Kaze is the newest restaurant following the trend of high-concept sushi in Chicago. The executive chef and the rest of the team's resumes include SushiSamba Rio, Heat, and the excellent Mirai.
I have one very good thing to say about Kaze: the quality of their fish is unsurpassed. Clearly this is one of the most important complements that you can pay to a sushi bar or Japanese restaurant.
Unfortunately, I have a large criticism.
Dinner at Kaze felt like a trip to a used car lot. The staff was extremely transparent about trying to push specials, up-sell, and basically squeeze every dollar they could from me. Here's a quick outline of the little interactions that built up that "car lot" atmosphere:- The initial offer of water for the table did not include tap (or "plain") water as an option. We were presented with the option of "bottled or sparkling", both obviously costly. You may be familiar with the restaurant industry's sales method of offering bottled, sparkling, or tap water. When this offer is made, they're trying to up-sell you. When tap water is not presented as an option, they're trying to trick you. It is akin to your car salesman asking you "Which of the upgrade packages will you be choosing on your new car?", as if this inclusion was mandatory. If you have some extra time, read about the culture of water at restaurants at "Manhattan Waiter"
- In addition to printed specials, the waitress recited other additions. No problem. After reciting what I thought was the whole specials list, she continued with detailed descriptions of more and more expensive options. Included were a 3-course lobster preparation and a chef's tasting menu that started at $50 per person. Somewhere in the middle of her overly long speech, we crossed into "hard sales pitch" territory. On its own this would not constitute a problem, but it did contribute to the atmosphere.
- When I was placing my order which consisted of a mix of traditional sushi and Kaze's specials, I was interrupted while ordering the traditional options. "Are you sure you want the plain one? No topping?" (One of Kaze's specialties is nigiri sushi topped with other ingredients such as minced peppers or truffle oil, at least 50% more expensive than the "plain" counterparts). What bothered me most about this interruption was that I had already ordered a couple of their specials and was adding some traditional sushi to my order. Mild annoyance.
- Now the straw that broke the camel's back: As I continued ordering after being interrupted, I was interrupted again with the same question, "Are you sure you want the plain tuna?", she asked, as if I were making a decision I would regret. I was not looking for guidance from her as I placed my order. I was very clear about the different pieces that I wanted to try. The constant and consistent push towards their overpriced, over-dressed sushi became transparent and off-putting.
- Two other times during our dinner, our waitress found some way to comment on the quantity of food that we ordered. It was clearly not enough to satisfy the management's view of how much we should eat.
I do not fully blame the waitress for the atmosphere she created. She was obviously responding to her manager's direction. It is unfortunate that this direction valued immediate sales over the comfort of their customers.
I fully understand that the difficult restaurant business inherently elicits short-sighted profit motives, but the potential profit lost in one uncomfortable customer (who might write about it) is much greater than the value of one extra piece of special sushi.
I may return to Kaze, the quality of the fish was indeed excellent. If I do return, I hope I am made to feel more like a guest and less like a giant sushi-eating wallet.
Kaze is located at 2032 W. Roscoe St., 773-327-4860. Reservations are recommended but were not necessary on the weeknight that I was there. Street parking is available.