Welcome back to Five Things, Racket’s recurring rundown of new, new-to-us, or otherwise notable Twin Cities restaurants.
Today we’re taking you inside the cozy and delightful Izakaya Kazama. The newest Minneapolis restaurant from chef Matthew Kazama opened this April on Nicollet Avenue, with a menu of small plates—lots of delicious grilled and fried dishes—meant for sharing. Here are five things to know before you go.
1. Name Sound Familiar? It Should!
Izakaya Kazama comes from chef Matthew Kazama of the absolutely wonderful Ramen Kazama, which he’s helmed on the corner of Nicollet & 34th Street for over a decade. Honestly, it’s a little tough to get to this intersection and steer yourself away from the bowls of brothy ramen that beckon you toward that doorway.
But steer we must. Kazama’s new restaurant is located in the same building as his ramen spot, in the space where he operated TokiDoki Burger from early 2024 through the end of 2025. Ahead of the April opening, Kazama told MSP Mag that he felt as though TokiDoki had “run its course.” He wanted to do something new, with lots of grilled and fried small-plate options rather than big burgers.
2. You Can Get So Much Food for Under $100.
I have never done this in a restaurant writeup before, but I feel like I need to lay it out just so you can understand how inexpensive the small plates at Izakaya Kazama are. Here’s a list of literally everything our group of four ordered during a visit earlier this week, including prices:
- Yaki edamame: $3
- Purple Rain fries: $3
- Aged tofu with negi miso: $4
- Momo yakitori: $4
- Ebi fry with tartar sauce: $5 (x2)
- Saikyo miso salmon: $5
- Mini hambagu: $5 (x2)
- Curry karaage: $5 (x2)
- Takoyaki: $5
- Potato croquette: $3
- Sesame kale: $4
- Shiokon kyuri: $4
- Green tea: $3.75
- 16 oz Sapporo: $6 (x3)
- 24 oz VooDoo Ranger: $10
- 16 oz Montucky Cold Snack: $2 (!!!)
That’s 15 small plates and a few rounds of drinks, including a $10 IPA. But somehow, all four members of our party ate until we were full, and I was astonished to see the total before tax and tip when it came in at just under $100 ($98.75).
3. But it Might Be a Kind of Trial-and-Error Situation.
So about the whole “ate until we were full” thing…
Because you place your order at Izakaya Kazama via QR code and there aren’t really servers checking in, it can be difficult to figure out: a) how much food you’re getting and b) exactly what food you’re getting.
We ended up ordering one round of 10 dishes, and then a second round of five small plates when we were still peckish. This was not a problem: We were eating at a leisurely pace, and we got to go for seconds of the dishes we really liked (like ebi fries and curry karaage—more on them in a sec). You can’t really fit 15 plates on the table at once, anyway. Should you not know what shiokon kyuri or takoyaki is, the Toast-hosted menu doesn’t lay it out for you, but you can always turn to Google for answers (pickled cucumber and battered octopus balls, respectively).
If you care a little more, or have food allergies or sensitivities, I’m sure you could flag someone down and ask. For our group, the surprise element was part of the fun.
4. It’s a Goddamn Garden of Fried Delights.
The ebi fries—basically a fish stick that’s just one big, succulent shrimp—are outstanding. Did you know Japanese tartar sauce has eggs in it? This is how I learned, and yes, it will ruin American tartar sauce for you. Curry karaage is a must-order: The crispy coating on these juicy chunks of chicken was so good that you don’t even really need the accompanying dip. I say this as a dip obsessive!
A textural wonder, Izakaya Kazama’s aged tofu—soft and squishy on the inside, but fried to delicious perfection—arrives topped in a green onion miso that’s really more of a spread than a sauce. Utterly devourable. The grilled, miso-marinated salmon? Soft, flaky, an ideal bite. Similarly simple, the momo (chicken thigh) yakitori (skewer) was succulent as hell. And the tiny, adorable hambagu, topped with a pile of soft onions, will be familiar to fans of the short-lived TokiDoki Burger.
Not every dish was perfect. The pickled cucumbers were underwhelming; I’d order the sesame kale instead. The potato croquette was just OK. But the small plates and correspondingly small prices meant you could try out a few “meh” dishes and still get an overwhelmingly delicious meal. If you’d rather something larger, the izakaya does serve a few curries and more substantial plates, as well as a full-sized version of the Wagyu hambagu.
5. Bring Your Buds.
Izakaya Kazama is designed like a Japanese izakaya—those laid-back little restaurant-bars that invite you to hang out, eat, drink, and while away a few hours. It’s cute and cozy, with wood-paneled walls, a welcoming bar, and a table where large groups can gather in addition to booths and smaller tables.
There was a group next to us during our visit that had already finished eating when we sat down; they were still seated, drinking and laughing together, when we left an hour and a half later. No one seemed to mind, which made me smile as we ordered our second round of food. Izakaya Kazama is a place to bring your friends and your appetites. Come ready to share. Come ready to stay a while.
Izakaya Kazama
Address: 3406 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 5 p.m–9 p.m. Closed Mondays.
