An Auckland institution (est. 1997), “The Cave” as it is affectionately known by staff and regulars,has gained a reputation as being the place in the city to head to when you want a quick, delicious meal before a show or a movie. There is an extensive selection of skewered Yakitori & Kushi-age to accompany those essentials -chilled Japanese beer and/or sake.Suggestions ? Try something like the Negima chicken and leek, or the Sasami chicken tenderloin with cheese, as well as a true NZ favourite, also beloved of Japanese, kumara/imo,which you can have any of three different ways: on Kushi-age skewers, or baked and buttered with salt, or mashed, with crispy almond chips.Cave it may be, but Tanuki’s Cave doesn’t take reservations, so be sure to arrive early to avoid disappointment…otherwise you might have to hang from the ceiling.

Customer favourites jostle for your attention – tempura, sushi, nigiri-zushi, sashimi, takoyaki, and a highly recommended katsuni (pork cutlet cooked with eggs and sweet soy sauce). It’s best to share dishes and order widely. There are some novelties: definitely worth trying are the paper pot meals, which are cooked on what you’d normally use for a clay pot meal (which Musashi also does). There are also most popular Chicken Miso Katsu (deep fried chicken with original miso sauce), and an artistically arranged Dragon Roll (made with eel, rice, cucumber and avocado). At times, Musashi overflows with customers – especially on Friday or Saturday nights – so it’s not always the easiest place to have a quiet conversation. Having said this, popularity would indicate that the food is very, very good. Make sure you book.

Around at 5 pm, when it’s still light outside, young families and regular customers begin to fill the seats. The seat is sectioned like a private room for 4-6 people, so families with children can enjoy meals at ease in a relaxed atmosphere. From the back of the restaurant, you can view new Stonefield residential area.

The cozy mood interior was designed by young owners (husband and wife) who began to run their first restaurant — custom ordered and impeccably made.

This restaurant offers variety of Japanese menus to those who want to snack at a bar or eat full meals. Rumor has it that its fried rice with prawns is the best in town. It is fluffy and soft, a dish a veteran chef is proud of — highly recommended. Also, high-volume fried flounders taste great. Stir-fried vegetables and sizzling hot steaks are also very popular. Waiters are active and attend clients in a timely manner. At early hours there are a lot of families and old couples, but after 8 pm, you can enjoy a bar atmosphere. You should wait a little bit when the place is full.

The calm, dark wooden interior of the establishment gives the impression of a Japanese mansion of old – as if one has just stepped into a different world. Even the tableware is said to be designed with the old city of Edo in mind.

Although traditional Japanese cuisine is enjoyable, there is wide selection of traditional and new style tapas, seasoned fusion such as salad, carpaccio and alcohol goes well too. Recommended the freshness assorted Sashimi and fish dishes.If become a regular recommendations from chef, you can also request a special dishes that is not on the menu. There are also Japanese style tatami room, counter bar and private room, since the atmosphere is good, there is a lot of couples using it.

Try Sake Tasting Set- $15.  with 4 different kinds of Japanese Sake & edamame.

The interior, reminiscent of a Japanese Shonan-style Café(to be added ” Popular urban beach resort), speaks of the owners love of surfing, as is evidenced by several interesting surfboards and framed photographs.

601 New North Road’s chef, Chef Hiro, who previously displayed his skills at an upscale hotel, is meticulous about using all-natural ingredients in his creations. This shows in several original recipes that are both healthy and delicious. In short, the dining experience at 601 New North Road may be described as being “kind and tender to the palate”.

The service and quality at 601 New North Road is also different from most generic fast food or franchise diners. Visitors may select from among the daily specials displayed on the chalkboard menu. Each of these is made from the freshest catches, purchased and selected by the chef on that same day from the seafood market. This way, patrons are sure to discover a new dish each time they visit.

Because of the quality of the food and service, 601 New North Road has been awarded a prize as one of the 50 Best Restaurants by local magazines and media. Visiting the place once may not be enough, as there are myriads of different tastes and experiences to enjoy in this simple place. You need to be quick, though, as the place is usually packed on weekends!

The food shown in the photographs are Hassun Happin – 8 original dishes created by the chef out of seasonal ingredients. For dinner set menus, you may select 2 kinds of entrees as your main dish and you may enjoy up to 8 kinds of original creations for your meal. You may make reservations to partake of Hassun Happin at 601 New North Road for a minimum of 2 persons. Please make reservations a day ahead.

Place Photo detail From left
- Hapuka Nigiri wrapped with wild Wasabi Leaf.
- Grilled Asparagus
- Pan Seared John Dory Liver with Fond Tomato on Lotus Roots.
- Prawn on Toasted Onion Bread
- Deep Fried Dumpling sheet on Hapuka Cheeks.
- Tempura Tofu, Eggplant & Halovmi Cheese
- Tuna Sashimi with Wasabi, Wakame & Daikon.
- Fresh Salmon Roll in The Julienne.

A new kaiten sushi bar (sushi bars with moving conveyor belts on which different kinds of sushi are displayed) called Daruma Sushi has opened in Botany, Auckland. It offers to customers seafood selected only from the freshest catches, purchased every morning from the neighbouring fish market.

