Tanuki's Cave
319 Queen Street, Central Auckland
Opening hours: From 5:30pm daily
Overall Rating: 5/5 Price: $$-$$$
Cuisine: Japanese - Yakitori
Food: 9 Drinks: 9 Ambience: 9 Service: 9
Tanuki's Cave is my favourite Izakaya (Sake bar) style Japanese restaurant in Auckland. It has a traditional Japanese feel to it, and even though a noisy restaurant, it also is quite intimate due to the seating and lighting. Tanuki's is a great place to go before a show or movie, and the staff will always ask you if you need to be out of there by a certain time.
The menu consists of an extensive selection of yakitori (skewered meats and veges of the same size, grilled over charcoal) , and kushiage (skewered and deep fried) items. There are very cheap set menu items as well, which is no wonder why it seems to be full of university students at times.
Keeping with the Japanese tradition of sharing dishes, we had the bacon and spinach salad (delicious), chicken and leek yakitori, rice balls (always a must have), beef steak with butter yakitori. and a couple of the specials for the week, incuding mozzarella spring rolls, and salmon wrapped in filo pastry (a kiwi touch) - and all fabulous. Tanuki's serve great Japanese beer by the tap and bottle and right now for $15 you can 'Sumo Size Me' and get a litre glass of beer! I try to stay away from Sake, but Tanuki's has a wide range if you care to indulge.
This restaurant does not take reservations, so you need to arrive early unless you don't mind to wait. It is a great place for a small group and is high on my list for recommendations.
I still remember the scallop special the night we went there for dinner. It was sublime. I always tell my Australian friends travelling to Auckland to check this place out and not one of them has been disappointed. I look forward to enjoying another meal there on my next trip to New Zealand.
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