Masu

If you know what good sushi tastes like, you probably shouldn’t try this place. I’m not a fresh fish connoisseur, but I know that I’ve tasted better elsewhere.
My husband and I wanted to try the tasting menu (forgot which one) on our last night in New Zealand. The items on the menu were pretty much hit or miss. I enjoyed the cooked stuff more than the raw. I thought the cooked spicy tuna roll was amateurish at best, but I did enjoy the mini short ribs. The soft shell crab was overly covered in sesame seeds which made it seem like it was overcooked. The fresh fish was perfectly chilled, but I wasn’t a fan of the selection. Our menu also included a bite of wagyu beef, but that was pretty much wasted on me since I am horrible at deciphering between different types of meat. The dessert platter that was given had all fruit items so my husband wasn’t a big fan. He loves his chocolate.
Of all the tasting menus I’ve had, this was probably one of the most polarizing. I like the atmosphere and the service of the restaurant, but the food is not up to par with other sushi restaurants around the world. For the price we paid, I was expecting their best, but we walked away not completely satisfied.

Masu is one of those central Auckland establishments that give credence to the notion that Auckland is trying desperately hard to be the city Mike Hosking says it is. Because, Auckland is a supercity, you know. It has Dior, Vuitton, and traffic. There’s an international airport that caters to flights from North America. You see, in Auckland, they’ve got the same stuff Sydney has, and Sydney is huge and important.
Buuuuuut before people start getting offended, just look at the star-​rating again, and everybody just calm the hell down.
Masu is located out the front of the Sky City Grand (two thumbs up for that hotel, by the way) next to the main entrance on Federal Street. Once you’ve established with an assistant that there are in fact two of you and that you look like you probably have a line of credit, you’ll be escorted past very important Aucklanders wearing those suits that Aucklanders wear, talking about where they’ve been in London and their business class trips to Dubai. You’ll be seated at a table for two that is uncomfortably close to a couple who rent an over-​priced shoe box in Ponsonby and just managed to look the part by family crowd-​sourcing an Audi hatchback. They will glance at you with one of those «you’ve never been here before, have you?» looks, and then decide that you don’t know anything about sushi the way they do.
My wife and I went there for dinner, which I highly recommend providing you’ve consulted with your bank manager or your name is Mike Hosking. This is an apocalyptically expensive restaurant, but then, they are creating top-​end dishes that include cuts of tuna that probably wasn’t sourced from the Gulf of Oman. I expect to pay a premium for top-​end sushi and sashimi, and people who enjoy such delicacies should know that the privilege doesn’t come cheap.
Having accepted this fact, you will not be disappointed. By God, this place is good. I attached a photo to this review that my wife took — clearly focused more on another delicious dish than the sashimi I ordered — but you will notice the cuts are thick, served cold as it should be, and beautifully presented. The taste? Well, how does sashimi taste? By and large, it’s the texture I look for. Is it slippery, smooth, and does the bite consistently require only the same amount of pressure than a marshmallow? At Masu, the answer to all these questions is a resounding yes.
As my rating indicates, I highly recommend this restaurant. It’s worth saving the money for, and I applaud the efforts of all those involved in the running of this outstanding establishment. Bravo.

Stay away, sushi snobs!
Come here if you:
–are looking for a restaurant that’s open past 9:00 PM
–enjoy Japanese fusion food
–care about trendy ambiance
The atmosphere and food remind me a lot of Morimoto. Service was courteous and prompt, and drinks were decent. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of the pricey, generic-​tasting dishes. However, if you have an unsophisticated palate and like frilly Japanese food, then go for it.

