Review Ozeki Japanese Restaurant - Wellington

In addition to evening options this cafe/restaurant in Tory St is a lovely place for a weekday lunch. It's a calm atmosphere with a great selection of Japanese options - whether you're after a light lunch or something more substantial. Staff are always friendly and accommodating, service is fast, and the tables and general layout make it a good place just to catch up and chat. Over that lunchtime period (about 11:30 am to 2 pm) it's usually open from Tuesday to Friday. I've been there several times and never been disappointed. Highly recommended as a nice place to refuel and unwind before facing the afternoon.

I absolutely adore this place! Came here for a birthday dinner. They cater to large groups (there were about 16 of us) they’ve got a huge menu so there’s something for everybody! Staff were absolutely lovely. We went on a Sunday when it was quieter. Service was a little slow but super understandable with only 1 FOH staff on. Food was delicious and super reasonable!! Definetly secured itself as my favourite BYO spot in welly!!

If you want to have the best Japanese food in all of Wellington this is the place to go, excellent service, excellent atmosphere, excellent place to go.

The BEST Japanese in Wellington. I visited from Australia a few weeks ago & I'm still thinking about the incredible food... I will definitely be back one day! The ladies who served us were super lovely & had great service :)

Good place to visit. Wanted to try for a while. The place is very big and can suit large parties. Tried few things: edamami, aged dashi tofu, and two sets : bbq beef and katsu set. Edamami and aged tofu were delightful ! Very well seasoned edamame was great for start. Tofu was delicious. Very crispy outside and silky inside. I was very pleased. The set were a nice combo: miso soup, rice, and salad, and whatever meal you have chosen. Bbq beef was nice. Thinly sliced, well seasoned, and hot. I thought katsu could be better. It seemed it was little bit overfried. The servise was friendly. They do have specials there on Tuesday, 2 for 1 bento, which we didnt get. But seems like people were coming for that and they had 2 large parties. I thought its a good place but somehow it seemed that they little bit struggle to get customers. The food is good ! Don’t know why I felt this way. Ah ! If you visit, take a jacket with you. Its a little bit cold inside.

Amazing food, great layout and super lovely service. HIGHLY recommend!!! Can't believe I've never been there before!

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Consistently excellent Japanese cuisine and loveliest people! Highly recommended for small or large groups.

What a pleasant surprise to discover this gem in the city. Hugely popular for groups. BYO. Enjoy the fresh snack food and the authentic sake 酒

Lovely place. Delicious food and welcoming, charming, genuine service.

I've been here quite a lot of times as really love the environment and good quality food is always awesome. Also, sometimes if I have social party it's a good place to go as they have really long tables and byo so everyone is happy. Food options are various, my vegetarian friends are satisfied. Overall very happy experience with them😊

The portion is really small, the curry katzu was way under my expectation, but the stir fried teriyaki chicken noodle is nice.

Decor is nice. bonus that it is byo I guess. It is extremely loud in there so unless you're drunk it's very uncomfortable. Teriyaki tofu stir fry is literally mccains frozen stir fry steamed with a drizzle of watery teriyaki sauce over it, salad is the packaged stuff from countdown. Miso tasted like it was from the packet. You can do far better elsewhere for the price they charge. Agadashi tofu was okay.

My friends and I love this place! Friendly and fast service even when it’s busy. Their sushi is great and always fresh. As a sushi lover this is always my go-to restaurant

Terrible service. We got seated and waited 45 minutes to be served. We ordered and some more of our party came after we ordered but ordered at the bar. They were served first. Ten minutes before us. <br/>The tables we to close together I got elbowed in the head by a server and hit by elbow and bums from the other table. Way to cramped!<br/><br/>The food was pretty good despite the terrible service.

Came on a Friday and it was super busy with big groups. Staff were very friendly. Food was reasonably priced. The vegetable gyoza were nice but not traditional in the way they were cooked and the filling. The agedashi tofu was yummy! The tofu set was very generous but there was barely any teriyaki sauce and the tofu wasn’t cooked like I’ve seen in other Japanese places with a crispy outer layer and a soft middle. It was cooked similar to a Thai restaurant? The miso was good! <br/><br/>Would go back, the fact that it’s BYO is a definite plus.

