IZA Review: Good-Value Sushi on the Terrace at Elements, Hong Kong

The short version: IZA is a small izakaya on the Civic Square terrace above Elements, a few doors down from Anju and right below the Ritz-Carlton. The sushi is good value, about $5 a piece with the toro included on the eight-piece platter, and the toro was the best thing we ate. The skewers and the edamame are fine. The service is a little cool but gets everything right, and the terrace can be smoky, since they sell cigars outside. HK$931 (about $119) for three. A convenient, decent spot, especially mid-afternoon when the hotel’s restaurants are closed, but I wouldn’t go back when Anju is next door.

I had a late lunch at IZA with two family members on a Saturday in November 2026, around 2 pm. We paid for everything ourselves.

Pros

• Good-value sushi: eight pieces for HK$288, with the toro
• The toro: 8.5 out of 10
• Open mid-afternoon, when the Ritz-Carlton’s restaurants aren’t
• A terrace on Civic Square, a few steps from Elements and the hotel
• Food comes out fast

Cons

• A smoky smell, especially outside, where they sell cigars
• Service is a little slow at times, and not very warm
• The terrace is heavily shaded, so you don’t see much skyline
• The “black edamame” is just regular edamame
• No toro on the five-piece platter

Getting there

IZA is on Civic Square, the open terrace on the third level of Elements, under the Ritz-Carlton and the ICC at Kowloon Station. It’s a few stores down from Anju, with its own tables outside. One useful thing: it was open at 2 pm, when most of the hotel’s restaurants were closed. Up here, only IZA, Anju and Luigi’s seemed to be.

The setting: 7 out of 10

A small, clean, fairly spacious izakaya. High round tables by the folding glass doors at the entrance, and a wooden bar with a ceiling of hanging wood slats and rope-wrapped columns. A dining room with light-wood tables and navy curtains, and counter seats along an open kitchen with a flame grill and shelves of sake. The area is nice, on the terrace between the mall and the hotel.

What brings it down is the smoke. They sell cigars outside, the door stays open, and the terrace can be quite smoky; inside there’s only a mild scent, but it’s there. The outdoor seating is also heavily shaded, so unlike at Anju, you don’t get much of a view of the skyline.

The food: 7 out of 10

No complaints about any of it, scoring it against the very best sushi I’ve had.

Sushi platter, 8 kinds: 8 out of 10. Sweet shrimp, scallop with lime, squid, yellowtail, salmon, white fish, tuna and toro. All seemed fairly fresh, and the pieces are a bit small but tasty and well made: the rice is neat, not too large, and doesn’t crumble. The salmon was also good, and the white fish a 7.5. HK$288.

Toro: 8.5 out of 10. The fatty tuna was my favorite of the bunch, very good. Note that it’s only on the eight-piece platter, not the five-piece.

Sushi platter, 5 kinds. Sweet shrimp, squid, yellowtail, salmon and tuna. One of us ordered this one, and it’s worth it if you want something smaller; you lose the toro, the scallop and the white fish. HK$188.

Skewers: 7 out of 10. A chicken skewer and a pork belly skewer, with a wedge of lemon. Fairly good, but could be a little tastier.

Black edamame: 6.5 out of 10. The menu calls it black edamame, but it tasted like regular green edamame, and pretty standard at that. It could have been a little fresher. Fine.

The menu is a full izakaya spread: yakitori from HK$42, tempura, grilled fish, rice bowls and sashimi platters. There’s a sake and whisky list; I don’t drink, so I can’t speak to those.

Service: 7 out of 10

Fine overall, and they got everything right, but not very warm. A couple of times we had to raise a hand to get someone over, and when we asked to move inside, they didn’t fully understand at first. Their English wasn’t great, which is normal in Hong Kong and not something I’d hold against them, but worth knowing. The food came out quickly, and the green tea is complimentary.

What it cost

For three people: the eight-piece and five-piece sushi platters, a skewer plate and two edamame came to HK$931, about $119, with the 10% service charge, or about HK$310 (about $40) a person.

Value: 7.5 out of 10

Pretty reasonable. Eight pieces of sushi for about $37 is about $5 a piece, with the toro included, and the edamame on top. It’s fast and easy to get to. The pieces are on the small side, which is the only thing holding the score back.

Vs. Anju

Anju, a few doors down, has friendlier service, better food and a nicer setting, with no smoke and a less shaded terrace where you can actually see the skyscrapers. It’s more expensive, about HK$528 a head when I went versus HK$310 here. If you want a quick, cheaper lunch, IZA; if you want the better meal, Anju. And if it’s sushi you’re after, Sen-ryo, deeper inside Elements, is a clear step up on food, with a HK$252 omakase lunch set.

Who it’s for

• Ritz-Carlton guests who want lunch at 2 or 3 pm, when the hotel’s own restaurants are closed.
• Shoppers at Elements who want sushi without a big bill.
• Families: it’s casual, with platters to share.
• Not for anyone who minds smoke, unless you sit inside at the back.

Tips if you go

• Get the eight-piece platter, not the five; the toro is only on the eight.
• If you mind smoke, ask to sit inside, all the way at the end. When it’s busy you may not get the choice.
• Mid-afternoon is a good time; it was quiet at 2 pm.
• Don’t expect the black edamame to be anything other than edamame.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

A good, convenient izakaya with no complaints about the food and sushi that’s decent value, in a nice spot on the terrace. The smoke, the slightly cool service and the average edamame are what keep it from more, and fixing those would probably cost more. Would I go back? Not when Anju is next door, but it’s a reasonable choice if you need lunch up here mid-afternoon.

FAQ

Where is IZA?

Shop R011 on Civic Square, the third-level terrace of Elements mall at Kowloon Station, a few doors from Anju and below the Ritz-Carlton.

Is IZA open in the afternoon?

Yes, it was open at 2 pm on a Saturday; the menu lists 12:00 to 23:00.

How much does IZA cost?

Our lunch for three, with two sushi platters, skewers and two edamame, came to HK$931 (about $119) with the 10% service charge, about HK$310 a person.

Is IZA smoky?

The terrace can be, since they sell cigars outside and keep the door open. Inside, there’s only a mild scent, and the tables at the far end are the best bet.

What should I order at IZA?

The toro (8.5) and the eight-kind sushi platter (8). The skewers were a 7.