The Sushi Platter at Riverside Market is the Christchurch Central City home of one of New Zealand's most approachable sushi brands — the youngest venture of SKY Group, whose sushi has been delighting customers across the country since 2007. The idea is simple: authentic Japanese sushi with a New Zealand twist, at affordable prices, offered in formats that fit real life — an interactive 'Pick Your Own Sushi' counter for grazing in the moment, and 'Grab'n'Go Sushi' for people on the move.
The shop's signature format is the platter. Four pre-designed options — Combination, Salmon Lover, Chicken Lover and Vege Lover — cover the classic crowd profiles, while a Create Custom Platter builder lets you compose your own mix of classic rolls and creative bites, exactly the way you like it.
Set at 96 Oxford Terrace within Riverside Market, the store sits in the heart of the central city's dining precinct — an easy stop whether you're browsing the market hall, sorting an office lunch, or putting together a spread for a gathering at home.
On the ground floor of Riverside Market at 96 Oxford Terrace, The Sushi Platter serves sushi the way people actually eat it: sometimes one piece at a time, sometimes grabbed on the run, and sometimes as a generous platter laid out for a crowd. It is the Christchurch Central City outpost of a brand that has quietly become part of everyday New Zealand life, and its counter fits neatly into the market's browse-as-you-go rhythm.
The Sushi Platter describes itself as the youngest venture of SKY Group, and the family's history with Kiwi sushi stretches back a long way — since 2007, the group's sushi has delighted customers across New Zealand. The brand's promise is authentic Japanese cuisine with a New Zealand twist at affordable prices, and that dual identity shows in the food: familiar sushi formats filled with flavours local customers actually ask for.
You see it most clearly in the two ways you can buy. The interactive 'Pick Your Own Sushi' option invites you to choose pieces as you go, building a snack or a lunch one selection at a time. 'Grab'n'Go Sushi' covers the other end of the day — ready-made packs for the commute, the lunchbreak or the unplanned picnic. Between the two, there is very little ceremony, and that is rather the point.
The platter is the shop's signature format, and four ready-designed versions cover most crowds. Combination is the all-rounder, bringing classic rolls and creative bites together on one board. Salmon Lover leans into the fish New Zealand sushi fans reach for first. Chicken Lover keeps things cooked for tables that prefer it that way, and Vege Lover gathers the vegetable-based selections so vegetarians get a platter they can fully share.
If none of the four quite fits, you are not stuck. The Create Custom Platter builder on the brand's website lets you design a platter exactly your way — choosing your own balance of classic rolls and creative bites, then collecting it from the Riverside Market counter. For office lunches, birthdays and end-of-year catch-ups, it turns a sushi order into something that feels curated rather than catered.
Location does a lot of work here. Riverside Market has become one of Christchurch's most popular food destinations, and The Sushi Platter's counter sits right in its flow, alongside the market's other producers on Oxford Terrace. Grab a few pieces of Pick Your Own Sushi to eat on the spot, pick up Grab'n'Go packs for later, or time your visit around a platter collection before heading to a gathering nearby.
Because the brand operates across the country — with stores at Auckland Domestic Airport, Takanini, Christchurch Airport, Queenstown and Dunedin's Meridian Mall as well as Riverside Market — the Christchurch counter is also a familiar stopping point for travellers who have met the brand before. Regulars know roughly what to expect: fresh sushi, fair prices, and no fuss.
A few habits make a visit easier. If you are feeding a group, order ahead — a Combination platter suits mixed tastes, while matching a themed platter to your crowd (Salmon Lover for the fish fans, Chicken Lover for the cooked-fillings camp, Vege Lover for vegetarians) means nobody picks around the tray. If you are eating solo or in a pair, Pick Your Own Sushi lets you try a little of everything without overcommitting, and a Grab'n'Go pack stashed for later is a quietly excellent idea.
For a simple, unfussy sushi stop in the central city, The Sushi Platter at Riverside Market covers a lot of ground: a quick snack, a working lunch, a takeaway dinner, or the platter at the centre of the table. Same brand, same rolls — you just choose the format that fits your day.