Review Moto Japanese Restaurant

cee doubleyou

1/ A very enjoyable dinner for two. Highly recommended. 2/ Return visit, steady patronage for a Friday night, another enjoyable dinner for two, picture tells it all.

Dins R.

This restaurant saved us 😉 we were supposed to have dinner in the city but the weather was horrible and it was very chilly, so we opted to eat somewhere nearby. We went to a couple of restaurants that were pricey and we ended up in the area where Moto is. We haven’t eaten here yet, so we decided to give it a try 👍 We sat at this slightly private area, ordered beef yakiniku, salmon sashimi, and dynamite roll and everything was SO GOOD 🤩 even the side salads were 👌 Food was served quick as well which is fab because we were so hungry and ate everything in minutes 😆 Highly recommended and will definitely be back! 💕

Yen Luong

Nice little Japanese restaurant. Has all the classic dishes and not a bad price. Staff were friendly. Would come again to try more.

ELÆN

*Updated 7/3/22: And still... Enjoyable authentic Japanese atmosphere, with awesome cosy booths. Staff friendly, food is very tasty and Heineken is available which is a BIG bonus.

Kevin E

Food was absolutely delicious. Place is a little dated, but the service was good.

Tee Hoha

Love coming here havent been here for awhile food is still good

Faith P

Food is okay and space is tidy but its just on the pricier side. My son (8) absolutely loves the food so great place for kids. Overall good experience.

dianne mckenzie

What a lovely place, super quick service and yummy food.

Meg

We absolutely love the Moto team. Their food is amazingly yummy. Staff are always friendly and we always leave feeling so humbled and loved. Value for money so you don’t break the bank taking the family out.

Totu Mer

Great food. My hot plate was $24, prices aren't bad. The staff are very accommodating and friendly. Highly recommend 😁

Zane Low

Great food. Best Donburi bowl

Mo Tee

Great food at a great price, authentic low key Japanese with friendly vibe. We had very quick service. Couples specials are 👌

Elon Gates

Always good good food very tasty

Michelle Wittwen

Excellent food at affordable prices. The little dining areas are private and atmosphere is chilled, love this place for a sneaky couples date night! A hidden gem...with Bokbunja!!!

Darryl Halloran

Our favourite, awesome people, food and reasonably priced.

Fiona Sullivan

Always lovely Good selection and friendly service

Mary Joy Roces

1st, customer service is terrible. the server is not even smiling; nobody greeted us and the resto is not even busy. 2nd, ramen tasted like instant noodles. we ordered seafood and spicy ramen. overall ambiance is nice that's why i thought food is delicious but it's not. sorry but not eating here anymore.

VII XII

Ordered the vegetable curry with rice tonight...there was barely any vegetables on this flat plate and the dish cost $16. Would not recommend because it is overpriced.

Zara

been going here for years now and am never let down, literally one of my favourite restaurants. 10/10 would recommend to anyone. My go to dish is the chicken Katsu don which is to die for. Staff are always friendly and food is always relatively fast. Great place!

Kate Williamson

Super cute place and great authentic decor. Run by Koreans so food lacks the finesse of truely Japanese places. Food was nice but just 'not quite', depth of flavour not quite there. Good service, portion size, price. Will stick to the usual Japanese place.

Bohye Jude Lim

Fantastic food and friendly staff. My family really enjoyed having meal and we were able to experience variety of food. My kids loved having Udon noodle and Chicken Katsu and they gave my children free ice cream too. We will be definately back :)

Carmelia Ng

I've been here a couple times. Last night I got food to takeaway and it was delicious. They have a wide variety including vegetarian. The meal I ordered was the vegetarian box and it was filled with different variety and it all taste amazing, even though it was to go! Restaurant itself is very cosy and cute. Staff seem friendly and pricing isn't too bad! Place to go out west if you feel like Japanese!

Jacinda Rouru

Went to Moto for dinner tonight and my boyfriend and I both ordered the spicy ramen. I am 100% certain that their spicy ramen is shin ramen (korean instant noodles.) The broth, noodle texture, the dehydrated mushrooms and the five minutes it took for it to come out. It's shin. I wasn't expecting amazing noodles but not instant noodles that are made the same way I make at home with an egg cracked straight into a pot and thrown in a bowl. Especially not for $12. You can buy 2 packs of five at that price. My partner liked the dumplings but I wasn't too fond of it. Might be worth noting that the owners were speaking Korean so it seems unlikely the food would be authentic if that's important to you

Ems

Food somehow downgraded from previous experiences. Cutlery wasn’t clean properly. Dishes are lack of flavor as it supposed to be. Disappointed.

