YUZU is the most rock and roll fusion restaurant on Kloof Street at the moment. Opened on 30 March, it’s just a pup, but don’t underestimate this kitchen-and-bar combo. While the name might not roll off your tongue just yet, you’ll want it on the tip of your tongue in conversations going forward. Recommend it to friends, take your colleagues there or shuffle in for a romantic evening in this rustic, Kill Bill influenced hideaway joint.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold” and it rings true behind the bar at YUZU. A fine selection of wines meets a Japanese twist on traditional American cocktails. You haven’t seen anything like this before. If that wasn’t kick-ass enough, choose your beer on tap as your “weapon of choice”. The taps are fitted with hammers, knives, cleavers and other heavy metal handles. Don’t be intimidated though, you’ll find familiar names on the end of these taps – Hansa, Black Label, Striped Horse, CBC, Castle Lite, Heineken, Passionate blond and Amstel.
Get this: the head chef and main man, Rich Ó’Donnchü, a Michelin chef, says his ramen noodles are the best you’ll ever have. Stacked on top of that is a killer special (excuse the Kill Bill pun) – for just R100 you get any craft beer with any bowl of ramen. You won’t find a deal like this anywhere else. Join YUZU on Sunday afternoons for live local music and enjoy this deal or look out for screenings of Japanese movies in future. What a cultural disruption of the “what you see is what you get” restaurant experience.
The wooden tables, burnt floors, chairs and countertops are all made from wood that was part of buildings that used to exist in Japan. Glorious history! A sword hangs above a door entrance – it belonged to the only South African to ever appear in a Japanese Kung Fu movie. Old-school (internet-salvaged) prints of movie posters, Christopher Walken profiles and beer ads line the walls adding colour to an underground-looking area.
Let the small sketches of humour be the je ne sais quoi to what promises to be a tasty culinary and sensory experience. Find them at 75 Kloof Street, Gardens right next to the local favourite, Yours Truly. Everybody loves Kung Fu fighting and YUZU punches the restaurant industry in the face with an unconventional approach to stylish dining, sushi, comfort food and the drinks your need at the end of a long day.
Address: 75 Kloof Street
Website: https://www.zomato.com/capetown/yuzu-kitchen-bar-gardens
Contact: 021 422 0322