Excellent!  Gourmet Japanese at its best!<br/><br/>The food at Ozeki is superb.  Always fresh and prepared<br/>with caring attention to detail.  Each dish is lovingly created and absolutely delicious.<br/>The presentation in bento boxes and Japanese artistic crockery<br/>looks great too!  Check out the pictures on the Ozeki Facebook page and the Ozeki website.  I had the bento box with teriaki vegetables, agadashi tofu<br/>and assorted tempura along with rice, miso soup and a green<br/>garden salad dressed with a tasty vinagarette.  The menu is huge and includes the whole range of sashimi, sushi and delectable appetizers like dumplings, edamame, skewers and fritters.<br/>If you're unsure what to order, the friendly staff are always willing to make suggestions for a wonderful selection.<br/>Ozeki is vegetarian and vegan friendly.  They will make sure to cater for your personal dietary needs. It is family owned and the cozy warm atmosphere reflects this. The chairs are comfortable and the tables are made from feel at home wood.<br/>This place is without doubt, the absolute go to Japanese restaurant in Wellington.<br/>The staff really care and treat every guest with respect and personal attention.

The thing I like about this place is that they are pretty close to hitting the mark with Japanese food (tempura was pretty close to anything I got in Japan) and the Kastudon was not bad either but the thing I like about this place is that they were super fast in bringing the food and you always get a lot of it. I will return no problem.

The food was very expensive for the poor quality. I got tempura udon. The noodles were flavourless almost like it was just water + noodles. The tempura was soggy and the vegetables were undercooked. Also your only allowed wine, not any other drink so be aware. I paid 19.50$ but it was probably worth $5

My fave restaurant in Wellington. The atmosphere is great. Family owned and very friendly service - The food is great too :) Highly recommend.

It has become sort of a ritual for our family, to visit this place whenever we go shopping around Wellington CBD. We love the dining atmosphere of Ozeki, especially the large Japanese Yamato-e style wall painting. We had Deep fried squid, Gyoza for appetisers. Teriyaki chicken, Pork Kastu and Angus Beef for main. Top quality food and the prices are very affordable. This place is unique, charming and makes you happy for being there. I cannot wait to go back.

Came here for dinner with family. The place is big and spacious. Concrete floors and walls made for a very noisy night. The menu is fairly limited and a but over priced. I had the teriyaki chicken, unagi, tempura set. Had Karannge chicken and salt pepper squid appetiser. Appetisers were great. Mains were average. Tempura felt a bit old, like they were cooked many hours before being served. Kids enjoyed their noodle soup and sushi. Not sure if we'll be back.<br/>

Great for cheap and cheerful Tepenyaki. Definately recommend this place for large group outings with BYO option. The weekend can get very busy with a young crowd out for a cheap BYO evening. Farewells and parties are a seller for me. A party atmosphere on their busier nights.

Staff was quite rude and bad service asked me 3 times whether I had brought in any alcohol and I said no. Food was fast and tasty but the service is terrible and layout of restaurant very confusing

We went for the set menu for two. Two of the dishes were ok but the lamb dish didn't work for me-it's a bit too fatty. This place is vast and doesn't not have atmosphere or intimacy. I would come here for a quick bite but not a special night.

Today was a bit of a celebration- like everyday. A huge group of people who I'd been living with decided to do a floor event. As such someone chose to come to Ozeki. Which was great, but knowing me I had a look at the places rating beforehand and I was shocked to see it so low. So I came in open minded.<br/><br/>The facilities were pretty well maintained as you walked in. The staff were very accommodating considering there was nearly 50 people this time over. They had us seated in our own private room with us decking out three really large tables. As this was a BYO each had to pay a five dollar drinking fee on top to keep the bar afloat. A large dinner menu was set versus other Japanese cuisines: Noodles, Katsu/Don, Sushi, Seafood and smaller appetizer plates.<br/><br/>Overall the food they brought out was actually pretty good, my chicken was well cooked and we'll dressed while the rice was nice and chunky and there was also salad to make the pallette slightly healthier.<br/><br/>Overall the food came out really fast considering there was soo many people and their service was smooth and accommodating so I couldn't say I was dissatisfied. Pretty good overall.

