Kozen

The place is beautiful and the service is good. But the sushi is very plain. Nothing special at all … it kinda tastes like something I could’ve made at home on my own instead of paying so much. Eh, I wouldn’t ever go back here again … and won’t ever have to since the place did close.

I had heard some decent things about Kozen before I went there. It is unfortunate that we had such a crummy experience there, though. The food was good, but the service was horrible.
There was no host or hostess when we had walked in, initially. Overall, the place seemed highly understaffed. I don’t even know if the guy that seated us normally worked in the restaurant side of things (as there is also a bar section).
The whole time we were there, I only saw one waiter and that was after thirty minutes of waiting. Even as the place started to fill, only one waiter. The waiter did not write down our orders and ended up getting all THREE of the entrees we ordered wrong.
There was an Eagles CD that was skipping to the beginning of the track repeatedly. I kid you not that is probably skipped back to the start about twenty times. It didn’t seem like anybody was there to notice, to top it off. I did not get a refill on my water the whole time I was there. I don’t put the blame entirely on the one waiter, as there was only one waiter. The order mess-​up could have been avoided, though.
The management there needs to step it up a bit with the staffing if they want to stay in business. I saw people around me that didn’t seem too happy about the service, either. It will be the service that will keep me from going back or recommending this place to anybody else.

Kozen has a nice modern feel to it. I went once for lunch and it was pretty dead, like I thought they might be closed. I don’t know whats up with that, maybe since its tucked back people miss it. Nice ambiance and nice service.
Actually now that I think about it Kozen is not that great. Not memorable at all.

This once excellent but pricey japanese restaurant changed owners and menus to become a relatively standard fare sushi joint. Nigiri sushi was pretty good, the rolls were average, and the appetizers were quite good. In particular, I was pleased they kept the trio of tasty edamame on the menu. You get 3 different flavored edamame: hot pepper and lime; garlic; salt. This place is worth visiting for the edamame alone. I will, however, miss the bite-​sized tempura jalapenos stuffed with beef from the old Kozen.
Service was a bit slow. But the owner was very nice. And the entertainment can not be beat. Well, I mean entertainment as in my eavesdropping on a strange encounter between the sushi chef and a 50-​odd year old couple that looked like they just walked in from an RV expo (not that there is anything wrong with RVs, mind you). Mr. RV must fancy himself quite the world traveling sushi expert (his brightly colored shorts and drab t-​shirt screamed American tourist). Mrs. RV was clearly impressed by Mr. RV’s renaissance talents. He proceeded to order some Haa-​Ah-​ma-​Chay. The chef responds, «Hamachi?» «No» says Mr. RV, I would like «Haa-​Ah-​ma-​Chay.» «Hamachi, yes?» «No, Haa-​Ah-​ma-​Chay.» Sushi chef appeared puzzled, Mr. RV clearly frustrated and Mrs. RV wildly impressed by her partner’s superior sushi intellect. The resolution, from my vantage point and keen hearing, albeit poor vision, was the surrender of Mr. RV. The couple apparently ordered something else. Too bad for him, because the hamachi I had practically melted in my mouth.
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07−30−07 Update: Sadly, I fear this place may be having difficulties. On my last visit, the place was near empty and the sushi was average. I really hope they can turn it around because this place has had some really good moments.

Even better now that they’ve lowered the prices a bit. Went here a few months ago and while it was definitely more upscale than the average sushi bar, the prices were on par with its sister restaurant Ozumo which happens to be situated in one of the most prime locations in all of SF. With all of the good sushi options in this town you couldn’t really justify spending so much at Kozen, despite the cool, classy atmosphere. Now the prices have been reduced while the service has remained the same (pretty much top notch), so now this is one of THE places to go for sushi in Sac if you want sophistication and atmosphere. Way to go, management!

This place is cool and modern with the décor, makes it really a clubby atmosphere. The food was excellent and very unique compared to other sushi restaurants. The prices are a little upscale but the food was definately worth the price. This place would fare better if it was located Downtown. The servers were nice and attentive, the food was prepared fast and presented nicely. The sorbet dessert was absolutely to die for I would highly recommend it.

** Edit — This review was done for the old Kozen. The menu has drastically changed since then **
I’ve heard good things about this place since it opened up several months ago so I was expecting good things. I did not leave disappointed. Aesthetically the place was very pleasing to the eye. Wood furniture and flooring lent itself to somewhat of an earthy, natural feel. The only drawback was that unless you were hunched forward, the chairs were super uncomfortable. Fortunately, we were there for the food and not the chairs so it all worked out. The menu is more brief than most of the other cookie cutter Japanese restaurants in town, but what it lacked in length it made up in originality. We started with some soft shell crab tempura, the batter used was excellent and left me wanting more. Next up to try was a plate of green noodles over ice (I forget what it was). Good but nothing extraordinary. Our final plate was the Shabu-​shabu, which means «swish-​swish» in Japanese. It’s a big pot set upon a portable range that’s full of boiling clear broth. Accompanying that pot was a heaping plate of veggies and assorted fungi followed by a huge plate of beef sliced extremely thin. A bowl of sesame sauce and another filled with ponzu sauce completed the offering. We immediately dumped all the veggies and shrooms into the broth to get it cooking. The beef was so thin that it took no time at all to turn a nice shade of brown in the boiling broth. I was amazed at how good the beef was, even if left in the broth too long it was still very flavorful. The same went for the greens & fungi. The only thing different that I would of done is not of ordered so much food. We were told two plates and the shabu-​shabu would be good for 2 people, but 1 plate and the shabu-​shabu would have been just fine. Oh yeah, add in a few drinks and a tip and the total was nearing the buck 50 mark, so this place is definitely on the expensive side.

Being from San Francisco originally, I was lucky to see Ozumo rise from the ashes of bad reviews to one of the hippest japanese restaurants with a culinary reputation that matched to boot. So when Ozumo opened a restaurant in Sacramento, boy was a psyched! We went on a Friday and from beginning to end the experience did not disappoint. Our bartenders and waitress were knowledgable and helpful. The food was amazing (i would marry the kobe beef on a tempura jalapeño). Also, you cannot come here without trying at least one sake sampler. For vegetarians, there are some nice rolls, but also the vegetarian hot pot– very good very fresh stuff.
All in all, it was kind of pricey. I expected prices like that at Ozumo because it’s in SF, but the Sacramento location leaves a lot to be desired. Considering the beautiful building and décor, it seems a little bit like a diamond in the rough. Also, for a Friday night, the restaurant was really slow, which probably is more a reflection of Sacramentos totally lame nightlife.
I hear there are a lot of cool young people, but I don’t think they’re out. Hip young professionals better start discovering gems like this restaurant, otherwise there’s no hope for Sactown.