District Binh Thanh, Pham Viet Chanh Street Sushi Omakase Sushi Zaku Review(2025.08)
- Hochiminh Gourmet
- Aug 20, 2025
- 6 min read
#1. District Binh Thanh, Pham Viet Chanh Street Sushi Omakase Sushi Zaku Review
Sushi Zaku, a sushi omakase restaurant, is located in the heart of Pham Viet Chanh Street in District Binh Thanh, known as Ho Chi Minh City's second Japanese town or Little Tokyo. Sushi Zaku can be considered a mid-level sushi restaurant. While not cheap, it offers high-quality sushi at a reasonable price, attracting a large crowd not only from foreigners and locals but also from Japanese living Ho Chi Minh.
The quality of sushi in Ho Chi Minh City has been completely different before and after COVID-19. Since the ingredients have to be airlifted from Japan, it can't compare to Japan, but Sushi Zaku was the most satisfying sushi restaurant I've visited in Ho Chi Minh City recently.
I ordered a Kaku Highball to go with my meal. While beer isn't bad for enjoying mild sushi, I think the Kaku Highball, with its smooth, clean, and refreshing taste, is a better match.
Of course, there was a staff assisting the chef, but most of the dishes in the omakase course were prepared directly by Chef Watarase. A native of Fukuoka, he was friendly and spoke English fluently, so I enjoyed a pleasant meal with brief conversations throughout.
For my meal, I chose the mid-priced Omakase Kou course. The appetizer was the Assorted Smoked Fish Plate, featuring a smoked oyster, smoked salmon, and corn jelly. The smoked oyster was particularly impressive, with their smoky aroma and soft, chewy texture.
Following the appetizers, the Assorted Sashimi was served, featuring squid, octopus suckers, yellowtail, and mackerel. The chewy octopus suckers and the fresh, savory mackerel sashimi assured me that the meal was a success.
Before the nigiri, the third course was Chawanmushi. A soft, salty and sour steamed egg topped with conger eel and shiso added texture and flavor. It was a decent, not bad.
While eating chawanmushi, a plate to place the sushi on, tsukemono(pickled vegetables), and wet wipe for those who eat sushi with their hands are provided.
The first nigiri was Ika(Squid). The squid used as a neta was a work of art, both in its preparation and its texture. The shari(rice) used was seasoned with red vinegar, but perhaps because it lacked water, so it was a slightly dry texture.
The second nigiri was Aji(Japanese Horse Mackerel). The moderately oily, savory flavor of the aji was very satisfying. However, the texture of the shari was still a bit off-putting.
The third nigiri was Chutoro. It was less oily than it looked, so it was actually quite light and pleasant, and the tuna quality was better than my expected.
The fourth nigiri was Saba(Mackerel). Sushi Zaku's mackerel had the characteristic oily and savory flavor of it without any fishy smell, making it the second most delicious sushi I had that day.
The fifth nigiri was Siro Amadai Aburi(White Tilefish Aburi). The torch-grilled white tilefish brought out a subtle smoky aroma and a distinctly savory flavor.
Grilled White Tilefish was served as a break between nigiri. Grilled white tilefish was drizzled with a clear sauce made with shimeji mushrooms and mugwort, and it was quite enjoyable.
Following the Grilled White Tilefish, the Cold Plate arrived. That was tofu made with crab meat and vegetables. I could see what they were trying to accomplish, but the texture and flavor were both unpleasant, making it the worst dish of the day.
After the Cold Plate, the nigiri started again. The sixth was Kinki Aburi. I liked the natural flow from raw to aburi sushi.
The seventh nigiri was Smoked Chutoro. Thinking it was just chutoro marinated in soy sauce, I didn't have high expectations when I tried it, but the smoky aroma and the texture and flavor, reminiscent of raw ham, were impressive. It was the best sushi of the day.
The eighth and final nigiri was Anago Aburi. It had a chewy texture with a hint of smoky flavor, making it a perfect ending to the nigiri.
Feeling a little tipsy, I ordered some iced green tea to sober up. The rich, fragrant, cold green tea really helped me wake up.
After the nigiri, miso soup arrived. It was a decent-tasting miso soup with a slice of conger eel meat, warming my stomach after eating the sushi.
Following the miso soup, temaki was served as the final meal. It was a luxurious temaki, consisting of shari, minced tuna, and Hokkaido sea urchin, all wrapped in high-quality seaweed. While it didn't quite have the flavor of premium sea urchin, it was satisfying, with a savory flavor that wasn't fishy or bitter, but rather just right.
For my first dessert, I had a Gyoku(Japanese Rolled Omelette) made by the chef himself. The soft, sweet, castella-like texture of the omelette was a perfect dessert.
The second dessert, the final course, was Today's Dessert. It was Shine Muscat, vanilla ice cream, and homemade chestnut jelly topped with citrus syrup. The sweet and refreshing flavor was the perfect way to end the meal.
#2. Sushi Omakase Sushi Zaku - Menu
Sushi Zaku, a sushi omakase restaurant, offers three omakase courses: 1,000,000VND / 1,600,000VND / 2,200,000VND. After 8pm, can order a la carte dishes, with no omakase courses. This appears to be aimed at attracting customers who come for a second round of drinks. While it may not be as cost-effective as a mid-level sushi restaurant, you won't find many sushi restaurants in Vietnam that offer such a satisfying experience.
I visited for dinner alone on Saturday evening and ordered as follows:
Omakase Kou: 1,600,000VND
Kaku Highball: 120,000VND x 2 EA = 240,000VND
Green Tea: 50,000VND
Including a 4.5% VAT and a 5.5% service charge, the total came to 2,079,000VND. I was so happy to finally be able to enjoy authentic sushi after such a long time. While it might not be the best value compared to sushi restaurants in Japan, I doubt there are many sushi restaurants in Vietnam that offer as much satisfaction as this one, which imports ingredients from Japan and serves them.
#3. Sushi Omakase Sushi Zaku - Location
Sushi Zaku, a sushi omakase restaurant, is located in the heart of Pham Viet Chanh Street in District Binh Thanh, known as Ho Chi Minh City's second Japanese town or Little Tokyo. It is a neighborhood with many Japanese restaurants and bars, and is a place you will visit often while living in Ho Chi Minh. For detailed location, click the Check Location button below to check it on Google Maps.
Address: 78 Phạm Viết Chánh, Phường 19, Bình Thạnh, Hồ Chí Minh
Website: https://sushi-zaku.com/
Phone: 0866863439
Hours: 18:00 ~ 24:00(Closed on Mondays)
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