Cuisine: Japanese
Price: $38 for large sushi platter
Location: 315B Queen Street, Auckland
Website: http://www.sakebars.co.nz/kura/
Kura is part of the trio of restaurants under the same management umbrella, the others being Tanuki's Cave and Tanuki Sushi & Sake Bar. Kura offers a more fine dining approach to eating, than its brethren. I've eaten a couple of times to Kura and left with mixed impressions.
The dimly lit Kura is a cosy restaurant, located down a flight of stairs and away from the chill of a winters day. We first visited on a busy Friday night and went for the sushi platter. While we ordered the waitress asked us if we were in a rush to see a show, and explained that they could bring out the food faster if we needed. It seemed like an odd question to ask. Surely if a diner was in a rush, they would ask the staff of their own accord? Regardless the sushi platter was presented nicely, with a dozen or so delicious looking morsels. The sushi was fresh and clean, definitely some of the better we’d eaten in Auckland. We both left impressed and eager to come back again. It was on my subsequent visit that my opinion of Kura soured.
This time we arrived on a Sunday and went for their set dinner menu which was comprised of four courses; sushi and sashimi platter, gyoza, steak and finally ice cream. Once again we were asked if we were in a rush and needed to catch a show. Once again I explained no. The courses arrived swiftly and were swiftly cleared away…too swiftly. My finished first course was cleared away, then my second course brought...while my friend was still on her first. While we were still eating our second course, they then brought the third and we struggled for space on the small table. At this point I actually had to tell the waiter to slow down and stop piling on the food. Utterly ridiculous that we were spending $40 per person on food, and we were being served like they wanted us out of the restaurant immediately. This was made all the more perplexing considering the restaurant was mostly empty.
The food itself did nothing to improve the scene that night. The sushi was good quality, as before, though presented on a large plate with plenty of superfluous vegetables, making it look more substantial than it was. The gyoza were enjoyable, though as greasy as they were crunchy. The steak was served to us medium, the staff never asked us how we would like it cooked. The ice cream was edible. It was a satisfactory meal, but not worth paying $40 for. The service was awful, making us feel like we were being rushed out of the restaurant.
Kura serves sushi on the better end of the spectrum, with the rest of the menu only slightly above average. The perplexingly awful service on my subsequent visit killed any desire to return when other, superior, Japanese restaurants such as Tanuki’s Cave and Kinataro exist nearby. Go there instead.
6/10
Price: $38 for large sushi platter
Location: 315B Queen Street, Auckland
Website: http://www.sakebars.co.nz/kura/
Kura is part of the trio of restaurants under the same management umbrella, the others being Tanuki's Cave and Tanuki Sushi & Sake Bar. Kura offers a more fine dining approach to eating, than its brethren. I've eaten a couple of times to Kura and left with mixed impressions.
The dimly lit Kura is a cosy restaurant, located down a flight of stairs and away from the chill of a winters day. We first visited on a busy Friday night and went for the sushi platter. While we ordered the waitress asked us if we were in a rush to see a show, and explained that they could bring out the food faster if we needed. It seemed like an odd question to ask. Surely if a diner was in a rush, they would ask the staff of their own accord? Regardless the sushi platter was presented nicely, with a dozen or so delicious looking morsels. The sushi was fresh and clean, definitely some of the better we’d eaten in Auckland. We both left impressed and eager to come back again. It was on my subsequent visit that my opinion of Kura soured.
The food itself did nothing to improve the scene that night. The sushi was good quality, as before, though presented on a large plate with plenty of superfluous vegetables, making it look more substantial than it was. The gyoza were enjoyable, though as greasy as they were crunchy. The steak was served to us medium, the staff never asked us how we would like it cooked. The ice cream was edible. It was a satisfactory meal, but not worth paying $40 for. The service was awful, making us feel like we were being rushed out of the restaurant.
Kura serves sushi on the better end of the spectrum, with the rest of the menu only slightly above average. The perplexingly awful service on my subsequent visit killed any desire to return when other, superior, Japanese restaurants such as Tanuki’s Cave and Kinataro exist nearby. Go there instead.
6/10
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