Kazu is described as a busy, intimate Japanese izakaya in Montreal where traditional flavors meet a creative twist, with many dishes prepared right in front of diners at the bar and a lively, authentically Japanese atmosphere. The menu is large and wall postings keep things interesting, and while the space is small and lines can be long, the consensus is that the quality, freshness and value make the wait worthwhile. Dishes like beef short ribs, curry, sashimi, and a variety of small plates are repeatedly praised for depth of flavor and thoughtful preparation, with some items singled out as standout favorites and others noted as less compelling or pricier. The staff are consistently described as fast, friendly and attentive, and the kitchen’s in‑view hustle adds to the appeal, a highlight that keeps guests returning. A common refrain is that Kazu delivers an authentic Japanese dining experience in Montreal, offering a distinctive vibe and dependable, high quality food, even for those willing to queue at opening and endure limited seating.
Best Japanese curry I had in Montreal, it was absolutely amazing & reminded so much of the ones in Japan. We were sat at the bar & it was nice to see the staff work & have a little chat about Japan at the end. 100% will come back but not during winter because of this 1h-wait in line hehe ;-)
Bit of a wait to get seated & the place is quite cramped, but service was great & attentive. We had the Bibimbap bowl (beef) & Katsu curry chicken - both tasted good albeit a bit underwhelming given all the great reviews. Would still visit again to try some other dishes
Dec 16, 2025
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This place has been on my bucket list for almost a decade, & finally I decided to go against my policy against waiting in line for anything & bit the bullet on a Friday night.
We got there early, so we had to wait out those who showed up at opening, it wasn't too bad, we had a spot inside to sit.
What I love about this place is that there's something for every taste & every budget.
My table mates were varied, from curious but cash strapped to down right picky, & everyone loved their meal. Simple soups & small appetizers, everything was really well done, with that perfect Japanese sense of balance. I went full baller mode. The smoked duck with garlic bread was fantastic, almost like a build your own bruschetta. I ordered the nakaochi, basically the tuna ribs where you scrape off the tender meat, it was amazing. My short rib curry rice was perfect, so was my +1's pork.
The desserts were simple but great.
Service was efficient, friendly & bilingual - or should I say, trilingual, my Japanese needs some work 😁
I had this place on a high pedestal for so long, & I'm so glad that it lived up to the hype & went above & beyond.
Be patient & get in line - I suggest not going there with a large group, space is limited. I recommend this place to anyone & everyone.
Best restaurant in Montreal, we travel to Montreal at least twice a year to eat here! Get there before opening to avoid lineups, they don't take reservations. Highly recommend eating any of the raw stuff, tempura green beans are crack, the katsu curry was probably the best katsu I've ever had. Never had a bad meal here.only thing I wouldn't recommend is the tuna scrape as it's quite pricey for what you get. Wouldn't recommend for a group of more than 4 as it would be super tight, it's a small place.
The place is really small with very limited seating, so even though the restaurant opens at 5:00, there's already a lineup outside. Usually when you see a long line, you expect the food to be amazing, right? But honestly, I didn't really get the hype (especially after seeing it all over TikTok). We ordered the Japanese curry & the grilled meat as an entrée, & after waiting more than 30 minutes, the food was just… okay. Pretty mid for me.
The atmosphere is very Japanese, & it's cool that you can sit at the counter & watch the chefs cook right in front of you. That part was a nice experience. But overall? I don't really understand the hype.
3 words. Worth the wait.
The food here is absolutely fantastic. You may be greater by a 30-45 minute wait, but wow is it worth it. The Japanese curry is absolutely fantastic, & the beef ribs, amazing.
The service is really quick & friendly.
Perfect for a quick date night.
Recommend 10/10.
This is one of my all time favourite restaurants in Montreal. Such an authentic place, there us usually a line up in front & you cant wonder why it never disappoints. If youve tried it & haven't liked it its because you're ordering the wrong thing!!! The owner of this place is a real gem, super sweet & just an absolute ray of sunshine. My favourites on the menu are their beef carpaccio, the eggplant dip, the beef curry sauce, Chiraschi & if you go when it's lobster season do not go without trying it its by far my fave! Btwn the prices are sooooo affordable!
Apr 6, 2025
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Tried the Vegetarian range at Kazu. We had Veg Bowl & Bibimbap Japanese style (veg).
