by Andrew Morrison | The first friends and family action went down last night (Thursday, June 16th) at Kozakura in Gastown. To further sort out whatever kinks there might be, controlled services continue tonight and tomorrow. The new 25 seater at 280 Carrall St. – formerly the cocktail-forward, Italian-themed “Notturno” – is set to open to the public on Tuesday night. Opening hours will be 5pm until 1am (closed Sundays). Weekends could see them staying open as late as 2am, if needed.

Kozakura (“Little Cherry Tree”) follows the Japanese “Kappo” style, meaning the chef is front and centre across from the customer, dishing out a highly idiosyncratic mix of izakaya and kaiseki-style plates (click here for further background). The menu will see nine items a la carte with omakase done in five, seven, and nine course options (I’ve seen the first menu and it reads like poetry). The bar program consists of sake, sochu, prosecco, two whites, two reds, five beers, and a small selection of Japanese whiskies (no cocktails).

I’m super excited at the prospect of more Japanese in the neighbourhood, especially since Keith Allison – omnipresent behind the cutting boards at Sea Monstr Sushi from the very beginning – has been announced as the chef de cuisine (formerly of Guu and Ken Oda’s superlative Dan on West Broadway). Keith is half Japanese and has trained in Japan. He’s a great guy with lots of talent, and he’s just returned from a research trip to Tokyo with Kozakura co-owner Bill Robitaille (pictured above). Expect deliciousness of him.

As for the new room, it boasts new licks of paint, new artwork, new bar kitchen toys, new cabinetry, and a cool new back bar shelving unit built by J & S Reclaimed Wood. Bill was kind enough to show me around earlier in the week, and I snapped the following photos…

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