Sake Bar Nippon

Sorry I don’t mean to be mean. However, this Japanese place is not my favor.
One thing you can tell whether a restaurant is good or not, is from the customers. You should see local people enjoying, and also with people from the origin country. For instance, a Chinese restaurant here should attract both Chinese people and kiwis. But in Nippon, I see most of the guests are kiwi, not from Japan, or even from Asian countries.
So here comes the confusion. A Japanese restaurant should be decent, quiet in a certain way, clean, cozy. It should leave some privacy space with the customers, not that loud and full of quirky music that piled up your stomach.
Maybe people find it funny to get a drum hit once coming a new customer, however, I don’t quite fancy this idea. Then the menu is a bit confusing, seats a bit narrow, the grilled beef tongue is way too salty, Ginger slices of roasted pork is too thick for chewing, and the whole presentation is not Japan delicate. Of all the dishes we ordered, perhaps the roast vegetable is the best.
In our mind, Tokyo Bay in Takapuna is really a good example of what a proper Japanese restaurant should be. Sorry Nippon, I just don’t feel you are the right cake for me.

Best atmosphere in a restaurant that I’ve experienced in a while!!! We walked in and everyone cheered and played the drums, with the Japanese karaōke going in the background, amazing! I had the chicken sushi and it was delicious and fresh! Make sure you book a reservation though because this place is super popular and lots of people were being turned away because the restaurant was so crazy full!

We arrived to a drum roll in the kitchen and a communal ‘HEY!’ which made me feel like a total VIP (great start)
The waiters were fast, polite and gorgeous. Our waiter had what I assume was a costume on, but whatever it was — he was a helluva guy and heaps kawai
Other half got a beer but I generally go for plum /​apricot wine when dining Japanese — so I got the Plum Wine & Soda. Try it. So sweet and refreshing
We ordered a mixture of Karage Chicken, Broccoli, Edamame, Yum Yum Prawns, Deep fried Camembert, Scotch Fillet Steak and Cha (not sure if that was the name) Salmon. The Salmon was cooked lightly with a flame and brushed with butter /​mayo and on top of a small amount of rice. Please order this. It literally melts in the mouth
The vibe inside was just so welcoming and relaxed. I want to go here all the time!
Also, extreme drum roll and lots of chefs shouting on departure. I even waved back at them (WHY?) but the attention overwhelms a girl right. haha
Parking was down a side street just up the road but if you time it right you could get one right outside the door. Also, a perfect place to dine pre concert /​event at the showgrounds which is what we did.
I actually can not fault this place! Ticks the OISHI box!

Kind of really expensive for the small servings. but i think that’s the usual price for Japanese restaurants. We ordered A LOT to get the 6 of us full enough to leave happy… which lead to $ 50-​$ 60 each… then again we had a lot of sake too haha
We ordered a variety of dishes from beef tongue to squid to tuna tataki and all was really nice. Only down side is these are sharing plates and they don’t come very big so like i said, order more to get full but that also means spend more. Maybe coming in groups of 4 or less is easiest for these types of sharing meals.
The interior is very rustic japanese sake bar. with lots of wood and fabric banners to make you bow your head. my favourite part is when you enter and leave the restaurant, they scream a loud «WELCOME» and «THANK YOU FOR COMING» (or something like that) in japanese and beat down on the drums really loudly. I had to go to my car to get something and they welcomed me again hahahha love it

Sake Bar Nippon is a favourite of ours. Love the food, love the service and love the atmosphere.

Sake Bar Nippon is incredible! I’ve been going weekly for the past few years and it is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Auckland by far — the food is delicious and always fresh, the vibe is really fun, staff friendly. The owners are an amazing family, so lovely and most nights you’ll find them in the kitchen /​serving the food. The sashimi is delicious, takoyaki, skewers (garlic — YUM!), beef tataki, rare steak, sushi is really fresh… all very yummy.

I went to this place for a friend’s birthday and I must say I had a great night here. We booked one of the upstairs rooms, a traditional Japanese Izakaya style table where you have to take your shoes off to enter into the room, and the seats (cushions) were basically at ground level. We just ordered heaps of different dishes in true Japanese style, accompanied of course by copious bottles of warm and cool sake.
The food was delicious, and the atmosphere in the place was so enjoyable. One problem was that the fan in our little room stopped working half way through our dinner, so by the end of our meal and after a few sakes it became uncomfortably hot. Apart from that it was a blast. The staff are so so friendly and bubbly. My friend got a happy birthday song as she was leaving the restaurant, complete with instruments and all. She was embarrassed, but we all loved it.

