Ok so I had mixed feelings about this restaurant. I will still give it five stars because it was clean, we did have good service and the food was good. Just not what I expected. We were given the tasting menu and I was expecting more raw fish and sushi. I feel like most of the courses were random dishes and the very end we got 3-4 nigiri pieces. Would've much ordered al a carte the next time. It was a birthday dinner so they did give us a free bottle of dessert wine so I appreciate the hospitality. Very small restaurant with not a lot of tables so definitely need a reservation. read more

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Sometimes the world is a very small place. Ive fortunately had the opportunity to eat at Kanda in Tokyo a couple years back. To this day, it is still one of the most memorable. I met up with a friend who luckily was able to show up in the middle have the week to have a luxurious dinner. The preference was for the sushi menu so opted for that route. At $225/person it is very close to what the menu is at the Tokyo restaurant and for downtown Napa it almost doubles the pricetag of Morimoto down the way. I know Napa locals are sometimes hesitant to change and a traditionally authentic kaiseki style restaurant is a big jump in the norm. The restaurant sits in the old Pearl restaurant at the corner of Franklin and Pearl. They have a portion of the complex where theyll build a tasting room adjacent to the offices and storage in said complex. Where the Tokyo restaurant is literally in an a housing complex, Kenzo is it's own little compound. Walking through the main door the room is minimalistic up front, a few tables to the right with the main bar to the left. Three's a private dining room in the back for larger parties. In all probably 25 seats for the whole space, which is almost 3x the size of Tokyo! Throughout the meal even with the sushi menu, we got a series of cooked items to start then finishing with a series of chef's nigiri, miso and dessert (see e menu uploaded and pix For detail). Staff and service were fairly refined for an opening and there's a mix of locals from many of the other fine dining establishment in the team with some of Kanda's crew from Tokyo helping out. As expected it was an amazing meal and i look forward to trying the other two very soon. I dont know when ill be back in Tokyo but im happy that chef Kanda has come to my part of the world! Of course Tsujimoto San is to thank for his love of making wine and brining a traditional part of his culture to Napa. Let's hope they can sustain what i see as something truly special as the Napa community probably doesnt realize yet how lucky they have it read more

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Great service, outstanding ambiance, phenomenal food. What more can one ask for? Came here for our anniversary and we spent around 3hours here and it did not feel at all prolonged. We also got a wine pairing and boy if you're not the best with alcohol, I'd suggest just going with a glass or none at all. We were served with 13 very generous pours. We had a drink with every dish served (including soup AND dessert). But the fish was so fresh! All the foods were so uniquely thought out and the combination of flavors you get with every bite for each dish is heaven! Definitely give the spot especially for any special occasion. read more

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First off, if you skip to the negative reviews first, they have fixed the negatives - yellow mustard only showed up once and went perfectly with the dish it was served with, and my water glass literally never got below half and I drink a ton of water. Staff was friendly, accommodating and unobtrusive, happy to translate for our awesome chef and made us feel very much at home. I loved my experience, here. We had the New Year's Kaiseki and start to finish, it was like being transported to Japan. The chef was genuinely happy to be preparing food for us and seemed genuinely appreciative of our comments. The food was perfect - it reminded you why you spend money on expensive food, bright balanced flavors prepared in an ideal way. No excuses, just the best they could possibly offer. The pacing was great - we had time to think and reflect on each course, but no rush at all, and as soon as I was ready, I had more to stuff in my face. We did a tasting at the Kenzo Estate winery prior and loved their wines, so were happy to see them on the menu at a reasonable price. Their rose' and their Sauvignon blanc would be fantastic with the meal. (We had the rose since they didn't have it available to taste and loved it) I would highly recommend this experience. read more

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We went during Labor Day weekend and were seated quickly. Having reservations, this was expected. The decor was simple and noise level was very quiet. We had their prefixed menu with the added option of reserve wine and sake pairing. Generally speaking, all of the food was fresh, refined and delicious. However the 2 dishes that stood out for me were the duck jibuni and smoked amberjack. The duck was cooked with eggplant and smothered in a sweet-n-salty sauce. The textures of the duck and eggplants work well in this dish. One bite silky smooth and the next fatty duck. I will have dreams about this one. Amberjack was a great dish as well. The combination of smoked fish, fresh wasabi and sesame soy was very tasty. All the wines and sake pairings were wonderful. Each made the dishes taste better. I recommend this because it really accentuates the experience. I found the Hakkaisin snow aged sake to be the most pleasing to me. It was smooth and light enough to not overpower your meal. Service was the star of the show. Alexis was our host and he was excellent. He went over the vision of the restaurant, how each dish was prepared and what the flavor profiles of our drinks was going to be. It was entertaining and educational for us. We didn't have an empty glass during our meal and made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal. We even got to meet the chef and got a signed menu at the end of our meal. We had a great time and would definitely recommend Kenzo. read more