In addition to the standard counter seats typical of kaiten sushi bars, Daruma Sushi also features family seats that can accommodate 4-5 persons in a group seating arrangement. Up to 30 people may avail of the use of the family seats.

Daruma Sushi is the first store in Auckland opened by the Japanese food group Kazu Group, which is based in Wellington, New Zealand. It couples an interior featuring a modern, open design with the delectable experience of dining at a genuine Japanese kaiten sushi bar as it is enjoyed in Japan. So whether you are dining alone, or with friends or family, come and enjoy this unique dining experience!

Sushi connoisseurs will be pleasantly surprised to discover treasured seafood and ingredients not commonly found in New Zealand.

With a wide smorgasbord of seafood and toppings on offer, as well as a $5 set meal for kids, there is no doubt there will be something for everyone to enjoy!

The restaurant provides ample parking space for diners, but be prepared for some congestion during weekends.

Dining at a kaiten sushi bar, you simple select the kind of sushi from the revolving display. Prices range from $2.80 to $5.00 depending on the color of the plate on which the sushi is displayed. It is also possible to request specific ingredients or toppings so there will always be something to satisfy even the pickiest diners!

A typical meal for one will be priced around $20 to $40.

Daruma was a Buddhist monk who is credited with being the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. In Japan, Daruma dolls are round dolls depicting the image of a bearded man (Daruma). They have symbolic meaning to many people. Daruma dolls are generally displayed as talismans of good luck, good fortune in business, or to ward off danger, and are often given out as celebratory or congratulatory gifts. Because they stand back up even after being rolled over, the dolls have become a symbol for success and overcoming adversity. The eyes are normally also blank when sold. The recipient of the doll fills in one eye (with black ink) upon setting a goal, and fills in the other eye upon achieving it. In this way, the Daruma doll acts as a motivation to do whatever it takes to meet the goal.

The sushi chef, Taka-san, is a fully qualified itamae and if you know anything about Japanese food training and preparation, this is saying something; (to reach the giddy heights of itamae, in sushi chefdom, you must pass through a five year apprenticeship, after which you are allowed to prepare the rice for sushi. The novice is then permitted to stand alongside the head chef, is addressed as wakiita, and may prepare fillings for the sushi. After more years, the wakiita graduates – finally.

To have reached itamae level, he must handle the food and utensils well, know how to treat customers, and how to carry out all aspects of his job). Given this training, you know that you are in good hands with Taka-san at Sharaku. All the classic dishes are here, from sushi and sashimi through to tempura; all artfully prepared and all beautifully presented. The knowledgeable staff are always on hand to provide advice concerning the food and drinks.

About one year ago, a new restaurant with a colorful facade opened up in the vicinity of Symonds Street. Surrounded by takeaways and busy junctions, it is located along a street nobody would consider “high-class”.

After entering the curtained entrance, and walking through a narrow corridor, visitors are welcomed into a wide, estate-like room aptly decorated with a confluence of Eastern and Western designs. With their black sofas and dining tables, diners feel as if they have entered another world. Although the interior is by no means bland, neither is it too loud, and many a patron has expressed admiration at the remarkably well-designed interior.

Appearances can be deceiving as well. Although the name of the place, as well as the all-Japanese staff brings to mind images of a Japanese restaurant, this is not the place to order traditional Japanese cuisine. Neither is it the place you visit to enjoy standard French or Italian fare.

Instead customers are treated to a mix of classical Italian tomato dishes, spicy Indian food, New Zealand duck and wine, and French sauces. Chopsticks are provided and the courses are served at a pace that allows customers to truly savor all the flavors. The menu also changes every 2 months or so.
Despite the mix between East and West, the food cannot be categorized as purely Fusion Cuisine. Instead, the people at Kazuya prefer to describe it as Original Creative Cuisine. All in all, it combines New Zealand’s fresh ingredients and refreshing wine into Euro cuisine created with Japanese attention to detail.

Although it may appear that one needs to order a lot of food to truly appreciate the concept, Kazuya actually aims to deliver the complete experience to each guest, whether he be ordering for one or for many.

What really sets Kazuya apart, though, is their dedication to attending to  customer’s needs and their impeccable spirit of service.

Each member of the staff specializes in his/her individual duties and responsibilities. This includes the chef himself, his wife and business partner, Akiko, and the wine sommelier, Mojo. However, they work together beautifully to deliver to each guest the entire experience.

Kazuya’s chef has an innate talent for bringing out what is pleasurable in the concept, preparation and taste of food. With the perfectionism so characteristic in many Japanese, he has honed his skills with years of training and experience working with Italian Cuisine in Tokyo.

Given the staff’s desire to please and attention to detail, though, it is best to allow some time for preparation. For a party of 4 people, 30 minutes would probably be sufficient to allow them to prepare the food in such a way that the individual flavors are blended together perfectly, to make sure that the food and wine is served at just the right temperature, and to make sure that the sequence and timing of each course is just right to allow you to enjoy the dining experience to the highest level.

That praise about Kazuya has been spreading through websites, various media, and word of mouth is no surprise. It is probably the perfect place to take a newfound acquaintance, an old friend, or a loved one.