New Zealand Herald

Reviews for Genji Japanese Restaurant

by Helen G.
18th May 2013

Bought a deal voucher and booked for early Saturday night for a table of four with the husband and kids. I rang up and the lady on the phone was very helpful reminding me of the conditions of the vouchers and where to park etc.
I then read the reviews on this site and was concerned about going. That said we turned up and the parking down the back street was easy to find and there was also parking right outside the restaurant. The staff were very child friendly and we were seated quickly. drinks turned up soon after with menus and the food was superb, quick to arrive and reasonably priced as well. after reading previous reviews I looked into the kitchen and the staff were all Japanese and the food authentic. would definitely recommend to others and go back.
What’s not to love: great parking, excellent food, friendly efficient staff and great prices.thanks for a great dinner

by Zoe L.
11th May 2013

This restaurant used to be really good, however ownership has clearly changed in the last year and food quality was not particularly good and was fairly expensive. Wasn’t up to the standard of Japanese food at other restaurants..I got a sense that this restaurant is not owned by Japanese people based on the menu and food.

by nomadic
13th April 2013

We booked on the telephone for a meal for two for the evening of April 5 in two weeks ago, using a voucher which was expiring on April 12.
We were told the evening was booked out and I said I do not mind to change it to lunch for the same day, but was told they are not doing Saturday lunch which was a mistake of them having it on the deal vouchers.
They admitted it was a mistake.

I asked if I could come the next Saturday evening April 13 instead, she said yes and took the booking.

When we were there this evening April 13, we were told the voucher has already expired and we could not use it.

We were demanding an explanation but police was called and later when the police arrived, said, it is a matter for police. It was a civil matter only.

We left the restaurant but later the owner of the restaurant called us using the number we used when we were booking, threatened us he will find us.

It was menacing call with the F word several times in each call.

By the way, the chef were Indian and Chinese men, the waitress were Korean and Chinese ladies, the manager was Chinese and the restaurant ONLY was JAPANESE!!!

by Diana S.
4th April 2013

We had a bad experience with the voucher, coming in for the first time, and being sent away although there were lots of empty tables because we “have to book”. The next time we called and booked in, the place was completely empty but the food was fantastic. Still cost a lot extra but with the voucher it was a decent price. My husband loved the prawn – he said it was the best one he ever had. Food portions were a little small, but of good quality. I would go again, but only with a voucher, since the price is very high.

by Kiki B.
28th March 2013

We had terrible experience here on Saturday evening.

Our food took close to 45 mins to be served when the restaurant was very quiet.

When it was served the quality was extremely poor. It was like they had thrown together some leftovers and thrown them on a plate.

The pictures they show you in their menu didn’t even remotely resemble what we were served.

To finish off the experience when i went to pay the waitress was crouched down behind the counter texting and showed no interest in serving me.

We had been here a while back and the food was very good. However I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Definitely the worst dining experience I have had in Auckland in the last 10 years.

I felt the need to create an account and let other diners know, so they don’t have to experience what we did on Saturday night.

by Ramend K.
16th February 2013

went here for valentines, the staff were so friendly and our tenpenyaki chef was excellent and entertaining. the food was good too. Not sure why people gave this place bad reviews i was hesitant to go after i saw the reviews but turned out to be a top restaurant. i created an account just so i can give these guys a good rating after all the bad ratings it has gotten

by Andrea L.
25th January 2013

Just had lunch here today with a friend & this had to be the worst Japanese restaurant experience of my life. Even with the voucher we had, it represented shocking value with stale rice & fish and the tiniest glasses of wine we’d ever been served. Way overpriced and substandard food. The only redeeming feature was the tasty miso. A disappointing experience & I will certainly never return.

by Sherry W.
15th November 2012

Overall I found the food really good ( I actually said to my partner that I had to go back for the soft shell crabs!!). Really enjoyed the tofu salad and the broccoli salad (sounds simple, but we could tell how much effort was put into making them and the ingredients were super fresh) and the mixed tempura. Food came really fast ( however, we went on Sunday nights for both of our visits).

There were a few minor things that could have been improved; on the first night that I went with my partner, the chef mixed up the order for our skewers so the same dish came twice and a dish we ordered never came. The manager offered the same dish to us for free but tried to charge us for the dish that never came (which was more expensive!) The other table seemed to have a mixed up order too. It would have been easier to have a print out of all the dishes so can be checked off when they arrive. We ordered about 15 and it was very confusing.

