Katsura is an oasis in the middle of Auckland City. I sat down at a teppanyaki table looking out over a Japanese garden, and enjoyed a bento box lunch with head chef Suzuki San.

Suzuki pointed out each element in my lunch. There was teriyaki chicken with a watercress, beetroot and carrot salad, plus delicious edamame beans, tempura prawns and tender beef tataki (thin slices of a scotch fillet which has been seared with a blow torch). Of course, there was a selection of sushi and sashimi too!

Suzuki explained that Bento boxes are good because they contain “a little bit of everything – tempura, sashimi, sushi, and our famous chicken or beef teriyaki. It’s good value for money and you get the whole experience. Especially if you haven’t had the chance to try sashimi before – it’s a great way to try it and see if you like it.”

Katsura’s bento boxes are “Not small portions – they’re big portions. Some restaurants serve fantastic, nicely presented food, but the portions are very small. I serve generous portions and make sure all my guests leave Katsura feeling content!”

Suzuki is a fourth-generation chef. “I started training at 16 years old. I spent ten years training – in Japan, it is normal to train for ten years – before working as a sous-chef in a restaurant. When I was 29 years old, I moved to Mexico City and worked in a Japanese restaurant there. I’ve worked all over the world, but like New Zealand best. I prefer New Zealand because the people are very friendly. We moved here when my child was one year old, for his education. I like New Zealand very much.”

Suzuki has been working in Katsura for 19 years. “It’s a top restaurant. I’ve tried many different styles of cooking and worked in many different restaurants. I studied traditional style Japanese cooking, and that’s what we serve here.”

All of Katsura’s chefs who work behind the scenes and on the Teppanyaki tables are Japanese. Many restaurants serve Japanese food with a fusion twist, but Katsura prefers to serve authentic Japanese food – “There’s only one dish on the menu that we’ve given a little French twist to – the sake brulee! We think it’s important to maintain the traditional style. Sushi is a very traditional food. With traditional sushi and sashimi it’s important to use very fresh fish. Fusion style food doesn’t always have the same emphasis on freshness. Every day I select the freshest fish from the fish markets. This means the sashimi we serve is a bit different every day. Customers love salmon, tuna, kingfish and harpuka or snapper – and I pick other types of fish too, for variety. It’s very important we serve those fish – but it’s even more important that they’re fresh and high-quality.

“We’ll sometimes make over 200 pieces of sushi a day. Preparation is key when I make sashimi, and it’s very important to use an extremely sharp knife, as the way you cut it makes a big difference too.

“I really enjoy making sashimi. When you cut into a very nice fish – it’s very exciting. As soon as I do it, I know how it will taste – good. You cut and you know – yes! Today it’s good.”

Today you can grab a deal for lunch at Katsura – plus check out their website!