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The food here was really great. I highly recommend the shishito peppers as an appetizer--they were one of the highlights of the meal. If you're not a fan of strong flavors, I would recommend asking for lighter seasoning on some dishes and a little extra water in the soups. That balance worked well for our preferences. Unfortunately, the service did not match the quality of the food. During the hour we were there, the restaurant wasn't busy. There were only a couple of tables being served, yet our drinks were never refilled, our table wasn't bused, and our rice never arrived with our hot pot soups even after our server asked if we wanted it. It seemed to be forgotten. What really stood out was that we ended up eating dessert with a table full of dirty dishes still sitting in front of us and empty drinks that had not been refilled. I also noticed that the table next to us appeared to receive much more attentive service. Their drinks were refilled, their dishes were cleared promptly, and staff regularly checked on them to see if they needed anything. In comparison, our table received very little attention. I don't know why there was such a difference in service. It left me wondering whether we were being treated differently, though I can't say for certain. Overall, the food was excellent, but the service was disappointing and significantly affected our experience. (Server was Dhillon T.)
We were seated immediately, and our hostess gave us some of the nicest service I've experienced. The Japanese beers are a must, especially off draft. We were able to snag happy hour deals for the chili edamame and the Las Vegas and spicy yellowtail rolls. The rolls were very tasty and came out in less than 5mins. The edamame.... THE BEST edamame I've had to date. These are a required must-try for anyone going here. We decided to try a hot pot for the first time and went with a fan favorite spicy seafood pot. I was scared it would be fishy, which I don't like. But it was in a tonkotsu broth (pork bone broth) so the seafood flavor was just in the seafood itself, which was perfect for me. It was so good. Not very spicy though, and I think that would level it up a bit. Off happy hour, it is a bit pricey. A hotpot is $20 but easily feeds two or three people, but the rolls are about $7-$14 a piece which adds up. Happy hour is a good time to be there. It's also more refined inside, a nice glow of the lights and high end tableware and chopsticks. Not too fancy, which is perfect for an impromptu night out like we had.
My first time at Zu Izakaya was a blast! I came in with a group of 5 and were seated quickly. Our waitress Tiana was very attentive and helpful as we decided our orders. Overall, the place has a fun vibe with lots of string lights and Japanese decorations. They have happy hour twice a day. We came during their 9-11PM happy hour (we love a late night happy hour!) Lots of options for sushi, drinks, and appetizers on the happy hour menu. The spicy tuna roll was a refreshing roll with just the spicy tuna, cucumber and rice. A simple roll that still has a good spicy flavor but not too overpowering that it takes over your meal. The Vegas roll is a classic if you like fried rolls! Can't go wrong with this one. The nigiri was top notch. The yellowtail nigiri quite literally melts in your mouth and the flavors are buttery and soft. It's my personal favorite whenever I want nigiri. The salmon nigiri was also very good. Slights sweet but if you add soy sauce it balances it out. The jjambong pot was so filling. We ate this after the sushi. It's enough to be shared with 2-3 people and includes a mix of some seafoods, enoki mushrooms, onions, and ramyeon with a spicy broth. The noodles were good, the broth was delicious and not too spicy if you're not a person that handles spice well. My only complaint is that we had about 6-7 mussels but only 2 pieces of shrimp. It would've been nice to have a more even distribution of the seafood but other than that the taste was amazing. With the happy hour it was incredibly affordable. Even without the happy hour I would definitely come here again. 10/10!!
I can't remember what we had ordered for takeout but it was really good. I got a drink from their happy hour menu while we were waiting and I thought it was really refreshing but their menu has changed since then and I don't think they have it anymore
Happy hour was amazing. The food was good. About three other tables when we ate there. Our server checked on us once in the beginning. We wanted to make another order but she never came around so we asked a different server for the check. The decor is very cute and trendy.
We came in closer to the end of happy hour but still had around an hour and a half left. Place wasn't super busy and food came out super fast, but then the waitress just disappeared for the duration of our meal so we couldn't order any more during happy hour. Food was decent and restaurant was well themed.