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Everything seems fine, until you order chicken teriyaki Worm Bread Bowl, then I never went here again because the dish was so disgusting, and it makes sense why they don't put it on the menu 5/5 read more

My fiancé and I visited Kenzo during a trip to Napa right before quarantine started in March. We had been looking forward to this dining experience the whole time while planning our trip, and boy they did not disappoint. The intimate setting, light color pallet and minimal but gorgeous decor sets the whole mood for the entire meal. Every dish is practically perfection. The ingredients are fresh, the fish and meat courses are simplistic and delicious and all plated beautifully. One thing that is different and makes the experience all the more personal, the chef signs your menu for you to take home when you are done dining. I think that is an amazing touch. We will be back. read more

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The good - Service was impeccable. Décor was simple and elegant. Plating was beautiful. The seafood was fresh and clean. Some of the courses were very good and at least one was exceptional. The bad - Other than the waygu course (and it's pretty tough for A5 wagyu to not be great) nothing about this meal blew me away. There were some very tasty bites, but in my opinion, what made them tasty was the quality of the ingredients, not the preparation or technique. Three biggest misses were a miso soup served in a metal container (the metal impacted the taste more than I think intended for this very humble soup), a mackerel sashimi that was cut too thick and coated with a sauce that was too sweet, and the dessert was a joke. I'm not even joking when I say you could get similar quality desserts at a Japanese 7/11. The attention to detail was also lacking-we sat at the chefs counter, and the chef was wearing a wrinkled, shabby looking coat, I mean come on, we're paying several hundreds of dollars, can you starch your damn coat? I've been to 10-12 Michelin star restaurants around the world and been to many restaurants in Japan. This is the least enjoyable culinarily experienced I've had in one and would not put this on par with a good meal at a local neighborhood restaurant in Japan. Perhaps I was expecting too much read more

Just had my first ever Japanese Kaiseki experience, and all I can say is WOW!!! I'll let all of my pictures do the speaking as far as presentation and craft. Each dish was pure art on a plate/bowl and told another amazing story on your palate. From the moment you step foot into this place, we were greeted and treated as if we were the only customers in the entire restaurant. The attention to detail from the service, the paper type used for the menus, each utensil, the basket to hold your belongings, the timing of when dishes were prepared and served, etc. Everything was and has been thought out to give you a truly special dining experience. Here's a quick/brief list of what we were served: -Seared Hokkaido Scallop -Seasonal Hassun -Ishikawa Snow Crab Dumpling Owan -Staw Smoked Toyama Yellowtail Sashimi -Grilled Chiba Butterfish with Saikyo Miso -Lotus Root Dumpling with Hokkaido Sea Urchin -Satsuma Wagyu Tenderloin Kuwayaki, Kenzo Estate "rindo" Reduction -Chef's Selection of Sushi (we added Toro to the selection) -Chef's Featured Desserts (I believe we had 3 different kinds) As you can see from the list, we were taken on a journey that we didn't want to end. I'd love to come back here again, but only on very special occasions cause I'm not ballin' like that lol If you're still reading this, I hope you get to experience what Kenzo has to offer! It's breath taking... read more

