I couldn’t turn down an invite to try Masu, the Best New Restaurant Winner in the Cuisine NZ Good Food awards. It certainly did not disappoint. I arrived slightly stressed as I was late, and my mobile had died. The maitre’d had no qualms with charging my phone for me, which was a great start.  She also kindly brought it to my table once charged, which I was grateful for.

Located in the hip Federal St, the bar at the entrance is fabulous and looks out onto the street, which adds to the ambiance. The decor is stunning with light wooden tables with a designer chair on one side and a leather banquette on the other. Or you can sit at the Sushi bar and watch the chefs at the grill.  The wine cellar at the back is amazing and there is a very comprehensive wine/cocktail list.

Service was very attentive, although a little over attentive for my liking which can sometimes can become annoying. It’s about striking that right balance with assessing when your punters are ready to eat and/or when they are not. Receiving a hot towel before we started was such a nice touch too, as was finishing with one.

Masu is a Japanese robata restaurant which means cooking over open charcoal to bring out the flavour of the food; a pure and healthy way to cook. There are three types of menus and the trend is shared plates which we were happy to do. We chose the edamme to start with and these were delicious, followed by pork ribs, grilled mushrooms, lamb cutlets and broccolini. Each dish was sublime and the flavours were sensational. Presentation was superb.

To be farewelled by so many of the staff with a smile at the end, made us feel very valued and special and the cashier was lovely and friendly. You gotta treat yourself to this place!