I love Kaiseki which makes me love Kenzo! Getting reservations for Kenzo isn't the easiest and we basically planned our Napa trip around being able to secure reservations for this fine dining establishment. To top it off, they were able to seat us at the sushi bar! The skill and precision involved in cultivating their seasonal Kaiseki menu is phenomenal. They are every bit deserving of their Michelin star if not more! The seared Nagasaki Grunt Fish was grilled to perfection and the cucumber infused vinegar soy sauce gelee provided the palate opening flavor for the rest of our meal. The Aomori Greenling Owan with their signature dashi broth was oh so yummy! The dashi broth is one of the main dishes I still remember to this day from my first experience at Kenzo a few years back. The slow roasted A5 Satsuma Wagyu Tenderloin was so flavorful and tender. It was melt in your mouth goodness. Last but not least we ordered additional Hokkaido Uni and Scallop nigiri separate from the Kaiseki and they were both so sweet and delicious! Everything from the service, food and desserts was outrageously fantastic. Can't wait to come back for my next visit! read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for awhile but they've been closed due to COVID. They recently opened their indoor dining this month and I was lucky enough to grab a 6pm reservation on a Tuesday evening. Upon arrival, we had our temperature checked and hand sanitizer was given to us. Our host even took our jackets and put it in a nearby closet and a basket was placed by my feet to put my bag in. Amazing service. Since we were celebrating a birthday, they gave us a menu that said Happy Birthday on it, which was very special. Now for the food... it was a preset traditional multi course dinner (kaiseki). Each course was well crafted and full of flavor. Our favorite was the Cherrywood smoked bluefin tuna sashimi, the seasonal Hassun and the A5 wagyu. I genuinely enjoyed every dish and yes, I was full by the end of the dinner. Our waiter checked in with us frequently and we engaged in some conversation with the servers about the best places to try Toro, Uni etc. We did order extra chu toro since it's one of our favorite things to try at any Japanese place. The experience overall was amazing thanks to the friendly staff and unique dishes of food. Next time, we're going to try sit at the counter in front of the chefs. Also I've tried Kenzo's Estate wines and they are must try if you dine in. I recommend the Rindo or the Murasaki. They even offer a wine flight as well! read more

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Kenzo was one of the best experiences of my life. Location is very lowkey. Interior is very simple and minimalist. Servers and staff are absolutely amazing. Now the food. I went with a partner. Spent about $1000 for two on one meal and I would do it again if I were in Napa. Absolutely amazing food. Each course was paired with a wine selection and a thorough explanation of what and why we were eating. The server also had an amazing personally that paired well with the items. I can't describe enough how amazing an experience this was. read more

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Perhaps one of the most underrated fine dining option in Napa. Kenzo is one of the few options of pure kaiseki (multi course traditional Japanese) style fine dining in the bay area. Throughout the course focus on subtle array of flavors, textures, and presentation. There's a fine combination of both French inspired technique into Japanese cooking. There's a wide variety of local ingredients which they harvest from their estate combined with fresh seafood sourced through various part of Japan. The menu is ever-changing to match the whichever season the best. The highlights of the menu are tiger prawn ball, grilled Gifu sweet fish soup, Grilled Chiba cutlassfish, sesame tofu okakiage , and A5 satsuma Wagyu tenderloin kuwayaki. The pacing is well paced and the servers are excellent at explaining each component on the plate much without the awkward language barrier you would have in Japan. In terms of wine pairing, Kenzo have a relatively small collection but each have a very distinctive taste and complexity behind it. Asatsuyu(morning dew in Japanese) Sauvignon Blanc - a fresh citrus on the nose with a hint of passion fruit. the palate combines grapefruit and lime with its higher acidity taste but still a hint of pleasant sticky sugar coating. Overall the wine is really balanced as a starter or cleanser. Rindo ( Japanese purple flower) bordeaux blend - with strong fruit forward smell, aromatic all around with raspberries, western herbs, with chocolate in the back palate. the wine taste really youthful and perhaps way too much. The one of the signature dish in the kaiseki course was using rindo as a red wine reduction with soy sauce to create a really flavorful sauce to pair with the satsuma wagyu. This is perhaps one of the best highlight for this wine. ai - this is the showcase wine of Kenzo Estate. Impressive multiple dimension of layers with a well structured flavors profile. Starts off with the floral notes of the rindo and moving into darker and heavier feel of murasaki and finish up with additional layers of cigar, spice, and black pepper towards the end. This is a wine that gets better with age and recommend picking a bottle or two back home. murasaki (Purple) - this blend is a more well aged version of rindo. The mocha and darker flavors are more present yet provides a smooth finish. the overall balance makes it feel like a more refined rindo especially with the additional depth. muku - late harvest Sauvignon Blanc with beautiful bright colors, plentiful feel of sweet fruit aromas from apple, honeysuckles, pears, and other tropical fruits feel. the mouth feels does not feel sticky despite the sweetness and a lot more approachable than the usual dessert wine. The hint of acidity balances out the sweetness perfectly in both taste and texture. This is a great dessert wine and really felt it match made in heaven for kaiseki dessert pairing. Overall, Kenzo is one of the best wine pairing experience money can buy in Napa. Every dish and every pairing serves a purpose to create an impactful experience that you will still talk about long for days and after. read more