For our last night in Auckland, my wife and I headed downstairs from our room to dine at Masu. It’s definitely a popular place to be and reminds me much of popular Asian fusion spots in NYC back home that are always crowded as well. It was packed since earlier in the afternoon, and a reservation is probably a good idea if you want to make sure you get a spot, particularly for the dinner hours (where you are limited to a 2-​hour seating). The décor mixes the cosmopolitan with the sparseness typical of Japanese décor, but even with the windows and doors open, it is a loud place to eat — so if you want a peaceful meal, this probably isn’t the right spot for you. That said, we were also here on a Saturday night, right after New Year’s, which probably contributed to the more festive atmosphere as well. Service was decent, although I would say the food came out a bit too quick and crammed our small table at times. The drink menu is solid, though, and I was impressed that Masu curated a very high number of craft beers from Japan instead of solely relying on local beers (unfortunately, my opinion of NZ beers is not that high) or the typical big-​label Japanese names.
While there are a couple of tasting menu options at Masu, we ended up going a la carte and getting 6 dishes to split between us. That was more than enough food, and we probably could have gone with one less. The menu divides up the food between sushi bar, kitchen, and grill, allowing you to sample different types of Japanese-​inspired cuisine across the spectrum. For the sushi, we sampled the chef’s 3-​piece sashimi selection, along with an order of chu-​toro. The sashimi was pretty good; I liked the salmon in particular, while the yellowfin tuna, despite not being the freshest, still had a very nice smooth texture to it. The chu-​toro was definitely below average, though; it definitely doesn’t look like you are getting the best cut (it’s rather gray in color) and is not as fresh either. For the price it’s definitely not worth it; I have gotten better pieces of toro at your standard-​issue sushi joint in NYC for less. The clams were already out of the menu, so we went for the seafood hotpot — pretty solid overall, although not as remarkable as other hotpot dishes I have had. I did like the cedar-​roasted salmon quite a bit, although while I did like the rich teriyaki marinade, I actually think a little less of it would have helped to bring that earthy aroma of the plank more into the fish. With the filet being doused in the sauce, it tasted very much like regular salmon teriyaki and less like something a bit more special and unique. Last up for the main courses was the beef filet, which had very good flavor (and a little heat from the chili) but was a bit undercooked IMO — the ‘medium rare’ was definitely more on the chewier side, even cooked at that temperature. Dessert was the chocolate mousse — pretty good on its own, but was a bit disappointed that the green tea powder sprinkled on top (with great show — it is lightly beaten out of a porous bag) was virtually undetectable from a taste perspective.
In all, while the overall quality of the food is pretty decent, I felt that it didn’t quite warrant the cost of eating here (which is relatively expensive). The food is solidly done across the board (with the chu-​toro being the notable exception), but nothing really stood out as a complete dish, and I definitely think that the preparation could be tightened up a bit to make it a truly exceptional experience. As for the restaurants that are around the SkyCity complex, I would definitely stop by Depot before coming here, as it offers better value and absolutely delicious food across the board.

Masu is apparently one of the top restaurants in Auckland, and I have to say that while the quality of the food here is definitely excellent, there were no out of the ordinary dishes or specialties that really took it to the ⁵⁄₅ level for me.
We ordered several dishes to split, starting with a variety of sashimi, the cod, beef, and crab leg. The tuna sashimi was incredible, and I couldn’t get over how fresh and delicious all the dishes are! The sake and cocktail I ordered (I can’t remember the name but it had passionfruit rum) were both great. Everything was so flavorful — no complaints whatsoever!
Another knock was the service. Our waitress didn’t seem very knowledgeable about the dishes. Luckily we go places like these pretty frequently so we knew what to order, but at a restaurant with a more eccentric palate I would think that other customers might need more knowledgeable staff.
All in all, though, a great experience! It’s quite pricey but delicious and great quality food at a pretty trendy yet casual venue.

We sat at the bar and watched the robata show, Japanese fireside cooking. There were many delicious roasted fish being prepared so we ordered the black cod with yuzo miso and we were mixed on it. The flavors were good, but the fish itself wasn’t as firm as cod should be and it was a little mealy. Perhaps they let the fish marinate too long… That didn’t stop us from ordering more. We continued with ngiri and that was amazing! The roasted broccoli, roasted tofu, Japanese pickles were all very good. Their desserts may sound strange but they taste better than they sound … it requires a leap of faith and a good waiter to steer you right.
The location in Sky City makes this a place to see and be seen. I would go back to this restaurant so I can try the other items on the menu.

Came here for a light meal. Not the usual Japanese restaurant you would expected. It has a really nice bar with variety of drink options other than sake and Japanese wine.
Food is fusion style, I would say interesting, and taste good. However I still prefer the more authentic Japanese crusine.
Price on the high side for its portion. But with a try if you keen in fusion food.

No surprises here. This place is outstanding. The food is unreal and be sure to enjoy the Sake and Umeshu to sip on. Not a regular spot but definitely amazing for special occasions!

