WashoCook

By the peaceful sweep of Browns Bay on Auckland’s North Shore, WashoCook brings a Zen sensibility to the table. Sunlight and crisp air set a serene mood, inviting guests to slow down, breathe, and savour the quiet craft of Japanese cooking. It is an atmosphere designed for mindfulness, where natural beauty meets thoughtful hospitality.

The cooking leans toward home-style comfort with a polished touch. Obanzai small plates celebrate seasonal vegetables with gentle, umami-rich broths and glazes. A kelp stock soup whispers of the sea, while grilled eggplant gleams under dengaku, that sweet miso lacquer. Bowls of kenchin-jiru arrive aromatic with tofu and vegetables in a soy and sesame oil-based broth, the kind of warmth that restores as much as it delights.

From there, flavours deepen. Sautéed salmon pairs with Saikyo miso for mellow sweetness, and salt koji grilled chicken is lifted by a silken butter onion sauce alongside seasonal rice. Tofu takes centre stage too, whether cloaked in shrimp thick sauce or served as deep-fried tofu in savoury dashi. To finish, a mochi dumpling dusted with kinako and glossed with kuromitsu brings a softly spoken finale. Sake lovers can explore ZENKuro Original Tokubetsu Junmai or DASSAI 45 Junmai Daiginjo.

Settle in, sip, and let the calm unfold. Book a spot and go with the Zen-flow.