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I loooooved every minute of this meal. the service was impeccable. The manager opened the door for us. The service is top notch. all the courses are brought out in a perfect timely manner. Every course was creative and delicious. My husband and I came on our anniversary and were given a personalized menu and a glass of their dessert wine from the kenzo estate. I didnt want this night to end. I highly recommend. read more

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I have mixed feelings about this place. The Pros: The service was great - super friendly, and the waiters gave detailed explanations of each dish that came out. We came to celebrate my birthday and they gave us a complimentary glass of house dessert wine :) The Cons: The food, on the other hand, was honestly just okay. We did the tasting menu and none of the dishes blew us away. For $225/pp I would expect at least one or two dishes to be amazing. Overall, good experience - but I probably would rather spend my $ on one of several other Michelin starred restaurants in the area. read more

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Wow, this place is amazing! It was my first time trying Kenzo and I will definitely be back! We ordered from their take out menu as their in-dining experience is closed until further notice due to COVID. As an alternative, they provide a decent amount of choices from their take out menu. The food was packaged and presented beautifully, we almost didn't want to eat it! Picking up the food was quick and easy, as they already had our bag ready to be picked up. We ordered plenty of food, which might have been too much for our party to finish in one sitting. We ordered the Sushi Bento Box, which was $60. The fish was as fresh as it gets and the portion size was perfect. We also ordered the Family Meal for 2, which was $160. This meal came with so much food, we were struggling to finish this platter. For the price and the amount of food that's provided, it's well worth it. It came with: sushi, chicken cutlet & egg omelet sandwiches, a5 wagyu steak, shrimp & veggie tempura, grilled salmon, scallop teriyaki and karaage. They also had fresh vegetables beautifully decorated around the platter. We also ordered a plate of fried chicken for $10 (includes 8 good sized pieces), the Chicken Katsu Donburi for $20, and the Kenzo Estate Muku Late Harvest dessert wine for $50. Overall, I enjoyed my take out dining experience. I haven't experienced their in-dining experience, but I hope to in the future. This place is as authentic as it gets! read more

Kenzo Napa - (Take Out Menu) Family Meal for 2: $160 - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

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Another Michelin star adventure! I am glad they are still able to open during COVID19 and still able to source ingredient from Japan. At first I wasn't able to reserve a table online about 2 weeks out. I asked Amex platinum concierge and they were able to help me reserve a table for 830pm, soooo lucky for us! The experience was kaiseki, in other word tasting menu. This is the only 2nd Kaiseki restaurant I visited in bay area. The other one was Ranzan at redwood city, and actually only 1 week before I visited Kenzo. So in my mind I was comparing the experience at the 2 restaurants, and here's my summary They are able to open with 25% indoor capacity, all the tables were quite apart from each other. Kaiseki chefs would use ingredients that reflect the current season, which Kenzo did. The wine list is not extremely long but very well stock The courses were very good, the only thing we didn't like was the Uni because it doesn't seems as fresh. We did let the server know and were treated with another dish. Very impressive. I would say their service is 5 stars but 4 stars for the food quality. The cooking technique was amazing, but need to work on the ingredient a little bit, and yes, this is during COVID19. Nevertheless, I do highly recommend this place and look forward to trying it again the next time I am at Napa. And btw, my favorite dish was the dessert, the hojicha icecream was simply amazing, and made at the restaurant too! As for comparing Kenzo to Ranzan, I can't compare them apple to apple. Ranzan is based on Kyoto style and Kenzo wasn't, and kenzo was more modern as well. Both used ingredients based on that season, both had amazing presentation and unique cooking techniques. So in the end I don't have a clear winner, I would continue going to both places! read more

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Impeccable dining experience - especially the service. We sat at the chef's counter and the attendees explained every dish to us. Also, they explained the difference between kaiseki and omakase. Even when we left, the chef walked us to the door to say goodbye. Too many amazing dishes to touch on them all. The standouts were the yuzu infused miso on the grilled Alaska Sable Fish, the A5 Wagyu, and the toro sushi. Minimalist decor and only a few seatings, so make sure to book the reservation 30 days in advance (when the reservations open up). Well deserved Michelin star! read more

