Review Niwa Japanese Kitchen - Rockingham

Fantastic food for the price! The Benzo boxes were ideal size portions. Quiet for a Saturday night but people were entering / leaving with take-out. The young waitress kept herself busy and the place was spotless. We will definitely be going back.

Absolutely amazing. Food is always fresh, it is quiet and cozy and the staff is nice, polite and quick. I've been to Japan twice and the soups and the sushi are just spot on and never disappoint.

If there are different characteristics of cold udon,it is better~☆

A complete tragedy this place has shut down. Possibly justy due to not being too well known. The quality of the food here was outstanding at excellent value, true authentic Japanese cuisine, it was always a great way to spend an evening.

Always tasty and fresh. A good selection of specials. Always something different to try. Excellent nigiri and the deluxe bento has a great selection of items to taste. My fav is the tempura udon though, esp on a chilly evening. Filling and warms you right up. Great value too. Prices are really affordable. BYO too.

Reliably awesome. Absolutely every time (which is s lot) i have been to niwa their service and food has been on point. Tasty and authentic japanese food. Very reasonably priced. Never a complaint.

By far the best Japanese cuisine I've ever had. Lovely service, authentic quant setting. Great prices.

Always an amazing experience, authentic food and fantastic service every time. The agadashi tofu is the best I've had in my life.

We have been here numerous times and keep coming back excellent food and presentation service takes a little longer but that is because its all made fresh. Its as close as I have seen to genuine Japanese that I have eaten while spending 3 months in Japan

Decided to dine here after reading all the positive reviews. Ordered the tuna sashimi, chicken katsu and Californian sushi rolls, and a chicken katsu deluxe bento box. Sashimi was a let down as the tuna was quite flavorless with no saltiness, even with the addition of soy sauce. Sushi was fresh and tasty, though they were rather thick, with too much rice to filling ratio. Bento box was okay, with the chicken well cooked with a nice crunch. Prices were a little high compared to other Japanese restaurants I've dined at, and service was average. Not somewhere I'd rush back to.

The food is below average here. We ordered Beef teriyaki and chicken katsu. both too salty and therefore not pleasant to eat. The California rolls were too big to be easily eaten. The ingredients were below average for a high quality California roll. The takoyaki was disappointing. I tried this place twice with two years interval only because of the Zomato good rating but really don't know where that came from! probably this place had been OK many years before...

Very expensive local Japanese restaurant, the food was not tasty and very slow service as well. Only went there coz very limited Japanese food choice in Rockingham area.

Ordered take away  - they kindly made up a bento box for me with the Hiramasa kingfish sashimi. The fish was some of the tastiest sashimi I've had. Next visit think I'll eat in.

Niwa is our favourite place to eat in Rockingham. Absolutely amazing and probably the best customer service in the area. <br/><br/>The gyoza, takoyaki, sukiyaki udon soup are among my favourites. But I've tried most things on the menu and they're all great.

Niwa is always our first choice for Japanese - always amazing food and very friendly wait staff. Good variety and flexible with dishes, highly recommended!

We went on Thursday night and loved the food. The ramen, karaage and tempura prawns were delicious. We will certainly be back to try out more of the menu soon.

This place is absolutely deserving of its 5 stars! <br/><br/>The food is authentic, fresh and very tasty. Literally the only 'downside' is that they don't serve sake.. otherwise we would be there all the time.<br/><br/>We plan on going back with a bottle of our own and having a beautiful meal. <br/><br/>The staff are a dream - very attentive and friendly. <br/><br/>Location is a little out of the way, which is why I guess it isn't overly busy, but I would have to say they would have a following either way - the food is too good for Japanese cuisine lovers!

Best food south of the river! Never busy which is amazing considering how good the food is. Never had a bad meal here and always feel healthy when I leave <br/><br/>

We had such a great meal at Niwa Japanese Kitchen, after our movie on the weekend. We didn’t even know this place existed until we saw their sign right near where we parked our car. As massive Japanese cuisine fans, we decided to give it a go. We walked into a very cultured setting, with the menu board displayed out the front of the venue, written in broken English with the Japanese translation underneath also. We were greeted by the gorgeous Japanese waitress, who although seemed to be the only waitress there and run off her feet, was very polite and accommodating to all of their guests.

