Azabu Ponsonby

This restaurant lived up to its reputation. It was fantastic. The sushi, sashimi, and other dishes were all delicious, with the dressings and sauces standing out in particular. I went with my wife for a romantic dinner, and the course menu met our expectations. Despite the dim lighting and busy atmosphere, we had a wonderful time. This place met my expectations. Highly recommended!

Hard to spot if you're not looking for it. Lots of seating options and areas. Lovely decor although some seating is looking a bit worse for wear with rips in leather seating. Wonderful service from start to finish, with our glasses constantly being topped up. Food was served after a small wait, entrees first then mains. Food was lovely, not omg amazing, but still tasty. Good portions at expected pricing for Ponsonby. Some authentic japanese flavours, some fusion style flavours. Lovely place to dine!

I recently visited Azabu for my wife's birthday dinner. The service was excellent, and the restaurant was bustling, which is always a positive sign. The food was fantastic, featuring some creative fusion twists that added to the experience. The portion sizes were generous, particularly for Japanese cuisine. The cubed pork dish was a standout – absolutely delicious. It's definitely a popular spot, so booking in advance is essential. There's also free parking available nearby after 6 pm. Highly recommended!

Loved the whole dining experience here. We booked a table online and requested for a quieter spot and they did deliver. Everything we ordered was amazing. We especially loved the Beef Tostada and the Beef Sirloin, they are absolutely unforgettable. The wait staff are all attentive and are friendly. Loved our whole dining experience here.

We've visited Azabu several times over the years, and every time they never fail to impress. The food is consistently amazing, and we always leave very satisfied. Highly recommended, for sure!

Enjoyed every dish, highly recommend tostada and the grilled octopus. Didn’t wait long for all the food to arrive - their mocktails are also really tasty. Salmon dish and eggplant dish were average, probably won’t order it again but nice to try ☺️

2024 May edit: We tried the Taste of Azabu set during Eat, Drink Love Ponsonby and while good, it wasn't as good just normal dining. We had 2 tostada: beef & truffle and tuna. The beef was the clear winner. Then we had 2 cevice: tuna ponzu sesame & white fish pineapple Amarillo coconut cream. Both were nice, nothing memorable. Then we had a scallop temaki. The scallop itself was delicious and sweet, but having it with the rice and nori unfortunately overpowered it and together you couldn't taste much scallop. Then 2 gyozas: pork & prawn. Both also very tasty, but nothing special. Lastly, we had salmon and a pork belly skewer. The pork belly was the preferred over the salmon - but it was a touch sweet. All in all, for 55pp, it was value for money. And a great way to be introduced to Azabu without breaking the bank - which, let's be real, it totally can. That said, I don't think the set really gave you a taste of what azabu had to offer. Separate to the set menu, we added some sashimi for 'dessert'. Food aside, service was great as usual and the atmosphere was lovely. We noted on the booking it was our anniversary and we were given a complimentary matcha ice cream on some match jelly. We also had a fair amount of cocktails. Good to try a few different things, but not my favourite spot for a cocktail. 2023: everything was delicious, with the torched volcanic sushi roll being a fave. Price point per portion is on the expensive end so not a casual dinner night spot. But would go back to celebrate an occasion.

You could easily walk straight pass this place. There is seating along a long hallway then it opens into larger areas for bigger groups. They have outside dining on the verandah. The front of house lady MJ is delightful. She is fast, efficient, bubbly & makes the experience welcoming. We had the best Espresso Martini and they have a decent range of Wine, Beer & Saki. The food was delicious lots of flavours. We tried multiple sharing dishes. About 6 was good for 3 people. Definitely try the Volcano Sushi and the Seared Beef Tostada. Will come back again for sure. Great place for Lunch or Dinner.

This restaurant was selected by our host for a private food tour - that counts for a lot IMO. It was very busy on a Thursday night and full of energy. We had some great dishes (Artichoke Dumplings, Black Tiger Prawn Dumplings, Nikkei Steak, Hausai Cabbage).

Went to eat here while visiting Auckland. We made a reservation for Friday and it was quite busy, so I'd recommend booking in advance on weekends. We ordered several small and larger plates to share, and each was wonderful. We also had a couple of cocktails and a dessert. Favorites that stood out were the salmon tiradito, chicken karaage, and the lamb chuleta. The staff were lovely and helped explain the menu and provide suggestions. The meal was a little pricey, but well worth it for what we ordered. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Auckland for a nice meal.

