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Japanese Cuisine Kappa Menu

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Oysters on ice at Japanese Cuisine Kappa in Queenstown

Japanese Cuisine Kappa has occupied its Queenstown Mall premises since 1998, giving the restaurant an unusually long connection to the centre of town. Naoya and Miri Higuchi took over in 2007 and have continued to frame the kitchen around authentic Japanese technique and fresh New Zealand ingredients. That continuity matters here: Kappa is not trying to cover every passing trend, but to express a focused style through ingredients available in and around the South Island.

Fresh fish is one of the clearest links between place and cuisine. Sushi and sashimi sit alongside daily specials shaped by the local catch, allowing the selection to change without losing its Japanese foundations. A sashimi platter is an obvious way to appreciate the quality of the fish directly, while the restaurant's compact approach encourages diners to combine a few carefully chosen plates rather than work through an oversized catalogue of variations.

Cooked dishes provide contrast without abandoning that sense of restraint. Blue cod tempura brings a local fish into a light, crisp preparation, while grilled eggplant shows how a vegetable dish can carry just as much savoury depth. Teriyaki chicken offers a familiar point of entry, and pork cutlet sharpened by a tangy sauce supplies greater richness. Together, these plates move between delicate and robust flavours while remaining recognisably part of the same kitchen.

Kappa serves both lunch and dinner every day, making it possible to choose between a concise midday meal and a slower evening visit in the pedestrian mall. The drinks selection follows the food's traditional direction, with sake available hot or cold as well as shochu and yuzu or plum wine. Those options give the meal a distinctly Japanese progression and reinforce the restaurant's appeal to diners seeking a small, specialised venue rather than a broad international menu.

Address: 36A The Mall, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand

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Kappa Japanese Restaurant Menu

Dinner – Small Dishes

Served Mon–Sun 5pm–9pm. V: Vege, VG: Vegan.

Edamame
$8

Boiled edamame soy beans. V /VG

Agedashi Tofu
$16

Deep fried tofu in tempura sauce

Teriyaki Tofu
$16

Deep fried tofu in teriyaki sauce. V /VG

Beef Tataki
$25

Seared eye filet with sesame sauce

Dinner – Sushi Rolls (8pieces)

Please ask staffs for Nigiri Sushi options!

Salmon & Avo Roll
$17

鮭とアボカドの巻寿司

Tuna & Spring Onion Roll
$18

鮪とねぎの巻寿司

Prawn Tempura Roll
$17

海老天の巻寿司

Eel & Cucumber Roll
$19

鰻ときゅうりの巻寿司

Vege Roll
$17

野菜の巻寿司. V /VG

Dinner – Salads

Kappa Salad
$17

Green leaf salad with KAPPA dressing. V /VG

Soba Salad
$20

Soba noodle on green leaf salad

Prawn Salad
$23

Prawn tempura with spicy mayo on salad

Dinner – KAPPA Classics

Karaage
$29

Deep-fried marinated chicken thigh

Tonkatsu
$32

Crumbed pork loin with tonkatsu sauce

Teriyaki Chicken
$30

Pan-fried chicken thigh in teriyaki sauce

Prawn Tempura (5P)
$30

Tempura prawn with dipping broth

Vege Tempura
$24 / Add Prawn Tempura $6

Seasonal vegetable tempura. V /VG. Add Prawn Tempura $6

Premium Rice
$4

V /VG

Miso Soup
$5

Lunch Specials

Mon–Sun 12pm–2pm.

