Kazunori Japanese Restaurant / Kazu Cafe — Restaurant in Makati

We came here for a weekday lunch to try the cafe menu. It was quite busy at the time we arrived, but small wait was well worth it. The food was generally excellent, with quality ingredients, and authentic flavors. The ambiance is casual and relaxed but still well built, the glass walled front grants it plenty of light making it a great place to hang out and have lunch.

Spicy Tuna Sushi Roll was my favorite dish of the lunch. Compared to what I've had in the states, the tuna was a bit chunkier which really made the freshness of the fish standout. Not too spicy hower, the kick was fairly mild, just enough to enhance the flavor.

The Uni Pasta was a bit of sleeper hit. On first taste it was almost overly creamy, but the uni flavor builds on itself the more you eat it, and it become addicting.

The Ebi Fry Bento Box was great. The cook was perfect 👌, with a crunchy well textured crust, but with the prawns still juicy and succulent. That said, I think may have been happier with the Ebi Tempura, but I'm glad I tried it.

Even the Gyoza was some of the best I've had, so savory.

However, the Uni Sushi Roll was extremely disappointing. It's so expensive, yet the uni just gets completely lost in the rice, seaweed, and cucumber ... I don't even know why it's on the menu. The uni itself was fresh, I would have prolly been fine with that alone ... but the dish just doesn't make sense, so for the price I'm knocking off a star entirely.

For dessert: the Matcha Tiramisu was fine, but the Coffee Jelly was well layered, complex, and just dreamy ... I can't wait to have it again.

The restaurant has two sections: front for the cafe, and back for the omake coursed meals. This was a bit of test for the restaurant and I was left impressed. I can't to come back for not only more of the cafe, but the fine dining Omakase...

Food

Edamame - this was a bit salty if eaten on its own

Yushoken Gyoza - one of the best gyozas we've eaten. Their gyoza has soup inside like xiao long paos.

Karai Niku Soba - very umami and flavorful dipping soba. Big serving, good for 2 for those with smaller appetites. In the end it may get umay to eat. If you are not a fan of spicy food, you may request for them to make it milder.

Curry Udon - good curry, very umami. Their 1/2 serving is good for 1 person, if you don't have a big appetite. In the end it can be a bit umay.

Chawan Mushi - Chawan Mushi included in the sets is good. Not much fillings inside but the flavors are all there - very umami with a hint of lemon zest.

Temaki Unagi Kyuri - it was so-so. The seaweed was not crunchy when I ate it, so it was a bit disappointing.

Bara Chirashi - they were generous with the toppings. If you do not have a big appetite, you can this with someone. We requested ours to be split into two.

Matcha Parfait - the toppings and ice cream were generous. Our go to dessert

Service 1st time we ate here was on a Saturday lunch. Their service was good and orderly. 2nd (Sunday lunch) and 3rd (Saturday lunch) times were not so good. They were all over the place and sometimes we had to follow up our orders. There was one time we requested for coffee and had to wait for 15 minutes. It was only served after following up with them, it looked like they forgot about it. Service is also a bit inconsistent. 1st and 2nd visits we were given wet hand towels. But on the 3rd visit, we were not.

Making a reservation thru their Viber was really easy and convenient.

Atmosphere During peak hours, the restaurant can get...

Kazunori—located on the ground floor of the Mazda Makati Building along Chino Roces Extension—delivers an elevated Japanese dining experience with three distinct concepts: a front café, a main dining room, and an omakase sushi bar led by Chef Saito Takeru. The seafood is flown in directly from Japan, resulting in exceptional freshness and balance in every dish.

Signature offerings like the multi-course omakase (15–22 courses) showcase meticulous preparation and a stunning presentation. Our lunch was about ₱7,000 it was the 15‑course sushi menu, and I can describe it as "the freshest tasting sushi"—each bite bursting with flavor and remarkably satisfying.

À la carte items equally impress: Uni & Ikura hand rolls, Wagyu truffle soba, katsu curry, and matcha tiramisu consistently top recommendation lists Tatler Asia+15PhilNews+15Tripadvisor+15. Redditors rave that "the pdepth of flavor from Kazunori’s curry is far superior" to others in the city.

That said, service reviews are mixed. Some customers report inattentive waitstaff and slow response times, particularly during peak hours; others find it efficient but noted heavy-handed tempura batter or rushed dish delivery.

Ambiance strikes a refined yet relaxed note—ideal for solo treats, dates, or celebrations. Make reservations early for omakase seating; walk-ins may only be possible at the café area. Pricing is steep by Makati standards, but for those seeking genuine omakase or elevated Japanese comfort food, Kazunori remains one of the city’s most memorable options.

The best sushi dishes in town a must try....it's the best unagi I've ever eaten .....Highly...