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Kenzo was our first and only indoor dining experience since Shelter in Place (we went a few weeks ago). I had called ahead, and they reassured me that it would be no more than 8 diners. Sure enough, the dining room had us extremely spread out. We requested counter seating, which had a plexiglass barrier between us and the sushi chefs behind the counter. Though we weren't served sushi piece by piece like at an omakase place, I can't recall the last time I was able to even watch a sushi chef forming balls of rice, brushing on soy sauce, grating yuzu, etc. For wines, they have a full wine list but have their estate wines featured, so we went with the pairing, which was a nice mix of estate wines, champagne, and sake. The menu - 1. Hokkaido Scallops Kobujime: bottarga, mizuna leaves, meyer lemon, dashi. The bottarga was the highlight for me - umami but not too salty, great texture. This was great with champagne (Schramsberg). 2. Seasonal Hassun: paired with their Sauvignon bianc - Hokkaido king salmon nanbanzuke with chrysanthemum cress (tong hao). I don't usually like salmon, but this one was really meaty and great with the wine - Smoked kanagawa mackerel with Japanese mustard - Lily bulb bun with jidori chicken soboro - Persimmon with cream cheese: probably the thing that highlighted the Sauvignon blanc the most - Fried pumpkin and walnuts 3. Owan: with Nagasaki Golden Thread Snapper: dashi, turnip and spinach. The broth was super simple and clean but very fragrant and umami. The snapper was cooked in the broth, so it was very flavorful and tender. This was paired with a sake. 4. Sashimi: Katsuo topped with green onions, ginger, ponzu. Most times I've had bonito, it's been marinated and torched, so this was much milder. The ginger and ponzu were flavors I really enjoy, but they were a bit strong for the fish; the estate green onions were a really nice accompaniment. I really enjoyed the Ten to Chi ("Heaven and Earth") sake that this was paired with 5. Grilled Nagasaki Tilefish: with brussels sprouts, maitake mushroom coulis, red miso. I've never had maitakes as a puree - the texture was interesting, and it's not the most aesthetically pleasing color, but the flavor was great. Interestingly, this was paired with the estate cab franc, which I found to be more jammy than I would expect for a cab franc 6. Sesame Tofu Okakiage: fried tofu with an unexpected mochi-like texture, grated wasabi, Hokkaido uni, parsley. I don't usually care for rosés but really enjoyed the crisp estate one that they had paired with this 7. A5 Satsuma Wagyu tenderloin with Kenzo Estate "rindo" Reduction: with Early Girl tomatoes (last of the season!), endive, shimeji mushrooms and crispy kale. This was paired with the Rindo wine (lots of new oak flavor). The beef was very tender, and the reduction was rich in flavor. 8. Chef's Selection of Sushi: paired with champagne (Charles Heidsieck) - I've always enjoyed pairing sushi with champagne - Kamasu: 2 pieces on rectangles of what seemed to be chopped up rice instead of the usual oblong ball for traditional sushi rice - Kohada: nicely cured - Otoro: buttery and tender, simple with wasabi - Anago: warm, served over sushi rice - probably my favorite of the set 9. Red miso soup with wakame 10. Desserts: I surprisingly enjoyed their estate dessert wine, which was not was super sweet as usual late harvests. It had a lot of fruit without being too cloyingly sweet - Adzuki sponge cake with matcha butter - Hojicha ice cream with pomegranate seeds: I do wish the tea flavor were a bit stronger in this since I love tea based ice creams, but this was a great ice cream - Japanese sweet potatoes with Valrhona and sesame seeds Service was on point - the staff was polite and knowledgeable and always masked and gloved. My water glass never even got to half full (loved the fine bubbles on their house sparkling water). Presentations were beautiful, and wine/sake pours were generous. Very importantly, it felt safe and amazing to dine out again with the proper Kaiseki experience. read more

If you want to be immersed in a dining experience then got to Kenzo for their Omakase dinner. First of all they abide by all safety measures, and the service is top notched. The food is beautiful art work that delights your palate in so many directions. The ambiance is minimal but beautiful. The General Manager Tomonori Iwao along with the many knowledgeable waiters made sure they explain the dishes and my goodness the attention to detail. Highly recommended. I was there on my birthday and it is one I will always remember. Thank you again. We will be back read more

I would not normally leave a review for a mediocre experience but with about $1,000 spent, I would definitely not make the same decision to have my birthday dinner here. One of the dishes had a cold fish component that tasted like canned sardines. I agree with a previous review that only one of the dishes had a wow factor (wagyu) but the rest of the dishes were so subpar it wasn't worth it. The one nigiri dish with uni was so scant with uni. Please save your money and go elsewhere. read more

We were here June of 2020 and I just haven't gotten around to reviewing until now. I absolutely adore this place. We had over a three hour dinner here and it was worth every second. Every dish I was served was perfect and the fish was beyond fresh. Some of the flavors we had here were the most complex I have ever had in my life. Every staff member was on top of it and they navigated approaching serving in a pandemic wonderfully. We'll be back for sure! read more

