I had a wonderful experience here with lovely people on my left and right as I was solo dining. I accidentally chose the table instead of the counter and Bobby, a very nice gentleman, offered to make space so I could sit at the counter. The restaurant proceeded to accommodate. Subsequently, I had a selection of amazing dishes, a delicious sake flight (I got the premium selection) with slight sweet and floral notes. They elevated classical Kyoto style dishes with modern elements i.e changing rice porridge to a Parmesan risotto so that the truffle would go better with the savory flavor, yet kept the flavor and essence of a traditional Kaiseki. My only criticism was the Miyazaki wagyu was over sauced and I would have loved to taste the wagyu without too much red miso. The menu changes every month and I would definitely return if i find myself back in Seattle and have checked off the other great Japanese restaurants in this area. read more

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This is the place if you like a lot of interactions. The chef introduced each course and also showed us the whole piece of dry aged tuna they used for making sushi. A lot of their food has heavy ingredients such as wagyu and otoro, but they did a good job to keep you appetite by serving light and refreshing dishes in between. I also enjoyed watching they cooked the food in front of us. They really make it a show level experience. read more

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Always blown away whenever I come here. I don't feel like Wa'z deserves any less stars than 5. The service is impeccable and the intimacy of the restaurant is what makes the experience holistically unique. Came back here for my bday dinner since I've been madly craving keiseki for a while now. I don't want to make this review too long because the menu is a 13 course meal. I could go into details about each but instead I'll highlight my favorites. First, it's $150/person which hasn't changed price during or after COVID, I appreciate that. The sake pairing is $95/person and comes with 8 glasses. The stinging nettle purée soup with halibut was delectable. It had many floral notes to it and was hot enough to enjoy. The halibut was sooo flavorful within the soup. The tataki style sashimi was SOOOO good. I don't remember what kind of fish it was it but oh my goodness I couldn't get enough of the fish. It was lightly seared I believe and marinated and had a. sweet umami flavor There was a mini bento style dish with four different components and I think that was my favorite part of the meal. It came with stuffed lotus root, which had a little wasabi kick to it. The king crab salad was tart and juicy! The sweet potato was a perfect side to the flavors and had such a creamy nice texture. And the hamachi was very flavorful as well. My last favorite was the hand roll. It came with the A5 wagyu, uni, and caviar and every component was captured in one bite. I think Wa'z is highly underrated but everyone should definitely give them a taste! read more

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I ate here at the end of January, where I think there was still the seasonal Kaiser New year offerings. You're paying for quality food, premium, and the experience. For each course in the kaiseki/sake pairing (these are separate, we went in a group and got both because it just felt right), you are explained where it comes from, what type of taste, etc. With kaiseki you're offered all types of food, which made this really cool (I never tried omakase before so kaiseki was my first cuisine experience The portions are obviously small (which fits kaiseki), but they were delicious. I'd say most of it felt like a 5/5, with a very few cases of course not fitting our personal taste palettes. The Wagyu and the porridge was crazy good though, and also most of the nigiri was really yummy as well. For seating, you're all kinda seated next to each other in a bar-like table, so you'll be kinda closed to other groups as well, but you still have plenty of room. Also the sake was amazing. I didn't realize it could taste like that. read more

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Went here for my birthday last Friday! Every dish was amazing my favorite was the king Mackerel and chef was nice,gave me flowers and a birthday dessert read more

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We were 30 minutes late for our reservation but they were very nice and accommodating and seated us quickly after arrival. Since it's a tasting menu at specific times, we were a couple courses behind. They served our courses very quickly and we were all caught up within 20 minutes. We were hungry so it was extra delicious! Service and food were both 5 stars! read more

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All the dishes were great except I didn't care for the fishball tofu dumpling. Everything was fresh. I really liked the aged chutoro and otoro nigiri piece. Chasuke towards the end was a nice comforting soup to have close to the end with wagyu. Felt completely full at the end. Love the fact the premium sake pairing was $65 for 9 oz of booze total. read more

