DOZO Izakaya
440 W Warner Rd,Ste 104, Tempe, AZ, 85284
DOZO Izakaya Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Tempe for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
440 W Warner Rd,Ste 104
Tempe, AZ, 85284 - Phone (480) 785-4938
- Website https://www.dozoaz.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Hipster
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Darrell B.
Hidden gem in Phoenix! The staff is absolutely amazing, adding to a very pleasant dining experience. I highly recommend the any ramen variation and sushi combo for lunch. Food so good I've come in for lunch and dinner service on the same day.
(5)Shannon E.
I came here for a lunch a few weeks ago with a co-worker. We both ordered bento boxes and iced teas. The food was prompt and delicious and the service was friendly and unobtrusive. Lunch for two was about $25 before gratuity. I was pleased to see how nicely they had converted this restaurant into a Japanese eatery from its former incarnation; the décor is simple and elegant. I'd like to see this restaurant succeed, as this part of the Valley needs more Asian eateries. I'll be returning soon to sample their ramen bowls!
(4)Sara L.
This is my favorite neighborhood Japanese restaurant. They have a great happy hour, the bento boxes are a fantastic deal, sushi is always fresh, ramen, and pork belly are to die for. Service is the absolute best I have ever received at this type of restaurant, ( if they are very busy service is a little slower but still very friendly and accommodating). Definitely give this place a try, we need to support local businesses doing things right and this place is a gem!
(5)Roy G.
Robert (the main-man chef-owner) runs a top notch shop. He was awesome in Scottsdale and stepped it up in Tempe. So glad to have re-found Dozo. The food is out-freakin standing!
(5)Jennifer N.
We just happened to stop here for dinner. Service was nice and friendly. This is one of those small restaurants that no one notice, but once you come, you'll be a regular. Every dish we ordered was good: the pork belly was delicious, the baby octopus was something different to try, and the ramen noodles is in a huge bowl big enough for the whole table to share. And the final price tag is even better: $40 for 2 people!! The food looks and tastes authentic Japanese.
(4)Katie P.
I've been on the hunt for delicious ramen for years now. I've had some tasty bowls in Seattle and LA, but never found much luck in Arizona. I usually go to Cherry Blossom in Phoenix for their cha-shu ramen, and it's amazing...but I really wanted s good bowl of ramen with all the fixings. Egg, nori, narutomaki, pickled bamboo, ginger, you name it, I wanted it. This place delivers exactly that! I ordered the tonkatsu cha-shu ramen. The broth was buttery and had a wonderful garlic taste to it. The noddles were cooked wonderfully (though I still prefer Cherry Blossoms noodles), and the fixings were just a lovely added bonus. This stuff comes so close to the ramen I had in LA last year and it is to die for. The service was great and the staff is friendly. I am so happy I found this place and decided to give it a shot. Will DEFINITELY be back!!!!
(5)Joel G.
I am with a group of seniors for a Romeo lunch outing. We had one primary waitress, Yeezel,who did a absolutely wonderful job of serving our group. The food was very good and the"view " was worth the price of admission.
(4)April S.
It has been over a year since I've been back to this restaurant. My friend Jose came here recently and told me that they start serving food on skewers and love it. Despite the fact that I didn't have a great experience the first time I was here, I have to trust my friend and gave it another try. Am I glad that I did. When we first showed up, it wasn't crowded at all. Servers were friendly...tables are clean. Totally love it. We ordered a spicy tuna roll from the happy hour menu. We also ordered many skewers to try out. My favorite is the chicken wings. It is crunchy on the outside and it was absolutely delicious. My second favorite is the octopus. Chicken,beef, and onions were equally delicious too. I've got a feeling that the owner recognized me and my yelp review from a year ago. I could feel his not so happy eye contact towards our table from time to time lol. I saw him smiling at and being very nice to everyone except to us. It is all good. I still enjoy the food. Overall it was a good night.
(4)Enrique H.
Food was good but service was bad. Stood in front for 10 minutes before I was acknowledge.
(3)Abby M.
This place is amazing!!! The food is absolutely delicious. The staff is so kind. I would love to rate this more than 5 stars, but I can't. :( Try this place out yourself. You won't be disappointed!
(5)Andie Hojun L.
This is a pretty versatile sushi/asian food place. In my most raw opinion, sushi is mediocre at its best. Period. So taking that into consideration, it was generously decent here. I tried their "Mango Tango Salmon" roll and didn't like it. I recommend getting fried/baked rolls because fresh sushi is hard to come by here in the desert lol Their Spicy Miso Ramen was also okay for me but I have been much spoiled in the city of Torrance, apparently "Japan's sister city" in California so you may want to give it a try. Despite all this mediocrity, the service was excellent and the atmosphere was very cozy. Also, their Tempura Udon and Beef Tongue yakitori were perfection! Definitely give it a chance and see for yourself!
(4)Jinny H.
I would give this place more than 5 stars if I could. This was my first time at Dozo, but according to my friend, the restaurant was under new management for about 6 months now. She told me that the chef was from Thailand, which probably explains the variety of food items that the restaurant offered. This wasn't a typical Japanese restaurant - they had lots of other menus as well. Dozo had lots of great interesting appetizers - I tried foods that I wouldn't normally have been able to try in typical sushi restaurants. For example, I saw some beef tongues in the appetizer, but I wasn't daring enough to try. Instead, I had the bacon with okra - I never had okra before but it tasted like a chewier and juicier version of cucumber, for a lack of better description. I highly recommend it - I ended up liking it a lot. I also had the Vietnamese sausage which tasted like a less-saltier version of sausage with teriyaki sauce and a different aftertaste. Lastly, I had the squid dish (sorry I'm blanking on the name) - it was shaped into little balls. I posted a picture for reference, just in case you want to try it - that appetizer was great, too. I ordered the poki tuna don, which was basically white rice with lots of marinated tuna slices. I loved the sesame flavor. My 10 year old friend like the beef bowl, and told me that the kids' size was perfect for her. The Bento box (chicken katsu) came with lots of food as well, including rice, chicken katsu, salad pieces, and other side dishes. I will come back again for sure, possibly with family. It has unique concepts, and a really pretty outdoors seating area too.
(5)John D.
Great for Izakaya (like Yakatori, but more than just chicken) and Katsu (especially curry)! Their homemade tofu ice cream is fantastic and happy hour is a great way to try a lot of different small bites. We love to walk over for happy hour, spend a couple of hours an waddle home happier!
(5)Yerim K.
I'm not sure this is the only izakaya in the valley. Anyway this is pretty cool place for sure. They serve fresh asahi draft for good price during happy hour 5 to 630. They don't have great menu for happy hour but their menu and price is generally reasonable. Food was really good. We had squeeze with tare seasoning which is soy sauce flavor. Squeeze was surprisingly fresh! Next time I'll try more seafood there. All chicken was delicious. Beef tongue was really really good. Much better than I thought If you wanna try very Japanese style light food and drinks, I really recommend here!
(4)Matthew T.
This was a chance find that I really enjoyed. I was bit worried after looking at their menu that they were trying to be the "jack of all trades" and Master of none in regard to izakaya style food, but it was good enough that I went twice during my short trip to the area. I highly recommend the various yakatori items. The first night I went I mainly had those. Nicely done. Be sure to try the pork belly and the mackerel. I really wanted some Hamachi Kama but they were out. The chicken harts were good, but not the best I every had but way above average. A nice selection of sake was a welcome sign as well. The next night when I went back for a second go round I wanted to try the ramen. It was fine. I had the Tonkatsu style, which I typically prefer. Theirs was good, but it lacked the richness I come to look for in this style. Noodles were nice, egg was cooked properly, but the broth was missing something. Not saying it was bad, just not up to what I've come to expect for this type of ramen. Service was friendly and excellent. Prices are reasonable, I plan to go again when ever I'm in the area.
(4)Bonnie S.