Kenzo Napa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

I've only had the sushi kaiseki here. I actually want to try the mixed or normal omakase/kaiseki but I don't think I would want to risk it since my better half loves sushi to death. It's good. Really good. If you are from Japan I have no idea why you would bother coming here. A good example would be going to Japan, tasting their pizza and cursing as to why it tastes nothing like my NY/Chicago/CA style that I love so much in the states. I'm not saying it is wrong to say Kenzo is not good compared to Japan. I'm saying it is just foolish to assume you would spend money to fly over here and specifically go to Napa assuming you will get something better or some other wow moment. Whatever it may be, it is not the point. Kenzo, Chef Shu, are doing what they can to bring a BIT of Japanese cuisine to Napa. "The fusion of Japanese tradition, innovative techniques and stunning presentation at Kenzo is sure to transform all perceptions of Japanese cuisine." You're right because I didn't have any imitation crab, CA roll, or fish outside of Japan for that matter. Chef Shu is considerate, tries his best to communicate with his limited English, but most importantly focusing on ensuring the patrons are satisfied with the amount of rice, wasabi, if you need more ginger, having a clean plate after every sushi morsel. Do you have a spare $800+ for airfare, plus transportation $ fare, and hotel $ cost? If so, yes please avoid Kenzo at all costs and go to Japan for real traditional cuisine. If not, then you can spend some time with the lovely staff at Kenzo for a piece of Japan. I love me some Japanese food in Japan, but I can't go there often so this will be the closest I get. Thank you Team Kenzo for being ... just as you are. As for the food everything is spot on, especially that uni. All that uni, I want the whole golden treasure box. It is so sweet and the smooth thickness ... it's like ice cream. And the toro handroll that Chef Shu makes ..... read more

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This review is for the sushi and kaiseki bento take out. The food was beautifully prepared and packaged. The sushi bento had a variety of nigiri including hotate, sake, hamachi and tuna as well as salmon and tuna rolls and assorted appetizers. The kaiseki bento was simply amazing - the duck, the shrimp balls and the unagi don were my favorite dishes from the kaiseki. I highly recommend both bento meals. Thank you for offering take out during this shelter in place. read more

Visited for our first wedding anniversary, and we had a wonderful experience. We were seated at the bar, which was still an intimate setting, and we were able to watch as the chef prepared each bite. Every bite we tried, we really enjoyed. The servers were extremely attentive and helpful with any questions we had. They were very educated on their wine/sake list. The staff went above and beyond and had the chef write some well wishes on our menu from the night. Overall, it was a very memorable experience. read more

WOW! I can see why this place got a Michelin star already. It's only been open for a year and it really really impressed me. The amount of detail and the quality of the ingredients was amazing. The service was above and beyond!! My dad who travels a lot to Japan for work was floored by how delicious everything was. He couldn't (can't) stop raving about everything haha. Called the chef over and raved to him too. Despite the high price point, he wants to come back again and again. I would also love to come back, but next time I want to try the sushi kaiseki!! We tried the regular one and was amazed, so definitely want to try their other option. There were about 7-9 dishes I think? And I loved it all! I love how they sort of ended it with sushi and miso soup (before THREE desserts). To top it all off, it was my parents' 30th anniversary celebration so they gave us each a glass of Kenzo Estate's Muku dessert wine with our desserts. AMAZING. By the way, if you are in the Napa area, you should definitely check out Kenzo Estate Winery. It's owned by the same man (creator of Capcom). This restaurant sells Kenzo wine for retail price as well! So you can only buy that wine at the winery, this restaurant, or on the website. And I LOVE their wine haha. Ok I'll stop. read more

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A must if you love sushi, are in the area, and can get a reservation. The food is fabulous and I absolutely recommend their wines. I had some of their red wines and they were unbelievably good. If you like California reds, the Rindo punches above its weight. The Rindo retails for about $130 a bottle, unfortunately, I think it just goes up from there for the other reds. read more

