Kazu’s Sushi & Asian Bistro

Kazus is probably the best sushi value in sarasota the sashimi is out of this world best mackerel You can get a wide variety of tampas for those who prefer things cooked. A huge selection of sakes and beer the staff is super knowledgable and friendly

Very cozy restaurant; we each had salmon bento box for lunch. The food was hot and tasty1

A real small place with limited dining area and privacy but cosy setting. Be sure arrive early if you don’t want to be waiting in line for a table! The place doesn’t have a foul smell as mentioned in one of the review but you’ll definitely smell like food after spending an hour inside! The restaurant offers a great selection of pretty good food and vegetarian options. Service was good and the server was courteous.
If you are a vegetarian like me, make sure to order the vegetarian miso soup. The regular miso soup contains fish broth. Do try the wide variety of vegetarian sushi (I ordered the Lotus roll which was real good) that other regular japanese eatery doesn’t offer!

I love Kazus — Authentic Japanese food (not to mention an actual Japanese couple who run it) — great sushi and unique specialty and seasonal rolls. Their Sake selection and knowledge is ridiculous. Their early bird bento boxes are a steal! Some of my fav unique items are their calamari salad, the fried snapper, their paste-​like peanut sauce, and their coconut ice cream

While on vacation in Siesta Key my girlfriend and I decided that we needed a change in pace for dinner and decided to venture out to a sushi restaurant. We checked out Unilocal to help us find a sushi restaurant and decided on Kazu’s based on the reviews and the price. When we arrived at Kazu’s we were a little leery of our decision. From the outside the place looks like a dive (and not the good kind), however when we walked in we were pleasantly surprised that the outside did not match the inside. The interior is warmly and traditionally decorated, however the inside is small, maybe room for 30 people. Because of this you are kinda close to your neighbor. This didn’t detract from our experience, but this was maybe mentioned once in the previous reviews so I thought I would reiterate it.
The service at Kazu’s was spot on. We were warmly and promptly greeted by the hostess. Our waitress greeted us with the same hospitality that the hostess showed. She was also prompt with taking our drink and dinner orders and checking on us throughout the meal.
The food at Kazu’s was also pretty spot on. We had the hurricane dino roll, spicy calamari, a special roll not on the menu, and conch and eel nigiri. I definitely recommend both of those rolls on the menu, especially the spicy calamari. There was nice juxtaposition in textures between the fried calamari and the rice. The nigiri is also a worth checking out. The conch and the eel were fresh and on par with some of the better eel and conch nigiri that I have had. The only negative about the nigiri was that the rice was loosely packed. This didn’t take away from it, just made it a little messy.
For salads, sushi, and a couple drinks between the two of us dinner set us back around $ 40 dollars, which I though was very reasonable for all that we got and the quality that we got. We will definitely come back here next time we are in Siesta Key.

The first thing I noticed when walking in was that it smells like a public restroom. This place is really small with no sushi bar seating. The tables are tiny, service was frantic and the food was the worst sushi I’ve had in Sarasota. Our salmon sashimi had brown edges and our 7 yr old’s chicken was slimy. The rolls were mostly rice that was soggy at best. The soft drinks are in cans so no free refills. Also, if you park in the post office parking lot, prepare to be towed. Two people were during our 45 min. dinner. I really wanted to like this place but they gave me nothing to work with.

I’ve lived in Japan, SF, NYC, my wife calls me a sushi monster. I’ve had the best. After reading the rave reviews I was looking forward to eating at Kazu’s. They were slammed with patrons and things were chaotic. But hey, I’m used to that. Customer service isn’t why I’m here. It’s all about the sushi. Or is it… The Rice? When I took a bite of my hamachi nigiri, the rice was not properly cooked. That was it for me. If you don’t have the patience to wait for the Zojirushi rice cooker to finish it’s cycle why bother? The stressed and angered look of the poor sushi chef making acres and acres of rolls was a signal to me they need to go back to basics. Slow it down and make good sushi guys… GAMBATTE!

Kazu’s has become my Sarasota sushi haunt. The staff is unbelievably friendly. Akiko is so sweet and not only remembers my name but my regular order as well. The food is fresh and authentic and consistently outstanding! The prices are great and the atmosphere is cozy. I can’t wait to return, and I was just there this past weekend!

Small but wonderful. We eat here regularly and it’s always great.

