My husband I love Kozue. We usually order Sushi and tempura combinations, but they have many dishes that reminds of home of Japan. Highly recommend read more

I had such high expectations! And lunch seemed like a great deal. Being new to the hood we needed a great spot to grab some lunch with our out of town guest. They ordered sushi, and I ordered the soba. The sushi came out, and I tasted a couple pieces since I was starving. 20 minutes after the sushi came out, I asked if my soba was coming, the waitress assured me it was. No explanation why it took so long or how much longer. Finally after waiting an hour total, with no other explanations or updates I canceled my order - I had to go back to work! Luckily I shared a little of the sushi but I am still hungry. And pretty grumpy too - I still have no idea what happened that the soba took so long... Oh and there were 3 servers total and about 5 occupied tables. So I really doubt they were too busy! read more

Kozue doesn't look like it would be the best sushi restaurant in town, but in this case, looks are definitely deceiving ! I've been here many times with the same group of friends and we always leave happy and full of amazing sushi! The restuarant is relatively small, but I've never had to wait for a table during the week night. I'm not sure how it would be on a Fri/Sat night. The service is efficient. Fish tastes fresh. Relatively cheap. They have tons of interesting rolls. My favorite is the red dragon roll. As a bonus, they offer gluten-free soy sauce, which, as a celiac, makes my experience ten times better. Oh, and I love that they give you Andes mints with your bill. Adorable! read more

A nice neighborhood Japanese/sushi place. More expensive and better quality than Musashi's (1 block west), and with more attention paid to decor and service. This is not fine dining, but the sushi is of very acceptable quality. We go to this place either on weeknights for decent, moderately priced sushi or on weekends if it's just the two of us and we don't need anything fancy. I've never tried any non-sushi/sashimi items, so I can't vouch for those. read more

This is a very small, cozy restaurant with various signs highlighting its numerous food specials. There is an indoor seating that gets crowded pretty quickly, but there is an outdoor heated patio area. Food wise, everything was just "okay". We ordered a chirashi bowl (to see how it compares to its neighbor Musashi) and a spicy salmon bowl. The chirashi bowl is $16, so more expensive with less variety. There was a good amount of fish, but we definitely wished there were other types of fish in the bowl. Overall decent but nothing to brag about. The spicy salmon bowl was quite the disappointment visually and textually. I thought the spicy salmon would be slices of salmon. Instead, they gave me ground-up, mashed salmon that they use for their sushi rolls. It was tasty, but textually it was weird. It also came with avocado, but there was only two very thin slices that was not sufficient enough to counter the salmon. Not sure if we'd come back, but worth a try if you're curious! read more

I liked it here so much the first time I came that I returned two hours later with different people. The spicy salmon bowl isn't remotely spicy, but it IS extremely delicious and filling. Kozue's rolls are creative - their tempura rolls are mostly different from Rain's, so it maximizes variety. They even have a *crepe* roll. The menu is very large - I can return many more times and still not have tried everything I'm interested in trying! Just writing this review is making me hungry for Kozue! The only downside is that the place is pretty small - this is fine if you're here on off-hours, but at peak dinnertime you get very cozy with your fellow diners. Not good for groups larger than four. read more

I got food poisoning from this restaurant. I had an uneasy feeling that this food wasn't fresh and could get me sick. I wish I had trusted my intuition. read more

Just to continue with my general obsession with Wallingford as a terrific destination to get delicious food, I'll write about one of my favorite little "sushi-joints" in Seattle. You may not get the fancy-presentation that has become almost trendy in sushi these days but this place is a low maintenance restaurant you should visit when you just want a good meal. Musashi's certainly gets hype for bang-for-your-buck quantity for price (just look at the line out the door) but Kozue is the underestimated girl-next-door restaurant (as it is literally about one block from Musashi's). This unassuming little establishment will often have easy seating when Musashi's leaves you hanging outside for hours and their sushi is also very generously served/well-priced. It also has the advantages of many great non-sushi options as well as a happy hour, acceptance of major credit cards and elbow room. In particular I recommend the spicy tuna-don. Not sushi per-se, but a great apportionment of fish served with avocado and cucumber and only $10. Of course, need I point out another great advantage of this place? Molly Moon's and/or Trophy cupcake for dessert! read more