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Food: 5/5 - I loved every single dish I had tonight. My top 4 are (ordered by preference): 1. the mackerel sashimi, 2. the harakomeshi (salmon/salmon roe rice dish), 3. the dessert (hachiya persimmon topped with salted ice cream), and 4. the fish egg croquette. The mackerel sashimi is easily the best mackerel I've ever had - preserved the fresh unique deliciousness of mackerel but got rid of the (also unique) fishy flavor of it. Super impressed!!! The harakomeshi? Oh my god, heaven for salmon lovers! Perfectly grilled salmon, covered with juicy chewy salmon roe, on top of rice that was cooked in salmon broth, mixed together by a lovely wooden spoon, then served into your mouth? Can't think of anything more heavenly than that for salmon lovers The dessert was not only interesting/creative but also amazingly delicious. The sweetness of the ripe Hachiya Persimmon and the sweetness of the ice cream were so similar yet subtly different. They together created an interesting layered sweetness, which perfectly balanced with the salted flavor in the ice cream. The texture difference among the three, including the salt (ice cream - creamy/smooth, persimmon - shredded/slight textured, salt - cubed) elevated the taste. The croquette was the perfect starter. The skin was fried to perfection - super crispy yet no grease at all, the inside was incredibly rich and creamy yet not overwhelming. The fish egg added extra sea flavor and interesting texture. Service: 5/5 - We were very well taken care of :) 1. Every single dish was served at the perfect time - right when we were ready for it; 2. Before each dish was served, the staff explained the content and how to eat it in details; 3. We had good conversations with the chef/owner, and he explained the name of the restaurant to us; 4. The waitress (and the entire staff) was extremely nice and patient - my friend and I stayed for quite a while after our dinner to catch up and were the only two customers left, and it was way beyond their closing time, but the waitress still kept refilling our tea cups. The entire staff waited for us at the counter but no one showed any impatience or rushed us out at all. Environment: 5/5 - Nicely decorated, very intimate, and perfectly laid out space. Absolutely coming back!!! I'll be bringing my tourist friends next time! read more

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Love the concept. Very intimate and the staff were amazing. In terms of the food, it was alright. I think the some of the sauces were overpowering where all you can taste is the yuzu and not the A5 steak for example. But overall excellent. read more

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Food 5/10 All my friends enjoyed the meal except me. It could just be me that I am not a fan of Kaiseki cuisine. I cannot name a single dish that I liked. Service 8/10 We were introduced to each dish with stories. Helps and requests were answered on time. Great service. Ambiance 7/10 Clean, cozy, comfortable modern setting with kitchen table available. read more

After all taxes and gratuity, Kaiseki dinner was $198.45 per person for 9 courses that included Wagyu in 3 dishes, very fresh Uni in 2 dishes, & 5 choice nigiri including thick geoduck slice. It wasn't all 5*s, but overall a very good kaiseki, especially for Wagyu lovers. Good showing off range of skill, knowledge & presentation. 4* Favorites dishes -Temaki (nori. Shiso, rice, uni, roe), 5* -Wagyu rice bowl with Uni, 5* -Earl Grey tea ice cream. 5* Service excellent and attentive Located -at SE of intersection of Denny Way & Cedar St (which turns into 5th Ave) -just south of Zeek's Pizza -2 blocks SE of Space Needle read more

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First time back after COVID. The food remained consistently high standard and the service was impeccable. We tasted the July menu that celebrates tanadabata and do yo no ushi. Every course was meticulously plated and presented. "Delicious" is not even enough to describe how the food tastes. A few of my personal highlights are the scallop, grapefruit and yochoi salad from the hassun, the cold somen noodle with uni, ikura and caviar, the a5 wagyu tomato suikiyaki. Every time dining here is like taking a culinary adventure that reminds me of time and season. Upon finishing the meal, I already started wondering what the next month's menu would look like. read more

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Very very good but just short of extraordinary. The service, presentation, and quality of the kaiseki experience at wa'z is unparalleled in Seattle at the moment but I didn't love everything I had for dinner. Your first impression is likely to be a good one. Tasteful, calm touches to the interior, plating already in progress that looks like you're in for a special meal, and servers wandering about in beautiful kimonos seating patrons and pouring drinks - it sets an immediate tone that you're in for a proper fine dining experience. The course meal I enjoyed this evening was hit and miss but always presented with the utmost care. I would describe my experience as a bit hot and cold, with some dishes really surprising (the early appetizer of uni and crab was stunning) and others not really being my thing (dashi broth with oyster). A sashimi of sea bass, monkfish and plum was a bit of strange combination with the sea bass lacking distinction, the monkfish giving the bites a grainy brine taste and everything mixed together with a slightly bitter plum sauce. This mixed feeling continued with the two main dishes, two pieces of toro tuna nigiri which were out-of-this-world fresh and delicious, and a small serving of wagyu that was O.K. and not particularly flavorful. Fortunately the meal ended on a very positive note with a desert of what I believe was a coconut pudding and soy based ice cream, both of which were equally understated, not too sweet but uniquely tasty and surprisingly - a delightful end really. A special note has to be given to their seasonal sake selection. The Masumi "Hiyaorashi" was literally one of the most delicious sakes I've ever enjoyed and really tied the evening together. Highly recommended you seek this one out! Overall very good and recommended. It is very pricey (my total bill came to around 550 for two) but worth it for a very special night out. And, if wallet is feeling a little light afterwards, you can walk right next door to Five Points - Seattle's ancient institution of alcoholism - and get yourself some really cheap drinks to balance it all out! read more

