The name means “Fish Shop”, but there’s more to it than that : the owner, Minagawa Yuji-san’s, passion for Japanese food (read:fish) and surfing. Kind of, surf and surf − as opposed to surf and turf. Check out the website menus and information at www.sakanaya.co.nz. You’ll note when you visit there that food is not the only item on the menu at Sakanaya – there are also T-shirts, pictures, surfboards, and other kinds of surf memorabilia. To food : the Big Wave Dinner Boxes are for those with big appetites. One interesting menu item is the Ochazuke. This is a simple, very traditional dish – Japanese green tea poured over rice. A cleansing dish. You can choose from nori, plum, octopus with wasabi, and either snapper or salmon. Check out the tuna yamakake (tuna with sticky yam potato), broccoli with dark sesame sauce, the spider roll and the soft shell crab tempura. Yuji takes great care in the food selection and preparation.
The menu often mentions from whence a fish came (grilled salmon from Marlborough). It is also regularly updated and edited, according to seasonal availability. Two final recommendations : the fresh whole flounder in the ponzu sauce, and the grilled salmon head.
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Martin, 12 years ago
I have been eating at Sakanaya since it opened, several years. The food is consistently of high quality, especially the fish. The sashimi is as good as anywhere. There are dishes for all ages and tastes. My young teenagers love it and ask to go there for special occasions. It has a relaxed, friendly, welcoming atmosphere.
Sammy, 12 years ago
Would Try again. Service was excellent, Very polite. A delicate dish Type of quality you’d expect and receive in Japan.
Mandy, 12 years ago
We went to Sakanaya for our anniversary. Very disappointing. I got chicken sushi, which had a fish bone in it. The flavours were average, and the food was expensive for one of the worst japanese meals I’ve ever had!
Pooya, 14 years ago
Each of the dishes arrived as they were made, so were very fresh from the kitchen. All the dishes were well presented and tasted very nice. The style, taste and quality of the dishes were as a diner would expect from an above average Japanese restaurant. The two dishes that stood out the most were the Beef Tataki salad and the Teriyaki Salmon as they tasted delicious and had generous portions as well.