Kenzo is a 1 Michelin Star Japanese experience with an emphasis on Edomae sushi and Kaiseki techniques. I've been to a number of Kaiseki style restaurants in other cities, and recently dined at a total of 9 Michelin Stars over 4 days, so the bar was set quite high for comparison. The restaurant is located in the town of Napa. There is no dedicated parking lot, but there is ample (and free) street parking. The building itself is modern and immaculate inside and we were promptly seated at the Main Counter. We had a fantastic primary waiter - Lowell - who was a joy to be around. He was impeccably dressed and wore black gloves to serve the dishes. His commentary was colorful, his knowledge deep, and his personality charismatic. He was attentive and never seemed in a hurry to walk away after presenting the dishes to us and seemed to enjoy the opportunity to thoroughly answer my questions throughout the meal. We had the 10 course tasting menu. Highlights included: -Seared Gruntfish with a delightful cucumber vinegar soy sauce gelee -Seasonal Hassun, with the scallop/tomato/cavier combination and the sweet potato with macha cream being the stars -Slow roasted (45 mins) A5 Wagyu (Satsuma) was the favorite of the night. I'm always a big fan of A5, but their preparation really stood out with the slow roasting. I usually don't apply "melts in your mouth" to meat, but this fits the bill. -Chef's selection of Sushi - very fresh and of superb quality. Toro was fantastic. We were told the fish is flown in daily from Tokyo. We were given a copy of the menu that was then signed at the end of the meal by the Head Chef, as well as a message in Japanese congratulating us on our anniversary. He then allowed us to take a photo with him. This was all a thoughtful touch. Cons: - The Dashi broth soup was highly touted, but fell slightly flat in terms of the flavors not being bold enough. - The Seabass okakiage was served piping hot with no warning. The temperature of the first bite nearly destroyed my mouth. Thankfully, this did not affect the rest of the courses but it certainly could have. -At one point I took a brief intermezzo to use the restroom between courses and was disappointed to be led outside of the restaurant into what appeared to be a shared courtyard area with a shared restroom with other businesses. Its cleanliness left something to be desired and did mildly take away from the overall dining experience. - Uni was available as a supplemental item but this wasn't revealed until the end. We saw the chefs making it throughout the meal and I was expecting it to be a part of the Chef's Selection of sushi. - Aesthetically, these were not the most visually stunning dishes that I have seen at similar restaurants. The chefs certainly paid close attention to detail in the preparations and the flavors of everything were fantastic, but as an art form they left something to be desired. - This criticism is more controversial, but other similar experiences at the Main Counter have had significantly more interactive chefs. The chefs at Kenzo did not directly speak with us. Overall, we had a very enjoyable experience and a great evening. If Michelin had fractional stars, I would give it 1.1 Michelin Stars as I found it on par with (but definitely not superior to) other similar high end Kaiseki style restaurants. read more

Kenzo Napa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

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This is the best Japanese food I've had, in Japan, or anywhere else in the world. This I am certain of. Each course was done with a detailed focus that only few places can match and what you would expect of a place that charges this much. They can alter the menu for you for different dietary restrictions and preferences. The only thing they can't do at the moment is gluten free because they say that Soy is in everything. The first course of the vegetables was quite good, as well as the appetizer course. The tamago tasted like Cake, and not like eggs at all, which is a first for me. The duck was prepared perfectly and while a tad salty, it was quite tasty. The sushi as well as the Wagyu Beef was prepared to perfection. I've never had Wagyu beef that tasted this good, desserts are quite Japanese, with Matcha Ice Cream, Red Bean and a small, yet somewhat light, Mango Panna Cotta. Overall, I would come back to this place, the price is high, and while some of the dishes were just merely ok, others were out of the world. It's a step below some of the best places in the Bay Area, but it sits just right below it. If you can afford it ($250 with taxes), it is definitely worth it to try it at least once. read more

Kenzo Napa - A sample of what was for dinner. If you didn't want sushi, they had unagi rice. Tuna sashimi was divine - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

Kenzo is a relatively new Restuarant in Napa Valley, opened approximately 9 months old. The menu has 2 choices both priced at 225.00, one that includes wagu and the other all fish except for the duck which is included in one the appetizer dish. Most dishes are absolutely magnificent: local farmers Market vegetables, smoke bluefish tuna sushimi, chef's selection of sushi. However, there were a few items that were disappointing: rice cracker crusted sea bass and the blue shrimp and corn Shinjo. Management and the chef are poised to please!!! Once they picked up on our disappointment, the chef replaced the items with another one more to our likening. This is a new Restuarant with very good management and chefs. In a short time it will be a 5 star. Looking forward to dining here in about 6 months read more

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Best Omakase ever. Amazing service. We were treated like royalty. Worth the trip and the price.

