This is such a gem of a restaurant. We go here as often as we can, and the quality and consistency are always great. An added bonus is that the chef and his team are well versed in what is gluten free, vegan, etc. and they label each item on the menu. Our favorite rolls are the cancun and vegetable futomaki. read more

What can I say. I was so impressed with the Chiso Omakase experience. We're lucky to have this gem. I can't wait for Chef's Kappo omakase. The Sozai team members are thoughtful and connect the kitchen and consumer. Keep up the great work. read more

What an experience! Some of the best service I've seen in a while. Food was very good and the sustainable idea permeates in everything.

food is just so so. Very over priced. we thought we could do omakase. Our mistake not possible even though bar was free the entire time we were there. read more

No matter what you do - don't dine here. Don't ignore the reviews. We had a reservation for 3, one of our friends got sick and couldn't make it but 2 of us still went and ate and we got a 90$ charge after the fact. Our entire bill was 90$ for the two that went. I cannot imagine being a business and somehow convincing myself that it is okay for me to collect 90$ from my customers who show up? The sushi was subpar, the ceviche tasted like it was days old. The lighting in here is also wild - They leave you under full spotlights for the entire dinner and there is not one ounce of thought to customer experience. If it was a humble small business I could somehow understand the aesthetic but obviously that is not the case . read more

I never felt so unwelcome on a place on my entire life. The waiter was very rude, making "faces" for every question that we were making about the food or the menu. I am assuming that she is part of the restaurant's ownership, otherwise I cannot understand why someone would keep an employee like that. My friend left his table to ask for a change on his order and he was asked "rudely" to came back to his table and sit down and wait and she would come there. Very arrogant and unpolite. My friend wanted to leave the restaurant right away. Not sure why our party was treated so poorly. We felt that they were doing us a favor to serve us. I felt very bad because I was the one suggesting the restaurant to my friends If the chef is reading this note, my advice is that he start looking to the overall service provided by the restaurant and not only the food. People do not go to places only for the food, they want to receive a fair treatment on a nice environment. It is the whole experience that counts, not only the food. We definitely will never come back to this place read more

Quite honestly disappointed. I was looking forward to come here since last year because I've heard that they have the one of the best Omakase and sushi in Michigan. We ordered $110/person Omakase. The fish was watery and flavorless. Monkfish liver was clearly frozen with fishy smell and rough texture on the tongue. Salmon roe were probably old with no popping texture or juice. Small plates were okay but far from what I was expecting for the flavor, texture and taste. I would not spend $100+ for this. read more

As a Los Angeles native and avid sushi lover now living in Michigan I had resigned myself to the realization that no proper sushi was to be had here. (Yes, I get it Noble Fish is good but it's good for basic carryout american sushi) After reading about how chef Hajime landed in Michigan and his sushi roots back in Seattle I had high hopes. I was not disappointed! My wife and I had Omakase and it was better than I had hoped for. We had great conversations with Hajime and look forward to going back and seeing how his offerings expand with more staff and access to more sustainable seafood suppliers. This is real sushi in Michigan! Do not go here looking for California rolls or bacon in your sushi or whatever other weird shit passes for sushi out here. Can not wait to come back! read more

Horrible customer service! Do not eat here unless u want to hear over and over again that the reason why the food tastes bad is because everything here is "authentic," which makes no sense at all!!! Asked for water and the waitress said "I don't serve water" (with a horrible attitude). We were a table of four and had a $250 bill!!!! The reason....because we are authentic.... So strange! And it wasn't a cultural miscommunication, everyone spoke perfect English! Awful!!! Save ur money and go to Noble! read more

The Sato family has brought a different type of sushi and Japanese cuisine to the Clawson area. After being the owner-operators for 25 years at Mashiko in Seattle they have relocated to Clawson. They have many truly vegan options which is very rare for a sushi restaurant. Culturally in Japan many chefs consider only land animals to be restricted for vegetarians/vegans. Fish doesn't count! So many things that would be 'safe' for vegetarians also have fish-based ingredients added too. The egg dishes and miso soup at most restaurants, including Sozai, have katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna) as a base so for vegetarians/vegans that's off the menu. Instead of hiding that, Sozai has delicious, truly vegan dishes. As a vegetarian, I really enjoyed these at Sozai: Vegetable Futomaki - Futomaki means fat/stuffed roll and this sushi roll is huge! It has in-house made pickles (not the neon-colored ones you see at other restaurants) and an assortment of vegetables. This is enough for a main along with some of the other sides. Deep Forest Roll - This has in-house made inari/tofu skin. I've never had fresh inari and it's really good! Also this was the first time I've had pickled beets in a sushi roll. They have a great sourness that adds to the other ingredients. Fried Tofu Ankake - Ankake means 'to cover with sauce' and tofu is tofu :) So this is fried bits of tofu covered with savory mushroom sauce. Again since most sauces have dashi/fish stock this would be a gamble at other restaurants. This vegan version is something I've never seen at other Clawson or Novi restaurants. Vegetable Bento - A bento is a boxed meal, like a big container with little areas for different dishes. At Sozai you get a large selection and it's a good way to sample a bunch of vegan dishes if you're not sure about what to order individually. Overall I recommend that you take a chance on this new restaurant to experience another style of sushi and Japanese food. read more

