New Zealand Japanese Restaurants Guide » Ponsonby

Renkon

go — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:25:15 +0000

This restaurant specializes in donburi, and was among the first to introduce the idea to New Zealand. Donburi is basically a large bowl of rice topped with a mixture of cooked as well as fresh vegetables, and meat or fish – but, again, in a surprising, and delicious, number of variations. This is hearty and healthy fare.
The crowd at Renkon prepare all of the ingredients, including any sauces, fresh, and take special care in selecting the oils used in the meals : olive oil, canola, and sesame. Donburi is also an eminently sensible idea, since it manages to combine your whole meal into one dish, and does so in both a colourful and an appetizing combination of the ingredients. Quick, cheap, unpretentious, nutritious and well-balanced. These traditional ways of sustenance are streets ahead of fancy-schmancy ideas like building your own sandwich – or burgers.
There are three Renkons : one in the city, one in Ponsonby, and one in Parnell. They each have their own character. The off-High Street one is great for the lunch-hour rush; Ponsonby for takeouts; and Parnell, for sitting back and enjoying your donburi with a glass or two) of wine, sake, or beer. Green tea is complimentary.

Soto Japanese Garden Restaurant

go — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:41:25 +0000

If you had to pick somewhere in Auckland that is at the cutting edge of Japanese cuisine and by that we mean a place that, whilst cleaving to Japanese food as an overall tradition, still pushes its boundaries outwards significant and interesting ways – we would have to choose Soto as the current reigning champion. From the restaurant’s own signature dish of oysters, prawns and scallops done in a filo tempura, to something seemingly basic and obvious as “karaage” Japanese deep fried chicken), Soto’s depth knowledge, use of, and willingness to experiment with their ingredients continues surprise and impress. If you were to liken the experience of eating to travel, then this is definitely a case of striking out into exhilarating and uncharted territory where you can discover new things not yet classified by the Linnean system.

You might call this New Style cuisine, with the kitchen staff at Soto incorporating ingredients seasonally available in the South Pacific (rather than just rigidly adhering to standard dishes), unafraid of combining less familiar ingredients with the more traditional items. Top-of-the-line. Try it, and have angels dance upon your tongue.

Taisho Yakitori Bar

go — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:06:12 +0000

“Taisho” means “commander”, or “admiral” and, from the glassed-in grill stand, the chef of this yakitori bar keeps a close eye on his charges and their appetites.Chic and elegant, yet simple and no-frills; there is Sapporo beer on tap to go with the tasty morsels you are encouraged to eat direct from the skewer. Get in the swing of things immediately by shouting your order as you come through the door (not at all uncommon in Japan, believe me); something like, “Nama to negima” (nama is draft beer, and negima is yakitori chicken skewered with pieces of roasted spring onion).

A personal recommendation is the nankotsu; this soft-boned part of the chicken is particularly toothsome, and comes served with a sliver of lemon to enhance the flavour. If you are unfamiliar with the arcane side of yakitori, note the following :

(1) this is like a Japanese form of tapas – lots of little dishes, so, if you’re hungry, just keep’em coming,

(2) the secret is in the sauce !

(3) the flavour of the chicken is enhanced by a form of traditional Japanese charcoal, binchotan, which burns at a low temperature and is smokeless. Just follow the aroma of succulent roast chicken and you’ll know you’re there once you sight the big, red akachochin lantern – the centre feature of the restaurant.