Family Campus Dining

 Courtney Ceccarini

Q News 

High Point University’s newest fine dining experience, Kazoku, has made its way to Panther Commons. A hibachi restaurant that holds 60 people at a time and offers 3 courses that include soup and salad, entree, and desert.

As an effort to promote inclusion and unity the university named the restaurant Kazoku because of its origin meaning family. 

While at Kazoku students are seated at a table of 10. Sitting at the table with other people not in your party is how the restaurant resembles families; however, this effort does not come off the way as intended. 

Each time I have dined here the table is awkward and uncomfortable. No one talks to each other and it feels more like eating with strangers.

Kazoku is everything you would expect a hibachi restaurant on a campus to be. 

We ordered the chicken broth soup and the miso soup. While I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken broth soup the tofu in the miso soup was cold, which is not something you desire in a soup. The ginger dressing on the garden salad was sparse and watery. But the option of starting your meal with hot tea was very nice. 

When ordering a hot tea they bring you all different options on a tray and this feels very authentic. 

The service at Kazoku was excellent. The staff was very attentive and the chefs were entertaining and definitely trained. This makes the experience more fun and interactive. 

The steak was served with raw pieces which threw me off a little bit. I also asked for mine done medium while others at my table asked for medium rare and they were all taken off the table simultaneously. 

I also did not enjoy the white sauce. It tasted more like spicy mayo and was the most flavorful thing on the menu. 

The food was very bland and so the spicy mayo was not a terrible addition but definitely not the traditional white sauce that is given at a hibachi restaurant. 

If non-students do want to dine at Kazoku it costs $65. If I was at a real restaurant and my meal cost that much I would be highly disappointed. 

By the time dessert came, I was full but I did enjoy the sorbet trio. It was accompanied with fresh fruit which was a nice addition. 

The atmosphere is spectacular. While it is not a huge room, the view to the rest of campus is spectacular and the marble flooring and granite tables make you feel important. 

While this is not my favorite fine dining location on campus, it is relatively new and worth checking out at least once for its service and atmosphere.

[ Hibachi

Panther Commons

Magic Meal- Student

$65- Non-student

Reservation Size: 1-10

Hours: Monday- Saturday 4:30- 8:30]