First time trying a kaiseki concept menu. I've heard so many great things about this place so the expectation was high and I was not disappointed! Everything tasted great and our server explained every dish to us. My favorite was the A5 Miyazaki Wagyu with egg yolk sauce. We also tried dry-aged bluefin tuna for the first time and it was full of umami flavor! Can't wait to come back to try their menu again in Fall! read more

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Not our favorite place to go anymore. Missing attention to details on food, and quality is not the same. Don't feel authentic like before. Will not come again read more

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This tasting menu is amazing and is like a little taste of Japan. Everything is SO good, my favorites were the clam chowder, clam salad, and the nigiri. The dessert was also amazing and the buckwheat tea ice cream was so delicious and unique. Everything is made right in front of you and you really get a fun experience with an explanation of each dish as it's served. The little pin of musubimaru was also a super cute souvenir! read more

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We saw one of the chefs from Wa'z on Beat Bobby Flay and we booked a reservation that day, it was about a month wait to come here. Reservations required, $150 per person. We were seated at the counter so we could see the chefs make each dish, so much time and dedication goes into eat plate, it's awesome to watch. We were here for the April menu, I've attached some photos of some of the dishes. I highly recommended checking this place out. Best nigiri I've had, the fatty tuna was mouth watering and their wagyu was to die for. Can't wait to come back and check out what they have in May. read more

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As I was researching restaurants for our upcoming visit, I saw Wa'z on several foodie lists. A fan of Japanese food and the beautiful and incredible kaiseki meals served during visits to Japan, I booked two counter seats for my wife and I. We both loved the experience watching the chefs execute their craft with artistic finesse up close. Each of the nine courses perfectly balanced in flavor and almost too pretty to eat. I enjoyed everything from start to finish with the salmon tartare, wagyu beef and uni, and unagi courses being among my favorites. If you're in the city and looking for a great culinary experience, Wa'z is an excellent choice. Can't wait to come again the next time we're in Seattle. read more

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A'mazing. Wow what an experience at Wa'z, everything from refilling your water to serving and explaining each dish was surgical. You can really tell that they love what they do. Each bite was better than the last and leaving you excited for the next. Had the Sake pairing with the meal, some of the best sake i've had ever! From the most famous Sake makers to some of the oldest still in practice. The food kept coming in decent portions leaving me very satisfied by the end of the meal. Everything so fresh and well prepared. Even the plates/cups were so beautiful. Highly recommend if you have the chance to get a reservation. read more

Rice to meet you wa'z! I've had wa'z on my list of places to try since it opened but life happened (moving to the east side, babies coming and messing up my schedule, etc.). The pandemic, however, created an opportunity for me to have my wa'z at the comfort of my own home. So I did it. I ordered the Kaiseki Gozen Menu for the month of December. Kaiseki is a multi course meal, so there was a huge assortment of small bites. Honestly, my first reaction was utter amazement by how everythign tasted SO FRESH! Favorites were the seasonal fish (melt in your mouth toro!), the braised wagyu (A5 Miyazaki!), and the kamameshi with king crab, uni, and ikura. I thought their uni and ikura tasted even better than renown sushi places like Sushi Kashiba, which is another establishment I also love. The suimono even had big chunks of red snapper in it. Priced at $100, it felt very reasonable considering the high quality ingredients and yumminess. I thought the meal was great even though I had to eat it cold. I can't wait to try this in person when everything is freshly prepared and warm. read more

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June's menu was filled with citrus. Yuzu, lime, key lime... it was melt jn your mouth, it was DELICIOUS. I would even go as far as $150 per person is a BARGAIN. The whole room was in sync with service. It's fine dining, but without being pretentious. I really enjoyed the open kitchen and being able to see the art of plating. I could've have the uni wagyu on rice every day of my for the rest of my life and I still wouldn't think it would be enough. read more

