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    wa’z

    4.4 (204 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndJapanese
    Closed 6:00 pm - 8:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    wa’z Photos

    WA’Z ATMOSPHERE

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    Trendy
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    Upscale

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    Recommended Reviews - wa’z

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    Sakura mousse with Sakura jelly, Sakura and white chocolate ice cream, sweet red bean paste, strawberry
    Melissa C.

    Incredible kaiseki restaurant where the menu features seasonal ingredients. The staff is clearly very knowledgeable and explains each dish in detail. I would recommend sitting at the counter as watching them prepare the food is its own show. My favorite dish was the grilled A5 Wagyu with bamboo shoots, which they smoked hay which gave it a very unique flavor and smell. My husband's and friends' favorite though was the Sakura mousse ice cream with jelly, my husband even said it was the best ice cream he ever had. The ambiance is more upscale and intimate so would recommend for a special occasion. At $185 per person, it's not cheap but worth going to. The only dish I wasn't crazy about was the hassan/ grouping of appetizers.

    Squid with rice - meh
    Tansy W.

    I don't understand how this place is so highly rated. The price point is expensive but the ambiance, service, and food were all pretty terrible. For $175pp, this is nothing close to what I expected (plus automatic 20% gratuity). As for ambiance, it looks old and run down and a little dingy. Also not that clean. For service, we had a 5pm reservation and got seated then but it took 20 min for someone to even come by and take a drink order, and that was only after I got up to walk around and find someone to please come by (and even then they still only sent someone 5 min after). For food, nothing looked fresh (even the color of the fish looked off). I didn't enjoy most of the dishes we had. None of them even looked appetizing and were poorly plated. The only dishes that were edible and halfway decent were the A5 wagyu beef bowl topped with quail egg, the tofu topped with Hokkaido Uni, and the ice cream. So incredibly disappointed to be out more than $1k for a meal that no one in my party of 4 remotely enjoyed.

    Menu
    Louise F.

    What a special experience. With some friends in town, we wanted to do something special and luckily getting a reservation for 5 wasn't too hard. The space is super intimate and most sit at the bar but since we wanted to be able to converse and see each other, we opted for sit at a table (which is what we initially had but they offered us bar seating anyway since there was space). I'll be upfront I'm not a raw food person but I wasn't going to deny friends the experience. My favorite might actually have been the first dish - the sesame tofu was a cloud. I actually had to clarify with the waiter that it was actually tofu. It is but I have no idea how. And the sauce was such a nice glaze. It looks glompy and thick but it really wasn't. Every following dish was also amazing and I even ate the raw fish (mostly) which is saying a lot. I thought it was super cool that they brought out the slab of tuna that our fish came from. The other highlight was dessert. The ice cream in persimmon was to die for. The ice cream was amazing, it was doused in liquor but wasn't boozy. And the persimmon was soooo sweet. It was actually a dream. I was straight up scraping my plate. It actually kickstarted an entire persimmon era for me. Should've seen me fiending through pike place and asian grocery stores for the 2 months after just buying up all the persimmons. But this one here was somehow just perfection.

    Bar setting with a few tables
    CL C.

    Professional service, excellent presentation of dishes, good amount of food. Food is mostly traditional Japanese with some inventive touches, which I really like. The menu changes slightly each month, with seasonal ingredients such as pumpkin and persimmon in the fall (today). Chef Hiro is amazing - food is flavorful but not too heavy. Great dessert too. Peaceful cozy bar with a few tables.

    Trang N.

    Went here a while back but just now posting my review. Wa'z is definitely one of my top 3 kaiseki place in Seattle. The food, service and presentation were amazing. Left with a happy belly!

    Seasonal fish sashimi
    Jenni W.

