Go to Yoshizawa if you want Authentic and cheaper Japanese food

Colin Campbell

Great small Japanese place, just like Tokyo! Great food, good service (when not busy). I have been a couple of times and will be back. Try the sashimi, it's simple but great!

Ingvild Westby

This is written from an international students point of view. Starting of I thought this place was going to be a little too expensive, and in my opinion the sushi was, but on the last page they had other dishes, such as Donburi, Ramen and more. These dishes was more reasonably priced. I had the tofu teriyaki Donburi and was pleasantly surprised by how good the Tofu was! Overall a good experience.

Harry G

I am always less than impressed with Moto Sushi. Mostly due to the fact that it is so expensive and the food is just never up to what you pay for. Plenty of nicer and cheaper Japanese food around.

Cammy L

Nice Japanese restaurant. Menu includes a wide range of dishes and also serves alcohol. Price range: not too expensive but not cheap. Restaurant is relatively small, would not recommend for groups of 4+. Simple layout, decent service. Would definitely recommend the bento boxes - worth! They come with a mix of things - sushi, salad, tempura, rice and miso with your choice of meat. If you’re a salad fan and not looking for something too filling, then try the tofu salad! Comes with avocado, soft tofu and greens, served with a Japanese dressing. Would not recommend the Edamame beans - very small portion. Try some sake if you haven’t - it’s like Japanese vodka. Cute place, suitable for a catch up/date :) Chocolate boutique and Casa Del Gelato are also in walking distance which makes for a good dessert/supper after. Pictured: Chicken Katsu bento

Emily Cryer

If you love Japanese food and you love chicken teriyaki, then you have to get yourself a chicken bento from motto! The service here is quick and they’re always lovely, plus a free miso with your meal works a treat every time.

Lizzie

I had the agedashi tofu and teriyaki salmon. The service was super fast and good portion sizes. Salmon seemed a little over-cooked but other than that it was a yum reasonably priced dinner! Looking forward to coming back and ordering the chicken salad everyone raves about!

Mereaina Robinson

The beef Ramen was the best ramen I have ever had!! The broth was delicious and super flavoursome. The Miso soup was also lovely! Cute little place!

NZ C

Amazing fast service. Friendly staff. Great quality tasting food, I never leave disappointed. Highly recommend this small Japanese restaurant in the heart of Parnell. Sometimes a small wait for a table but worth the wait.

Todd

We snuck in just before closing one night and promptly ordered a selection of sushi backed up with some plum wine. All promptly arrived fresh from the kitchen and was heavenly! Busy or not this place is a must go in Parnell!

I_like_pickles

I love bento boxes but this wasn't the best bento box I've ever had. The sushi and sashimi in the bento box was fresh. To me the whole meal was a bit lack lustre. I did like the cutlery and crockery. The layout and ambience of the restaurant had a nice touch to it.

Gus

We ate lunch here on a Saturday. Moto has eat in and takeaway so while we waited for our food there was a dribble of customers buying premade sushi to go. My son enjoyed his salmon avocado and teriyaki sushi rolls, my daughter had karaage chicken which was actually chicken wings which she enjoyed. My wife and I had seafood ramen, spicy for me and mild for her. Both bowls were all but the same except mine came with fresh chilli. The only seafood in my bowl was prawns, which were nice, but if you don't like prawns this would be a problem. The broth was quite tasty and I enjoyed my meal even though it was a little small. The cost for lunch was quite high for what we got but it is Parnell.

Raymond Tiong

I’ve been meaning to come to Moto for a while now. This Korean-owned Japanese restaurant has a decent range on their menu but nothing too special. Their service was super friendly, and I noticed that the busyness of the small restaurant died down after 1:30pm. I ordered the chicken bento box for $16.50, and I was initially skeptical about the teriyaki chicken when my food came out. It was quite dark and looked like a basic stir fry, so I thought it was going to feature dry breast meat. But I was pleased to find that the meat was tender and the sauce was nice (though a bit strong by the end, since there wasn't enough rice to pair it with). The bento also came with tempura and sushi, which were both nice. The salad was rather bland – but at least the dressing helped. In terms of value, I’d say that Bien in Newmarket is better. However, I’m glad I tried Moto and I can see why it’s a popular little spot in Parnell during lunch.