I have been here a few times for lunch, and I will say that every time I have been pleased with what I have. I always go for the sashimi or sushi that does not have all the whatever mixed in it. That's what I'm used to and that's what I like. Pleezzzz! What is that stuff that is mixed with the fish that people seem to like??!! Anyway, I have had the assorted sashimi dish, which always has an assortment of different fish, and it's always fresh. Or I have the sushi combo. With that dish I eat the sushi, and I give the "California roll" to my companion. Yes, the restaurant is a bit on the small side; therefore, we go early so we don't have to wait. Waiting at lunch time equates to eating somewhere else since my lunch companion is on a time clock. The staff is friendly and professional.
(5)Susan P.
This was my first time trying Ramen here in AZ. My friend actually recommended it and I've been really craving Ramen. I ordered the Tonkotsu Cha-Shu Ramen (pork bone broth ) Ramen. This was actually really good, I really enjoyed the broth and it was also a good size bowl of ramen. The only downfall was there wasn't enough meat in it. They only give you 2 pieces of meat. They also have happy hour on Monday-Saturday from 5-6:30 pm. Everything is very reasonably priced for happy hour. Around $3+ for rolls. I ordered the Philly roll, but it wasn't anything spectacular. It didn't taste as fresh. They also have drink specials. Around $4 and up. I'd definitely come back for happy hour or to have their ramen again, but I would definitely recommend them adding more meat to it, otherwise it tasted great.
(3)Tyson T.
Came here for lunch one day. I had the bento box with spicy ahi sushi and pork katsu. The taste was great and the setup was very appealing. This is the best Japanese food I've had on Tempe. Can't wait to try the ramen and yakitori next!
(5)Rickey Lynn G.
Dozo Izakaya 440 W. Warner Road, Tempe, 85284 Our group arrived at 6:00 and was promptly seated. This is a relatively small restaurant and they had three large groups all at the same time, which made service a tad slow. Drink orders were taken, and I had a wonderful cup of hot green tea (possibly Genmai Cha) which had a nutty flavor to it. Over the course of the meal I think I drank at least 4 cups of it, it was so good. For the starter, I ordered the Baked Green Mussels - Very nicely made - not smothered in sauce like some places do. We were off to a good start. Next I tried some of the sushi. Because it was Eel Day in Japan I ordered Unagi (freshwater eel). It was nicely presented with the proper sauce on top and still nice and warm. Next was Tako (octopus). It was cut nice and thin so that it was not chewy at all and had nice flavor. I ordered Tamago (egg omelet sushi) and Inari (Tofu pouches filled with sweet rice), but never got to taste them because a number of my companions grabbed them before I could! They loved them. Because happy hour was not over until 6:30 and we arrived at 6:00, I ordered a California Roll and a Crunch Spicy Tuna Roll at a reduced price. Both rolls were nicely made and of a good size. Special kudo's for the crunch roll which was extra delicious and had wonderful flavor. Finally, I got to the Izakaya Menu. In Japan, Izakaya shops are known for small plates usually served with good cold beer. Most often they serve Yakitori which are individual small pieces of chicken on skewers, grilled over special charcoal and coated with a flavorful glaze. The waitress brought out a large assortment of them for me. The Sunagimo (chicken gizzard) was nicely chewy, and the Hatsu (chicken hearts) melted in my mouth. The Negima (chicken breast with green onion) which is very popular in Japan was excellent and the Tori Momo (chicken thigh) was delicious. The Teba (chicken wings) were nicely cooked and had just a touch of spice to them and the Tori Kawa (chicken skin) was so good it brought tears to my eyes. At every bite I was reminded of eating in Japan because the food was so authentic. Lastly, I had Tako Yaki (Octopus flour balls), a favorite street food in Japan. They were nicely made with a hardened outer shell, a type of bread filling, and a piece of octopus in the center. It had some Japanese mayonnaise over the top along with some bonito flakes. It was so good. My ending bite was Saba (seasoned raw mackerel sushi) which was some of the best I have ever had. Companions (6 of them) had some wonderful super light tempura, as well as a Curry Katsu (pork cutlet curry) and a Katsu Don (Panko breaded pork cutlet over rice with egg and sweet onions). The restaurant was nice and clean, and while service could have been better, one has to take into account that they were trying to handle 3 large groups at one time. 4 stars for outstanding food, cleanliness, and trying their best to serve three large groups in a small restaurant. I will definitely be coming back to eat here again and again.
(4)Victor M.
Dozo has great chicken gyoza dumplings, that got it off to a great start with me. They also have awesome ramen. Its very much on par with the better ramen in Phoenix like Hana. My go to is the tonkatsu ramen and they totally nail it. I wish they had actual bottles of sriracha though, because if you ask, they give you a little plate with some squeezed in there and being able to season it to make it more spicy would've made my day - they have a great miso based ramen too that I like as well. Their cha shu or pork is super tender and very flavorful. They also have sushi rolls which are good but the main reason to check it out is the ramen. Stop by its a great date night location.
(4)Jewel Y.
I'm Japanese from Japan and I can attest that this Chinese owned Japanese izakaya is not only unauthentic but also the service is ridiculously slow. We came on a not so busy early Monday night around 6:15pm and yet it took more than 50 minutes for them to serve us food!! I felt discriminated because the Chinese waitress would serve bento box to white customers who came 20 minutes later than us first while we had to wait nearly an hour for them to bring simple ramen and udon (which are not that hard to make.... 15 min max!!) and yet she still forgot to bring all our order. We decided to cancel the order they forgot to bring because we figured it's gonna take another 20 minutes if we were to wait. The poor female customer sitting next to us didn't even get served until more than an hour later for a mere katsudon ! I also noticed that the waitress didn't clear the messy table next to us until 30 min after the customers left which is not very efficient and gross. The food itself was acceptable but with the service like this I cannot give more than 2 stars.
(2)Suzuki N.
I'm from Japan. This review is the view from the native Japanese person. The presentation of the ramen is probably the best in Arizona. It looked really close to what I usually see in Japan. However, the flavor is weak. Especially, the soup of Tonkotsu ramen was very weak. Tonkotsu soup should be thick and strong. Of course it's healthier not to make that way but ramen isn't healthy food. Other izakaya foods tasted good but they are $1~$2 more expensive than the same quality restaurants in California. Onigiri shouldn't cost $5. It's usually the one of the cheapest food in izakaya. It's maybe hard to make it as inexpensive as California but still too expensive. If they could lower the price by $1 for all izakaya menu, I'm sure this place will be packed with Japanese people.
(3)Eric G.
The reviews do not lie, this place has amazing food and service. When ever we goto LA we always goto get our ramen on in Japantown, as we could never find a ramen place in Phoenix area, until now. Food: The ramen is what we came for, but we found that sushi is also really good. Most Japanese restaurants in the phoenix area are Korean owned and have Korean mixed in, but this has a lot of true Japanese dishes. My wife likes the The Pork Ramen is a must! Very flavorful and delicious. Atmosphere is pleasant and can be family friend or intimate They do have a sushi bar to sit, seating is limited inside, with plenty of seating outside, they are limited on highchairs to just two. Service is excellent, and very accommodating, as we have a kid that has a very high pitched yell that we decided to move outside so we don't disturb others, that they were more then helpful to relocate us. I would highly recommend them!
(5)Patricia M.
Do you ever have a meal at a restaurant and spend the whole time thinking that you can't wait to come back? I had that feeling during this delicious lunch. I had the Bento box with spicy salmon teriyaki and tempura. It was so delicious I kept thinking about ways I can manage to get here for lunch more often. The service was super friendly and it seemed like a family establishment. I was very happy to enjoy lunch here and I can't wait to be back.
(5)Charlie C.
Best ramen in AZ.
(5)Joyce W.
