73 Davis Cres,
Newmarket
Auckland,
(09) 529 4422
The ViewAuckland Review
Vibe
Zen cool with polished concrete, lots of dramatic dark wood, and Japanese woodcuts. No windows mean you’re immersed entirely in the classy and elegant surroundings.
Service
Low-key and excellent with a wonderfully understated Japanese ambience.
Highlights
The tempura soft-shell crab, definitely the right choice as one of the two dishes I could pick to accompany my bento lunch box ($28). Other tasty options were crispy grilled salmon and super-fresh tuna sashimi.
Most Surprising Dish
A perfectly judged array of small bite-sized appetisers to start the meal, all included in Tatsumi’s $28 lunch deal. Look forward to gossamer-thin beef tataki and delicate sweet and sour fish.
Drinks List
Innovative cocktails based on monthly Asian horoscopes, a very good winelist, and a surprising range of beers including Sapporo on tap and Emerson’s Pilsner.
The Bottom Line
Relocated to Auckland after the Christchurch earthquakes, Tatsumi provides excellent Japanese flavours tinged with a few innovative European fine dining touches.
A Reason To Return
For the East meet West innovation of the a la carte dinner menu, including the tempura soft shell crab salad ($27), seasoned with Cajun spices and including a yuzu pepper salad, goat’s cheese and tobiko (fish roe).
Tatsumi Modern Japanese Cuisine has been reviewed by 6 users