The other minor thing was that the second time we went ( there were 4 of us), the waitress seated us right next to an older couple even though there were lots of other free seating elsewhere. I could tell the couple were quite uncomfortable (as the tables were really close, and we weren’t the quietest group) and they eventually asked to be moved!! I felt a little bad for them.

Other than that the service wasn’t too bad (the waitress can be a little more attentive), and the food was one of the best Japanese food I’ve had.

Price was reasonable, not the cheapest but ok for the food quality.

by Sarah G.
14th November 2012

We visited with 2 friends on the 10th. We were told we had to order by 7 because they were expecting a large number of guests in at that time. That was fine, we ordered before 7 but it didn’t seem to matter because food didn’t arrive until 7:40! Because the food didn’t come out altogether I was only starting to eat while the rest of the table had just finished. To make matters worse the rice was luke-warm, the teppanyaki was missing things that the menu had said were included. It wasn’t a teppanyaki experience, it was a stir fry served at the table with cold rice. I was very disappointed that it would take 40 minutes to make this! AND at a cost of $28!

When I said to the waitress that I was unhappy with the wait and the missing food she tried to offer free drinks (at this point we had finished our meal and wanted to leave). When I said I would rather not have the drinks no other compensation was offered and the staff just ignored us. Eventually when I asked again at the checkout they gave me 2 $10 vouchers which expired in a fortnight. I couldn’t use the vouchers to pay that night, and I never want to go back! I wouldn’t recommend anyone eat here, the food was below average and the service was extremely poor.

by Morgan W.
11th November 2012

We went as a group of 13 last night (booked a week in advance) and the evening was farcical at best.

As soon as we had arrived we had a very rude waitress asking us what we were ordering (literally after sitting down). We asked if we could have more time and she said there was another big group coming so we had to hurry. We then asked if we could get more menus considering there were only 3 on the table and she said they couldn’t!

We went to order and we ordered four things off the menu that were unavailable! They forget several things that were ordered and some at our table went a while without eating. As they served they bumped a plate into by friends eye.

When we went to pay they tried to charge the whole table corkage even though only 4 people were drinking. When my friend questioned this the manager told her to ‘Hurry up and pay, there were others waiting to pay’.

This was a real shame because the food was ok, but we felt like an inconvenience to them and they were very rude all night.

Would never go back and I strongly suggest you don’t!

by Chris C.
29th October 2012

We visited this lovely Japanese restaurant on Saturday night for the first time. Upon entering, the staff were quick to attend, and very friendly. We sat with friends at the Tepanyaki table. The pre dinner nibbles were lovely, especially the deep friend lotus flower chips. The new chef was absolutely fantastic, showing off his skills with his tools of trade. He also got everyone at the table involved in what he called, games. The food was out of this world. Once we had finished we moved to another table for dessert.Tempura small pieces of banana, served with a violet ice cream, a green tea ice cream and chocolate sauce, the other desert we had was a cream brule with a difference, this had mixed wild berries in the middle and was wonderful, in fact another was ordered. We would highly recommend this newly renovated friendly restaurant, with fantastic food. Well done to the owners and their team of great staff. We will certainly be telling our friends about Genji, and we will return.

by Lisa
28th September 2012

Was a bit hesitant about coming here due to reviews but had a voucher. Ended up having a very pleasant evening. Food generally very good, tempura and takoyaki were standouts, and desserts also surprisingly good. Service was below average though. Waitress was polite but not very attentive, it was an effort to get her attention and she forgot our drinks order. Overall though not bad.

by Rebecca R.
27th September 2012

I actually don’t know what others are talking about. I eat here regularly and like it. The food is yummy and the menu is huge so has something for everyone. I found the staff nice and good service.

by Cam W.
25th September 2012

Same story, different day. Went there with a group and found right from the beginning that it was going to be a disappointment.
For starters the head waiter was rude and completely unapproachable, then we were seated in the “Karaoke Room” which was extremely dirty and looking up at the tiles on the ceiling clearly has a water leak problem. Food was very slow to come and when it did was the worst Japanese food I have ever experienced. Poorly presented, lacking flavour and seemed to be several days old.
Will never be back.