    I was in town for a conference and my close friends found this place and made a reservation for my husband and me. We had a 5 pm reservation on a Sunday, and after finally finding the restaurant (it's very unassuming from the outside), we were seated immediately, offered for our coats to be taken and had a nice table in the corner of the restaurant. The ambiance is quite nice, reminds me of an art gallery, classy yet simple. The restaurant is overall quite small and could probably hold 20 people max. The menu is already set with multiple courses as it is kaiseki style. My husband and I decided to split the sake pairing and my friends each ordered a glass of sake to pair with their dinner. There was only 1 server for the entire restaurant, and while sometimes my sake pairing didn't always get to me in time before my course, I feel that they had good teamwork between the head chef (and owner?), sous chef, and server. The sake pairing went really well with each course, and I think worth it if you're someone who can drink a lot of sake. For the courses that were hot soups, hot sake was paired with the courses, but an additional shot of cold sake was provided so you could taste the difference between the hot and cold sake. The sushi portion of the night also has a total of 3 different courses and each course also comes along with a shot of sake, so you end up having a lot more shots of sake than you anticipated. Each course was prepared diligently and carefully--every paired well together. My one critique would be that the courses were typically sauce-heavy (especially the grilled A5 wagyu and I would recommend trying the sushi course without adding the sauces that they provide first). My favorite items not he menu were the tofu, turnip puree soup, the sushi courses and the dessert. Tl;dr I would definitely come back for a nice celebration since they change their menus monthly and the sake pairing is quite worth it if you're someone who likes or can drink a lot of sake. Or split it with someone.

    Salina P.

    I have had this spot bookmarked for a couple of years now, so I could not have been more excited to have my first kaiseki experience and taste the set menu for March! After 9 courses, I was pretty satisfied, and definitely felt that the meal was worth the price. My favorites were the first course, which was a deep fried sesame tofu with sea urchin and wasabi. The texture of the tofu was similar to mochi. I also really enjoyed the fourth course, which was the dry aged blue fin tuna nigiri. The chirashi sushi course with the A5 Miyazaki Wagyu was delicious as well. Overall, it was difficult for me to let any food on my plates go to waste as everything tasted so delicious. In general, I would recommend reserving a spot at the counter if you can. It is a wonderful experience getting to see each dish being prepared. Also, this restaurant does have a 30 min grace period for any parties running late to the reservation. Luckily everyone that had a reservation for my time slot arrived punctually, and did not have to wait long before food started to be served.

    Rin L.

    This was a unique restaurant. Each month and season, the restaurant prepared a different menu. So it's challenging to rate the dishes, as I have only been here during november. It's an Omakase experience (chef's choice of 9 courses). The chef watches you interact with each dishes, you can say its an art show and all the attention is on you. The vibe was calm and cozy. Definitely a spot for intimate date to make an impression. Its a challenge to describe how and the difference between each dishes as they are too different from one another to compare. The most memorable experience that I can remember was the alcohol infused persimmons with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I would recommend for a first time experience of omakase!

    Grace K.

    I loved everything they served. Servers are all nice and thoughtful. Loved the open kitchen style, interactive concept. Sake selection here is excellent! Bill though, gratitude was included, so I was confused. There is tip section too. Didn't know we needed to tip twice???

    Emily Z.

    Summary: Wonderful experience and delicious food, but has less "wow" factor compared to similar tastings I've had in the area! This was my first time trying kaiseki! I loved the combination of raw and cooked food. It wasn't too hard booking a seat here, which I appreciated, and the ambiance is very comfortable and cozy. The service is top notch, and I really loved learning about each dish as it was served. The food itself was very tasty, though it's hard to not compare it to all the omakase's and tasting menus in the area! I think all the ingredients were fresh and well made, though for the price of about $220 per person after tax and tip, I feel like I was a bit less wowed by the dishes. I'm not sure if it's because I had many of these before -- for example, some of the soup dishes were delicious but were a staple at my home growing up, so it felt a bit less special. Either way, I would recommend this to try at least once, especially if you haven't had kaiseki before and enjoy Japanese food. Thank you Wa'z for a great meal!

    Cherry blossom desert
    Ellie R.

    Ugh I really wanted to love this place and had such a high hopes because I heard raving reviews from a friend but we were so disappointed. We went for our anniversary dinner, the service was absolutely amazing they even gave us flowers. However, the food was NOT it and I definitely did not feel like it was worth the money. It could be a seasonal menu thing though since we went in May and it was cherry blossom themed and a ton of octopuses. I'm usually an octopus lover didn't think how this dining experience made me now dislike octopus lol. Be aware of the seasonal menu when you make resos. Maybe I'll try again. :(

    A5 Wagyu Beef and Pacific Oyster.

    Very thoughtful, well-prepared and top notch, yet still not too formal. The service was warm and welcoming. We enjoyed the fixed 9-course meal of beautiful, high-quality, and delicious food that captured the essence of the season. Each course was described to us by the chef. It was such a wonderful experience and I cannot wait to go back for another special occasion!!

    Cindy H.