Pretty wild place. They have no flexibility and don't care about their customers at all. I made a reservation a few days in advanced, but one person woke up with food poisoning day of and couldn't make it. A majority still showed up, ordered food and were pleasant. The next day in addition to our charge for the meal I had a $90 charge on my credit card. I called to ask about this charge and they explained I "changed" the reservation, when a majority of our party were there. This $90 charge makes no sense to me and can't see how it would make sense to any rational person. Other than that sushi was ok, over priced, service was fine, nothing to write home about but the ambiance was weird. The lights were too bright and there was no real vibe. I will never be back here and I suggest you don't either. read more

What a great experience! Incredible (and personalized) service, great food, great sake. What more could you ask? Keep up the good work. Will be a regular spot! read more

The best Japanese restaurant we have eaten at - bar none. My husband and I used to frequent noble fish, which is also quite good, but since Sozai opened up we have not even been slightly tempted to go anywhere else for Japanese food. Their fish is fresh and sustainably sourced, the chefs are friendly and thoughtful, and the service is superior to just about anywhere else. Our new go-to restaurant; we look forward to eating here again sometime very soon. read more

A friend and I had dinner plans and decided to try Sozai. She made a reservation and had to place a $150 hold on her card for this. Shortly prior to our dinner date I learned of a new health condition which would limit the number of items I would be able to eat on the menu. I shared this with the waitress, Kristin, and she was very rude to say the least. She lied about what was in one of the dishes and brought me the food she had said would contain the ingredient I could not have. She then proceeded to say she didn't say that and was very unprofessional. Since I was not able to eat the items we asked to have them removed from the bill and had to speak to the owner/chef. He too was very unpleasant and not an all star chef like he seems to think. My friend was not impress with the food. I was too afraid to eat the other dish because of the conflicting info she had provided. If I had learned of my health concern prior to the cancellation timing we would have canceled. Unfortunately if we did at that point, my friend would have lost $150. I never expected to be treated the way they treated us and would not recommend this place. If I could give 0 stars I would. read more

Fiiiiiiinnnnnnalllllyyy!! Beautiful, carefully crafted sushi near Detroit. This is a sushi restaurant that purists will appreciate -- those who don't need or want spicy Mayo or crunchy flake scattered on every oversized roll. Hate to play this card...but as an ex-Bay Area and ex-New Yorker, this is legit sushi of a different caliber than even your better-than-average grocery store sushi. Currently they are offering a take-out only selection. We had the chirashi, some pieces of nigiri and the vegetable tempura. Tempura was lightly battered and a thoughtful array of delicious veggies, all well cut/prepped to highlight the tempura. (No giant pieces of broccoli drenched in batter.) Chirashi and nigiri was fresh, with tender fish and great rice. Very interesting catfish "unagi" and the scallop melted in the mouth. Looking forward to coming back soon. read more

Greeted with a smile and served with the utmost customer service and experience ! This new hotspot is authentic , fresh , friendly and affordable. Not your typical sushi restaurant (if your looking for fried , tempura , or modern makimoto rolls, this isn't that place ) but refreshing and delicious ! The fishing methods , farming practices , and love of the chefs is why their sustainable sushi is better. I was hesitant on the authentic fish dishes and sushi , and the owner graciously sampled us two Japanese fish dishes. He Even made us a special sushi roll at the end! Oh and the cheesecake , it's like Angel cake meets cheesecake :) Thank you so much , I will be back ! read more

Sozai - Japanese cheesecake and mango moochi - sooo delish ! - Japanese Near Me - Clawson, Michigan

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Sashimi was delicious and fresh. Hostess was very nice and attentive. The atmosphere feels not welcoming by the way the tables are positioned. It feels like the chefs are staring as you eat your meal. The owner seemed interactive with patrons sitting at the bar but lacked sincerity and charisma. He probably made those patrons feel welcomed but didn't really acknowledge patrons at the tables. I don't plan to return since the atmosphere felt fake and unwelcoming. It seems people felt the same from other reviews on yelp. read more

This is the real thing. I have been to Japan many times. The Sozai concept of sushi and associated items is not much like the 'California roll' style, This place is as close as it gets to what one might be served in Tokyo. I am slowly working my way through the menu. An advantage is that everyone speaks English here. At some places in Tokyo, my approach was to point to something being served at another table and nod my head. read more

