Elite Event: Kamikaze Seven

A big belated birthday to Brad B. for organizing the event! At a prime location, Kamikaze Seven is literally a block down from Horton Plaza and houses an array of Japanese fusion dishes.
Knowing that I had to drive back (DD for life, no shame!) and I have low tolerance for alcohol, I skipped the bar and enjoyed the continuous flow of bites. The edamame guacamole was served with deliciously baked taro chips. It definitely was refreshing and has tempted me to consider making this at home! Taro chips were not greasy, but keep in mind that they do not stay crispy for as long. The spicy tuna rolls and california rolls were basic cut rolls, but the tuna was very fresh with a hint of spiciness
The venue was dimly lit, as are most places in Gaslamp, which is reminiscent of plenty of traditional restaurants in Japan. I mean, aside from the fear of all the katanas hanging overhead, the environment felt very cozy. Service was pleasant, considering how many Unilocalers attended the event.
Definitely looking to check out the kobe beef on a regular night, next time I’m headed for downtown San Diego!

I arrived a little late, but seriously that doesn’t stop this girl from enjoying this First Elite event of 2014!
I didn’t have to wait in line to get in. Bonus for me.
K7 is a nice place with a killah vibe, Kill Bill swords included.
Thanks Brad and Estefany and of course K7 for this event.
Due to my late arrival I wasn’t able to take part in all of the sushi and foods. However the sushi that i did try was really good. I loved the sake bombs and sake.
I liked that this location in a central spot. I hopped on a trolley and made it to the event and back…(no designated driver = take the trolley)
As always it was great to see my Unilocal friends and to meet some new ones. I am looking forward to visiting this location again and having some more sushi and sake bombs.

Yes, I’m the Maria that Brad put on blast… For taking a picture… HA!
What a way to celebrate a pre-​birthday — by having a YEE the day before and all the Unilocal Elites sing a big Happy Birthday to you!!! Awww, BRAD!!!
Another amazing Unilocal Elite Event put on by the fabulous Brad and Estafany. Rich and the awesome staff at Kamikaze Seven were great hosts. The lady behind the sushi bar making all that yummy sushi was my fave. I mentioned that I hadn’t eaten much all day, and she made me 2 small plates of rolls and served it with a smile! How cool is she?!
The place was small and very intimate. I really like the décor of the establishment — very modern and chic! Even the swords on the ceiling are famous movie momentos — KILL BILL!!! OOOOHHHHH, COOL!!!
I only tried a couple of the rolls, a chicken skewer and the chips and edamame guac dip. All were very good. I had a couple of sake shots and beers, which were even better!!!
I met a few new elites, and saw some old school peeps. Great partying up with you all.
Thanks Chris for taking our photos all night!!! Thanks for not taking pics of me doing barre on the sofa with my legs spread!!! HAHAHA
Shout outs: Nette, Melanio, Mikey, Shalini, Chun, Erica, Cinna, Carmen, Mel, Andy, Ang, Tiff, Rianne, Cat, Melisa, Calvin, Victor, Jimmy, Bill, Stephani, Daniel, Staci, Conrad, Yvonne, Steve, Mari, Chris, Teresa and Jack. Sorry if I missed anyone!!!
Happy Birthday Brad!!!
BOOM…

OH MY GOD, this event was nothing short of amazing. From the food and service to décor and fellow elites, it just couldn’t get any better.
Rich, the owner of K7 is all about feedback, and to be honest, I had nothing but great things to tell him. The sushi was delectable and super fresh, the chef’s were friendly and entertaining, and everything seemed to just flow flawlessly. The atmosphere here was something straight out of a ninja flick… (Really though! Authentic Kill Bill Swords as décor?! SAY WHAT?!) With Kill Bill and AfroJack playing on loop in the background… the backdrop for this event was unique and entertaining.
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new Unilocal elites, and paling around with some familiar faces. And who can say no to taro chips, edamame quac and green tea chicken skewers?! All in All, It was a great event for the 2014 record books. a job well done for Brad and Estephany!
p. s. Thanks for letting us share your Birthday with you Brad!

Sake bombs sake bombs sake bombs!
So this was my first elite event. Dressed in rockstar leather attire, walking in was a little intimidating as I was trying to match profile pictures with real life faces! Jack M. was a darling though and took me under his wing. He introduced me to so many great people.
I loved that this event was cozy and so high energy! I also had such a good time admiring the swords hanging from the ceiling, and all the trendy japanese-​chic decorations. Kill Bill playing on the TV’s was a nice touch too.
This poem describes the food/​drink at the event :):
‘Sake bombs were going off all over Kamikaze Seven,
delicious blistered shishitos rained on the Unilocal elite.
Spicy tuna and california rolls graced every table, it was heaven.
and perfectly charred green tea chicken thigh skewers were hard to beat.
The selection of beers was impressive and vast.
There is no doubt that I had quite a blast.
P. S. Happy birthday Brad B.!!
P. S.2. Big ups to the staff on their amazing service that evening.