Absolutely excellent.  Delicious selections, friendly and accommodating staff<br/>and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.  This was my first time at Ozeki and I chose the teriyaki vegetables with tofu set menu, but here's the thing that makes Ozeki<br/>stand out:  I noticed that there is also a tempura set menu available, so I asked<br/>the waitress if I could have a smaller portion of tempura along with a smaller portion of teriyaki vegetables with tofu as a combination and she said that was perfectly fine - no extra charge.<br/>The customised set menu came out after about ten minutes, served in a bento style box.  The tempura was crispy hot and absolutely delicious, with a side of dipping sauce. <br/>The portion was quite substantial and extra care was taken as small strips of paper lined the dish to blot any excess oil.  The teriyaki vegetables and tofu were steaming hot, slightly crunchy but delightfully soft enough at the same time; the veggies included:  broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, well trimmed bok choy leaves, green and red capsicum -along with fried tofu in a light<br/>veggie based broth.  A green salad with a ginger vinagarette dressing, a bowl of steamed white rice and a bowl of miso soup rounded out the set.  I was delighted with the dinner and went back the next day to enjoy the same meal again.  The manager greeted me with a smile and the set menu came out within ten minutes.  Again, same excellent quality. Ozeki has a very kind and gentle atmosphere with an ambiance like eating at a friend's house.<br/>The staff go out of there way to make sure guests are comfortable and treated with the highest respect.  I've tried a number of Japanese restaurants in Wellington and Ozeki is by far not only one of the best Japanese restaurants in Wellington, it is simply one of the best restaurants that Wellington has to offer.

very fresh food... loved the sashimi set menu. service was attentive and food came out promptly with a reasonable byo charge. will be back again

Went with my friend on Monday ~  the environment is so nice !  and the food is fantastic ! love the Edamame beans , BBQ salmon sushi , Karrage and teriyaki chicken the most !  nice for going a date ~ :)

We came in for an early dinner.  We ordered appetisers and shared it with the group (like squid takoyaki, edamame beans, gyoza etc). It was a superb introduction for our mains.  The sashimi (selection of tuna, terakihi, snapper & salmon) were very fresh and sourced from a local supplier the same day.  I am glad I ordered the sashimi along with tempura, gyoza, sushi and hot miso soup. The service was prompt and the staff were very courteous.  We finished the night with rice tea. Everyone agreed that we will go back to bring along our other friends.

Went here for a friend's birthday and was certainly not disappointed.  We went on quite a busy night, so the food didn't all come out at once.  We opted in for BYO which was only $3 per bottle, a great deal.  Admittedly the first time I went here I didn't find it to be anything special, but I feel that was more because I was ordering the wrong things for myself.  I am certainly looking forward to going back!

Some of the mains eg teriyaki don are quite small in size and underwhelming for the price they are. All the starters are great. Pretty good Japanese food overall! Good place to come for byo as there are very large tables, so can fit big groups.

The food is tasty, but overpriced for what it is. There are other Japanese restaurants nearby that surpass Ozeki for similar price. It is good for big groups for an event, however this tends to invite only young BYOers, which turns the restaurant into a bit of a very loud party room (This may be the atmosphere you're after). The Staff can also be a bit rude which is disappointing. The best part of Ozeki is their salad dressing.

First off, sorry for the not-so-great photos, completely forgot to take any until 3/4 way into our food. My boyfriend and I decided to go here for date night last weekend. Got in at about 6 and the restaurant was about half full. We were promptly seated at a nice quiet corner and told about the specials from a nice server. I ordered the winter salmon hotpot with rice, boyfriend ordered the wasabi beef hot plate. We also both got a side of okonomiyaki. The okonomiyaki was absolutely delicious- crispy on the outside, hot, and came with plenty of sauces and fish flakes. My main was a bit of a fun little experience- the server brought it over in kind of like a tea candle holder looking thing and lit a fire under it. I watched it boil away and cook the salmon for about ten minutes until it was done. The broth itself was really tasty- think mildly spicy miso. It came with some udon and veges which were really good. I suspect it would have not been particularly filling if it weren't for the side of rice I got but it was still tasty. Boyfriend said the same for his meal, so was happy he got the set with udon. His beef was cooked go absolute perfection though, and the wasabi sauce was especially tasty, but not too hot so it will appeal to most palettes. I really enjoyed my food here and it was a bit of a fun experience :~)

Food prepared was lovely and service did a fantastic job in the face of a fully-packed restaurant. However if you're after a quiet dinner on a Friday night, book for before 8pm!! This was evidently a popular BYO spot for some friday night students and it got a bit too rowdy for easy conversation after about 8.30.