So I lied with my last review. The sushi here ain't that bad.. Come here during lunch hours and you'll be treated to $1 sushi! No, it ain't day old sushi from Uwajimaya, its actually pretty fresh. The food here isn't gonna make Shiro's close down anytime soon but it's pretty decent Sushi without the sushi snobbishness that has overtaken ALL Seattle yelpers.(Yeah, I CALLED YOU ALL OUT!) Definitely a great place for families as there was 3 other tables with kids there the Saturday lunch hour awhile back and it was not too cramped as with Musashi. read more

Average, not exceptional! Price is great ! The rice on the rolls seemed as if they where left in water too long! And I never had Philly roll with smoked salmon! Not the best! read more

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I think Matt hit the nail on the head when he said "You will seriously have a hard time finding better Japanese comfort food in town". I whole-heartily second this. Kozue has hands down, the best nabeyaki udon in the North End. Their sukiyaki, bentos and clam chazuke are excellent too. I don't come for the sushi either (although I've ordered it and haven't been let down). If you go, you must try their Tuna Poke Salad with avocado, fresh beets, and fried lotus root. Amazing. I'm still up in the air (but constantly amused) by the "fusion" dishes on the menu. These include "Sushi Mexico", "Yakiudon Vongole Bianco", and "Salmon Carpaccio": most of which I've been too apprehensive to try. If you go, be sure to check out the sushi chef who NEVER CLOSES HIS MOUTH. read more

Attention my fellow vegetarians: this review is for you! As I do not eat fish (or any meat - obvi), I cannot speak to the yumminess of most things on Kozue's menu, but I am impressed with what they do have to offer us veggie types. My two favorites are the Mushroom Forest and the Gardener's Roll. The teriyaki-honey-mustard combo sauce on the Mushroom Forest salad is 3 e's-worth of deeelicious (as are the eponymous fungi). And I love the variety of textures in the Gardener's Roll: crisp lettuce, soft avocado, crunchy carrot, etc.). Portions are decent (since I usually get an appetizer and at least one roll, I can't finish the Mushroom Forest in one sitting), and pricing is fair. The Happy Hour appetizer menu is full of tasty options for under $3, too. Service is always friendly and fast. Even though the dining area is smallish (seats about 24), I've never had to wait to be seated. As my 4 stars attest, I am a fan. I'd like to try the Vegetable Bento (as so many yelpers rave about the bento experience), but it'll be a challenge to pass up an opportunity to have another go at the Mushroom Forest. A nice predicament to be in, I suppose. :) read more

Very racist place. We were a party of 3 and waited outside for more than 20 mins (there were two empty clean tables). Servers did not even come ask us where we wanna sit or if we've been helped. Finally we asked a server if we could sit and she took us to a table. Right after that another two people came and they were treated so differently. They were greeted and given a table immediately. When we asked the sever why we had to wait for 20 mins standing, they got mad at us. read more

