Our evening at Kenzo was absolutely wonderful. The restaurant was wonderfully simple and pleasantly quiet. Every bite of every dish was thoughtful, flavorful, and delicious. The premium wine and sake pairing was completely worth it - so many fun and luscious selections.Without question, the best part of the meal was that we had the privilege of being served by Tomonori, who we later learned is the General Manager. He was a joy. He explained each course in perfect detail and answered every question we could think of. He made us excited to try each new dish - which of course greatly enhanced each individual taste and the overall experience.Highly recommended. Will definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Frank J. Portela
We had the opportunity to sit by the sushi bar. The delicate work of the chef preparing the food was mesmerizing. Such control and precision. The food was beyond delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mason Nichols
So I was so disappointed, we're big Kenzo fans we love the wine, we bought bento boxes during the pandemic. And we've enjoyed the restaurant multiple times, but this time the food was good but it was not at the high level I expect. There was literally no Nigri or traditional sashimi, lots of wagu, maybe too much. The service was great and the wine and sake were tip top. We got a lot of tofu Petit fours and cooked bites not what I have come to expect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
V W
Wonderful service and sake pairing to an exquisite menu. Every bite was packed with umami. Two of my favorite dishes out of the menu were Walnut tofu and Golden eye snapper owan. Every dish was carefully prepared with lovely presentation. We were super lucky to get last minute reservation as this place is always booked up way in advance. What a gem in Napa downtown area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
KennethD
What a great experience, in every way! The food was creatively and beautifully prepared, and delicious. The wine and saki pairing was amazingly executed with great balance between food and drink, hitting flavor profiles very well. Finally, the service was educational, friendly, and very comfortable.
KingCoffee
Our evening at Kenzo was absolutely wonderful. The restaurant was wonderfully simple and pleasantly quiet. Every bite of every dish was thoughtful, flavorful, and delicious. The premium wine and sake pairing was completely worth it - so many fun and luscious selections. Without question, the best part of the meal was that we had the privilege of being served by Tomonori, who we later learned is the General Manager. He was a joy. He explained each course in perfect detail and answered every question we could think of. He made us excited to try each new dish - which of course greatly enhanced the taste experience. Highly recommended. Will definitely return!
BethM
Such a special experience! Not inexpensive, but worth it. Each of the courses 8 savory courses were unique perfection, each utilizing a different technique, each with their own story. The 9th course, was a small trio of desserts, also very unique since I have not had many Japanese "sweets" before.
Everything about the experience was incredible. The food, ambience, and service was fantastic. We have already decided to make it a yearly ritual to come dine here and we look forward to it!
TokyoJoe73
our experience at Kenzo was quite amazing, from the pre-reservation communication, to the recommended counter seating, to the detailed explanation of each serving, to the amazingly delicious dishes, to the fantastic wine and sake pairing (they paired either wine or sake, depending on the dish!). Normally, I am not a omakase fan at these prices, but this is an exception, it seemed worth not having to fly to Japan for such a great meal!
I ate at French Laundry 2 weeks ago. I mention that because Kenzo was EVERYTHING French Laundry was not. There were exotic ingredients and new tastes I'd never experienced, and old ones with a new spin that changed my appreciation of them. The service was simply impeccable! You would look over and a cup of tea empty a moment ago was magically refilled. The wait staff were professional, incredibly knowledgeable, and clearly proud of the restaurant and service they provided. The in-depth knowledge of sake was also very, very much appreciated! There were only 2 tables (plus sushi bar seating), so the attention to diners was laser-focused. The environment is spare, which was fine and focused more attention on what we were there for: the food. Normally I would go dish by dish to describe, except I don't want to ruin it for you. Half the fun was the surprise of unusual and delightful tastes. For me, the highlight was the Wagu beef. It was mouthwatering, texture like butter. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. But what really set it apart was a rice cracker crust. It brought this novel umami and crunchy texture that sent the experience into the stratisphere! The wagyu spring roll was also elevated to a Michelin star experience. A chef who can take a dish as pedestrian as a spring roll and make it memorable is a genius. Similar for 2 separate interpretations of miso soup. The first had a yuzu-infused spinach that was sublime. The second used a red miso I had never tasted before, and was a new experience of savory. While only 3 bites, the scallops wrapped in daikon radish also delighted the palette. As I said, I won't ruin the rest, as the discovery was half the fun. The portions were all perfect. And let me strongly suggest that you follow the order of tasting each plate recommended by your server. It was well conceived to build and contrast, one taste following the other. The chef is a master. This restaurant is deserving of 2 more stars!
One of the most amazing meals I have ever had. The entire staff was incredible and immediately available for our every need. The Kenzo wines are some of the best in Napa Valley. Simply a wonderful experience!
Vlad
You have to try it. Period. Absolutely unusual Japanese cuisine, not what you expect - sushi, sashimi, California rolls. It's different, it's elegant, it's delicious, presentation is great, wine is great as well. Expensive. On par with French Laundry.
MarkA
Kenzo is a fantastic experience, especially for anyone who appreciates Japanese flavors. As one would hope, every course is impeccable. In our meal, there was a strong emphasis on Hokkaido sourced ingredients with about half the courses emanating from the northern province. We especially appreciated the 5 bites seasonal course beautifully plated around a fall leaf and the best ever spring roll centered on Waygi tendon.
AliM
I took my husband here last night for a surprise for our anniversary and we loved it. My husband is a big fan of omakase and he absolutely loved everything about it. The service was unreal. Would recommend for any special occasion.