We went here for a BYO with a small group and within 5 minutes we were all fuming. We were in a smaller room with two huge groups and the room had no sound absorption, we couldn't even hear ourselves think. We resulted in yelling at each other which kills the mood of a BYO, but the food was really good - hence the two stars. Definitely only go here on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.Adam J Middleton

Great atmosphere and service here. Fresh beautiful food that's tasty and nicely presented. Reasonably priced for filling dishes. Loved the sashimi especially . Will be making this a regular haunt 😃

Had a lovely night at Ozeki. Prompt service, great food and a friendly place. Good for groups with plenty of big tables and most mains about $20-$25. And very filling!

I went mid week on a Thursday. I liked the relaxed dining style. There was a good variety of sushi, sashimi, don-buri and noodle dishes. The staff were friendly and prompt (We added an extra order of shrimp that they quickly produced and tasted great). I also had the Gyoza (japanese dumplings) and soybeans which were also very tasty. As mains I ordered the sashimi set meal, which was very fresh and a good quantity. It felt very authentic. Overall I had a great experience, definitely recommend this place, certainly more than just a BYO hangout.

I don't like this place at all. Being Japanese I get strong vibes that this place is not owned by Japanese, but rather Chinese or Koreans. Who ever owns the place must not like Japanese because they don't take pride in their food or service. Was highly disappointed by the rude waitress and expressive price for mediocre food. I think a lot of people feel the same way.

Oh the memories of Saturday night BYO dinners and Ozeki! I hadn't been to Ozeki in about two years and came back for a visit the other night. It was a weeknight but everything was just the same minus the crowds of drunken students. I recommend this place if you are looking for a starting place for a rowdy night out with friends.  The only amazing thing on the menu is the BBQ salmon sushi which is absolutely mind-blowing. But please note, when your half way through the delicious entree, mains start arriving. The rest of the food tastes alright but when your washing it down with a $8 bottle of sav, who the hell cares!

Went here on a Saturday night with a group of 10. 10 minutes after arriving we were finally told our table was ready. We were put into the back area which was already very loud and warm. We waited 20minutes before  ordering and considering some wanted drinks this seemed like a long time. <br/>After ordering the staff came and asked us to move tables since they had another large group come in and wanted our table. we moved into the main area where it was cooler and a bit quieter.<br/>  I wanted a Katsu Curry and was very happy to find out they would make it with tofu for me even though it wasn't on the menu. When the meal arrived, those who ordered starters were receiving them at the same time as their mains. ON our table we had a pork, chicken and tofu katsu curry. The pork came with very little sauce, however the chicken had potatoes and lots of sauce.<br/>BYO is only available on wine but you can purchase beer and other drinks. Paying was a lot easier then normal and they organised each person by name rather then  by table and at the end come to the table to take payment.

Dined here with friends which was a good experience. However, the waitress who served us was rude and rushed our orders. The miso soup me and my other friend had was cold.

Even if you book the side room for your birthday 3 or 4 weeks in advance, and double check the booking a few night before, when you show up with your friends on the night they have given it to someone else and didn't tell you. They will then make 25 of you smoosh up in the back of the restaurant on only two tables. Food has too much sugar added and you don't get much for your money. Definitely would not go back.

Ozeki serves its purpose. That purpose being large tables and flowing BYO wine. I walked in and felt like I was in a university canteen. The corkage fee is $4 so this is a popular weekend spot for birthday/stag do/hen night carnage. The service is slow and very inattentive. They also ask you your name on ordering which instantly cheapens your whole experience. The food isn't the problem. Everything else is.

No need for a long review for Ozeki. Restaurant was packed, understandable given the $4 corkage. Took 1.5 hours for food to come out, slow non-attentive service. The food came out in reasonably big and filling portions but clearly far off from authentic Japanese food, and the sauces they used for most dishes was generally too sweet. Fun place for a group byo but don't expect too much out of the food.

The service is good the ambience is good the food is good. Had the dragon roll, ebi tempura it's a really nice Japanese restaurant but not the best one

Went here on a Saturday night for a birthday dinner. Food is ok but there is way nicer Japanese food in Wellington. The real problem was the service. We ordered our starters and they came out within 2 minutes and not all at the same time so we had to wait around. And then they didn't come back to check our table or take our main orders for more than an hour. We physically had to go up to one of the girls and ask them if they could take our Orders and clear our plates and not as if the place was busy. Was nice food but there is better out there with way better service!

