masu by nic watt

been here couple of times and really enjoyed their sushi, sashimi and scampi tempura. they use good quality ingredients. service is excellent. prices aren’t cheap but the experience was great so wouldn’t mind coming back for special occasions.

very disappointed with their service. my husband and i went there for lunch. we didn't have a lot of time so ordered one of the express lunch courses. they had run out of hapuka on the menu so the waiter said we would get salmon instead. i wasn't keen on salmon and my husband can't eat salmon so asked for another white fish. the waiter went away to check with the chef and came back saying they would replace it with king fish but only one! i thought he was joking at the start but he wasn't. just because i didn't say i couldn't eat salmon, i had to put up with eating salmon. they charge $55 for this course so i expected to get top service. i will never go back to masu and would not recommend to anyone.

went to masu on a tip from a kiwi friend. what a sensational place! service: as i was travelling on my own, they made sure i was comfortable and had a good table (too many restaurants make single female travellers feel out of place). the chef was more than happy to make a few adjustments to the degustation menu as per my preferences (thank you - really appreciate it considering a super busy kitchen!). now to food: every dish was sensational so it’s hard to pick favourites, but i try: go for clams, it’s to die for. and soft shell crab sushi. a sake tasting flight was a beautiful compliment to this meal. must come back and try other things on the menu.

we went for a birthday dinner a few weeks back,
food was top notch =)
staff were friendly, everything melted in your mouth and we actually left full most times dining in japanese restaurants your left feeling starving after but we were well satisfied, would totally recommend

i went twice. will never going back there again.

first time round was a friend of a friend's hen's night dinner. the food (especially the sashimi) i enjoyed. everything else was overpriced (imo) which was expected but the disappointment was the approach the waitress try to sell me the "special cocktails".

i expected when a customer say "i'm still looking can i have a minutes please?" waitress will come back after a good 5 − 10 mins. but she went on to say "but can i just mention the special cocktails we have tonight?" i replied "i think i will order a wine thanks" she came back with "can i tell you anyway?"

terrible service!!!

the story doesn't end here.

i took my parents for their anniversary (my father wanted a up-market japanese restaurant). we ordered 5 different dishes (were planning to order more) and a bottle of craggy range sophia ($150).

the waitress this night, forgot my bottle. two dishes arrived and when i asked a waiter who was just walking by, i saw he walked to her, she looked at the monitor (i assume that's where they enter all the orders) and after 5 mins later came over with the bottle with no apology for forgetting…and did't know how to open the bottle!! (is corked) she went away and had help, tried to save the embarrassment "corked bottles are tricky…most of the bottles are screw tops anyways…" no knowledge of good wine, should be corked to keep the wine 'alive'

i expected a place like masu would train their staff! if you are trying to sell an image of "high end" dinning. total disappointment.

the only good thing came out of the dinner was sashimi and the robata beef fillet. we also orderered fish (was wrapped in a leaf and cooked on the robata grill) it was warm and way too sweet.

the manager of the night came over to talk to talk to us … definitely need that to keep customer happy and perhaps collect feedback/criticism to improve the dinning experience. charging three people for $500+ for a meal with this type of service?? i feel robbed!!

if anyone reading this review hoping for an authentic japanese food and service - go to a different japanese restaurant.

i expected big things from masu, but was severely disappointed. while the food was good, the service was terrible and detracted from what could have been a really nice evening.

i went as part of a group of seven, midweek. it was busy and although there seemed to be plenty of wait staff, the waiters at our table were slow and sloppy. on several occasions, drinks were spilt on the table while the waiters attempted to pour them; their knowledge of the wine menu was poor; and our cocktails, ordered on arrival, arrived at wildly different times. one was forgotten completely.

also, two bottles of sake were ordered for the table, but the waiter could not say which one was which when he delivered them.

equally as bad was the fact we were seated at a rickety table, which wobbled from side to side when pressure was exerted on it.

and, in a dining first for me, i watched in amazement as the chair of one member of our dining party collapsed underneath him and he fell to the ground. he was then left standing for a few minutes before another was brought to replace it.

an apology wasn't forthcoming for about 10 minutes, after the manager had been requested – twice.

i mean, seriously, that's reminiscent of a scene in the dining room at faulty towers, not a restaurant that is purportedly auckland’s best.

the praise heaped on masu seems absolutely premature. if consistency is one of the hallmarks of a good restaurant, this one has a long way to go.

i've been to masu twice recently and have been impressed on both occasions.  the food is an amazing modern twist on traditional japanese (with plenty of options for those who don't eat raw food).  the food is also amazingly presented.

there is an extensive wine list with a choice for everyone and the mocktails are yummy for those who are driving.

i'll definitely be back!

my favourite restaurant of all time! my partner and i have dined here multiple times and have left very satisfied every time. we recommend masu to everyone we know lol. king crab legs, omg!!!