I'd been here before the ownership change and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, after the change, it felt pretty average. Nothing stood out like it used to. The service was good and the ambiance was nice, but the restaurant itself didn't smell great. Ultimately, this place just isn't for me -- I won't be back.
I was so excited to hear Zu Izakaya opened a location closer to where I live! I have been to their Scottsdale Rd. location many times before, but I like the aesthetic of this one much more. Plus, you can't beat their happy hour prices! My favorite of their rolls is their shrimp tempura, though I also like their alaskan roll, and their salmon nigiri is always melt in your mouth delicious. The service is excellent too, I will definitely be returning again regularly!
So yummy!! And the service is superb!! The edamame pictured is garlic and red pepper, a MUST try!! Sweet and spicy
I absolutely love this place! The details, especially down to the gold chopsticks is amazing. It's a fantastic date spot!
What I got: Bulgogi with side rice Seaweed salad Miso soup Wasn't a lot of meat on my Bulgogi dish was a small square skillet and I was mostly of onions and some zucchini pieces. I decided to try their miso soup which was not bad tasted like the packets you get from the grocery store, but at least they had seaweed and tofu in it compared to other places, the seaweed salad tasted pretty fresh they don't give you too much of it they put a bunch of lettuce underneath it so it makes it seem like there's more at first my friend got the plate and some parts kinda tasted raw, but he didn't care much since he likes it either way but then again I was supposed to be a cooked dish so. I had gotten a draft beer to start with and for some reason it was warm so that was very un appetizing but then I got a bottled beer and it was cold. I don't recommend draft. This place has gone through a name change in the last few months and have removed a lot of of the stuff from the old menu went to see the difference was told that they kept the same quality as it is the same owner as before, but honestly to me the only thing that seems like the quality stayed the same was the oysters. Everything else seems that gone down a bit and the portion seems really small now some things are priced decently and some things are overpriced and we can't forget to mention how bad it smells in here like sewage. There's so many restaurants like this which is the problem like I don't need to come here and there was nothing memorable about it and it's a pretty far drive from me so I probably won't be coming back
Pro-tip: They have such a generous happy hour where it goes until 7 PM and it's every day even on the weekends. Highlights: I don't know why more people aren't talking about this place. I haven't been in a few years and after our last experience, we are going to throw it in into our regular sushi rotation. I love their nigiri portions, the fish is really fresh and well prepared. With the happy hour pricing, it's definitely a great value. You can even order seared aburi style nigiris. It's not a huge variety of fish, but it has the staples covered. Lowlights: Personally I was not a fan of all the hot foods we got. The Korean fried chicken had too much breading and the pork belly platter was not the traditional style with the way the meat was prepared and they gave us romaine instead of Napa.
Came here for the first time the other day and I'd probably have to give this place a 3.75 out of 5. We came for a late dinner on Thursday night around 9pm and when we walked in, the restaurant was fairly empty. Restaurant had a fancy but cozy feel to it. A place where you could take a date and have a romantic dinner but also somewhere you could go with a group of friends. Our waiter was very nice and attentive and gave some decent recommendations. In terms of food, this is where I would say the rating took a bit of a hit. To start off, their menu is gigantic. They have so many different options ranging from sushi, ramen, meat off the grill, and skewers. We ordered their chicken karage skewer, Korean mini corn dogs, yellowtail roll, truffle japchae, kimchi fried rice, and their bulgogi off the grill. Everything was tasty and had decent flavor. I think the only thing that really hurt the food was that we tasted a lot of oil and grease in the food to the point where it messed with our stomachs a bit. I would say food wise, the food is decent especially for the portions and price. Just too much oil and grease for our liking. Overall decent spot and would recommend if you're okay with food that's a bit heavier and richer due to the amount of oil.