Manuela Ovalle Herrera

Moto is a wonderful place if you're craving delicious salmon sushi! I get their salmon roll regularly and it's great every time! They make it up very quick too! The staff are always very friendly and the food is well priced

Haden

This is most definitely not authentic Japanese food. The karaage was chicken wings. The boxes are good value and service is acceptable. Not sure if I'd go back in a hurry.

Yuki Ding

Had an awesome Jap cuisine night with my friend there. We ordered donkatsu box, salmon combination and teriyaki. ごちそうさまでした♪(´ε｀ )美味しいかった！🍱🍣

Kate DEatz

Sushi moto is easily one of my favourite restaurants in Auckland. It's the perfect place to have a quick meal out as the service is always fast and efficient. Never had a bad meal here, would highly recommend to all.

Charlene Weaver

Yummy, cheap, filling and large portions! Probably one of my new favourite Japanese spots, plus the food comes out so quickly too. I ordered the salmon box which came with grilled salmon, salad, tempura and sushi. I was really impressed with the quality of the salmon, so fresh! They also give you a complimentary bowl of miso soup, which didn't have too much of a fishy taste like other places do. I've heard they also do a great chicken salad which I'll try next time. Overall a great spot for fast, tasty Japanese food.

Patrick Tong

Very busy when my wife and I walked in. Friendly staff. Very efficient! Very impressed with the service. Food came out quickly. Restaurant isn't big. So quite cosy. Food is delicious and hot. Value for money.

Victoria

I adore Sushi Moto, it's such a cute little place in such an easy location on Parnell road! I come here all the time, the service is so quick so it's perfect if you are hungry and want a quick lunch or dinner!! The food is always great and fresh.

Kristen

Easily one of my favourite restaurants in Auckland. The atmosphere is great, as it's a bit tucked away from the street, and the service is always wonderful. Really tasty, good quality food. Highly recommend the chicken bento box! If you don't feel like eating there, or weren't able to finish your meal, they do takeaway as well

Laura Ransome

Standard simple good quality Japanese food. Really satisfying and yum, such a cute place hidden away from everything. Fast good service also !

Ben Ch

Moto has fast become one of my favourite places in Auckland to go for a simple Japanese meal. They serve meals on a budget while maintaining top quality expected from a medium to high caliber restaurant. Definitely recommend the special salmon and special tuna sets!

Kirsten

Came here with my family, since we heard good reviews about this place. Ordered the chicken, fish and beef dinner box for $19 each, and a side dish of takoyaki for $12. Service was great, and our food was definitely worth the wait. The dinner bento box included our main meat, salad, rice, tempura and three pieces of sushi with a side dish of sliced fresh salmon and grated radish. We were all satisfied with the portions, that I was starting to get full halfway through my meal. The service was great, a really nice family run business. The place is quite small to dine in, so maybe a small group of three to 4 people per table? Otherwise, everything was fantastic and I am willing tobdine here again!

Emma Patricia Katili

The tuna is fresh and it isn't 90% rice so i really like eating here. The fish they use are all fresh and they don't water down the miso soup like most small sushi bars often do. The menu isn't the most fancy but hey, sometimes classics are the best right.

Vanessa King

Love this place! Always quick, clean, affordable, fresh and delicious, and they have friendly staff. My favourite meal is the sashimi donburi.

Alana Balzana

We go there once a week at least. They have the best sushi, dinamite is our favorite. Really fresh and delicious sashimi. It is cozy and has a great price. I would not go anywhere else for Japanese food.

Simon

Stopped in for lunch and ordered a Sashimi Donburi, Spicy Ramen and a Salmon Bento box. The miso came out first and it was "ok" but clearly from a sachet. The Donburi came out and it was a small amount of cubed sashimi sitting on top of a mountain of salad??? with a tiny amount of rice underneath it all. No wasabi in sight. Salad mixed with rice and sashimi is a terrible combination and I ended up moving all of the salad to one side to reach the rice, mixed it up with the sashimi and then had something which finally resembled a Donburi. The "ramen" came out and we were appalled to see that it was watery Korean instant noodles with one prawn, two dumplings and 3 tiny baby mussels. We paid $14 for something you would make at home for less than a couple of dollars. The only saving grace was the Bento box as it was as expected which is why I have rated this 1.5 rather than 1. Definitely not Japanese as you would expect it to be and wouldn't go again!

Lucy

One of my favourite quiet restaurants to visit. The gyoza fried dumplings are a must have for me here. Staff are always friendly and orders are extremely quick to arrive. They have a large range of things to order on the menu, seafood included. The meals are slightly expensive but still are made up for with the amazing taste.