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July, you are my favorite month so far! Except from the heat wave of course. We know we have to bring mum who is visiting from out of state for a treat to Wa'z after our first visit in June! Mum is super amazed and impressed by the food and services, at the end of the dinner she was saying this place is better than her favorite Japanese restaurant in Beverly Hill! My favourite dish of July menu has got to be the cold somen, it is super flavourful yet refreshing! The cold somen is cooked to perfection with slightly chewy texture which I love so much, thin slices of tomatoes give the dish a little acidity which makes it even more appetizing. Salted ice cream w green tea affagato make a perfect end for wonderful our dinner! The ice cream is salty and sweet, with some crunch from the hazelnut, a soft and chewy mochi and lastly drizzle of green tea sauce - it is like a symphony. Everyone plays their part and they all work together do beautifully! Ommmm Hope to be back soon! And thank you for our lovely server Eri! She is so hardworking and friendly as ever! read more

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The best in class for a Kaiseki modern meal. Seasonal and artfully done. Chef Hiro is masterful. We come as often as possible. Sake pairings are perfect. read more

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I haven't been able to eat raw or uncooked meat for the last few years due to medical reasons, so I'd assumed I'd mostly have to give up meals like this. When I saw that the wa'z menu advertised a "no raw seafood" option, I was pretty excited to try it. Overall, it was a disappointment. Normally high-end restaurants are pretty creative in how they work around dietary restrictions. At wa'z, the solution was to serve the exact same menu, but cooked: I was served seared uni, seared sashimi, seared nigiri, and medium-well wagyu. Obviously, this was not good. (If it was, they'd serve it that way to everyone.) I hope wa'z rethinks this menu, or stops advertising it as an option. At least I got a funny story out of it ("I paid $175 for cooked sushi"), but I wouldn't recommend the place if you have any dietary restrictions. On the other hand, my dining companions thought the meal was fine. read more

Phenominal! It is always good to find a nice Kaiseki or Omakase place when traveling. I love experiencing the Chef's creating everywhere. Chef Hiro is a friendly person, along with his phenomenal staff. I had the best time dining with them. Each dish that he creates is based on Japanese influences, on Japan's seasonal traditions. He changes the menu monthly, with slight variations throughout the month if he comes upon rare or special ingredients. He shops for them daily, so it can still always be a surprise. Our meal: Sakizuke: Starter Consisted with a sesame tofu, made differently, almost a mochi texture. It as very refreshing as it was served in a Dashi Broth. Hassun: Assorted appetizers A sushi in types of hydrangea, one sauced over the fish, wrapped in a hydrangea leaf. A yellow tempera corn, perfectly crisped. A Braised octopus, this was sweet and savory. and A braise kabocha pumpkin. Suimono:Soup A fried Fish cake clear soup. I loved loved this soup. I wanted more! They fry the fish cake and immediately plate it following a delicious clear broth. It wasn't fish-y at all, in fact the soup was light and flavorful at the same time. I wanted to take a whole bowl home with me heheh Tsukuri: Sashimi An oyster topped with a seared A5 wagyu beef, to diiiiiiiie for. I am not even in to raw oysters but wow, I could eat 10 of theses. Seasonal fish, absolutely fresh! Takaiwase: Braised dish At this point, i thought to myself, I have experienced so many flavor already, what more can he surprise my palette with?! and so he continues to surprise it: A braised eggplant creamy. A duck breast, tender and moist, Asparagus with white miso glaze to cut the salt. Yakimono: Grilled dish Shio Koji King Salmon, you can' be in Seattle without having a salmon part dish right? He added salmon row and grated diakon with tosa vinaigrette. Gohan: Rice dish I nearly skipped this dish because I typically don't enjoy rice. But how he had a ball of rice placed in a broth, with some crispy snapper rice that gave it a great texture topped with two slices of snapper. Kanmi: dessert Cant i take more to go? the japanese flavors were to die for! Custard pudding, that was light and gave a brulee texture, with roasted been flour ice cream (why do they not sell this ice cream in the market!?!!?!) with season fruits. This meal and services was over all amazing!! seasonal dishes and flavors that you can't experience anywhere else, because it is the chef's creative choices.. I cannot wait to come back on my next trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, they have a wonderful selection of sake, and the chef there, she makes the beautiful glasses they offer to drink it with. You must buy one from her, it is beautiful!! read more