"I've never really wanted to go to Japan. Simply because I don't like eating fish. And I know that's very popular out there in Africa." ― Britney Spears Strutted into DOZO on Friday night and walked away content. Although my actual rating is probably closer to 3.5 stars, I think they're definitely more worthy of 4 stars than 3. Here are the details: I ran across this Yelp listing by an off-chance and saw that they offered izakaya/yakitori. What!? Is this really in Tempe or am I accidentally looking at a Los Angeles listing? The outside of the restaurant even has red lanterns like real izakaya joints! Wee! After a few weeks of pining, I came here with skewers of yumminess in mind. We ordered everything I was hankering for: Chicken hearts, chicken gizzards, chicken livers, beef tongue, chicken cartridge, atka mackeral, fried sweet shrimp, takoyaki, and a pork bento on the side just in case the small bites were really small. The offal [tongue, heart, gizzard, and livers] were all over-cooked. I think this is so because the cooks were afraid of serving customers under-cooked meat. I had been watching the chef the whole time and never once did he leave his grill so I do think it was intentional. Working in the food industry, I know the pain of customers thinking the chicken could be too raw and not safe for consumption so let's burn the heck outta it. Next time though, I would ask them to not cook it so well. The cartridge seemed to be really crunchy things and I'm not too sure if actual cartridge was used but it made for an interesting texture after eating so much rubbery offal. Skip the salted smoked fish --- nothing special [save yourself $11, folks]. The bento is ridiculously huge with lots of sides but you get a tiny pork cutlet and some not-too-cute tuna rolls with it. The fried sweet shrimp and takoyaki with bonito flakes were probably my favorite bites of the night. It was fun playing with the giant shrimps and the takoyaki had generous large pieces of octopus inside. Yum! While the service could be better with hiring another waitress/hostess and the wait time for food seems pretty long considering they're "small bites" with at least three cooks present, I would definitely be back --- I want to try the ramen. Everyone here is really nice. Yes, the owners and staff all speak Mandarin but hey, we're in America folks. Koreans are making sushi so why can't the Chinese make izakaya? America is great because we're a melting pot of cultures. Stop complaining, people! Why make this a scandal? Dinner for two came out to be $56 [without tip]. Not bad, DOZO. Not bad at all.
(4)AJ S.
I thought their scottsdale location was pretty good but this place is unbelievable!!! The restaurant is gorgeous, new, great outdoor area and bar, and the location is so easy to access now not far from highways and the whole southeast valley. The Food Is fresh, Tasty And affordable. The drinks have the typical selection you would expect at this type of place. The sushi is perfectly balanced and the tapas and hot items are flavorful with great texture. I think this place is going to really get popular so get in now while people still figure it out...no wait and the service was spot on. You can tell it's locally and family owned as they care about every detail.
(5)Reese M.
Went there with the girlfriend who was convinced the original Dozo restaurant, which was by far her favorite in Arizona, was long gone. Luckily I convinced her to try this Dozo as I know restaurant owners are sometimes known to relocate. Boy am I glad we went, even though this place is easily a half an hour drive away from our home, it's absolutely worth it. The best Japanese I've had in my 2 year stay in Arizona period! I've looked in all the more well known Japanese restaurants in the Tempe/Mesa area and hardly any at all were even able to prepare a basic Katsu Curry dish! Dozo however delivered exactly the caliber of Japanese food I'm familiar with being from California, everything came with a delicious flavor, nothing felt like it had been sitting in the freezer, fish was fresh, appetizers were varied (we had the Hot Rock and Baked Scallops, absolutely delicious) my Katsudon Curry was perfect and her Sushi was top notch. For desert the Tempura Ice Cream really hit the spot, it felt very authentic with little decorations that made it awesome and different from any other place I've tried it at. This will become our regular spot for japanese/sushi for sure! Thank you to the very kind waitress who offered to call us when they're offering Spanish Mackerel too! :)
(5)Bball C.
Went last night to sushi bar. Owner Robert served delicious dish after dish. I'm very experienced with sushi, and Robert and his staff dazzled me with dishes like Oshinko, the best Salmon I've had in a while, a great Alaska Skin roll with Yamagobo, and more. No prepackaged junk sushi or sides at this fine place. Passed my scrutiny w flying colors. You'll be very happy here.
(5)Suz E.
Well the staff wasn't very friendly to me when I first walked in...shoving me in a corner table for 2 when pretty much the whole dining room was open. I asked to move to a bigger table and they told me no so I guess that set the tone. I got the house ramen and thought it was average at best...likewise with the tempura...I wouldn't go out of my way to return here especially after the service.
(3)Deb S.
Wow!! Great service, great food, incredible choices and options for everyone in our party of five. I seriously cannot remember the name of one dish we ordered but it was all delicious from start to finish - the Japanese kabobs, the miso soup, the fresh sushi, and on and on to the dairy-free ice cream dessert. Can't wait to get back!!
(5)Skylar Y.
I went here on Labor Day around 6:45. We were a total of 4 and they did not have a seat for us (very small place). No problem, we just waited on the patio. The owner or manager was very friendly and brought the menu and some water out while we waited. It wasn't too long before we had seats open, and since we've been looking over the menu we had a good idea of what we wanted. Unfortunately, we had to wait almost 30 minutes before the waitress took our order. We tried to get her attention several times but she was too overwhelmed with the work. I think they would benefit from hiring another server, at least for the dinner rush. The food, however, was DELICIOUS! The Cha-shu ramen I ordered was very thick and flavorful, not at all salty like at most other establishments. I also had the yam and avocado roll, and that too was tasty. Their prices are also very reasonable. I would've given 5 stars if not for the snail service. I will definitely come back, just not around popular meal times.
(4)Belle C.
If you are looking for authentic Japanese in the Tempe/Ahwatukee area, DOZO is definitely the way to go. It is hidden in a lot where there's not much going on so it is pretty easy to miss but thank goodness for Yelp for helping me find this little gem! It is a tiny restaurant with few tables inside, sushi bar seating as well as generous outside patio seating but I have never seen this place very busy. (Keep in mind their hours, they do close during the day for lunch as some Japanese restaurants do). You are most likely to be seated right away by one of their very kind waitresses. They are really so lovely. They are timely and so attentive. This is what I love about small restaurants. And the rest is as good as it can get. I've always come with the craving for ramen and their special tonkatsu pork is the bomb diggity. I've tried the spicy miso as well but most definitely prefer the tonkatsu flavor over miso. If you are an adventurous eater, they have small plates of what I'm guessing are delicacies of Japan such as beef tongue and octopus (which isn't bad I must say). Last time I came in, I got the chicken katsudon and I killed the whole thing in one sitting. And that's saying a lot because 1, it was a huge portion. An entire cutlet of breaded chicken with lots of rice. OH man was I full and satisfied. The chicken was cooked and breaded to perfection with egg and caramelized onions with an amazing sweet soy based sauce that the rice was drenched in. I finished every last bit of it and I am a tiny girl. I rarely finish my food. The sushi is great as well. Definitely make a visit to this place if you are in the area. You won't regret it.
(5)Mike C.
We were really pleased when we came in on a Monday night. The sushi chef/owner was very nice explaining things about the menu and the type of restaurant. This isn't your typical sushi joint. It is a style of eating that Japanese go to for happy hour. This is to say it is casual. We ate delicious 3 sushi rolls, Taiwanese sausage, and a grilled rice bowl. Fish, veggies and fruit was fresh and tasty. This is such a fun experience because it is a little different. The style is clean and sleak and we look forwrd to sitting outside when the weather is more favorable.
(5)Rick F.
We had the shrimp tempura starter which was very good. The batter was very textured and quite good. The shrimp themselves were very large. We also had the mackerel and butter fish ngiri. The mackerel was very good. The butterfish was mild (I prefer a stronger tasting fish) however the sliced pickled pepper on top was a terrific addition. The curried rice with tempura shrimp was good. However, the standout item for me was the Japanese peppers in garlic sauce. These were mildly spicy chili peppers in a smokey garlic sauce topped with bonito flakes. Fantastic! I've never had these before and by themselves are worth going back. They have a casual atmosphere with very friendly staff and a nice patio. We'll definitely be going back.