I literally just came back from Kozue so my experience is still fresh in my mind...Wish my fish was just as fresh.... This is my second time coming here after not coming back for about 2 years. I don't even remember what I ordered which says something about the quality of the food. I'm pretty sure it was just aight, nothing special. My group and I only came here because Musashi's was closed and we forgot they are closed on Mondays. I ordered the chirashi bowl ($16.50) and the white fish with ponzu sauce from the happy hour menu ($2.50). I was gonna give the Chirashi bowl a shot since I was craving Musashi's chirashi bowl so bad.. Even though I knew it wouldn't be up to par, I still wanted to give it a shot. Definitely a big mistake. First, it's more spendy than Musashi's when Musashi's gives you waayyyy more for about $3 less. The quality wasn't good either. The fish was lukewarm and did not seem fresh at all. When I eat sashimi, they should be melt-in-your mouth and I just got some pieces that felt like they were sitting out for 30min or so in the hot room. Although you can't compare Musashi's chirashi, it was not done well. Eating that just made me crave Musashi's even more. Also, the whtie fish with ponzu sauce was alright, nothing special. Also, the service was slow as hell. I felt like it took more than 45min to get our food. Alright, I did come with a group of 6 and a few tables were full, but really? The waitress barely came by to refill our water when we were waiting or to check up on us. We had to flag her down. Annoying. Maybe other food here is better? Just don't get the chirashi or you'll be wasting your money. read more

I love Kozue for both their dinner and their happy hour. Their Happy Hour is the best. It's from 5 until 6:30 on weekdays and 3 to 6:30 on Saturdays. They have a wide variety of food items that are very cheap. From sushi rolls, to terriyaki, and calamari and poke, they've got it on their happy hour menu. But their happy hour plates are small, so for a fuller belly I turn to their dinner menu. Their dinner menu is also very comprehensive. All the dishes I've tried here over the years have been wonderful. I especially like their Grilled Mackerel. All the rolls I've tried here are also very wonderful. I've been to Japanese sushi restaurants where their sushis all embody the same ingredients: imitation crab, avocado, cucumber, and a little wasabi. But at Kozue, each roll is different, has their own style, and are delicious. read more

Actually, 3.5 is my rating for this place. This is a Japanese cuisine place on the main street of Wallingford. It may look like they have a private parking spaces, but they don't. Therefore,parking could be the first obstacle to get there. (Especially on weekends) Their food is good, yummy, delicious. I haven't had any problem with their customer service. Decoration is simple and clean. However, they are not special. I mean I can't find any significant specialty. One good thing is their "Nabeyaki Udon" (noodles served hot in a pot) comes with Tempuras. So, you can make a Tempura Nabeyaki Udon or use the soup as a sauce for the tempuras. Sushi and Tempura Bento which I had was good too. Only thing I didn't like was eel (Unagi) was not included in the bento. I still think that Kozue can be a good choice if you are in the area. read more

I have to say I'm not really sure what most seattlites think is good Japanese and sushi. It seems that for most people here it's either based on how cheap it is or how fancy the place is. Based on there menu and the food we had on a couple visits, Kozue is a good Japanese place based on one thing, the food. At first glance I was expecting much. The space is small and was only 3/4th full on a Saturday night. The sushi counter was small and behind the bar were two young guys. Specials are posted on pieces of paper and it has the feel of a Chinese take away place. The food far exceeds the decor. The menu is full of Japanese home-style food with hot pots, rice dishes and other non sushi items. We got a mix of Japanese food and sushi starting with a tuna poke, triple oyster spicy shooters, agadashi tofu. The agadashi and the shooters were the stand outs while the tuna poke was nice but small. A nice things about Kozue is they offer nigiri sushi by the piece and while the selection is not as broad as some places all of it was prepared well. Many American places seem to think the bigger the piece of fish on the rice the better it is but sushi is suppose to be 1 1/2 bites big. Kozue's nigiri is also isn't piled high with wasabi and the fish is fresh. We got three roles, the Polar Roll, the Asparagus Tempura roll and Caterpillar. All were large, tasty and fresh. The prices here are very resonable with many entrees under 10 dollars and the nigiri is by the piece. read more

People need to pay more attention to Kozue. Its the perfect place to go when you want a big selection of Japanese dishes. It's home style cooking so don't expect anything too fancy. My boyfriend and I came here often because of the food, service, location and happy hour! We've tried almost everything on their happy hour menu and although some are better than others, it's definitely a steal for the price. Perhaps my favorite would be clam chazuke which I think just perfect for Seattle's weather. We also like their sushi rolls and udon. Perhaps the downside for me is their indoor dining space is too small and during rush hour it gets pretty crowded. Definitely give it a try! read more

This place is more than "okay" but not as good as 4 stars. They have so many different things on the menu and I can take some picky eaters there and they can find something to eat no problem. Their food is okay... not bad but not delicious either. Everytime I go there, the place is pretty crowded, or sometimes I see people waiting for a table, so probably this place is the one of people's favorite Japanese restaurant in Wallingford? read more

Love this place. Been going there for years and years now. It's an authentic Japanese sushi joint. Not pretentious like so many American renditions, but down to earth and cozy. Reminded me very much of the places I used to frequent when I lived in Japan. For that, and the great quality I will always go back to this place. read more

It was ok - the idea is nouveau but the taste of the food needs some improvement. Ramen was not deeply flavored, shumai was not quite there either... I do like that they try to invent some interesting food, but flavor is more important than just that. read more

First off. This place is not $$ - not during happy hour which is most of the time. Real cheap drinks. $1 add ons & half-priced apps. Sushi was great & presented wonderful. We were all pretty impressed. Good options for vegetarians too. The decor/environment isnt ideal. Its a sushi place so it smells like fish-given. They play really bad music- we got to listen to an entire John Mayer album-painful. We had a great time though & Ill def go back. read more

This is a decent choice for Sushi, especially compared to Musashi's (crowded and dirty) and Kitaro (overpriced). I went with a catapilar roll - it wasn't exactly the best done, but was cheap and tasty. They have a good saki selection too. The only reason I can't give it above 3 stars is their sushi / sashimi can at times not be the freshest. It seems like a crapshoot, so if you're not comfortable with that then don't go. Chiso in Fremont would be a good alternative. read more

Kozue is cozy and friendly, like you're having dinner in someone's home...someone who cooks a mean Japanese comfort-meal, that is! The sushi is good, but what keeps me coming back are the gorgeous bento boxes and the entree combos. Happy hour drink prices are great (and it's almost always happy hour) and there is a shady patio for sunny days. read more

This place is killer for lunch. The menu is not that long and super clear, with many options of cheap sides and cheap japanese dishes. The curry is delicious, extremely flavorful, and they weren't stingy with the meat! They use sushi rice for all their rice dishes so it comes out really flavorful and soft, really good at soaking up their delicious curry! Also, $1 sushi. No more needs to be said. They are really generous with the fish and more expensive items such as the fresh salmon and salmon roe as well...the roe was literally overflowing the piece of sushi that I bought. All for a dollar. My friend got a kimchi ramen when I went and I got to try some of it. First of all, it came with extra kimchi on the side and a bowl of miso soup. The ramen itself was delicious and filled with flavor. The soup was on par-no too salty but just the right about of that kimchi flavor-all for less than 10 dollars. The portion sizes are pretty big and will fill you up pretty fast (while keeping the quality!) Yes, it looks a little messy and run down from first glance, but I have to say one of my favorite things about this place is the patio seating area in front. It is kind of cramped, but not in an uncomfortable way, and the umbrellas shade every seat...in the summer it is perfect! The whole get-up reminds you of a wooden beach house or a tiki bar. And another plus is its not as busy as Musashi--its more lowkey and humble but still as delicious! Come here for lunch, you won't regret it. I eat alot, but I still took some food home and spent around $7. read more

Average price. Average taste. Average everything. Nothing sticks out. The sushi is Ok good but that is about it. I really want to say more but really nothing to say. read more

You get a pretty good assortment on the 10-piece nigiri set. BUT... the happy hour is not worth it. Yeah, sure the items are $3 a pop....but you'd need 5 of them just to get a mouthful. My friend and i ordered the HH takoyaki and got the dreaded amount of 3 (luckily i snagged two) to split. You can get 3 takoyaki balls at Sushiland for $1.50! In fact, Sushiland is like one big happy hour. If you don't mind the cafeteria-like setting. *joy read more