Went there around 2 years ago and loved it.Came back today after all this time and doesn't live up to what I remember.Entree's coming out after our main dish is out is a bit questionable.<br/>The food itself was okay, I can't fault it, but I can't praise it. It was just there, kind of mediocre. <br/>Chicken was quite tough at parts and the sauce soaked into the rice too much to eat it. The fish on the Nigiri tasted nice but the rice itself was just okay.<br/><br/>Overall it was okay, nothing good, nothing bad, but I don't think I'll go back.<br/>It's a shame to see a good place lower its standards.

Went here for dinner a few months ago.<br/>Although it's very crowded, and the atmosphere isn't that great. The food sure is! It is well priced, and staff were great too. Definitely would recommend dropping in.

Go to place for jap food in Rockingham! Decent food and pricing. Their ramen was delicious but only downside is that it only comes with one strip of pork so I recommend adding some extra meat.

We stumbled upon this restaurant after a cinema date and how glad I am that we did! This hidden gem is home to some absolutely incredible Japanese cuisine at remarkable prices. I am a sucker for chicken udon noodles so of course ordered that ($8) and was worried that because it was so cheap it would be fairly small so ordered the sashimi platter also ($18?) To my surprise the udon noodles was a huge serving and would have been suffice but as the food was just so delicious... I had to eat it all! Note- the chicken in the udon noodles wasn't deep fried either, which doesn't happen often in udon noodles! My partner had a bento box which was a decent portion also and beautifully presented. Customer service was pleasant and very welcoming. We will be back!

Have been here a few times. Love the authentic food. It is brilliantly made and glutenfree. All of the sauces are home made and the service is lovely.

My partner and I dined here for dinner. Not the nicest ambiance, but the food was delicious. The service was okay. But overall very reasonably priced. I will definitely be dining here on a regular basis!

Ok food VERY $$$$$$$$$$$$. Food is ok, wait time is a joke. My partner and I waited 25 minutes for three prawns. Then another 35 minutes for a bento box. Way to expensive

Amazing Food. The resturant was pumping and people were waiting to be seated, amazing food and service I have read a review about vegan food, I am not a vegan but the service i have had from this restaurant in general has always been great.

Not vegan friendly. Came to this place specifically because it was supposedly vegan friendly, had to ask three times if the bento box was vegan but she kept repeating what was in it. In the end I settled on the only tofu dish on the menu just to be safe. If you're vegan don't bother with this place, it has even fewer tofu dishes on the menu than even the worst Japanese restaurant I've been to and the staff have no idea. Also had to wait 10 minutes to order even though we were the only people in the place who hadn't ordered, didn't get a drink menu until I asked for one and then they didn't have most of the drinks on the menu available... Waste of time, should have gone home and cooked! Food itself was okay, but nothing to write home about.

Great food and amazing value. As lovers of Japanese cuisine, we find it hard to fault Niwa for it's consistently excellent food at amazing prices. We eat here fortnightly at the very least and are always welcomed with open arms by the lovely waitress (who has just gone on maternity leave- the new girl is still learning the ropes but your patience is rewarded by the food!)<br/>Really cannot fault it for the quality of the food and value, it's a true gem of the area and it's great to see it getting so much busier- they really deserve it.<br/>We will be back for our usual next week :)<br/>Recommend: Deluxe bento boxes- incredible value including a main dish, miso, sashimi, sushi rolls and a salad.

Excellent. The food was beautiful and the staff were very accommodating. Totally satisfied and will be returning in the future.

Udon Noodles with Chicken. The dish has flavoursome stock, and add a bit of chilli for the best dish in rockingham!

Amazing Restaurant. We are extremely fussy eaters especially Japanese. This delightful place was worth the 2.5 hr drive. Staff were attentive, efficient and great at the job. Food was impressive, and everything was well presented and prepared. From entrée to desert not one problem. This restaurant I would highly recommend it is truly worth it and value for money.

Always Excellent. I've been coming here for years and have never been disappointed! The food is fresh, fast and incredibly delicious. I always order a couple potato salads and the tempura is great too. The deserts are equally impressive. And best of all the prices are fantastic!

