Restaurant Review: Kazoku
On my way to a Korean restaurant I was going to review, I found Kazoku, a Japanese sushi train restaurant (and I love the sushi train concept). It was a nice surprise to find one right in the heart of Kapolei.
Kazoku in Japanese means "flowery lineage" and refers to a now defunct system of nobility. It's no wonder then that the restaurant is a bit more upscale than most in Kapolei. The layout is small, but a surprising number of customers can be packed in without anyone feeling uncomfortable. The best part is that the sushi train is a double loop, so if you see something pass by that you like but don't have time to grab it, it will trundle by again shortly (unless someone else has snapped it up of course).
The plate prices are $1, $2, $3, and $4. There were few options at the lowest price point, most dishes were $3. That was a bit disappointing, but there were some unusual offerings that are worth trying at the higher price points. In particular, they offered an enormous slice of cheesecake (yup, cheesecake), for $3. Too much for one person, it makes a inexpensive dessert for two or more people. The mochi balls, which are very popular in Hawaii, are also interesting, but I found that the ones I chose took forever to cool down. Mochi balls are a chewy glutinous rice desert with various fillings, which sounds a little unappetizing, but are really quite good. The most interesting desert was sorbet in hollowed out oranges and lemons.
As for the sushi, it was well made and fresh though there could have been more variety. Nothing looked like it had been on the train too long. They also had fried chicken sushi, which I had only previously had in Sydney Australia. You would think something like that would have originated on the mainland, but I've yet to see it there. Another odd item were the chicken wings, but that just means that there is something for everyone (great for picky eating kids).
There was no sushi guide other than a vague placemat with generic pictures, which was annoying. Several intriguing dishes past by, but since I couldn't identify what they were, I was hesitant to try them (too many food intolerances to risk on a unknown item). Kazoku serves alcohol and you can order plates to go. Overall, I really enjoyed it.
Kazoku is located off Farrington Highway, on Kamokilo Blvd and Kapolei Parkway, next to Outback Steakhouse.
