KZU

With its warung-style immediacy and dizzying choice of top-end grub, KZU is without doubt the go-to grazing spot for reasonably priced, tasty international food.
If you’re impatient (like me) and can never decide what to eat (like me), do yourself a favour and go to KZU. The premise is simple: Fill up a plate with as many (or few) morsels as you wish and take your plate to the cashier to pay before sitting down, meaning you can peel off as soon as you like without having to wait around for the bill. Salads, veggies, meats, condiments, dressings and sauces of all flavours and nationalities are spread out enticingly with a stellar drinks list to match. Fresh healthy juices, young coconuts galore and of course, cold beers as a matter of necessity.
Nagasaki native Kazuya Takami has been the culinary force behind KZU ever since it started life in a little alleyway in Seminyak. His honest-to-goodness cooking proved a hit, and now along with the Sunset Road location, there is also a KZU tucked into Jl. Drupadi. Always keen to keep things fresh and moving forward, the new addition to KZU is a mouthwatering yakitori station, where Takami whips up perfectly authentic skewers of Japanese style sate. As a regular devotee of KZU, I’m amped to give the new menu a spin, but first thing’s first: a beer. Not just any beer either. Since I’m really going Japanese I decide to push the boat out and order up a Sapporo (62k), which hardly touches the sides.
Refreshed and raring to go, a friend and I tear into the boneless chicken wing skewers (15k) and quail eggs (10k). The beauty of yakitori is that it’s basically Japanese tapas – small plates designed for sharing and nibbling, all ideally washed down with a beer or maybe, if you’re feeling fruity, a shot or four of sake. Next up come the slipper lobster (36k), scallops (15k) and squid (48k/pc) – all grilled to perfecting and full of flavour.
More Sapporos all round, and it’s time for the grand finale – the most famous of all Japanese yakitori – the pork. We order two variations; one is asparagus wrapped in thinly sliced pork (15k), and the other is the classic pork belly skewers (15k). Just for good measure we also chuck in a portion of Chicken Negi (15k) to finish up an epic meal.
If you haven’t tried KZU you’re missing out, so get down there between 11am – 10pm for lunch & dinner and one of Bali’s tastiest casual dining joints. Dan Ashcroft





KZU
Jl. Sunset Road 151, Seminyak
T. 0812 4686 3153 | FB. www.facebook.com/kzubali | IG. @kzu.bali