Kazu Japanese Restaurant

Reviews

• PennyandRusty P.

  star star star star star_border 28 May 2026

  Kazu Japanese Restaurant is a small but busy restaurant located on the Hastings corridor in Burnaby. The interior isn't much to look at and the walls are plastered with various special menu items but you shouldn't let that detract you from visiting.
  
  While looking for some Japanese eats in late September, we stopped by this place for a quick lunch. The food came out fairly quick and most items turned out pretty good. We started with an order of Gomae ($3.95) which is a serving of boiled spinach that's been mixed with a sesame dressing. While generally served chilled, I found this dish to be just a bit too cold for me. Honestly, that's probably the worst thing that I have to say about this place.
  
  Our next dish was the Assorted Sashimi ($18.75) which included tuna, wild salmon, tako (octopus), hamachi (yellowtail), scallop topped with fish roe, amaebi (sweet shrimp), and some type of thin, white sashimi which had a clean but crunchy texture (assuming it was some type of conch or whelk). The tuna was very good as it was served at the right temperature and was buttery to the bite. While I liked all of the sashimi here, the one that really stood out to me was the hamachi - super tender. They also brought out a freshly fried shrimp head (which I think would have been presented better if it came out on the same plate as the sashimi).
  
  Next up was the BBQ Wild Salmon Belly ($4.50) - another solid dish with buttery and fatty salmon belly.
  
  The smallish Deep-Fried Oysters ($5.50 for 3 pieces) were served with a thick, brown, tonkatsu sauce. These fried morsels were piping hot with a crunchy exterior coating which kept the meat on the inside super juicy.
  
  We finished off our meal with their signature Kazu Roll ($11.75). A bit on the expensive side for a roll but it contained tuna, salmon, scallop, masago, crab meat, lettuce, and mayo. At first, I thought the pieces were cut a bit too big but that was just because there was so much filling. It held up pretty good and didn't really fall apart like some other house rolls I've had before. The mayo added a nice creamy aspect to the roll without being overly saucy.
  
  Overall, I was quite pleased with the food here.

• Natalie W.

  star star star star star_border 22 May 2026

  My second visit here for dinner and I had forgotten how good the sushi is. This restaurant is small, but they manage to fit quite a few tables. There were still quite a few people at around 8pm on a weekday. I noticed quite a few takeout orders as well.
  
  Their menu has a good variety of cooked and raw options. They also have some specials written on a chalkboard. Two things we ordered from the specials was pumpkin croquette and the saba battera. The croquette came out first and was a nice appetizer for a rainy day. Crunchy on the outside, a bit of sweetness from the kabocha, and some tanginess from the sauce made it a tasty dish. The saba battera was quite large. I found there to be too much rice. However, the pieces of saba was quite generous, so I suppose it was to even it out. In the middle was some more saba and a piece of shiso leaf. This was pretty tasty and one of the better batteras we've had. However, this is definitely one to share with other people because it is filling. The nabeyaki udon was presented nicely and the egg was not overcooked. The broth was flavourful and not too salty. The udon had a nice chew to it, even after sitting in the soup for awhile. My friend mainly ate this dish, but from what I tried, I enjoyed it. I ordered a few pieces of nigiri and the portions were quite large. At a cheaper price and with a bigger piece, it was definitely worth it. They were all fresh and tasty. The two rolls we shared were the negitoro and the North Burnaby roll. My friend and I didn't realize how large the North Burnaby roll was. We definitely over ordered just slightly. But the special roll was worth it. Although it had lots of different fish, you could still taste each one. However, you definitely need to eat it in pieces because the piece is quite large. The negitoro was good.
  
  Overall, the quality of sushi and price is great. Service was really good. The chefs welcomed every customer and said goodbye. The servers brought tea plenty of times. It was a good experience and I'd come back.

• Halei J.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 18 May 2026

  I have to say the quality and also the service is going downhill. The last couple of times I've come here some of my sushi wasn't very good. Some of the rolls I've had were very poorly done, like the end of the roll there was barely any rice or fish in it cuz they didn't spread the rice and put enough fish in it and almost fell apart.  Today the toro I ordered was pretty bad, there were spots on it and did not look fresh at all, it didn't really smell off but to be honest it looked pretty gross and I didn't even end up eating it. That's $6.50 for those 2 pieces that I didn't eat.  For a Japanese owned restaurant I expect a lot more.  Also when I come pick up my order the chefs usually greet you or say goodbye to you when you leave....today nothing....there was I believe 1 table in the restaurant....dunno if I'm gonna be back anytime soon.....

• Chris L.

  star star star star star_border 17 May 2026

  Kazu is slowly becoming my favorite sushi spot. One of the only locations I have come across that has real wasabi and nothing compares to the real deal. Quaint on the inside and not much seating space. Menu has all the favorites and service was quick and friendly. Price is on par with many sushi restaurants. Would recommend this location to anyone looking for good sushi.

• Ashley Y.

  star star star star star 15 May 2026

  This is the real deal guys. I can't put into words how outstanding the food is here. It's simple and fresh. The appreciation for quality in ingredients really shows. You're not going to find those crazy rolls that are deep fried and covered in sauces here. You get to really taste and appreciate the freshness of the fish.
  
  The place is a little small and always busy. Worth the wait for sure.
  
  Service is good, everyone is friendly here.
  
  And the main reason I love this place so much... REAL WASABI! Guys, you have to come here if just for this reason alone. I have yet to find another place that serves real wasabi instead of the horseradish stuff that is served everywhere else. So, so yummy and this really speaks volumes as wasabi is not cheap, and yet the prices remain comparable to their nearby competitors.