My turn: by Francesca & George Saliba

ABOUT FRANCESCA & GEORGE

In every issue, EDGE of the Lake invites a local chef or restaurateur to visit another eatery on the Northshore.

Francesca Saliba and her husband George took ownership of Fazzio’s Restaurant in 2012. A local institution for 30 years, they knew it was like the Cheers of Mandeville, and have carried on its longstanding tradition of great food and friendly neighborhood vibes. The chefs continue to use signature recipes and methods, serving up the authentic Italian cuisine, seafood and steaks that has been enjoyed by multiple generations.

George and I usually have date nights on Thursdays, and we recently decided to visit Kazoku. It’s in a great location in a strip mall on Highway 59 at 1088, so everyone in Mandeville knows where it is. It was already busy when we got there around 6:30 or 7, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated.

It’s such a cute place with an open floor concept, which is refreshing, so you can see across the room. When we were seated, we noticed trays going by carrying what looked almost like cake. It was sushi, but the presentation was just so pretty.

When we first sat down, they brought us bowls of soup that had a seafood base with noodles and shallots to enjoy while we decided what to order. As we looked over the menu, first of all, I noticed the design. It looks modern and eye-catching instead of a more standard, traditional style, and it offers a great selection of mostly sushi and Vietnamese options, along with some Asian fusion dishes. I also appreciated the vegetarian section and interesting twists, like the Vietnamese tacos, that make you go, “Ooh, what’s that? I want to try it!”

For appetizers, we chose the vegetarian egg rolls, which were so good and came with a sweet chili sauce. For our dinners, George had the Vietnamese lemongrass chicken entree and I had the Vietnamese tacos. The steamed buns were super fluffy, almost like silver dollar pancakes, and they were filled with chicken and pickled carrots and cabbage. They were served in a bamboo-type bowl, so the presentation was great, and we both enjoyed everything.

The service was excellent, and even with the short wait, we were in and out in about an hour and fifteen minutes. It’s a brightly lit space with both tables and booths, and it was mainly a family crowd while we were there. I’d definitely recommend it for a family outing or a date night.