Being quarantined at home months on end can leave you craving the oddest things. Even things you’ve never experienced; like omakase. You might remember those dark days in deep shut down when you were tired of the sameness of your own food, no matter how good it was, and lusted for something “different” as well as satisfying. Those feverish musings uncovered Kai Zan, a highly regarded but pint-sized sushi restaurant on Chicago Avenue who did a frighteningly impressive take out business all through the Covid freeze. Their incomparable to-go platters were so sensational, it was impossible not to be curious about a dine-in encounter once restrictions lifted.
Kai Zan probably doesn’t think of itself as a destination for sushi haters. Those folks who turn their noses up at raw fish because they think it all tastes like slime that you just pulled from the mud. But the restaurant is unquestionably the kind of place that will make it easy for you to raise your sights and realize eating raw fish, especially omakase style, is like dining at the Ritz.
In this country, omakase and prix fixe are very similar concepts. Prix fixe means fixed price and it applies to both styles of offerings. In both, the chef decides what you eat. You’re of course told what the menu will include; but often that’s only as each course is served. The obligation of deciding what to order goes away and you’re treated to one surprise after another as plates appear and disappear before you. In restaurants like Kai Zan, the omakase consists of 10 or more courses; qualifying it as a feast. And since feasts can be expensive, here they’re priced at $75 per person. For most of us, that makes them special occasion experiences. If Kai Zan is representative of what to expect though, they are experiences you’ll want to repeat.
Immaculate, cozy and emphasizing natural colors and textures, you immediately relax when you walk into the restaurant. All the booths were already occupied by the time we showed up for our reservation one Fall night, and the counter was all that was left. That turned out to be fortunate for first timers. Melvin and Carlo Vizconde, often referred to as the sushi twins and Kai Zan’s chef owners, displayed the seriousness of brain surgeons as they sliced, carved and sculpted an assembly line of masterpieces. Working as if the customers filling the restaurant and the bustle serving them didn’t exist, neither their focus nor that of their support crew ever waver. Every motion had a purpose and was executed quickly and expertly.
Everybody knows we eat with our eyes first and the Japanese long ago turned the appearance of a meal into an art form. They not only use color, but also incorporate texture and form to make artistic statements on a platter, plate or in a bowl. Sometimes the intent is to heighten the visual drama of a presentation. Other times, the impact might be one of sublime, refined beauty. And the types of food served can vary greatly as the way it looks.
Some entrées you might not be too surprised to see. It’s their flavor and freshness that deliver the bombshell. Red snapper with tuna belly roe and micro greens certainly fit that bill. The smaller the serving the more it’s intended to be savored. No matter how small a single course might be, the entire meal is calibrated to insure you walk away completely sated. This can happen even before the last dish is served.
Novelties and unique expressions of the chefs’ taste also show up that stamp the meal with the professional signature of the restaurant. In one course, a scallop or an oyster lay at the bottom of four shot glasses placed before each diner. They were filled with a cocktail that included ponzu and tabasco. Ponzu’s a little tangier, sweeter and more intense than soy sauce, and when combined with tabasco, the succulence of the oysters and scallops is delivered with a jolt. Another dish was a delicious spin on ceviche. Some servings were hot, like the wasabi fried ball stuffed with octopus. The flavor was sensational and completely out of the realm of the anticipated.
By the time the last dish appears, one that most would consider the main event, all notions of hunger may have already been banished. Consisting of generous and pristine slices of three different fish, surrounded by a lovely and completely edible background made up of vegetables and flowers, the sashimi platter is a knockout. An earlier scan of the dining room had already shown that just about everyone had also ordered the omakase and few were dawdling with the last entrée.
Beer and sake typically accompany omakase. The selection of six beers include sterling examples of Japanese brewing prowess.
Unlike restaurants whose prix fixe menus reflect European tastes, those inspired by the east and offer omakase don’t feature a dessert.
Kai Zan
2557 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
Closed: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday
