Review Koji Japanese - Auckland Central

Amazing value. Three of us had a hearty main, we had two starters and two of us had a beer also. $64 total. Food was good. Nicer inside than most nearby restaurants. If you want a pleasant dinner out minus the price tag then go!

Koji has great value food for Newmarket, in a wonderful venue. But with only 3 other groups at the restaurant, it still took 50 minutes for our fairly basic meals to arrive. The itself was okay, but nothing memorable- but great cheap. Overall, I'm not sure if i would go back. But pleased we tried it once.

Great food and location. Service can be disappointing (e.g., grumpy waiter/owner), but food makes up for it. Highly recommend ordering food by phone if you're in a rush as the wait can be very long.

The only place you can taste true sashimi in NZ. Go for a set menu and make a booking before hand. You might not feel welcomed if you visit for the first time. Get used to it if you wish to put the finest piece of hon maguro sashimi into your mouth :)

My family ate lunch here last Sunday and it didn't disappoint. Best Chicken Katsu Don that I've ate so far! We'll definitely come back.

Fresh chicken Katsu so quiet in the middle of Newmarket great for a little escapism in the middle of the day for a quick light lunch!

Great meal we had, strongly recommended

Bit slow service but good was great

Good food at good prices

Thank you!

신선한 횟감 불루핀, 더불어 사장주방장이 좋아요.

日本料理的餐廳 餐點精緻美味

Wow this place is sooo average, can see why it was so quiet. As soon as you walk in the lady serving is unwelcoming and looks miserable to be there. The food was really average and not everything on the menu was available to order including any ramen bowls. The food that arrived was edible but basic, there is nicer udon and donburi dishes at a food court. Asked for extra noodles and got charged $9 for an extra bowl of noodles in soup (most places will charge $2 for extra noodles and add them to your bowl?). The side dishes were really basic too, seemed like heated from frozen gyoza and edamame.

Got told that there was a 20 mins wait but ended up waiting for 40 mins for food. To make things worse we had the worst takoyaki we’ve had in our lives. Respect yourself, do not go to a Japanese restaurant that serves you microwaved premade takoyaki.

A hidden gem. Located upstairs and not visible from the street. That’s why the place is always quiet. Their Katsu Don, sushi, and Udon are so delicious!

I guess this must be one of Newmarket original Japanese restaurant, i've  seen and go pass this joint untold times and never really had the bother to try it until now as a mate invited me there, It's also quite discreet too.<br/>The Japanese hospitality here was totally opposite to the last Japanese diner (Sakebar) i visited as the welcoming, greeting and sayonara was not given, the waitress i guess was fresh of the boat or something.<br/>We were the only diners in at time and one of us wanted ramen but sadly was sold out, i just had the Tempura don here and passable eh.

Really love the food here and we keep coming back on a regular basis for dinner (the rice bowls and the bento boxes are always very tasty!). <br/><br/>The only thing I hope they will improve is the speed of bringing the food out and more efficient service - we often wait for 10 minutes to be greeted and given a menu, another 10 to be given water (always have to ask) and especially if there’s a larger group (4 or more people) the food always comes out after 40 minutes or later (have waited for an hour once). <br/><br/>Again the food is so good we keep coming back, but every time I get impatient with the service - I see this is common feedback here so really hope they get some help or training soon.

Tastes great, well priced, yes you sometimes have to wait but don't expect 5* service when you're paying 1* prices. The Katsu Don is awesome.

We just happen to go there for lunch. We never knew about this restaurant before. Food was very yummy, also good price. Definately, will dine in again.

The service was pretty much non-existent! Food was average. Never came to ask if we wanted anything else and didn't clear the plates. <br/><br/>The only person working was more interesting in being on their phone behind the bar, and when we asked questions about the menu they couldn't answer them and weren't interested in finding the answers.<br/><br/>When my friend arrived most of the tables has dirty dishes on them. It makes sense now why the place was so quiet for a Thursday evening.<br/><br/>If the service had been up to standard then we would return, but with the food only being average there isn't a reason to return.