Msav

Cute little restaurant, I would say that I always find myself coming back specially to dine in on their nicely decorated booths. Food is average, nothing too amazing however I would still come back here to eat!

LeeAnne Hunnibell

Our all time favorite Japanese Restaurant for dine in & takeaways, Food consistently excellent, Love the staff always bubbly & friendly. Value for money

Molly Hottman

Always delicious, but the prices on here are lower than in the restaurant! They tried to charge me an extra $12... Luckily when I showed the menu on here, they changed prices. Definitely worth confirming prices if you order via phone!

Haden

This place served me yakisoba which was boiled udon with raw mushrooms. Wrong cooking style and wrong kind of noodles. I cannot recommend this place at all.

Tarei SuperChur King

I've been coming here for years! Chicken Don buri and a freshly made tempura prawn roll is always a favourite when we visit. Good place for hosting a larger group as well. We've done birthdays here and they are very accommodating.

Hester Gabrielle Colmar Pierard

Have been a few times and it's always very busy! Would recommend the sushimi salad- see photo. Very tasty and a nice light lunch. They do great lunch boxes too. A bit pricey for my liking though and had to wait 20 mins or more for this simple sushimi salad.

Nathalie

Not a fan of this place (sorry) I'm sure the owner is not Japanese either, I can tell it's not authentic it was very average and very pricey for what you get. We ordered typical katsu and salmon teriyaki the serving was small and we paid almost $50 for it. I have been to better and more affordable Japanese places and unfortunately this isn't one of them.

Wai Thompson

This is my favourite place. Hint hint kids. I just love the atmosphere and the food. Highly recommend trying this place. Reasonably priced and staff are very nice too. Head chef is awesome. My fave dish is takoyaki. Done traditionally with tantalising flavours. Love love love it

Kim Alexander

Have been to moto a number of times for lunch and dinners. Every time we walk in we are always warmly welcomed by all the staff members. Their service is amazing, they're always attentive and super friendly. Food is always delicious and fresh. Have tried nearly everything on the menu and we love all of it. Can't wait to go again 😊👍🏽

Alice Marsh

Great services, Moto is always clean and tidy and the staff are always really friendly, this is one of my favourite lunch spots in Henderson.

Shannon Sinton

I have been here for lunch and dinner for years. Whenever I'm out West I bust Moto. The food is always delicious and fresh, the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming, and the staff are very helpful and polite. I'm going to keep getting my Japanese food from Moto when I'm in the neighborhood. My family and workmates love it also.

Eva Zhu

Came to Moto on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. The staff are friendly and greet you as you come through the door. Our food came very very fast and they're rather generous with portion sizes. We ordered the sashimi salad as an entree, personally I'm not a huge fan of spicy so I was disappointed to see chili sauce already on the sashimi salad which wasn't specified in the menu.. The salad itself.. Well.. There was a lot of green but pretty much no dressing! I guess it wasn't too bad. I myself ordered the sashimi bento which was satisfying but nothing extraordinary. My friends ordered the seafood udon, chicken katsu and the salmon don, all our meals were adequate. Was a fulfilling lunch, but again, no wow factor. Moto is the type of restaurant that you wouldn't get dressed up for, but you'd go with close friends or family if you're in the neighborhood with no care for what you eat.

Fat Bastard

Motos used to be really good, they changed ownership a few years back and its never been the same, staff are slow and inattentive, food is really over priced for what it is, i mean $14.00 for 6 dumplings?? Our last dining experience there they forgot the main for my partner Hannibaleater, overcharged us, and didnt seem to care at all, have not been back and have no intention of going back, if your looking for AMAZING jap in West Auckland try Yaruki down the road, much better!

