Popular Japanese restaurant Dōzo at City Kitch is planning to move to its own space to open a full-service restaurant in the space that formerly housed Fern: Flavors from the Garden, which shuttered last year at 1419 East Blvd. The team is planning to conclude operations at City Kitch on Sept. 27 and move into the new space at the end of September.
Dōzo, helmed by chef Perry Saito, opened last September at City Kitch. It was a natural next step for Saito after running local food truck Katsu Kart, which he launched in 2021. In a previous interview with What Now Charlotte, Saito shared that his goal was to bring underrepresented Japanese cuisine — items other than ramen and sushi — to the community.
“Over the past year we have felt a tremendous amount of support and excitement for our work here in Wesley Heights at Dōzo Japanese American Kitchen at the City Kitch,” Saito stated in an announcement on Dōzo’s Instagram page. “We are so proud of the great food and experiences we have created in this space and thank the people of the city of Charlotte for the incredible support and patronage in this space.”
The spot’s menu features items like the Tonkatsu Sando (pork cutlet, cabbetsu, mayo, Katsu sauce and toasted milk bread), Ebi Furai Bento (fried Gulf shrimp, greens, miso soup and steamed rice), Katsu Curry Don and Crab Fried Rice. The new location will offer the usual menu items, as well as some additions. It will be open for lunch and dinner and will offer a full bar program with sake and Japanese whiskey.
“We cannot express our excitement enough as we begin work on this new project and expand on our exciting concept Dōzo in a fresh new environment,” the announcement states. “Thank you for an incredible year of support in our little corner in West Charlotte. We look forward to serving you again in our new home on East Blvd!”
