A new hand roll omakase restaurant that is opening in Queens stands for continuous improvement.
Located at 33-70 Farrington Street in Flushing, Kaizen offers a comfortable atmosphere for enjoying its handmade Japanese fare. The name “Kaizen” comes from the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement, more specifically that small, ongoing positive changes can make the most significant improvements, which is something that Kaizen’s sushi chef Ben Chan believes wholeheartedly.
When you walk into Kaizen, you are greeted by an inviting atmosphere. The room is adorned with midcentury-inspired blue velvet banquets, a black marble omakase bar, neon signage and two circular swings. Some of the standout pieces, designed by Anastasia Mirovic, include a petrified sakura tree with imported fabric cherry blossoms as well as a living sea moss wall.
The Kaizen menu features a variety of handrolls, with the sushi rice fermented with Kyushu-kuro vinegar, mushrooms, shallots, vegetables and a secret spice blend, with some signature rolls such as the kinmedai (golden eye snapper) with homemade yuzu apple sauce, akami (lean tuna) with tofu chili sauce, yellowtail jalapeño with shallots and aji Japanese horse mackerel with ginger scallion. Other menu items include donburi, Japanese salads and soups, like red miso clam soup, along with yuzu and mochi desserts.
Diners can also enjoy a selection of craft cocktails such as the Oolong Hus, which infuses tea with winter melon blended with mezcal. General manager Louis Santini, who oversees Kaizen’s beverage program, created his own “ice omakase” — with a different form of sculptural molded ice accompanying each of his six specialty cocktails, all of which have temaki pairings. There will also be wine and beer selections, and sake options such as junmai, ginjo, daiginjo and premium reserve sake.
Kaizen is open from 5 p.m. to midnight daily. For more information, visit nyckaizen.com.