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We were able to get last minute reservations here for our anniversary after a couple cancelled and it was truly the highlight of the trip! I did the Reserve tasting and wound up having 9 select wines and sakes and there wasn't a single bad one in the bunch! We left with a couple bottles and will definitely be visiting Kenzo estate in the future. As for the food itself, each had amazing presentation, flavor and the waiter gave us a detailed overview of each. My only wish is that I had enough room in my belly at the end to take up the server's offer of sushi prepared a la carte. It was so good! A tip for getting in: book when openings open one month in advance. I saw slots open when looking an hour after the slots open up. If you can't get in, email them vs. joining the open table waitlist, they'll try to accommodate you. read more

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Had an amazing experience at Kenzo!! Thank you sooo much for letting us dine at last minute! Staffs were very and so so friendly and the restaurant was so Japanese. I loved it although the chair was too high for my short self hehe. I definitely tasted the best wagyu and tuna in my life. Thank you read more

Kenzo Napa - June 2022 prefix course - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

I don't know why it's taken me so long to write this review. Kenzo was easily my favorite restaurant we went to. Everything was perfect. We were on our honeymoon and Kenzo was able to accommodate us at the bar. Staff were all super friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable - exactly what I'd expect and more from a Michelin star restaurant. Food was beyond phenomenal -- and what a great first kaiseki experience! I generally do omakase, but loved the wide mix of dishes AND loved their presentations. Normally the food is the presentation for omakase, but the art of the dish-ware itself was so beautiful and totally understated. I loved everything about it. Digging into the specifics of the meal - in order of appearance: 1. Poached Hyogo Pike Conger: Cherry tomato, string beans and sweet corn soup. What a great dish to start the experience. 2. Seasonal Hassun (Hassun=small dishes you serve yourself. There were size restrictions for this - about 24cm, so the items arrived all similar sizes). We got: Sesame tofu with hokkaido sea urchin (so good), kanagawa octopus karaage (husband LOVED this one), dashi marinated yellow bell pepper with salmon (also amazing), eggplant with avocado and sweet potato cake (my least favorite just cuz I don't care for eggplant). 3. Black Tiger Prawn Shinjo Owan - Dashi broth with golden squash and okra. The bowl it arrived in almost overshadowed this one, but it was so light and refreshing. 4. Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna "Zuke" Sashimi. Japanese yam, shiso leaves, shizuoka wasabi and grated sesame seeds. This was seriously so amazing. Everything balanced so perfectly together, and the bluefin tuna melted in your mouth. 5. Nagasaki Small Abalone Okakiage. With edamame, Japanese and abalone coulis (puree). Not a huge abalone fan in general, but this was really good. I'd take seconds on it anyday. 6. Grilled Yamaguchi Tilefish. Shishito pepper, ginger, scallion and myoga ginger buds infused red miso topped with lotus root chips. Less "pretty" than the other dishes, but still tasted great lol. 7. A5 Satsuma Wagyu Tenderloin Kuwayaki. White onions simmered, pickled ginger, leafy greens and kenzo estate "rindo" reduction with soy sauce. No idea what rindo means, but this was mind blowing. 8. Sushi selection with red miso soup. We got unagi, tuna, and I didn't write the others down and now just going off of memory. They were all amazing, it doesn't matter. 9. Dessert. Again I forgot to write it down, but think there was a pear dish, matcha ice cream, and a pudding? They were great but I remember being so full at this point that my husband finished mine. I should also mention that staff knew we were celebrating our recent wedding and presented us with some complimentary dessert wine. It was so lovely and thoughtful. Overall, what a great experience. Only 3 couples allowed up at the sushi bar, and very few tables in the restaurant itself. It felt very safe, and the food was beyond amazing. I look forward to going back. read more

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I ate at French Laundry 2 weeks ago. I mention that because Kenzo was EVERYTHING French Laundry was not. There were exotic ingredients and new tastes I'd never experienced, and old ones with a new spin that changed my appreciation of them. The service was simply impeccable! You would look over and a cup of tea empty a moment ago was magically refilled. The wait staff were professional, incredibly knowledgeable, and clearly proud of the restaurant and service they provided. The in-depth knowledge of sake was also very, very much appreciated! There were only 2 tables (plus sushi bar seating), so the attention to diners was laser-focused. The environment is spare, which was fine and focused more attention on what we were there for: the food. Normally I would go dish by dish to describe, except I don't want to ruin it for you. Half the fun was the surprise of unusual and delightful tastes. For me, the highlight was the Wagu beef. It was mouthwatering, texture like butter. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. But what really set it apart was a rice cracker crust. It brought this novel umami and crunchy texture that sent the experience into the stratisphere! The wagyu spring roll was also elevated to a Michelin star experience. A chef who can take a dish as pedestrian as a spring roll and make it memorable is a genius. Similar for 2 separate interpretations of miso soup. The first had a yuzu-infused spinach that was sublime. The second used a red miso I had never tasted before, and was a new experience of savory. While only 3 bites, the scallops wrapped in daikon radish also delighted the palette. As I said, I won't ruin the rest, as the discovery was half the fun. The portions were all perfect. And let me strongly suggest that you follow the order of tasting each plate recommended by your server. It was well conceived to build and contrast, one taste following the other. The chef is a master. This restaurant is deserving of 2 more stars! read more

