Fresh, Flavorful Fast Food for Sushi Lovers

More than 40 years after Kozo Sushi first opened in Osaka, Japan, the restaurant’s fresh take on fast-food continues to delight diners as they fulfill their cravings for sushi.

Kozo Sushi has grown to include six convenient locations, including Moiliili at 2334 S. King St., and as owner Mika explains, “The fact that we started out in Japan helps to set us apart from the competition. Kozo Sushi is in fact the No. 1 fast-food sushi chain in Japan, and has the largest number of sushi stores. We also use ingredients and recipes from Japan that have been developed over many years.”

Mika says that while Kozo Sushi is a fast-food chain, the main priority is to provide great quality sushi at reasonable prices. This philosophy allows the restaurant to serve customers who may be pressed for time, such as those stopping in for a quick lunch or picking up dinner after a long day at work. The sushi recipes blend traditional Japanese flavors and preparation techniques with more mainstream and local flavors and accents that appeal to a broad spectrum of tastes and preferences, while new items are constantly introduced to keep the menu fresh.

“Overall, our menu has a balanced mix of both traditional and local-style sushi items,” Mika says. “This is because we want to cater to all kinds of people, from children to adults. We also serve traditional-style items because we want the locals to know more about traditional-style sushi.”

Customers continue to discover new favorites with each trip to Kozo Sushi, including Salmon Lover ($6.15), which includes four pieces of nigiri and four maki pieces featuring the fresh salmon. Ahi Lover ($7.50) also provides eight pieces of nigiri-style sushi, including both sashimi and spicy ahi varieties.

Makimono also serve as go-to selections at Kozo, as the eight-piece sets include a wide range of tasty sushi including Spicy Ahi Maki ($6.25), Dragon Maki ($7.25), Teri Chicken Maki ($5.99), Egg Maki ($3.99) and Hurricane Maki ($7.25) — a flavorful concoction of jumbo fried shrimp, salmon, lettuce, green onion, sweet chili sauce, teriyaki sauce, wasabi mayonnaise and barbecue potato chips.

Kozo Sushi also serves up special combo packs, including Sushi-Soba Set ($6.80) with a hearty portion of noodles coupled with five pieces of assorted sushi and Sukeroku Pack ($4.10) with three Inari and four Futomaki pieces.

“To anyone who hasn’t tried Kozo Sushi, we would like customers to know that we have all kinds of sushi, from classic sushi to local fusion-style varieties,” Mika says. “We also cater items for people who cannot eat raw fish or seafood. Also, in recent years we have started to sell high quality bentos and noodle dishes.”

Just in time for the rapidly approaching tailgate party season, as well as those looking to cater family gatherings and business functions, Kozo Sushi offers a host of Party Plates designed to please attendees at any event. Popular options include Deluxe Nigiri Set ($29.99) with 45 pieces of freshly-made sushi, including 27 Nigiri pieces and 18 Hosomaki pieces. Kahala Special Plate ($35.99) dishes out 46 pieces of sushi, including 24 Maki sushi and 22 Nigiri selections. The ultimate sushi assortment can be found in Kamaaina Plate ($43.99, order at least two hours in advance, no raw fish), an assortment of 98 pieces including Inari, Maki sushi and Hosomaki.

When it comes to offering some of Hawaii’s freshest and innovative sushi options, Kozo Sushi is definitely on a roll.

Kozo Sushi

Moiliili
2334 S. King St., Honolulu (in addition to five other locations)
951-5696
Open daily at 9:30 a.m.
Monday through Thursday closed at 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday closed at 8 p.m.
Sunday closed at 6 p.m.
kozosushihawaii.net