Restaurant Review: Dozo

What: Contemporary Japanese imported from Taiwan

Where: 1171 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huashan Lu

Why: For playful food and atmosphere

Upon entering DOZO, you are received with a loud and warm konnichiwa by the entire staff, which sets the tone for an evening of fun contemporary Japanese cuisine. The latest venture from the Brown Sugar family is decked out with semi-private sunken tables, mood lighting and a well stocked bar complete with their delicious homemade plum wine and shochu.   

DOZO’s extensive menu offers classic Japanese dishes with a creative twist, like the uniquely paired salmon sushi and caramel (RMB 98). The pink fish is lovingly glazed to a crisp with the sweet, sticky caramel for a surprisingly fresh take. The charcoal grilled beef (RMB 88) also had a nice finish, although this time with a fruit vinegar hugging the tender cut that was lightly seared. The whole raw concoction practically melted in our mouths.

Fried food featured prominently on the menu, as it so often does at Japanese restaurants geared toward foreign clientele, and we opted for the marinated pork chop baked with cheese (RMB 78). A heavily fried chop, the whole dish fell apart. Literally. The weight of the cheese caused the breading to slide right off.

Dessert was an Asian take on tiramisu (RMB 48) – basically a pudding flavoured with the Italian dessert inside mochi, a glutinous Japanese rice. The pudding was creamy and sweet in between crunchy layers of crust, but it demands an affinity for mochi.

Aiming to be a late night establishment, DOZO does serve up food that would appeal to partygoers with a case of the munchies. In the neighbourhood of the newly opened Reel Food court though, their sumo lunchboxes are going to have to throw some weight around to really make a dent.