New Zealand Cafe
I’ve finally found my sushi spot in the Charlotte area! In Matthews, just outside of the city, it is a TINY hole in the wall — New Zealand Café. It’s located in a strip mall down the street from PePeRo. It’s so small that to stay open during COVID, they had to become a takeout-only restaurant — social distancing was impossible. Don’t let the name, location, or atmosphere fool you — this place is incredible. They are constantly receiving awards and accolades for their sushi.
A sushi-lovers dream
I went and ordered A TON of food. Here’s the low-down.
Salmon Nigiri. Salmon served over a ball of rice. It’s excellent. The salmon is super fresh, buttery, tender, melts in your mouth. It makes me very tempted to try the salmon belly.
Toro Nigiri. Fatty Tuna served over a ball of rice. I’m a bluefin guy, and this was clearly yellowtail. As a result, I didn’t think this was the best toro.
Lobster Roll. Lobster salad, crispy crunch, avocado, scallions with smelt roe.
General Spicy Roll. Spicy snow crab, tuna, avocado topped with grilled eel, and spicy avocado mayo on top.
Crunch Spicy Tuna Roll. Spicy tuna and avocado topped with spicy crunch with smelt roe.
Dancing Eel Roll. California roll draped with eel, avocado, & eel sauce.
Rolls & noodles — oh my!
All of the rolls are fantastic. There wasn’t a single one I ordered or tried from my friend’s order (not listed) that I wouldn’t order again. It was all fantastic. And if not everyone you go for food with likes sushi, they also have non-sushi items. I ordered a side of garlic noodles, which is essentially Lo Mein. They were great — and made yummy leftovers the next day. My friends ordered the hibachi fried rice and hibachi chicken and steak dinners. I didn’t try them; however, they looked good. Their feedback was very positive!
Affordable to boot
Wanna know the best part? This place is CHEAP! Nigiri starts at $1.50 per piece, and specialty rolls are generally less than $10. And it’s not just the sushi; all the food is very reasonably priced. Six of us ordered so much food that our stomachs physically hurt, and the bill was under $200, including a 20% tip. I think the only way they can charge what they do, and still achieve the quality they do, is through operating on low margins and high volume — just like my favorite spot in Cali.
My verdict
I give this place an 8.5/10. There are only two negative things that I can say. The first is that I wish the restaurant were bigger, with a trendier atmosphere. I wish it were a place for a fun dinner and drinks with friends. The second is that the service is SO SLOW. They get slammed with orders because the food is so good. That said, they told me an hour wait, and it ended up taking an hour and forty-five minutes before we sat down. The food is not made based upon who places an order first — weirdly, they try to be efficient making the food. If two different people order the same roll, the restaurant will make both rolls simultaneously. Ultimately, this means that someone who called 20 minutes after you may end up getting their food before you do.
Update
I’ve been back MANY times since my first visit - too many to count. The first time I went was definitely the best of them all. It’s always good - do not get me wrong; however, it’s not always consistently amazing.
The spicy tuna is what has the most volatility in quality. Sometimes you get a bit of gristle in it. The lowest I would rate any visit is still a 7/10; however, averaged out over all of my visits (we’re talking 30+ visits), I’d give them a 7.5/10.