This is the kind of restaurant you only go to when you have a large group and you want it to be BYO, not if you want authentic Japanese food. The dishes are tasty enough, but nothing extraordinary- just your typical Japanese style fare of teriyaki, teppanyaki, and more... teriyaki. <br/><br/>The real draw card is that they can easily accommodate large (at times rowdy) groups, and generally have something that will please everyone. Even those who don't like sushi will be satisfied with some dumplings, noodles, or a katsu dish.

Out for a special birthday dinner with family, hoping for a nice night, Ozeki did not deliver. The food provided was a poor interpretation of Japanese cuisine, poor service (we waited 1.5 hours for our meal) and to top it all off, as we left, a drunken man on his stag-do danced naked on the table, to the applause of his mates. The fish was not fresh and none of the care usually afforded to good Japanese food was shown. Disappointed and advising others to avoid wasting their and money like we did.

We were a large group of twenty people going to Ozeki for a BYO. The food was nice enough however there were a couple of issues where people with allergies were given incorrect information by the staff. Nuts and shellfish were in both the meals even though the staff insisted they were not! Luckily our friends spotted the food early.<br/><br/>I couldn't speak lower of the service on the night. After only 1 hour 45 minutes our table was asked to leave because they had double booked us. We all still had half a bottle of wine each and had only just finished eating. The old lady was rude, persistent and started clearing away half drunk bottles when we refused to leave. After telling them we were not ready to leave 5 time (not exaggerating), they forced all 20 people onto one 10 person table. <br/><br/>This is not a one time occurrence. I have been here previously where the same thing happened. It appears to be a strategy to overbook tables and offer free corkage to leave. They want to get a quick throughput on tables so force people out in under 2 hours. This time we did not accept the free corkage in exchange for leaving and they got very rude about it.<br/><br/>Don't go here unless every other BYO in town is booked. It's a terrible experience.

So disappointing! I'm a vegetarian which is not usually a problem when eating out. I had the option of a spring rolls appetizer or sushi. I tried to order sushi but could apparently only order 12 pieces? In the end brought the spring rolls for $6.40. I knew there wouldn't be a lot, but was totally disappointed with 4 pinky sized spring rolls. Which was my whole meal for the night. I don't even think these were made by the restaurant. I can buy 24 at the supermarket for that price so 4 was sad. All of my friends brought meals with chicken in it, however not much was eaten as the chicken was pink and no one wanted to get sick.<br/><br/>Worst of all at the end of the night a women came over and tried to charge a person at our table a corkage fee. She explained she hadn't brought any alcohol, which she explained was for drinking SOMEBODY ELSE'S bottle of wine at the table. What? We tried to explain this was an unusual thing to do, she kept repeating that it was the rule, and we were clearly not leaving before it was paid. <br/><br/>Terrible service, terrible prices for the quantity and quality of food. I would not go back here again!

A group of friends dined at Ozeki last night. The large, open restaurant filled up quickly and soon became very loud. We made a booking for ten people are were told that we could have the table for two hours. Upon arriving, they had set one table for eight and put the last two of our group on another large table across the aisle from us - not what we had in mind! Some other groups moved their tables together but we needed to leave an aisle for service so ended up cramming all ten of us around a table for eight. Elbow room was very limited and the backless form seats meant we had to hold our folded coats on our laps or put them on the floor while eating. We started with tori gyoza (chicken and seafood) flat fried dumplings, which I found too oily. My main course of curry katsu don (a thick curry over sliced pork cutlet on a bed of sticky rice) was ok, if a little sweet and tasteless. My partner's teriyaki chicken don was much more tasty. The set meals our friends ordered looked very 'kiwi' and the side dishes were casually shared around the group after the rest of us had finished our mains. Service during the night was fine; our water bottles were regularly refilled and the staff worked quickly to try and deal with such a busy restaurant. An ok venue for group dinners but I wouldn't go to Ozeki looking for a quiet meal.

