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Great multi course meal with a very limited seating. There were nine people in the whole restaurant and it kept things very intimate. Top plates were the wagyu beef with shredded truffle, the matcha tiramisu, and the Tuna sushi on the wafer cracker. Lots of unique and unusual flavors, nothing boring! Super fun sitting at the bar watching the dishes get compiled.
Went to Wa'z for their tasting menu. The highlights: The first dish, which was a lightly fried tofu curd with uni that was fantastic. The texture was like mochi almost with this light crunch. The sushi/sashimi was amazing, especially the smoked salmon, mackerel and yellowtail (they had a special name for it). Sadly the egg was a miss with it being good but nothing new or elevated there. I also had shirako, which is a delicacy of fish sperm sacs (yes, you read that right). I am very food adventurous and really liked this, but could understand if folks are turned off by it They brought out the tuna we had, which is dry aged, and the lean tuna was the best tuna I have ever had and will probably ever have. It had a texture and taste that I didn't know could come from lean tuna. The otoro was fantastic as well but as I find with most nigiri there is too much rice and it dominates the fish's texture and flavor. Next on the list was the soup, which had a great flavor and was only held back by the mochi which was kinda lacking overall. The second sashimi course with the uni and this dish were good but had the issue of each of the components being good but them just not coming together in a way that made sense. The miss: The rice "risotto" and A5 wagu (not pictured cause I forgot) were lacking in seasoning so badly that I almost just didn't eat the dish. The meat needed salt... or really anything to bring it to life as did the rice. The desert was extremely lackluster as the matcha ice cream was nice but not unique and the other component looked like something I might get as an afterthought at the farmers market. The service was great, the staff was friendly and welcoming. They were able to accommodate my gluten allergy (celiac) without any major modifications which was also fantastic. Overall 6/10, would not go back but am glad I got to try some of the dishes.
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.
Wa'z had been on my list for a long time. Went with friends celebrating their February birthdays my first Kaiseki experience and it didn't disappoint. Service is impeccable without being stuffy. Dishes are beautifully presented and explained in detail. Every dish was delicious and prepared with such care and passion for the ingredients. As a Japanese American it was fun to come when the menu featured dishes for celebration is Sestsubun. I went with glass of the Masumi. One of my friends had the pairing, another the flight of three premium sake and the last friend had a NA peach Bellini. All the proteins were perfectly balance and prepared. I loved the variety of the menu and the nostalgia of many of the ingredients. Chef Hiro and staff do a wonderful job! Space is simple but welcoming. Feel like the main counter seats 8-10 and there about maybe five tables. Definitely a must experience. Our menu for the evening: ~ Deep fried house made Sesame Tofu Sea Urchin, Wasabi, Dashi Sauce.(Tapioca flour added gave it a mochi like texture). -Presented in celebration of Setsubun: Braised Soybean and Seaweed with Creamy Tofu Sauce, Grilled Black Cod, Braised Duck Breast, Pickled Mackerel Sushi -Monk Fish Liver and Turnip Purée soup. Deep fried Fish fillet, Chrysanthemum Leaf purée Yuzu Peel, Micro Greens -Toro "Namero" Monaka: Bluefin Tuna Toro, *Ikura, Takuan, Green onion, Ginger in Monaka Shell. (The monaka shell was very nostalgic to me, love the texture it gave to this dish) -A5 Wagyu Beef, Fried Maitake Mushroom in Egg Yolk Sauce with Spanish Truffle shavings -Dry Aged Bluefin Tuna Nigiri -"Ehomaki" uncut Sushi Roll a traditional Setsubun food eaten in silence facing the year's lucky direction: Braised Wagyu, Negi-Toro, King Crab, Ikura Egg omelet, Shiitake mushroom, Cucumber -Japanese Angel Hair Noodle Snow crab, Shimeji Mushroom, Green Onion, Egg, Ginger -Matcha Tiramisu: Sweet Red Bean Paste served with Raspberry and Ruby Chocolate Ice Cream
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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???
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!