Sozai - Sushi assortment - Japanese Near Me - Clawson, Michigan

This is an incredible restaurant! We went got one of the Omakase, which was a chef choice course of meals, and it was incredible. We tried sushi, appetizers, and sake we wouldn't have otherwise, and it was all so well paired. I would recommend this place to anyone who is a fan of sushi and intimate restaurant settings; we got to talk to the sushi chef and he was so friendly, explained the food so well, and recommended Sake for each person's taste. read more

Great food, awesome service. Not your traditional "California roll" kind of restaurant. Be ready to try different dishes. We had the assorted Sashimi and nigiri, vegetable tempura and halibut cheeks. Delicious! We highly recommend this place. read more

Totally unlike anything in metro Detroit. No California rolls here! Creative, fresh sushi and other delectables. A very large and informative sake menu, and the chef is happy to make recommendations. The chef and staff put an extreme amount of care into each morsel of food. Reservations are a must! read more

Thank you Hajime!!!! What a wonderful surprise! If you love sushi, the real kind, you must come here. My daughter and I made reservations and sat at the sushi bar. Order off the Omakase Menu and let Hajime pick out your menu and serve you.... We learned so much from him and tried items we never would have ordered. Also have him pair Sake with each course. We know nothing of sake and have only tried horrible stuff over the years. Well, he figured out our tastes and found a favorite for both of us. Truly a YUMMY experience. Next time we will venture more and let Hajime take us away! We will never go to another sushi spot again. read more

We just had our first meal here and loved it!! If you haven't already been here, make a trip to beautiful downtown Clawson. The sushi is the best! If you don't see something on the menu, ask. The fish is so fresh and cut beautifully. The ginger is amazing. I can't do the place justice with a review. Please come and see for yourself. read more

Very authentic and good! Fresh food and the courses were specifically designed for the person. Great personal service! Worth the price 100% and sustainable read more

I wanted to make a reservation for five people. I specified that in the comments section to the reservation. My reservation was accepted. The day of the dinner, I was told that only tables of four or fewer could be accommodated. When I explained that we are a family of five, I was told that this was the policy and it could not be changed. I asked for two tables, one for three people and another for two. Can't do it, I was told. No explanation as to why. In fact, the attitude of the restaurant was rather impatient, as if I were asking for a Big Mac. I realize not every restaurant treats its customers like kings but this one treated me like a fool. Suffice it to say that this fool will not be frequenting this establishment. After I wrote this review, I received notice that the Sozai was charging me $100 for cancelling my reservation -- when it was Sozai that first accepted my reservation for five people and then cancelled b/c it changed its mind and decided not to accept my reservation. This just adds insult to injury and highlights the lack of integrity of this restaurant. Please be careful when doing business with a company like this. read more

I was so excited to try this place and I really wanted to like it, but everything from the food to the service was just disappointing, slow, and overall awful. Since it was my first time there, I asked the waitress what's popular and what she recommends and she was extremely unhelpful and gave me 0 recommendations so I just ended up picking out everything myself. I asked her if should could bring out soy sauce with our sushi and she was shocked and confused and offended that I would even ask that, I can't even explain how belittled I felt all for asking for soy sauce. I was hoping the food would make up for it but unfortunately it did not at all. They tried making the miso soup different than a normal miso soup and it just flat out was not good. I ordered a scallop nigiri and it was the most vile thing i've ever tasted. The only thing I will say I liked was the salmon nigiri - but the other nigiris, sushi, and appetizers that we ordered were all very displeasing. The ceviche of the day did not taste even the slightest bit of fresh, and the spicy albacore tataki and the bowler roll seemed like they were really trying to experiment with different sauces and flavors and it failed. We honestly had 1 more roll that we were waiting on that we ended up cancelling and then we left and went to Clawson Steakhouse. Overall, it was a traumatic experience. read more

Sozai is a wonderful restaurant for folks who love seafood and sustainability! We did omakase nami with sake pairings and it was incredible. Our chef Brian was great and very attentive. We definitely plan to come back! Make sure you have a reservation for the sushi bar if you want omakase. read more

A reservation was made at Sozai on a Monday for dinner the next evening as a treat for me. I have been recuperating from a surgery for several weeks. By 4:00 the following day I realized I was not in shape to go out. I called and cancelled the reservation as the person who had made the reservation was unreachable at work and I didn't want them to incur the expense for a nice meal when I was not feeling up to it. The reservation was cancelled but no mention of impending charges was made and I, being the guest vs the individual who made the reservation, was uninformed of Sozai's cancellation policy. The person who made the reservation was subsequently charged 60.00! I called to discuss the situation but was informed there are no exceptions to the policy (which was not mentioned when I cancelled). This is the most unforgiving policy I have EVER encountered. I even offered to obtain a note from my surgeon. It is true that I telephoned at 5:00, but the restaurant doesn't open until 5:00! It seems to me that exceptions should be allowable for medical situations that are unforeseen? What if I were running a fever, had tested positive for COVID, or the like VS being in significant discomfort resulting from surgery? This is the most user unfriendly policy I've encountered. read more

Great food and atmosphere! And great service! Def recommended! Super fresh fish variety and the tempura veggies were so good as well!

