At Kasai Japanese Steakhouse, flying shrimp, flaming table-top grills and serene diners are not uncommon.
That’s “dinnertainment.”
“People love to come to our restaurant and celebrate,” said co-owner Michael Russello.
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“Every year, families and loved ones come back, and they just have fun. Nobody sits there on their phone. Everybody’s paying attention to the chef and having fun.”
Kasai’s philosophy is just that: bringing guests together and making the dining experience enjoyable. Russello, executive chef/co-owner Martin Kucera, and the rest of Kasai’s team find guests equally as important as the Japanese steakhouse’s high-quality ingredients.
“The guests dictate our direction, and we simply follow through,” said Kucera of the restaurant’s strategy.
The team’s commitment to the diner’s palate is evident in a vibrant menu featuring bold signature flavors, including Mongolian glazed lamb chops and Szechuan beef udon yaki, as well as coconut chicken skewers served with a delicate coconut curry beurre blanc.
“We only serve filet mignon, New York strip, prime New York and Wagyu,” Russello remarked. “We even use filet on the teppan tables. We wanted everything to be high-quality. When we bought [the restaurant] back. That’s what [the then-owners] weren’t doing.”
Kasai has had a handful of chapters: Sapporo opened in 2001; Russello sold it in 2010; and reacquired and rebranded it as Kasai in 2018.
Chefs are “dinnertaining” at the teppan tables by forming shapes with stir-fry rice or tossing vegetables at diners to see if they can catch them in their mouths.
Vegetables make the meal, Kucera said. At the teppan tables, Kucera occasionally goes beyond the traditional zucchini, onions and mushrooms, adding broccoli or bean sprouts.
“It doesn’t seem like much, but people are surprised when they come in,” he said. “They like a different vegetable every once in a while,” Kucera said.
The teppan flavors segue nicely into traditional Asian fare like sushi. Kucera’s specials are a hit; escolar, a deep-sea fish known for its rich, buttery flavor and firm, oily texture, was featured. The fish is compared to a high-quality tuna or swordfish.
“It’s one of my favorite fish of all time,” Kucera said.
Kasai’s menu extends beyond the teppan tables into the dining room, with entrées like spicy blackened mahi-mahi sandwich, Wagyu half-pound burger and wok-fried rice. Additions to the regular menu are New York Strip and yakisoba.
A5 Wagyu is the star. Its designation comes from a Japanese grading system that evaluates both yield (A) and quality (5). The meat offers unparalleled marbling, “melt-in-your-mouth” texture, and rich umami flavor.
“Fifteen to 20 years ago, you wouldn’t even think about [serving or buying] it,” Russello said.
“You couldn’t touch it for under $100 a pound. But now that Japan isn’t as stingy with its meat, it’s more readily available.”
On Dec. 28, 2023, Kasai fired up its grills in Peoria’s Park West, taking over the space once occupied by Toby Keith’s Bar and Grill. Russello said the Northwest Valley restaurant fills a void in the area and carries the personality of Scottsdale’s location.
“I added different design options there, and we’re working on more,” Russello said. “I do have some of the Scottsdale look in Peoria, but I added more pictures and things I want to bring over to Scottsdale. I’d like to do a little revamp of Scottsdale so it’s a little sexier.”
Kucera welcomes his chefs’ input on the menu. He’s open to suggestions, especially in Peoria, where guests’ palates might differ.
“For example, we just added an egg roll, but we did one with jalapenos and red bell peppers,” Kucera said of the dish exclusively served at the Peoria location. “That’s much different than our traditional egg rolls. We’re experimenting with pico de gallo, which goes really well with traditional Japanese.”
New to both restaurants are curry selections with chicken, shrimp, salmon, steak, mahi mahi, scallops, “imperial trio” or lobster. Surrounding the protein are vegetables such as sautéed carrots, onions, red bell peppers, snap peas, scallions and red ginger. Thai coconut curry or Japanese golden curry are the featured sauces. Siracha naan soaks up the leftover juice.
“We have a light curry and a golden curry,” Kucera said. “People are loving it. We’ve always had a Thai curry, but we expanded on it. The coconut Thai curry comes with soba noodles or rice, and whatever proteins you want.
“The Japanese golden curry is one of my favorites. It’s not quite as spicy as the coconut Thai curry, but it’s very good.”
Yakisoba noodles — thin noodles stir-fried with cabbage, onion, bean sprouts, red bell peppers, carrots, oyster Worcestershire sauce and red ginger — were introduced lately. The entrée can be served with chicken, shrimp, steak or the imperial trio.
Kasai Scottsdale and Peoria make their ingredients in-house; the team does not purchase any premade ingredients.
“At both restaurants, it’s all made on-premises,” Kucera explained. “I know these days, there are a lot of good pre-made items out there, whether it be pot stickers, egg rolls or whatever.”
Kucera called Kasai’s sushi “to die for.” Russello’s No. 1 is the Mongolian glazed lamb chops, over coconut curry and beurre blanc, and served with jasmine rice instead of fried rice.
“But you can’t go wrong with our sushi,” Russello concurred.
“We want Kasai to be inviting, so any guest can enjoy it,” Kucera added.
Kasai is located at 14344 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, and 9824 W. Northern Avenue, Peoria. Their hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; 3 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Happy hour is daily until 6 p.m. Information: kasaiteppan.com