1 month ago
We had such a great experience at Zu Izakaya and will definitely be back! We started with the jalapeño poppers and vegetable tempura, and we were pleasantly surprised by how generous the tempura portion was for the price. Everything came out hot, crispy, and fresh. For sushi, we ordered the Jalapeño Vegas Roll and the Baked Scallop Roll, and both were absolutely delicious. I also had the California, spicy tuna, and spicy yellowtail hand rolls, while my sister ordered the California and spicy yellowtail cut rolls. Every roll was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The quality of the fish really stood out, and everything tasted fantastic. A special shoutout to our server, Chloe, who did an amazing job! She was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. Her recommendations and great service made an already wonderful dining experience even better. Between the fresh food, generous portions, excellent service, and reasonable prices, Zu Izakaya is an easy five stars. If you're near ASU and craving sushi or Japanese food, I highly recommend checking it out. We'll definitely be back! read more
3 months ago
4 months ago
The food here was really great. I highly recommend the shishito peppers as an appetizer--they were one of the highlights of the meal. If you're not a fan of strong flavors, I would recommend asking for lighter seasoning on some dishes and a little extra water in the soups. That balance worked well for our preferences. Unfortunately, the service did not match the quality of the food. During the hour we were there, the restaurant wasn't busy. There were only a couple of tables being served, yet our drinks were never refilled, our table wasn't bused, and our rice never arrived with our hot pot soups even after our server asked if we wanted it. It seemed to be forgotten. What really stood out was that we ended up eating dessert with a table full of dirty dishes still sitting in front of us and empty drinks that had not been refilled. I also noticed that the table next to us appeared to receive much more attentive service. Their drinks were refilled, their dishes were cleared promptly, and staff regularly checked on them to see if they needed anything. In comparison, our table received very little attention. I don't know why there was such a difference in service. It left me wondering whether we were being treated differently, though I can't say for certain. Overall, the food was excellent, but the service was disappointing and significantly affected our experience. (Server was Dhillon T.) read more
5 hours ago
4 months ago
We were seated immediately, and our hostess gave us some of the nicest service I've experienced. The Japanese beers are a must, especially off draft. We were able to snag happy hour deals for the chili edamame and the Las Vegas and spicy yellowtail rolls. The rolls were very tasty and came out in less than 5mins. The edamame.... THE BEST edamame I've had to date. These are a required must-try for anyone going here. We decided to try a hot pot for the first time and went with a fan favorite spicy seafood pot. I was scared it would be fishy, which I don't like. But it was in a tonkotsu broth (pork bone broth) so the seafood flavor was just in the seafood itself, which was perfect for me. It was so good. Not very spicy though, and I think that would level it up a bit. Off happy hour, it is a bit pricey. A hotpot is $20 but easily feeds two or three people, but the rolls are about $7-$14 a piece which adds up. Happy hour is a good time to be there. It's also more refined inside, a nice glow of the lights and high end tableware and chopsticks. Not too fancy, which is perfect for an impromptu night out like we had. read more
4 hours ago
7 months ago
My first time at Zu Izakaya was a blast! I came in with a group of 5 and were seated quickly. Our waitress Tiana was very attentive and helpful as we decided our orders. Overall, the place has a fun vibe with lots of string lights and Japanese decorations. They have happy hour twice a day. We came during their 9-11PM happy hour (we love a late night happy hour!) Lots of options for sushi, drinks, and appetizers on the happy hour menu. The spicy tuna roll was a refreshing roll with just the spicy tuna, cucumber and rice. A simple roll that still has a good spicy flavor but not too overpowering that it takes over your meal. The Vegas roll is a classic if you like fried rolls! Can't go wrong with this one. The nigiri was top notch. The yellowtail nigiri quite literally melts in your mouth and the flavors are buttery and soft. It's my personal favorite whenever I want nigiri. The salmon nigiri was also very good. Slights sweet but if you add soy sauce it balances it out. The jjambong pot was so filling. We ate this after the sushi. It's enough to be shared with 2-3 people and includes a mix of some seafoods, enoki mushrooms, onions, and ramyeon with a spicy broth. The noodles were good, the broth was delicious and not too spicy if you're not a person that handles spice well. My only complaint is that we had about 6-7 mussels but only 2 pieces of shrimp. It would've been nice to have a more even distribution of the seafood but other than that the taste was amazing. With the happy hour it was incredibly affordable. Even without the happy hour I would definitely come here again. 10/10!! read more
