My current favorite sushi spot I will have to post an updated review when I can recall more of what I had-but I absolutely have loved everything I've ordered here the past 4 or so times I've visited! Typically order nigiri, sashimi and hand rolls. Whether you choose to do their affordable omakase offerings or do your own thing, you really can't go wrong. My recommendation is to sit at the sushi bar, ask for recommendations, and have a good ass time! The energy, music, and service is on point. This is a great spot for a date night or to get a bunch of friends together for their larger booths. read more

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PARKING: There is a valet parking lot located next to the restaurant. AMBIANCE: It is a casual/date night dine in restaurant. FOOD: It is a delicious, reasonably priced omakase. There are three tiers of omakase to pick from 35/55/95. We selected the 95 per person, and were given 12 courses + edamame. You will be given a variety from nigiri pieces, hand roll, to crudo. The flavors were different and real good! SERVICE: The service is fairly attentive. They will explain to you what each course is before serving it. NOTE: Even if you made reservations online, you won't be seated right away and would have to wait awhile before being seated. Also not being seated where you wanted. We wanted the bar seating, but we ended up sitting at the main area about 30 minutes after reservation time. FYI you will have to wait when you get there. read more

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Visited Aiko for an early dinner, and it was fantastic! Happy hour is until 6:30. There are omakase options but also a full menu, which is what we went with. We tried a variety of nigiri and rolls, and it was all fresh! Service was phenomenal throughout dinner. For parking, there's an adjacent lot where valet is offered, and there's also a large shared parking lot behind the restaurant. read more

We came here on a Wednesday night at 6pm and it was packed. Made a reservation in advance so we didn't have to wait thankfully. The place was simple and modern with a little surprise waiting on the walkway to bathroom!! We tried a la carte items as well as happy hour omakase which was well worth it! The only thing I would say is that some pieces is sushi were cold and not the best temperature to eat and that was the only thing that bothered me. The drinks were amazing as well as the service! I would be down to come back! read more

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I'm a fan of their sister restaurants: Handies Douzo (hand rolls) & kokoro (sushi) and this place combines the two with a more upscale vibe! Cute place to have a date night. Their omakase price point on a normal night is a bit more expensive than I think it should be but I do want to try their happy hour omakase which is priced at $45 per person. Their service was a little slow when they originally launched but with my recent revisit, I think it's a lot better now. I honestly love all of their menu items that they brought over from their other restaurants and it's exactly what I order if I don't do omakase. Shout out to their kinoko (king mushroom trumpet) sushi. Don't sleep on it! read more

Aiko - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I had dinner here for the first time yesterday for my birthday. The service was amazing. The waiters were attentive, polite, and friendly. They offered to refrigerate the cake I brought and explained every dish and when the next dish was coming out. They even served complimentary Kinoko king trumpet mushroom nigiri for my birthday (it was delicious). The food was amazing; the best sushi I've ever tasted with so many flavors I cannot even put into words. The restaurant had great decor; the hallway to the bathroom was most notable with all the bamboo. I really enjoyed my experience at Aiko, and I highly recommend it! read more

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Man, a time was had at Aiko! Sushi was fresh, service was on point and we will definitely be back. I went with friends after a Derby event right across the street at Julep. Hungry and full of energy we walked cross the street to Aiko. Funny surprise that it had some inspiration from Chef Patrick of Kokoro. It was excellent. Attached are pics from my Omakase experience and beyond. read more

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Everything about Aiko is amazing. Their omakase options are amazing for the quality and price. The staff is also amazing giving us recommendations and doing the perfect amount of small talk. It also quiet enough for conversation but not too quiet for it to be awkward. I highly recommend one of their omakase options even the "cheaper" variation is still amazing. read more

Probably my favorite sushi joint in Houston. They have a great happy hour, omakase, and a la cart options. The entire staff (Michael, Joe, Steve, etc) are all friendly and will take care of you. Highly recommend! read more

