DŌZO Japanese American Kitchen - Charlotte, North Carolina

Casey Brownyard

Truly outstanding! Highly Recommend. We had high expectations because we love Katsu Cart and all the dishes we tried exceeded our hopes! So delicious, creative, and flavorful. We loved the cabbage pancake, the crab fried rice, and the spicy fried chicken. Can’t wait to see what they do next and we’ll certainly be back for more!

michael lee

Came in here to get the Chicken Karage & Katsu Udon. The atmosphere is really nice and gives you a feel for an authentic Japanese food bar. They also have a great beer selection too! One thing I like is how we got to connect with the chefs as we eat. Would highly recommend!

Kasandra Blanton

My husband and I went here last week and were soo blown away by the food! It was so flavorful! We couldn’t decide so we ordered one of everything on the menu! Every single dish including the soup was made to order. Ot came out as delicious as it looked, we can’t wait to go back! Ther service was also incredible. It’s a small space but it makes it more intimate! The owner is the chef and he is so much fun to talk to. His welcoming and friendly demeanor really brings the whole thing together! I can’t think of a single negative to say about the place!

Evan D

DŌZO is a Japanese-American Kitchen, nestled in Wesley Heights’ City Kitch, right next to the beloved Restaurant Constance. The magic behind DŌZO is crafted by Chef Perry and Sous Chef John Gamble, the duo from the award-winning food truck, Katsu Kart. With seating for just 12, half of which is at the kitchen bar, the experience felt intimate and personal—perfect for striking up conversation. During my visit, I chatted with Chef Perry and even got to meet the owner of Banh Mi Brothers and his team. The vibe was incredibly warm and inviting, with everyone sharing stories and enjoying the evening together.

I started with the Tsukemono, a chef’s selection of pickled vegetables that were crisp, refreshing, and bursting with flavor. They made the perfect light opener for the rich dishes that followed. Next, I moved on to the miso soup. Loaded with tofu, seaweed, and scallions, each spoonful offered a delightful balance of earthy miso flavor.

Then came the Agedashi Nasu, a standout dish. The Japanese eggplant was lightly fried, giving it a crispy exterior while remaining tender inside, and it soaked up the mushroom dashi broth beautifully. Honestly, the dashi was so flavorful I could’ve sipped it like a drink!

I wrapped up my meal with one of the best crab fried rices I’ve had in Charlotte. The dish was generously packed with blue crab and tender pork belly. Every bite felt more indulgent than the last, making it hard to put down my chopsticks.

The menu at DŌZO is on the smaller side, but I loved that—it keeps the focus on perfecting each dish. While there wasn’t a dessert option yet (it’s their opening month, after all), I’m sure they’ll add something sweet down the line. I’m already planning my return to try the Okonomiyaki and Katsu-don.

If you’re looking for a personal, intimate dining experience with top-notch Japanese-inspired dishes, DŌZO is an absolute must-visit.

Jonathan Schwartz

You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but don’t skip on the crab fried rice, tsukemono, and agedashi nasu. The katsu-don and okonomiyaki are excellent as well, as are the staff, so be sure to support this spot! Definitely among the best meals you’ll have in Charlotte.

Cameron Voegele

We were extremely pleased with our experience and the delicious food from DŌZO!! The atmosphere is very cozy and great for a date spot. Plus, they make the food right in front of you (if sitting at bar) so that’s cool to see if you like to cook/interested in how it’s made. They are getting an ABC license soon and said they plan on doing a select chef style tasting menu in the future, can’t wait!

First started off with the Spicy Chicken Karaage, and wow I could eat this all day. Perfect to share, it’s perfectly balanced and packs a lot of flavor from the seasoning to the blue cheese crumbles and the togarashi ranch. It’s mildly spicy, but a must have.

Moved onto the mains with the Okonomiyaki
Japanese cabbage pancake with shrimp, pork belly, sweet katsu sauce, and kewpie mayo. This dang pancake blew my mind. Such a great blend of flavors. It’s definitely worth it.

The other was the Crab Fried Rice
blue crab fried rice with crab roe butter, blue crab, ikura and kewpie mayo. My wife wouldn’t stop talking about this on our walk home. One of our new favs nestled in Westley Heights!!

We had to get to go boxes since it was so much food. Can’t say enough good things, definitely need to try the bento box for lunch next.

CJ

Tucked into The City Kitch is a unique little Japanese restaurant called DŌZO. I have found the Japanese food scene to be fairly limited in Charlotte so I would say the area is lucky to have a spot like this. The restaurant isn't very large so I decided to come around open to snag a spot. They have roughly 12 seats and a small but well executed menu.

I ordered the Katsu Don which ended up being a really great dish. It also could've easily fed two people so bring a bit of an appetite if you're dining solo! With their open kitchen concept, I got to experience the creation of the dish which made it all that much better. The rice was cooked perfectly and the pork katsu was super tender and crispy. The thing that I believe sort of tied it all together was the egg, onion, and sweet ish soy sauce concoction. It worked well with the pork which was cooked into the mixture after it was fried and it added a little liquid for the rice below to soak up. Each bite ended up being just as good as the first or better!

I think the only thing that could be improved with their open kitchen concept, is to tidy the kitchen space up a little bit. However, since they are newer to the space, this is stuff they will probably work out down the line. Other than that, the food was very good, and I would highly recommend you make this a spot to visit if you are in the area.

Autumn Parker

We accidentally ordered too sashimi and they took it off our bill with no problem. After trying it, I wish we’d gotten the third order! My coworker had his with the house hot sauce and it was the perfect iteration of sriracha! The red snapper for two was the special and we also got an order of the crab fried rice. Before the mains, my coworker also had the house salad with ginger dressing that he raved about. I had seen many of post from the Katsu cart and view them with envy not being able to get a crispy bite. Each Instagram photo felt like a work of art and presentation of our food. That night was exactly the same. The red snapper swam in a sea of green and seem to almost jump off of the plate. The crab fried rice Looks better than the photos and tasted better than I ever could have imagined. The meat of the red snapper was tender and flaky, and the batter was light and crispy. The crab, fried rice hosted large chunks of blue crab and many delicious toppings, like scallion, Kewpee, mayo, and all the fixings. All in all dodo lives up to the hype and the staff are kind and accommodating. I definitely will be back to try the Katsu