I can't remember what we had ordered for takeout but it was really good. I got a drink from their happy hour menu while we were waiting and I thought it was really refreshing but their menu has changed since then and I don't think they have it anymore read more
4 months ago
Happy hour was amazing. The food was good. About three other tables when we ate there. Our server checked on us once in the beginning. We wanted to make another order but she never came around so we asked a different server for the check. The decor is very cute and trendy. read more
We came in closer to the end of happy hour but still had around an hour and a half left. Place wasn't super busy and food came out super fast, but then the waitress just disappeared for the duration of our meal so we couldn't order any more during happy hour. Food was decent and restaurant was well themed. read more
I'd been here before the ownership change and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, after the change, it felt pretty average. Nothing stood out like it used to. The service was good and the ambiance was nice, but the restaurant itself didn't smell great. Ultimately, this place just isn't for me -- I won't be back. read more
6 months ago
I was so excited to hear Zu Izakaya opened a location closer to where I live! I have been to their Scottsdale Rd. location many times before, but I like the aesthetic of this one much more. Plus, you can't beat their happy hour prices! My favorite of their rolls is their shrimp tempura, though I also like their alaskan roll, and their salmon nigiri is always melt in your mouth delicious. The service is excellent too, I will definitely be returning again regularly! read more
5 months ago
I absolutely love this place! The details, especially down to the gold chopsticks is amazing. It's a fantastic date spot! read more
11 months ago
What I got: Bulgogi with side rice Seaweed salad Miso soup Wasn't a lot of meat on my Bulgogi dish was a small square skillet and I was mostly of onions and some zucchini pieces. I decided to try their miso soup which was not bad tasted like the packets you get from the grocery store, but at least they had seaweed and tofu in it compared to other places, the seaweed salad tasted pretty fresh they don't give you too much of it they put a bunch of lettuce underneath it so it makes it seem like there's more at first my friend got the plate and some parts kinda tasted raw, but he didn't care much since he likes it either way but then again I was supposed to be a cooked dish so. I had gotten a draft beer to start with and for some reason it was warm so that was very un appetizing but then I got a bottled beer and it was cold. I don't recommend draft. This place has gone through a name change in the last few months and have removed a lot of of the stuff from the old menu went to see the difference was told that they kept the same quality as it is the same owner as before, but honestly to me the only thing that seems like the quality stayed the same was the oysters. Everything else seems that gone down a bit and the portion seems really small now some things are priced decently and some things are overpriced and we can't forget to mention how bad it smells in here like sewage. There's so many restaurants like this which is the problem like I don't need to come here and there was nothing memorable about it and it's a pretty far drive from me so I probably won't be coming back read more
Pro-tip: They have such a generous happy hour where it goes until 7 PM and it's every day even on the weekends. Highlights: I don't know why more people aren't talking about this place. I haven't been in a few years and after our last experience, we are going to throw it in into our regular sushi rotation. I love their nigiri portions, the fish is really fresh and well prepared. With the happy hour pricing, it's definitely a great value. You can even order seared aburi style nigiris. It's not a huge variety of fish, but it has the staples covered. Lowlights: Personally I was not a fan of all the hot foods we got. The Korean fried chicken had too much breading and the pork belly platter was not the traditional style with the way the meat was prepared and they gave us romaine instead of Napa. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Came here for the first time the other day and I'd probably have to give this place a 3.75 out of 5. We came for a late dinner on Thursday night around 9pm and when we walked in, the restaurant was fairly empty. Restaurant had a fancy but cozy feel to it. A place where you could take a date and have a romantic dinner but also somewhere you could go with a group of friends. Our waiter was very nice and attentive and gave some decent recommendations. In terms of food, this is where I would say the rating took a bit of a hit. To start off, their menu is gigantic. They have so many different options ranging from sushi, ramen, meat off the grill, and skewers. We ordered their chicken karage skewer, Korean mini corn dogs, yellowtail roll, truffle japchae, kimchi fried rice, and their bulgogi off the grill. Everything was tasty and had decent flavor. I think the only thing that really hurt the food was that we tasted a lot of oil and grease in the food to the point where it messed with our stomachs a bit. I would say food wise, the food is decent especially for the portions and price. Just too much oil and grease for our liking. Overall decent spot and would recommend if you're okay with food that's a bit heavier and richer due to the amount of oil. read more
2 years ago
Needed a late night good stop and one thing about me, I'm always going to love a late night Japanese happy hour. The vibe is definitely casual but cute! It was just me so I was seated at the bar and like I said it was happy hour so I tried quite a few things. - Lychee soju $10 I love soju because it is sweet and lowkey strong. About halfway into the bottle and you should be feeling something!! So I loved it. - Shrimp & beef skewers $3.95 each Tasty sauce. Only 3 pieces of meat so not too worth it but very tasty. Was a nice way to add protein to my rice. - Las Vegas roll $7.95 Fried with 6 pieces but I really enjoyed. It's a fired roll so that's a first for me but it was good! - Kimchi fried rice $12 (not happy hour) My favorite part of the meal. Came with lemon and I love a little drizzle of. Lemon on everything so I loved that. But even without it is super flavorful read more
5 months ago
This was such a good spot to come a share apps and the vibes inside are so cute! All the wait staff were so friendly even the little robots. I ordered pork belly and some sushi and all was delicious. Overall I think this a fun Korean spot in Tempe! read more
1 year ago
I would like to start off by saying the atmosphere was incredible. I loved the darkness of the restaurant, it makes it so much better when you eat. It looked pretty fancy inside and very organized. All the workers there were so friendly and helpful, like when I say all I mean all. There wasn't a single worker who was rude or not helpful. They made you feel very welcomed. The food was great but I just feel like the pasta needed a little extra flavor. When they brought out the food it was very hot but that just meant it was freshly made and wasn't just sitting there. The fries were amazing, they had little garlic chips that added so much flavor. read more
2 months ago
Finally got to try Zu & Pocha! It's such a cute place. However, came here on a Friday evening, it was pretty hot inside. Ordered this and that from Happy Hour menu, food was good- nothing exceptional, but I was surprised that they are pricey for the portion. And people were friendly, yet it took them a while to come check on us. But I think it's a cute spot for a drink or two! read more
I was traveling through town and made a stop here based on a friends recommendation. This restaurant hit all the marks. The interior of the restaurant felt busy with out being cramped, had a great design and set up for a fun atmosphere. The menu itself gave a ton of options and it makes it great for repeatability, and really makes you want to come back to try more. The wait staff was friendly, definitely made great recommendations and stayed attentive. The meal itself was fantastic . I loved the u e cheesecake for dessert, but the bulgogi tteokbokki and wings were incredible and full of flavor. I will definitely put it on my list for the next time I find myself in this part of the desert. read more
This place is absolutely amazing! I'm a bit picky when it comes to sushi (Hawaii transplant) however this place not only was good price wise but also quality. They have a ton of nice drink options too. The staff were super friendly and there's a cool vibe in the restaurant. We sat at the booth table and had a ton of extra space. I highly recommend, especially for happy hour! read more
We wanted to visit Zu & Pocha now before the ASU students get back and tables are hard to come by, so we made a reservation on Open Table. It turned out we didn't need them tonight, but better safe than sorry. I love the decor of this place, with ring lights and plants peeking through the wood hanging from the ceiling. The place settings are really pretty with gold spoons and chopsticks. Our server was one of the best things of the evening--she was charming and helpful and cute as a bug's ear. She was also our bartender. The menu is not huge but has great choices. We ordered the Zu Bramble and Seoul Highball for cocktails. Both were blackberry based and both were delicious. They make their own syrups, so they aren't overly sweet. We had the Bulgogi Tteokbokki, which had a fantastic broth, clear noodles, rice cake, and veggies. Different from other bulgogi we've had, but it was fantastic. We also had spicy tuna and spicy yellowtail sushi rolls and shrimp tempura. What a great meal! read more
