North Scottsdale is getting a new destination for dinner and drinks, as Kuza prepares to open September 16. The globally inspired Asian restaurant is the latest concept from Clive Collective and the hospitality group’s third restaurant on the growing stretch, joining The Americano and Tell Your Friends.
Built around an open robata grill and raw bar, Kuza brings together live-fire cooking, seasonal sushi, globally influenced flavors and an elevated cocktail program.
“Kuza represents the next stage of Clive Collective’s growth and the kind of distinctive hospitality experiences we want to continue creating,” said Mikis Troyan, co-founder and managing partner of Clive Collective. “We wanted to create something immersive; an experience built around the theater of live fire, exceptional ingredients and a dining room that evolves as the night goes on.”
Executive Chef Erik Davila draws on Japanese culinary traditions while incorporating modern techniques and flavors from around the world. The menu offers charcoal-grilled meats and seafood, raw preparations, sushi and shareable dishes. A highlight is Kuza’s robata program. The signature Chicken Negima is repeatedly glazed and rotated over charcoal until the sauce caramelizes. Seasonal seafood offerings include Market Robata Prawns with a red kosho-yuzu glaze and house-smoked sea salt.
Spanish Grilled Octopus gets a similar treatment. The octopus is slow-cooked before being charred over the robata and served with harissa honey and a Japanese-inspired aguachile.
“I’ve been doing this long enough to know you don’t rush fire,” Davila said. “Cooking over charcoal takes patience. We’re keeping the food focused on simplicity and technique. Let the fire do the work. You lose the identity of a dish when you try to do too much.”
Kuza’s raw bar and sushi program will feature fish flown in twice a week from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market. The selection ranges from crudos and nigiri to a chef-selected sashimi presentation. The emphasis on fresh ingredients and technique carries through the menu. The bar follows a creative approach, using Japanese ingredients and global flavors to reinvent familiar cocktails.
The Lychee Collins combines rose-infused Haku vodka, St-Germain and lychee; the Shikoku Marg showcases yuzu and a togarashi rim. The Way of the Flowers offers a lighter alternative to a traditional martini, pairing TY KU Junmai Ginjo sake with Carpano Bianco and white peach. Kuza will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m. For more: kuzarestaurant.com.
