Delectable dining at Soto
by Melanie Smith
If you love Japanese food then you should love Soto . . .
After frequenting this restaurant approximately five times in the past month, I can honestly say that Soto has fed me the best Japanese cuisine I have ever sampled. In fact, the food at Soto is up there with the best food I’ve ever eaten, anywhere in the world, and it’s just down from Ponsonby Road in our very own Auckland city!
There is something immediately soothing and comforting about Soto. As soon as you walk in, you want to sit down, and drink and dine.
The wait staff - which is comprised of a collection of friendly, female, kimono-clad, Japanese waitresses, probably have something to do with this. They are constantly smiling and extremely accommodating.
The lighting at Soto is sexy and demure, which sets the perfect tone for a date or well-overdue catch up with a good friend.
The music is relaxing, modern and non-disruptive. The seating is reasonably well-spaced, although the booths are certainly the most coveted.
But the food and the sake is the main attraction. Beautiful, well-balanced, healthy, yet indulgent food - all sourced from the freshet and absolute best quality ingredients that New Zealand has to offer.
The meals are beautifully presented and perfectly sized, so much so that by the end of the meal you feel comfortably satisfied, rather than like a complete glutton.
I highly recommend Soto for your next dining experience. It’s not exactly cheap, but fine dining like this is worth a couple of extra pennies.