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Wa'z had excellent service, with each plate being present to all guest at once and a full explanation of what was being served for each dish, and the waitress was very attentive throughout dinner service. The food was very excellent and tasted fresh. I would definitely recommend anyone to try this experience. read more

wa’z - A5 Miyazaki Wagyu, Sea urchin, Ikura, Shiitake mushrooms, Wasabi - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It was my first time having kaiseki so it was overall a very authentic dining experience for me. The restaurant is very intimate with less than ten tables - most came as a couple and there was one table with a group of four. I loved the open kitchen aspect and every table gets a clear view of the chef making your meal. You literally see the whole process of the chef preparing your food, then the server delivering it to your table and explaining everything about the dish. Simply put, the food is an elevated version of Japanese home-style cooking in omakase style. From oysters to wagyu, halibut, nigiri, each dish was absolutely delicious and you can taste how fresh the seasonal ingredients are. Particularly the uni and toro just melts in your mouth. The price point is pretty high but wa'z would be a great to go for a special occasion and for a special experience. I would give five-stars to food, service and ambience. It was about a 2-hour dining experience and you will leave feeling very full. Highly Recommend! read more

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Chef Hiro and the staff at Wa'z are special - dining here is an experience. The food is unique and tasty and each month the menu changes. Kaiseki at its finest with a Seattle flare... read more

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Wowowowow! I haven't dined in here before due to Covid, and have only had their takeout. But wowowowowow. What can I say, their takeout is hands down the most incredible takeout experience I have ever had. I don't know of any other place I'd drive 20 minutes to order takeout from haha. I tried one of their Kaiseki sets to celebrate a special occasion. It came in a gorgeous box and each item was so carefully prepared with the utmost detail. Each dish was a work of art. And wowowowow everything tasted just phenomenal. I also came once to get their hand roll set. This is a really fun date activity. You get a lot of fresh fish and plenty of ingredients to make a variety of hand rolls. I do wish they had printed out some simple instructions for how to do it though. Hehe we were novices so had to improvise a lot and pull out YouTube. read more

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It took me a while to determine how I wanted to write this review and how many stars to give Wa'z. My only other Kaiseki experience was at Kenzo in Napa Valley which totally blew me away with its food and service. I was wavering between 3 or 4 stars but ultimately chose 4 stars because Wa'z truly did have great service and the food was very fresh and good but wasn't great. Maybe I had too high of expectations after reading some of the other yelp reviews. We walked in on time for our 8:00pm reservations but still had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated for our counter seats because the customers were still finishing up their meal and paying. We ordered the Premium Kaiseki which had 9 courses for the night and cost $110 per person and my wife added the Sake flight which was an additional $45. We had: 1. Sakizuke - Yellow Corn Puree/Asparagus and Sea Urchin: the corn puree was deliciously sweet and the Santa Barbara sea urchin was creamy and delectable. This was the highlight dish of the night for me. 2. Hassun - Steamed Duck Breast/Crab Sushi/Seared Scallops/Salt Water Eel Cucumber Sweet and Sour Salad/Lotus Root Chips: the duck breast was perfectly seared and melt in your mouth good; the crab sushi was a disappointment as the ginger took away the crab's sweetness and the rice was too hard, cold and thick; the seared scallops from Hokkaido were sweet and delicious as was the eel cucumber salad. 3. Suimono - Salmon cake, Grated daikon radish, zucchini with ginger juice Soup: Usually the daikon creates a sweet, clear soup base but in this case, the soup was too bland. The Salmon cake was not smooth enough but at least the zucchini was sweet. 4. Tsukiri - the raw fish and sweet shrimp were very fresh. The local sweet shrimp from Puget Sound was a little bit smaller than what I was used to from southern California but just as good. I'm typically not a fan of mackerel but the mackerel that was served was sweet and not fishy at all. I ended up deep frying the shrimp head instead of sucking out the juices as recommended by the Chef. 5. Shinagi - the seared A5 Wagyu Beef Nigiri sushi was served too ways. The beef was a little bit chewy and not what I am used to for Miyazaki beef. 6. Takiawase - chilled braised dish of tomato, eggplant, okra, spaghetti squash, satsuma yam and sesame sauce jelly. the sweet and sourness of the sauce on the veggie reinvigorated my appetite as I was starting to get a bit full. 7. Yakimono - the Yuzukosho Salmon was grilled just right and had a tasty moist inside but a crunchy outside. The seasonal mushrooms and yu choy were a perfect compliment to the dish. 8. Gohangawari - We were told by the chef that at this point for dinner we typically get a rice dish but instead we were served buckwheat groats and tempura. the buckwheat groats were difficult to fish out in the soup base it was in and with the utensils provided. I thought the soup base was a little bit too salty and gave up after a few tries. The tempura batter was a little bit too doughy and it was not fried to the crunchy level I typically like from my tempura. Overall very disappointed in this last savory dish. 9. Kanmi - We ended the night with dessert that consisted a mixture of Caramel ice cream matcha affogato with milk agar agar and red bean paste. This was absolutely the best way to end the meal. Overall, the meal was good but it lacked the WOW factor for me as I have had better Kaiseki. For $110, it was a decent price for the amount of food served. Unfortunately, this will be a one and done restaurant for me. read more