    Chef Hiro, native of Kyoto, artfully blends exquisite ingredients from Japan with local PNW seasonal specialties to bring kaiseki cuisine to the next level. Seattlelites should count ourselves extremely lucky to have such a fine establishment here where ~12 customers can sit at the counter and enjoy watching Chef Hiro and his team meticulously craft each delicate kaiseki course served on beautiful Japanese serve-ware. Having had many kaiseki cuisine across Japan and other Asian countries, Wa'z is definitely among the best. Price wise, it's comparable to other high-end multi-courses omakase / seasonal set menu restaurants in the area, but the ability to chat across the table with chef Hiro and his incredibly professional team is priceless!

    Matsutake Dobin Mushi - quality ingredients inside, neatly stacked

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    wa’z Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - wa’z

    Is it vegan friendly?

    No. Fixed menu only.

    What's the dress code?

    Casual chic.

    Does anyone know how much is the weekend Kaiseki lunch? We like to bring our teenage daughter (who is quite a Japanese food foodies) to celebrate with us on our anniversary but cannot find the price for weekend lunch on website.

    Wa'z is not open for lunch on any day of the week, including weekends. It is a dinner only restaurant.

    Do they serve the Kaiseki menu for lunch?

    Yes, but only on weekends and the "format" is a little different. Many small lportions, like kaiseki, but presented all at one, on a large tray! Need to call to make a reservation. Liked it very much, though for me it was a little too much… Read more

    Is this place 21+?

    No. However everyone must have a premium Kaiseki for themselves and we also do not have a kids menu.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Umi Sake House - Chirashi

    Umi Sake House

    4.1(4.3k reviews)
    0.3 miBelltown
    $$$

    Super yummy! Bad boy roll was a fav for the table, we also got a glass of plum wine and wouldn't…read morehave minded seconds. Atmosphere was nice and chic, fun vibes for friends hanging out. Our waiters were also very friendly and helpful in their suggestions!

    Made a reservation for Saturday dinner and the seater informed us that we had an hour and a half…read morebefore they needed the table back for the reservation. The way they worded this really rubbed me the wrong way. First, I've never been give a time limit at a restaurant that was not all-you-can-eat. Second, the amount of time I spend in your restaurant heavily depends on the speed of your service (spoiler alert: it was not fast). They then sat us at the most uncomfortable table I have ever had the displeasure of dining at. The table was low and the seats were so deep that I could not rest my back on them while eating. Definitely brought the mood down further. Food was a hit or a miss, no in between. Hit: Garlic short ribs (my partner said these were tender and a good portion for happy hour), Poke sushi roll (good fish quality and taste) Misses: First Ave Roll (sauce was just walloped on top, weak flavors), veggie and shrimp tempura (heavy and soggy batter), pink lychee cooler (artificially sweet with no strong lychee flavor), green tea tiramisu (photo speaks for itself). For all the rave reviews, I was pretty let down. Thankfully, we went during happy hour so we didn't pay full price. I would not visit here again.

    Photos
    Umi Sake House - Entry lights

    Entry lights

    Umi Sake House - Legend Of The Rolls

    Legend Of The Rolls

    Umi Sake House - Chocolate mousse

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    Chocolate mousse

    Karaage Setsuna - chicken

    Karaage Setsuna

    4.3(554 reviews)
    0.2 miBelltown
    $$

    Karaage Setsuna is a popular Japanese and Hawaiian casual restaurant in Belltown. Their portion…read moresizes tend to be large, while their service tends to be swift. The restaurant is smaller, with tables for mostly two or four people. They have an outside area, though the tables were not set up when we went. We were running late for a show, so I previewed the menu before arriving and ordered immediately upon seating. Our total time there was an impressive 40 min with their fast service. Very good to know for future reference. Karaage is in the name and is their signature dish. They make it the right way using chicken thigh. Prices are reasonable for the Seattle area. We will return again. The Food: Curry Rice with Karaage, $17.95 - 4 Stars This popular curry rice comes with a choice of protein, which naturally, we chose karaage. The curry sauce is delicious. There is a lot of rice on this plate though. Hubby left half behind. Poke Salad with tuna, $14.95 - 5 Stars Their poke salad with choice of 3.5 oz protein was excellent with the mixed greens. The salad wasn't overdressed and tasted refreshing with a light dressing. I would order this again. Karaage Chicken, small, $6.95 - 5 Stars Glad they offer the chicken as a side. The small is a good compliment to salad. Instead of four pieces, we had five. Hubby was happy to have more protein to go with the rice. They are more of a 4.5 stars rating. Their service speed bumped them up to 5 Stars.