Great service and authentic Japanese in Rockingham. About $20/person which is cheap by Rockingham prices.

Nice food, great service, great value for money, very enjoyable dining

Best asian food in Rockingham. Great value, fresh ingredients, delicious food, friendly service, lovely decor and BYO alcohol.. What more do you need??<br/><br/>Our personal favourite is the Chicken Karaage and Vegetable Tempura bento boxes with a serving of Japanese tea.

Surprisingly good!. I don't generally like Japanese food that much but this place was good! Had the bento boxes (mine was garlic beef and my partner's was katsu chicken) and both were awesome. Doesn't look like a huge serving of food but you walk away full. With 2 meals and an entree to share we got out of it for $50 which is hard to do in Perth! Staff were really lovely and attentive. Decor is nothing special but has a small and intimate feel about it. Almost didn't go in as we couldn't find the door because it was covered by a curtain and just looked like another window. Not sure if this is a traditional Japanese thing but it was really confusing! Would definately go back.

Delightfully Surprised!. As a fussy eater, I was very close to completely disregarding this restaurant. Aside from an 'Open' sign on the door, the entire place looked abandoned. With a lack of other options and after a quick check on Urbanspoon, we gave it a shot. <br/><br/>AMAZING! Service was fast, friendly and completely efficient. Our food was served promptly and tasted fantastic. The desserts- simply to die for! <br/><br/>We will be back again and again. Without a doubt, a hidden gem in the heart of Rockingham.

FANTASTIC :):). My Partner and I have been going to Niwa for over 2 years and go at least every 2 weeks(I know, obsessed).<br/>We have been to many different Japanese restaurants but we always find ourselves coming back to Niwa as the food is delicious and the staff are so lovely and are genuinely interested in how you are.<br/>If you're interested in a warm welcome, amazing food and a homey atmosphere, then I highly recommend coming to visit Niwa.<br/>For those who have negative feedback, in a very nice way.......you're very wrong<br/>Enjoy :)

I usually love this place and they have my second favourite sushi in the whole of perth! This time it wasn't great. The rice was far to sweet, it was dry and had no flavour. So upset :(<br/>Not sure if you had a different chef on but there wasn't even any Japanese type mayo in my katsu chicken roll.

Awesome! Best Japanese food I've had since I lived there! The service was also amazing especially the Japanese lady made our night speaking a bit of Japanese with her we will defiantly be back

Best food in Rockingham. We're Niwa regulars because the food is excellent value for money, the atmosphere cosy and the service great. Try it, you'll like it.

YUM!. Finally, a great Japanese place locally.<br/><br/>I love the intimate yet laid-back atmosphere, the staff are very friendly and the food is great. The Teriyaki Chicken Bento Box is to die for! And SO CHEAP for such great quality.

Excellent surprise!. The location and its seeming lack of customers put me off quite some time HOWEVER a friend urged me to try it and I am thrilled I did! Excellent grilled salmon and bento box plus agadashi dofu! very very resonably priced...have had sushi since then, also chuffed with it! Can't recommend the place enough - have eat Japanese food in lots of big and small cities - Rocko you have a gem!

Such a great find! The food here is fresh,really deliscious, made with love by people who know what they are doing. Great value,great service.please support this lovely little japanese restaurant...right here in Rocko...who would have thought. Well,me actually

Little Gem!!. We went there tonight on the spur of the moment, and were very glad we did! Great food, great price, great service! We will be back

YUM YUM. We've been here 3 times now and every time the food is amazing. So fresh and light, very tasty and very affordable. The staff are friendly,and efficient.<br/><br/>I cannot really fault this place except the portions could be bigger :-) (probably why so many white people are fat and the Japanese arn't) but for the price they're spot on.<br/><br/>A great restaurant.<br/><br/>Rating 9/10 ( You just can't give a 10)

Absolutely amazing food and really nice friendly service all at a great price. Will definitely be going back

Yum. Beautiful food, the Gyoza I couldn't stop eating!!!!