Incredible omakase experience! After reading through reviews... anything less than 5 star rating has been from a cranky person complaining about the restaurant's VERY clear cancellation policy... the food was unbelievable and the owner and staff are wonderful! Highly recommend doing the "Hama" version of their omakase for your first visit! read more

Rude servers, mediocre food, and incredibly boring atmosphere. No clue how the free press named this restaurant of the year. Literally comical following our experience. read more

So we went here for the first time and this may be the best omakase we have had in the area. We are definitely going to be back soon.

I was really excited to try Sozai and was so disappointed! I was shocked to learn that it was so hard to get a reservation because the place is so small. We tried 4 different rolls and 2 different starters that were all very bland and overpriced. Bill was $150 and we went somewhere else to eat after since we were still hungry. Service was fine but I would not go back. read more

My boyfriend and I went here for dinner after hearing so many fantastic things about it. Seemed like it was going to be great, then it wasn't. Bland food. Over priced. Bizarre waitress who was happy as a kindergarten teacher ( fake ) in the beginning... then cold shouldered us midway. ( almost ignoring us) Nothing to write home about. Left us both feeling disappointed and awkward. What a bummer. read more

I would give Sozai zero stars if this app allowed. I had reservations for 4 people. One couple had COVID tried to cancel 23 hours in advance. Was charged $200. Unable to reschedule. Yes, I know it was written 24 hour notice, but no sympathy. I offered that 2 of us would use the reservation and was also turned down read more

This is not a typical sushi joint, so don't go there expecting to order your usual spicy tuna role. They do not have spicy Mayo, which is a hard pass for me. The vegetable tempura was good. We will not be returning. read more

My husband and I have considered Sozai our favorite restaurant for the last couple of years. We have been dozens of times for date nights and celebrations, have brought friends with us and recommended it to countless others. The hostess and sushi chefs all know us by face and remember our orders. On Saturday evening, October 21st, we were again excited to go when we received the worst possible news - our young friend had been brutally and shockingly murdered in downtown Detroit. We suddenly had much to do in supporting the family and called Sozai immediately (and before the time of our reservation) to let them know the situation, and they were sympathetic. Days later I received an email that we had been charged a hefty fee for "missing" our reservation and I was surprised. I emailed back again explaining the situation and received no response. Today my husband finally was in touch with the owner/manager, and his response was awful. We have been loyal customers and it is clear our business has not been valued. I hope you should never have an emergency or receive life-altering horrific news the day of your reservation. read more

We got take out here a week after they opened. We went with the chef's special and every thing we had was fresh, delicious, and beautifully prepared and packaged. I haven't had sushi this good in the state, ever. Sushi is my favorite food group and I've been missing having a truly excellent sushi spot - Maru is good, Noble Fish is good, but Sozai is tops in my book - as good as any I had living on the west coast for 15 years. I honestly don't know how they're getting their fish this fresh & delicious but I really hope it continues! This place is like 40 minutes from my house and I'm going to make the trip as often as I can stand it - it's a destination. Can't wait to dine in. Seriously, just go here, get what's fresh. You won't regret it. Prices are really reasonable too for this kind of quality. read more

Went for the first time with my husband and had a great meal. We really enjoyed the sushi and the atmosphere and attention to detail. The following weekend we invited our friends to dine with us. We again had a great meal with a ton of sushi and we ordered 1 bottle of sake and 1 beer that my husband split with the other husband (the wives did not drink). Near the end of the meal we ordered one more beer. A while passed and the drink never came. When we asked our server where it was, she told us that we were served our drink limit and she could no longer serve us. We were a bit surprised about this since we never experienced a drink limit policy like this but we shrugged it off and asked for our check. We had two designated drivers and the men were fine and not at all over served. The next day I went to make two future reservations for the restaurant and received a response that they could not have me back at the restaurant. I was SHOCKED! I have never been turned away before and the chef refused to speak with me about what might have happened when I called him to hear his thoughts. See the text messages from the restaurant attached to this review. They were so rude. Such a terrible establishment to be able to treat customers with such disrespect. read more

Sozai - Japanese Near Me - Clawson, Michigan

Incredible meal! Service was outstanding, we went with the chef's suggestions and loved everything that came to the table. Can't recommend this restaurant enough! read more