    Solid spot for a bite if you're in Belltown. Nothing fancy--very casual, laid-back vibe. The…read morerestaurant does tend to run a bit warm, but it's manageable. If you order a rice dish, they include complimentary miso soup. It leans a little salty, but it's still comforting and a nice way to start the meal. I got the karaage curry rice this time--the karaage was crispy on the outside and super juicy inside. The portion was definitely filling. Service was quick and friendly too.

    Photos
    Karaage Setsuna - Nice restaurant!

    Nice restaurant!

    Karaage Setsuna - Shrimp Ten Don

    Shrimp Ten Don

    Karaage Setsuna - Chicken Karaage Interior

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    Chicken Karaage Interior

    Manzoku Izakaya - Chicken thigh

    Manzoku Izakaya

    3.9(52 reviews)
    0.2 miBelltown

    Good service. Friendly staff…read more Portions are small. It's meant for you to get multiple plates of skewers but the rice bowls are also pretty small. Prices are a little much for the amount of food you get. Super chill and relaxing atmosphere. Good for hanging out and catching up with friends. Street parking only. Clean bathrooms.

    Manzoku Izakaya offers a budget-friendly AYCE option for yakitori that is hard to find anywhere…read moreelse in the downtown Seattle area. There is a caveat though, which is that they only have select items in the AYCE menu. The ambiance of the place was inviting enough for us to give them a try! There is a 90 minute window for AYCE, and you can order a maximum of 3 items per person every 15 minutes. All orders have to be made from an app on your phone so make sure you have a fully charged device! When we logged in the app, it was confusing to manage at first so we worked with the server to put our orders in. She had to put in our orders for us a couple of times and then we figured out how to work the system after that. To do the math for those reading the review and maximize the number of items you can order with the 90 minute window, you can potentially order up to 18 sets of skewers per person. Each set of skewer has two sticks. My hubby and I missed a few items from our order but we were getting full after my 10th skewer and his 15th skewer so it did not matter too much! The AYCE menu also has options to order zaru soba, corn cheese, and takoyaki! Presentation is great but I wish the flavor matched the visuals. The standout skewers for us were the boruta pork and the wagyu beef tongue. I was really hoping that the yakitori would be crispier and had more of a smokey flavor but I really can't complain too much for the price point. The food is solid but not like a wow, I have to come back here again! We only saw one server for the busiest part of the night, serving 8 tables all at once. She made sure that our glasses were never empty and she treated us warmly. Wile the decor and the general atmosphere are pleasant, the quality of the food would not merit another visit for me.

    Photos
    Manzoku Izakaya - Host and bar area

    Host and bar area

    Manzoku Izakaya
    Manzoku Izakaya

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    Katsu-Ya - Westlake Roll

    Katsu-Ya

    4.4(345 reviews)
    0.4 miSouth Lake Union
    $$

    I want to clarify that I rate places based on how they compare to other similarly priced places,…read morenot necessarily compared to all other restaurants. For what this place is, I think it's great! The prices are really good considering all that you get and the quality of sushi is pretty good considering the price as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see their combos come with additional appetizers like the agadashi tofu, the salad with dressing choices, and miso soup. The chicken katsu definitely had more meat and a thinner layer of breading as an FYI. I ordered the sushi combo for 38 dollars and got great tasting sushi for that price. Overall, I'd recommend this place if you want somewhere casual with good options and little extra items mixed in with your meals. It's definitely not like Umi, or Shirros but you're also paying like 1/3 to 1/2 the price. I definitely see myself returning when I want a quick or convenient bite to eat (it's one block from my home).

    Pleasant dining experience for me. I decided to have dinner here last minute since it was walking…read moredistance from my hotel stay. So I came over. Once I arrived, I was seated at a table. My waitress gave me a warm towel to clean my hands and I appreciated the gesture. I ordered miso soup, a hand roll and one of their specialty sushi roll. Westlake roll: spicy California roll with sliced salmon and lemon red onion with mild mayo 5 pcs. Delicious, fresh and satisfying for me. 5/5 I also decided to get a hand roll and went with the Cajun salmon hand roll. The hand roll was made well, stuffed and fresh salmon. The sauce added a great flavor overall. 5/5 Service went well and staff were attentive the whole time I was there. It was busy and the staff kept up with the flow.

    Photos
    Katsu-Ya
    Katsu-Ya - Sashimi

    Sashimi

    Katsu-Ya - Special set with crab roll

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    Special set with crab roll

    wa’z - japanese - Updated May 2026

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