Sushi-Ya Sushi

Best sushi in Birkenhead — and one of the best on the North Shore. There is always a line up out the door and for good reason — their sushi is freshly made, the sushi rice & wasabi is especially delicious and at $ 1.00 for each generous sized piece, this place is amazing value for money. They have locations in Browns Bay and Takapuna too.

When you walk into a much recommended sushi takeaway, your expectations are quite high. Though my lunch at sushiya sushi didn’t meet those expectations, I wasn’t thoroughly disappointed.
Being a vegetarian, my eyes usually focus on vegetarian labels. This time I picked up a few different types of vegetarian sushi and went out to enjoy my lunch sitting in a park. To my surprise (and horror) my first bite of a ‘diced carrot and steamed rice sushi’ told me I had sunk my teeth into some meat. Obviously I soon realised I had picked up something wrongly labelled.
However, my other sushi — pineapple and cheese, egg and avocado were excellent– fresh, smooth consistency, great taste!
The shop itself is set in quite a compact space with slightly haphazard placement of empty sushi boxes, tongs and a lone eating table. Being a popular takeaway for locals, it felt crowded in there at that time of the day (with just 7 customers).
Overall, I would give this sushi joint three stars. I’ve had much better sushi experiences than this.

This is one of my favourite sushi places. Like most sushi places in Auckland it’s actually run my Koreans, but they certainly do justice to the quintessentially Japanese fare. During the lunch rush it’s usual that the shop will have a queue out the door, but it moves quickly so don’t let that put you off. I’ve never had to wait more than a few minutes.
The women who serve the sushi can be a bit brisk — think Seinfeld Soup Nazi — but if you stay in line and keep things moving you should be fine. Also, unlike the Seinfeld episode I don’t think there is much chance that you’ll be banned for life.
I recommend the tempura and the fire salmon.

Sushi-​Ya is a great sushi stop off in Birkenhead they do have a wide range of different sorts of sushi, and to a larger generous size also.
Located right in between an Indian Restaurant and a Chinese Natural Health store, you can’t miss this little eatery thanks to its vibrant black and white sign.
Nice friendly ladies who work here, who are happy to show you the freshest and favorites of Sushi-​Ya, ask for some traditional Miso soup to settle the deal, its yummy.
I’m sure you will be back for a quick snack again, should you be in the area.

I think I would have missed this place all together if it hadn’t been for the line of people queuing out the door! I was hungry and looking for a cost effective lunch while on the road for work. Curious, I parked my subway cravings and took my place in line. Well worth the wait! The owners have obviously focused on quality AND quantity and have managed to do a very good job with both. The well priced sushi is fresh and tasty with a wide selection to suit every pallet, the staff are very friendly — and they don’t hold back on the wasabi and ginger! The place could do with a bit of a tidy up, but this obviously doesn’t bother the scores of regulars who dine there every day.