Kyo-ya Japanese Restaurant, Takapuna

GET TO KNOW YOUR BYO with Kellie Larson

BYOs are often viewed as the “cheap” alternative, not a dining experience. I’d like to think this isn’t entirely true. BYOs on the North Shore are integral to the local restaurant scene that we love to rely on for great food and a friendly atmosphere. Relaxed, in a good way. Not lacking in flavour. Just delicious, enjoyable dining experiences in our local communities.

But these BYOs aren’t always easy to find. Online searches produce very little for the North Shore, and personal references tend to only take you to someone’s local Thai restaurant. So I have placed it upon myself to seek out the best BYO experiences to add to my “black book” of restaurants.

From the outside, Kyo-ya could be confused as an homage to a rural cabin with logs and wood being the main motif. Greeted by friendly faces, it’s the warm atmosphere that will invite you in time and time again – as witnessed by my colleagues and I as we received multiple welcomes on the short journey to our table.

A definite plus on the local atmosphere checklist.

Aware that portions were quite decent at this eatery – we chose to stick to mains, ordering: the Kyo-ya Delight Dinner Set, Teriyaki Grilled Salmon and the Sushi Combination Platter.

What we were presented with was the exact reason why I will continue to go back– beautiful stadium-like platters of delicious food. The Kyo-ya Delight Dinner Set was probably the most impressive. For $35, my partner received miso, salad, a stylish wire basket of tempura vegetables and prawns, sushi and sashimi spread on banana leaves, oysters, beef tataki (barely seared, melt-in-your-mouth goodness), teriyaki chicken on rice and ice cream. Words cannot describe how good this platter looked.

The Teriyaki Salmon was cooked beautifully as well, and my sushi combination platter showcased nigiri of white fish, salmon, tuna and prawn of the freshest quality.

All in all, this was a fabulous meal at approximately $35 per person (and a $3 corkage fee) with incredibly friendly staff and a warm atmosphere. What I loved the most was that it was not your typical Japanese dinner set. I was wowed by presentation and freshness.
And, its speciality, the Kyo-ya Delight, definitely stood up to its promise. I would highly recommend this as a great local BYO!

Kellie Larson is a local 'foodie' who lives in Takapuna.
Email: kellie@channelmag.co.nz