We went to wa'z for me birthday and had a fantastic meal. This is definitely a great place to go for special occasions. The food is wonderful and the service is perfect. If you desire to go, make sure you plan ahead for reservations. The interior is kind of stark and wooden, but comfortable. There are 10 seats at the chef's bar, but we had one of the tables. They have a ton of sake choices, but we got a bottle of plum wine (which goes well with sushi. There is a set menu, with a nice introduction to each course. Every dish was thoughtful and delicious, including a dish of salmon that is one of the best tastes I have ever had. Another big memory was this big, gorgeous piece of tuna they brought out and cut sashimi from. Just really excellent. This is definitely worth a visit, we had just a super experience. read more
2 months ago
I'd been looking forward to this after having Kaiseki in Kyoto, but this didn't come close -- and at $185+/person, it should have. The seasonal albacore sashimi was the low point: sliced too thick, with a strong fishy smell suggesting it wasn't as fresh as advertised. I had to wash it down with water to get through my gagging. For a seafood city like Seattle, the nigiri was shockingly mediocre too. About 80% of the food was a struggle to get through. Grilled fish was overdone; the fried fish was overdone, cold, and stiff. A tofu-sauce dish with fig, walnut, and shrimp somehow tasted like potato salad -- more Americanized comfort food than Kaiseki. Dessert looked beautiful, with a bit of tableside theatrics, but tasted bland and the components were hard to distinguish from each other. The one dish that impressed was, ironically, the wagyu beef -- not exactly the point of a Kaiseki menu built around seasonal, local ingredients. Service didn't help. We were seated dead-center at the counter but too far from the two staff explaining each course to actually hear them -- we kept leaning in, only for one of them to eventually notice. We also missed out on things other diners got, like an up-close look at the aged tuna. There was only one waitress, who was also the hostess and had to clear every course and handle all drinks -- she was clearly stretched thin, and our water and tea went unrefilled until we flagged it ourselves. I don't fault her personally; it read as an understaffing problem. But at this price point, they should have staffed appropriately -- a mandatory 20% tip feels absurd when there isn't enough staff to actually deliver the service that tip is supposed to reflect. For the price and the format's promise, this fell far short of what I'd expect from Kaiseki. It's worth noting that many glowing reviews here mention meeting the head chef -- we didn't, and I wonder if we simply caught the restaurant on an off night without him there for quality control. If so, that's still a problem: consistency shouldn't depend on which night you walk in. read more
4 months ago
Had such an amazing experience at Wa'z. Got to experience the June 2026 Kaiseki tasting menu and every item did not disappoint. From the service to the food, everything was top tier. We also added the sake flight to our tasting. The ambiance was nice, small and intimate. There's 10 seats at the chefs table and 3 extra tables for dining experience. Definitely recommended getting seated at the chefs table for the full experience. read more
8 months ago
Great multi course meal with a very limited seating. There were nine people in the whole restaurant and it kept things very intimate. Top plates were the wagyu beef with shredded truffle, the matcha tiramisu, and the Tuna sushi on the wafer cracker. Lots of unique and unusual flavors, nothing boring! Super fun sitting at the bar watching the dishes get compiled. read more
Went to Wa'z for their tasting menu. The highlights: The first dish, which was a lightly fried tofu curd with uni that was fantastic. The texture was like mochi almost with this light crunch. The sushi/sashimi was amazing, especially the smoked salmon, mackerel and yellowtail (they had a special name for it). Sadly the egg was a miss with it being good but nothing new or elevated there. I also had shirako, which is a delicacy of fish sperm sacs (yes, you read that right). I am very food adventurous and really liked this, but could understand if folks are turned off by it They brought out the tuna we had, which is dry aged, and the lean tuna was the best tuna I have ever had and will probably ever have. It had a texture and taste that I didn't know could come from lean tuna. The otoro was fantastic as well but as I find with most nigiri there is too much rice and it dominates the fish's texture and flavor. Next on the list was the soup, which had a great flavor and was only held back by the mochi which was kinda lacking overall. The second sashimi course with the uni and this dish were good but had the issue of each