オー! ソザイ バイ クルクル

I was in Kaka’ako today and needed to grab some lunch. I stumbled upon Oh! Sozai. I saw that it was “By Kurukuru” so I thought hmmm yes, Sushi! But they only had Maki and Inari Sushi... however they had many other great Japanese food choices. They have a grab and go section or you can order to be made fresh. I went with the spicy ahi avocado sushi cup and Kim Chee cucumber... yes it’s like a Japanese/Korean fusion. They have Japanese food but pickled veggies like Korean food places. It was very good and hit the spot. I like the rice because it had a hint of vinegar and sugar (Sushi rice) but not over done. The ahi was fresh and not stringy, the avocado was perfect and the spicy sauce wasn’t too spicy. The Kim Chee cucumber was crunchy and not too spicy as well. I would highly recommend you stopping in.

Most notable about Oh! Sozai by KuruKuru is that it serves quality Japanese food in a friendly little storefront in a community that is growing with hundreds of new residents with high expectations. Sozai has friendly staff who frankly, seem like your long lost Japanese uncles and aunties. Their younger staff are also pretty friendly too. They serve nigiri sushi, a variety of okazu, and donburi. A good way to judge a restaurant is the quality of their poke and for me, their oyako donburi. Here, I think the quality of both dishes are above average. Not the very, very best (which can be expensive), but wow, for the price, it’s incredibly good. Food establishments come and go all the time, especially in Kakaako, but I really am pulling for this little restaurant to make it because I love having access to a good ahi don nearby. (Yes, it’s better than some of those other places that have long lines.)

Very friendly and awesome service from staff workers. Also they are not rushing the customer to either order and for me personally I have a hard time asking for help sometimes but they automatically assist in a way it’s like they are one step ahead of the customer ourselves lolz. But come on down and try it out they recently opened in this location and if you have like a 12noon or 12:30pm-1:00 pm lunch break today is Monday and it’s not long line c any busy and has both inside and outside seating available

An array of sides. Some of the donburi bowls that you are used to over at Kuru Kuru Sushi available here, although the markup is significantly higher (but SORTA[?] on par with new SALT Kaka'ako area). Very very clean shop.

Charming customer service. Accepts Samsung pay.

Tons of outlets and a lot of modern, clean seating.

Could not figure out where to park, found parking on the street and lucked out with over half an hour already on the meter from the previous person who parked here.

Food is a little overpriced for some items, especially the unagi Don. However, the unagi was soft and good. Loved the multigrain rice.

Eight-year-old loved the edamame, avocado Maki, and the sweet and clean kabocha. When an eight-year-old is eating all vegetables at a place, you know they're making it right.

For something light, this is probably a good spot, especially for some items. Don't know if I would return for the slightly over-priced entree items. It's just more than I'm willing to pay. But if my kiddo is jonesing for some steamed pumpkin or a quick snack of edamame afterschool/between afterschool activities, yes, of course I'll stop by here.

3.5 solid stars; would bump up if the prices were a bit more family-friendly (like they are at Kuru Kuru). Perhaps the prices reflect the newness of the shop & eagerness to make a profit quickly, as most new shops start in the red. Hopefully the prices will come down as the shop is more established. Fingers crossed.

Brand new place just opened up that's good for quick bite, casual, fast lunch. Very friendly staff and plenty of seating options. Recommended!