Fantastic food, great service, this place is a hidden gem, 1990 prices

Really nice food and quaint setting

I used too love this place and the new fit out is such an improvement but the past couple of times my katsu bento box has been pretty average :( soggy chicken and the sides arnt as good as they used too be just two scabby bits of egg and something else. Both times where a Friday night though so maybe it was just a different chef? Eitherway ill try again! Fingers crossed. It used to be hands down my favorite place for quick Japanese.

Great Japanese for the price. Decided to come here for lunch as I work locally, but I live in Perth. Easily compares with the Japanese restaurants in the city and at a better price. I just returned from a holiday in Tokyo and the Chicken Karaage is pretty close to what I was getting over there. Nigiri sushi was great too.

Decent Japanese in Rockingham!. Niwa is the bomb. If you gave Niwa a go before they updated the décor, go back and give it another try.<br/>The food is cheap and delicious, and the staff are really nice. The restaurant has now been decorated like the ones you find in Japan, and it has a nice relaxed vibe to it.<br/>Try the chicken kara-age. Even the restaurants in Perth don't do it as well as this. In fact, I'm going to get it tonight!

A Little Gem. What a great find right on our doorstep. You are greeted with a smile as soon as you walk in the door by friendly staff. The food is great, best Tempura Prawns I have had, my husband had the best Sashimi he has tasted. The food is very fresh and not over priced. This was our second visit and we will be going there on a regular basis.

So Much Better With the New Decor. Whenn we first discovered this restaurant we were blown away by the quality of the food! <br/>We didn't think much of the decor - it was a bit too cold and impersonal.<br/>However, now that the restaurant has been re-vamped it is much more like a Japanese restaurant.<br/>We always get the shashimi for entree and are absolutely delighted with the quality and the freshness of the fish. <br/>We have been back on numerous occasions and recommend it to everyone!<br/>The prices are extremely reasonable too. They could afford to charge more, and we'd still buy it!<br/><br/>Arigato Gozaimasu Niwa!

Open again. LOVE the new decor!<br/>Service was fast.<br/>Food great.<br/>Perhaps would like to see pictures on the menu as I ordered nigiri sushi and expected the seaweed wrapped ones, but delicious just the same.

Tasty, Fast, and Affordable. EDIT: As a warning, the restaurant is currently closed for renovation, and the landlord has made the restaurant smaller, and put a bunch of pinball machines in the new space. I don't know whether this is a permanent change or not, but it's certainly going to change a lot of the Aesthetic, so take the older reviews with a bit of consideration.<br/><br/>After a few visits to the restaurant, I've found the quality to be relatively constant. The food is authentic, and at the same time, offers large enough portions to make anyone happy.<br/>Food: The food is good on almost all sides. The Gyoza are light and tasty, and the rice is always well cooked and not watery. For the price of the food (13$ for a rice bowl that would be a meal for most) the quality is surprisingly good, actually. <br/>Atmosphere: Niwa is a new restaurant, and they are renting what used to be an Italian place, so you can imagine they haven't done too much renovating yet. Still, for it's plain appearance, it actually suits the simplicity of Japanese food, with light traditional music in the background and the tea-green walls, as well as Japanese decorations on odd shelves, you certainly won't feel out of place.<br/><br/>Overall, the restaurant is great, despite it's location and flaws. You certainly have to overlook a few things when you consider how cheap the food is without sacrificing taste.

Dam. Not as good as I hoped, teriyaki chicken was tough and tasteless... My daughter didnt like her sushi and she loves sushi.. service was slow.<br/><br/>such a shame

Going to be our Regular!!. My Boyfriend and I went there for dinner 2 nights ago and we really loved it. The Sashimi was very fresh and I had Sushi and Dumplings which were also so delicious. We will be regulars at Niwa. Finally dont have to drive too far for good Japanese!.

Quality fresh authentic. My family and I ate here tonight. I have intended to try it out for a while after discovering it through urban spoon. It is in an unlikely spot right next door of the old Hoyt's cinema in leghorn st. The decor is simple but welcoming. We had warm and friendly service from the waitress tonight who served us very quickly given I had a hungry 2 yr old I really appreciated that. We had the assorted sushi, tempura prawns and karage chicken bento box. The food was fresh , well presented and tasty and generous in portions. I recommend trying this little gem. Thank you to the staff for such welcoming and quality food and service.