The restaurant had a clean atmosphere with nice décor. I went here with two of my friends, and they both ended up wanting to go back. Our server, Josh, was amazing--a very friendly guy with top-notch customer service. I ordered the bulgogi grill, an avocado roll, and a cucumber roll, along with yuzu sake to wash it down. We split everything, and it was enough for all of us to enjoy. We will definitely be returning to try their hotpot. read more
3 months ago
11 months ago
Your service is amazing and even though they changed their manual slightly, everything was delicious as I remembered read more
Had dinner with a girlfriend, reservation optional at this place. Was lucky enough to order from the happy hour menu which had $2 oysters. Started thinking we only wanted six and ended up going for a full dozen. What we had and our eyes we're bigger than our stomach, but we enjoyed a little bit of everything: Potstickers Japchae Oysters Spider roll Spicy salmon roll Sashimi omasake YUM! read more
3 months ago
I was excited to try this restaurant. I love the ambiance of this place, very cozy. The staff were nice and friendly. Although it took awhile for our food to be ready, it was a great night with great food. I will definitely go back. read more
This place is a gem. And the photos of the actual food look exactly like the photos on the menu. Please note that the Korean spicy chicken is a huge portion... It's basically a whole small chicken. The flavors of the food are amazing, and chef Tyson, who is one of the managers, is lovely and polite and has stopped by to talk to my table for two of the last three times I visited the restaurant. The happy hour menu is extensive with very good prices. Happy hour goes from 5 to 7, and I have eaten well with two other people for a total of $60 (we did not buy alcohol). Standouts on the menu are the following: The buttered corn The skewers Jjamppong pot Salmon tiradito Kimchi fried rice ... though I can honestly say that at this point, I have tried many of the things on the menu, and I have really liked everything. As you can see from the photo, it is gorgeously decorated with an amazing vibe. You could eat with friends, and this could be a great date spot. What I really like is that there is also plenty of parking that is very close to the actual restaurant. It's also great that it's located just north and east of downtown Tempe. Therefore, it's not too close to Mill Avenue where it's harder to find parking, and it's also close to old town Scottsdale. I will definitely return to Zu & Pocha, and I will definitely recommend it to friends. read more
What a great spot for happy hour! Happy hour is every day before 6 pm. Stopped by with a friend on a Sunday and it wasn't too busy at all. The interior is very cute and well designed, with greenery hanging from the ceiling. We ordered a couple of drinks each and they were excellent, with fruity yet herbal flavors. The sushi was decent, they had a 2 for $20 deal on rolls which was great value. We preferred the red dragon roll over the mango roll but they were still overall pretty good. The bulgogi japchae was excellent and I really enjoyed the pork belly & kimchi stir fry --the kimchi was perfect! Service was great and our booth was very comfortable. Parking in the lot is a bit tight but overall a great evening! read more
1 year ago
Staff were great and very nice. Food came out very fast and was delicious. We were visiting the area and the waitress recommended some shops. It's the prettiest cozy restaurant. read more
2 years ago
Chill vibe, good service, and delicious food. I had the brussel sprouts, soy garlic wings, and bulgogi japchae - all flavorful, seasoned well, and fully enjoyed and finished each dish. We went on a Friday; happy hour was 9pm to closing. read more
I've wanted to go here for a while but I'm usually in Tempe until after work, and it opens at 4pm. Glad I could finally try it and I wish it was open for lunch! Also found out Monday is all day happy hour which was a nice surprise, everything was delicious and the ascetic was very cute, gold roses on the wall and gold silverware read more
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More info about Zu Izakaya - ASU
1212 E Apache Blvd
Ste 107-109
Tempe, AZ 85281
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(480) 590-2903
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https://www.zuizakaya.com
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