ahi

we came by for a celebratory lunch. we booked online and came by about 10 minutes early but they still seated us. the views were quite nice and the area is quite spacious. i quite liked the open kitchen which you are able to see from the dining area. they were quite patient with our questions and did top up our water without asking.
the menu wasn't too big, separating the items into snacks, entrees and mains. we started with the scampi corn dog, wallaby tartare and octopus. the tartare was nice and the corn dog was interesting and delicious but the octopus was amazing. nice and tender with nice charred flavours and really impressive plating with the pikopiko. the octopus cracker was also a tasty surprise.
i had the fishmainand it was booked perfectly. tender, juicy and flakey with really tasty sauce and crispy mussels. i also tried some of the quail, beef and pork and they were all delicious in their own right, made well and quite flavoursome. the pork did have an interesting slice of pineapple on it which was apparently miso fermented but was incredibly bitter. it might've been nice with other components but it was quite unappealing by itself and so was left alone. the potatoes are amazing, a mixture of crispy and creamy potatoes served with really tasty mushroom ketchup. it would have been so easy to demolish a few plates of those as they were very moreish. we ended it with a campfire banana, a fire-roasted banana with caramel and ice cream.

really nice service and impeccable food, for the most part. it was a nice place to have a celebratory meal or even just a place to have something more casual. we booked for lunch as they were full for dinner but that would also be another experience.

tried out ahi on a sunday night, and it was packed! love the atmosphere and the service is excellent. got really good recommendations from the wait staff and the food was really well presented and detailed. the flavours were really unique and the dishes taste great (not outstanding, but great). the only disappointment were the portion sizes. we were advised that the meals can be shared, but that's not really true. i would highly recommend the set menu per person option. we went for a la carte and did not feel full afterwards. for context, it was 6 of us, and we shared 5 mains, 2mainsized entrees, and 4 x 6 snack sized items. needless to say, we spent about a $1000 between us including 2 bottles of wine and 3 cocktails.
i think in hindsight, the set menu of 4 snacks and 4 mains per person will be fantastic value for money. i'd go back there and choose that option next time.

first of all its beautiful restaurant love the atmosphere and service. but its a bit over priced. we had crayfish soup and kingfish.( asked formainsize) and one bottle of water and gin and tonic. and 2 corn dogs for entrée. total bill was $139 which is normal for fine dining restaurants. but portions was shocking.the mains we have asked which are charged $45 & $43 were still starter size.(belive me i have been to many fine restaurants so i know whatmainsize meals like).so i asked them if it was formainsize?and they keep saying its for tasting menu. what is it? confusing..so its tasting size but charge for fullmainprice? i've never felt so hungry after i spent $140 on food. so we went to buy burgers afterward.( btw im not a big eater ).much prefer go to habourside or botswana butchery. much better food and better quality .sorry guys but huge disappointment 😔.
thanks

the concept of ahi and the credentials of chef ben bayly is what attracted me to ahi.
love the use of local nz ingredients to create a truly interesting menu.

the menu is split into snacks (appetizer size), "mains" (varies between entree andmainsized dishes) and some sides. there is also the course menu options for those that don't want the hassle of choosing! for those going a la carte, two snacks (per person), 3 "mains" (1 entree sized, 2mainsized) should be enough for a decent meal. if you're feeling extra hungry, consider ordering another entree sized "main" or some sides.

food:
pretty good variety and use of local ingredients. presentation is immaculate, as expected. the dishes we had tonight were:
hangi paua - recommended. tender paua, intense broth, full of umami goodness.
kelp'd tuna - balance of flavours was good however the texture of the tuna was a bit odd for me personally. i think it was cured.
scampi corndog - the crispy batter layer and jo bro's sauce were the best parts of this dish. the scampi was slightly overcooked and you couldn't taste the natural sweetness of the scampi (probably due in part to being deep fried).
wagyu - recommended. cooked to perfection. range of flavours here that just worked. you'll need to try this dish to understand what i mean.
fallowed deer - recommended. cooked to perfection. cheeks were tender, melt in your mouth stuff.
trumpet - recommended. ice cream made from buffalo milk, served in a waffle cone and brought to your table on a real, yes real, buffalo horn. buffalo milk ice cream is interesting, creamy like ice cream but with the texture of sorbet. 

service:
more or less expected of a fine dining establishment but was inconsistent at times. nothing to do with the attitude of the servers though, which was exemplary. usually at other fine dining restaurants, each dish is accompanied by a brief introduction by the server highlighting the elements of the dish. we had 4 different servers tonight, but only 1 did this. why is this important you ask? i think it shows respect for the chef who has carefully thought of all the different elements and how they work together to form the dish. also as the diner, i am able to appreciate the dish more knowing what i am eating.

restaurant:
located on level 2 of the new commercial bay development, on the corner facing the ferry building and britomart train station.
the restaurant is modern, tables are well spaced out (likely due to covid) and features an open kitchen.
the view is not spectacular but you don't go to ahi for the view.