First course: Sushi Yuzu opens in Kapolei

Nadine Kam photos
Sushi YuZu's Ko Olina roll, with California roll center, and topped with ahi, hamachi, salmon and avocado.

Sushi YuZu celebrated its grand opening at Ko ʻOlina Resort on June 23, a day after a preview event highlighting specialties created by the husband and wife team, Motoko “Moco” and Isamu Kubota, who have won a loyal following through a handful of eateries including Kai, Kaiwa, Hale Macrobiotic, Kai Wailea and the original YuZu Hawaii at the Ala Moana Hotel.

Their latest effort brings izakaya fare to West Oahu, with help from New Jersey transplant sushi Chef Ikunari Yamamura and local chef Brandan Bandith.

YuZu's signature lotus root pizza.

True to Moco's macrobiotic roots, Sushi YuZu uses organic and natural ingredients and incorporates local produce when possible, although they concede not everyone is ready to a fully healthful approach, so there is a full complement of meat and seafood offerings. But, to put people on the right track, sushi is accompanied by YuZuʼs organic, wheat-free Tamari shoyu for the gluten-sensitive. And other sauces and dressings use vegan ingredients.

I was able to try several dishes on the menu, all winners, with price points from low (four pieces yakitori for $8.50, sushi rolls from $8.95) to high, to suit any budget.

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 Sushi Yuzu is at 92-1047 Olani St., behind Just Tacos. Call 808.678.1155 or visit www.YuZuHawaii.com

For now, the restaurant is open for dinner only, from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.(last rrder) Sundays to Thursdays, and 4:30 to 11:30 p.m. (last order), Fridays and Saturdays.

During happy hour from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. to closing daily, patrons sitting at the bar can enjoy "Five 0," specials of $5 drinks and pupu including local chicken karaage, organic fried potatoes, spicy poke nachos, California roll, spicy king salmon roll, and more.

Isamu and Motoko "Moco" Kubota, with their restaurant's young yuzu tree.

Favorite food alert: Crisp-skinned organic potatoes drizzled with truffle oil and organic ketchup. (These potatoes don't need the ketchup.)

Grilled squid was our waiter's favorite dish, amazingly tender if somewhat alien looking, cooked with Hawaiian sea salt, pepper and tamari.

Rock shrimp tempura over spicy yuzu ahi roll.

Kurobuta chorizo dotted with goma and shichimi pepper.

YuZu splashes into scene

Nadine Kam photos
Motoko "Moco" Kubota shows YuZu's lotus pizza.

YuZu Hawaii hosted its grand opening party Nov. 3 at its location on the ground floor of the Ala Moana Hotel. The casual bar concept described as "not your grandmother's Japanese cuisine" is the latest project of Isamu Kubota and Motoko "Moco" Kubota—following Kai Okonomiyaki, Kaiwa and Hale Macrobiotic—who continue to feed us in novel ways.

The couple still lean healthy, using veggie-based mayo, gluten-free tamari, housemade dashi and focusing on locally grown produce.

In spite of their having done this countless times before, the restaurant wasn't quite ready when guests arrived, only to be left standing outside while the room was being set up. Food and drink were also slow to materialize and when platters did arrive, there was so little food on them that a mere six people could clear a whole tray if they merely grabbed two skewers of yakitori chicken.

It got to a point where people stood around the table and swarmed the minute a plate landed. I called it a fish feeding frenzy and Yelper Thomas Obungen corrected that it was more like watching piranha!

One of the restaurant's pieces of food-related artwork.

I have to admit it was a bit scary, like being in the center of a mosh pit at times when I was just trying to take a photo, surrounded by an immediate circle of photographers, and outer circle of hungry people armed with chopsticks and forks. In those moments, I looked for a gap in the human wall to slip through, without risking grabbing a bite. It made no sense to try to grab a plate either, because by the time you got back, every scrap would be gone.

What I did sample was simple fare of french fries with yuzu aioli, garlic and regular soy beans, and tender yakitori that also paired well with the aioli. There was also a lotus-cheese pizza which could also be doused with Yuzu-It!, a bottled yuzu-pepper sauce.

One big selling point is that most of the menu items are priced at less than $10.

After I left, others who were there tweeted me about the udon I missed. Three kinds—(hoso, thin round), (gokufuto, wide flat) and (futo, thick round), will be prepared fresh daily and cut to order. I look forward to trying it without battling a crowd.

YuZu is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner service from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m., with full bar service, and parking is free at Ala Moana Hotel, or just walk over from Ala Moana Center after one of your holiday shopping tours.

Organic french fries can be dressed with a housemade ketchup or yuzu aioli.

Garlicky soybeans.

Tender yakitori, umm-umm good! Get them teriyaki style, or spicy. Both are salty, made for the bar set.

Ball-shaped temari sushi are named after the temari balls crafted from kimono fabric. Featured here are hamachi with jalapeño and sake sushi.