Kozo Sushi

Kozo is by no means glamorous and doesn’t have the fancy designs like Gyotaku– HOWEVER, for cheap and quick sushi to fill a sushi craving, this is my favorite place. The spicy tuna hand rolls can sure hit the spot and the maki rolls are yummy too (although some are a tad too saucy)

Kozo is one of my absolute must haves whenever I come back home. This location is super convenient and I can always find parking in its shared lot with Jamba/​Starbucks. You seriously cannot get anything like it where I live here on the East Coast! I find myself constantly missing their handrolls, as simple as they may seem to be.
The crispy nori is EVERYTHING. It makes the handrolls 10x better and elevates the entire flavor of whichever roll you order! I love getting the dynamite scallop roll (habenero mayo ftw) and basic spicy ahi. It’s the perfect beach food; portable and satisfying but not overly heavy. I also love the fact that they finally made a BLT handroll which is 10x better than all the other local sushi joints on the island (again, because of the crispy nori + the bacon isn’t too too chewy).
Definitely a go-​to every time I come back!

If you’re looking for a lowkey spot to get your sushi fix on — kozo is the right place. They have a hard working squad in the back accompanied by mostly reserved but friendly cashiers.
Might I add that it is right next to Starbucks and Jamba Juice if you’re looking for a nice drink to accompany your meal. There is also a breezy seating area outside — perfect for students, business people, book worms, hobos, etc etc to relax, focus, or study.
Do not expect mind blowing sushi — but rather a quick, affordable, and delicious array of items to choose from. I personally like how cheap their avocado maki is. It’s also a great complimentary item to their tuna donburis which cost around $ 6 – 7 dollars. Not a bad price for fish!
Enjoy!

This is by far the best Kozo out of the remaining branches. You can call in your order to avoid the wait time, which can be around 10 – 15 minutes if there’s a line. The food taste and quality are pretty consistent here, you know you’re not going to be getting anything like Onodera or even Sasabune, but in my opinion it’s better than going to Genki. The temaki are good for takeout because the nori is separated from the rice by a sheet of plastic, keeping it crisp until you’re ready to eat it.

This little sushi shop is convenient and the employees are so friendly. I go here quite a lot and I don’t think I have ever had a bad experience. The wait is kind of long, but the food is worth the wait. It is nestled between Jamba Juice and Starbucks on the corner of Mooheau and Kapahulu, so it is convenient for all those that pass by. The parking in the little lot next to the building is a bit tricky and kind of tight, but isn’t always so full. Taking all this into account, I’d have to say that this Kozo is my favorite and I will always return.

Disappointing sushi. Not very tasty. The tuna seemed to be from a can. Wouldn’t come here again.

Love the crunchy roll! Food was fast and service was great, going back for lunch EVERY day! Lol jk… maybe…

Everytime I go and get my hair done at the color queen salon above kozo sushi, I come down and grab something to eat while I get my hair done. It’s always so fresh, and always so delicious.

Love this place. Always friendly and happy, and very efficient. Sushi is always so delicious. Tekka maki with avocado and cream cheese is amazing!

I’m definitely a huge fan of take out sushi and also a huge fan of KOZO. I’ve visited a lot locations in the past, but this one is by far the best.
Today I ordered my usual spicy kakiage don. I’ve gotten this at the Kahala and Keeaumoku location and for some reason it just taste better at this location. It might be because it’s drenched in yummy sauces or because it tastes really fresh. Either way I’m giving this place 5 stars.
Also…service was amazing! The workers there are very personable and fast! Overall, great experience.

I came here randomly on a late Monday night while doing a study session at Starbucks. In regards to that, this place makes up for a good place to get a bite to eat if you are ever near the area and you do not feel like getting food from either Jamba Juice or Starbucks. It’s conveniently located right in between Jamba Juice and Starbucks on Kapahulu which is right across from the Jack in the Box there. They have a shared parking lot right alongside the area which is pretty tight and could get tight if you have a big vehicle like myself so just be cautious.
From my more recent experience, I came in like 10 minutes before clsoing agian on a late Monday night. The staff and customer service was pretty good. There was only one girl at the counter. The prices are decent. I like the hand rolls which range from like 1.25 up depending on what you get. The Californiz maki is also one of my favorites and less than 5 bucks for 8 pieces which can easily fill you up if you are eating it all by yourself alone.