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Had an incredible meal at Wa'z! From service to food, it was overall a wonderful experience. Everything was cooked to perfection and it was presented beautifully! We had a sake pairing with the meal and it was so delicious! Some of the best sake I've had. The server did such a great job explaining each sake and some of the history behind each one. Not only was the food was great but the service was excellent!! read more

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Truly my favorite sushi restaurant in Seattle. My experience has been amazing every single time. Food is always delicious and I love how they always incorporate seasonal items into their menu. Hospitality is absolutely amazing- I had visited a few times before moving to the city and during my visit after moving here, they gave me a bouquet of flowers with a card and they even personalized my dessert with a sweet note. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

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I took myself out here and enjoyed it much-a Japanese-style course menu to taste the seasonal ingredients. I was seated right in front of the kitchen entrance, and I saw a bunch of new dish soaps below the sink behind the noren, which was a bit pitiful, but I still enjoyed the dishes. I wish the photos captured the flavors, but it was fresh yet refreshing overall. The oyster tasted a bit salty initially, but that woke up my appetite, being served as zensai. I loved the appetizer plate because it had various flavors in different colors. My favorite was sous vide wagyu with tempura, and the pumpkin soup tasted velvety and elegant. It was the first time I had tried sushi with my bare hand per the chef's recommendation, and it tasted different eating with chopsticks, and I was stunned. I got lazy and took one nigiri with chopsticks, realizing why he told us so when it touched my tongue. I liked ochazuke and enjoyed tiny bits of ume and a hint of shiso. The course ended freshly and delightfully with seasonal fruits and hojicha with ice cream. It took more than a couple of decades to see a dining place like this in Seattle (finally!), and I'm ready to visit every season. Wa'z is a small business; one server serves the entire group of customers so that it might feel chaotic - but they well managed the night. Finally, I found another place to visit seasonally, aside from Canlis! read more

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Great food, very good service, easy street parking, nice atmosphere and decoration will come again. read more

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I took my wife here for her birthday two days ago, on 1 Nov. I chose this place because of the variety of food with different sights, smells and textures. The previous reviews were also a factor and 100% accurate! We were greeted with a very friendly welcome by a wonderful hostess in traditional Japanese dress. Very beautiful and warm. The restaurant does not have counter seating as the website describes, but this is due to covid restrictions. The restaurant is warm and inviting and it feels like a home more than a restaurant. Most of the tables give you a wonderful view of the kitchen to watch the chef's prepare the 10 courses. Be prepared to spend time here. Our meal lasted three hours but it didn't feel like it was that long. The balance between getting each course and waiting for the next one was perfect. The food preparation, plating and presentation were outstanding. The chef came out to explain each dish and ingredients. The smells, textures and flavors were fantastic! Everything was perfectly cooked! They have a great selection of Sake to choose from and the hostess definitely knows her Sake and gave us great recommendations. You definitely will NOT go away hungry. The portions are great and I definitely was full by the end. They all made us feel special for my wife's birthday and we felt like part of the family. If we could have we would have given them a hug for the fantastic experience and taking us to JAPAN for a evening. If you want a great experience with top notch food ingredients and quality, look no further! Worth every penny! read more