Incredible
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our evening at Kenzo was absolutely wonderful. The restaurant was wonderfully simple and pleasantly quiet. Every bite of every dish was thoughtful, flavorful, and delicious. The premium wine and sake pairing was completely worth it - so many fun and luscious selections.Without question, the best part of the meal was that we had the privilege of being served by Tomonori, who we later learned is the General Manager. He was a joy. He explained each course in perfect detail and answered every question we could think of. He made us excited to try each new dish - which of course greatly enhanced each individual taste and the overall experience.Highly recommended. Will definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had the opportunity to sit by the sushi bar. The delicate work of the chef preparing the food was mesmerizing. Such control and precision. The food was beyond delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So I was so disappointed, we're big Kenzo fans we love the wine, we bought bento boxes during the pandemic. And we've enjoyed the restaurant multiple times, but this time the food was good but it was not at the high level I expect. There was literally no Nigri or traditional sashimi, lots of wagu, maybe too much. The service was great and the wine and sake were tip top. We got a lot of tofu Petit fours and cooked bites not what I have come to expect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Wonderful service and sake pairing to an exquisite menu. Every bite was packed with umami. Two of my favorite dishes out of the menu were Walnut tofu and Golden eye snapper owan. Every dish was carefully prepared with lovely presentation. We were super lucky to get last minute reservation as this place is always booked up way in advance. What a gem in Napa downtown area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a great experience, in every way! The food was creatively and beautifully prepared, and delicious. The wine and saki pairing was amazingly executed with great balance between food and drink, hitting flavor profiles very well. Finally, the service was educational, friendly, and very comfortable.
Our evening at Kenzo was absolutely wonderful. The restaurant was wonderfully simple and pleasantly quiet. Every bite of every dish was thoughtful, flavorful, and delicious. The premium wine and sake pairing was completely worth it - so many fun and luscious selections. Without question, the best part of the meal was that we had the privilege of being served by Tomonori, who we later learned is the General Manager. He was a joy. He explained each course in perfect detail and answered every question we could think of. He made us excited to try each new dish - which of course greatly enhanced the taste experience. Highly recommended. Will definitely return!
Such a special experience! Not inexpensive, but worth it. Each of the courses 8 savory courses were unique perfection, each utilizing a different technique, each with their own story. The 9th course, was a small trio of desserts, also very unique since I have not had many Japanese "sweets" before.
Everything about the experience was incredible. The food, ambience, and service was fantastic. We have already decided to make it a yearly ritual to come dine here and we look forward to it!
our experience at Kenzo was quite amazing, from the pre-reservation communication, to the recommended counter seating, to the detailed explanation of each serving, to the amazingly delicious dishes, to the fantastic wine and sake pairing (they paired either wine or sake, depending on the dish!). Normally, I am not a omakase fan at these prices, but this is an exception, it seemed worth not having to fly to Japan for such a great meal!
Restaurantji Recommends
I ate at French Laundry 2 weeks ago. I mention that because Kenzo was EVERYTHING French Laundry was not. There were exotic ingredients and new tastes I'd never experienced, and old ones with a new spin that changed my appreciation of them. The service was simply impeccable! You would look over and a cup of tea empty a moment ago was magically refilled. The wait staff were professional, incredibly knowledgeable, and clearly proud of the restaurant and service they provided. The in-depth knowledge of sake was also very, very much appreciated! There were only 2 tables (plus sushi bar seating), so the attention to diners was laser-focused. The environment is spare, which was fine and focused more attention on what we were there for: the food. Normally I would go dish by dish to describe, except I don't want to ruin it for you. Half the fun was the surprise of unusual and delightful tastes. For me, the highlight was the Wagu beef. It was mouthwatering, texture like butter. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. But what really set it apart was a rice cracker crust. It brought this novel umami and crunchy texture that sent the experience into the stratisphere! The wagyu spring roll was also elevated to a Michelin star experience. A chef who can take a dish as pedestrian as a spring roll and make it memorable is a genius. Similar for 2 separate interpretations of miso soup. The first had a yuzu-infused spinach that was sublime. The second used a red miso I had never tasted before, and was a new experience of savory. While only 3 bites, the scallops wrapped in daikon radish also delighted the palette. As I said, I won't ruin the rest, as the discovery was half the fun. The portions were all perfect. And let me strongly suggest that you follow the order of tasting each plate recommended by your server. It was well conceived to build and contrast, one taste following the other. The chef is a master. This restaurant is deserving of 2 more stars!
One of the most amazing meals I have ever had. The entire staff was incredible and immediately available for our every need. The Kenzo wines are some of the best in Napa Valley. Simply a wonderful experience!
You have to try it. Period. Absolutely unusual Japanese cuisine, not what you expect - sushi, sashimi, California rolls. It's different, it's elegant, it's delicious, presentation is great, wine is great as well. Expensive. On par with French Laundry.
Kenzo is a fantastic experience, especially for anyone who appreciates Japanese flavors. As one would hope, every course is impeccable. In our meal, there was a strong emphasis on Hokkaido sourced ingredients with about half the courses emanating from the northern province. We especially appreciated the 5 bites seasonal course beautifully plated around a fall leaf and the best ever spring roll centered on Waygi tendon.
I took my husband here last night for a surprise for our anniversary and we loved it. My husband is a big fan of omakase and he absolutely loved everything about it. The service was unreal. Would recommend for any special occasion.