The concept of a Peruvian-Japanese crossover restaurant might sound surprising to many diners, but that’s what you will find at Azabu. We found when learning about Azabu that Peru has a significant Japanese community, and much of what you will find at Azabu is inspired by the Peruvian-Japanese fusion dishes that have evolved over the years.
So, what makes Azabu such an interesting place for dining? We went over to the Azabu restaurant in the Ponsonby neighbourhood in Auckland Central to see what makes this place special.
Highlights
- Offers Peruvian-Japanese entrees
- Features a full drink menu
- A kids menu is also available
- Four-course meals are served through Azabu’s omakase menus
A Comforting Environment
We enjoyed how Azabu feels relaxed and enjoyable without creating a huge rush. Azabu provides a quaint look with plenty of Japanese-inspired décor scattered around the venue. We love how nice the area feels, and we were treated well by the workers here.
What Entrees Will You Find?
Azabu’s executive chef Yukio Ozeki and the rest of the team here have plenty of unique entrees to explore. The team focuses on Nikkei food, a style that uses Peruvian ingredients modified through traditional Japanese techniques. Some of these ingredients include tropical fish, peppers, and quinoa.
The lunch and dinner menus at Azabu offer foods for everyone:
- The raw bar serves various sushi rolls. The Seared Hokkaido Scallop Roll was impressive, with the wasabi mayo adding the right amount of tang.
- The tempura menu includes fish tempura and eggplant with spring onion.
- The dumplings and buns include sweet chili and wasabi tartar accents. We prefer the soft shell crab steamed bun, although the vegetable steamed bun provides a good flavour.
- The tostadas here feature Japanese ingredients like seared beef and tuna sashimi.
These entrees mix well with various side items like short-grain rice, miso soup, and cucumber salad. We like how the cucumber salad provides a healthy mix of fried shallot and coconut.
Set Omakase Menus
When we went to Azabu, we ordered off of the set omakase menus. The restaurant has three different omakase menus ranging from $69 to $105 per person.
“Omakase” comes from the term “to entrust,” as it allows the chef to select whatever foods will be served. The chef will prepare the foods to one’s liking based on what is listed on the customer’s menu. The lightest food comes at the start.
Azabu uses a four-step process for its omakase menus:
- You’ll start with a small entrée like a spicy tuna sushi roll or edamame with lime salt.
- You’ll then follow up with a mid-range dish like prawn dumplings or chicken karaage.
- The main entrée comes third. Some of the entrees here include market fish and Nikkei steak.
- You’ll end with a dessert, which can include chocolate cake.
Our menu featured artichoke dumplings and a meat board featuring wagyu steak and crispy pork belly.
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How Big Are the Portions?
The portions at Azabu were generous and plentiful. I like how the entrees were spaced well to where I could share everything with others just fine. This point was especially the case with the omakase menu, as the meat board has enough cutlets for everyone in our party to find.
The foods at Azabu do cost a little more than you might expect, with one entrée being about $30 to $50 on average. But I found it was easy to share these with multiple people.
What About the Kids?
We like how Azabu offers a full kids menu with lighter dishes that kids will enjoy. The menu features a bento box with karaage chicken, teriyaki salmon, or steak plus edamame and prawn dumplings. All kids’ items are served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream at the end.
A Fun Drink Menu
We also like how the drink menu at Azabu brings many of Asia’s finest alcoholic beverages to Ponsonby. The drink menu has many Japan-inspired cocktails and a full listing of sake and ginjo. You can also order Asahi beer if you prefer that choice.
A Fine Experience For All
We recommend Azabu in Ponsonby if you’re looking for an expiring Asian restaurant. The mix of Japanese and Peruvian influences at Azabu makes it a one-of-a-kind venue.
Azabu is open Tuesdays to Sundays, with lunch hours open on Thursdays and Fridays. Be sure to request a reservation before arriving, as this place can get busy.