(4)Yuson K.
My experience? It was great to start but ended with big disappointment. When I found out about this place I was ecstatic because there's no izakaya in Phoenix area. Yes, there are sushi and fast-food type places but nothing like izakaya. So, just for that reason I gave it 5 stars. In our party we had 4 adults and a 19 month old baby. We sat at a table around 5:30pm and the service was soooooo slow it took about 4 hours to get all of our food. We left around 9:30pm. For that reason alone I deducted 2 points. Cooked food was pretty decent but sushi was not so fresh and tasteless. Sake was overpriced and beer was warm. So, i deducted another point. This place is also not kid friendly so minus another point. There was no crayons or anything to keep a child busy and there was no changing station in the bathroom either. Luckily the baby was well behaved and didn't get too agitated but other kids in the restaurant were screaming. We had to ask for our order numerous times and average service time took 20-30 min for each order. One of the dish we ordered was so salty we asked them to take it back. This places is very small with 3 waitresses and several cooks so you think they have this down but they seemed very confused and customer service was very poor. I understand this is a new establishment but hope they get their act straight so they don't disappoint more customers. So, where does that 1 star apply you say? Well, all else failed but the tonkotsu ramen was pretty darn good. LOL!
(1)Patherine C.
Dozo! Go ahead and make your way in to this cute little restaurant where seats are limited. A great place to eat but make sure you plan ahead. We arrived hungry and was seated at the bar area. It didn't take too long for us to get our order. Which is pretty good considering they are jam packed. Best dish of the night was the pork belly. You can't go wrong with this dish. Worst dish, unfortunately, was the spicy miso ramen. I wasn't a fan of the bamboo shoots. It gave a slightly weird aroma that I couldn't get over. That's just me but everything else was good. I'll definitely be back. Their grilled items are delicious!!
(4)Bethany L.
We had a terrific experience at Dozo. We weren't particularly starving, so we ordered four small dishes to share. The pork, chicken thigh, sausage, and the salmon fried rice. They were all delicious! My husband particularly enjoyed the sausage, while I loved the salmon fried rice. We also ended up ordering some ramen to sample. We ordered the spicy chicken ramen. It was great! Not too spicy! The staff was very friendly. They kept our drinks full and always had a smile. Overall, it was a delightful experience! We will definitely be back to try other menu options!
(5)Aggie G.
I saw this new place in my area and we went to try it out since we felt like Asian food. It's small and has a cute little patio. Modern Asian flair on the decor. We were greeted and seated by the waitress who recommend the pork bone broth ramen to me and my friend had the bento box. The bento box was beautiful and had quite a bit if food I really liked that. The ramen was very tasty and amazing it was actual pork vibe broth. It did take a few minutes but I can see that they take their time putting the plates together that's the reason why.
(4)Zack J.
Excellent food and service. Tonkotsu ramen bowl is always on point. The chef and the rest of the kitchen work hard and you can tell
(5)Vivian T.
Wow what a pleasant surprise in Tempe for some legit Japanese food. Not to be a ramen snob, but I set my expectations pretty low for ramen joints in the US...but I take it for what it's worth. I like to base ramen places on how good gyoza is at the place. Gyoza and ramen go hand in hand like yakitori and beer. So I was very happy to have some perfectly lightly pan fried gyoza. There are several types of ramen: shoyu (soy base), miso, shio (salt base), and tonkotsu (pork base). Tonkotsu is my favorite and I was not disappointed. Best part it comes decked out with all the toppings and an egg which I'm used to paying extra for. Service was pretty slow but it seems like a newer restaurant and we did come on a Friday night. Still no excuse to wait 20 min for water after being seated. Also for an izakaya I'm surprised there are no sake choices other than the house sake. Overall, not the best I've ever had, but definitely pretty legit Japanese food with some izakaya food too. I can't wait to come back and try the yakitori and karage I miss from Japan! Dozo!
(4)Lindsey C.
I've been here 3 times already and I love this place!! A staple of mine at a Japanese restaurants are salmon skin rolls. I've had that every time I've been there and it's pretty good. Every so often I also like to order tempura udon and here it is just amazing. I like that their happy hour ends at 6:30 because I get off at six and work not too far away. They also have a small bites menu that my friend and I have ordered from. I haven't ordered any alcoholic beverages, but I will be returning and probably soon!
(5)Joon D.
Atmosphere is lovely. Super clean and modern decor, with a distinct Japanese feel. I had the tonkotsu ramen and I can say it is easily the most authentic and best tasting tonkotsu ramen in Arizona. Better than sushi Ken, republic, cherry blossom, umami (yuck), and even the previous title holding yatai ramen. I can't wait to come back and have the other items.
(5)William W.
This is a great place. From.ramen to sushi they have it all. Great couple who run.the place. I have been several times and each time was a treat. In the evening s they do a izakaya style menu. This is very hard to get in phx and harder to do right. They nsil it. Outside seatibg as well
(5)Kris E.
I truly wanted to love this place since it's conviently next to where I live. I ordered spicy miso ramen with chicken karrage and I did not like it at all. The chicken was pretty tasteless but they do provide a dipping sauce for it. The ramen broth wasn't good either. I was planning on giving this place another try until I discovered that my broth had a piece of a STEEL WOOL scrubber in it as I was swallowing it!!!! Im so glad that this happened to me instead of my 2 year old daughter that was sharing my meal. I immediately called the restaurant when I informed them of this they offered me a free ramen. If you want awesome ramen, head to Sushi Ken or Fujiya Martket! Fujiya Market has the best Ton Katsu Ramen but it's only served on Saturdays @ noon in very limited quantities.
(1)Brent B.
I tried their ramen shrimp noodle soup as my first dish. It was good and the flavor was decent. Nothing too crazy that sets it apart from other Japanese restaurant in the valley. The chicken karage could use more flavouring, it tasted a little bland to me. The ambient was decorated nicely despite the fact that it's a smaller space than what we are used to. It's a little pricey. Look to spend about $15-$20 for lunch..yes that includes the lunch special pricing.
(3)Riah Jasmin T.
If I can give a 0 or negative rating I would. Very bad customer service and very rude Owner. We waited for more than 10mins before the server greeted us and gave the menu. Waited maybe more than 20mins and I followed up for the rolls to be served first at least. I asked how many minutes before we'll be served and owner/sushi chef? was very rude and said if we cannot wait it's okay. First time to be treated like that.. Instead of apologizing for the long wait that is what you'll hear. Very rude..
(1)Debra D.
Everything I've had is delicious. Happy hour is big fun to try everything. Soooo good!!
(4)Kimo K.
Was craving izakaya type of food so we decided to try this place due to its receiving a lot of good reviews. But we were disappointed for a number of reasons. When we arrived, we were greeted in a friendly manner and seated right away. That was nice, but the setting was that of a typical, small teishoku restaurant and not that of the typical izakaya. No small, low tables with low seats; no low tables with the charcoal grills built into the middle. I also believe they grill the kushiyaki in the kitchen instead of on the charcoal grills; at least that is what I think because the food has no charcoal flavor. We were told that they had a big party the previous night and they ran out of most of the beef and chicken types of kushiyaki and did not have any to serve last night --- WTH? They also had no chicken wings. That was last night; why didn't the owner/manager make some more immediately this morning? Pretty lame if you ask me. We are told we are in luck since it is happy hour time and given a happy hour menu. Very weak menu -- no "good stuff" on the menu, just routine things. I order my GF a margarita and she says it is OK, although it looks pretty sad. I try to order a pitcher of beer, but am told that pitchers are not on happy hour, only glasses.......how sad is that? I order some food for my GF -- edamane, agedashi tofu, and the chicken katsu dinner. Those were decent and I have no complaint about those dishes. I ordered shishamo which were two little skimpy fishes, about the size of a #2 pencil. I also ordered shishito's which were a nice sized ordered, but drenched in a very salty soy based sauce. They had no yaki onigiri because nobody was ordering it so they took it off the menu....WTH? Sacrilege!!! You got rice -- make a rice ball and grill it on the charcoal grill......oh yeah, maybe there is no charcoal grill. On the "specials" blackboard they had aji, which is one of my favorites. So I order one, sashimi style with the bones and head deep fried. This one dish was pretty expensive @ $14, and I was disappointed. The fish was not fresh so the sashimi was mushy and off tasting. However, they did fry the bones nicely. I also order a buta kushiyaki and that too was disappointing. Not very good or appropriate piece of pork and just grilled with salt -- no sauce or seasoning on the two sticks. So all-in-all, I was disappointed and will not be back. I will keep searching for an izakaya in the Phoenix area.