I ordered tempura sushi and takoyaki. <br/>considering that I'm hungry for lunch, i didn't like the food at all. The sushi is tasteless, looking on whats inside i found lots of cabbage, small tempura and nothing else. Takoyaki is hallow and mushy.  It took them 30 min to serve me my lunch. Due to disappointment I wasn't able to take photos.<br/><br/>Presentation: 2/5<br/>Taste: 1/5<br/>Service: 1/5<br/>Value for money: 1/5<br/>Approximate cost for 2: $35

The service is absolutely terrible and rude. The food is not served nicely too. Dear the manager/owner, you can do better than this. Thanks.

Absolutely vulgar, I ordered a chicken udon meal. Some of the chicken was purpley/pink and grey- definitely not edible and didn't want to risk getting food poisoning so I paid $14 for a bowl of only udon noodles. The staff there also aren't friendly, I will not be recommending this restaurant to anybody.

If you’re after a cheap and filling lunch in New Market then give this place a go. <br/>I ordered a Teriyaki Chicken Donburi which comes with Miso Soup for just under $11<br/>I wouldn’t say it’s the best Teriyaki Chicken I’ve had in my life but it was tasty and can’t complain since it’s such great value👍🏻

Poor service and time management. Staff was unfriendly.<br/><br/>Food takes EXTREMELY LONG to come out, we waited for about 40mins.<br/><br/>Food also came out quite cold too. I ordered the Pork Curry Katsu. It had about 4 large pieces of oily crumbed meat and one was a random piece of chicken!<br/><br/>Pricewise is alright as they have lunch menu specials so it's a cheap eat but only if you don't mind waiting.

Ordered a mini egg don for morning tea last year.<br/>For a price of $4, the rice and egg quality was quite good. The Egg was soft boiled and the rice was seasoned very well. Would go again to try their noodles next time.

Really nice place, a bit hidden away, lots of space so you never dine too close to other tables. Portion is not the biggest but price is very reasonable, and food tastes pretty good. They do casual Japanese dining justice in my opinion :)<br/>Very interesting they serve their dons not with hot rice which I really enjoy. Totally recommend to people especially those who are around Newmarket.

This place is really nice ...just a little warm with the humidity...opt sitting close to the veranda.<br/><br/>Very clean and nice floor space. Best for large group too.<br/><br/>Food is reasonably price. Some hit and miss but overall still worth going.<br/>

Food is really nice. Full of flavor, not overly salty or oily, and excellent value starting at $9.90 for a main. I had teriyaki chicken udon which consists of a big bowl of warm noodles in a tasty broth, with grilled chicken and salad on the side. An excellent lunchtime meal on a rainy day for just under 11 dollars. <br/><br/>The restaurant itself has clean, spacious decor with Japanese artwork on the walls. The ambiance would be great if there were a few more guests in the restaurant at the same time as me. <br/><br/>Highly recommended for anyone looking for a quality lunch without the standard Newmarket restaurant price, and with much nicer seating than the foodcourts. Also great for a bite to eat before going to see a movie on broadway

Confused as to why there are so many bad reviews to this place. Such good quality sashimi/sushi and the food is so lovely. Great view and nice music. Absolutely love coming here with my friends!

I feel as if they're presentation surpasses their flavour. Love the cups they serve tea in. Ran out of several items on the menu despite the only other people there were two groups of two. Convenient location and food came out at a decent speed at a reasonable price

The environment is VERYY quiet, ordered 2 noodle dishes that took 20+ minutes to make. The lady was not very friendly and when I asked her about the food she didn’t walk over to talk to me but opted to talk across the room . The noodles definitely are not the best and not Japanese at all. Very oily.

<br/><br/>Food: nothing out of the ordinary, friend and I ordered the tofu don and tonkotsu ramen. Smallish serving sizes<br/><br/>Ambience: really really empty and hard to have a pleasant dining experience when literally so quiet<br/><br/>Service: no water was given, only one person working who was on their phone for most of the time. <br/><br/>Price: really reasonable for newmarket <br/><br/>Overall: wouldn't go out of my way to eat there again even with the reasonable price. But a good option if you are trying to save a few bucks!

Located on the second floor, although it was weekend lunch time, the restaurant seemed empty and only one person served. <br/>Ordered ramen that costed 10.9 dollar. I would say the visual was good and good for taking pictures 😂 but the taste was average.<br/>The portion seemed a bit small but what do you expect for a $11 ramen😂

Was walking by and the menu caught my eye. The only other sign was for a dentist so curiosity got the better of me and I ended up here.<br/><br/>Walked in and was surprised at this hidden restaurant, the menu didn't even have the shop name. They had a main menu as well as a lunch menu. Tried the chicken and egg don and the soft shell crab. Both dishes were good.<br/><br/>Service was alright but there was only one person there. I did like the decoration of the place and the view out the window.