wa’z - Menu. - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This was my first Kaiseki experience and it wasn't anything I expected in terms of food. I guess I was disappointed that there wasn't more sushi/sashimi in the menu for one, but it wouldn't have been a huge deal if I enjoyed all the dishes. Everything just seemed mediocre to me and not worth the price ($110 per person). The portions were small and the flavors didn't stand out to me, there wasn't a single dish that I wanted to eat again and again. We had reservations on a Saturday at 6:30pm. We were seated immediately but had to wait another 15-20 mins or so before we got our first course. I think they were waiting for other people to arrive so they could group the seating times together. It was a bit confusing because we started out first and then the other groups ended up catching up to our courses. They definitely plate out a ton of dishes at a time so that everything is prepared in one go. Our courses for December 2019 menu included: *Sakizuke: Starter - Black Cod, Ponzu, Daikon, Buckwheat Groats, Chives - I actually really liked this dish. The Black Cod was cooked right, the Ponzu was tastey and the Buckwheat added a crunch element to the dish. 4/5 *Hassun: Assorted Appetizers - Squid, looked like little potatoes on the plate but was actually very flavorful and not chewy. The squid was cooked well and was one of the elements in this dish I liked best. Dungeness Crab Sushi - my least favorite element in the appetizers cause I felt like the crab was overwhelmed with rice. The block of rice was too much for the ratio of crab and felt/tasted like overly cooked watery/doughy rice. Amadai Snapper - the snapper was deep fried and I loved the crispy scales. Flakey and delicious, though slightly on the bland side and could've used a bit of salt/flavor. And lastly the Mustard Greens and Ikura salad - I liked that the ikura was not so salty, like when served at normal sushi places. The dish paired well with the mustard green and the dressing. If I had to rate the appetizers on this plate: Squid, Ikura and Mustard Greens Salad, Amadai Snapper, then the Crab Sushi. Overall, the dish was a 3/5. I don't think anything went together and it was just a mix of assorted single elements. *Suimono: Soup Dish - Oyster, Seasonal Mushrooms, Wakame Seaweed, Yuzu. The soup tasted really oystery. There wasn't much substace to it. It was a play on miso that didn't hit the mark. 2/5 *Tsukuri: Sashimi - Seasonal Fish. The fish was a large Hamachi for the night. We enjoyed it. Nothing to write about here. Wish there were more fishes included in the menu - I had my heart on an Otoro for the night. 5/5 *Shinogi - A5 Miyazaki Beef, Sea Urchin, Baby Chives, Wasabi, and we opted for the addition of Black Truffles for an extra $15 a person. The A5 Miyazaki beef was slice a bit too thin to be able to taste, though a lot of the flavors of the A5 was overwhelmed by the sea urchin. I tasted mostly sea urchin in this dish if you eat it like suggested, wrapping everything up in a roll for one bite of everything together. The black truffle was light in flavor and didn't add to the dish. I was expecting a stronger truffle. There was definitely a sweet element to this dish, though it didn't wow me like I expected for the ingredients included. 4/5 *Takiawase: Braised Dish - Daikon, Monkfish, and Monkfish Liver.. The daikon really helped cut the flavors of the monkfish and monkfish liver. Though I didn't think this dish stood out much - it was an overwhelming flavor of just monkfish, which I normally enjoy on its own. 3/5 *Yakimono: Grilled Dish - Duck Breast, Cranberry Sauce, Brussel Sprouts and Yellow/Red Beets. I was expecting to love this dish cause I really love duck, but this one missed the mark. The duck was tender, though the flavors were underwhelming. You had to really get the cranberry sauce to taste anything here - and that was even lacking. The beets were sweet, but the beets and brussels didn't go as well together and I just felt like it was a mix of ingredients that didn't compliment each other. It's probably one of my least favorite dishes of the night. 2/5 *Gohan: Rice Dish - Rice Ball, King Crab, Umeboshi, Seasonal Mushroom, Mitsuba. This was a comfort dish for me cause it reminded me of Chinese congee. The crispy rice ball broken up into the umeboshi was actually quite good, but break it up thoroughly and let the rice soak in all the flavors. Didn't taste much of the king crab element. 4/5 *Kanmi: Dessert - Satsuma Yam Chocolate surrounded by a Matcha Cream - This one missed the mark cause the matcha and the satsuma chocolate didn't compliment each other. It was ok but the salty rice cracker on the bottom made it even worse. 2/5 On the other side you have the Buckwheat Tea Ice Cream, this ice cream was delicious - minus the weird candy cane to fit the xmas theme. I'm not for adding additional elements just for decor that doesn't go with the dish, an afterthought 3/5. read more