of the components being good but them just not coming together in a way that made sense. The miss: The rice "risotto" and A5 wagu (not pictured cause I forgot) were lacking in seasoning so badly that I almost just didn't eat the dish. The meat needed salt... or really anything to bring it to life as did the rice. The desert was extremely lackluster as the matcha ice cream was nice but not unique and the other component looked like something I might get as an afterthought at the farmers market. The service was great, the staff was friendly and welcoming. They were able to accommodate my gluten allergy (celiac) without any major modifications which was also fantastic. Overall 6/10, would not go back but am glad I got to try some of the dishes. read more
5 months ago
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. read more
Wa'z had been on my list for a long time. Went with friends celebrating their February birthdays my first Kaiseki experience and it didn't disappoint. Service is impeccable without being stuffy. Dishes are beautifully presented and explained in detail. Every dish was delicious and prepared with such care and passion for the ingredients. As a Japanese American it was fun to come when the menu featured dishes for celebration is Sestsubun. I went with glass of the Masumi. One of my friends had the pairing, another the flight of three premium sake and the last friend had a NA peach Bellini. All the proteins were perfectly balance and prepared. I loved the variety of the menu and the nostalgia of many of the ingredients. Chef Hiro and staff do a wonderful job! Space is simple but welcoming. Feel like the main counter seats 8-10 and there about maybe five tables. Definitely a must experience. Our menu for the evening: ~ Deep fried house made Sesame Tofu Sea Urchin, Wasabi, Dashi Sauce.(Tapioca flour added gave it a mochi like texture). -Presented in celebration of Setsubun: Braised Soybean and Seaweed with Creamy Tofu Sauce, Grilled Black Cod, Braised Duck Breast, Pickled Mackerel Sushi -Monk Fish Liver and Turnip Purée soup. Deep fried Fish fillet, Chrysanthemum Leaf purée Yuzu Peel, Micro Greens -Toro "Namero" Monaka: Bluefin Tuna Toro, *Ikura, Takuan, Green onion, Ginger in Monaka Shell. (The monaka shell was very nostalgic to me, love the texture it gave to this dish) -A5 Wagyu Beef, Fried Maitake Mushroom in Egg Yolk Sauce with Spanish Truffle shavings -Dry Aged Bluefin Tuna Nigiri -"Ehomaki" uncut Sushi Roll a traditional Setsubun food eaten in silence facing the year's lucky direction: Braised Wagyu, Negi-Toro, King Crab, Ikura Egg omelet, Shiitake mushroom, Cucumber -Japanese Angel Hair Noodle Snow crab, Shimeji Mushroom, Green Onion, Egg, Ginger -Matcha Tiramisu: Sweet Red Bean Paste served with Raspberry and Ruby Chocolate Ice Cream read more
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. read more
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. read more
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. read more
1 year ago
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! read more
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. read more
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. read more
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! read more
2 years ago
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??? read more
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! read more
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. :( read more
1 year ago
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! read more
wa'z in Belltown is a Japanese set menu restaurant. Unlike an omakase meal with an endless parade of fish on rice, their offerings are a mix of cooked foods, soup, nigiri, and even dessert. They change their menu monthly. It's $150 per person with many little dishes, all made with highest quality ingredients. I honestly think it's worth every penny. Everything tasted very fresh. For a weekend reservation, book six+ weeks in advance. Our Friday night reservation was booked three weeks prior. Their very busy schedule is well justified. Unless you're a party of six, I suggest booking at the counter. It's a dinner and a show to watch them prep. Needless to say, service was excellent. The Food: A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Beef wrapped Oyster with Lime Kosho Paste - What an amazing bite. I slurped the entire thing and enjoyed the combination of flavors. In the bowl - Steamed monkfish liver, fuyu persimmon, green onion, mixed with mustard miso vinaigrette. Back: Seared striped jack sushi. Front: Grilled black cod, deep fried mountain yam potato. The little mixture in the bowl is a surprising mix of flavors. All others are great, too. Matsutake Dobin Mushi - Matsutake mushrooms, king salmon, manila clams, shrimp, sudachi, with a wedge of yuzu lemon. This soup is one of my faves of the