Celeste

First time trying out this little Japenese gem of a restaurant. The takoyaki, seaweed salad and salmon sashimi was very good! The prawn dish was ok but not much flavour to it, a bit simple and bland. Would like to return and try out a tastier main meal :) excellent service & lovely atmosphere

Tony Wan

I was at this restaurant yesterday for lunch, my second time. I like this place. It's clean and tidy. Hygiene is important to me in a restaurant. This place meets my expectation. Their service is respectful and thoughtful. Attentive to customers. As for food, it's yummy. I like it. My friend with me like it too. So if you like a taste of Japanese I recommend this place. Go for it!

Madison Grevel

Been here a lot over the past few years and always happy with service,food and prices. Fresh food good quality. Clean and the people always have a smile on their faces

Zhora Watson

I love this place, great value for money! They are always so friendly and happy to help with our toddler. Always leaving feeling satisfied. Thanks so much

Don's Food Fiesta

I've been here a couple of times now and enjoyed myself every time. My parter on the other hand ordered the pork ramen which came out super spicy which was not mentioned on the menu. The noodle had a maggie noodle type texture to it. We asked to swap this with another meal. With hesitation, the lady serving us agreed. Still, the people are lovely and food is fresh.

Linny

This place is consistent with their food, we have had some days which were better than others, I wonder if they use different chefs on those nights? At least we can always go there and be able to pick something off their menu depending on our mood and most times we don't have any issues. We keep going back, so it's the average isn't enough to stop us going! There aren't that many reliable restaurants out west so it's sort of where we can go that's close and easy. They have an extensive menu with loads of options, although I do wish they did fresh tuna as sashimi and sushi as I think every Japanese restaurant should have this on their menu. As we are paying more for their items than at a regular sushi shop I would like to see it on there, hopefully they consider this for the future. The decor is nice and clean. It pretty much looks like most standard Japanese restaurants anywhere, lots of wood and Japanese art on the walls! I like the fact that they have booths as well, it's nice to have a little space to ourselves! I probably go here 3 times a year, and it's been there for years so they must be doing something right!

John Budd

The food here is great. plenty of variety. The Dinner Boxes are excellent. Looking forward to visiting again in the near future

Mireille

This review is long in coming. We eat at Moto every now and then and have done for the last 5 years. Never disappointed. Wonderful service. Many fond memories of family eating together there. Fresh delicious sushi etc.

Numcrun

I dine there regularly with some people who are extremely fussy. They are very happy with the service and food and prices. However, we are all pescetarian so I can't vouch for the meat dishes. The 1 star reviews are ridiculous.

Rachel Villalta

We go here often and it is always delicious. The staff are very friendly and although the food can be a little slow to come out it is worth the wait. We love coming here.

Nicole Adam

I am not a fan of this place. The only thing going for it are the friendly staff and the decor. The food was just awful. Probably the worst Japanese in Auckland I am saddened to say. My friend ordered the vegetarian yakisoba which turned out to be udon noodles in a light broth, some salad greens and some raw mushrooms. I ordered the pork katsu curry set and whilst the pork katsu was delicious the curry itself was very watery and bland. My husband ordered the curry ramen which had 2 minute noodles instead of delicious ramen style noodles, with an egg mixed in. I really wanted to like this place as the wait staff are really friendly and it is adorable inside but the food was just not up to standards :(

Haden Hansen

This place is not very good. Food is bland and expensive for the portion sizes. Service was friendly and efficient but the food simply did not live up to expectations. Food is in no way authentic, the staff aren't Japanese. The only saving things are 1: There's parking galore 2: The staff are friendly.

Janet Bailey

This must be the worst restaurant I have ever been to. We had only just been given the menu when we were asked if we were ready to orde. Food eatable, that's all I can say!! We had only half finished our mains when they asked if we were ready to order dessert!!

Rachel Schuurman

Fab sushi and really cute restaurant! Had a lovely lunch out. I had the chicken sushi set - YUM! Pretty good price too.

Laura

Eat here at least once a week/every 2 weeks for dine-in or take-away. LOVE LOVE LOVE. The food is so good and such a fast and easy place to go. The staff are always friendly and accommodating. Always take friends here and now they love it too. Thanks Moto!!