There is something to say about these more intimate Unilocal Elite Events. Events like these, allow us to chum up more and have the opportunity to spend some quality time with fellow Unilocalers and get to know new Unilocalers a like. For instance Ali L., her first Elite event, had the opportunity to meet not only one of San Diego most unique and humorous reviewers Elle J., but she also got to meet Camilla the Unilocaling hen. (
) What else could you ask for.
Well, I guess there is no other way to put it, Kamikaze 7 lit a fire under Unilocal events’ asses, because if I remember correctly, the food at our table just kept coming and coming served up on plate after plate. Oh yes, do not get me starting on the line of libations that kept on flowing throughout the evening. I don’t even want to go there…
The food was delish, from the Blistered Shishito Peppers, totally bliss (
), to the Green Tea Chicken Thighs (
), my personal favorite, and as Ali put it, «I need to go home and pour my green tea on my chicken,» what a hoot indeed, to the Spicy Tuna Roll, (
) that was not to spicy but great in flavor, to the California Roll (
), simple yet tasty, and finally to the Edamame Guacamole: Soy beans, avocado, house-​made taro chips (
), what was up with that? Amaze-​a-​balls at their best! I can’t say enough of the wonderful and quantity of these amazing eats we experienced.
Rich your staff was absolutely on point this evening, and I am sure they are every day and evening. They were very cordial, provided superior service, had pleasant personalities, and made us feel part of your home. So, my hats goes off to you and your staff, for making this evening the best that you could provide. You guys rock! (
)
As usual, it was a sincere pleasure seeing all my Unilocal friends: Cinna, who I love to hear about her target practice! Mel and Vin (
), Lucy, always a pleasure (
), sorry we missed you Frank!, Steve, Conrad, Melanio, Chun, Erica, Maricela, Linda, Angelo, Maria, Nette, Amber, Mel B., Shalini; once upon a Girl Scout Cookie, and for meeting for the first time as well Melissa N. (
) and Cat! Hi Cat! So many peoplezzz. By the way, thanks for the great hug Nicole! Thank you Estefany with the great dimples, but not as nice as… whos?
Oh yes, I have only one more thing to say, no make that two: Brad B…

Another great event! This was one of the more intimate events that I’ve been to but it did not lack in fun!
The Rockstar theme was epic. Brad’s get up alone kicked the party up several notches.
The sound of sake bombs being taken all around mixed with the DJ rocking the best of 90s, 00s and today’s pop, rock and hip hop created an awesome vibe. With Kill Bill playing in the background and the original swords from the movie hanging overhead in true Unilocal fashion we got up and danced to a tune or two.
Rich and the gang at Kamikaze 7 showed us a great time! The Asahi beer kept flowing without me even having to ask for more and so did the sake (hot and cold).
My fav of the bites were the house– made taro chips and the blistered Shishito Peppers. Mmmmm mmmmmm good. The green tea chicken skewers and rolls were good too!
I hadn’t been downtown in a while but this made me want to come back sometime soon!

Superb ambiance, loved the décor! That giant geisha in the wall… I would like to have a wall painted like that. Very cool, cozy place offering the yummiest sushi! My favorite appetizer, though, were those Shishito Peppers with Yuzu dressing, reminded me so much the very tasty ‘padrón peppers’ from my native Spain! Just could not stop eating them. The Japanese beer was the perfect pairing for them!
I loved the music, not too loud, so we could socialize and have some conversations, plus the place was not overtly crowded, which was really nice.
I am sorry I could not dress to impress (at least I was matching with the Geisha wall!) as I went directly from work (curiously, I was walking following my GPS instructions and it directed me to… Hooters instead! Luckily the ladies there redirected me across the street). I

When Brad says Sake, we say BOMB!!! Happy bday Brad! Another awesome event where food and drinks were flowing/​bombing. A smaller but more intimate event and good to see the usual Unilocalers and the new faces for 2014.
Sushi was simple with tuna rolls and CA rolls. Teriyaki chicken skewers were probably my favorite. They were small and reminded me of yakitori, so definitely having more than one was good. I didn’t see anyone else doing Sake Bombs, so we had to start it off by doing it officially with the chopsticks.
Thanks K7 for hosting an awesome party and Brad for putting it all together. Always a good time!