Great restaurant. Every dish was good, and some were outstanding. The wagyu was amazing, as was the shrimp cake in dashi broth and the grilled sea bream. I very much recommend this restaurant. read more

8/24/19 With the high yelp ratings and the Michelin Star rating to back it - We were really looking forward to trying this restaurant for our early wedding anniversary. It's hard for us to find a sitter for the kids for both of us to have a date day! Every year, we manage to just do dinner locally for our anniversary. This year, we wanted to make it a day trip in Napa and all the stars aligned to make it happen for us. We got a sitter, we were able to get to a couple key vineyards and we got a reservation at Kenzo! Reservations were not difficult to get and the team was very accommodating. I emailed asking for availability and was advised there was a cancellation for the day and since we wanted to come, we took advantage of the opportunity. Reservations made 7pm, arrived with personalized menus wishing us a Happy Anniversary! Great start! We passed on any pairings as we had been drinking since 10am and after 3 vineyard tastings - we were done drinking. Our courses started arriving, service was great. Waters refilled, sommelier/waitress was extremely nice and explained every dish however food was just well very average, there was no wow or surprise element for either one of us. The star would be the Grade A5 Wagyu and while it was good and yes melts like butter in your mouth, paired with corn purée was overly rich IMO. Oh not to mention that I found a fish bone in a previous course which sure happens sometimes but i wasn't expecting that to happen here at all. :( Before dessert, we were offered a glass of Kenzo Estates late Sauvignon to toast our anniversary which was nice and while we thought it may have been exclusively an offer for us as were celebrating, we noticed it was offered to every table. Nice opportunity to advertise that the restaurant has a link to the vineyards should you like the wine. Outside of a personalized header on the menu and the chefs signing our menu - there was nothing else offered that made us want to come back. End result overall Food experience for us was extremely average. Service was great and the establishment is very clean - all great but I came for the food! We don't like to compare prices between restaurants as there are always quality differences in the food, but we do expect the food to be spectacular. We knew what we signed up for which was a Kaiseki style dinner which is a traditional multi course Japanese meal for $225/pp. we walked away with a $500 tab after tax and 20% service included tip. I would opt to go back to Wakuriya in San Mateo. You will not be disappointed. The hardest part of Wakuriya is getting reservations as they are so very tiny with very limited seats but man if you get a seat, it's soooo worth it! read more

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Having been wanting to try Kenzo for a long long time but the timing always didn't work out. Finally got a reservation when I was in Napa for a short weekend trip. I can't describe how I was impressed with Kenzo, start to finish! Prior to walking into the restaurant, the staff was already ready to greet us. We wanted to take a picture in front of the sign. While taking the picture my newly brought shoe strap broke. I had to get other shoes from my hotel in order to walk. The staff in that 2-3min looked for other alternatives... They called the nearby cobbler and even offered to meet the front hotel to get my shoes! What a great service!! I declined and got my own shoes from the hotel which was 2 blocks away. We were seated and handed a bubbly to celebrate with my good friend. The spring Kaiseki menu started with rick cracker crusted Ishikawa snow crab. It was so warm biting into the piece. The texture was crunchy and you can taste the gin-an sauce, also light ginger. Super tasty! The seasonal Hassun was served after the appetizer. The house made dashi broth soup was light and refreshing. Sashimi consisted of Alashi wild seabream sashimi with mizuna leaves, watermelon radish and yuzu pepper. 2nd sashimi dish was the mediterranean Bluefin Tuna and Hokkaido Sea Urchin, japanese yam, and shizuoka wasabi. Fish course: gilled fikui sawara mackerel red miso, leek, ginger bud, and chrysanthemum cress. The red miso is house made and so delicious! Beef course: Satsuma Wagyu tenderloin kuwayaki! Chef's selection of sushi and 3 desserts! This was such a wonderful meal. I want to bring everyone to Kenzo. I will be coming back with my family very soon. What a treat! read more

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Lovely and intimate restaurant in Napa featuring a set kaiseki meal- I took my husband here for his birthday and it did not disappoint. The space is small and minimalist, with limited seating and only 2 options for timing on Thursday- 6p and 630p, but it seemed like they only did one seating that night, so you get the full attention of the staff. The meal itself was wonderful- not a single bad bite, and unlike sushi/nigiri/sashimi forward meals, this features carefully curated small bites and dishes, creating a unique experience. There were so many delicious dishes served, but the absolute standout for me was the lobster okakiage- fresh lobster, lightly breaded and fried- it was probably one of the most umami and tasty things I've EVER eaten. Reservations are a bit tricky to get and I would recommend trying to snag them on the day they are released (30 days ahead of time). I would highly recommend this place and hope to come back! read more

