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| - I had not been to Kampai in a while when I went for a birthday dinner on November 30th. Imagine my surprise to discover it was under new management (I should have read the recent reviews first). I was a fan of Kampai because it was possibly the most authentic Japanese restaurant in Phoenix.
The decor hasn't changed (which, frankly, could use some refreshing, like the seat cushions in the booths are sagging, but overall, is still quite serviceable and even charming), but the menu has changed radically and now includes an almost encyclopedic collection of "maki" sushi (sushi rolls), most of which seem be to calculated to appeal to western tastes. Think Philly and California rolls (along with Caterpillar rolls, Arizona rolls, etc.). Yes, you can still get sushi by the piece, but not sure if I'd bother, they didn't even have tamago (egg omelet) and the surf clam (both nigiri) we had fell apart. Perhaps they should stick with chirashizushi instead of nigiri. I also didn't think the sushi rice was well prepared or that the fish was properly chilled (it seemed a tad warm). I was not impressed.
Along with the sushi we also had a cucumber and seaweed salad (actually, sunomono) which was surprisingly good.
Compliments, however, to the wait staff as they were exceedingly attentive and food and drinks were served with a smile and promptly. The staff is probably what stopped me from leaving too quickly (the staff under previous management was always warm and welcoming and I miss them).
Now for the food coming out of the kitchen: Another delightful surprise, it was well executed. It was obvious to me that the tempura recipe was slightly different than previously, but it was well done and not greasy. A few details were off-putting, though, there was no gobo root in the vegetable mix and far too many slices of potato, and this time, pieces of chicken, too, which were a little stringy, I'd rather have had an additional shrimp (the large prawns were cut in half lengthwise and served in individually making the serving seem more generous than it was).
Also since the new management, the prices have risen rather steeply: Una-ju (eel over rice) is up sharply and several other items went up as well. Given recent economic times and the rise in restaurant prices, I'm not sure this is entirely fair, but some of the prices went up rather surprisingly high. It is easy, with drinks, to run to over $30.00 per person.
The new restaurant menu is all over the place: It appears that the new owners have tried to keep the core menu, but other additions make it seem disorganized, as if they are trying to please too many. The new menu has Fried rice, bulgogki, tempura, nabeyaki. Fried rice? And, yes, something like an encyclopedia of sushi rolls (2 pages worth).
I went to Kampai because it reminded me of restaurants when I was in Japan. It was not striving for fusion or pan-Asain cuisine, or tons of novelty - a new dish now and then, fine, but was a solid example of quietly typical Japanese cuisine; quality classic food and an intimate atmosphere rather than catering to western ideas of what sushi and Japanese food "should" be or giving into food fads. I was always gratified to see members of the local ex-pat Japanese community eating there. And now I don't know where to sate my addiction to Japanese cuisine. Any recommendations greatly appreciated, as I don't know if I will be back to the new Kampai.
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