Restaurant

I was fortunate to find this authentic Japanese restaurant in El Paso. As soon as I entered the door, I couldn't help but be drawn in by the pleasant industrial, east-meets-west contemporary Japanese decor. The lighting was the typical dim found in most Japanese restaurants, but the upbeat music made it more hip and a bit Izakaya-ish to cater to the young "Miners" of this college part of town. The sushi bar is the foremost feature to greet arrivals with an array of popular sushi. The sushi prepared is done beautifully - the real Japanese way, so take heed... it's not the typical Japanese restaurant run by wannabes capitalizing on Japanese cuisine. One can witness the careful attention to detail and all the thought of putting this restaurant operation together. Dining areas are sectioned off by wood dividers and glass windows, which allows you to view the surroundings and also minimize some ambient noise. The teppan grillers are very skilled spatulateers with their rhythmic click clacks are sure to amaze and entertain guests. I ordered the soft shell crab, presented with a medley of batter-fried sweet potato strips and green onions. The flavor was amazing - lightly seasoned with some chives and chili powder... reflecting the local TexMex culture.

Employment

Koze is very attentive to their patrons and will only get better in the months to come. They didn't have any toro sushi ( what I call the prime rib of all sushi which I gladly paid seven dollars for two pieces in Japan ), but I look forward to it in the future. This restaurant exemplifies Japanese cuisine while satisfying local palates with their dual-cultured menu. Gochisosama deshita! I recommend other Japanese restaurants in El Paso to come visit Koze - to watch and learn. If you'd like to find out more, please call Koze Restaurant at (915) 584-1128.

kitchen

I was fortunate to find this authentic Japanese restaurant in El Paso. As soon as I entered the door, I couldn't help but be drawn in by the pleasant industrial, east-meets-west contemporary Japanese decor. The lighting was the typical dim found in most Japanese restaurants, but the upbeat music made it more hip and a bit Izakaya-ish to cater to the young "Miners" of this college part of town. The sushi bar is the foremost feature to greet arrivals with an array of popular sushi. The sushi prepared is done beautifully - the real Japanese way, so take heed... it's not the typical Japanese restaurant run by wannabes capitalizing on Japanese cuisine. One can witness the careful attention to detail and all the thought of putting this restaurant operation together. Dining areas are sectioned off by wood dividers and glass windows, which allows you to view the surroundings and also minimize some ambient noise. The teppan grillers are very skilled spatulateers with their rhythmic click clacks are sure to amaze and entertain guests. I ordered the soft shell crab, presented with a medley of batter-fried sweet potato strips and green onions. The flavor was amazing - lightly seasoned with some chives and chili powder... reflecting the local TexMex culture.

Guest Book

Koze is very attentive to their patrons and will only get better in the months to come. They didn't have any toro sushi ( what I call the prime rib of all sushi which I gladly paid seven dollars for two pieces in Japan ), but I look forward to it in the future.

Menu

Link to sample Menu I also tried the New York steak with shiitake mushrooms. It was done just the way I like it - medium well. The green tea was amazing. Very smooth, very authentic - I haven't had genmaicha (green tea with roasted rice) in a long time and it really brought me back to my years as a student in Japan.
As a connoissieur of Japanese food, I couldn't help but pay careful attention to the tea. It is only served by the waitresses, following a sense of a cultural tradition that has its roots not only in Japan, but in England as well. It has nothing to do with being subservient, but rather the notion that women are more representative of hospitality and grace.
The amae ebi (sweet freshwater shrimp) to my surprise, was really generous in size and proportion to how I had experienced it in Japan - perhaps to add to the old saying - everything is bigger in Texas!

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