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The service at Kenzo is definitely top notch! The dinner feels private since its limited to few reservations per night. And each meal feels personalized. Most of the food was good but a lot of them weren't amazing. But they were very accommodating considering they changed a lot of the raw food options to cooked since I was pregnant at the time. I would definitely come again if I can get a reservation lol read more

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I love Kenzo wine. It was a last minute trip to Napa and Kenzo Estate Winery was all booked. Fortunately we got a reservation at the restaurant due to a cancelation. It's normally sold out weeks ahead. The location is very convenient right behind First Street downtown. It was an intimate dining experience. The ambiance is like a sanctuary, similar to Urasawa in Beverly Hills. The minimalistic design is to focus on the Michelin star food. Service was impeccable and very attentive. We added the wine pairing with sake. I requested to have more Kenzo wines and our sommelier was very knowledageable! Surprisingly, I discovered a new favorite sake? At the end of the experience, you're gifted a signed menu. Highlights: - Seasonal Hassun - Slow roasted A5 Wagyu - Sonoma duck breast (I don't generally like duck) I've experienced similar Kaiseki experiences in Japan and Kenzo is truly authentic. A distinction is there's a lovely story shared with each course's inspiration. If you're looking for an authentic Japanese Kaiseki experience....you can fly to Kyoto or just go to Kenzo Napa. :) read more

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COVID review Given that we're in a pandemic, Kenzo only had take out when we ordered. Kenzo is located in downtown Napa. There is some street parking by the restaurant, a small parking lot behind the restaurant, and then a parking garage like one block down. Picking up food was quick and easy. I received a text message for when my food was ready for pick up. When I got there, my 2 premium kaiseki bento boxes, egg omelet, and chicken karaage were neatly packed in 2 sleek, black, tote bags. Given that it was for my mom's birthday, they also surprised us with a custom menu with "happy birthday" handwritten on it along with chef Kenji Miyaishi's signature. The presentation of the food was impressive to say the least - definitely a feast for the eyes. I want whoever assembled this bento box to assemble all of my bento boxes! Fried chicken/ Chicken Karaage - 4/5 This is the only item I think I'd rate 4/5 because it was cold by the time we ate it. To be fair, we were already a little late picking up the food and still had to bring it back home. The chicken was not dry and the sauce was amazing. Egg Omelet - 5/5 It's a fancy Japanese egg omelet. Need I say more? Just yum. Premium Kaiseki Bento Box - 5/5 The star of our meal. For seafood lovers, this was like everything delicious you could imagine conveniently in one box. Each item was so unique, creative, and was a fun surprise. We were constantly impressed and dazzled by each item on the upper layer. I can't say I had an absolute favorite (that's like choosing a favorite child!!) , but I really liked the a5 wagyu tenderloin w/ kenzo ridno reduction. The lower layer was chirashi, so beautifully presented too. I can still recall the texture and taste of the chirashi. Each grain of rice was perfect. The fish was also very fresh and memorable. I would definitely return to Kenzo once indoor dining is permitted again. I look forward to that day. Till then, thank you for the memorable meal. read more

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A table of two costs $1,000 with 1 wine pairing of kenzos best wine spritzers. The dinner was a mixture of flavorless fish and poorly cooked dishes that you got to enjoy with a set of wooden chop sticks. Your money is better spent elsewhere. read more

Let's be real clear. Kenzo has a Michelin Star, but we definitely don't understand why. The Omikasu experience is supposed to definitively unique, but the the cost wasn't justified. This restaurant is expensive, the food was average at best, and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the ambience was bland and drab.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were glad to experience, but will never go again. I suggest a local Japanese restaurant would be far better and much less expensive. read more

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Possibly one of the best meals I've ever had. I love kaiseki and it's been hard to find in the states. Kenzo took me back to Japan for an evening. If you're familiar with Kenzo Estate winery, they are indeed affiliated but in separate locations. You can order their wines at the restaurant. They have a drink pairing which I've been told is good, but personally I'm a light drinker so I ordered a glass of the Rindo, had a champagne starter and ended with the Kenzo Estate dessert wine. Every item was incredible on the menu. I'll attach a photo of the menu for details of what was served. My favorites were the greenling soup, nigiri, A5 wagyu with mushrooms, red miso, and warabe mochi. Nigiri is always my favorite and the toro was so good I had to run it back. Hokkaido uni was also available on the supplemental menu. Do plan to dine for a few hours so you don't feel rushed. I believe the price per person is $225 and service charge is included but with a drink pairing, addtl drinks and supplemental items, we ended up with a $800+ bill for two so do expect to spend $$ here. Overall a great experience for a special occasion or date night. read more

