KUZA is officially open in North Scottsdale, and we can tell you this: Clive Collective's newest concept is more than another sushi restaurant.

A lot of restaurants are opening in Scottsdale right now. Some are about the food. Some are about the room. Some are about the cocktails. And some are very obviously designed to give you a reason to stay awhile.

KUZA is trying to do all of it.

We got an early look at KUZA during its preview night last week, before the restaurant officially opened to the public on September 16, and the first thing that struck us wasn't the menu.

It was the energy.

The fire. The dark, moody room. The open kitchen. The cocktails. The music. The people gathering around the bar. And right in the middle of it all, the robata grill doing what robata does best - putting a little smoke, char, and theater into dinner.

Greeting Station at KUZA Scottsdale

🔥 THIS IS KUZA

Located in the old Chauncey Social space at 17767 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100, KUZA is the newest restaurant from Scottsdale hospitality group Clive Collective, the team behind concepts including CALA, The Americano, and Tell Your Friends.

And while the restaurant is rooted in Japanese culinary traditions, KUZA isn't presenting itself as a traditional Japanese restaurant.

The concept centers on binchōtan-fired robata, a raw bar, sushi, globally influenced flavors, cocktails, and a high-energy dining room. The idea is to take familiar Japanese techniques and ingredients and give them a little more freedom.

The restaurant's own philosophy puts the focus squarely on the fire - its robata grill is fueled by binchōtan charcoal, which burns hotter and cleaner and gives the food that unmistakable combination of char, smoke, and depth. (Kuza)

And you can actually see it happening.

That's an important part of the KUZA experience.

This isn't a kitchen hidden behind a wall. The robata grill and open kitchen become part of the show, so dinner comes with a little built-in theater.

Forking Scottsdale’s own Connie Parker & Chef Erik Davila

👨‍🍳 CHEF ERIK DAVILA LETS THE FIRE DO THE WORK

Executive Chef Erik Davila is leading the kitchen at KUZA, bringing more than 16 years of culinary experience to the project.

His approach is actually pretty simple: don't overcomplicate good ingredients.

That philosophy comes through in the robata program, where chicken, seafood, and other ingredients are cooked over charcoal and allowed to develop their own flavor through the fire.

One signature dish is Chicken Negima, repeatedly glazed and rotated over the charcoal until the sauce caramelizes.

Then there's the Market Robata Prawns, finished with red kosho-yuzu glaze and house-smoked sea salt.

And if octopus is your thing, the Spanish Grilled Octopus gets slow-cooked before hitting the robata, where it gets charred and served with harissa honey and a Japanese-inspired aguachile.

That's the part we like about the KUZA menu.

It doesn't appear to be trying to reinvent every dish on the plate. Instead, it takes quality ingredients, puts them over serious fire, and lets the cooking technique carry some of the weight.

🍣 THEN THERE'S THE RAW BAR

If you're not here for the smoke, KUZA has another big draw: the raw bar and sushi program.

The restaurant says its seafood program features fish flown in twice a week from Tokyo's Toyosu Market, with the menu moving from crudos and nigiri to chef-selected sashimi presentations designed to be shared around the table. (AZ Big Media)

That gives KUZA two very different personalities.

You can come in and build a meal around sushi and raw seafood.

Or you can sit at the table and work your way through skewers, grilled seafood, and shareable plates coming directly off the robata.

Or - and this is probably the point - do both.

🍸 DON'T SKIP THE BAR

The cocktail program is another place where KUZA moves away from a traditional Japanese restaurant.

The drinks incorporate Japanese ingredients but aren't afraid to wander outside the lines.

The Lychee Collins combines rose-infused Haku vodka, St-Germain, and lychee.

The Shikoku Marg brings yuzu and a togarashi rim into margarita territory.

And The Way of the Flowers uses TY KU Junmai Ginjo sake, Carpano Bianco and white peach for a lighter take on the martini. There's also the lower-ABV Kodama Kami, made with soju, grapefruit, and buckwheat tea.

During our preview, the bar fit the room perfectly - cocktails, warm lighting, and that slightly mysterious late-night feel that makes you want to order one more drink before calling it a night.

And that's probably intentional.

KUZA doesn't feel like a restaurant that's expecting you to rush through dinner.

🖤 THE ROOM IS PART OF THE EXPERIENCE

Here's where KUZA really separates itself.

The room is dark, warm, and dramatic, with amber lighting, textured finishes, and plenty of visual details that reward you for looking around.

It has an almost transportive quality.

The food is colorful, and the room is dark. The flames are bright. The cocktails catch the light. The black plates and tableware make everything on the table pop.

And then there are the details.

From the KUZA-branded menus and napkins to the artwork and design elements throughout the space, it feels like Clive Collective spent as much time thinking about how KUZA feels as they did about what comes out of the kitchen.

That's not surprising from this group. KUZA is the hospitality group's sixth restaurant and third concept along this stretch of Scottsdale Road, joining The Americano and Tell Your Friends.

🍽️ SO, WHAT KIND OF NIGHT IS KUZA?

We think that's the interesting question.

KUZA can be a date-night restaurant.

It can be a place to meet friends for cocktails and a few plates.

It can be a sushi dinner.

It can be a full-on robata dinner where the table keeps ordering things because everything looks better coming off the grill.

And given the room, cocktails, and open kitchen, we can easily see this becoming one of those Scottsdale restaurants where dinner turns into drinks and drinks turn into “Should we order one more thing?”

That's a good thing.

Because Scottsdale doesn't need another restaurant simply filling a space.

It needs restaurants that give people a reason to come back.

KUZA appears to have built exactly that kind of place.

🔥 OUR FIRST LOOK TAKE

After seeing KUZA before the doors officially opened, we're intrigued.

The concept makes sense.

The robata gives the restaurant a centerpiece. The raw bar gives it freshness. Sushi brings in the familiar. The cocktails give it a little nightlife. And the room ties everything together.

Most importantly, KUZA doesn't feel like it's trying to be everything to everyone.

It knows what it wants to be:

Japanese-inspired food. Live fire. Great seafood. Strong drinks. A beautiful room. And a night that hopefully lasts a little longer than you planned.

Now that KUZA is officially open, we're looking forward to going back when the restaurant is in full swing - because a preview night can show you what a restaurant wants to be.

The real test is what happens when the dining room is full, the robata is firing, and Scottsdale has discovered it.

Our guess?

It's going to get busy.