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS every single thing was just perfectly balanced. definitely art. we will definitely be back soon. read more

Kenzo Napa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

Japanese kaiseki at its finest. No expense was spared to secure the finest ingredients, including local produce in starring roles. Immense effort was expended to create incredibly subtle layers of flavor that astound the palate. Sushi is incredible by any standard. This is not "gotcha" dining. One needs to appreciate subtle, slowly developing flavor profiles to fully understand the intentions of the seasonal menus. The staff is attentive with deep knowledge of the history and processes that produce such fine cuisine. The ambience of the restaurant is understated but reveals new aspects of Japanese culture with every gaze. An experience to be savored and repeated as often as one can secure a reservation. Allow ample time for amazement. read more

Kenzo Napa - Summer menu at Kenzo Napa. Excellent. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

Updated- Having been back here twice for sushi Kaseki. Both time came away super impressed with Shohei SAN sushi. Tonight's Shima Aji really blew me away. The starting o-toro with double fermented soy sauce is amazing. The Kaseki portion still needs help. But the sushi is really top notch. Deserves 5 stars just on sushi alone. Really really impressive. Original review I really do not know how to grade this place. We went with the Kaseki menu instead of sushi menu. I felt that I made the wrong choice. The Kaseki portion was a major disappointment. The most important base for good Kaseki is the dashi. The dashi was simply not as good as Hashiri. The beef course was way too fatty and that was the only flavor of the dish. Hashiri is far superior than Kenzo Kaseki. For Kaseki portion of dinner, it deserve 3 star at best. Sushi- this really wowed me. I rank it as good as Yoshizumi in the Bay Area. The top of the crop. I am not a fan of white sushi rice as typically it's too sweet. But chef added a hint of salt which really adds to flavor of rice. The fish quality was excellent. The combination of skills that the chef showed was hard to find even in Japan. We are going back to try the sushi course soon. The sushi here is a must try. 5 star on sushi alone. Really really impressed by it. read more

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Kenzo is the new kid on the block, it's one of the latest restaurants that kenzo winery has opened. It's not omakase that my bf and I are use to, its kaiseki style which we also love! Let's just say after coming back from Japan, we keep comparing everything from food to service to Japan. We made reservations a few weeks after they opened. I like that they have several menu options to choose from they have an all sushi kaiseki and one that is traditional. Since we saw the wagyu supplement we both got the regular kaiseki and we did not regret it! I love that they feature their own wines from their wineries, I got the 2015 sparkling rose and it was amazing, I loved it! We honestly loved everything from the appetizers to the main courses and it helps that they list out exactly what you get, it helps you know where you are in terms of the meal. The highlights were definitely the 3 desserts, the dessert wine & rose, the sushi courses, the grilled yellowtail, the Hokkaido scallop and the uni chanwanmushi. The a4 wagyu was good but it didn't melt in our mouthes the way it did in Japan and when we had it at 5a5 steakhouse, so we felt slightly disappointed. Overall, if you are looking for a great date night spot and you like kaiseki this is a great place to go in Napa. Although it's a bit on the pricy side, it's worth it. We went beginning of February and surprisingly for a weeknight they had most of the restaurant packed. Next time, I want to try the sushi kaiseki! Total for 2: $ 520 read more

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This place deserves Michelin stars. The best Kaeski meal's I have ever had. There is no way I can go back to Napa without coming back here. Every single dish was amazing / refreshing. The Uni chawanmushi was unreal. The sashimi top notch. The wagyu... perfect read more

Kenzo Napa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

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Fantastic dining experience! From beginning to end, everything is executed gracefully and perfectly! We enjoyed the simple and elegant decor; the artisan ceramic wears that our foods are presented on. Every single course in our Kaiseki is delicious and outstanding. Normally I am not a big fan of Chawanmushi but this one is the best I had. Tofu in wasabi gelee is amazing! Both my friend (a hobby food connoisseur) and I were very impressed. The making of this tofu is a painstaking and challenging work. Chef did such a terrific job! Another dish worth talking about is the scallop shinjo: very creative the way they use egg custard to hold the minced scallop together, full of flavor; every bite induces a deep appreciation for the chef's efforts in this dish. Wagyu Beef Kuwayaki is our most favorite one, so juicy and melts beautifully in mouth! All three pieces of sushi are beautifully made and delicious as heck! So is the roll! Even the two desserts gave us a wow finale! Service is impeccable. Even though perfection can never be achieved, they are infinitely close to it! Formal presentation with genuine warmth and attentiveness of staffs from start to finish; served without the least obstruction to our conversation--this is most appreciated! We love the mini talks with the chefs, as well as our server Juan (and Mai is super friendly)--brief, informative, welcoming, and mutually appreciative--making this dining experience very special and memorable! I appreciate that Yoko and Mai emailed me in advance about the possible choices of menu selections and provided us a list of our Kaiseki dishes--very helpful. Kenzo is one of the very very few restaurants that's succeeded in combining both hospitality--the heartfelt warmth of staffs--and service skills, to make us feel so special. We had such a great time here that we'd forgotten about the time until we saw other last guests leaving. Staffs kindly helped us with coats on our way out. This is one of the most special dining experience I've had! read more