Kenzo Napa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

I would like to say the food was great. I also enjoyed the ambiance and service. I can vouch for that!! However, what made my experience horrible was the fact that I found hair on three different occasions. I was extremely dissatisfied and made this a point. Although I can say that it was probably just a mistake it ruined my Michelin star experience. I eat at Michelin star restaurants frequently and being a native in Napa, I am blessed with different options. I will choose other options for dinning in the future. What makes this worse is that, it was a dinner to reward myself for a military graduation. I highly recommend others eat elsewhere!! read more

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Great food!!! Delicious!!! This Michelin one star restaurant is so cute and amazing. My friends and I came here after Kenzo wine tasting and I'm very satisfied both winery and restaurant. Service is great too! read more

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Things I aspire to in life: to go here exactly four times per year -- to have each new season's menu. It's just so good.

This review was for tonight's takeout order. I arrived the exact moment when it was prepared. Stayed at the hotel next door so it took less than min for me to settle in my room and eat my food. First off, rice was extremely hard and chewy. That's a bad sign for any sushi place especially renowned place like Kenzo. Sushi bento tastes bad. None of the fish tastes fresh or exceptional, let along sitting on hard chewy rice. Six pieces of tuna rolls I basically threw them away after eating a half and giving one full piece to my dog. Fried chicken was cold and hard to chew Extra orders included akami nigiri and tamago (egg omelette). Same issue with the tuna, stale fish on hard chewy rice. Tamago has zero flavor, no sweet nor salty. I gave them to my dog as protein supplement. I was very hungry to begin with and ended up eating some of the fish and trashed the rest. $100 dinner for this was absolutely ripoff and disappointing. I do omakase take-out often at various Bay Area Japanese restaurants averaged at $100 per order and they always taste and look the same quality as dine-in. Will not recommend take out here. However I truly wonder how the fish and rice could be any different dining in, particularly for tonight read more

Kenzo Napa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

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Just ordered two sushi bento boxes for dinner. We tried to order on the website around 5pm for dinner but the earliest website pick up time was the next day. We called in instead and they were able to make it happen! I reserved with my credit card and picked up an hour later. The pick up was easy (and no tip!) The nigiri was fresh, great quality. The toro maki and chicken kaarage was yummy too! The tamago's texture was more like a bland omelet so that's the only poor quality item. For the price and quality, it's a fair deal. They're creative and thoughtful about their nigiri that adds to the uniqueness and makes it delicious! read more

Kenzo Napa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

Went for a celebratory dinner at Kenzo on Thursday night. Overall the meal was very good, and I felt the service was truly as good as it gets. Quality: Kenzo offers a seasonal Kaiseki menu, which offers a unique perspective on seafood focused items, with a mix of raw and prepared dishes. Our meal included many delicious bites and also a few strange ones. The two highlights for me were the A5 Satsuma Wagyu Tenderloin Kuwayaki, a melt in your mouth piece of steak, and the few bites of sushi, you never go wrong with fatty tuna. The biggest surprise for me was the Sesame Tofu Okakiage, a tremendous use of tofu in a tender bite. However, I felt the two prepared fish dishes missed the mark a bit, but it still is hard to complain too much about such inventive items. I was also a big fan of the Kenzo Estate Flight we shared, which gave a look at the rare options from the owner's winery. Quantity: A satisfying meal, which was the perfect amount of food. Value: $225 for the Tasting. $150 for the Kenzo Estate Flight. Ambiance: Kenzo is located in Napa, a block away from the main area. It is located in a unique complex and building, which has utilized Asian architecture. The inside is extremely simple and focuses on beautiful crafted wood. The bar area was set up with seating for six and there were a few spaced out tables as well. The music was quiet and instrumental, allowing full focus to be on the food. Crowd: Reservations are difficult and need to be made as soon as they open. Service: Perfection through each stage of the meal. Parking: Plenty of nearby parking options. read more