night! We were told to taste it by itself and then try it with the yuzu lemon. Definitely with the yuzu lemon! King Mackerel sashimi, seared, served with jalapeño daikon. This is also another fave. The grilled dish of the night - A5 Miyazaki Wagyu, scallop, sea urchin, geoduck, matsutake mushrooms, white miso sauce. The ingredients are really good, but I thought it was a tad salty. Some of the ingredients were separately cooked, then placed on the shell for one more heating on the grill. I think the second heating may have reduced the sauce too much making it salty. The wagyu was amazing though! First set of nigiris: A geoduck (left), a seasoned Japanese fish, and a seared fish (right). (Forgot the specifics, oops) Tempura with house brined king salmon roe over rice. This dish wasn't on the menu. Bonus! Before the next dish, the chef showed us their bluefin tuna dry-aged for 10 days. The left dark side yields the deep red muscular tuna. The right pale side yields the fatty toro. If the outside is cut off, it'll look like the nigiri we were served. Second set of nigiris: Fatty toro and deep red muscular bluefin tuna - YUM!!! That fatty toro is mouthwatering! Deep-fried rice ball soup. The broth is thickened dashi with king crab, mushrooms, mitsuba, and egg. Dessert of the night: Hachiya persimmon, glazed with St Germain liqueur, served with house-made salted sweet cream ice cream and salt flakes. Really, really good! read more
We had, unbeknownst to us, a 30th anniversary dinner at Wa'z. It was Friday, July 15th, and our anniversary is on July 18th, but we told no one it was our anniversary. Wa'z has some app that informs them of patron's birthdays and anniversaries, and they surprise you with a celebratory moment. It was very nice and heartfelt. Yet, the true celebration is about the chef and kitchen at Wa'z because the food is superb, and somehow Wa'z is relatively unknown in a city dependent and motivated by social media. Admittedly, we are neophytes with Japanese cuisine, but every dish served at Wa'z was a taste sensation. Tiny and intimate, (some restaurants are small but not intimate) the staff goes out of its way to make diners comfortable and feel a part of what's going on in the kitchen. We splurged on the $95.00 sake pairing, and by the fourth dish served on the set menu, I was a happy fool. Everyone else dining at Wa'z on this particular evening was Japanese, but we never felt odd or left out. The chef, servers, and diners were all gracious, patiently explaining every dish to the two of us. With a cost of $150.00 per person, plus a 20% service charge, Wa'z is Seattle expensive, but the food and dining experience are worth the expenditure! read more
2 years ago
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!! read more
TL;DR amazing kaiseki dishes with 5 star service, with some misses with the tuna/some sashimi in terms of cut Getting a reservation here is not that hard compared to other places like Taneda, Sushi Kashiba, etc (unless Saturdays) but I have not really planned to go here until a few months later, but the cherry blossom centric menu drew me so I was trying to find a reservation for a Saturday, which luckily opened up last minute (~24 hrs in advance) which happened to be because someone that sat next to me changed his reservation from 2 to 1 and I took that solo dining spot (and I talked to that person who has mutual friends with me and a coworker which was like "wow small world"). I did wish they updated the website more frequently cause they still only have the March menu up, so it was hard to find what April's menu was until another Yelper posted pics of the menu. There is no difference being served with Chef Hiro vs other chefs here as they do the same explaining of dishes. 1st course: oyster wrapped in A5 Wagyu: a great starter with some umami flavor. There is a large amount of salt that provides support for the oyster shell, that if I did not savor a little would have been a bad surprise! 2nd course: steelhead box sushi with bluefin tuna, firefly squid, egg, baby octopus, salmon. Bluefin tuna had some tendon which meant it was not a good cut. Firefly squid was solid in flavor but for flash fry, I expected texture to be less mushy and more crispy. The Dashimaki egg omelette was simple yet executed well, with a mix of soy sauce. Baby octopus was fresh and lighter in flavor profile. Underneath the cherry blossom leaf was the salmon as a nigiri, though I wasn't able to taste the fresh salmon flavor as the leaf flavor soaked in rice overpowered in flavor. 3rd course: Japanese red snapper soup: very refreshing, the snapper was nicely pan seared which, even though placed in a soup, still maintains the integrity. The choice of red snapper by the chef is because the color is likened to that of cherry blossom in light of the cherry blossom season. Well executed, with nicely cut and shaped turnips 4th course: seasonal fish sashimi was the amberjack with miso, green onion, and its flowers. The green onion overpowered in flavor for me to enjoy the sashimi but the texture of the sashimi was great and the sake pairing was able to bring out some of the flavors there. 