Eggster Eats

I went to Moto Sushi Bar in Parnell to try the sushi there. I've heard so many rave reviews of the bar and decided to go. I got there and ordered the Bento. I loved the food and it was very fulling and was worth the eat. Even though the place was very busy, bustling with customers, the service was great overall. Can't wait to go back...

Petra Pearce

Great little sushi shop! The dynamite flavour (spicy salmon) is great as is the teriyaki chicken. The people are lovely too. Highly recommend it!

Georgia Eady

Have gone to Moto for years now and never disappoints. Very quick service and friendly staff. Usually order the chicken and avocado sushi or the chicken bento box which I both highly recommend and the miso is to die for!! Overall a great restaurant to go to if you wanting something tasty and quick.

Kellie Lee

I'd been wanting to try this place out for quite a while after seeing so many delicious looking photos of their food ( especially their chicken salad) on instagram. Finally came here for lunch with my friend and must say was not wow'd at all by the experience. I had opted for the chicken salad which was relatively cheap $9.50, however it is pretty much leaves you're paying for. My friend had ordered the seafood udon. Chicken salad: nothing special :( I found the sauce that the chicken was coated in was way too salty and they should have given more tomatoes and apple slices ( it was mostly just leaves). Maybe my expectations were just too high Seafood Udon: The soup itself was quite nice, however the fact that they had only given one prawn and one Naruto and one mussel, was quite disappointing as the photos on the walls made the seafood udon look much more appealing. My friend had enjoyed it but wouldn't order it again. Overall it was a mediocre experience, there are a ton more Japanese places around that are way better! will unlikely return. Service was also just average and the waitress seemed quite uninterested in our table and paid more attention to the other tables.

Brittany Montana

Moto is one of my absolute favourites! Service is great, food is fresh and flavoursome, and great value for money ( I highly recommend the chicken bento box). It's a great option for lunch or dinner.

Chloe-Mae

Got this for take always upon finishing work late and feeling lazy- food took AGES to be made, but it was worth the wait. Got salmon nigiri, karat curry, raw tuna sashimi, fresh and tasty!!! Would love to eat in here as it was such a cosy setting.

Queena

First time here. Service was very good. Staff was nice and friendly. Sashimi were nice and thick. But the fish in the sushi rolls were too "veiny" and wasn't pleasant to chew. The wasabi wasn't spicy at all. Was probably diluted so that was a disappointment. Udon noodle soup was a nice portion compared to the other places that serve the same thing. Although it was lacking in flavour. Probably coz they don't have MSG in it(?) but was still good! The bento set was good. Overall the meals were very filling. Probably ordered more than enough for the two of us. Would definitely come back for more! :)

Ellaura O'Brien

I go regularly and there is always delicious food, friendly staff cheap byo corkage to top it off. Does help to book as it's very popular with the locals

Rachel

Moto Sushi Bar is an underground restaurant. I like the look and design of the place. The staff were friendly and one came up to greet us and showed us an area to sit in. The food on the menu was in groups which made it easier to decide which one to choose and I liked the variety too. I ordered a Yakisoba with Salmon $17.00 along with L&P $3.00. We didn't have to wait too long for the food. I really enjoyed my dish. It's price sounded expensive for me but the food was delicious so I didn't mind. I couldn't finish it all so I was able to get the rest packaged for home. Definitely make sure the package is in a plastic bag that the staff provide. Otherwise there is a chance it will leak.

Mariamjafer

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I like to think of myself as an experienced sushi taster. Out of all the sushi I've eaten, Moto is hands down the best of the best. The ingredients are fresh, authentic and most importantly, delicious. After trying nearly everything on the menu I can proudly say that the donburi is top notch and is the perfect serving size. The bento lunch boxes are very filling and are a great lunchtime meal. As for service, it's very average and doesn't really stand out, though the food really makes up for this

Bella Lily

Have been going to Moto Sushi for years and have never been disappointed. The veges are always fresh, and meat tasty. My personal favorite is the teriyaki chicken, the meat is always tender and flavorsome. And the miso is always on point (there's nothing worse than a disappointing miso) and the side salad is my favorite. Im not sure of the dressing they use but it's something magical! For someone that is not a salad lover I would happily eat their salads everyday. Their teriyaki chicken roll is also great, it's so rare to find sushi that is packed with fresh chicken and veges, great on the go meal! Love this place.