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We had an outstanding dinner at Kenzo, now open for just under a year in downtown Napa. The head chef has previously earned 2-Michelin and 3-Michelin honors from restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto. Extensive wine list of sake and amazing white and reds from their winery in Kenzo Estate. The cuisine is fixed-price Kaiseki-style menu, with most of the ingredients flown in from Japan. Dinner also comes with a show if you get seated at the booth, with two chefs cranking out sushi for you near the end of the meal. Service was impeccable throughout the meal, especially with server/sommelier Nicholas. Kenzo Napa should be getting some Michelin stars soon for sure! The Kaiseki menu features some raw/undercooked components, so the restaurant reaches out to us many days ahead to ask if any modifications/substitutions were needed. We went ahead with the default and didn't regret it! My wife and I enjoyed every single dish! We also liked the red wines (Murasaki, Ai) so much we got a bottle of each. The food was artfully presented and full of flavor: 1. Farmer Vegetables with Wasabi Gelee and Salmon Roe: An interesting emulsion of veggies, some fruit, and a while lot of Hokkaido salmon roe that imparted nice, smoky flavors (4 stars) 2. Appetizers came in a decorative box and had Nagasaki eel and pickled cucumbers, Japanese eggplant, super tender, poached duck breast, and a soft, fluffy Japanese omelet (5 stars) 3. Straw Smoked Bluefin Tuna with Jidori Egg Yolk Soy Sauce: My wife's favorite dish of the night, and one of mine too. Melt-in-your-mouth tuna with a rich, luxurious sauce. I like the light, smoky flavor which had a faint taste of rice. (5 stars) 4. Caledonian Blue Shrimp and Corn Shinjo with Premium Dashi Broth: This was a large shrimp dumpling in a light soup. The dumpling was just OK but that dashi broth was amazing. (4 stars) 5. Rice-cracker dusted Nagasaki Sea Bass with Okra: Now this is fish and chips elevated to a while new level! Crispy outside yet the skin-on fish filet inside was still moist and seasoned. (4 stars) 6. Satsuma Wagyu Tenderloin with Rindo and Hokkaido Sea Urchin - wow rich on rich. Generous slices of melt-in-your-mouth, buttery beef slices topped with uni. To help balance these rich flavors, they added some pickled veggies and a nice spicy English mustard sauce. (5 stars) 7. The seventh dish was the chef preparing 5 rounds of sushi, each one getting better and better: Tai, Shrimp, Shima Aji, Mackerel Pike, and Toro. The chef asked us if we wanted some more sushi before dessert arrived. Heck yes - so we got Squid and this amazing Japanese Uni nigiri on the house! All of the sushi came with a nice, savory Red Miso-Tofu soup. (5 stars) 8. Lastly came three little desserts. Soy Panna Cotta with Mango was probably our favorite. Next came red bean with butter cookies, and finally matcha ice cream with brown sugar reduction. We also ended the meal with some hot green tea in the Kaiseki tradition. (4 stars) After our meal we got a copy of the menu signed by both their chefs and a pamphlet about their winery and menu items. Kenzo definitely ranks as one of the best restaurants we've had in Napa for a while. read more

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This review is for take out during the pandemic. I ordered the sushi bento box, the fried chicken, and seaweed salad. The bento box was good, but not amazing. The fish was of good quality (and I expected no less), but it wasn't the finest fish I've ever had and several pieces were quite average. The seaweed salad was fine - nothing memorable about it. It actually had much less seaweed than expected compared to other restaurants I've been to, so that was a bit surprising. The fried chicken was the most disappointing thing in the order. It was cold - not just not hot, but actually cold and soggy as if it had been fried, then refrigerated. I'm not sure what happened to that chicken, but it was barely edible and was worse after trying to warm it (got tough and chewy). I hope that this is not a reflection of the quality that is served when dining in. read more

Over the past few years, this is still by far our most favorite restaurant even after the pandemic. Thanks for maintaining the high standard of quality, unlike almost all restaurants in the bay area which only focus on increasing prices outrageously nowadays but without up-leveling the quality. The excuse of "inflation" can only go so far. Thanks again! read more

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Amazing take out menu during COVID-19. OMG, best quality to-go menu - such a delight and a privilege to have the opportunity to order a la carte food here. Yesterday I ordered the sushi dinner - $50. It is a steal considering the usual menu is $225. The last time I dine in was when they first opened. 5 stars hospitality, 5 stars food. Tonight we are getting the unagi don and the chicken karrage. Great sake to go menu, as well as retail priced Kenzo wine. Take out menu closes on Monday. I will be back on Tuesday to order more food! Thank you Kenzo San! read more

Went there with my husband for my birthday. Excellent service and dinner!!! Great drink pairings as well. read more

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If I could give 6 stars for the service, I would! We had Juan as our server, he was very professional and friendly, that definitely added plus points for the dining experience at Kenzo. As for food, I think it's a 4 star. Now when I look back (exactly 1 week ago), the fish soup and wagyu were my favorites, the other dishes were good but not excellent. Some dishes were meant to be warm, but they were cold, as if they weren't freshly made. We go to some Michelin Star kaiseki restaurants periodically, there's a huge difference in the quality of food. For the price, I would expect Kenzo's food to better in quality and quantity, perhaps more sushi or at least one more dish to be added. They have a decent selection of alcohol, you will definitely be able to find your poison. We were recommended a bottle of sake, it was inexpensive but was very dry and delicious. After all the experience was good, I'm glad that we have tried Kenzo. read more

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It was good, just unfortunately not very memorable compared to some of the other Michelin star restaurants I've been to (that, or my bougie taste buds are getting quite spoiled). Everything we had was good, but sometimes I felt the presentation trumped what I was actually eating. The nigiri and fish were of course good, but I felt like I could get the same at other (cheaper) restaurants. What I was actually more impressed by was their wine pairing, including their signature Kenzo Rindo wine. Beware though, these food portions are small and not quite big enough to offset the effects of the wine, so unless you have a very potent liver I'd suggest sharing a pairing. I don't have any complaints, but alas just felt a little underwhelmed by the food and would be content to say this one is checked off the list. read more

