A new Scottsdale spot is flying in seafood from Tokyo
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Charred octopus, served with harissa honey and a Japanese-inspired aguachile. Photo: Courtesy of Clive Collective
Kuza opens Wednesday in north Scottsdale with charcoal-grilled skewers, sushi and seafood flown in twice weekly from Tokyo.
Why it matters: No one at the table has to pick a lane — Kuza plays with opposites, working for both sushi lovers and diners craving something hot and smoky.
What to try: Erik Davila, Kuza's executive chef, recommends the chicken negima, which is repeatedly glazed and rotated over coals until it caramelizes.
- Taste the raw bar — flown from Toyosu Market in Tokyo — while sipping on the Way of the Flowers cocktail, a light sake-based drink that "doesn't fight the fish," Davila says.
- But the Kodami Kami, a lower-alcohol drink that mixes soju, grapefruit and buckwheat tea, is more of a palate cleanser, he adds.
Yes, but: Save some room for dessert, like the sudachi lime tart, with toasted marshmallow and brown-buttered almonds.
- "It's not what people expect from an Asian-inspired menu, and that's the point," Davila says.
The vibe: Watch a chef work Kuza's open robata grill — slowly turning skewers, meats and seafood over hot charcoal — while another prepares sushi and raw-bar dishes nearby thanks to an open kitchen.
- The shareable menu moves between smoky dishes, fresh seafood and comforting staples such as ramen, gyoza and dim sum.
- Bonus: a full bar that's perfect for a casual weeknight dinner.
The big picture: Clive Collective has four more projects in the works, per Phoenix New Times, including:
- A second Cala at the Paradise Valley Mall redevelopment.
- Three concepts planned for a historic downtown Phoenix bungalow: seafood restaurant Ada, neighborhood bar Love Call and Japanese street-food spot Kuza Tori.
- "We're not slowing down," Mikis Troyan, the co-founder and managing partner at Clive Collections, tells Axios.
Zoom out: Kuza is the third concept from Clive Collective along this stretch of Scottsdale Road, joining Cala, The Americano and Tell Your Friends, and its sixth overall.
If you go: Wednesday through Sunday, 5–10pm; open until 11pm Friday and Saturday.