Genuine Japanese Food. This restaurant serves really great Japanese food. The decor is perhaps not great but don't be put off. This place has excellent, fresh, tasty and genuine Japanese cuisine. It is reasonably priced too. Their take-away menu is great value.

Finally some decent Japanese in Rockingham!. I thought the day would never come where Rockingham got some decent Japanese.. Then along came Niwa. Great food, large portions, low price and friendly service. The atmosphere is great with origami and japanese paintings.. What more could you ask for? I recommend the Assorted Tempura Bento with its deliciously light and crunchy texture. Another plus, after your meal you can catch a cheap movie next door..

As it is the only decent and I stress only decent Japanese in the Rockingham area we will return. I know the taste of good Japanese and to me it seems they over compensate for the lack of menu and taste with the price and portion size. If its a cheap meal and big serving your after them go for your life if it's good Japanese food you're after then this is not for you.

Gorgeous Japanese Cuisine. Lovely food, great service, Friendly staff. Brought the kids and my mother. Gorgeous sushi roll and really fresh sashimi. Lovely staff, best miso in WA. Would recommend the teriyaki chicken and sukiyaki beef bento box and katsu for the kids.

Best jap kitchen this side of the river! fresh sushi and delicious katsu

No Sake, Just Good Sushi. Good value for money. It's a nice, inexpensive place to eat. No frills or fanfare here. Just a place to hang out that serves good food and has decent service. The sushi rolls are very good. Even the kids will like it.

I've had better!. My husband and I made a reservation fearing that we might not get a table only to enter an empty restaurant. lol. (2 hours later we were still the only ones!!!) My husband ordered a Bento box and I ordered udon noodles. The items in the Bento box that are meant to be hot were not even close to lukewarm, and my udon noodles tasted bland. Taking in consideration the quality of food and a Japanese restaurant that doesn't emit any Japanese 'feel' inside, I would better spend my money elsewhere.

We just waited over 1 hour for tonight dinner. Had bento that was supposed to come with a miso soup but didnt. The waitress said it is coming but never came. We could not wait anymore so we went to pay but the waitress did not even notice we did not get miso soup! We also had to wait about 10 minutes to pay at counter. Very understaffed and food was just about avearage, no better, especially we didnt get miso soup. We can get the sane quality food in Perth city for about $7 instead of $15 and waits would be only 5 mins. Very disappointed. We love Japanese food so we potentially would have had a dinner every week but never will visit. We much prefer to drive up all the way to Perth to eat!

Good, Cheap Japanese Food. Popped into Niwa on Sunday 5th February for an early dinner. The restaurant is set up like a classroom, plastic tables and chairs in rows, and the location is in the backblocks of the Rockingham Commercial District. The waitress was friendly, the service prompt, the food very tasty and well presented and the atmosphere pleasant. Whilst it's not in the fine-dining league, it's certainly a great place to go for a quick, cheap authentic Japanese meal.

Food was ok. Restaurant not very clean. Service was good. Probably will not go back.

Japanese. Really really nice food, prompt service and exceptionally reasonable prices. Take away also available. Decor not too fancy, but enjoyable food

The restaurant is a little Spartan but the food more than makes up for it. Friendly service and tasty Japanese dishes, if taking away try the bento box deluxe, always a nice treat

Quick & friendly. Quick friendly service, food is similar to what you would find in the food hall in the shopping centre, however affordable and great for a quick lunch.

Best restaurant in WA. Magnificent,awesome Japanese food and service. Sushi and sashimi both very fresh and well prepared and is outstanding and the tempura is first class.My partner and my family always go there every week,sometimes 2 days in a row.The food is well priced, the staff are very very friendly and helpful. My fav is The Karaage chicken and teriyaki beef,and the Chirashi sushi is the best delicious!<br/>Highly recommended!!! Never disappoint.

Delicious Food Amazing Prices. This is REAL authentic Japanese cuisine, cooked by an experienced Japanese chef. Super delicious dishes with even super cheap prices! Excellent Service in a friendly atmosphere. I can't get enough of Niwa!