Voted as one of the top restaurants in Auckland but it looks like some Unilocalers don’t fully agree, so I decided to just check it out myself. I was not disappointed with the food, but It is for sure not cheap.
The place– one of the Sky City restaurants, next to the convention center, sort of hidden. Its spacious inside. Open kitchen, with multiple stations preparing different kinds of food and drinks. Its fine dining, but pretty noisy.
The food– Some traditional Japanese dishes. The braised pork cheek and the black cod in saikyo yuzu miso were sensational! They also have some modern twists. Some are more like South East Asia flavor. Quite a lot of cilantro being used, but incorporated well into their food. Definitely try the crayfish miso taco. The sashimi platter was a bit overpriced. Came with freshly ground wasabi, the fish was fresh but some of the cuts were a little hard to chew.
The service– this is what everyone rave about. Food came in the right order except our sushi roll came like 20 minutes after we finished everything else and paid. The actual service experience was pretty average. They do know the menu pretty well, but I didn’t feel very special being a customer there. The waiter did not come by once at all asking if everything is ok.
The price– Not cheap. Little overpriced, almost more than New York price. Spend $ 260 for lunch for 4 people!
Drink selection– too early in the day.
I have to make a special mention about their toilets! its like AirNZ international lounge toilets.
Parking is not free, but is subsidized. You can validate SkyCity parking voucher here, essentially you get 50% off parking.

This place is amazing ! Worth every penny. Make sure you book in advance as it is very hard to get a table.
It was our first time there, place looks very nice and inviting. The staff was very nice and friendly, they explained the dish very well and would always come back and ask us how our meal was and would top up our glass of water. The dish is spot on, full of flavour. Loved how they present the food on the plate, very appealing. I would highly recommend this to everyone who wants to come here for a special occasion as it is abit pricey but meal is so good so you won’t be disappointed :)

Good cocktails, great ambience at this fusion Japanese kiwi restaurant in Auckland. We went for the tasting menu which was delicious especially the raw sashimis and black rod. The fennel cake dessert was not good in my opinion but the balance of flavours with everything else was excellent

The man fronting Masu is chef Nic Watt, and he’s no novice. He’s been at the helm of setting up Japanese robata-​style eateries the world over and he’s built a reputation for excellence in doing so. Housed in what was previously the open foyer and bar space of the Grand Hotel in Federal St, we were greeted and guided to the back right next to one of the two open kitchens to the group area.
Our group decided on the shared Masu Shomi Menu so that we could have a cross section of the whole menu. We got to have everything from mini tacos, sashimi, yakitori, gyozas through to Salmon Teriyaki and lamb cutlets which were so succulent. Small dishes of tender broccoli stems and thick slices of kumara basted with teriyaki accompanied these dishes.
Desserts, however, left no questions; a cedar roasted Chocolate pudding dusted with green tea powder and served with coconut ice cream. A silky chawan mushi with mango, lychee, passionfruit and coconut was as divinely delicious as it was pretty decorated with edible flowers. Sorbets, elderflower pannacotta, tofu cheesecake and exotic fruit all presented beautifully on a long platter with little dishes and boxes holding these treats, this had to call for a photo moment.
Auckland has some great little yakitori bars where the food eats really well, for a quarter of the price of a meal here. What sets Masu apart is the attention to detail and it’s elegant, yet welcoming interior which combine to elevate Japanese dining in our city.

One of the best Japanese restaurants in Auckland. And also one of the most expensive. Nic Watt’s new venture on Federal St has a million dollar fit out and a great combination of sushi, grilled food and drinks. The quality of the food is faultless and the presentation (think lots of ice and great pottery) is remarkable. The sake and sochu varieties and cocktails are also impressive. The latter are offferef according to flavour — sweet, sour, salty and umami. There is a private (Obi) room available for larger groups with a $ 500 deposit to secure a booking. A nice place for a nice occasion or if you want to impress!

Masu is pretty up there for Japanese rabata fusion. Located in the heart of the city and connected to the Skycity hotel, it is prime restaurant location.
We were seated promptly and introduced to our waiter Jamie, who brought around cold flannels, which certainly was a nice touch on a hot day and brought back fine memories of flying business class.
The dishes are brought out in waves, in order to avoid overcrowding your table and for your company to focus on the delicate nature of the dishes, like the snapper and tuna sashimi which was artistically presented on a slab of hand cut ice. My favourite dish would have to be the crayfish miso taco which not only was executed to perfection, but was light, fresh and simple. It arrived in a bamboo stalk, with grooves added to hold the delicate composition of the taco.
Continuing on, the staff were discreet with removing plates and kept a good tab on their customers, especially refilling wine and water glasses. The highlight would have to be the dessert platter ($ 55) which is easily demolished for a group over four people. From the chocolate brownie with matcha powder, the green tea and banana ice cream, fresh berries, ice creams, sorbets, custard pudding and all kinds of deliciously decadent things that I can’t remember the name of. Not only is the table wide dessert a sweet tooth’s dream, it presented as a work of art.
All in all, it was great lunch with chefs who clearly are passionate and educated in Japanese cuisine. The sashimi are cut with razor-​edge perfection and the dishes are simple in sense of fresh ingredients, natural flavours and clean presented. It definitely was a treat — especially as I wasn’t paying and the bill totalled over $ 500. Not a cheap lunch, but well worth it.