(2)Mo Z.
Food is great if you want some authentic Asian styled food. By the way this is not purely Japanese food. The whole thing is ran by Chinese people. Bad thing is that the service is very very very slow.
(3)Leticia R.
This place is great! Hidden place found on yelp and not a disappointment. Great for kids and groups. Great environment and service. Loved everything sushi and ramen. Must try!
(5)Jonathan W.
Very good and authentic Japanese food! The Bento boxes for lunch are a great deal. Spicy Beef Teriyaki is delish:)
(5)Melodii Z.
Very tasty ramen and rice bowls. Sushi are beautiful and yummy. We got some free chocolate today cuz it's Valentine's Day. Nice service. The outdoor seats are fancy.
(5)Chad M.
Delicious noodle soup. Be aware that there is only a small eating area inside and a large patio for outside eating. The patio is nice, but some parts of the year it's just too hot to eat outside. This is a great place for an inexpensive bowl of noodles for lunch, or a nice place for a drink and sushi on the patio at night.
(5)Giovanni C.
Terrible experience. The service is incredibly slow. We waited for any item in our order for 45 minutes with a half empty restaurant. Knowing we were late, we tried to check what items were not being cooked yet in order to cancel them and just eat what was ready. When the sushi chef found out he cancelled all our order and pretty much kicked us out. Wouldn't be back even if they paid me to go.
(1)Nina R.
I am not a huge Japanese food connoisseur but I do know that in this area, we do not have much authentic Japanese going for us. My husband and I tried this place last week and were pleasantly surprised with how clean everything was and the various options on the menu (their sushi rolls all have a description, I don't know about you but that is a big plus for me lol) I had a bento box with spicy chicken teriyaki and my husband had the spicy miso ramen with pork. Both were great, everything seemed super fresh and the server was really nice and helpful. Is it super authentic? Maybe, probably not. Is it really tasty and fresh? Yes! We will return for sure.
(4)Mike L.
For those of you who aren't familiar, izakayas are more drinking establishments than restaurants. Usually you and your buds drink sake or beer and eat a bunch of small snacks to accompany it. The best snacks to me are items off of the grilled menu (yakitori) - usually chicken skewers. When paired with an Asahi superdry, something magical happens. Does this place serve world class yakitori? No. But the fact that there is a place in the Valley to scratch this culinary itch is easily worth 4 stars in my book. My rec: GO! With coworkers or friends. Order a japanese beer (preferably Asahi Super Dry). Order off of the Yakitori menu - try at least one unusual meat - Beef Tongue is incredible. Say "Kanpai!" a lot. Drink more beer.
(4)Timothy D.
So close to home. How did I miss this one? We live nearby, and this restaurant spot has gone through at least five iterations in the ten years I've been in the neighborhood. So once again, another name pops up, "Dozo", and I think Here's another ma and pa short-lived business adventure. Alas, we give it a try tonight, and wow! The decor is well-done, the staff is warm and friendly, and the menu is deep and provocative. The food: we tried 3 of the izakaya items--chicken skin, chicken hearts, and beef tongue. Interesting, and I will try more, but 4 out of 5 stars. A bit more "chewey" than I think it could have been. We then had the carburetor roll. This was outstanding, and the shrimp tempura in the middle had an excellently thin, light, crispy batter. Made us want to try the tempura items by themselves next time. The ramen was also really good, and we'll explore that further as well. I really hope this place is a continuing success. This is a gem in south Tempe that we need as a local hot spot. I reserve the fifth star for future visits, only because I like to remain objectively very critical of the truly best places.
(4)Ben H.
Really good. I've been twice. First time i went for lunch: I chose a beef teriyaki and tempura bento. It wasn't the normal cut or flavor of teriyaki i was expecting, but good. The sauce was not sweet, and the beef was in little squares as opposed to the strips in sweet sauce I'm used to. Not the norm, but by no means bad. The tempura was absolutely fantastic. The tempura assortment included a shishito pepper, something I'd never seen in tempura.. but now all I can think of is eating a whole basket of them. The batter on all pieces was extremely airy, almost lacy, delicate, but not falling apart, and served only seconds from the fryer. A+ on technique. Dozo Izakaya understands the critical and oft forgotten art of serving the dish at it's absolute best moment... more on that later. The sushi was well made and traditionally sized, everything able to be eaten in one bite aside from the futomaki. The miso soup was not from a packet and had a very good dashi flavor with proper smoke and mirin flavors, with silken tofu. The rice in the bento was a bit cold but not bad My dining companion had the pork katsu with philly roll bento, and did not have any complaints. The bento included a nice sesame ball, the salad had a nice sweet mayo/vinegar dressing. Lunch service was good if a bit slow, but the place was packed, and the lone waitress did comment on and apologize for the delay. This place is pretty small, about 50 seats total. Best for parties 4 or fewer, but can accomodate parties of six, and they offer reservations. The sushi bar seats only accounts for 5 so it's a solo or 2 person affair. They have a patio but it was too hot on our lunch visit. Now on to dinner. I went with the intention of only eating from the Izakaya menu. i've eaten [and drank] at 'the real deal' in Osaka and Kyoto and this is the only place I've ever seen in Arizona that has a menu that even resembles theirs. It's an assortment of yakitori, soups, and small plates meant to be shared and enjoyed with beer, sake, rice whiskey (shoju/shochu), or a fine cocktail. The yakitori selections here include 'nasty bits'; artfully grilled chicken gizzards, hearts, skins, and beef tongue are available on little skewers (2 per order, per izakaya tradition norms). These are truly worth the visit as they present amazing flavors and textures, and rarely seen in casual establishments out here. You can also get spiced fried wings, grilled chicken breast with green onion, grilled sirloin, and many other 'less daring' options. The dish that drew me back for dinner were the shishito peppers... I knew I wasn't going to get them tempura style, but the fact they were on the izakaya menu piqued my curiosity. They arrived cooked a bit more than expected, no longer crispy, but fried with garlic and either butter or olive oil, and garnished with sesame and the best garnish I have ever seen anywhere. They were just laid in a bowl, and then topped with very finely shredded bonito flakes in tiny strips. It was moving and dancing in a very noticable manner as the light-as-air flakes dissolved and collapsed into the heat and oil of the peppers they were resting on. Another testament to the importance Dozo Izakaya puts on prep-to-table presentation. They did it again with the takoyaki, which was served piping hot with a delicate crisp outside and an almost molten inside. Really REALLY good, but again, the dancing katsuobushi garnish were just unexpected and beyond the standard 'extra mile' a cook could take. I finished with my first ever whole fried sweet prawn... I ate every last bit except the tail. Dinner service was attentive if a little hurried, despite the place not being as full as it was at lunch. I really dislike servers asking if I want more food while everyone is actively eating or enjoying a sip from a drink, but again it was one server for the whole place, and they were always on point with getting the food from the pass to the table ASAP. This is a tight operation that knows what it is doing, and it is worth every one of the 4 stars. It's not perfect, but it is unique and very very good. I wish I could just get a whole pile of tempura shishito peppers. They're on to something here. Also, this place closes way too early. An izakaya should be open until midnight or later. P.S. Other reviewers point out this place is not Japanese owned, and there is a bit of fusion going on, keep an open mind. This is a Japanese based menu with Chinese and Singaporean twists.