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Elegant kaiseki: *clean, modern sushi bar with table options *3 different choices of menus/pairings *$30/pp supplement for A4, the American wagyu was great, so tender and leaner of course *chawanmushi was so silky and decadent with the generous uni, iris root ingredient was exotic and created a starchy mouth feel to the dish *straw seared blue fin tuna with smoked shoyu had stunning flavor *the otoro nigiri tasting was fantastic, 3 presentations: wasabi, black truffle and mustard *snow crab & scallop in dashi reminded me of a light seafood version of lion's head, infinitely better *the eel and sticky rice wrapped in the bamboo leaf was another nod to a cultural favorite of mine, Asian tamale, strong, satiating way to end the savories *dessert was simple cake and cream, so light and refreshing and came with matcha *outstanding service and automatically added to your bill *pairings were spot on and they will top you off *great sakes by the glass also The reservationist will request you make a menu selection a few days prior to the meal. Kaiseki, sushi kaiseki and premium kaiseki at $45/pp more. I didn't see much of a difference, we had 3 pieces of beef and our neighbors 2. We may have had one more course? Improvements: the first course with the persimmon, beautiful but was heavy and muddled with the tofu dressing. Mackerel was forgettable. Michelin will be around soon. This is the best you can get in the wine country and probably the top 3 if relocated to SF. So nice to have a dining option like this when in the area. Yes, farm to table CAN be tiresome. read more

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I'm sure this place is a top experience, which is harder to translate as takeout. thus for the price point and expectation, best to wait for in person dining. 3-5 pickup but some of the prepared dishes will just get soggy like the tempura, and there are reheat instructions. kaiseki and sushi bentos, hard to maintain the perfect temperature and texture when not served immediately by chef. thus sourced fish ingredients and presentation can be appreciated but rice, and other aspects underwhelming. read more

I was fortunate to dine at Kenzo last weekend. We chose Sushi Kaiseki based on the reviews here (thanks fellow yelpers!). Pros: -Cooked dishes were well prepared and delicious. -Very accommodating for dietary restrictions, communicated days prior to our arrival. -Friendly and super attentive staff. I never needed to look for them throughout the meal because we were well taken care of. Cons: -The fish for sushi have already been cut and wrapped with wet towel when we got there. Why why why? I was quite surprised they were cut in advance, that may explain why some pieces looked dry. -As another person has experienced, they delivered our miso soup when I was away from the table. A simple but easy to avoid mistake. Shuhei San was our chef, we had him all to ourselves almost the entire time and he was doing his best to communicate with us. I wish I speak Japanese so we could have a better bonding. Overall experience was good, but not great, sadly. The cooked dishes definitely stole my heart, which surprised me consider I am a sushi nob. I am sure Michelin star(s) will soon be rewarded. read more

Kenzo Napa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

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Last night, me and two friends spent four enjoyable hours at Napa's one-month-old restaurant: Kenzo Napa, where every dish in their Kaiseki pre-fixe dinner was a work of art. Kenzo earns 5 stars for creativity, taste, presentation and service! Shuhei-San, our sushi chef, was ever-present yet never intrusive. He struck the perfect balance between giving us privacy and engaging us warmly in happy conversation. His energy is quite lovely. He never made us feel rushed. And, he never made us wait. The timing and the attentiveness of everyone including but not limited to Tomonori Iwao (the General Manager), Mai, Nicholas, Ben, and Brian (the sommelier) were absolutely impeccable throughout the evening. None of us ever had to reach for anything. As soon as a dish was ready and placed on the blonde, cypress-wood counter elevated in front of me, someone magically appeared to remove it and place it on my tray. While driving home after the dinner last night, I was still marveling at Shuhei-San's artistry in how he expertly cut the nigiri sushi. Lost in the images in my mind's eye, I completely missed my last--and, otherwise very familiar--exit! read more

