I give this place a 3 ½ stars. We made a reservation for dinner. My girls love Japanese style cooking at the table. We had the four of us plus two others at our table(it can hold up to eight). The kids enjoyed one a chicken and the other beef meal. The chicken was $ 15 and the beef $ 20. They did have a kids menu to order from that included ice cream. I had the filet Mignon(which was excellent) and my hubs had the prawns(which were good also) except he didn’t care for the«yum yum sauce«it is different here then the states. Much thicker and oilier. Not horrible. Good portions. The chef was ok not the greatest but did have done cool tricks. The kids were satisfied do we were also.
Sheer W.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Auckland, New Zealand
This was the first Japanese restaurant I ever went to, for my friend’s birthday party a few years ago. It looks cool, and I was quite excited for the dining experience. We had a dude who was cooking our food right in front of us, which was cool, but the food was sub par and I think I ended paying something like $ 40 for some fried vegetables, some stir fry chicken that had absolutely no flavour, and some egg. Blaugh. Could’ve cooked better my self. Now in saying that, I didn’t really have much experience in these kinds of restaurants so I probably could have ordered better, but I came away not enjoying it at all and annoyed that I had just spent forty bucks. Boo.
Hannah B.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Auckland, New Zealand
Am I the only one that doesn’t rave about this place? Yeah, it’s entertaining having your food cooked in front of you, Teppanyaki style. Yeah, it’s something a bit different to your usual sit down and wait places and probably a great place to take a first date or for a special occasion but I just find that once you get past all that, it’s just overpriced food and mediocre service. In fairness to them, the ingredients taste like they’re of good quality and it is a fun environment but the staff hardly speak any English so come across as rather reticent and unforthcoming. I can think of plenty of other restaurants where the food is cheaper and better for a similar kind of thing. It’s one of those places you go to for the entertainment value rather than for the food itself. Definitely a one-time thing for me.
Belinda T.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Auckland, New Zealand
Love daikoku! It’s fairly reliable teppanyaki. It’s great for taking people out for a showy meal with the very talented and skilled chefs who seem to love it when you actively interact. Perfect to take people who have never experienced this sort of meal before! And it’s a couple of blocks from Vector so handy if you’re eating before an event. Not as pricey as other teppanyaki places. They do gift vouchers. They have a very stocked bar.
Oliver G.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Auckland, New Zealand
Daikoku is a great place to take a group out for birthdays, dinners, any excuse really, and is much more than just a meal, it’s an absolutel experience. Teppanyaki dining hasn’t had much exposure in Auckland apart from this place and the other franchises opened later, but I’m definitely glad they did. Not only do you get delicious food, but it’s prepared in the most entertaining way, with you all sitting around the outside of a central hot plate, with your own chef cooking your food to order, flipping his utensils around, flinging salt and pepper shakers into his hat, and sending bits of fried egg flying across the table into your mouth, accurately! The highlight for me is always the prawns in Yum-Yum sauce. It’s almost certainly not the most healthy thing for you, and all in all the meals aren’t cheap for dinner, bu the experience more than makes up for it, and man is it delicious!
Katherine L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Auckland, New Zealand
Daikoku is a teppanyaki restaurant, so don’t bother with anything else on the menu, stick to what they do best. You need to go hungry. The teppan meals are pretty filling. Also, relatively greasy. I don’t even want to know what’s in that ‘yum yum sauce’ but if I were to hazard a guess, it would be some kind of concoction of cream and butter and maybe egg yolks. It is delicious. I have only been to Daikoku for dinner, it’s not super cheap — it’ll set you back about $ 50 if you get a meal and a drink, but I hear the lunch menu is a lot cheaper. It’s a dining experience worth having though. Especially with friends. There’s nothing quite like having fried egg hurled at your face infront of the ones you love. Also, you see everything being cooked infront of you and suddenly realise why it tastes good(a tonne of soy sauce and oil). Finally, get the fried rice. It’s worth it.
Sarah B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Auckland, New Zealand
I only ever go to Daikoku for lunch. I’m sure the dinner is excellent, however the lunch special at $ 13.80 cannot be beaten. For such a thrifty spend, you receive a princely set menu with salad, rice, miso, chicken, fish or beef, grilled veges and ice cream for dessert! The restaurant on Quay is fairly small with a nice ambience and traditional-looking décor. The location is perfect for CBD workers to sneak out for a long lunch on a Friday and have a sneaky Sav or Asahi with lunch to warm up for the weekend too.
Glenn M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Auckland, New Zealand
My family and I love Teppan-yaki restaurants, and Daikoku is one of the best. About 8 people sit around a massive hot plate/table while the chef cooks your food right in front of you(with the odd trick of course). It’s so entertaining, especially watching as the chef attempts to flick pieces of omelette into the patron’s mouths. The ones that miss literally get egg on their faces. There are a few different sets that you can choose from on the menu, and the food is always delicious and filling(most of the time I can’t finish it all). Check out the website for some good special deals that they have. The lunchtime menu is really quite cheap for the amount and quality of food that you get, not to mention the entertainment factor too!