We wanted to try the Japanese curry which was in the chef's list apart from the menu but it was out of stock. But no regrets, both the dishes were absolutely amazing. The sauces, both quite unique were rich in flavor & i would highly suggest you to try them. The tofu was very soft, felt fresh. The vegetables were quite nicely done, carrots were pickled & sesame seeds drizzled on top. On the bibimbap contained an egg nicely done, the rice tasted soooo good & overall very well worth it compared to the price. Both bowls were very big & imo one bowl could serve 2 people.
Kazu stays at a bar to it's high rating, especially the staff is awesome. Very polite , helpful, quick service & everything you wish in a restaurant.
The ambience is also unique. Feels like a hustling & bustling restaurant in Japan with songs, happy people & tasty dishes.
Definitely order the fried beans on the side.
We also had desserts , one cheesecake ice cream & one sake icecream. While the cheesecake icecream was the best (really soulful) in Montreal, the sake icecream was very unique & we tried it for the first time. It has vanilla ice cream with sake on the top. Which made it taste quite unique & definitely try it out if you love experimenting things.
In all, superb place, deserves 5 star ⭐ & the staff makes the place lovely.
The dishes were full of flavours & delicious. The place was a little cramped though, I was impressed by how the servers were able to move around in tight places with the big dishes. There's always a line up in front of the restaurant, so prepare to wait for at least 30 minutes to an hour. The 48 hours pork powl was conforting, delicious & even yummier with the curry sauce on. The fresh marinaded salad was great. The fresh raw tuna & salmon sashimi on vinegar rice & a side of salad was to die for, but the beef short ribs was definitely the highlight of the evening, it tasted heavenly. Will definitely come back to try their others dishes.
This restaurant is a must try!! It was some of the best food I've ever had!! It's a tiny place, they're only open half the week, & they don't take reservations. Because of this, I was warned about how busy they get so I lined up at 4:30/4:45 to get in. They were really nice & let you sit early if your whole party is there. I'm so glad I did because it completely filled up by just after 5, & there was a line out the door. They have tiny tables all shoved together so there's very little space. No high chairs but they do have a booster seat. There's a menu but most items are actually written on pieces of paper all over the walls. I recommend that you try a lot of different things, though honestly the portions are very generous for the price. We had the deep fried green beans with truffle mayo, the 48 hour pork with curry, the homemade tofu (only available on Sundays), the shrimp burger, the onigiri (see picture), & the salmon/tuna sashimi plate (can't remember what it was called, something zushi - see picture). Everything was really good, but the beans, pork/curry, & shrimp burger were AMAZING. Life changing. The only things I found disappointing were the onigiri (nothing inside, just rice balls with a layer of some kind of pate under them, I assume salmon - I'm used to onigiri with salmon or whatever inside) & we also had some ice cream for dessert which wasn't all that great (the one with cheese & cookie crumbs & the cherry blossom one - neither were worth the price though cheese on ice cream is interesting). The service was okay, they were very friendly but you could tell they were a bit overwhelmed & the ice cream took forever to come. Otherwise food generally came out quite quickly (we barely had enough room on the table for everything). The price was very reasonable for how good (most) of the food was. I will definitely be going again!
Jun 19, 2024
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WELL WORTH THE WAIT Tiny restaurant, huge lines, & for a good reason. The food quality is astounding. Never have I had food this good this fast for this cheap. Main courses under $18 abundant, appetizers under $10, service is crazy fast like a good busy restaurant should be. Get the curry get the bibimbap
Amazing food also comes with their amazing services. The curry chicken was delicious. The rib was super well marinated & so tender that it comes right off the bone. The cod was a very big portion & was grilled to perfection. We only has the stomach to try two of their chicken brochettes, but would certainly want to try more. Finaly, the staff was amazing, the services was quick & efficient.
Really fun Izakaya with delicious food. I really loved their chicken curry & the yakitori. The atmosphere was upbeat with very fun decor. The service was super fast. The food is really reasonably priced too, particularly for the high quality. Get there early at opening times as even at 5:04 when they opened at 5:00pm we had to wait in line for a table.
Delightful meals! Explosion of flavors with subtile aromas between each bite. I particularly loved the carpaccio plate & japanese chicken curry. Freshness is always good to taste! My calpico matcha was also on point. Don't get fooled by 1st impression. The owner is very nice, humble & fun. Passion can be felt in each movement in the kitchen. Staff is attentive & quick. Clean place with great atmosphere, small tables are closed to each other - same intimacy as in Japan. Had a great night in good compagny! Go try it out. PS: Make sure to come early before the line-up.
