We decided to drop in one evening at Kazu Japanese Restaurant for some sushi in Abu Dhabi. Located at Yas Hotel which was half an hour away from the Beach Rotana Hotel where we were staying, we hoped the food was worth the trip to Kazu Japanese Restaurant.

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The First Impression: The Yas Hotel was quite spectacular in style and the restaurant too seemed trendy and chic, but the smoky smell that hit us when we entered Kazu was overpowering and unpleasant. The restaurant was quite busy and we recommend that you reserve a table if you plan to eat here (which I’m not too sure I can recommend). We were greeted promptly and we opted for a seating outside in order to escape the smoky smell.

Décor and Ambience: The outside seating was small and not very cozy. With just a couple of tables and an unimpressive view, the only plus side was the view of the spectacular lights of the hotel you could catch if you were lucky enough to be seated in the right direction.

The interiou of Kazu was done in tones of cream, gold and brown. It had a subtle elegance and the Japanese décor was minimalistic in design. With typically Japanese tables and more, it was done quite tastefully. There is a sushi and sashimi bar, two teppanyaki tables, a tempura station, a private dining area and a sake bar.

The Food: The menu was limited in their offer of sushi and sashimi. The maki rolls offered at the Kazu Japanese Restaurant was just eleven in number and quite generic. They did nothing to entice or excite us for what was to come. The Kazu rolls offered seemed more exciting. We started with an order of edamame which was really good and savory. We opted for tuna, salmon, sweet shrimp and yellow tail as our choices for sashimi. We also ordered the soft shell crab, rainbow maki roll and the shrimp maki roll to which we requested them to add tuna and salmon to make it more exciting. The sashimi was medium sized cuts and a little too fishy in flavor and just average in taste on the whole. It was not the fresh and delicious sashimi that makes a makes a Japanese restaurant bombastic, that’s for sure!

The unagi which we had ordered had a cheap smoky flavor which we suspected was an add-on while preparing it; definitely very unappetizing and something we will avoid if we ever order from here again. The rolls were so bland and tasteless that we couldn’t even finish them; quite rare in our experience. The upside of the meal was the bottle of Mukantei sake which was silky and medium bodied; a tasty accompaniment to our meal.

The Service: The service at the Kazu Japanese Restaurant was prompt and efficient. The restaurant charges a 10% service charge to their already above average prices plus a 6% tourism fee.

Overall Impression: We were not suitably impressed with the food served at the Kazu. Having expected more from a restaurant of its repute, we would not recommend it highly to others.

What I liked: The great décor and prompt service at the Kazu.

What I didn’t like: The mediocre food and expensive prices at the Kazu.

Rating: Between Bombastic and Not.

Address and Telephone Number
Kazu Japanese Restaurant
P.O. Box 131808
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: +971 2 656 0000
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