Fast-​food sushi isn’t typical on the mainland, but it should be! At least if it is like Kozo… My sister-​in-​law lives nearby and knows I love sushi so we went there one night when we were hungry and just wanted to relax and eat at home. I thoroughly enjoyed my rolls and was a bit amazed that this is what «takeout» is like in Hawaii… The sushi was delicious and fresh!

Kozo Sushi is always the go to place for good sushi. It’s not like a fancy sushi bar. More like a fast food sushi place, which is great because the quality is good.

This has got to be my favorite Kozo! It’s nestled right in between the Jamba Juice and Starbucks on Kapahulu. I can get my sushi fix and grab a coffee all in one short trip. It’s location is super convenient for me and although the parking stalls are kinda small, I can always find parking.
The cashiers here are also very nice. They have certain specials, too, that are posted on the walls and windows. Like a reduced price spicy ahi don! Woo! Best part: they have a stamp card! I’m a sucker for stamp cards. But since kozo sushi stores are franchises, they are not created equal and I’ve never heard infant other store doing the whole stamp card thing.
There’s no where really to sit inside, but there are a few tables outside. I usually take my food to go anyways…
Ok, I will admit that my favorite place for spicy ahi is right down the street, but kozo definitely offers a wider selection of sushi annnnd I can’t forget the fact that it’s next to a Starbucks and has a stamp card.

Hands down the best place to get sushi! Prices are very affordable and reasonable as well. Customer service was excellent (she was a trainee and very friendly!), waiting time didn’t take too long. At least 10 minutes but the food looked really goood. They’re so neat with presentation. I would definitely recommend this place for you sushi lovers!

Fast, FRESH, SUPER friendly, TASTY and cheap!
What more could you want in Hawaii?
I had this place twice.
Dragon Roll and Shrimp Tempura handrolls, so good!
Will be back on our next vacay!

Owner is really nice, independently owned, this review is for Kapahulu Kozo. Other locations use frozen Ahi. Quality control rolls are made well and don’t fall apart when biting into.
Love their different bowls! Spicy ahi crunch & spicy kakiage don !!
Go to place for take out !

There are two things that raw fish SHOULDN’T be:
1-​warm
And
2-​slimy
That is exactly how my spicy ahi dishes came on three separate occasions. I’ve decided to stop eating from this Kozo because every single time I get my favorite spicy ahi dishes from here, it always comes mushy (like it’s been smashed and mixed into a paste), warm, and this last time, it was slimy.
I was so grossed out that it was warm and then even more grossed out when I kept chewing and it was slimy.
I’ve eaten spicy ahi from many different restaurants and it has NEVER come like that, EVER.
Avoid this location if you can.

Service: Quick, friendly and fast!
Price: Very reasonable (no more than $ 10 or so for any menu item)
Food: Ok :/…The presentation was very nice. But the cream cheese in my Philly maki roll (photo #19) was melting (looked more like mayonnaise), lots of rice and little salmon, and the nori (seaweed wrap) on the inside of the roll was tough and not crisp (like the nori was left out or old). Kind of feel like the nori was pre-​made, left on the side for a bit, and when I put in my order they quickly cut it and served it to me. It was by no means rancid or inedible… just kind of stale.

The competition for fast, inexpensive sushi in Hawaii is overwhelming: Genki, Kozo, Aloha, Waipuna, and Ninja are all competing for your business. Each restaurant offers a unique dish or don buri along with their sushi rolls. This Kozo location serves fresh, Hawaiian ahi for their spicy ahi rolls and don buri! The fish is high quality and very fresh!
This Kozo sushi is located in between the Starbucks and the Jamba juice on the corner of Kapahulu Avenue. The parking lot can get very busy in the early morning or around lunch time. I love to go here after work, around 5:30 pm. Since this location is between Waikiki and the University of Hawaii, there is a large amount of Japanese tourists and college students hanging out at the Starbucks or seated in the outside dining area in front of the Kozo Sushi restaurant. There is no seating area inside the restaurant.
My favorite dish is the spicy ahi don buri, which is a small bowl of sushi rice, covered with a layer of their tasty raw tuna, mixed with fish eggs and their flavorful sauce. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the hottest), I would rate their sauce at a 6. I don’t like it really hot, so this is perfect for me :)
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