For years, Kenzo Phan has distinguished himself with his creative take on traditional Asian fare. A trained French Chef de la Maison, Kenzo immigrated to the US in 1995, and has been making his mark in Metrowest restaurants since.

Readers may know Kenzo as the former Sushi Chef and Manager at Willy’s Steakhouse in Shrewsbury, a position he held until COVID-19 shut the restaurant down. Prior to that, Kenzo was the Sushi Chef at Haiku on Park Avenue in Worcester. 

Now at 60 years old, he’s striking out on his own with Kenzo’s Sushi & Steakhouse, taking over the former location of Sapporo at 50 East Main in Westborough.

Kenzo’s journey has been anything but easy. Following the war in Vietnam, Kenzo found himself among the millions displaced, and was sent to a United Nations refugee camp at 14 years old. He had been separated from his sisters, who were sent to a camp in the Philippines. 

But In 1979, a family in Montreal sponsored him, and upon his arrival in Canada, he immediately found a job as a dishwasher. His hard work earned him recognition with his employer, and he was promoted several times, eventually attending a French culinary school in Montreal. By 1995 he’d moved to Boston with Benihana, and joined his sisters, who resided in the city. Years later he would join Haiku and put down roots in Metrowest.

The Honest Review

We’d made a reservation and we were greeted and seated right away. The interior of the restaurant stands in stark contrast to Sapporo, which was untidy to say the least. The lighting and furnishings have been replaced and the bar is large and well-stocked. During the remodel, Kenzo added a sushi bar, which gives patrons a direct line of sight to the process.

We were a party of four, two of whom have a severe gluten allergy. As such, we are frequently on the lookout for restaurants that accommodate customers with Celiacs. Kenzo offers two menus; one for the kitchen and the other for sushi. Both are expansive, with several unique offerings. We noticed immediately that the menus denote items that are naturally gluten free, and there were several excellent choices.

Like every good meal, the evening kicked off with a round of drinks, and although the restaurant wasn’t full, it seemed to take a curiously long time for our server to arrive. But when the drinks appeared they were very generous pours. 

For appetizers we ordered the Red Sox Maki, a Tango Mango Maki, a Salmon and Tuna Nigiri, and for fun some french fries and Wing-Wings. The Red Sox Maki was a true home run, combining shrimp tempura, spicy tuna and green apple, with a fiery touch of spicy mayo and wrapped in perfectly seasoned sushi rice. On the other hand, the Tango Mango Maki brought a tropical twist to the table, with seared tuna, mango, a bit of jalepeno, and honey mustard. The juxtaposition of flavors and textures was tangy, sweet, and smooth. The Nigiri was perfectly sliced and very fresh, and our waiter thoughtfully brought gluten free soy sauce to our table without us asking. The fries were unremarkable but the Wing-Wings had a honey mustard vinaigrette that we enjoyed.

Although the first round was excellent, “the service is glacial,” said one member of our party. Indeed, a full hour passed between being seated and when our appetizers arrived. It reminded us of dining in Europe, where slow food is the norm and one practically has to beg the server to bring the bill. We were in no hurry, so it didn’t bother us, but it may not be for everyone. And to be fair, it’s common for a new restaurant to experience growing pains. 

For entrees we put the kitchen to the test. The Filet Mignon was served perfectly cooked to a medium rare temperature, and the beef was very flavorful. The Tuna Wasabi was a sushi-grade tuna steak drizzled with wonderful ginger aioli, and it too was excellent. We also ordered the Seafood mixed grill, which was large enough to split, and sides of asparagus and mushrooms. We could find no fault with the food and everyone at the table was pleased with their choice.

It was Creme Brûlée and cheesecake for dessert, and both were good, not memorable. But as we finished our meal, Kenzo dropped by the table to check on us, and we ended up speaking for several minutes. He strikes this reviewer as soft-spoken and kind, hard working and detail oriented. He is also generous; during our chat he had two chocolate martinis sent to our table. Already a bit soaked, we tried to refuse, but he was insistent.

We complimented him on the quality of the meal, and also gave him candid feedback about the length of time it took to get it. He agreed, but explained that is part of his concept. “I told all my waiters ‘do not give people the check unless they ask it’,” he said. “You want a perfect steak? Give me some time, and I’ll make it perfect”.

His eyes lit up when he talked about the food, and you can tell he takes his choice of ingredients seriously. He says there is no farm raised seafood on the menu; everything is wild caught. The beef he brings in from Canada, and all is AAA quality. 

The bill was $381, which seemed like a lot, until we compared the prices of individual items to others. Kenzo’s is about $1 less than Willy’s, $5 less than 111 Chop House and $10 cheaper than Ruths Chris for comparable items. The same is true for wine; at Willy’s you will pay $8 more for the same bottle at Kenzo’s. While $381 seems like a lot for Westborough, in retrospect, we ate and drank like vikings that evening. 

Overall score: 9/10. Would recommend and will try again. Expect a thoroughly excellent meal, but you might pass if you’re in a hurry to get home to the kids.

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