WellingtonNZ.com,
New Zealand 

Tom E.
5th April 2012 4 star 

Best sushi in welly for sure. not a huge fan in the first place but the smoky-dokey roll was off the chain. cheers to the white boy (?) making the boss sushi!

Curtis C.
10th February 2012 5 star 

Found this place after a long time staring at it on occasions when it wasn’t open due to their dining times. Fortunately it was open last night (Thursday) and I had money to spend.

I cannot really fault this place from my first time here last night.

I hadn’t tried this type of authentic Japanese Preparation of Sushi and this place really surprised me; The Sushi Chef made the whole process of slicing the seafood and placing it on the rice etc. very entertaining, and the other staff there were an incredibly welcoming balance between professional and personal, it really felt like a second home and the environment was perfect for my liking.

I tried the Nigiri Selection, their homemade Lemonade, and Eda-Mame. All of the above was delicious (and I’m not a seafood eater usually) well presented and intriguing to watch being prepped. This place is one of those off-the-main-road gems which exceeds your initial expectations, whatever they are.

The only thing I found a little lacking was their not having Ramune; as I love that fizzy Japanese Drink. That aside, it’s an experience worth having and a performance worth seeing over and over again.

I intend to come back when I can afford it.

Some of the Sushi menu is a little pricey for me, but as the staff informed me, it’s a little pricier than other places because their ingredients are a higher quality; I have to say, from what I tried there, I can believe that statement.

Well worth your time visiting.

Ezra
11th August 2011 5 star 

The best sushi in Wellington. This place is so awesome it’s ridiculous. I went on Tuesday night and had yet another fantastic meal. The blackened scallop roll was incredible, again! The fish cheeks, so amazing. The smokey dokey, awesome. Really, I’ve never had anything I didn’t totally love at this sushi bar. And they have great sake, beer, and wine. I’ve been there a lot and I will go again.

May T.
25th June 2011 3 star 

**EDIT: The owner/chef of the restaurant contacted me about some points of my review, which I appreciate as he did it in a very kind and professional manner. Although I stand behind my rating and original review, he seems like someone who takes a lot of pride in his work and sushi bar, which I greatly admire and respect. Definitely go to Shinobi Sushi if you want a fun night out with the mates.

Original review:

Shinobi is a rock ‘n roll kind of sushi bar, with emphasis on the roll.

I think it’s a fantastic place for the sushi newbie, someone who loves fusion food with sweet-savory sauces drizzled over their giant, eight-piece sushi rolls that incorporate Western ingredients like cream cheese or avocado.

For the Japanese nigiri or sashimi purist, though, you’ll be left wanting.

I’ve been craving really good nigiri (raw fish on top of a small mound of perfect shari), and my partner took me here. He explained the head sushi chef apprenticed in Japan, which gave me some hope for good nigiri.

It was a busy night, but we were seated in about 10 minutes.

We ordered a number of nigiri right off the bat:

- shiro maguro (albacore tuna)
- ebi (prawn)
- tobiko (flying fish roe)
- western style unagi (bbq eel) roll

The shiro maguro and tobiko were very fresh, as well as the cooked ebi. I was hoping for ama-ebi, raw sweet prawn, but unfortunately, the specials board didn’t indicate whether the prawn was cooked or not, and I had forgotten to ask the server.

The shari (sushi rice) was undercooked and under-seasoned. The rice had a bit of hardness left to it, and the person who prepared the nigiri had a heavy hand with the requisite dab of wasabi between the shari and fish. It overpowered the delicate flavor of the shiro maguro and the sweetness of the prawn.

Next, we ordered the aji (jack mackerel) and ume-shiso (preserved plum with perilla leaf) maki.

This time, the rice was perfect. Al dente in texture, moist and well seasoned.

The aji was ok. Not the greatest cut of aji I’ve ever had, but then again, I prefer saba (blue mackerel) that’s been slightly pickled.

Our ume-shiso would have brilliant if the chef hadn’t forgotten to put in the shiso leaf. It was a failure in the sense that the dish was incomplete, but we didn’t complain because the ume maki itself was good.

All in all, the restaurant is a good place to go with your mates, and have a rollicking good time.

I’d advise sticking to the rolls, though, and possibly coming before or after prime dining times to avoid the crush of people, and with all of the inconsistencies that arise from the kitchen when they are slammed.

There is a decent wine list with a short selection of sakes and Japanese beers.

Our meal, with large sake and one Kirin beer came to roughly $91 and some change.

Janiko C.
6th December 2010 5 star 

Gosh Melissa was having a bad day.
I was at Shinobi on Saturday and found the food, service and atmosphere -to be in this order -delicious,friendly and buzzing.And if I didn’t like the music, I am sure one of the attentive staff would have obliged in changing it.
Yes, I have heard the owner speaking to a female staff member in Japanese.Just the one though, and she is Japanese.Surely as a young woman living away from home, it must be nice to have someone to speak to in your own language.
I too have lived in Japan and only recently returned for a holiday. Shinobi compares more than favourably on quality and freshness which you just don’t get from the cheap,plastic box, day old sushi that Melissa likes. And you do have to pay for quality. I believe Shinobi gets whole Mt Cook Alpine salmon directly and prepares them on-site. Al Brown of Logan Brown recently tweeted that it is the best salmon he has tasted. Period.
And today I read that David Burton has named it as no.4 in his annual list of top new restaurants.
Congratulations Shinobi.
I’m with David Burton

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