A fine dining restaurant on the Gila River Indian Community, Kai is focused on highlighting Native American cuisine in a beautifully elevated way. It’s a way to experience the true local ingredients that were harvested in the Phoenix area for generations, as Kai works with tribal farmers to source tepary beans and other items. Each menu contains a one-of-a-kind watercolor painting that depicts important moments to the Gila River community and staff is trained to share cultural and historical information throughout the meal.

One of the finest restaurants in all of the Valley, the prestigious Kai ("seed" in the Pima language) uses indigenous ingredients from local tribal farms to create innovative Southwestern cuisine. The seasonal menu reflects the restaurant's natural setting on the Gila River Indian Community. Standout appetizers include Arizona mushrooms accented with wheat berry and black garlic risotto, parsnip pur é e, and herb tea.

The signature restaurant of the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, Kai serves elegant, inventive cuisine informed by the food traditions of Indigenous tribes native to the area. The restaurant doesn't publish a menu on the website because Chef Ryan Swanson likes to change menus progressively through the seasons. But past triumphs have included grilled buffalo tenderloin with smoked corn puree, cholla buds, chorizo and scarlet runner bean chile, and saguaro blossom syrup; and an Arizona melon soup with grilled deep-sea langoustine, local goat's milk, mulato chile, cucumber, and pepicha.

If you're looking for fine dining, you're also in luck – the area hosts many renowned restaurants that serve a variety of cuisines, including Tratto (Italian), FnB (farm-to-table) and Kai (Native American), among many, many others. More than a few Phoenix-area chefs have earned James Beard awards. Some such chefs include Beau MacMillan, executive chef of elements restaurant in Scottsdale; Chris Bianco, owner of Pizzeria Bianco; and Vincent Guerithault, head chef and owner of Vincent on Camelback.

Sitting in the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, Kai isn’t really near any other hotspots, and its Native American tasting menu has no real comps, so we tend not to talk about it. But it’s annually one of the best restaurants in Arizona—the only Forbes 5-star restaurant in the state—maintaining its status through a few head chef changes in the past decade. If you’re looking for a truly unique Arizona experience, Kai has to be on your list.

Kaizen is the sushi spot to see and be seen in downtown Phoenix. With its open floor plan on the bottom level of The Lawrence Building, a vintage warehouse office space, this restaurant exudes urban sophistication. Chef Gustavo Muñoz draws inspiration from his native Mexico to create a menu of seafood made with pan-Latin flourishes like Peruvian octopus tiraditos, tomato ceviche and scallop aguachile with a yuzu chile sauce.

This Warehouse District favorite features a hodgepodge of dishes inspired by Japan, Mexico, and Central / South America, and it does not disappoint. Executive Chef Gustavo Muñoz's interpretation of modern, elevated Japanese-Latin cuisine will not only appeal to the most developed sushi palate, but will also lead novice sushi diners through a heightened sensory experience. Try the ceviche mixto for a full immersion.

Kai Kai is the only Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond restaurant in Arizona. The menu at Kai, which is part of the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, explores the creativity and history of Indigenous culture. Chef de Cuisine Ryan Swanson infuses the flavors of the Pima and Maricopa tribes with locally grown food and ingredients from the Gila River Indian Community.

Kaizen PHX is a sushi restaurant in Phoenix that is adding new wrinkles to sushi. Of course, maki, temaki, nigiri, and sashimi are all on Kaizen’s on-paper menu. The culinary talent behind Kaizen includes Gustavo Munoz, a Mexican chef who also helms the sushi arm of Conceptually Social’s catering.

Located at the heart of the Historic Warehouse District, Kaizen PHX is elevating the experience with $5 craft beers, $8 signature cocktails, $9 sake bombs, and an entire menu of sushi rolls and kozara for $9 or less. Check out their full happy hour menu here. Happy Hours: Thurs-Sat 4 p.m.

515 E Grant St #100, Phoenix, AZ 85004Phone: 602-432-0752 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by KAIZEN (@kaizenphx)