5th course: A5 Miyazaki Wagyu and bamboo shoots: unlike the bamboo shoots that are ubiquitous, this did not have a strong bamboo shoot flavor. I enjoyed the flavor of the waygu, though I would have liked a more melt in your mouth texture here. 6th course: Assortment of 5 seasonal nigiri: I was a little bit tipsy from the sake pairing that I completely did not pay attention to what each piece was honestly. But given that I did not remember much, the quality is solid but not memorable compared to the other courses as it did not wow me. I did recall that Sushi Kashiba's nigiri in the omakase is much better. They used a red vinegar for sushi rice so the nigiri is a bit tangier, to bring out more of the fish flavor, but it was a very marginal difference. 7th course: Hand roll was a Kamatoro - they scraped the meat off the bone of the collar of the tuna and serve it, wrapped with fresh seaweed. I liked the hand roll much more than the nigiri I had so far in this place. 8th course: chazkuke - rice with green tea infused Dashi broth, featuring a similar fish to the red snapper. The salmon roe gave a nice contrast with the broth while consuming the dish. There are bits of yuzu which reminds me of Chef Shiro's approach to omakase - more citrus undertones. 9th course: dessert - cherry blossom jelly and coconut milk mousse, as well as matcha green tea ice cream. The cherry blossom jelly was pretty nice with subtle flavor. Matcha green tea ice cream was average at best Final: they gave us a cherry blossom green tea at the end which was a nice finish to a satisfying meal. Sake pairing: I was first introduced with a sakura cherry blossom sake that is cloudy, unpasteurized, and very sweet. 2nd one was Dassai 23 (named derived from 23% rice polishing ratio) so this was very pure and easy to drink even though it was a lot stronger than the first one 3rd one was more of a green apple flavor that is served warm to pair with the soup 4th one came from Miyagi prefecture that is extra dry that paired with the sashimi 5th and 6th paired with the assortment of 5 seasonal nigiri: one of them was savory and earthy, the other slightly sweeter 7th one was a 3 year aged, slightly dryer 8th was fruity and refreshing 9th one is umeshu, the classic, sweet plum wine Price point is pretty reasonable for a place of this caliber - $150 for Kaiseki and $95 for the sake pairing, before tax and automatic 20% gratuity. However, I am still not at the income level to do this semi-regularly but I nonetheless had a great experience that is in line with the standards of fine dining. read more
Long overdue review of wa'z! But better late than never because I absolutely love this place!! This was my second time trying Wa'z and we tried their November kaiseki menu (kaiseki means traditional multi-course Japanese dinner) and it's $150/per person. Their Premium Kaiseki menu changes monthly so I do want to go during different seasons. I feel like pictures can do a better story telling than my writing but pictures also don't do it's justice. You have to just try for yourself! But I also wanted to say that everything we tried on the menu was outstanding! Very unique and different from other Japanese omakase experiences I've had. We sat at the sushi bar so I watched the chefs prepare each dish for us and it was amazing to see how much work, dedication and time goes into preparing each dish! Everything was delicate and beautiful. Service was superb, loved the atmosphere here, very cozy vibes and the food was fantastic!! Highly recommend! read more
Wa'z is a must-eat for the culinary adventurous, foodies, and lovers of Japanese cuisine. Remarkably unique, breathtakingly delightful, and an experience you won't soon forget Wa'z offers a multi-course set tasting menu that won't leave you wanting. The ambiance is minimalistic and intimate. I had to reserve a month in advance in order to obtain a Saturday countertop seat for my friend and I. Reservations are highly recommended. The space is well designed - despite being small I felt comfortable. The food is extremely diverse. It's a culinary adventure; a tour of land and sea. I won't guarantee you'll like everything. I didn't. I can only name two pieces I didn't like, one that was okay, and everything else was mind blowing. The oyster was an explosion of briney sea, soft texture combined with toothiness from the beef, and bright flavor. The corn tempura was something I didn't think I would like and was amazed it so delicious! The various soups were wonderful. The fish amazing! I also will say if you love sake you need to treat yourself here. If you're uncertain