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Came here for a surprise anniversary date with my handsome man. He made reservations and told them it's our anniversary and when we arrived our menu was specially printed with our name on it! So cute and thoughtful. They even gave us complimentary wine to celebrate! So so sooo sweet of them! This was my first time at a Michelin star restaurant and first time having a kaiseki dinner. This place makes the smallest touches that really gives you an experience you won't have at other restaurants. The servers even noticed that I was left handed and put all my utensils on the left when they placed the dishes in front of me! It's no question why they are michelin star! Our kaiseki dinner came in a 9 course experience. 1. Rice cracker crusted ishikawa snow crab 2. Seasonal hassun 3. Atlantic cherrystone clam shinjo owan 4. Akashi wild seabream sashimi 5. Mediterranean bluefin tuna and Hokkaido sea urchin 6. Grilled fukui sawara mackerel 7. Satsuma wagyu tenderloin kuwayaki, kenzo estate "rindo" reduction 8. Chef's selection of sushi - four pieces 9. Chef's featured desserts - three different desserts Everything was just perfection! Hands down my favorite dish was course #8. Our last piece of sushi was a melt in your mouth Toro. This was the absolutely BEST TUNA I EVER EVER EVERRRRR EATEN. I wanted to eat another 100 pieces of this, but we will probably go broke. I never had sushi this amazing. I thought my favorite part of the meal was going to be #7, but when our chef handed us our Toro sushi I died and went to heaven. I can't explain how good it was. You just got to go try it out for yourself!!! This was the best meal I ever had. It wasn't just a meal, it was a whole experience!! Our chef would chat with us and explain the things he's doing or the ingredients he's using. Service was 100% on point. They take very good care of you during your dining experience. I wish I could eat here everyday, but I ain't rich enough. There is literally nothing bad to say about this place. I still dream about that piece of Toro...sooooo good!! Will definitely be back in the future!!!!!!! read more

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Literally every item was so delicious even the vegetables were cooked & flavored to perfection. The chef prepares most of the courses in front of you which adds to the experience. The wait staff is great and describes all the courses for you. We went for our anniversary and they printed out a special menu congratulating us! Expect to pay a lot, but Kenzo is definitely a bucket list restaurant for the whole Michelin quality food & experience read more

On our most recent trip to Napa I took my boyfriend to Kenzo for his birthday. Coming from Hawaii which is heavily influenced by Japan, I went in with extremely high expectations. They did not disappoint. From service, to quality of food- they were on point. The only thing I'm disappointed about is the fact that they don't have more Michelin stars. They definitely deserve it. Every single dish of their kaiseki was amazing. What I most loved was that if you ordered an estate wine they didn't jack up the price. We left with our hearts happy, tummies happier and quite tipsy! Well worth the price!! When I visit Napa again, I'm definitely going back. read more

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Omg. Kenzo is amazing and truly as good as everyone says. The food is amazing, but just as impressive is the sleek, simplistic decor and the perfectly executed, well-choreographed presentation of the meal. This was my first foray into a kaiseki meal. (Google kaiseki before coming here so you can have a true appreciation for the meal.) We had their late spring/early menu (I've attached a pic) and paired it w their wine flight. Standouts from our 9-course meal include: -Chiba needle fish kobujime: my extensive googling (LOL) led me to believe the first course of kaiseki would be something similar to an amuse-bouche. As this was our first course, I was blown away -seasonal hassun: this was their seasonal dish, which reflects seasonal and geographic elements. It included the most delicious duck -mie grouper sashimi: I usually shy away from raw fish but this just melted in my mouth. The ponzu sauce was perfect too. -wagyu w sea urchin: this was my absolute favorite course.. last-meal-on-earth worthy. Our main waiter was Alexis, who had the best knowledge and commentary on the wine pairings. He gave us suggestions based on our palettes, and since his first two recommendations were so good, we decided to go ahead and get the wine flight (per his rec) w our meal. He was also helped by Nicholas. Both of them were extremely knowledgeable on kaiseki, Kenzo's history (as a person, a winery, and a restaurant) and gave great commentary on the meal. As someone who's obsessed w food history and culture, I truly appreciated the way they showed us how dashi broth was made and how they grated wasabi for us at the table. As previously mentioned, I also appreciate the attention to detail in the way each course was plated and presented. All around an excellent experience. Delicious food (the chef really knows how to pair different elements together to bring out their flavors) and impeccable presentation. Extremely knowledgeable waiters. And delicious wine. :) read more

Kenzo Napa - Late spring/early summer menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California