OKOZ Antwerp — Restaurant in Antwerp

Thought multiple times about writing this review or not but I decided to do it at the end. Went back in December for my birthday dinner. We were 7 and we were all very excited as we all love Asian cuisine. The food was awful. First of all not Japanese whatsoever. The karage was more like Korean fried chicken. The gyozas were not gyozas but just steamed dumplings. Also we ordered the vegetarian gyozas as I can’t eat ground meats for health problems and we received the beef gyozas. Couldn’t eat those. We tried to send them back but we were promptly ignored. The spring rolls were very tasty. All our food arrived cold at the table and it would have been fine but we all ordered wagyu. Now I don’t know what people think wagyu should be but I for sure had not expected to receive cold ass meat on my plate. When wagyu is served cold or even lukewarm it’s not edible as the fat has already hardened and the taste changes drastically. I have eaten Wagyu before and I have spent a lot of money on it. I don’t mind spending when the food is good. But when I have to pay 60€ for something that I could not even chew than I get mad. My plate literally went back with two pieces of meat that had been chewed and then spat in a tissue cause I just couldn’t. But I tried. I did send my plate back and they didn’t even offer to fix it. If they had I would not even have been mad. But I was met with such arrogance that it was baffling. The cocktails were very nice and that was the only good thing. The girl serving us was also very nice. That doesn’t change the fact that we spent more than 400€ just to go and get fastfood directly after cause we didn’t touch our food for how bad it was. I’m sure there are other things that can be nice on the menu but if they are not able to cook Wagyu properly then they should delete it from the menu. And I’m not talking only about the steak as we ordered hamburgers as well. Same went for the hamburgers. The fries were sloppy, greasy and the parmigiano cheese used on them was very very low quality. And you can trust me on that as I am Italian. Overall an awful experience. The restaurant is nice and the plates pleasant to the eye but that’s...

My visit to Okoz was nothing short of fantastic! From the moment we stepped inside, we were greeted warmly by the staff, setting the tone for an excellent dining experience. The server was exceptionally friendly, making us feel right at home, and to our pleasant surprise, they offered free appetizers right away—a delightful touch!

The food was the star of the show, and it genuinely exceeded all expectations. The presentation was stunning, resembling a Michelin-starred dish with a five-star flair. We ordered the Geisha cocktail, the Daisuki Desu Moriawase, and the Wagyu Uramaki Roll.

The Daisuki Desu Moriawase was a masterpiece—a platter featuring 16 different items, including nigiri, sashimi, and California rolls. Each bite was an explosion of flavor. The freshness of the fish and the balance of textures made it an absolute joy to eat. It was as much a visual delight as it was a culinary one.

The Wagyu Uramaki Roll was equally incredible. The rich, buttery wagyu beef paired perfectly with the other ingredients in the roll. It was savory, slightly smoky, and absolutely delicious.

For dessert, I had the Ringo Gyoza, and it was heavenly. The delicate gyoza skin was filled with tender apples, and the caramel sauce drizzled on top was the perfect complement. The balance of sweetness and tartness made this dessert an unforgettable end to the meal.

Initially, I was concerned that the portions might not be enough for two people, but the dishes turned out to be just right. By the end of the meal, we were perfectly satisfied. What truly amazed me, beyond the exceptional food and warm hospitality, was the price. For all of this, our bill came to under 100 euros!

Thank you, Okoz, for such a wonderful experience. Your attention to detail, delicious food, and outstanding service made this visit unforgettable. I can’t wait to return!

-Van...

Place was well reviewed, so we decided to check it out. Starting bites and cocktails were quite promising. The place was semi-tidy and a tad cramped, but not bad.

However, the sushi plate was hella overpriced at like 44eu for 16 pieces. It was good sushi (7/10), but that's a 9+ price. The real wasabi was good tho and for 4eu you got a generous amount.

I thought the wagyu was quite allright, for 30eu you got a decent tataki plate. They told us it was imported from japan, so no 50/50 wagyu shenanigans. But idk which A5 wagyu piece they imported, but it can't be the best. This is because only half the pieces were "buttery wagyu" as you'd expect, and the other half were way more 'generally steaky'. The value was decent tho for that price. It was still good steak, so i wasn't complaining. It paired really well with the fresh wasabi.

But we really couldn't justify the shrimp gyoza. When the plate arrived, we clearly recognised the pink wrapper: were this the frozen ones from the Amazing Oriental, the Asian supermarket? My partner and i have tried allmost all store-bought dumplings/gyoza's for our hot pot addiction, so we recognised the taste and the structure. They weren't well steamed, boiled in an interesting soup, or even seared. At 25eu for 12 pieces, that's just disrespectful to your customers in my opinion.

Can't justify anything more than 2 stars for that. We paid over 200eu for some cocktails, two sodas and all of the above. While we were hyped at first, we felt ripped off at the end. The staff and the drinks saved the dinner.

Would recommend going either fine dining in a proper izakaya or going to the better (all-you can eat) sushi restaurant if you don't want to spend that much, but this is overpriced for medium quality at best. I feel sorry for the staff, because they were hard working and...