My first Unilocal Elite Event of 2014 — time to party like a rock star!
It was my first time at Kamikaze Seven, and the venue didn’t disappoint! For a small sushi place, it’s quite trendy looking, with the TVs above the bar showing Afro Samurai and Kill Bill: Volume 1, and a beautiful Japanese-​themed mural along the back wall where we positioned ourselves for the evening (and which is sure to be the subject of plenty of Facebook cover photos soon — myself included). And speaking of Kill Bill, the samurai swords above the center table are actually Uma Thurman’s prop blades from the movie… FREAKIN’ AWESOME. (According to Rich from Kamikaze Seven — who did a great job working the crowd and making us comfortable, well-​fed, and well-​imbibed — the restaurant’s owner knows the prop master from the movies… and in fact they want to get Quentin Tarantino to come here for Comic-​Con.)
The DJ (Karlton Reed) was laying down the great tunes — he shifted from ‘80s tunes at the beginning to more contemporary stuff later in the night. Great job!
FOOD: We had the following:
— Spicy Tuna Roll
— California Roll
— Veggie Roll (made with brown rice… and one of the best I’ve ever had. That 12-​hour prep sure goes a long way!)
— Edamame Guacamole with house-​made taro chips — delectable!
— Blistered Shishito Peppers with Yuzu dressing and K7 salt (loved these… and lucky I didn’t get too many, otherwise with my luck I would’ve eventually had a spicy one)
— Green Tea Chicken Thighs — Jidori chicken yakitori, matcha tea blend spice, green tea kewpie… and very tasty! More, please!
Also, Rich came by and offered our table some mochi ice cream in strawberry, chocolate, and green tea flavors… yes, we were special! Sorry, guys!
DRINKS: This was what was available last night:
— Asahi (originally it was going to be Sapporo, but I didn’t mind)
— Cold Sake (on draft)
— Hot Sake
— Sake Bombs
And those Sake Bombs… I should mention that not only was last night the first time I ever had one (along with a few tablemates), I killed three of them in the course of the evening! Hoo boy, was I feeling it early today!
Great to see my fellow Elites and friends, including Jack M., Mel J., Vin C., Elle J. (and Camilla!), Linda F., Mari, Teresa N., Cinna B., Shalini (thanks for the Thin Mints!), Nette B., Maria C., Melanio F., Ali L. (her first Unilocal Elite Event — welcome aboard!), Bill, Peijean T., and everyone I missed but haven’t forgotten!
Brad, Estephany, and the amazing staff at Kamikaze Seven (which I will be sure to return) — DOMO ARIGATO!!! See you all at the next event!
Oh, one more thing — HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRAD! KAMPAI!!!

The Kamikaze Seven Elite Event last night was spectacular. Brad B and Estefany B pulled out all the stops and raise the bar for all future Unilocal events once again. And the owners and staff of Kamikaze Seven made the experience one to remember for all!
You could feel the excitement as the Unilocalers began to line up outside the venue. This is in a busy part of downtown San Diego, with an active night scene. There were plenty of people walking by and scratching their heads at the line. Once these pedestrians realize we were Unilocalers, I saw a lot of smiles.
Then we were inside, being served Kamikaze Bombs and delightful tastings right away. The DJ was rocking us out at this rock-​and-​roll themed event. A lot of new faces (to me), like Linda F, and Mari H, along with all the regulars including Mel J, Melanio F, Jack M, Elle J, Steve F, Maricela H, Jasmine S, Linda D, Amber E, Conrad R, Staci R, Jeb H, and others I can’t think of right now.
Oh Yeah, and the food and drinks were really great! The California roll was the best I’ve ever had, not that I’m complaining about the tuna roll or the brown rice veggie roll! The Sapporo and saki were great. I could nibble on the chicken skewers forever, and the staff even prepared a special birthday dessert for Brad B.
I have high hopes for this establishment — I’m thinking they’re really going to flourish. They provide a product, in the right atmosphere, and a killer staff that should assure them long life and a lot of regulars. I know I’ll be back!

Great ambiance! Though I had missed out on the chicken skewers, the sushi was delicious. The wait staff was all great and I was greeted with a drink suggestion that I don’t remember now. Whatever it was it sounded delicious and out of this world.
Looking at my fellow Elite colleagues, they were all having a blast. I also noticed the sake bottles on the table which leads me to the conclusion that the spirited thirst quenchers were abound. I settled for the non-​alcoholic offerings.
The edamame guacamole served with taro chips is my new favorite. I couldn’t resist watching Kill Bill on the numerous screens. I was informed that the swords on the ceiling were the actual ones used in the movie.
This place rocks with 15 kinds of sake bombs. I am impressed, Kevin Roberts was awesome.
Brad, happy birthday dude! It was an honor to sing you your song (the birthday one). This was exciting and I did have some issues accidentally eating my fake hair since I had to dress up. I had a blast and looking forward to the next one!