(4)Lisa M.
Very happy to have found a restaurant in this area that I'd go back to more than once, and have it become a regular stop for lunch or dinner in our neighborhood! In fact, i'm ecstatic as there are so few good restaurants in general in south Tempe. I really liked the tempura...light, fresh, not greasy and the miso soup and california roll was excellent. Looking forward to going back to try the ramen dishes and more of the sushi rolls. Everyone working there was super friendly and attentive. They also have a good selection of beer, sake and wine. We will for sure be coming here again! We had a huge lunch with a large Kirin and the bill was only $36. They also have a nice, large patio which is great because the indoor seating is small, but cozy.
(5)Tomi A.
As a Japanese person I am always looking for an authentic Japanese restaurant. This place was a major disappointment. This restaurant is a Chinese restaurant trying to be a Japanese restaurant. Tonkotsu ramen was wrong in every sense, wrong broth, wrong chashu, & wrong menma. Gyozas were more like Chinese dumplings (they are pan fried in Japan not deep fried), sauce for agendashi dofu was not right either. All wait staff were nice (but slow), I just feel deceived about the food. If you want to experience authentic Japanese food, sushi ken is good place to go. I will not be retuning to dozo.
(2)Phoebe M.
I was happy with my special sushi lunch - Soup, house salad, 4 pcs of Nigiri and crunchy California Roll for $10.50! Yes, I do love California Roll. :) I will be back to try their Ramen Noodles!
(4)miyo t.
This is not a real sushi place i have to say. We ordered the 15 pieces sashimi plate, which should come with five fish and each in 3 pieces. But one more expensive fish was substituted with much cheaper fish, without telling us. The chef probably think we won't notice. We asked for the replacement and the chef did. But feel this kind of sushi store is dishonest and will not go again. The fish quality is in average, not really fresh nor very bad, but they come in quite thin and small size than other sushi place. So if you are really into sashimi or sushi, you will feel disappointed.
(2)Jackie W.
I took my 11 yr old daughter here to try authentic japanese ramen. We order negima (the chicken skewers) which were amazing. She ordered a california roll which was also delicious. Our orders can out at separate times which is odd here in the US but standard in Japan. My Udon was excellent, she loved her Miso Ramen with shrimp. Both orders were very filling we ended up taking some home to leave room for Mochi ice cream. The restaurant was small but nicely decorated. On a saturday evening the place was full. There was plenty of outdoor seating but summer in AZ is not the time for that. Next month in october it should be lovely. Our order took a long time but the staff was attentive and we were not in a hurry. My daughter suggest that we come every month as a bonding thing and order something new each time. I'm all for that idea,
(5)Karen W.
An izakaya in the Phoenix area? Excellent! We came here on a Friday night, and due to the liliputian space inside (I think there are only 4 tables or so in the restaurant) we were limited to outside seating. Snagging the last outside table available, we browsed through the menu after the waitress came over to take our drink order. We ordered a vast quantity of food, enough to feed quite possibly a small army. We arrived just a few minutes before happy hour ended at 7 P.M., so we were lucky enough to partake in happy hour bites as well as regular dinner items. Our array of food included takoyaki, grilled meats, oyako don, spicy miso noodle soup with tofu, "The hot rock", sashimi, agedashi tofu, and a massive array of sushi rolls. Out of all the items, my favorites were the takoyaki and the spicy noodle soup. The takoyaki tasted freshly made, with a nice crispy outer shell and big chunks of octopus. The spicy noodle soup had perfectly cooked noodles, with a light broth. The sashimi was fresh, and while the rolls we had were cheap (Approximately 5-6 dollars per roll), you get what you pay for since they were plentiful numbers of them, but they tasted just OK, nothing special. The hot rock was an interesting creation, which I enjoyed. It had a shitake mushroom base, and was topped with cooked spicy tuna, crab, and eel sauce. Service was friendly, but due to the popularity of the restaurant (There were a lot people waiting inside, and a huge line of people waiting outside the restaurant as more time progressed during our meal), our waitress was a bit absent minded about getting items for us and checking up on us. The owner is Taiwanese, so the menu isn't strictly Japanese by authenticity standards. Just think of it as Japanese with some Chinese flair. :) I'll come back here if I'm wanting good takoyaki and other small bites, and if I'm planning on eating here at a less busier time. If you do come at a typically busy time, you've been warned about the wait and limited seating! Overall, 3.5 stars for me.
(4)Brian P.
In my opinion this place trying to replicate shin sen gumi from California. All in all, the food is ok. The place is run by chinese people. Service is horrible. For example, there we waited 20 minutes for the waitress to take our drink order. And 15 minutes for her to bring the drink out. And then more waiting for food. All this happened when they were not even busy ( 5 out 10 tableI) I can't not imagine how long is the wait is when they are busy. it seems like all the waiters and waitresses running around haphazardly. Like I said before food is ok, chef over cook the heart, and the tongue on skewer. Also, the ramen was better at republic of ramen. However, we did like the albacore tataki and the deep fried sweet shrimp. We would come back only if management hire more experience eating staff and better food.
(3)G B.
We have since tried new dishes and I got say, I used to think that Cherry Blossom was the best Japanese joint in Phoenix. However, Dozo has definitively own us over. The best Japanese place in town for sure! Their ramens are so flavorful and tasty that it's a must have!
(5)Ben T.
Sushi Ken has always been my place to go in the valley and nothing would compare to it, but after tonight, I think I found my new favorite place! For appetizers, the pan-fried gyoza was on point. I ordered the tonkatsu ramen combo with a side of poki-tuna don. The wait was really long considering how busy it was for a Friday night, but for sure worth it! I'm definitely coming back here again in the bear future with all my buddies!
(4)Alex W.
Awesome, seriously best sushi in AZ. Tuna poke was the best I've had here!
(5)Timothy D.
2nd time here. Had the carburetor roll, tori roll, and shrimp tempura. All excellent. Service was great as well.
(5)E P.
I had not written any Yelp reviews until I dined here. I was starved and left the place feeling hungry, shortchanged, and discriminated. Let me tell you why. We were looking for an authentic Japanese restaurant in Phoenix and thought this was it by the name. Instead it's a Chinese run Japanese style restaurant that serves premium priced half-Japanese food at a starvingly slow rate. We ordered saba , tempura , udon soup , and ramen. The saba took 40 minutes to arrive, and the rest arrived within the hour. We originally arrived at 6 pm on a Monday night. When I observed the kitchen, the staff was stopping and double checking nearly every order. Their system was grossly inefficient. The food was only half Japanese. I am married to a darling Japanese girl, and she grew up with her uncle who owned a successful LA restaurant that once catered the Japanese Emperor. I have also visited Japan 4 times and eat Japanese food every day. We both agreed that the head cook conveniently uses cheaper Chinese alternatives to save some money. The udon broth was watered down and had soy sauce in it , and the ramen soup was weak with garlic added. The ramen noodles were few as well. I dont know why a few elite Yelpers rate this place 4 or 5 stars. Ive never been disappointed with Japanese food nor service. Ive never waited more than 20 min at legit places. Perhaps Phoenix does not have them yet for Yelpers to experience true Japanese cuisine and service. I felt discriminated because a larger group of middle aged Caucasian Americans were served a more complex meal first when they arrived 15 min later than us. Dont come here unless there's no customers and if you are willing to pay more for less.
(1)Brandon E.
Great place, we stopped by for some food and it was a wonderful atmosphere. Food was great my wife was craving sushi and it hit the spot. Not to mention the prices are good. Will come back here for sure.