Alesha Niuapu

Best Japanese restaurant I've ever been to! I also don't understand the bad reviews, when my husband and I left moto the other night we immediately started planning our next visit! Ambience - authentic, pleasant, private, second to none; food - the FRESHEST, perfectly cooked, beautifully flavoured, presented well, and massive servings! The service was awesome as well, very warm and welcoming. We'll definitely be regulars now that we've finally tried moto

Pacificcartons

went here thinking it was the same franchise as Moto in Parnell Rd, which is amazing, but unfortunately had no association & the food wasn't fresh & the chicken was terrible! great atmosphere in the restaurant, but they need to get quality ingredients and know how to cook teriyaki fish + chicken & make fresh sushi. A must to check out Moto Parnell!

Courtney Maloyd

Great food and lovely service, pity my friends entree came out first and mine came out part way through our main, our sides came out before everything and our main came out at random times.

Tahlea Hohaia

I love this restaurant. Ive been addicted for 2months! I go 3times a week. I would recommend this place to everyone I know. I don't believe all the negative reviews the food is sensational. I always get the Lunch box. Beautiful teriyaki chicken&the best tempora .

Christina Loftin

For those who are surprised there are so many good reviews, I'm surprised why there are negative reviews. I love it there and so does my family. Food is always been great and have yet to have a "bad run" Staff are always friendly and its always clean when we've gone there be it dine-in or takeaways. In fact, we're going there again tonight so it has and still is our family's fav Japanese restaurant

Myers

I don't understand why this restaurant received so many good reviews. I trusted those good reviews but meals we had there were worst Japanese ever tasted. I'm sure a chef is not Japanese or trained as a Japanese chef because food didn't taste Japanese at all. Seasoned strangely or bland, we left most of what we ordered. Cheap sushi takeaway does better sushi than there. Won't go back again.

Siobon Inu

I've probably over exaggerated this rating because A) I've only been to a handful of Japanese Restaurants, B) This is my first ever Review and C) I'm not experienced in the review sense but in my opinion, I absolutely love Moto. I've been to Moto twice but both times, I was not disappointed. I ordered box sets both times and people may criticised how I haven't broaden my menu choices but this is my review, not theirs. The first thing I would like to comment on is the service. The servers were really friendly and were always on hand and I'll admit, a few laughs and good-natured small talk made my family and I comfortable. Secondly, the food, again in my opinion, was amazing. Personally, if I could live off any type of food, it would be Japanese. The entrees were hot and crunchy, the katsu was crispy, the sushi was fresh, the tempura was not greasy and the rice was just yummy. Lastly, the prices were a bit pricey but food is the art of the stomach and the stomach needs to be creative no matter the price of food. I know this review isn't exactly criticised of my time at Moto but I would go there any chance I get. But try it for yourself and create a review of your own.

Sophie Corban

Shocked to see so many good reviews. Went to Moto last night with my partner and he ordered the Chicken Katsu meal and I got the chicken ramen... Worst ramen I have ever tasted. It was stodgy and under seasoned and the chicken tasted dreadful too. The noodles were like 2 minute noodles and it was not worth the $14 I payed. The Chicken Katsu was huge and I suppose alright value for money but it was not fresh and it tasted very bland. Spring rolls we ordered for entree were like those bought from countdown. Only the Sapporo was really good. Left hungry and feeling gross. Never again!! Very disappointing!!

Sam Sang-woo Jeon

I am a regular customer visit Moto at least 2 times a month with my family. I was surprised by a customer rating this restaurant only one star. This restaurant has reasonable price and reasonable quality of food, and all the staffs are kind and take care the customers all the time except when they have too many customers like Friday and Saturday evening. :) I would like to give opposite comment what the previous customer gave. First of all Karaage. I never seen Karaage using drum stick before, but it should be seasoned chicken meat coated with wheat flour or potato starch. Not panko!!!!! (Sorry for the person who wrote the bad comment, but it made me laugh and forced me write this) I am not 100% sure they using right method or not, but they did not use simple breadcrumbs or PANKO, and taste was not that bad with Japanese mayo. Unless overcooked. By the way Panko means breadcrumb…. Second. Yakisoba. As I know, seven out of ten restaurant using egg noodle which is cheap and low quality. Two out of ten using udon noodle which is reasonable, and only one out of ten using proper Japanese. I am not sure about the chicken yakisoba, but beef yakisoba is one of my favourite menu. I could see quite many people having chicken meal and enjoying it. Thank you for warm welcoming all the time and free ice-cream for my children. I wish Moto doing a flourishing business.