Masu is a difficult place for me to describe. It’s been a week since I dined there and I still don’t really know if I enjoyed it. I entered with relatively high expectations and was impressed by what I saw when I first stepped foot inside.
A bartender was sawing a gigantic slab of ice from which she chiselled hefty ice spheres to be used in place of regular ice-​cubes for bar patrons. It was exciting and theatrical. The interiors are beautiful and open plan, with plain view of the kitchen at all times. It is very open & airy — true to Japanese style in this sense.
I was with a large group and we planned to all spend $ 60 each on multiple communal dishes so that it was relatively democratic. However, there was never really enough food and it made every meal feel like a race. Even the swiftest competitor would be lucky to get two bites per dish. The food was beautiful and fresh, but I still had a feeling that my money would be better spent elsewhere, or on a tasting menu just for myself
My least favourite aspect of Masu was monetary. Because we had a large group, we of course had to reserve seating at a large table… which required a deposit of $ 400 and a minimum spend of $ 600. While I understand deposits and such are necessary at such trendy venues, it’s very hard to enjoy yourself with those figures looming overhead if you aren’t a wealthy oil tycoon or business magistrate.
Overall I would still recommend that people try Masu — if only to say they’ve been there. While it may be touted as a communal dining experience it is far too pricey. If you do want to share, I wouldn’t dine with a party of over 4.

When a restaurant like Masu sweeps the floor of the Metro Restaurant Awards, it raises the bar for Japanese cuisine in Auckland. Or does it?
First off, the décor, furniture and tableware is spotless and cosmopolitan. If you’re interested, the waiter will let you know where everything is from, including the grill stones from Japan and the overhanging lights which all shaped differently, cost around a grand each. Phew Skycity sure knows how to invest in getting restaurants to look their part.
The menu boasts fresh food and is varied with many different choices of seafood and meat, and dishes from sashimi boats to hotpots and dumplings. There’s even a separate menu for gluten free diners. Big tick for eating out in groups. And unless you’ve been there before and know exactly what you’re looking for, you can expect to spend some time digesting the menu before the food even comes.
It’s no surprise that the food comes as elegantly presented as the décor. The small portions are ideal for those that love to nibble at a variety of different dishes but if you like to eat a lot of the same thing, you’re going to crave more. In fact, it’s probably time to change the way you eat because Auckland’s dining scene is still riding the wave of small shared plates or «communal dining».
The sashimi was amazing, and depending on which ones you picked like the o-​toro fatty tuna, it can be a totally satisfying melt in your mouth experience. Another highlight was the scampi tempura, which was light, fluffy and so moreish. We also ordered the pork ribs and chicken skewers. Tasty, but it felt like I was eating it just to fill myself up.
The chocolate and hazelnut pudding with the sprinkling of green tea on top was a fighter to steal the spotlight. Very indulgent and you’ll have to fight for your share as everyone targets to eat it first before the ice cream melts. After a full dinner though, I preferred the lighter chawan mushi — which was mango, lychee, passionfruit and coconut. Especially in the summer months, it’s just the refreshment you need.
Final verdict? I didn’t want to put Masu on a high pedestal because of title «Metro Restaurant of the Year». The food was tasty, the atmosphere was fun. But I didn’t have a moment where I paused and tilted my head to think the food was interesting or creative. Instead the words fresh and clean come to mind. The quality of the food is evident and while you pay for it with the price tag, it could be justified for Japanese food lovers.

Dined here before and would rate as one of the best Japanese restaurants I’ve been to. The presentation of the food is stunning, picture large handcut pieces of ice. This time it was my choice for an inbetween drinks venue, just had a long lunch… going out for dinner. Non-​alcoholic drink in hand, I settled in for a bit of people-​watching, Federal Street’s a great place to be!