about sake then try it here. I never enjoyed sake before trying it here and opted for the premium top shelf sake. It was incredible - smooth, easy ti drink, and quite enjoyable. The service was amazing. I overheard one employee tell a regular that they were short staffed that day. Had I not overheard that I would never have known. They never missed a beat. It was lovely. Our waitress was a delight - gave great recommendations on drinks, quick to engage, and her laughter was joyous. It was my best friend's birthday and he will never forget this one - the food was great, the birthday board they presented him with flowers and card were so thoughtful, and the dining room breaking out into song was memorable. It was a night I will never forget. read more
What a great experience. Interior is modern, simplistic and very minimalist. Service was great. We sat at the counter and although we weren't in front of chef Hiro, we were still able to watch many talented chefs at work and catch snippets of information, Hiro relayed (it was a little loud in the restaurant). Every plate was beautiful and there was a lot of attention to detail put in to each plate. I didn't love every dish (I don't like halibut, there were two halibut dishes) but I was able to enjoy aspects of everything. Pacing of every dish was really good and tailored to the specific guests/diners. I will admit I was pretty full by course 3. Good portion sizes and food was really flavorful, intentional and fresh. Definitely prefer wa'z to Shiros and Wataru (at least here in WA). Nice to see a lot of interaction among some guests and staff (guests bought them drinks). What blew me away was the personalization of the dessert, we came for my birthday (and even my partner forgot they had checked birthday on the reservation) so it was a surprise for both of us when I was presented with a birthday board and flowers. read more
Cody and I made reservations for wa'z to treat my mom to a nice fancy dinner while she was in town. Going into it we knew it was going to be $150/person. Parking: street parking. Was not hard to find on a Saturday night for us. But trying to reach the restaurant from the 5 freeway was kinda hard cuz there was a bunch of new "no left turn" signs. We figured it out eventually and parked 2 blocks away and paid the meter. My favorite dishes we had from their November menu: 1) Grilled A5 Wagyu Beef NY Steak with Tempura Cod and Dashi Ponzu Sauce 2) Hand Roll (was eel) 3) Seasonal fish - sashimi of blue fin tuna This place was definitely an experience, and my mom loved it. I listed my 3 favorite dishes, but it was all so delicious! Great service. We sat at the counter and there were only 16 ppl dining. Highly recommend if you are looking for something special! read more
This place is one of the best restaurant in Seattle. Fresh seafood true to taste and culinary skill. The restaurant was cozy with ample sitting. All the guests came on time to enjoy fun and laughter around. The staff was friendly and patiently introduced the dishes with passion. read more
11 months ago
A unique Japanese restaurant experience where Chef cooks in front of you and you get to hear story about every dish, it's history and preparation. Excellent peaceful ambience. Worth going for a milestone birthday or anniversary, since it's pricey for overall all package but will get memories for life. One of best wines ever ! Took Premium Top shelf Sake flight of 2oz of 3 Sake - Dassai, Gangi Sakirei, and Sunshen - absolutely outstanding ! The chef changes the menu - the fill course meal every month. Reservation is a must since o Lu limited number of guests are allowed for the special experience. Closed on Sunday & Monday. Top quality ingredients, seafood, meat, outstanding taste and very classic presentation. Took the menu picture of August and every dish that I cherished. Sushi, sashimi and Wagyu beef were simply made with perfection !! Chilled sweet corn soup with king crab was purely delicious. Barley tea icecream was the good ending of a lavish evening. read more
This is a beautiful, quaint restaurant with warm hospitality and lovely staff. I really enjoyed the overall experience; they deserve their standing as one of the pillars in Seattle's Japanese food scene. Ingredients were incredibly fresh, dishes were well thought out, and presentation was immaculate. The concept of the monthly theme (if I recall correctly, it was Tanabata) really showed through the courses. We were asked to write a wish down and attach it to the tree in the front, I distinctly remember the Angel hair noodles shimmering like a starry night sky. It was definitely a thoughtful touch to an already positive experience. There were a few courses that really stood out. My personal favorites were the oyster wrapped in A5 wagyu, the aged toro cuts, the Angel hair noodles, and the dessert. The others were also good, though overall I would round it to a 4 stars for the price point. It was all amazing and well worth the cost, though I would say I didn't get the WOW factor of giving it a full star. We also had a few birthdays among the attendees, including someone who was quite important (fangirled a bit seeing him!), and it was extremely sweet that we got to share a slice of his birthday cake that Chef Hiro's daughter especially made for him! All in all, a heartwarming experience. read more