OK, if happiness were a shellfish it would be Kozue's happy hour grilled mussels. SO GOOD. And the rest of the happy hour is awesome too. read more

I really like this place a lot. It's quaint and quiet for a chill date night or a night in sweat pants. Fish is fresh. Staff is friendly. No wait and they take reservations. I've been eating sushi my entire life and to me this place has an essence of authenticity that you don't get at your typical Japonessa type spot. Kozue is were its at! read more

While I usually turn to Kozue whenever I want sushi (they make my 2 favorite rolls in the world, and its just up the street, AND molly moon's is right around the corner for dessert!) it consistently gets 3 stars. Its not phenomenal, but its tasty and consistent. Its a bit overpriced and the service is ok. My recommendation for rolls is the Lava Roll (a cucumber and oshinko roll with spicy-sweet seasoned poke on top. it reminds me of being in Hawaii!) and the asparagus tempura roll. I don't bother with anything else. These are fantastic. Everything else I have had there is mediocre for the price. I also really enjoy the nabeyaki udon. You get a sizzling pot of thick, yummy noodles in a salty delicious soup base with chicken, an egg, sweet tofu skin, and seaweed. It comes with tempura that you can dip in the soup. This is a favorite lunch dish for me. But, my husband and I went here for dinner last night, (armed with one of those gift certificates where you pay just a few bucks for $25 dollars worth of food) and while we did order a bit more than we usually would, it was still an almost 45 dollar meal after tax and tip. Its pretty overpriced for what it is, but because of location we keep on going back and probably will continue to do so. If I didn't live in the area I would probably go somewhere else though. The restaurant is really small, so don't try to go here with more than a group of 4. read more

The double decker supreme chirashi bowl was amazing! I actually couldn't finish it, it was so generous. Big square helpings of sashimi and a whole other bento box of seasoned rice, chopped up unagi and tamago with unagi sauce. Quick, attentive service. Definitely will be back! read more

Kozue Restaurant - Supreme chirashi bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The two stars is for the salmon. The negative three is for the kitchen staff. Sitting at the bar for my first experience was a mistake-between the snickering about hot chicks when they came in the door or the judging stares as we quietly sake bombed I can say I won't be back. Not to mention the Ono was stringy and the fatty tuna was just as gross. What a waste of 10 bucks. The waitresses were sweet and attentive but the look of judgement from one of the chefs was just unforgettable. It's Friday night and I'm an adult, let me sip my strange sake and beer mixture in peace. Oh and thanks for the sliver of lemon, I'm sure I'll really be able to get some juice out of it. read more

Incredible The best So good Delicious Perfect Went with some friends and got some food. Probably the best sushi I've ever had. The service was incredible as well. I love the seat your self personally but it really depends on your preference read more