Japanese-Peruvian! I've been waiting to write this review until I visited Azabu a second time. Azabu was officially my first meal in Auckland a week ago and it's officially now my favorite restaurant in the South Pacific. From the outside one might miss this stealthy restaurant as it virtually has no signage - reminiscent of all the best places in NYC. But this place requires zero gimmicks to attract its legions of devout patrons every night. Let the food and ambience do the talking! Dimly lit inside with simple chic decor, this is THE PLACE for a night out with your foodie friends as the concept here is to share plates. Heck you can even invite your drunk friends as it houses a bar in the far back. Dancey, uptempo music pipes through the speakers which sets the tone for your dining experience. Good-looking servers methodically intertwin with runners as they graciously bring out each plate and interpret the masterpiece that's sitting in front of you - the presentation alone gets 5-stars, it's seriously a work of art. May I talk about the food now!?! I've tried the follwing items and believe me when I say this, each one is a masterfully crafted experience for your palette. It's a mind-blowing sensation of sorts as so many combinations of ingredients mesh seamlessly together. Grilled Octopus - I've NEVER had octopus like this before! Perfectly TENDER octopus with yuzu pepper soy, aji amarillo (Peruivan mild yellow chile) mash potatoes, shichimi tatar and chives Tuna Sashimi Tostada - Don't get me started on the quality of fish here! The Tuna was definitely a Grade 1 (highest quality ranking). Served with corn, wasabi tartar, picked daikon, chopped jalapeño and coriander (cilantro for my Cali friends haha) Snapper Ceviche - I've had a lot of fish ceviche in my day but not like these big chunks. Snapper marinated in lime soy dressing, plum dressing, aji amarillo and topped off with tobiko (cavier).. this is a must try! Salmon Tiradito - 10 pieces of the creamiest, firmest, richest salmon you'll ever have! The salmon is marinated in leche de tigre (citrus based marinade) with a passion fruit and coconut cream sauce that eloquently surrounds the plate and topped with crispy spaghetti squash. You'll literally want to lick the plate to get every last bit of that sauce! Rainbow Sushi Roll - Yes yes yessss! I know what you're thinking - that sounds like a typical sushi roll. It's faaaaar from typical here at Azabu! I watched the Raw Bar chef lovingly assemble this pièce de résistance and was blown away by his technique and attention to detail. Salmon Avocado inside Tuna, Salmon and Hamachi Kingfish outside. Eggplant Tempura - veggie lovers dream! Lightly breaded and deep fried eggplant stacked with hatcho miso and spring onions. Braised Pork Cheek Bun - Azabu's twist on the classic bao! A soft milky bun stuffed with delicious slow cooked pork drizzled with a sweet, tangy tamarind sauce. I wouldn't share this if I were you! This is probably the longest YELP review I've ever written but I had to make sure I showed my favorite restaurant proper love!

Monday night and a full house here so lucky we had made a booking. Buzzing and busy but still provided very good service to our table of six including two children. There was a menu for them that didn't include fried food and fries so everyone happy. We enjoyed a selection of tasting plates of Japanese food with an innovated twist' of spicy well balanced flavours. I thought the wee lamb chops were amazing until the beef on skewers came out....... incredible. Loved our daughter's birthday celebration A wee hint... ask for the kids dinner to be served first if possible.

Great service overall but especially from our "foodie" waitress Bailey. Every one of her recommendations were spot on and when I thought I knew better well, turned out she was spot on. The star was the Tuna Sashimi on tortilla chip, followed by the Chicken Katsu Bun.

This is NOT a one dollar sign restaurant. Beware. While I can't argue much with the other reviews about the quality or creativity of the food, I will tell you that portions are small and prices are high. Between enough to eat and an alcoholic drink or two, you will spend a hundred dollars per person. Or, just buy some sparkling water at $12 a bottle! The place is loud, dark and crowded with a wide variety of diners and nightlifers. The dress code is nil...wear whatever you want.

Really, really amazing place. I wanted to go someplace extra delicious for my last night in Auckland, although it was a little awkward to eat alone (the host did raise an eyebrow-- this place is pretty booked on a Saturday night-- but he found me a spot). I ordered cerviche and dumplings. Both incredible. The sauces and the presentation are to die for. I will say it does get chilly when the door opens. Also, the couple next to me are still being served sake although the dude is clearly and loudly WASTED. But if you made a reservation and came here on a date? 5 stars. Fantastic.

