If you’re a fan of Asian fusion, you’ll be happy to know that Knoxville has an exceptional Asian fusion restaurant. Kaizen is known for its creative and delicious dishes that combine the best of Japanese, Szechuan, and Thai cuisine. Some of the menu favorites include the Steamed Buns (with options like Bang Bang shrimp, tofu, Kimchi BBQ chicken, and more), Pork Belly Fried Rice, and Dan Dan Noodles (chilled lo mein with ground pork, black soy, black vinegar, toasted chili oil, pickled cabbage, and Szechuan peppercorns).

For a multinational take on the Japanese izakaya dining style, Kaizen offers creative specialties that include hot and sour duck noodles, peanut noodles, and a selection of steamed buns filled with treats like fried shrimp, pork belly, and Thai sausage. You can get items like mapo doufu, Thai chicken noodles, and mushroom fried rice, but there’s also takoyaki octopus fritters, spicy pork fat noodles, a kimchi BBQ chicken bun, and more to explore. Doesn’t a delicious Asian dinner sound great?

Kaizen is a Japanese word often translated literally “change for the better,” but most often interpreted as a philosophy summed up by the phrase “continual improvement,” applied here by Executive Chef and owner Jesse Newmister. To continue our crash-course in Japanese culinary tradition, Kaizen embraces the izakaya restaurant model, most easily described as a Japanese tapas-pub. But Kaizen isn’t simply a traditional Japanese-style restaurant.

127 South Central Street, Knoxville | @knoxkaizen | Kaizen is a Japanese-inspired, izakaya-style restaurant in Old City led by Executive Chef and Owner Jesse Newmister. Delightfully un-traditional, Kaizen emulates the izakaya atmosphere, introducing additional Asian cuisines and influences including Szechuan and Thai with tapas-style small plates. Enjoy full dine-in service inside, at the bar, and on their outdoor patio for lunch and dinner.

Kaizen does things “the izakaya way,” inspired by the small Japanese-style pubs offering small plates. That means a more casual and communal environment, despite having one of the most intricate menus in town. The restaurant is led by chef and owner Jesse Newmister, who learned from chefs in Charleston and Louisville before helping open Northshore Brasserie in Knoxville, a delicious restaurant in its own right.

When we travel, Asian cuisine is always top of our list, and Knoxville restaurants feature several options, our latest favorite of which is Kaizen, an izakaya-inspired Japanese-style pub serving up tapas-style small plates like pork bao buns, tamari-glazes potatoes and hot-and-sour duck noodles. The restaurant also stocks a deep well of whiskey, both Japanese and American varieties.

Just a block and a half away from Market Square, you’ll find Kaizen, a laid-back Asian restaurant that’s now on my must-do list any time I’m in Knoxville. Here, you’ll find affordable tapas-style small plates of Asian-inspired delicacies, many of which are surprisingly kid-friendly. Everything we tried was amazing, from the mushroom fried rice to the octopus fritters.

Kaizen’s menu specifies whether each dish is vegetarian, vegan, and/or gluten‑free!. Order up some steam tofu buns, crispy fried eggplant, and delicious Shoyu noodles. Not to mention specials that are always super unique, and since they have all dietary preferences in mind, you’ll often find vegetarian friendly proteins like seitan, tofu, and tempeh.

Chef Jesse Newmister came to Knoxville to help open Northshore Brasserie. This experience gave him first-hand experience on what it takes to build a restaurant from the ground up. Looking to open his own restaurant, Newmister signed a lease on a space and saw it as a chance to help diversify the cuisine in downtown Knoxville.

Kaizen is a restaurant tucked away in the Old City and is known for offering a unique spin on Japanese-inspired cuisine. Customers rave about their ever-popular steamed buns (yum!) and the Roasted Duck Legs. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, check out their Honey Fish Sauce Wings that are sure to satisfy any palate.

This intimate Asian eatery is a great spot for new couples, promising a romantic night with attentive staff, great food, and interesting drinks. Kaizen subscribes to what it calls ‘The Izakaya Way’ – fun, casual and communal spaces offering tapas-style small plates. Kaizen definitely fits the bill of an izakaya!

127 S Central St, Knoxville, TN 37902https://www.knoxkaizen.com/. Kaizen is a Pan-Asian restaurant located in the Old City neighborhood of Knoxville. Their restaurant is modeled after the humble izakaya, which is a Japanese-style bar/pub that typically serves up communal small plates (kind of like tapas).

You can’t go wrong with Kaizen and its heaping plates of noodles, fried rice concoctions, and shareable small plates like steamed buns. The izakaya-inspired Japanese-style pub occupies prime real estate in the Old City and features a rotating menu that incorporates Szechuan and Thai dishes, too.

When it’s time for dinner, head to Kaizen, where the heavenly Mapo Doufu will make your whole trip. It’s currently my favorite meal in town, and I could eat it every day. That said, the Coconut Tom Yum and (very spicy) Dry Fry Eggplant are also truly delicious.

Jumbo Prawns on Jasmine rice w/ Cod, Andouille, Okra, Onion, Celery, &... Have the opportunity of choosing various Asian dishes at the Kaizen restaurant. The place offers a perfect spot for you to come with friends and family for a delicious brunch or dinner.

Check out this unique Asian fusion restaurant in Knoxville’s Old City. Kaizens provides its’ guest with creative Asian dishes you won’t find anywhere else in Knoxville. Their menu also has a daily rotating section that features food such as ribeye fried rice.

Kaizen is a delicious, laid back, Asian fusion restaurant from Chef Jesse Newmister. Offering a fun, casual and communal atmosphere. Serving Japanese cuisine as well as other Asian cuisines and influences including Szechuan and Thai.

- Rating: 4.5 / 5 (62 reviews)- Detailed ratings: Food (4.0/5), Service (4.0/5), Value (4.0/5)- Type of cuisine: Japanese, Asian- Price: $$ - $$$- Address: 127 S Central St, Knoxville, TN 37902- Read more on Tripadvisor

This Japanese-inspired restaurant in the Old City serves up a variety of sushi rolls, noodle dishes, and small plates. The atmosphere is sleek and modern, with a rooftop bar overlooking the city.