Happy Birthday to BRAD B!!!
Hump day. Wednesday night. It’s the new Friday. No, it’s not, but everyday can be a Beerday. Or sushi. Daily sashimi. So very fresh.
Loved the venue. Cozy spot to belly up at the bar for a front row seat to the sushi show or check out what’s on the flat screen TVs. Look away if bloody pulp films or animé disembowelment makes you squeamish. DJ played feelgood uptempo tunes all night from old school 80s thru current hits, and did a great job of maintaining that fun, party-​time vibe throughout the night.
Loved the hospitality. Young crew of friendly waitstaff, bartenders, and chefs worked hard to serve up tasty food and drinks. This team did a fantastic job of moving dishes and glasses, leaving no Unilocaler empty handed. Sake bombs away!
Loved the snacks. I enjoyed every bite, from the crispy taro chips with edamame guacamole, roasted shishito peppers, and chicken yakitori, to the fresh assortment of sushi rolls. Although crowding Unilocalers were testing out the fire marshall’s occupancy limit, I was able to get a bite of everything.
Thank you to Rich and the K7 folks for letting us invade your space.
Thank you to Brad-​san and Estephany-​chan for coordinating a most enjoyable Elite gathering.

Kill Bill swords, Sake bombs, familiar faces, sushi and fun!
Great event!
The establishment isnt huge, i loved the décor and the staff seemed super friendly.
Great atmosphere, conveniently located on Market near Horton Plaza (free 2hr parking with validation).
:AND IT WAS BRADS BIRTHDAY, WE GOT TO SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY!:
i really enjoyed the theme last night, Brad rocked with the Guns N Roses tshirt, i want one.
We were offered delicious sushi at the center of the room in a long table:
Veggie roll with brown rice (my favorite), spicy tuna — loved it, not too hot and just perfect.
I (REALLY) want to check out the ALL DAY happy hour Wednesday.
OK and fine i will say this with peace and love:
Fellow Unilocalers, when in a buffett style setting — ‘grab and go’.
NOT cool to plant yourself at the buffett, not allowing others to have access to food.
Come on elites, sharing is caring. =:)
PEACE AND LOVE!

What happens when I dump a cold sake into a beer? I can’t remember but it must have been a blast! I had my very first sake bomb at the crazy blazing Kamikaze Seven (K7)…and a 2^nd sake bomb… and a 3^rd… POW! The Elite Event at K7 exploded with high energy music, laughter, sake bombs, and blistered shishito peppers. Generous staff kept us supplied with sushi, including non-​spicy tuna rolls, California rolls, and brown rice veggie rolls. Green tea chicken thigh skewers and edamame guacamole also appeared on every table.
If you are a chick who likes to party, get your chicken thighs down to Kamikaze Seven, because the friendly and enthusiastic staff knows how to dish up a lot of fun along with your sushi! If you’re a dude you might be in the mood for hot sake and blistered shishito peppers.
Happy birthday, Brad, you are so rad and you really are a rock star! (-;
It was a privilege to be invited to this Elite Event, which was a smaller and cozier size than many events. I enjoyed reconnecting with old Unilocal friends and making new Unilocal friends. Alli L and Peijean T and Jessica W and Mikey H, it was great to meet you all in person! Andy P, what, how did we not run into each other sooner? (-;
Thank you, Brad, Kevin «The Food Dude» Roberts, and the amazing staff of Kamikaze Seven!

Chun P’s Introduction to Basic Japanese 101:
素晴らしい = Great
寿司 = Sushi
イベント = Event
ビール= Beer
人々= People
So this素晴らしい イベント had 素晴らしい 寿司, 素晴らしい ビール and 素晴らしい 人々!
Extra Lesson:
ハンサム マン = Brad B… errr…I mean «Handsome Boy»

Elite events are the best! How else can I see all my favorite people and meet nifty new ones?! I love thems. I was extra lucky at this one because I had a hot date, Jazmin S.
After standing in a little line and meeting two funny and cool new Unilocalers Missy and Nick we made our way in. Unsure of where to sit we randomly chose a seat in the middle. Low and behold it was our line mates table! That made for a fun night!
The main table on the middle had offerings of California and other rolls, and a few other appetizers. The sake was flowing, both hot and cold. Beer was being served as well. I partook in the ice water T_​T and a beer. I was the designated driver.
We made new friends and spent time with old friends. Rich welcomed us to his wonderful restaurant, inspired by fun and kill bill it was definitely fun but we did not kill our friend Bill ;-) The DJ played a birthday song for our Brad and we all sang him Happy Birthday! We Love you Brad!!! Happy Birthday and thank you for your hard work.
Estafany thank you for the info on the cool little details. I thought the bathrooms were the coolest. Turbines!!! What!!!