I visited here last Saturday as I'm a half Japanese. The place was really busy, loud and full of Kiwi with BYO drinks. There was no Japanese worker even the customers. I ordered a special dinner set and curry udon and shared with my friend. However, I was very disappointed with the food especially curry udon was tasteless. It hasn't got curry taste at all, just salty. Sushi was alright. I can't call their food "Japanese food". Never visit again. I recommend that you should go to real Japanese restaurant which Japanese own.

A great place for cheap BYO with a large group but not much else. The food is ordinary to say the least, the ingredients didn't appear to be particularly fresh and the portions aren't big. A great place to meet friends before a night out but a bit too noisy for an intimate meal.

Visited here not long ago, the place was not too busy. Ordered chicken meal with the rice, soup and salads. I was really disappointed with the food, the chicken wasn't even fully cooked. Like literally 1/3 of the chicken still has blood in it. Tried to catch the waitress's attention several times, but never managed to make the contacts. The little girl was apparently either busy playing with her cellphone at the bar or ended up serving others. In the end left the place without filling my tummy. Really regretted making the decision to go here and wasted my $20+. Had to go BK in the end for some cheap alternatives to fill myself.<br/>Suggestion: worst service in town and if you want sashimi (raw chicken), go there but if you want a decent cooked chicken meal, then even KFC is better than this place.

Overpriced for the size and quality of the meal. I ordered eel; came out as a few bits of defrosted eel thrown over rice. Was not worth the $25+ plus price tag. At all. <br/><br/>However, a pull for many is the cheap corkage and ability to host large groups.<br/><br/>If you are wanting a good Japanese meal for your dollar- don't come here. <br/><br/>If you want to be able to have a big BYO get-together, Ozeki does the job.

I have been to Ozeki several times, for several different reasons. Every time I have been there the food has been totally legit, granted I do not have much experience with Japanese cuisine except the odd sushi roll. But regardless I have always really liked it, the staff have been accommodating whether I was there for a BYO or with my girlfriend for a quiet meal, and the food was mean (especially the teriyaki chicken don).<br/><br/>Just be wary about going there when BYO's are likely to be taking place, can get pretty noisy.

Caught up with friends for a casual dinner at Ozeki and was bitterly disappointed by the experience. We were placed in the 'function room' next to a large group of 30. <br/><br/>The noise was insane, we could barely hold a conversation with each other, add to that the abuse we received from the large group when they wanted to give speeches and we wanted to keep talking to each other.<br/><br/>My partner and I ordered a banquet meal, which was good value for money except that it was cold. Our ears were still ringing from the noise of that room. Not a good place for a group dinner.

This is our second visit and after the service we received I'm not sure we will be back. Shame really as the food is pretty decent.<br/><br/>The manager, a depressed looking chap in his 20's or 30's, walked us over to a table and tossed down 3 menu's (though there were 4 of us) and carried on walking... we asked if this was our table which he grunted and nodded so we sat down.<br/><br/>It took him 10 minutes to return and my wife had to grab his attention to get drinks ordered.<br/><br/>Food was ordered shortly after and came reasonably snappy. good sized portions and i cant say there was any complaint about the food except my friend who asked for her salmon main to be cooked medium rare and not too dry. this was cooked more the latter than the former, however just a small niggle.<br/><br/>Again we had to catch the managers attention for my wife to order another drink, he sorted that out and on return my friend had to ask him for another wine also as he didn't bother to ask if anyone else would like one. on return with that wine we asked for a bottle of water which he want too happy having to go back and get for us. this could have been easily avoided by just taking a proper drinks order.<br/><br/>The best bit was at the end when the table was being cleared. my wife had some chicken udon left over which I asked for a doggy bag to take it away. he huffed and returned with a plastic box, the kind that you would put a baked potato in, not soup. and dropped it on the table with a plastic bag. I guess we were supposed to transfer the food into it ourselves. i asked the young girl who was also serving in the restaurant if we could have a more suitable container, this time she returned and apologized for the error, but again we were expected to fill it ourselves. I mentioned that this was very unusual and actually unacceptable.<br/><br/>She was very apologetic and I felt quite sorry for her.<br/><br/>We asked her who the manager was as we wanted to complain however it turned out the grumpy moron was the man.<br/><br/>We left with a bitter taste in our mouths from the very poor service. <br/><br/>I would be happy to hear back from them if they would like to discuss this further<br/><br/>Food 8/10<br/>Service... difficult to measure due to the sheer lack of it. 2/10

I'm quite sure most people in Wellington have never had proper Japanese cuisine, because the food here is sub par at best. <br/><br/>It like a non-Japanese person decided to make Japanese food just by add the right sauces, and that's where the resemblance stops. <br/><br/>The katsu is old and thin and not even made properly. Over all the standard of food was quite poor, considering the price of the dish.<br/><br/>There is no real Japanese restaurant I can compare it to in Wellington, because I have yet to see one.