3.5 at best for my friend and i at masu. it depends on what you are going there for. we were excited at first because of all the hype, left with a very disappointing experience. price, portion and food. we tipped the waitress because she was excellent. the food tasted okay, ordered rice, not even enough seasoning for the sad amount of $.90 rice. it was one of those places where you had to go to another restaurant to gain satisfaction, but like i said, depends on what you are there for. my friend and i have known each other for 10 years and hung out all day so we had absolutely nothing to talk about, while the people who appeared to be enjoying their expensive, tiny meals were getting to know one another and while my friend and i were starving, 1 and a half hours and still starving.

masu, part of the skycity complex, needs no introduction after being named the 2014 metro restaurant of the year supreme winner. we decided to come here for lunch to celebrate bl’s birthday. we booked online, and they ring you the day before to confirm, a nice touch. the layout of the restaurant is beautiful, i love the way wood and stone are used to convey an elegant simplicity.

the kitchen is divided into three sections; a sushi bar, the robata grill and the kitchen. each is staffed with multiple chefs (i counted nine in total across the three stations on a reasonably quiet sunday lunch).

the extensive drinks menu also had some intriguing non-alcholic cocktails ($10); we had a refreshing drink made with grapes and aloe vera juice.

we started with the sashimi moriawase chef’s 5 sashimi selection ($42), which came with three pieces each of kingfish, salmon, tuna, scallop and trevally. the beautifully presented seafood came with freshly grated wasabi. this is potent stuff; fresh wasabi is even more pungent than the imitation ones that comes out a tube, but the pungency dissipates quickly with no lingering burn. i found the scallop too delicate for me; the stronger tasting kingfish and salmon were my pick.

the cloudy bay clams tobanyaki ($22) came steaming in a miniature pot seasoned with garlic, lemon, green chilli and ponzu butter. i enjoyed this, flavoursome and perfectly cooked. we were hoping for the baby back pork ribs, but they had run out.

the saikyo miso and yuzu marinated black cod ($46) is the signature dish. this is reminiscent of the miso marinated black cod made famous by nobu matsuhisa. saikyo miso is a naturally sweet golden miso from the kyoto region, which permeates the flaky cod with a divine sweet-savouriness.

the vegetable dishes did not hit the same high notes. the eggplant with ginger miso and sesame ($8.30) was dull, and i wished there was a combination of textures. the soy glazed tofu ($9.90) was tasty but the texture was inconsistent with the visual aspect. i was expecting silky soft texture, but it was the normal firm tofu, which tasted too strong for the other flavours.

i expected more from masu. sure, the ambience is wonderful, the service top-notch, and the presentation was excellent. however, there was little originality to the dishes we ordered, even if they were executed well. the vegetable options were disappointing. was it worth the extravagant prices charged? i wasn’t so sure. but i will bring my dad here; he spent many, many months in japan over his working career, and he has developed a very discerning palate for japanese food.

have dined at masu a few times and our visits have been great. service and food is consistent and fresh, one of the better japanese restaurants in auckland. there is seating around the kitchen area too so you can watch the chefs in action.

the food here is unbelievably good! the soft shelled crab was so crispy, so were the tempura. the chicken skewers and lamb cutlers were amazing. and i still dream about the chocolate and hazelnut pudding! but it is a tad pricey.

popped into masu very quickly as i was after some umeshu (japanese plum wine). masu definitely impressed as they had more than 5 varieties, not to mention excellent service, (only place in auckland that could deliver when i requested "umeshu") so i will definitely be back to try the food; paired with umeshu of course.

i really wanted to like this spot as i’m a huge fan of japanese food. however unfortunately there was nothing interesting or anything that had a wow factor for me in their tasting menu. it was nice, however it was on the same level of nice for me as most other japanese restaurants. my favourite thing was the sashimi, and i mean all sashimi tastes similar. not worth going back for me personally.

this is not the place if your are looking for authentic japanese food experience. this is for those who like fusion asian food with a big price tag. if you enjoy interior and service then this your place. if you want true craftsmanship for japanese cookery than this is not the place. the daruma sushi place in botany is far superior when it comes to variety of fish