Sake bar Nippon used to be a regular haunt of mine. I recently visited for a trip down memory lane and was a little disappointed. The food was still nice but the place itself is looking a little bit shabby and the buzzing atmosphere was replaced with kind-​of whiny background Chinese music.
I gave the fish wontons a go which were pretty tasty, a bit like Japanese fish and chips. Also went for the steamed broccoli which was incredibly delicious, mostly due to a generous serving of mayonnaise on top.
I did used to love the karaōke room upstairs so might give it another go with a group of friends and see if that improves things a bit.

Eating out in a restaurant is about the experience and enjoying yourself, starting with the simple fact that you aren’t cooking or doing the dishes. Nippon in Epsom make sure you have a great experience. With waitresses in cute kimonos, kitchen staff bashing drums and a chorus of greeting or farewells, it’s hard not to leave with a smile on your face.
Nippon Saké Bar looks like a Wild West themed restaurant with an Asian flair, reflecting the slightly westernized menu (which is as crazy and bright as any Asian barber shop magazine). The food is of the highest quality, even if the portions are quite small. Also the food comes as soon as it’s ready, so be prepared to share.
Not the most extensive Saké menu but there is more than enough for a good night out and a memorable evening.

I love the atmosphere of this place, I love the seating, I love the room they have upstairs for large groups, I just don’t particularly love the food. This is my personal opinion and I know that so many other people just adore Sake Bar, but I just can’t work out why I don’t like the food. I feel like it has been to westernized, it doesn’t have that authentic Japanese flavour that I crave. I come here once a year for a family event, where they just keep bringing us every item of the menu until we are full, so I have tried pretty much all of it.
Everything is very heavy, whether its fried or covered in mayo or sauce, which I know the boys in my family love, but I find it doesn’t sit very well with me. Even their chicken sushi, which I thought would be a light choice, is covered in teriyaki sauce and mayo. However if you do enjoy food like that, this place is so much fun to come and have dinner or a drink.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been here — adults only dinner dates, dinner parties, family birthdays, even takeaways. I really can’t tell you just how much I love this place and I know I’m not alone. The chefs drum a welcome as you arrive (and leave), and even on busy nights when we haven’t booked they will always find us a spot. The restaurant recently expanded to the building next door which is known as Amami Shochu Bar but has the same menu.
In the main Sake Nippon bar there is barside seating downstairs where you can watch the chefs do their thing, booths, tables and more tables upstairs plus a group of Japanese style large low tables. While I never done it here myself, you can partake of Karaōke here too if the mood so takes you.
Our last visit was for my stepson’s birthday and they immediately went off and made a Happy Birthday sign (ok we assume that’s what it said) for our table. We were surprised and delighted but had to laugh because it had my husband’s name on it. They laughed too, took it away and brought it back with the birthday boy’s name on it. A simple thing but now a new family tradition, as are the Bubblegum flavoured sodapops in a glass bottle with a big crazy ball on top that you push down to open.
You can take your own wine or order from the more than adequate winelist, or as we do often, have sake or one of the Japanese beers. I’m also personally partial to the Plum Wine (Umeshu) with ice. The menu has all the usual Japanese favourites sushi, sashimi, yakisoba etc, along with teppanyaki, yakitori skewers (get the garlic), and a lot of crazy fish and seafood delicacies that are not really our thing but the chefs seem to produce continuously.
Something I suspect does not originate in Japan but that we order religiously is the Deep Fried Camembert which comes with a big dollop of sweet orange marmalade. It’s two gooey decadent wedges of 1980s deliciousness. If you don’t usually order salad when eating Japanese then try one here — the dressings are incredible, so much so I have had to hunt them down at Japanese specialty stores to use at home.
It sounds too good to be true but seriously, EVERYTHING is good here, the prices are cheap and the service always quick, friendly and welcoming. They make Avocado Nigiri for me even though it’s not on the menu and we always leave with warm fuzzies. Love you Sake Nippon!!!