by leannex
16th September 2012

Having dinner at Genji’s I now understand why they have extreme reviews. We certainly experienced the good and the bad. We started with the Nigiri and Sashimi platter which was good, but price a bit on the high side. Then ordered four plates to share. The Mixed Tempura @ $18 was good and so was the Chicken Katsu Fillet @ $12, but the Shishamo Yakitori (Sardine Skewers) were absolutely dreadful – tasted like reconstituted cardboard – I was expecting fresh sardines and think these ones must have been the dried variety (possibly pre-historic) and then even worse was the Soft Shell Crab @ $16 – on the plate were 2 crabs, so probably a fair price, but they were swimming in oil – we ate one and both felt sick, so left the other and that was the end of our evening – didn’t feel like sampling anything else or the dessert after that. Also disappointing that the seating is so close together, making it impossible to have a private conversation – we now know everything about the people beside us, as I’m sure they do about us! The staff were very friendly and efficient though. I would rate this restaurant 2.5. In saying all this, the food the people next to us ordered looked good and they seemed happy with everything, so maybe worth another go as the banquet for 4 sounded like good value and I think that was probably what they had.

by Lou
7th September 2012

Went for dinner a couple of nights ago and enjoyed our meal. We weren’t expecting much after seeing some of the views but had a nice experience. The place was quite empty so a little lacking in atmosphere but was made up for by fast service. We had a voucher and probably would have thought it quite highly priced for two people for the food we actually ordered. The set menu for 4 or more looked like a good selection and price though. Our sashimi was nice and fresh, mushroom skewers and broccoli salad delicious. Ordered a salmon and chicken dish too and both were good but nothing too special. No complaints about service. Would go back but probably only with a group or voucher.

by John H.
22nd August 2012

I went there for my 21st birthday. I booked two weeks in advance and asked the waitress if they have a set menu for vegetarian and she said yes. I confimed again after a week but when I arrived there the manager told me that they don’t serve vegetarian, I kept telling him that I’ve booked for it but he just keep telling me the same thing. The food were really average, small portion and very pricy.
Bear in mind that the set menu is shared by 4 people don’t be fooled by the picture on the set menu.
I will never return again very disappointed.

by Sharon
20th August 2012

I dined at Genji’s in a group for a special celebration, and it was one of the most unpleasant dining experiences I’ve ever had.
We booked in advance on the phone, but when we got there they had changed some of our arrangements without notifying us. The host was extremely rude when we asked about this, and obviously did not care that we were unhappy. The food was very average; we ordered the set menu, which was severely overpriced, and most of the people in our group were still hungry afterwards.
Dining at Genji’s absolutely ruined the celebration for us, and we regretted not choosing a different restaurant to celebrate at. Definitely will not be back, and will not recommend others to go.

by kurt
8th August 2012

I have never been so disappointed

Genji is usually one of my fave places to eat lunch cheap quality fresh sushi and the most delicious chicken nabe udon.

They have changed their menu and it is now bad. The staff gawk at you as you walk in and it is just a really foul atmosphere they have also yanked the price up for bad food and bad service. I don’t get it.

Very disappointed

by Jo C.
21st April 2012

Probably the worst Japanese food experience we have ever had.
The food was just plain awful… Would not recommend to anyone. In fact don’t waste your money. Service was pretty bad also.
Won’t be going back ever….

by Ben
22nd August 2011

Went for a work lunch on a Monday. The place was empty which isn’t a problem but the atmosphere felt weird. Our waiter didn’t really seem to enjoy what he was doing and some odd metal was playing on the radio.

The food was quite uninspired – the tempura more doughy than crispy, sashimi wasn’t particularly fresh. I guess the upside to the meal is the miso was quite tasty and the food came fast. Probably wouldn’t visit again though.

by Daniel
13th August 2011

An excellent place to eat. The food is always of a consistently high standard. We have been dining there regularly for few years now and the staff are always friendly and attentive. We recommend it to anyone who asks as to a good restaurant to dine at.

by Mya K.
13th June 2011

I took my mum out for dinner last week to Genji for the first time and it was great. We had sashimi that time and it was very nice, the staff were very friendly and had very good service. Also parking problem was not a hassle as there were parking slots at the back.

by Rebecca
13th June 2011

About 15 of us went to Genji’s on Saturday night for a birthday dinner. Pretty much everything about the restaurant was well below par. It took about half an hour for any of the staff to acknowledge that we were there. We had to ask the staff for wine glasses and menus. We were given three menus to share between 15 people. We were also given about 5 wine glasses and the rest were small cups.
About an hour after we got there, we had to start asking the staff to take our orders as it was 9pm and we were starving! After much complaining, our food began to arrive at about 10pm. Most of us were ready to walk out at this stage and just go straight to the nearest kebab shop.