KAPPA LUNCH BOX
$29 / Extra Prawn Tempura $5

Prawn and Vege Tempura, Salmon Sashimi, Teriyaki Chicken. Come with Rice and Miso. Extra Prawn Tempura $5

TERIYAKI CHICKEN DONBURI
$20

Teriyaki Chicken on a bowl of Rice. Come with Miso

KAKE SOBA NOODLE
$18 / Add Prawn Tempura $5

Buckwheat Soba Noodle in Hot Broth. Add Prawn Tempura $5

Edamame
$8
Agedashi Tofu
$16
Beef Tataki
$25
Salmon & Avo Roll
$17
Prawn Tempura Roll
$17
Vege Roll
$17
Kappa Salad
$17
Prawn Salad
$23
Tonkatsu
$32
Vege Tempura
$24
Rice
$4
Miso
$5

Sake (Cold • Hot)

S:130ml L:280ml

Harushika Extra Dry – Nara
S $17 / L $34

This super dry Junmai was created to complement the trend of richer foods in Nara, Japan. Dry herbs, mint and sage, crispy clean finish.

Kubota Senju – Niigata
S $18 / L $36

This sake’s aim is to improve any meal. The modest nose and classic melon flavour are the perfect touch to a wide range of cuisine.

Otokoyama Kimoto – Hokkaido
S $15 / L $29

This Junmai is made by traditional “Kimoto” brewing method, which produces complex aroma and powerful flavour.

Zenkuro Untouched – Queenstown
S $24 / L $47

NZ’s first and only sake brewery based in Queenstown. This Junmai Ginjo is made without pasteurisation process to keep its own pure aroma and freshness.

Wine – White & Rosé

Amisfield Dry Riesling 2024
G $13 / B $60

Central Otago – Crisp, cool; delightful citrus balance.

Quartz Reef Pinot Gris 2024
G $16 / B $74

Central Otago – Incredible finesse, endlessly creamy.

Mahi Sauvignon Blanc 2024
G $12 / B $54

Marlborough – Lively and tropical, bursting of Marlborough

Gibbston Valley China Terrace Chardonnay 2024
G $16 / B $74

Central Otago – Super elegant, mineral and summery.

Wine – Red

Hawkshead Pinot Noir 2023
G $16 / B $74

Central Otago – Brightly lit herb, cherry and spicy red fruit.

Valli Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023
B $120

Central Otago – Glossy Pinot tones over fresh spice, classic.

Gibbston Valley School House Pinot Noir 2023
B $120

Central Otago – Sings a sweet, beautiful Pinot song.

Chard Farm Viper Pinot Noir 2016
B $160

Central Otago – Elegant with length, harmony and style.

Premium Sake

Senshin (+2)
Bottle 720ml $300

Niigata – Senshin – “Sophisticated Mind” is beautifully mellow, refined, and round. An extremely smooth, clean and sophisticated finish. Brewed with the local Niigata rice “Takanenishiki” milled to 28%, the sake is aged slowly for an extended period until the peak of maturity for a divine, dynamic experience. Seasonal Limited Junmai Daiginjo: Bottled in March, June, September, November.

Dassai Sparkling 45 (+2)
Bottle 360ml $60

Yamaguchi – Naturally fermented in bottle, resulting in a pleasant fruitiness and refreshing finish, this sake flavor and aroma are both smooth and fragrant.

Dassai 45 (+2)
Bottle 720ml $130

Yamaguchi – This uniquely lighter nigori style is reflective of the premium elegance of Dassai Junmai Daiginjo.

Dassai 23
Bottle 720ml $310

Yamaguchi – “There is no reason for us to craft sake unless it’s super delicious.”, this is the Dassai way. Using Yamada-Nishiki rice polished down to 45%, we deliver fruit aromatics and delicate sweetness.

Japanese Beer

Asahi 5.0%
$5
Yebisu 5.0%
$5
Asahi Dry Zero 0%
$6

Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Coke
$6
Coke Zero
$8
Benjer Apple Juice
$8
Schweppeps Ginger Beer
$6

Japanese Liqueurs/Spirits

Ice / Soda / Hot

Umeshu Plum Wine 10%
$10
Yuzu Shu 8%
$11
Nikaido Barley Shochu 25%
$11
Kuroshiranami Sweet Potato Shochu 25%
$11

NZ Beer

Emerson’s Hazy Pale Ale 4.2%
$12
Steinlager Pure 5.0%
$10
Steinlager Light 2.5%
$10

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