(5)Anil K.
Good sushi and good noodle dishes. They have a few veg. dishes. They also have a great lunch special in which the chef mixes a few diff types of sushi for you. Its a great way to see what they do best. They have a small restaurant but their is outdoor seating. We will def. be back in the future.
(4)Drew P.
Really nice interior. Infact despite it being a small space (by American standards) it does its best to replicate a Japanese style Izakaya. Modern and clean. The folks that run this place seem nice. I think they are Chinese (based on some of the interesting menu items that are not Japanese). It was funny but awkard that some Japanese businessmen came and sat at the table next to us, but they seemed disappointed that the staff were not Japanese -I digress. I ordered the Miso Ramen. It's no Cherry Blossom quality, a bit bland regarding the broth, but not bad. We shared some Gyoza, good. My dinner companion ordered the Teriyaki bento box, seemed a bit small on the portion of chicken itself, but it had good flavor. Not too sweet. I will add this into the rotation but I would prefer Shimagamo or Cherry Blossom before this if I prefer Japanese flair. I will try their sushi and Izakaya style skewers next time.
(3)Julie M.
First of all let me say that the place is very clean, modern, and the server we had was great! She was Very polite and attentive. Now, for the food, we had some sushi, the Spicy Miso and Cha Shu Ramen with chicken and pork respectively. The portions were big, the flavors were amazing, and everything seemed fresh! We also had the mochi and the non-dairy Coffee ice cream for dessert and both of those were great as well. We are definitely coming back and just wish I lived closer!
(5)Carlo M.
Something a little different from the usual Japanese food around the area. Try the skewers and ramen.
(5)David P.
Nice atmosphere, the tonkatsu ramen was very good. All their tapas dishes was good for the price. Most of the customers that went to eat there were Asian. Thats a good sign that the food is authentic. We will definitely come back here again!
(5)Michael H.
If you like tonkotsu ramen, these people don't mess around. In 10 years of living in Japan, I can't remember ever once finding a ramen shop that actually grilled their chashu. Absolutely fantastic.
(5)Elena C.
We are so glad we found this place tonight and are excited that it's in our neighborhood! The poke roll literally was made for us right then- they marinated the ahi right then and there and that's why it took longer than the other rolls but it was totally worth the few extra minutes!!! Really looking forward to going back here from now on anytime I feel like sushi, a definite go to spot from now on! Not to mention our waitress was probably the nicest waitress I've ever had before. Great service and great food!
(5)Maribelle S.
Found this place while searching for sushi. We are not from Arizona so we were hoping yelp reviews held up to the expectation. It most certainly did! Kids had the ramen, the husband and I had a few rolls of sushi and some tempura. Excellent food and the service was spectacular. Thank you Dozo Izakaya for providing us with an outstanding dinner!
(5)Ken R.
Wow! Had dinner last night and what an excellent experience. Sampled many of the special small plates...the octopus balls (not the testicles BTW) and chicken skin was great. Sampled the sashimi of which all was fresh and tasty. Service was great . I cant wait to come back and try more.
(5)Jaswant A. S.
This review is for the ramen as I did not try any other items on the menu. Came here with a co-worker on a Friday for lunch. Saw the grand opening sign outside and when we got to the door, we could hear Japanese metal blasting out the speakers. Interesting... I opened the door and was greeted immediately with Irashaimasu! Wait. WTF? It's supposed to be Irashaimase! Felt a little awkward and uneasy for a moment. The waitress sat us at a counter facing the parking lot. After a quick look at the menu, I decided to try the Tonkotsu Char-Siu ramen. Co-worker got the spicy miso chicken ramen. Waitress seemed disappointed we weren't ordering any rolls or Izakaya items and kept asking "that's all? that's all?" Another awkward moment. We're here for a quick lunch within our lunch hour - not a 3 martini lunch while splurging on the corporate card FFS! While we waited for the ramen I noticed that the music from the speakers was a curious mix of J-Pop and Japanese hard rock and heavy metal - bands like Thee Michelle Gun Elephant - which I don't remember ever hearing at a Japanese restaurant anywhere in the United States nevermind Arizona. It did give the atmosphere of stepping into another country for a moment. I also noticed that the staff were speaking what sounded like Chinese amongst themselves. That explained the earlier awkwardness. When I finally got my ramen, I grabbed my spoon and sipped the tonkotsu broth. It had the tonkotsu flavor alright - a little weak though. Noodles were alright. Char Siu was very flavorful and perfect and so was the menma (bamboo) in the ramen. My only other benchmark for ramen of any kind in the Phoenix metro area is unfortunately Republic Ramen on University - which of course, gets stomped to the curb by this place. Doesn't say much though because most 25 cent ramen packages at the grocery store can do that to Republic Ramen's ramen as well. Let's just say that for now, if I'm craving a bowl of ramen and don't want to cross state lines, this will have to do.
(3)G. C.
I've been waiting for a yummy ramen place to pop up in the Chandler/Tempe area. The noodles were fresh and the broth was rich and flavorful. Kids came along and they are not easy to please. But they ate their ramen and the sushi combo.
(5)Cody J.
You know the place is incredible when you are the minority. I haven't had a thing yet that wasn't amazing. The restaurant is clean, service is fast and friendly, and it feels like family.
(5)Young K.
I usually don't eat Japan cuisine but the food was exquisitely delicious the 4 stars would have been five if the guy that worked there kissed me but it didn't work .-.
(4)Melissa B.
Best sushi in town! It is so nice to see that although the location has changed, this family owned restaurant has maintained all the wonderful qualities of the former Scottsdale location. Our usual favorites Albacore Tuna shashimi and Keita roll are still extremely fresh and tasty. The crispy calamari is delicious now made with a lighter rice flour batter. The ambiance of the new Tempe location is fun and trendy and accessible from everywhere. Robert and Risa are always the perfects hosts and go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome. We arrived early for happy hour specials and the place was filling up quickly by the time we left. Highly recommend!!
(5)Joe W.
This review us only for the Tonkotsu ramen. After seeing reviews for Dozo Izakaya I decided to check em out. I saw they had ramen and udon (never really seen that at an Izakaya) but thought what the heck can't be worse than Republic Ramen (nastiest ramen ever). I walked in and the lady who greeted me was very nice, I ordered my tonkotsu ramen and waited to see what it was all about. I am really picky when it comes to ramen (I go to Kurume Japan about once a year and all over Kyushu to eat ramen). In comparison to the ramen in Arizona I must say it is the best here. In California I don't know if I would order it... The broth was ok but felt like something was missing, the noodles were cooked well but not the right kind of noodles... It was over all ok and I might order it if I'm not going to California or Japan anytime soon. For me they will be a place i can eat ramen without being utterly disappointed. I'm sure many people will like it! As for me it's ok, cuz I'm picky as hell. I want to try other stuff here and I'm sure I will. This is the first place where I am actually willing to return to in Arizona. The service helped a lot and gave them the extra star. I want to try some other stuff they have and I will update as I try their other items. Give em a try
(4)Tyler U.
Best sushi restaurant of all time! Great service and friendly staff. Always fresh sushi and great options!
(5)David W.
Highly recommended! I frequent a lot of Japanese restaurants and this is one of my favorites because they have friendly service and great food.
(5)Hayley V.
This place is great! We go frequently for sushi - especially during happy hour (5-6:30pm) when there are good deals on rolls and appetizers. The staff is super friendly and attentive, plus the patio seating area is awesome. The sushi is fresh and delicious - try the Carburetor Roll!
(5)Lisa M.
They are new so service needs to improve. We waited for food longer than I expected.
(4)Derek V.
Great food and great prices! Highly recommend for lunch the bento box. Great spicy tuna roll and spicy beef teriyaki!!
(5)Niraj P.