Went here for a group dinner. Had a wonderful dinner- their squid teppanyaki was wonderful- crispy and chewy in a wonderful teriyaki sauce. <br/>The ambience was great and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. <br/><br/>The only complaint is that they could arrange their seating better. Despite having made a booking, we had to be reseated twice!<br/><br/>Would definitely return though for food however.

the first time we went there was Wednesday evening for a work do and it was awesome, the food was amazing and filling. second time we went, the service was very slow (it was a Saturday) the place was packed and good took ages. being a byo though was good, something to drink while we waited. would recommend you go during the week and be sure to book ahead and arrive close to 5ish.

This place is a rip off. The sushi is tiny and over priced. I love salmon sushi and if you want a normal size sushi roll it costs approx $5 for 2 pieces. Staff were unfriendly. I am not returning.

Great little place, very friendly staff.<br/>went there for lunch with couple of mates and the place was clean, good fast services.<br/><br/>Great lunch . thanks guys will definitely go again.

As a group we had a great night here, the service is not spectacular but its not awful, they are efficient. Considering how busy it was our meals came out very quickly after ordering. They don't do desert and try to turn the tables over quickly though so not a place you can really linger, but the food and drinks were very reasonable price and I would definitely go back.

The food is very tasty, the people are friendly and the service is good. Excellent place to do.

As far as cheap Japanese BYOs in Wellington go I think this is the best. Nice and spacious, cute set meals and lovely miso. The staff are friendly but it did feel like they rushed me to order, but just a little bit. I recommend the vegetarian gyoza - yum! Saltiest edamame I have ever had though and I'm a person who salts my salad!

I came across Ozeki on my journey to find some quality, reasonably priced Japanese food in Wellington. I had been around many of the "Japanese" joints in the city, only to find that what they served was pseudo-Japanese food made by every other ethnicity other than Japanese. <br/><br/>At the time, I had a specific craving: karaage (fried chicken). I hit up all the restaurants in central Wellington, only to find that it wasn't on the menu (Keeping in mind that this dish is pretty much the kumara chips of Japan).<br/><br/>Finally, I found what I was looking for on the menu of Ozeki. I was stoked.<br/>Now for the review...<br/><br/>I went in for a quick lunch, just after 1pm. The place was pretty empty, 3 tables including myself. I ordered the set E, which consisted of teriyaki chicken, edamame beans, miso soup, rice and karaage.<br/>My meal came out very quickly, less than 15 minutes, however I definitely would not have minded to wait a little longer if that meant that my karaage/chicken would have been cooked properly. It wasn't just pink, it was actually raw in the middle. <br/>The edamame beans were far to salty, the handful of rice was over-cooked, the miso soup was too watery and the teriyaki chicken was below average.<br/>Considering the volume of the meal, $16 is fairly reasonable, that is, if the chicken was cooked properly. <br/><br/>I would like to give this place a second chance, perhaps try their takoyaki or gyoza, however, I doubt that I will be going here again anytime soon. <br/><br/>2.5/5 for me.<br/><br/>Also, the staff seemed very indifferent to the fact that I was served uncooked chicken and instead asked if I was interested in dessert... not happy.

We dined here Friday night. After having read the reviews about the bad service, we got asked were we ready to order about 8 times by about 3-4 different people! We felt a little pressured to hurry which we don't like and the restaurant wasn't too busy at 7pm. However about 15 minutes later it was so incredibly busy we were shocked as to how many people actually could dine at this place. The food was delicious and priced very well. Would definitely come back but perhaps for lunch or another night when it's less busy.