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I went to Kenzo to celebrate my husband's birthday. When we arrived we were greeted by General Manager, Tomonori Iwao. Then we sat at the sushi bar counter where we had a great time talking with the sous chef, and even with Chef Kenji Miyaishi. The menu changes every season, so we had the Autumn Kaizeki menu (10 courses), and it was delicious! My favourite dishes were the Wagyu and the Bonito Tataki. We order a bottle of Sake, but you can also pair your dinner with Kenzo's estate wines. Food is delicious, but service is outstanding. At the end, we were served a glass of Kenzo's late harvest which was terrific. Great experience! Definitely I recommend it for a very special ocassion. This is a real japanese high class food experience. The whole crew are from Japan, you can tell by the quality of service, food preparation, attention... everything. read more

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The most authentic Japanese kaiseki experience I've ever had in the states. Needless to say, the quality, presentation, and service were all absolutely top notch as well. The authenticity may be a fair point of reservation for some people that are not used to, or do not prefer Japanese kaiseki type experience (which is totally fair, and fine). It's very uncompromising in that none of the menu would seem at all out of place in a ryokan in Japan, and traditional kaiseki means very subtle flavoring and strength of natural ingredients. You may not see the latest molecular gastronomy techniques with every dish, what you'll experience is traditional kaiseki cuisine done exceedingly well, in the states. Neither will you see very strong flavoring, as traditional Japanese cuisines don't employ a lot of strong herbs and spices or strongly flavored sauces. The natural ingredients are at the forefront, and everything else is designed to complement it. So just know what you're getting into and paying for. My wife and I went for our anniversary, and it felt so much like Japan that our bodies were eager to get into an onsen afterwards. If you love the food at a great ryokan, this will be right up your alley! And Yoko-san called us beforehand and accommodated so much for our dietary preferences, we were treated incredibly well and it was an anniversary to remember! Next time, definitely want to look into visiting the winery as well! read more

it took good few months for us to finally get a reservation and visit them. we first fell in love with their signature white wine called Asatsuyu then learned about this place. they only offer chef's tasting course plus few a la carte options at the end. we were lucky to be seated at their counter table. food wine and service were all amazing. learning that they change their menu seasonally or more, we wish to go back often. had a great time communicating with Mr Alexis too. maybe it's also true that many people feel pairing good Japanese food with Sake is a must but everyone should try their both red and white wine here. My new favorite reds are Murasaki & Ai from Kenzo Estate from this trip. read more

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Came here in June with my wife and son (7 yrs, but very well behaved with extensive fine dining experience) and had the best time. Food was amazing and they even had a great non-alcoholic drink pairing for our son. Cant say enough about the great service, either. read more

Kenzo Napa - Sushi Bars Near Me - Napa, California

Highly impressed. I'm no stranger to excellent Japanese kaiseki (from spending way too much in Japan on kaiseki and sushi) but Kenzo Napa did not disappoint! You could tell they really focused on their dashi and it flowed throughout the meal. Great service, simple and elegant decor and delicious food with fantastic wines (liked their wines more than their sake). read more

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Have you ever almost cried, biting into a piece of meat? Neither have I. But I came close! I can still remember the sweet taste of that perfectly executed piece of Wagyu beef. The food, of course, is impeccable. It was one of the most memorable dining experiences of my life. How can I know that? I'm writing this review well over a year after actually going. Of course, that means that a lot of the details are now... fuzzier. But I can still remember sitting at the bar and being presented in synchronized fashion exquisite plates of food with my good friends and fianceé (now wife). Yea, it's been a while. But I'm writing this now to remind myself to go back. read more

Come here if you like some real Japanese Kaiseki course... very tasty and great presentation of all the courses. The highlight of the meal was the seared mackerel and the A5 wagyu. Best of any Michelin star restaurant dish I've had so far. Great service too. Definitely will come back and highly recommended! read more

Amazing dinner last night with wine and sake pairing. Dishes were all fantastic awesome play on Japanese delicate taste and french american cuisine. A5 wagyu was so so tender and flavorful. Service is impeccable with narration of prepared dishes, even a short lesson on dashi and wasabi. A must do while in Napa. read more

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