My friend and I wanted to try an omakase experience during his visit. Instead, we decided to give Kaiseki a try since we've been to a few of the famous ones around Seattle already. Going in, we had no idea what to expect. We arrived fairly early and were seated at the counter (which is highly recommended). The setting was very intimate and you can see the chefs working hard to prepare all the courses. When the first course came out, it looked seemingly normal but after the first bite, we knew we'd be in for a treat the rest of the night. There were too many dishes to describe but my favorite of the bunches were the dry aged bluefin tuna, A5 wagyu, mochi tofu, and the assorted appetizer. The tofu was especially interesting since it had the fixings of an agedashi tofu but had the texture of mochi, which was amazing. The bluefin tuna was melt in your mouth fatty and tasted extremely fresh. The hand roll, which was a pairing of the bluefin tuna and uni, was delicious as well and very, very fresh. We expected the food to be good but what amazed me more was the staff. They all played a role and made the experience feel more intimate and immersed. They described each dish and even chatted it up from time to time. This elevated the experience and made it one I will definitely remember. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting high scale Japanese food but want a change from the many omakase options around Seattle. Make sure to arrive early to get a good seat at the counter and be prepared to have an amazing 2 hour experience. read more
4 years ago
Wa'z offers kaiseki cuisine, which is an artistic and traditional style of multi-course cooking from Japan, probably Kyoto. The January menu highlights for me included a dish with New Year offerings of kazunoko (herring eggs), datemaki (rolled egg dish), grilled fish and a sashimi roll. This course meal progresses with sashimi and other types of seafood. A5 Wagyu is featured twice. The white miso ozoni with crab was very good and in middle courses, the Chef serves a sampler of pressed sushi and aged tuna nigiri. The uni was from Hokkaido. If you choose counter seating, you can see the Chef and his colleagues at work. The preparation unfolds before your eyes and it made me appreciate how much skill is involved with the presentation. The dinner lasted 90 to 100 minutes and my group left fully satisfied. read more
2 years ago
Tucked in the middle of other shops on Cedar Street, wa'z was such a delight to dine in at. You can dine in at the counter or at a table for an intimate dinner - we opted for the counter. Due to dietary restrictions, I had to have my proteins cooked fully, but my husband said his fish was fresh and tasty during the raw seafood portion of the meal. Everything was good, I just expected the sushi portion to be more due to the $150/pp price tag. My personal favorite was the baked cheesecake with house made green tea ice cream. I do want to thank the staff for accommodating my dietary restrictions. It's hard to get the full experience when you have to change how the food is typically served. Overall, we enjoyed our time here. Nice to give another Kaiseki meal a try! read more
4 years ago
I had my first Kaiseiki dinner experience at Wa'z in Seattle. @wazseattle Kaiseiki dinner is an elaborate, multicourse dinner originating in Japan. Often reflecting the seasons, the dinner features an array of delicately prepared dishes with seasonal ingredients. It was an incredible experience, with each course carefully curated and featuring seasonal ingredients. The special new year's theme featured foods traditionally consumed during this time of year. My dessert came with a board reading "Happy Birthday," and I was given a beautiful flower bouquet as well. It was the thoughtfulness that went into the dinner that made it truly special, and I'm grateful for the wonderful evening! read more
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More info about wa’z
411 Cedar St
Seattle, WA 98121
Belltown
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(206) 441-7119
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https://www.wazseattle.com
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Ask the Community - wa’z
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…
Is this place 21+?
No. However everyone must have a premium Kaiseki for themselves and we also do not have a kids menu.