Just got home… thank you Brad for a wonderful fun event! Happy Birthday!
Thank you Rich and the staff at Kamikaze 7… I think I was in sake heaven…
Thank you Sushi Chef Ichi-san…didn’t get your name, but you were the only female… and the sous chef in back who gave me a couple of skewers… doomo arigato gozaimasu!!!
Great meeting Amber, Anthony, Cinna, Melissa, Chris, Mel J, Mel B (?), Jack, Alii, and the pretty gal at our table who took photos of me and some of the others… sorry I can’t remember your name right now…
Great catching up with the familiar peeps… Rianne, Melanio, Bill, Cat, Shalini, Yvonne, Maria, John and Erica, Stacy, Conrad, Stefani, Nette, and Angelo…
Again, Thank you Brad and Estephany for a very «Kill Bill kind of fun» event!
Sayonnara!!!

Sushi, shishito, and rockin’ Quentin Tarantino. There was lots of sake bombing, much photo bombing, and birthday dessert and sing-​a-​long led by manager Rich for Birthday Boy and SD Elite Community Manager Brad B., unrecognizable in his rock star gear for the themed Elite Squad event. Food was served from the giant community table at the center of the restaurant, where swords that are actually props from the movie «Kill Bill,» hovered above. A live DJ and TV screens above the bar showing the Tarantino movie were a fun touch.
I like that this was a smaller, more intimate party as it was an all-​Elite event. When sushi is free, it can disappear pretty fast and it did, but Kamikaze Seven did a great job continuously bringing out plates of food. I was grateful I got to try everything.
We had:
— Spicy Tuna Roll
— California Roll (probably the best thing K7 served, and others agreed. Goes beyond your average Cali roll)
— Veggie Roll (with brown rice! delicious)
— Edamame Guacamole: Soy beans, avocado, house-​made taro chips (definitely enjoyed this snack)
— Blistered Shishito Peppers with Yuzu dressing and K7 salt (theirs were bigger and plumper than I usually see at other restaurants. It’s like playing roulette eating these delicious things as I told my fellow Elite Eric that every tenth one is spicy!)
— Green Tea Chicken Thighs — Jidori chicken yakitori, matcha tea blend spice, green tea kewpie (we all loved the rich flavor and tenderness of the chicken. The bartenders/​servers were especially generous in bringing out extra plates so we didn’t lose our chance at the swarming community table)

Thank you so much for your hospitality tonight K7!
Tonight was truly amazing at a Elite Unilocal/​Brad and Estephanie event @ Kamikaze Seven, Let us go through our check list of events…
Hot security dude checking id’s? Check~
Great table with awesome friends? Check~
Amazing drinks being served in a timely manner? Check~
Food being brought to the table that was awesome? Check~
Cool table set up? Check~
Awesome service? Check~
DJ freaking amazing for event? (Karlton Reed) Check~ Happy BLACK HISTORY MONTH BABY!
Servers: Tiffany & Hannah Beyond amazing!!! Check~
Rich «The Manager» rocked it! ~ Check~
Michelle and James the Sushi chefs amazing? Check~
Brandon running around helping everyone! Check~
The Unilocal Swag was amazing! A deck of cards, Sunglasses, Shot glasses, Mints and Chapstick!
We were served:
— Spicy Tuna Roll
— California Roll
— Veggie Roll
— Edamame Guacamole: Soy beans, avocado, house-​made taro chips
— Blistered Shishito Peppers with Yuzu dressing and K7 salt
— Green Tea Chicken Thighs — Jidori chicken yakitori, matcha tea blend spice, green tea kewpie
We drank:
— Asahi Beer
— Cold Sake (on draft)
— Hot Sake
— Sake Bombs
Happy Birthday Brad!
The ambiance was pretty amazing even though it is small. The DJ freaking rocks! I met a bunch of new friends. I had a wonderful meal as well as had amazing Sake bombs for the first time. The company was priceless! Jack, Elle J, Mel, Vin, Steve, Ali, and Mari~!
Make sure to check out pics that are normal and the Kamikaze lobster baby with the Unilocal chicken purse :-)