I went for a geez with my family for nice food on a special day and I saw the outstanding pricing on the menu outside. The food was absolutely great with such a reasonable price. I'm willing to go again not only with my family but with my colleagues.

We came here for lunch one weekend and it was empty. There was only person serving and our food took a while even though there were no other people. When the food came, we were fairly satisfied though. I got the tempura. It was good but I wish there was more rice.

TL;DR: Location and atmosphere is nice and has great potential. Food quality does not live up to expectations - stick to ordering simpler things. <br/>____Came here with my sister as a treat on New Year's Eve. The restaurant was really quiet, with only one other couple there when we arrived. The atmosphere was pleasant, very elegant which reflected the quiet nature of the restaurant. The server was polite, but nothing too special. <br/><br/>My main issue with my experience was with the food, which explains the low rating. We both ordered a Salmon Teriyaki Dinner Set ('Petti'), which came with:<br/>-Two pieces of teriyaki salmon<br/>  *Probably the best tasting thing out of the entire dinner set. Fish was very well-cooked and flaked nicely. Had a melt-in-the-mouth kind of texture.<br/><br/>-Bowl of Rice<br/>-Salad + dressing<br/>  *Dressing was overly sour and harsh on the palette. Couldn't handle more than a couple of bites. Even after downing water, the sour taste lingered. The 'salad' was just shredded cabbage. <br/><br/>-Three pieces of nigiri sushi <br/>  *This was surprisingly disappointing because it wasn't what we were expecting. The pictures on the menu showed temari sushi and we were looking forward to that. Furthermore, the sushi rice seemed a lot more sour than normal sushi rice.<br/><br/>-Three types of sashimi (2 slices each) + one oyster<br/>-Four pieces of Tempura (1 shrimp, 3 root vegetables)<br/>-Miso Soup<br/><br/>The meal was very filling, as expected for something worth $30, but the taste left much to be desired. I expected a lot higher quality food for something of this price level. If we ever do choose to return, perhaps we'll stick to something a lot simpler. I just wish the experience would've been a lot better.

Don't know why there are so many bad reviews for this place. Came here for lunch and I thought this place was pretty good . Food was pretty nice. Price is justified in my opinion. <br/><br/>Food - 4.5/5<br/>Service - 4/5<br/>Price - 4.5/5<br/><br/>Overall - 4.5:5

I was so impressed with the consistently high quality of my recent takeaway orders (2), I decided to come here and write a review in praise. The sashimi cuts we were given by Koji on both occasions rivaled some of the best we've had. Beautiful cuts and wonderfully fresh. The teriyaki beef flavoursome and tasty. The tempura was a little bit soggy but to be expected as takeaway. Overall, we were very happy with the quality of the food we were served by Koji. Thank you!

God this place is bad! The interior is nice and pretty, but that doesn't matter if the food is disgusting! When we arrived nobody else was in there and I found it very dodgey because you have to walk up these thin stairs to get to the restaurant and the salad, which I usually eat in every Japanese restaurant, was horrid, the sauce was a bright orange and tasted sour and had a weird taste. The staff was very cold and were on their phones 50% of the time. Do NOT come to this restaurant if you don't want to waste $50.

If you are looking for a Japanese restaurant which will take over 40 mins+ for food you have found the right place took far too long when it wasn't busy during lunch. The chicken udon was okay tasting but the waiting time left a sour taste.

Went to Koji sunday night for my daughter's birthday dinner. At once we were given glasses with different bottom colours so it made for a little talk. We didn't have to wait long for the food. All looked scrumptious but I found the Teriyaki (i ordered chicken and my husband ordered salmon) were a bit on the sweet side. My daughter ordered spicy pork but was too spicy for her. Suggest that they have spicy levels on offer. The chicken katsu curry according to my son is decent. Overall service was great and food needs a little uplift although average and ok.

Many people associate Japanese food with small portions and being overpriced. But Koji is pretty reasonable. Their dinner set is pretty impressive and filling although some may complain about the $40 for the dinner set- although this is pretty reasonable compared with Western restaurants.