Amazing food the volcano roll is awesome they light it on fire in front of you Great atmosphere Friendly staff Menu is so delicious oh my god Probably my favourite sushi place in Auckland

6 stars is what I'd award Azabu if given half the chance. Interesting and delicious Japanese food with Peruvian flavours, just amazing. Try the tostada, the texture of the seared beef is perfect with the crunch of the corn tostada. The wagyu beef was simply wonderful, one of the best meals I've ever had! Book in advance, Azabu is hatted and won best casual restaurant in the Cuisine 2017 Awards

Japanese influences on cuisine are strong in many parts of South America where immigration and cultural mixing have led to interesting combinations of flavor and texture. Yukio Ozeki, ex-chef at Ebisu and Lucky Lucky dumplings offers strong competition to existing Asian fusion restaurants on Ponsonby Road with his Japanese-Peruvian menu at Azabu. Set in a trendy Paul Izzard designed long space with a raw food bar at one end and a sake bar (Roji) at the other, the dark walls, wood and leather upholstery all lend a sense of intimacy that is reflected in the bonsai bowls set upon each table. Any concern that the decor is the best thing about this place is quickly dispelled when meals arrive (albeit a bit haphazardly among a large group - something for them to work on, but it's early days). Each plate is beautifully presented and everyone is bound to feel envious of each other's meals. I tried the chicken katsu bun, a variant on the deconstructed pork bun perfected by Blue Breeze Inn and was pleasantly surprised by the crispy coating of the chicken, warmth of wasabi and sweetness of caramelized onion that resulted in an optimum mouthful of satisfaction. The pork belly with pancakes is another twist on a traditional Chinese meal - Peking duck, and it works mainly because the pork belly is cooked to perfection and the accompanying beansprout and mint filling is a zingy counter-balance to the unctuous hoisin-covered protein. The Peruvian influence is notable in a number of dishes such as the salmon and passion fruit tiradito with crispy butternut squash and tuna sashimi tostada with pink grapefruit, avocado and wasabi lemon cream. In case you are wondering, Azabu is a district in Tokyo and also means linen cloth. Given the long line-up of plates you are going to want to try here, you may hope the night and tablecloth are as wide as the pacific between the shores of Tokyo and Lima and I promise that your stomach is likely to feel as swimmingly full. I'll see you there.

I stopped by here on Friday night on my own for a quick bite to eat. I have eaten here before. I was seated at the bar (no reservation) which was fine, since I like to watch chefs work. I ordered a small Sashimi, beef tataki, and Lamb Chuleta. Service was prompt, though I think they need to remove the seat closest to the till as having them come to process stuff while I ate was a little offputting (I opted to sit there, I understand, however, I wasn't aware they would be there that frequently). The beef tataki was good, not the best I've had, but certainly a reasonable sized portion. The Sashimi was fresh and well prepared, though, at $35 for 9 pieces, I consider this almost daylight robbery (Yes I knowingly ordered it at that price). By comparison the following night I got a similar quality and sized portion for $18 elsewhere. The lamb was amazingly tender and the bones were beautifully caramelised in their own sugars. What wasn't so good, was the eggplant coriander sauce that accompanied it, which lacked a strong enough eggplant flavour and or seasoning, but was pretty spicy (Peruvian I guess). The surroundings were very nice, it's pretty upmarket. Service itself was good. Food arrived promptly, I managed to get through the 3 dishes in around 40 minutes!

OK, so we thought we'd try out this so-called upmarket Japanese/Peruvian fusion joint in 'hip' Ponsonby. To be fair, we'd gone with high expectations. The restaurant front was a minimal black chic, once through the doors the decor felt warm, dimly lit, nice ambience. Plenty of staff, it had the 'high end' feel so we thought we would get the same quality of service. Unfortunately, we stood by the entrance waiting to be greeted for about 5 minutes where at least 3 wait staff were standing around doing nothing without even acknowledging that new diners had walked in. I get that perhaps there was a mâitre d' but a hello or a greeting would have been nice. Where's the hospitality? We ended up having to flag a waitress over. Once sat, we weren't handed any dining menus, there was only a drinks list which we'd already ordered so once again, we had to ask the waitress for menus. Come on. We contemplated bailing but thought we'd stay and try the food at least. Thank god it was good. Given the prices and the whole aesthetics of the place it felt forced, fronting as a high-end posh pseudo-pretentious restaurant but lacked quality of service. It felt like a shiny front with no substance. Having dined around the world at equally, if not, more 'fancy' restaurants this was a really disappointing experience. Have gotten better more attentive and genuinely friendly service in casual joints. A shame really because the food was delicious. I would give it a higher rating if not for the below par service at such an establishment, especially if you're spending over a hundred quid.