This is an amazing little sushi place. They are all about healthy eating. They have lots of different teas– including green tea. Try the crunchy rice. It is delicious! The spicy mayo is super spicy and you only need a little. Definitely one of the best places we have eaten sushi. Try it if you are close. They have a very small dining area but we did not have to wait to be seated.

I went here last night since I was in town. It lived up to my expectations and more. This place is really a mom and pop place. If you come eat here, chances are you will get to talk to Akiko (owner). She and Kazu (her husband) are hostess and chef so they really pay attention to details and quality. If there’s any problem, they know if it right away and will fix it for you. If you are in town, this place is great if you don’t want to have to dress up for dinner and like a more casual atmosphere. The prices are very fair also.

Good lunch at kazu’s. Nice that they served us when we came in just before closing time. Good sashimi, good tempura vegetables. Pity that there was no shiso.

I recently had my third dinner at Kazu’s, and WOW. This place impresses me — the food and service are consistently excellent. I am especially struck by how well the flavors of the food are balanced. This last time I went, I was on a business dinner with a foodie friend who had just returned from a trip to Japan, and he was equally impressed with the food.
Here are some highlights from my last trip to Kazu’s:
— SALMON CEVICHE — my favorite dish here, and it is excellent — beautifully balanced flavors, and light and healthy to boot!
–Genji Roll — a lovely, spicy roll — if you like spicy food, this is the perfect amount of heat — you get that wonderful burn, but the heat doesn’t drown out the other flavors.
— Veggie tempura and veggie tempura roll — the battering is very light, and allows the quality of the produce to really shine through. Even the heavy meat-​eaters at my table enjoyed these vegetables
— we had two special rolls which are about to disappear due to seasonal changes, but they were both fantastic
— great soups and noodles — I stuck with the very good plain miso soup myself, but I am a plate robber and enjoyed the other diners’ food as much as my own!
— TRY the flower in winter snowing sake — I normally prefer wine to sake, but I have to say that this was a really beautiful compliment to the meal — it’s a very light chilled sake and I have never had another quite like it… it’s easily the smoothest sake I’ve had.
I had some other great rolls and tofu on my previous visits, I only wish I could remember them now. Kazu’s is definitely worth the trip if you are into japanese food — and if you aren’t, trust me, they will find the right dish for you anyway, so it’s also well worth a trip if you are curious.
One last comment — Nothing irritates me more than poor service when I eat out, but the service at Kazu’s is always great! My waitress remembered me from previous trips and made perfect suggestions based on what I enjoyed the previous times I dined there. She was very pleasant and attentive, and was incredibly knowledgeable about every item on the menu, including the sakes.
Weird about the Beatles thing, I never noticed the poster, and I only remember hearing Beatles music once there… I’m going to have to look around for that next time (and there will *definitely* be a next time)!

I was really hyped up to have an excellent meal here. The reviews all raved about this place. There was barely any parking on a Wednesday night and the seating inside is very cramped. There is no way to have a conversation here without everyone not only listening in, but joining in. The chairs are very uncomfortable folding chars that will cut into the backs of your legs. The service was very good, there are no complaints about that.
There is a no cell phone policy here, so I cannot thoroughly document my experience here or take photos. The photos on the website look nothing like the food served, so we warned. We started with Sake, Power of Shitake and Squid Salad appetizers. It was all excellent and we were very excited about our meal.
From then on, it was all downhill…
The main thing I was craving was tuna and the nigiri was definitely not up to par. I actually had trouble choking down the tuna because the flavor was bland, fish was squishy, and there were some chewy bits. The rolls were also bland the rice was very mushy, like paste.
I had the Caliente Roll, which was very chewy from the tuna. Which is not supposed to be hard to chew, by the way… The TNT Roll was floating in yellow grease that tasted like egg yolks. I highly recommend some garlic or seasoning. I also ordered a large roll of the specials menu that I cannot remember the name of.
My husband and I had hoped for a casual and calming Wednesday night dinner. But, what we got was an extremely annoying experience that cost us $ 80.00!!! For $ 80.00 I can eat exquisite raw non-​chewy tuna at Vizen and be calm and non-​crowded. Seriously, don’t believe the hype of this place.
The other reviewers FAIL to mention that this is a Beatles theme restaurant. Beatles posters, Beatles named menu items, and most importantly Beatles music blasting and people talking about the Beatles. If I was a Beatles fan or even had some sort of warning it might not have bothered me that much. But, there was an annoying stress sting at the back from my neck from the music on repeat– so my instinct was to choke down the bland sushi at high speed and get the hell out of there.