Had a great experience here with my wife tonight. We got some miso soup, a few basic rolls, a bento box, some sake and mochi ice cream. The bento teriyaki salmon was cooked to perfection and the rolls were very tasty and fresh. The staff is super helpful and friendly and the decor and ambiance is nice as well. They also offer(only one in az) what the owner explained to us is Japanese tapas. We tried the chicken thigh which was really good and well be sure to try more next time we go. Definitely will be making a return trip soon!
(5)Katlan S.
Everything we had was delicious. We ordered the steamed gyoza, DOZO Roll, Negi Yellowtail Roll, and the Tonkotsu Cha-Shu Ramen. The fish was so unbelievably fresh and the rolls were the perfect size to eat in one bite and they held together really nice. All was excellent. The serving staff was attentive and super sweet. I can't wait to go back.
(5)maria h.
I wanted so much to love this place! We are in desperate need of a great Japanese Izakaya restaurant. Maybe it was a Monday but that shouldn't really matter. We ordered two rolls, I didn't even taste the spicy tuna roll..the spicy salmon we had was not fresh. The salmon sashimi wasn't fresh. The uni was ok....I've had better at the cheap rotating sushi places. The tuna poke was pretty fresh and very flavorful I also had butter fish, dressing on the salad that accompanied this dish was amazing. Fish was ok, not great. Ramen broth was very tasty (spicy miso) however the noodles weren't very good. A little too on the mushy side for my taste. All in all I was expecting a lot more, especially for a restaurant that is having a grand opening. I'll be back to give it another shot, but I think I'll wait awhile as my stomach isn't too happy with me right now. The waitress was really nice and noticed we didn't eat any of our sushi, so she took off one of the rolls. She really should have taken both rolls and the sushi off if our bill as we didn't even touch them they were so fishy I hope they freshen up their fish for our next visit
(2)David L.
Very long wait for food even though there weren't that many people. Servers were indifferent. Not coming back.
(2)Todd P.
We stopped in for lunch on Saturday and were happy with the experience overall. They are still working out the kinks here and there, and the restaurant is a bit on the small side. However the food choices offered are good. We focused on the lunch menu which provided a good variety of sushi and cooked food. I tried the sushi combo which I found to be a decent lunch portaion. Overall I would return, though I could see the place filling up fast during a weekday lunch given the small size.
(4)Thomas S.
Nice decor and atmosphere, family owned, reasonably priced, great friendly service. During the cooler months when the patio opens up, this place is gonna rock. This one goes on the "regular" list. Second time we showed up, a bunch of our friends were already there!
(4)Betty O.
This was our first visit after reading the glowing review in the local paper. We came on a Friday night at 5:00 when they first opened so there were no crowds but it filled up quickly soon after. We ordered the salmon and yellowtail sashimi which was so fresh and amazing (from Scotland and Japan), best we have had in a long time! Also had the nasu dengaku (miso eggplant), tako-yaki (octopus rice ball), grilled chicken hearts and gizzards, and mackerel. The grilled items were good but could use some more seasoning. The presentation of each dish was simple but elegant. The service was excellent... the server was very friendly, the dishes came at just the right pace, and dishes were removed quickly as we finished. Prices were very reasonable. Overall, we were pleased and will return to try other dishes.
(5)Eric L.
Came for dinner with my family. Ordered about 8 items from Izakaya menu and some sushi. Also ordered a Tonkatsu ramen. Each grilled meat dish was cooked perfectly with a tasty sauce. Grilled seafood was very tendor and not over cooked at all. Sushi was fresh and prepared well. Ramen was the best I had in the Phoenix area. My 2nd and 3rd favorite Tonkatsu ramen would be from Sushi Ken in Ahwatukeee and Univeristy Ramen in Tempe. Some interesting beer/drink choice as well to go with Izakaya. Will definitely return to try out other stuff.
(4)Frank R.
Just left from dinner on a Thursday night and have to say that this was one of the best dining experiences that I've had in quite a while. To start, we got there a little early ...4:55 (our daughter has volleyball around the corner from 5-6:30). The owner/chef saw us walking up and invited us in telling us to come in early, out of the heat. Every member of the staff greeted us exuberantly and made us feel welcome, but in a "come in and have a great time" kind of way. Since we were early, we had our choice of seats. The was exceptionally clean and had a nice look and feel to it. Both the waitress and chef/ owner engaged us in conservation and after finding out that this was or first time, took the time to explain the menu offerings and, most importantly, the happy hour specials, which are fantastic! Because we (my wife and I) were with with my parents, we ordered a variety of items both off the happy hour menu as well as the IZAKAYA menu. All were outstanding. My parents ordered some standards, Philly roll and california roll, which were really good, but not what I was in the mood for. I was looking for some more excitement, so from the IZAKAYA menu, I ordered the beef, onion, and rice bowl (melt in your mouth great), the sausage (which you MUST eat with the fresh garlic or really not understand how good it is), the chicken skin (best I've ever had), and the baby octopus (which were perfectly grilled and just the right amount of heat). My mother, who is of Polish descent, was excited to find chicken hearts and gizzards on the same menu. Both were exceptional. My wife, who is vegetarian and usually not too excited about sushi places, was thrilled to see such a variety of options. Along with spring rolls, she ordered the yam and avocado roll which I also tried and loved. But best of all, in my opinion was the service. Impeccable is the best word to describe it. Not over bearing, but always right there before you think you need it. Plus, the owner, chef was a great conversationalist and happy to offer suggestions and really went or of his way to make us feel welcome. To sum up, there is only one thing to say...this is my new favorite restaurant!
(5)Barbara X.
The grilled stuff is highly recommended. Tried grilled chicken gizzard, beef tongue, chicken skin and grilled fish, all pretty good!
(5)Kathleen C.
Service was good, clean and happy hour prices reasonable though the portions were small based on our experiences at say, Sakahana. Although not overly crowded and a Monday night, three of our selections ended up not being available (ran out). Appeared to be one server for the night that was polite and kept up with things though the items came out slow from the kitchen. Food was good -- really like the crunchy tuna roll. They have an extensive Sake selection (both cold and hot) and serve coke products (which I prefer). Traditional items that we appreciated having a chance to sample in anticipation for our upcoming trip to Japan which is why we chose to visit and found out about a coupon we received in the mail.
(4)Melissa K.
This place is the bomb! Bomb, in a good way, like a bomb of flavor in your mouth. The service is fantastic, the décor and environment is spot on, easy access in and out, and abundant amount of parking. The Japanese tapas like this can't be found anywhere else in the Valley and the sushi is as fresh as it comes!!
(5)Morgan P.
Service was outstanding, I enjoyed the grilled dishes from the Izakaya menu. Tuna Poki was good, pork belly was tasty, but the sushi rice in the two rolls we got was a little off. Good sake selection and some nice beers, everyone was friendly. It was a Tuesday night so not busy, all we had to do was glance at someone working in the dining room and they were right there to get us whatever we needed. I will be back.
(4)selene j.
Not what I was expecting. I was told that this was a great place and what I ordered was not worth the money. The service was ok. Will not be going back.
(2)Mary M.
I REALLY want to love this place but the service is so painfully slow whenever we go (doesn't matter when - weekdays/Saturday, lunch/dinner...just SLOW). Like some fellow Yelpers have pointed out this is a Chinese/Taiwanese owned Japanese Tapas-like place. Overall the quality of the food is good as long as you can close one eye and forget about the authenticity of the food. Consider it as a Japanese-Taiwanese fusion diner then you are fine. Sushi is a *meh* for me, Yakitori and other skewer items are OK, Ramen depends on the kind of broth that you order (Tonkotsu and Shio are better than the others) but the noodle itself that they use tends to be salty. Since the place is new and the staff is super nice, I shall wait and see how this place can mature and evolve into a more established place to go in coming months. 3.5 Stars.
(4)Carole F.
My family enjoyed the delicious food, great prices, service, and atmosphere. We highly recommend this restaurant!
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