Kazu Sumiyaki Restaurant

Kazu Sumiyaki Restaurant is a Japanese izakaya on the fourth floor of Cuppage Plaza, at 5 Koek Road off Orchard Road. Sumiyaki means charcoal grilling in Japanese, and grilled skewers are the heart of the menu.

The restaurant has been open since 1993. Eatbook notes that the same head chef and owner has run it for more than three decades. The restaurant's Chope listing names him as Chef Kazu.

What to order

Most diners build a meal from skewers, then add a few cooked and raw plates. The menu follows the seasons. Chope says it changes every two weeks, so expect some dishes to come and go between visits.

Dishes the restaurant highlights on Chope include:

• Grilled foie gras
• Sawara kizushi, marinated Spanish mackerel with salmon roe
• Japanese sweet potato
• Marinated beef tongue and steak
• Mochi butamaki, rice cake wrapped in pork
• Takenoko, bamboo shoot served as sashimi

Eatbook adds that the menu runs from standard yakitori to less common items such as chicken sashimi. If you are unsure where to start, ask the staff what is in season that week.

The setting

Cuppage Plaza is an older mall with many Japanese restaurants and bars. Eatbook describes it as a place where Japanese office workers have come to unwind for around four decades. An izakaya is a casual Japanese pub, where small plates are shared over sake or beer. Kazu fits that pattern, and it suits a relaxed evening with friends more than a formal dinner.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: Kazu does not take bookings through Chope, so call the restaurant to reserve.
• Groups: bookings for more than five people have a minimum spend per person, so ask about it when you book.
• Seasonal dishes: because the menu changes often, a dish you read about may not be on when you visit.

Getting there

Cuppage Plaza is on Koek Road, a short lane just off Orchard Road. Eatbook puts it about a five-minute walk from Somerset MRT station. Kazu is on the fourth floor of the building.

Nearby

The mall is close to the shops of Orchard Road, so you can shop first and eat later. For more Japanese food in the area, try Ganko Sushi, or browse our list of Japanese restaurants.

If you are choosing a base for your stay, our guide to Orchard or Bugis compares the two areas. You can also see all hotels in Orchard and River Valley and all restaurants in Orchard and River Valley.