I have to admit that I’ve had some BAD sushi experiences… Nothing worse than fishy– sushi! So I was quite pleased when we had a great dining experience here. The menu wasn’t overwhelming, simple yet diverse. The service was good, and the quality of the sushi was great. Beautifully plated! They even have a nice lunch menu. I’ll definetely go back.

Kazu’s Sushi and Asian Bistro has been my favourite restaurant for the past five years.
Every time I go there not only am I welcomed like family, but I am completely amazed at how delicious the sushi is. I love spending my money locally, especially at a restaurant that treats the local customers like gold and has consistently good service with outstanding artistic and mouthwatering fish. Another thing I love about Kazu’s is they have had the same employees for the whole time I have been going. There is one lady that has been there almost 7 years! Now if that doesn’t say something about the quality of how Kazu and Akiko (the owners) treat people, I dont know what is!
My favourite meals there are the Salmon Ceviche, the Spicy Miso Noodle Bowl with Shrimp and the Zen Roll. The Ceviche is non traditional in that it is still raw. There is a bed of Daikon radish with mixed baby greens, wakame salad, thinly sliced salmon, avocado, cilantro and a mouth water dressing of olive oil, lemon, japanese Yuzu (citrus) and a dash of Japanese Shiso (mint). Does life get any better? Oh, wait, yes it does! The price is only $ 12.95!!! Then there is the «Tampopo» or Spicy Miso Noodle Bowl. I like it with the hand made tofu or the shrimp that are sauteed in sake… mmmmm This bowl features a Korean spicy miso paste with fresh ramen noodles, steamed veggies such as bok choy and japanese cabbage with shitake mushrooms and a touch of warm sesame oil to top it off. This is all served in a large bowl full of Kazu’s «not too fishy or salty» miso soup. The last but not least is my favourite roll, the Zen roll. This is a no rice roll so it’s perfect for those Carb free people or for people that just LOVE raw fish. This roll consists of spicy tuna, salmon, white tuna, avocado, steamed asparagus, daikon radish, and a sprinkling of tempura flakes for a little crunch wrapped in an ultra-​thin soy paper. The plate is artistically designed with a creamy yuzu mustard and matcha (green tea) salt. WOW.
Again I have to mention how consistently friendly the staff is. When the customer needs something different, they try their hardest to exceed their expectations. They are so interested in making dining here a good experience that they make sure anyone that is vegan or has food allergies will be completely satisfied. The servers help with special orders which other sushi restaurants in town don’t accept. Most Japanese restaurants are pretty expensive when it comes to substitutions and extra charges but at Kazu’s they only charge a minimal fee for special orders and extra portions. $ 2.00 for extra chicken, $ 1.00 for extra veggies, $ 1.00 charge for extra tofu, $ 1.00 extra charge for miso with water, $ 1.00 charge for splitting (sharing is free), $.95 for extra sauces. Kazu’s tries to keep their prices low so that not only the tourists can afford it but so can the college students! A typical bill for two people including a glass of sake or two is around $ 50.00, including tip! Where else in SRQ can you find such good quality for such a GREAT price?!
I am happy to say that I know I am not the only long term customer as I meet people all the time in Kazu’s that have also been going there for years. Every time I go there alone, I meet wonderful people that have even shared their sushi, sake and one time even desert! The servers and owners know me by name and remember all the out of town guests that I bring in too. On my birthday they presented me with a beautiful desert. Thank you Kazu!
The last thing I want to mention about this fabulous, affordable, delicious, homey restaurant is that they are now offering an early bird special and 2 for 1 drinks. The early bird sushi bento box (from $ 8.95 to $ 9.75) includes miso soup (or clear soup upgrade), small green salad with the best homemade ginger dressing in town, one roll with 8 bite sized pieces and 3 pieces of nigiri sushi (on rice). There is also a little surprise in the bento, which last time was a japanese crab and potato salad. The 2 for 1 drinks include white, red and plum wine as well as hot sake.
Okay, now that I’ve written this, I have to go indulge… See you at Kazu’s!

Excellent restaurant, great food, nice people. I wish I went more often.