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Covid dining! They have 2 seatings (5 & 8pm) for a set kaiseki menu priced at $150; $200 including tip and tax. The meal overall was very balanced and just right. I thought I would leave hungry but I did not and i also did not overeat. Everything tasted great but nothing particularly stood out. All staff were masked and respectful during these unfortunate times so overall felt as safe as can be. read more

Finally made it out to dinner here. It's near the Space Needle, don't usually go to this part of town often. BUT... worth the drive. Went during the holidays and the menu was very cute/festive. The menu changes seasonally. Made reservations for the high top. You get to see all the action from the countertop. Service was very attentive and detailed. The food reflects that of the service... very precise and balanced. We splurged on all the add-on. (Was not necessary to have truffles, but is sure fun). I will return for the next menu. It is definitely worth the try. read more

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The Kaiseki tasting menu at wa'z is truly a unique and adventurous dining experience. The nine course course meal is filled with a wide range of different Japanese dishes with a focus on one of the regions within Japan. Each dish is so intriguing, it leaves the customer wondering what the next course will bring. The preparations of the dishes are beautiful with extreme attention to detail and the dishes themselves often resemble works of art. While the dishes are pretty, more importantly, the execution of the cooking and preparation was always spot on. Often prior to each dish making its way over to the table you would see 2-3 cooks hovered the dishes ensuring perfection. Each dish is introduced in detail by one of their cooks and presented often with detailed steps on how to prepare and then maximize the flavors of the dish. The restaurant also gives very good recommendations on the different drink options and how it will pair with each dish. Personally, I ordered the sake tasting flight, and the waitress assisted in pairing each sake with a course during the meal. This was a very impressive demonstration by the air staff in understanding the flavor profiles of both the courses as well as the drinks. As the courses on the Kaiseki menu look to change by the month, and only the kaiseki tasting menu is available (no direct ordering), I will not detail reviews of each dish. I will say that the highlight of the meal surprisingly was the dessert. The salted ice cream on top of the Hachiya Persimmon fruit be very well the best dessert I have ever had. It was the perfect combination of saltiness, sweetness, and tartness. The ice cream seemingly melted into the soft persimmon fruit and fused together in each bite. The service at this restaurant was impeccable. We changed it up on them bringing a young child and with no children's menu, the cooks still found a way to concoct a dish which the child absolutely adored. Also over the course of the meal the child may have dropped a spoon or fork over 20 times, each time the waitress was there to help within seconds. This type of patience is often not the norm at a restaurant of this caliber. An amazing dining experience. Although the tasting menu carries a cost, it was totally worth it. Will find out way back to wa's next time we are in town to see what this passionate group of cooks will come up with next. read more

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We came here with pretty high expectations after reading reviews online and looking at the photos. We were able make a reservation a month in advance. For the month of January, they have a New Year menu theme. There were three chefs working and they were already prepping the first couple dishes. After the server took our drink orders, the chef served us a sample of a new year sake that had gold flakes mixed in with it. I ordered the premium top shelf sake flight and was surprised they brought out all three sake at the same time, but I guess it is a "flight". They started with an oyster wrapped with A5 Miyazaki wagyu as the first course, which was pretty good. The third course was a Kyoto style white miso mochi soup, which was one of our favorites though the mochi was too big and chewy...kinda wished there was a filling inside. There was also a piece of king crab that tasted a bit overcooked, but love the savory sweet combination of the broth. One of my personal favorite was a dish with uni on top of grilled A5 Miyazaki beef that's on top of braised daikon radish. My bf didn't really enjoy it because his piece of Wagyu was dry. The assortment of 5 seasonal nigiri also were pretty good, but nothing special. The first initial piece was very dry and flavorless (forgot which fish cut it was), so for the second to fifth piece, we decided to dip the nigiri in the soy sauce that was provided and it seemed to taste better? Not sure if it's a good thing that the nigiri tastes better because of soy sauce. There were a few of the courses that we didn't care for, but one dish we surprisingly liked was the mackerel hand roll. It was surprisingly really good and not fishy at all. Dessert was baked Japanese cheesecake and matcha ice cream and is it weird that was our favorite out of everything? Lol The experience and atmosphere was okay. Love how the one server wears a kimono; it gave a really cool traditional vibe. She was also very nice and attentive. The chefs didn't interact with the customers at the sushi bar (not sure if it's because of covid), but it seemed like they kept to themselves and are always focus on preparing what is next. Overall, I would rate a 7/10! read more

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