The sushi rolls are definitely worth coming back repeatedly for and I loved the soft shell crab so much I asked for two servings. The 'buffet', which is actually a tasting menu is very good value when you consider the amount you pay for tetsuyas (and believe me, I felt more satisfied at this restaurant) but warning, don't leave any leftovers, or they charge you a penalty per plate! The service is a bit slow, and the desserts sparse and not always great (beware the red bean ice-cream!) but I've been there several times and always had a great experience.
After reading some of the better reviews here I am shocked and quite outraged. Or it's a possibility that for some reason the food here varies day to day. It seems I came on a very bad day. The place looks very nice and is quite comfortable, and the service is also delightful, apart from that, however, both the food and value are quite poor.
Looking at the prices on the menu, we thought since the place looked so classy, the food would be worth it. We had agedashi tofu, tempura, soft shell crab, sushi and sashimi platters, and all 3 udons [udon, seafood udon and spicy seafood udon]. My only compliment goes to the tempura batter which was nice and light, apart from that the rest of the food was appalling.
The agedashi tofu was far too sweet and salty and nothing like any other I've tasted. The other negative highlight of the night was the seafood udon, which was ridiculously fishy meaning the seafood was either not fresh or just of poor quality. The soft shell crab was also a disappointment, and it would have been nice had they had the traditional soft shell crab salad instead of the Korean inspired soft shell crab with chili sauce.
All in all, good service and ambience, but unless you want to spend a lot of money and aren't in the mood for jap food don't come here.
Four of us tried lunch buffet ($38 per person). Entree was very good but little bit salty for me, mains (various rolls and sushi) were mediocre and desserts were forgettable. As advertised, request for refill was accepted at no extra charge. Some decorations are quite good, but those military photos are absolutely kill off. The waitress was very attentive and the service was excellent. Overall, this place is ok for casual sushi lovers but not for connoisseurs.
707 or 007? A mediocre restaurant in a modern-classy disquise.
Ambience: the first thing we noticed when we first walked in was the decor, the 'Japanese Cooking' book sitting by the table, Japanese ornaments and flowers. Then the bizarre and the ambience breaker, the restaurant is oddly decorated with many war photos and the television they have on display was showing some sort of military training footage. Lighting was strong and classical music was in the background but there was no atmosphere to the place.
Service: we were greeted at the door and the waiter was very polite. Overall the service was okay. There was a moment when the restaurant was fairly empty and staff members would only appear when they brought out the food.
Value: ridiculous. Compared to the other Group chain in the CBD, the prices here are extreme. For the quality of food you are paying for, the price is above average. Compared to better restuarants in the CBD, you can purchase the same dish for half the price! For sushi rolls (10+ pieces) you are expected to pay $18 (which is average), the Japanese Buffet is $55 per person/dinner (must have 4 or more people for 'refill'). We ended up paying $40/person.
Food: here is where things get complicated. We have the traditional dishes that you expect from a Japanese restaurant, sushi pieces, lightly dressed salads and an assortment of sashimi. On top of that they have introduced what they call 'Creative Dishes'. A modern twist on some dishes. However, these additional dishes although unique are over-priced and for some not very creative at all.
To give an example: they have tampure beef, abolone rissoto, chilli sauce soft shelled crab, scallops w/olives and various others. These were obviously non-japanese dishes varying at $16-18. The scallops were a highlight, however, they are clearly mediteranean, like-wise the risotto. The spring rolls (for $18) were very poor, regular prawn wrapped with a single shiitake mushroom, in a deep fried spring roll (it was dressed with a tasteless orange sauce).
The sushi rolls were very good quality and the salad had a very nice dressing (chicken was coated with some very flavoursome ingredients). The hotpot option was not available. Overall, it is the ambience and price that impacted our scoring most. The food varies, the creative dishes seemed like the kitchen staff was trying to be more versatile in the menu but most fail to deliver (the pricing alone and serving size may only be worth it if you have a big appetite and go for the buffet).
On the other hand, some dishes are terrific. There are better Japanese restaurants out there. I have a gut feeling that the place is run by Koreans based on those military videos and owner.
After reading some of the reviews here I decided I would post on my very recent experience. I found the sushi to be of an unexpectedly high quality on par with well known makato or masuya names in the cbd. Whilst the service was not exceptional it was helpful. The ambience and decor were suitable.
After trying this restaurant's ala carte menu I can't stress enough the value you receive with their serving sizes. I am eager to try more off their menu via their buffet option which although can be seen as a little expensive to some would be good value if you are able to stomach a full course meal.
The sushi and sashimi are beautifully presented and their quality is exceptional - fresh, clean and very tasty. The staff are very gracious and helpful making useful suggestion and accommodating. The price can be a bit pricey for some but so worth it. Not a place for a quiet romantic meal but the decor is simple, elegant and effective.
My husband and I stumbled upon this restaurant after a show in town and were pleasantly surprised. We ordered soft shell crab, udon noodle soup and hand-rolled sushi, the taste was authentically Japanese, which is very hard to find in Sydney. Waitstaff were very attentive and polite. The decor and ambience was great. I would recommend 707 to anyone who wants authentic Japanese dishes.
My husband and I went during the week for a buffet lunch and found the food to be terrific! The waitress was lovely and requested that she bring out a sampler of everything, half way through her sampler we had to say STOP! We had eaten way too much already. Was disappointing that we didn't get to try everything on the menu. We also couldn't fit in dessert which is always a shame. Not bad value for money, very fresh food and terrific service I would say.
After reading the reviews here I was worried about going to this place, but my friend who works nearby said it was a good place to eat as she thought the owners were really nice. (to me its the food that is more important but anyway).
So on a Friday evening, a small group of my friends came here for dinner and while the decor is nice (black and red walls, thick wooden tables and chairs), the service was very slow and food was average. The restaurant was only 1/3 full and it was impossible to get anyones attention, but when we did they were polite and friendly.
The food was nothing to brag about, sashimi was fresh enough but small sizes, their side salads were drenched in their special mayo sauce and katsus were a tad too salty. Since it wasn't busy the food came out in reasonable time, and we were able to hear each other when we were talking but I would probably go somewhere else next time for dinner.