I'm leaving my previous review below to emphasize how disappointed I am with Kozue's falling quality. I love Kozue. I have for years. I felt it was absolutely the most authentic Japanese food I ever found in Seattle. That's getting to be more-and-more of a qualified statement. The food is gradually becoming more like every other "Japanese" restaurant I know -- in other words, nothing like food in Japan at all. Last night, the rice was soggy and overcooked, the salad had far too much dressing, and the Katsu was the same as I could find at any other "Japanese" restaurant. Furthermore, my waitress was attending to all of the wrong places. She picked up my salad dish and the wrapper for my chopsticks as soon as I had finished my salad, which was commendable, except that left me with nothing to rest my chopsticks on until the entree came. wtf, mate? You don't take the wrapper until the meal is over. One of the other waitresses came by to ask if I'd like more tea about three times, all before I'd even had a chance to drink my original cup. One I had, my actual waitress let my cup sit empty for 10 minutes before I finally asked her to bring me new tea. I will continue to go to Kozue, because I don't know a better place to get a real Japanese menu for ten bucks. But it's not what it used to be. How depressing. ----------------------------------------- Absolutely the most authentic Japanese food I've found in Seattle. In fact, it's the only Japanese restaurant I know that is actually owned by a woman from Japan -- she's from Osaka. The staff at Kozue are very friendly, which is something I always appreciate. The space is small, but not cramped, so they do a good job of keeping your glass full and taking care of anything you might need. That being said, try to arrive before or after the dinner rush, as you might be waiting upwards of 30 minutes during prime time. A lot of the other reviews here, both positive and negative, have focused on the sushi. Despite the fact that I wear this lovely nigiri hat, I unfortunately cannot tell you much about their sushi, other than that a) it's generally known to be good, and b) I am allergic to fish. I do know they have a wide selection and you can watch them prepare everything fresh. However, they have dozens of other delicious entrees available -- don't just stick to the sushi! Kozue also pretty good bang for the buck. I usually get Tonkatsu (pork cutlet), which comes with miso soup, a side salad, shredded cabbage, an AMAZING potato/yam salad, a generous portion of rice, and the entree itself. In fact, I'd have given Kozue five stars, but I'm sad to say that the quality of the meat has gone down recently. It's still delicious, certainly nothing to turn one's nose at, but it's not the tenderness I remember. They also have six or seven varieties of sake, which I recommend be ordered hot. I like the Otokoyama. Sweet, with a nice menthol-like aftertingle. One of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. read more

This is my favorite sushi restaurant in the North End. Their sushi rice is just very well-flavored, and everything is fresh and tasty. Prices are reasonable (although not dirt cheap). Try the plum wine. It can get full and crowded at peak times. read more

Kozue is probably the best Japanese restaurant for lunch in Seattle. The prices are reasonable and the food is delicious. I'm tempted to give Kozue five stars, but there are two reasons I didn't. One, the spicy tuna bowl is so incredibly tasty that I pretty much never order anything else, so I can't be certain about most of the other items. Two, the very first time I went there I sat outside and was smothered in bees. The trauma of this experience prevented me from returning to Kozue for about a year. read more

Yum, yum, yum...another successful pick for sushi night. Seriously delish Japanese cuisine all around...had sushi (6 different kinds) which was fresh and tasty...yakisoba made like those that I've had in Japan...the teri chicken was nicely server on a sizzling platter. The smoked salmon salad I had was refreshing and had an interesting wasabi dressing...love it! I would definitely come back here...my only draw back was the number of available tables...small but cozy. The service was great...even though they were full when I came by...the wait wasn't long and I appreciated the attentiveness of the staff. Overall - a satisfied customer who's definately going to come back. read more

If you're looking for just sushi, just go a few more blocks down 45th to Mushashi's. We tried a number of different rolls and nigiri and they were all pretty average - the pieces themselves were pretty small and the prices were decent, but not reasonable enough or tasty enough (like Musashi's) to have me running back. Amazingly, you can pretty much find Korean, Chinese and Japanese all at one spot....still contemplating whether that's a good thing or not. read more

Now this is how a restaurant should be run. 1. Someone immediately acknowledges you when you walk in and tells you how long of a wait you have. 2. You are seated sooner than expected and immediately given menus and an opportunity to order a drink which arrives soon after that. 3, Your food arrives in a timely manner and is delicious. (The geoyduck clam was not tough as expected and had almost a chicken quality to it, that together with the mushrooms and onions it was sauted in made for a great side dish. The eel and eggplant was also a surprise treat) 4. The wait staff is attentive and cheerful. 5. You've impressed me as a dinner guest so much, that you will immediately come to mind next time I'm looking for Japanese food in Seattle. read more

Lunch special is kickin with $1 sushi and cheap ass combos. Don't get the beef unless you want onions soaked in a beef but the Katsu pork is bangin! Shit I might just come back and get more. read more