I came here for dinner one night with my flatmate when we were nearby and craving sushi. The place was mostly empty upon our arrival, and the waitress was very polite when taking us to our seats. We ordered a few set plates of salmon & chicken sushi. The wait time was a bit longer than expected for an empty restaurant, but I'm hoping that means they were making it fresh. The salmon did taste very fresh and the sushi overall was good, but definitely nothing overly exceptional, especially considering the price of it compared to regular sushi. Overall, not a bad experience, but would probably prefer to pay less for standard sushi in a box.

Nice, quiet place. Simple yet pleasing interior design. (Really nice (interesting) cups!) On the other hand, the food wasn't particularly amazing, it tasted nice, but the amount given was measly (only given five pieces of slightly overcooked, tough chicken). Which was slightly disappointing. Overall it is like any other Japanese restaurant and would be a nice place for a quiet date, or a lunch break from work.

First time lunching here ~<br/> Food is nothing out of the ordinary. From top to bottom, a teriyaki beef bento box, and a chicken teriyaki donburi box.<br/><br/> The beef was juicy and tender! I'll definitely pick the beef over the chicken, my chicken was on the dry side. <br/>I figure the donburi is better value for money around $26 over the bento which was $20, you get much more and you have the option of choosing which meat you'd like. I'd go for the beef next time.<br/><br/> Polite staff, upstairs away from the noise of Broadway so very nice to have a chat, and a clean facility. I would dine here again 😊

Their udons and other noodle dishes are defiantly worth a trip to New Market for. One of the best udon places for its price!  <br/><br/>They offer green tea with all the meals and every time I've been to the restaurant it has always been tidy

One of my favourite lunch options. Lunch boxes are fantastic value. Currently does not have liquor licence . Love the green tea and miso soup accompanying the sashimi, sushi and other assortments.

I have been curious about this little Japanese restaurant at the corner of street for a while. It's not as good as I thought. "Losing money" was already written on stuff's face. The entire experience was like she has to serve me. I ordered a grilled eel combo, she brought the soup, salad and rice first and waiting for the fish for 5m. The food tastes okay, nothing special.

Some reviews here are very misleading. Koji has been a family favourite for a couple of years now, and every time the food has been a dream. Being quite central, I'm surprised their spaces aren't constantly filled up as you get a great deal of value for money there, and the tea was most definitely hot. Possibly the only reason such bad reviews could have been made is they are written by opposing restaurants? Who knows. I absolutely recommend this.

We visit koji regularly and find the food and service to be consistently excellent. I particularly love the soft shell crab sushi rolls and seared salmon salad. In my opinion this restaurant provides fantastic value for money...plus it's not noisy, like some Japanese restaurants.

I went there recently and the male waitor was very impolite. I wouldn't recommend the restaurant to anybody. The tea was served cold and the food was not Japanese at all - apparently the chef is the owner and he's Korean. How do you expect a Korean to know what good Japanese food is? The food came out really late as well and there were absolutely no apologies. I could also tell that the restaurant uses poor quality soy sauce. They should use Kikkoman brand but no, the cheap quality soy sauce. Very disappointed. Also, the sashimi wasn't cut to the standard either.

Very yummy, good service and fresh sushi. Recommended

Went there a while back with a friend. There were not a lot of people there. The prices for me are a little bit pricey compared to the other Japanese restaurants I've been to. The food and the service are average.

I love japanese food, and would eat it all day if I could..I have been to many of the japanese restaurants in Auckland and Koji is definatly th best based on Quality, quantity, and price...if you havent been there you need to go!

Compared to Don Don Rikka, the sashimi in this restaurant is better as it doesn't have any fishy smell. In term of the size, it serves in a smaller portion which is not as filling as Don Don Rikka, which in fact gives a bit too much. If you want to have a decent clean Japanese food, check it out.

My wife and I visted Koji in Newmarket for dinner before going to the movies at Rialto. It was a Tuesday night and the place was completely empty which could have been a bad sign but it didn't turn out that way. We both love Japanese food and have visited most of the Japanese restaurants around the city and I'd say this is easily one of, if not, the best we have tried. What made it stand out above others was the absolute freshness and quality of the food. It was evident in everything we ate and the way in which we served. Highly recommended.