The food came out at different times, the rice that i got was inedible as it was extremely undercooked (how does a Japanese restaurant not know how to cook rice?), one friend got a different meal served to her than what she ordered. When she asked for an explanation she was told ‘oh well, its the same thing anyway’. We had all basically finished our meals and some people hadn’t had any food brought out at all!

I happened to bump into another friend in the restaurant and (surprise surprise) she was also about to complain about the ridiculous service she had also received.

Our complaints were met with little apology and no explanation.

I definitely would NOT recommend this restaurant to anyone. One of the worst dining experiences i have had.

by Paea
12th June 2011

We ate at this restaurant last night for a surprise 30th of my sister in law. The service and food was horrible. Karaoke & food for $30.00, for 5 small pieces of Salmon and 1 spoon of rice, i was not impressed at all!. They didn’t even come and clear up the soup bowls before serving the main food. Actually they didn’t even clear our table at all, we left with our “boxes” still on the table. There was at least 35 of us at this dinner and you would think considering the amount of money that was being spent on this night that they would pay some attention to detail. The karaoke room was at the back of the restaurant in which was their other exit/entry, we had people walking through our “private function” all night. The only other time a waiter came in (aside from when we got our food) was to take the bottle of water as they needed it for other diners (and we only had 3 bottles in the whole room) and to take chairs also for other diners. I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant at all. Had to stop in at Mcdonalds on the way home. I will never step foot in this restaurant again!. Service crap, food crap!. Not Happy!.

by keith w.
16th January 2011

I ate at this restaurant for a few years about ten years ago when it was under Korean management and the chef was called Alex it was great then Alex trained in japan and the waitress’s were Japanese and Korean the boss loved Elvis Presley and the atmosphere was great.
I read the reviews before going back there this week — only one bad review — so I took the chance and sadly the bad review was right. The miso soup was burnt , the nigiri was assembled with stale rice the teriaki chicken tasted not nice.
The sahimi was average, when they asked me what i thought I said politely the above and that I would not come back again and that they needed some work to get the place back.
Rikka, an excellent restaurant was fully booked that night so I went back to try this one again and it was empty go figure.
For their sake I hope they get a decent chef and manager and bring the place back I don’t think they give a toss because they are only interested in birthday functions or karaoke when all are pissed and don’t know what they are eating I suspect the management are Chinese but are not sure.

by Roanne P.
3rd December 2010

I love Genji, we have been eating here for years and its great, takeaway, work lunch or with friends, easy, local, delicious.

by blur
1st October 2010

Dined there last Friday and I must admit out of all the top recommended restaurants we visited in the 10 days in Auckland ..this one is one of the best…

As a regular restaurant goer, mostly on business, it takes a lot to impress me, but I was quite impress with the food and how they cut their sashimi. Superb!!!

We had also great service from a very knowledgeable and attentive waitress who knew all the ingredients.

This is the sort of place where you taste and enjoy the food and come out satisfied.

by Ben T.
25th September 2010

One of the worst restaurant experiences I have ever had. It took nearly an hour for someone to bring us menus, then another hour and a half for any food to arrive! When it eventually arrived the food was average at best (at least it was cheap). Urinal in men’s toilet dripping all over the floor so that it was covered in a huge puddle of urine. We will never go back

by Amba
7th October 2009

Genji is one of my fav Japanese restaurants, its clean, its economical, its very efficient, maybe almost too much so, on our last visit the food was superb, as usual, however we felt rushed through our meal as we arrived at 7.30pm on a Saturday night and was out the door by 8.10pm!!! We had a shared entree, 2 drinks each, and a main meal, all in 40mins! You cant beat the friendly service, good food at a good price, but not the place to go to if you want to relax over a long romantic meal!
Thanks.

by Janey
27th April 2009

Great Place for a function. We had a private hens do here and hired out back room. very friendly staff, very helpful. Reasonably priced. Fun with Kakoke. Food is ok, pretty nice for price. Overall a good night.

by Brian
11th April 2009

I usually get takeaway lunches but have also eaten in a few times. Friendly staff, good service, very nice food. I believe the takeaway lunches are very good value for money. Parking available Ponsonby Road or Maidstone Street with shop entrances off both streets.

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