We went to Ozeki on Saturday night for a byo, we had group of 12. After reading some reviews I was a bit sceptical about the service, but we were pleasantly surprised. We arrived at 8pm and got to choose a table. The waiters quickly brought us all wine glasses. They gave us sufficient time to order. The food was delicious and it came out quickly but not to quickly. Our table was impressed with the quality and quantity of food as well as the prices. The fried chicken was delicious and the sushi pieces were fresh, I even enjoyed the miso soup. The restaurant is a lot bigger than I thought and it was fully packed but the tables are spacious and we didn’t feel like sardines like you do in some byo restaurants i.e. Hede! The staff didn’t pressure us to leave after we finished our meals and we were able to finish our wine comfortably. I will definitely return to Ozeki.

Amazing food!!!<br/>Service was a little shabby but what do you expect in a BYO restaurant... <br/>Would def suggest to other people :-)

I had heard great things about the food so was excited to check this new place out. I had made a booking for 8.30 for 3 people for a Saturday night. When we arrived nobody greeted us, we stood around for 5 to 10mins before taking a seat on the couches. Still nobody came and spoke to us. I then went up to the bar and told them we had a booking, the girl I spoke to said OK and then carried on making drinks and didn't say anything more to me. I thought this was pretty poor but went and took a seat back on the couch and figured someone would be with us shortly. After waiting around on the couches for about 15mins she came and told us there was no tables available and said there could be quite a wait. We left and ate else where.<br/><br/>I was really disappointed as I love Japanese food and really wanted to try this place out, but there service is below average!!

I booked, well in advance, a table for 14 for 7.30pm on a Friday night. I also double checked the booking in the afternoon. But when we arrived at 7.30, our table wasn't ready. There was no offer of drinks service while we waited, and only one couch squeezed in the entranceway. <br/><br/>After a 20 minute wait we were lead to our table, which had the incorrect number of chairs. We ended up borrowing from a nearby table. <br/><br/>A further thirty minutes went by before we were given wine glasses for our BYO wine. <br/><br/>Another ten minutes before water and glasses were handed out. Still no sign of a menu. By this stage I was in a substantially better mood since I had almost drunk all my wine.<br/><br/>Once we were finally able to order (around 9pm and starving by this stage!), the woman took our names with our order to make payment easier later on. Thankfully, the food service had a quick turnaround and we were well fed.<br/><br/>And what delicious food it was. We each ordered set menus, which had meat + salad + rice + tempura veges + miso. Deliciously light tempura on the veges, and the salad had an amazing dressing. The teriyaki beef was perfectly tender and only slightly pink (as I like it, but perhaps should have been asked my preference). <br/><br/>As the rest of the restaurant slowly dispersed into the cold Wellington night, I noticed for the first time the awful 90s playlist. Ok, I can handle a Shania Twain song occasionally but the Ricky Martin has got to go.<br/><br/>Unfortunately the fantastic food does not outweigh the service and waiting time on the night.<br/>Will return, but with my partner only (and NOT with a group that I'm trying to impress) and probably on a Tuesday night.

Awesome Service, Well priced Food.<br/>and most important of all the food was delicious.<br/><br/>Albeit a little out of the way... its well worth it. Top of Tory. <br/><br/>The place is brand new... and awesome!

Tried Ozeki for a work lunch after randomly discovering it while on the way to work recently. Located on Tory street, just past the Noel Leeming/Warehouse complex, it is a bit out of the way compared to most other inner city restaurants, but is well worth the walk!<br/><br/>We were promptly seated and given menus when we arrived. Shortly after a pot of green tea was delivered, free of charge, which is a really nice touch. <br/><br/>The menu is large, and extremely well priced. Side dishes starting at around $4, with the most expensive set meal at $18 (I think?). Ended up getting one plate of each of the Gyoza dishes to share, each of which was quite different. Recommend the Prawn Gyoza, as well as the steamed. Although the 'Tori Gyoza' looked pan fried on the menu they came deep fried. Still tasty but would prefer the pot sticker type.<br/><br/>The sets ordered where stunning. I had the teriyaki fish set, which came with miso, a generous serving of rice with toasted sesame seeds, salad, as well as a plate of sushi (2 tuna rolls, a snapper and a salmon, and a seaweed along with wasabi &amp; ginger). All for $14!! Everything tasted fresh and what was cooked was done just right.<br/><br/>Overall it was delicious and we'll definitely be back. Don't think there is any price difference between lunch &amp; dinner (lunch servings are WELL enough for dinner) which is a bonus. Highly recommended; a great alternative to some of the rather average and over priced Japanese restaurants around Wellington.