Carine Sweetashoney

We ordered take away food for my birthday from this restaurant because the rating was really good. Unfortunately I have been really disappointed. The Yaki Soba was made with thick white glutinous noodle such as udon instead of thin buckwheat flour noodle. The chicken was hard to eat and the meal was full of oil really disgusting. We also ordered Karangahake chicken and the coating was made with simple breadcrumbs instead of panko which is usually used for that dish and it is really crispy. The chicken was oily not crispy and overcooked. And finally we ordered some yakitori which was only small bad quality chicken over covered by a sweet sauce. For me it is not worth the 50 dollars I spent and I was really sad to use my birthday budget for a so poor quality food. It was everything expect Japanese food.

Debra

Moto is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants! I would highly recommend dining in or getting take out. Their service & quality it top notch. My husband and I have been frequenting Moto for the last 5 years since we moved into the area. Their Sushi, Sashimi & cooked meals are all equally delicious making their box meals value for money if you enjoy a bit of everything. I would highly recommend my friends & family to eat here as I can ensure they will leave happy with filled tummies! Thanks Moto, your awesome! :)

Al Kumar

Best Teriyaki ever. We ran into this restaurant just for a quick lunch a few years back and it was the best Japanese food we have tasted so far. Now being a regular customer their service and quality as well as quantity of food is excellent. The lovely small private booths are very nice. They offer a wide selection of food for everyone and the price is very reasonable as well. A must try if you living in the wild wild west. Moto Restaurant surely deserves a 5/5 rating for Business dining or just a nice dinner out with your partner/friends or family.

Linda Oudshoorn

Went to Moto last night and sat in one of their lovely little booths. The tempura had to be the best I've ever had and all the staff were wonderful. They were also very understanding of the rather demanding vegetarians behind us. Wonderful wonderful food at very good prices

Candy Boy Food Journey

My partner and I love this place. It is our sushi place of choice and we tend to end up there about once a week. The salmon/avocado roll is amazing.The waitresses and sushi chefs have always been really friendly with us. It's a small, cozy restaurant but without feeling too personal for comfort. The atmosphere is a relaxed quiet, except for maybe on a busy Friday or Saturday night. I really recommend it for tasty, fresh sushi!

Alexandra

Great restaurant! The food is amazing and the staff are very polite and friendly, so excellent service :). I would recommend the vegetarian box and the deep fried banana desert. The staff brought out a deep fried banana and ice cream desert with candles on it because it was my birthday. This was an unexpected surprise and it was lovely of the owners to do this! I don't think I have ever been surprised with a free desert :) and it was delicious!! I would definitely recommend this restaurant and I will be going there again.

Amy Cosford

I can't fault Moto. We dined there this evening for my sons 8th Birthday. The service was fantastic, the food was so delicious and so fresh. Our kids are 8, 5 and 2 and there was ample choices that suited their ages. At the end, the chef/owner came out from the kitchen with an ice cream sundae for our Son, and ice creams for the other 2 too. The birthday boys dessert had a candle and the staff sang!! It made our boys day! Such a surprise, and so lovely! So nice for that they did a little extra and made his night much more special! Totally recommend their delicious food to everyone :)

Souxsi

We live close to Moto, and so we are there at least once a week. The food is always great, the staff are very friendly, and I enjoy the intimate side tables for socializing with friends or my partner. I suggest the tempura, or the dynamite sushi roll. The vegetarian roll is good too, so much flavor and texture. YUM!

Puawai Kopu

Moto is always excellent. They're fast and efficient. Now, you have to be sure the wait staff 'sees' you. It's invariably busy in the place and so there is a chance if you're not 'seen' sitting, you're not served as fast. Otherwise, excellent food, great service and quick. Perfect for popping out to have lunch there. Plus, you can play 'Spot the Shorty' Star since the studio is only a hop skip and jump away.

Laurel Jenna Black

Food was beautiful! Shame about the service though. Waitress was texting on her phone. We had to clear our own tables and had to go up to the counter a few times because she was on her phone.

Ally Glen

Great place, always enjoy the service and meals. Good value.

Dave Jennings

The best Japanese restaurant. Great food and very good value.

Review Moto Japanese Restaurant - Auckland Central