Chef Richard Ly has opened Kaizume, a Japanese-French fusion seafood restaurant, at 1501 NW 23rd St. in the former Syrup space.

Ly, known for his work at Awaji Izakaya, partnered with Chris McKenna of Packard's New American Kitchen to launch the concept. The restaurant has been operating since early June, when The Oklahoman reported on the opening.

"We created a menu that's more like Japanese-French fusion … We wanted it to be different. We wanted this to be more of a new test kitchen," Ly told 405 Magazine in an Aug. 31 feature.

The menu swaps cream cheese for goat cheese in sushi rolls, pairs kampachi with pomegranate ponzu and tops parmesan togarashi fries with truffle aïoli. Cooked dishes include grilled salmon with Robuchon potatoes and kabayaki butter. Spicy smoked hamachi noodles and a whole pompano round out the seafood options. The pompano is filleted, cut into nuggets, fried and served in its own fried skeleton.

A standout is the $35 "Wagyu on the Rock." Guests grill slices of A5 Wagyu on a sizzling stone at the table. Ly told 405 Magazine that most restaurants charge $60 per ounce with a three-ounce minimum, making his version a fraction of the typical price.

The restaurant also keeps staples from Ly's Japanese repertoire: gyoza, chicken karaage, traditional sushi rolls, grilled beef tenderloin and flat-iron steak frites. A bone-in pork chop tonkatsu arrives with even the bone breaded and fried. The drink list features sakes, martinis and signature cocktails including a yuzu Tokyo Negroni.

Ly described the approach as "upper scale casual dining," accessible for a weeknight meal or a date night, according to 405 Magazine. He told the magazine he hopes to eventually add sashimi and oysters to the menu.

The dining room features dark wood paneling and pelican portraits that 405 Magazine described as evoking a seaside yacht, with a polished interior that "feels like the hull of a ship."

Kaizume now serves lunch Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m., and Friday through Saturday, 4 to 10 p.m. Happy hour runs Wednesday through Saturday, 4 to 6 p.m. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday. Reservations and ordering are available at kaizume.com.