Kaze

Reviews 7

AL

Alana J. Minor

I visited for the first time on a Saturday afternoon, and it was a great experience. Not having a lot of experience with Asian Fusion cuisine, I knew to expect sushi, ramen, and sake. Very basic, I know. The interior is intimate and romantic, it would be great for dates. The seating is varied, you can dine solo at the "bar" that has a great view on the kitchen, at a small table, at a 4-person booth, large table or large booth. Seating seems to be very versatile for the space. I was in a party of four and we were seated after a short wait. The wait was surprising as there were more than four empty spaces available when we arrived, and we waited for more than five minutes. Our waiter was excellent, and was knowledgeable enough to talk shop with one of my party who lived in Japan for several months. Our waiter was also helpful to me, as someone who wasnt too sure what I wanted. I ordered a traditional ramen soup with a poached egg, bok choy and pork belly, as well as a half row of blackened tuna sushi. The food was incredible, and Im ruined for ramen for life. The portions were perfectly sized, and I was able to taste new things such as yuzu and masago. My friend with Japanese experience was pleasantly surprised, but wanted to be sure I knew that I was eating FUSION and not real Japanese food. Thats fine with me, it was delicious! To drink I ordered a Hendricks & Tonic, which was also well done. If anything I was a little overwhelmed by the cocktail menu, which offered at least ten different creations with Japanese liqueurs and seasonal ingredients. Next time I go, Im definitely indulging.

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Anna Kelma

Love that edamame comes to the table like a basket of bread, lightly salted and cool. The Ramen and sushi are available in half size portions, which is great for small appetites like mine. Flavor profile for the sushi roll, "otr" was perfect. The Ramen broth was not what I was expecting - just a straight chicken broth, which I can make at home - but after adding ginger and wisabi, it was delicious. Service needs some addressing. I ordered a drink before ordering my meal. I would have asked for it, but the server didnt come back to my table until I was halfway done with my entree. Not a very busy day to never check on how my food was until I was almost done, never clear empty dishes, or check on my drink until I ask. (Not to mention she had no problem checking multiple times to see if I had put my payment on the counter.) After I asked about the drink, rather than immediately resolving the mistake, the server stopped at tables around me before walking past me and saying quickly, "itll be right out." Not how I would have handled someone who went their whole meal without their drink. Now I am sitting here, without food, trying to finish the first thing I ordered and trying to not be bothered by her constantly checking to see if I am ready to pay.

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Liz Seger

Let me start by saying the fish was fresh, and I didnt leave hungry. But there were so many frustrations. I ordered the sashimi platter, from the so-called "omakase" portion of the menu. What I received was a plate with five piles of roughly cut typical fish (salmon, tuna, snapper, yellowtail, and a bland something I couldnt identify) strangely garnished with roasted asparagus. The fish was draped over the asparagus so that its flavor tainted everything. It was a decent value for the sheer quantity of fish, but the menu (and the custom of omakase) promised more, for starters "fish and seafood." Omakase is a chefs chance to shine. If he is not up for that, dont offer it. For the same price, I could have constructed a platter of fish, eel, shrimp, uni, shishito peppers, all manner of delights. I sat at the bar, and witnessed a sushi prep area with a level of neatness and precision on par with a burrito-making setup in the back of a VW bus. Again, everything I had was clean and fresh. But it was boring, and it was not sushi. Cincy deserves better. To top it off, the waitress kept touching me, and didnt know any of the Japanese words on her own menu. Next time Im in this town Ill stick with quality, like Via Vite and Sotto.

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Logan Sand

I dont really know where to begin. We walked in without a reservation and they said we had to sit at the bar in the back...I wouldnt have had a problem with this if the SAME tables were still empty as we walked out the door. I dont know how to describe bartender / waitstaff besides awkward. Not friendly, no conversation, really didnt feel as if they cared about their job or us. The real problem came with our entrees. "Fried Rice" was best described as microwaved white rice with a piece of broccoli and carrot slices off of a Frischs Big Boy salad bar. The "Pork Shoulder" may as well have been marinating in a crock pot... From last week. Soggy, bad flavor, and my wife described it best: "soft brown mush". My sushi? It was alright, but 10 "slices", which were loosely wrapped in seaweed left me hungry after. Add everything together in a $60 bill, and I can honestly say in my opinion it is the worst resturant to go in OTR. Wait for Senate, Eagle, Bakersfield, Anchor, hell... Spend $50 a plate at The Mercer, its at least worth it. Avoid KAZE at all costs.

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Natalie Shields

I am in town from Louisville. Honestly one of the worst dining experiences in recent memory. The menu was confusing, and the waiter had to explain it, which he said happens often. After dealing with a confusing and very limited menu, we got what I would call a small amount of mediocre (at best) food, while spending an excessive amount of money. This place is extremely over priced for the quality and amount of food you receive. Looking around none of the other costumers looked satisfied, and upon leaving I over heard someone call the restaurant a scam. All this contributed to the pretentious atmosphere, which was ironically inside of a generic looking "sushi bar". After leaving with a near empty stomach and depleted wallet, we headed to McDonalds to actually be somewhat filled. I hope for the sake of this citys residences that the other restaurants are much much better.

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Amy Langdon

I got the pork belly buns and while the flavor profile and the buns themselves were very good, the "main star", the pork belly itself was really just not good. It was more like day old bacon......unrendered fat, and the meat was very chewy and dry even with all the glaze on it, and it tasted honestly, old and reheated....I make pork belly a few times a month, as it is a favorite of mine, and really good belly should have crispy yet melt in ur mouth fat layer with the inside fork tender and juicy.....this is what I was expecting from a place with the reviews and concepts such as Kaze....and also the description said apple, I got 1 matchstick thin piece of apple in the whole sandwich...??....and anyway it was dissapointing, but there is more I want to try here so another chance I will give :)

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Claire James

Overall, my experience at KaZe was a little underwhelming. I took my boyfriend out for a nice evening for Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week; we were looking forward to their prix-fixe menu. Regrettably, it left a lot to be desired. We went fairly early in the evening, and there were not many other patrons there, and yet the service was quite slow. That could also be attributed to the fact we ate through each course quickly because their portion sizes are smaller (yet still pricey) than average. The flavor and taste on everything, however, was really quite decent, but I could not justify returning and paying for those small portions.

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