In Japanese, "kazoku" means "family."
So it should come as no surprise that on busy weekends, Kazoku Sushi co-owner Un "Uni" Vawser's children, who are in their 20s, often help out waiting tables and washing dishes.
"Right now I get help from them, because it's just the beginning of the business," Vawser says.
During the week, you'll often catch Vawser dashing from table to table, the only server on duty.
On slow nights, sushi chef Seogmin Youn (who is also a co-owner) will visit tables and offer customer sushi samples.
Vawser and Youn opened Kazoku Sushi over the summer. They both previously worked at Sachiko Sushi on North Wilmot Road.
"I was there 13 1/2 years, since the day I came to Tucson" from Hawaii, Vawser says. "I was a waitress there the whole time."
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Though it's been open only a short time and Vawser and Youn have yet to spend any money on advertising, word about Kazoku is spreading.
"I sell quite a lot of spicy noodle soup to Korean university kids," Vawser says.
Before it was Kazoku, the building at 4210 E. Speedway was Monty's Bistro and Pizzeria. Before that, it was a pair of Vietnamese restaurants, Green Bambou and Three Sisters.
The first thing you notice when you walk through Kazoku's doors is a mural on the restaurant's north and west walls.
Monty Blankier, who owned Monty's Bistro, told Caliente in April that the mural didn't depict any specific ocean, "just a nice ocean" that lent a "European look."
Vawser says she thought about removing the mural, but instead she got creative. She hired somebody to paint Japanese screens over parts of the ocean scene, to suggest a more Oriental setting.
"I don't have money to buy all this expensive paint on the wall," she says. "So I say let's just paint the Japanese screens on the wall, and it looks good."
Kazoku Sushi serves sushi and other traditional Japanese and Korean dishes.
During a recent visit, we ordered the tofu kimchi ($10.95), tempura vegetables ($4.95) and nine-piece sashimi ($11.95).
The vegetable tempura appetizer was light and flaky, without the oiliness or doughiness that sometimes plagues bad tempura. And the vegetables were crisp - cooked just right.
The kimchi had a subtle spiciness and saltiness that warmed the stomach and the soul, and the dish's ample cabbage and onions filled us up.
My dining companion (a real sushi fan, she) said the nine-piece sashimi entree was some of the best sushi she'd ever had, and that the salmon, tuna and yellowtail had just the right amount of fatty marbling and a slight buttery flavor.
On subsequent visits we've tried the spicy tuna roll, the cucumber roll and the vegetable roll, and all were excellent. Vawser says the fireball, with cream cheese, avocado, cucumber and spicey tuna, is the restaurant's most popular sushi dish.
After dinner, Vawser brought out small dishes of plum ice cream, on the house. It was a sweet end to a savory meal.
Kazoku Sushi and Japanese Cuisine
• Where: 4210 E. Speedway
• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Noon-10 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
The Bill:
• Tofu kimchi: $10.95
• Tempura vegetables: $4.95
• Sashimi: $11.95.
• Total (before tax and tip): $27.85