FlyingMonkey

Went there yesterday with my bf for lunch. Overall we were satisfied by the food because we were both really hungry. we ordered a pork kastu bento and fried noodles. they both came with a miso soup. the food was very standard and what we expected. Proportion to price was considered a upper end lunch, a cheap would be 10 but we payed on average 16 bux for each our dish. nice quiet atmosphere and staff was friendly and korean not jap. But there was a bit too much veges in my lunch box, 2 compartments of them which I felt it was a bit weird....not disappointed overall.

Jay

Went for lunch with some friends today, service was good hence the two stars...but place is not very clean, and food below average. Our table was very sticky, and as we got there early we were lucky enough for not having to wait. Anyway, point is cleanliness is very important for any eatery. Seems that Moto either had an oversight or perhaps whoever was in charge that day was lazy?? We had to request for our table to be cleaned and unfortunately, the cloth they used was probably already dirty so the table smelt terrible afterwards (like a bad bacteria smell). Other reason for such a low rating was the chipped tea cups and soy cause bottle. Its very, very un-Japanese to use broken tableware. The third reason for a low rating is the quality and presentation of the food. The miso soup that came with our lunch boxes were filled up half way only, looked as if someone drank half of it before serving to us. If they didn't want to serve that much miso soup, should opt for smaller bowls. Also the food was very average, not authentic Japanese and even though pricing was okay for the location, we would not be coming back.

Vanessa Moodley

I'm a frequent visitor to Moto for lunch over the last year (2013), especially for their salmon avocado roll which is not only cheaper than any other sushi place I've been to in Parnell, but also much better quality. The chefs are generous with the portions and the ingredients taste very fresh. The service is always polite, quick and professional. My partner and I have also had dinners here before and the bento boxes are a great treat. Would recommend booking ahead on weekday/Saturday nights as it can get quite packed and is a small restaurant.

Julia Jefferd

I absolutely love Moto. It is my favorite little local restaurant. The service is fantastic and the food is delicious! The meals are prepared quickly and are great value for money. I particularly love the dinner and lunch box meals. I would highly recommend Moto to anyone who is looking for cheap and cheerful, delicious Japanese cuisine.

David Boshier

If going for lunch get there early so that you can sit outside. Great stock standard Japaness food with polite service. Worth a stop.

Brent

Have been several times to Moto. Its been consistently good both eating in and takeaway. Can highly recommend the Dynamite & Beef Sushi rolls. Heaps of filling and flavour.

Chwanita

I have only tried the sushi but it is the best ive ever had, Chicken teriyaki and the beef which has alittle tempura in it, are my favs. We work at the bottom of parnell rise and I walk past 3 other places were I could get sushi to get it from here. Best Sushi ever, the service is always prompt and the people are lovely. I highly recommend.

Theresa Chan

On a Friday night I took mum and dad to Moto Sushi Bar and it was our first time at Moto. While most places charge more for a dinner bento box, Moto charges the same for lunch and dinner, which is around $17 each. In terms of portion it was fine. However we were disappointed by the chewy sashimi. In general the food lacks the delicacy that Japanese are known for.

M

Pleasant polite service. Food was uninteresting.

Nashi

I've been wanting to try out Moto sushi bar, and just went to there today (we went there because renkon was closed today). The shop looks nice. It's not a real Japanese restaurant, in fact all the food is prepared by Koreans. We ordered salmon box, sashimi box, and Unagi (eel) donburi. The unagi donburi was the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted, there were too much sauce (and the wrong sauce), unagi was cut into little strips which lost its texture and flavour. Sashimi were pretty bad too, the fish didn't feel fresh, and a lot of the parts were very hard. Salmon was also covered with this horrible sauce which they used for the unagi, and the salmon slices were thin, dry and yuck. Although it's Easter monday, most of the restaurants in Parnell were not charging surcharge, but this restaurant charged a 15% surcharge fee which I was very surprised. I'll never come again for the over-priced disgusting food in Moto sushi bar ever again!

Hello

This place used to be amazing! went downhill over a year ago when the chef left and the waitresses changed to not speaking english! however its still good, love the teriyaki dressing they use, but i miss the old moto, and the man who greeted you at the door.

Blythe Biel

I'm so pleased to have discovered this little Japanese oasis tucked away downstairs on Parnell Rd. High quality, beautifully presented food. Obliging staff. I always leave looking forward to my next visit. Well worth a visit. Enjoy! :)

Jan

Most amazing sushi ever!!