Restaurant review: Sake Bar Nippon, Takapuna

Sake Bar Nippon in Takapuna. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Address: 32-34 Anzac Street, Takapuna
Phone: (09) 486 2249
Rating out of 10: Food: 7, Service: 7, Value: 7, Ambience: 7

There are few words more calculated to plunge me into a black gloom than "wacky". Frequently coupled with "screwball" or "quirky", it is invariably a signal that what follows will be a dollop of forced and witless so-called humour.

So I admit my misanthropy came to the fore at the antics at the Sake Bar Nippon, where guests are greeted with the beating of drums, the conversational protocol among the staff is shouting and where a proportion of them are dressed in animal onesies or have stuffed toy headgear.

My spirits sank even further at the sight of the menu, which is presented as one of those garishly coloured pictorial jobs in laminated plastic usually associated with ethnic establishments at the bottom of the eating-out food chain.

And yet and yet. Eating out is about entertainment, relaxation and company. Our evening turned out to be thoroughly enjoyable and we all left in high spirits. Despite the drumming, which occurred frequently enough to remind us that this is a busy and successful operation following the blueprint of its Epsom business, we were able to talk without wrecking our throats. The staff might have been dressed up as comic turns but the service was efficient and well-mannered and the food much better than I had feared.

We are not talking here of the high technique of the Cocoros of this town but familiar Japanese-style food using decent main ingredients, nicely garnished and at a reasonable price. The menu follows the routine division into sushi and sashimi, nigiri and yakitori, teppanyaki and grill, the deep-fried agemono and a small section mysteriously called "kitchen", which includes such things as ginger pork, tofu and teriyaki chicken.

We gave most of the sections a run, and we were rarely disapproving and positively enthusiastic about several dishes. The miso was standard but had more body than the average sushi bar examples and the sashimi boat had a good fresh cargo, patently fresh and more thickly sliced than usually encountered. I have a weakness for gyoza and these did not disappoint with a flavoursome filling.

The steak saikoro was quality lean scotch fillet in small cubes with a pleasant spicy sauce, and the soft shelled crab was crisp and commendably lacking in any greasy overtones. Votes of approval went to the pork belly and prawn skewers and the seaweed salad met with similar favour.

At this point we had, in common sense, eaten more than enough but perhaps because my expectations had been low I was feeling lively and we ordered another couple of dishes. These were the beef and tuna tataki of thinly sliced seared marinated meat and fish and they were declared to be one of the highlights, with tasty garnishes including salmon caviar.

The dessert menu was, unless I am misinformed, less than Japanese, with sticky date pudding and a chocolate mousse, but the tataki had closed that option until next time.

It is a sake bar and we indulged in the Samurai and the drier Karatanba, which may well have contributed to the feeling of satisfaction with which we left. I am not sure it would be a great setting for an intimate supper, nor is it a culinary groundbreaker, but for a cheery night out or to grab a bite before going to the cinema next door it certainly has something to offer.

Our meal: $206 for 10 dishes, four miso soups, two small sake and three glasses of wine.

Wine list: More than a dozen sakes are on offer, plus beers and a small but varied wine list, all from the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio. The Karatanba sake matched the food well and the Squealing Pig pinot noir and pinot gris and Fickle Mistress pinot noir were all sound specimens.

Verdict: All knockabout rowdy fun but keeping an eye on the basic provision of enjoyable food and good service.

- Canvas