So fresh! That was what I pretty much kept saying as we left Masu. And it was. Brilliant, quality ingredients that you will LOVE.
I believe (do correct me if I’m wrong) that Masu won this year’s Metro Supreme Award. While I absolutely adores Masu, I’m going to controversially disagree with Metro on this one. Don’t get me wrong, it was absolutely beautiful. For first-​timers, there’s nothing like being treated to the Masu Shomi Menu. For $ 88 per person you get an incredible selection of some tasty morsels.
You start with the tuna spicy taco, and it is crammed full of flavour. The taco is so light, but with such a magnificent crunch. Let’s not be shy about this, it’s not the most elegant thing to eat.
The sashimi is mind blowing. It will dissolve on your tongue. If you like sashimi, you must order this off the a la carte menu, you definitely won’t regret it.
The sushi platter that follows is fantastic, but it wasn’t the most mind-​blowing sushi I’ve ever eaten in my life. Entirely possible it’s because I associate sushi with everyday corporate life, whipping across to Bien to get a fix, but that’s okay. The soft shell crab number is pretty tasty, if a little difficult to eat. Just get in there!
The snapper with burnt tomato salsa and the lamb cutlets add a more substantial part to this meal. Both are fantastic, and they come cooked to perfection. The grilled kumara that accompanies them is well grilled, smoky and moreish. I always want more kumara.
The final hurrah, the thing that everyone talks about, is that gorgeous dessert platter. It comes out, occupying half the table, with little scoops of ice cream and sorbet, a TO-​DIE-​FOR saucy chocolate pudding, complete with green tea sprinkled over the top. There’s things on there that I will never remember the name of, but they are flavoursome and there’s never enough to share. I could’ve eaten that whole chocolate pudding, but sadly there were four spoons I had to contend with.
The service is exceptional. Always attentive, never over the top. My wine glass was never allowed to be empty, and neither was my water glass. And even though the table was booked for the next dining session, we were never hurried.
As you can see, I can’t fault it. I have two gripes though. One, I will never change, which is that weird sterile SkyCity atmosphere. But I’m slowing getting over that. The other is the price point. I don’t feel like it’s true value for money. It’s close… But if I spent $ 250 at The Engine Room, I’d know all about it and you’d see me rolling out the door. Different strokes for different folks though, and if you love Japanese food that is INSANELY fresh and wonderful quality, you must head to Masu.

Average — nothing wrong with masu, but nothing great.
We came here as a group of nine for a weekday lunch. The restaurant décor was new and modern with an open kitchen so you can watch them prepare the food. To be honest the chefs greeted us with warmer smiles than the maître d.
We ordered a selection of dishes from the sashimi, gyoza, crayfish taco, steak, baby chicken, Alaskan crab leg to the black cod main. All sharing between us.
Although portion sizes are small you still fill up due to the progressive eating.
The reason for the average to low rating is due to the reputation being better than the reality. The food is good but not to be top metro because there are better Japanese such as Ebisu.
It may seem like a harsh score but when you are charging a premium and have numerous awards, you need to have exceed expectations… Today it was just another Japanese lunch :)
My dish choice is the Alaskan king crab leg :)

Masu has recently been named the top restaurant of the year by The Metro Magazine. Im sorry but I think this is terribly mistaken. Don’t get me wrong, the décor is comfortable and chic and welcoming. The staff are prominent and polite. Its just a shame the food just doesn’t quite match the high expectations.
Ive been eating out a lot and not just the expensive places, but the cheap eats that are advertised on behalf of the Metro Mag, and now that the places are shown off, the expectation for these places heighten. Its a disappointed when the eatery doesn’t meet those expectations and Masu is one of them.
The edamame beans were like any others you would receive. Im not sure what was glazed about the kumara, but it was very dry and lacked flavour. I would suggest using a orange kumara to help sweeten the dish. The soft shell crab sushi was nice but nothing suggested special, and it wasn’t rolled that well. The clams and the ribs were the nicest dishes and suggested a bit more class and difference.
The issue with Masu is, if the expectation wasn’t so high after the hype of its show and review in the Metro, maybe we would be more forgiving. Also the prices do not reflect the food. I am happy to spend the money where the food is of that quality and value, but the size and the quality of the dishes do not stack up. Come up Masu you need to pick up your game.
Rating
Food: ⁵⁄₁₀
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Value for Money: Poor
90 Federal Street, Auckland CBD
Opening Hours:
Mon-​Sun 12−3pm, 530pm-​Late