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The nigiri was amazing. Some of the best we have had in this city. The prices are on the higher side but comparable to other high end sushi restaurants. Some of the tables are shared seating depending on the size of your group. We had 4 and then had a couple sitting on the other end of our table. The have a good cocktail and sake list. Would definitely go back again. read more

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Please bear with me and READ ALL OF THIS (I have over 10 years experience in the industry; so consider this an inside scoop). I found this place on accident. Truly, I wanted Italian food but NOTHING nearby looked good. I popped yelp open and this was in the local spotlights, so I thought to myself, well, fuck it. The boyfriend agreed. The parking lot is tiny tiny tiny but do not let that deter you!! Walking in, one of the managers greeted us immediately as the hostess was assisting another party. The hostess made sure we were checked in before seating the other party so we were not abandoned at the door to wait. We did not have a reservation (because of the "well, fuck it" decision), and the hostess took the time to add my information to their system. I know for most this would be a sort of "whatever" kind of thing, but it speaks to a level of hospitality and attention to detail that a LOT of restaurants have long since given up on; as restaurants use this information to build guest profiles so they can curate every dining experience to your preferences, and this is something you really only see in high end fine dining locations. After we were checked in, we were promptly seated at the bar (which is our preference). We had the distinct pleasure of being served by the executive chef himself, which was really fucking cool. The vibe of the restaurant was dark and sophisticated like you would expect at the price point, but with playful touches (pop figures and rubber duckies!!) that didn't take away from the ambiance. The service was incredible. Chef Michael checked on us consistently but not intrusively, and both managers were extremely present in the dining room, chatting with us, clearing our plates, delivering drinks, and making sure we were satisfied with every dish. They gave recommendations when we asked and were genuinely excited about what they were serving. "Beighlie, service (no matter how flawless) doesn't matter to me! How was the FOOD?" Well, first of all, just look at it. I've eaten a lot of pretty food, and being pretty is usually where the good ends. That's not the case at Aiko. While everything we ate was stunning in presentation (with the exception of the karaage-but cmon it's fried chicken), it was also quite possibly the best meal I've had in years. Easily top 5 meals of my life. I ordered an oyster shooter because I saw someone else's and thought it was gorgeous (I hate oysters), and it was so freaking good I got a second (and I'm mad I didn't get 6). The fish is exactly what you want from sushi: clean, fresh in flavor, and with complimentary ingredients that highlight the natural flavors without overwhelming. If you get the hotate crudo, take the manager's suggestion in soaking the shredded daikon in the dressing and eating a small amount of it with the scallop. The A5 maki was just barely torched, leaving the beef itself beautifully rare. Chef Michael was so kind, and also had us try a dish he was working on (it was fucking delicious, PLEASE add it to your menu!). The highlight of the evening was damn near a religious experience and maybe this makes me dramatic, but I actually almost cried. If you order nothing else, get the foie gras and trumpet mushroom maki. While I do think that it could have been finished with a touch of flaky salt to cut how rich the foie gras is, it was still my favorite thing I ate tonight. We finished out the meal with the semifreddo, which was so refreshing with a subtle sweetness. The perfect ending to our dinner, as it was on par with how light the rest of the meal was, rounding out our experience. Was it expensive? Yes. Was the price appropriate for what we got (from ambiance and service to presentation and quality)? Abso-fucking-lutely. This experience, from start to finish, was immaculate and I cannot wait to come back. read more

Made an last minute reservation for my birthday and it was with it. I got the $55 omasake and ordered other nigiri pieces on the side. I enjoyed everything that I ordered, but especially the uni. That was delicious and the scallop!! I recommend this place but definitely make reservations in advance as it does get packed!! They also have happy hour omasake which is $45. read more

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After moving out of Houston for the past couple of years, I've had a lack of quality, innovative sushi in the area I'm living in. I recently made a quick trip back, and Aiko was on the top of my list to try after being a frequent customer at both Kokoro and Handies Douzo. As I've stated in previous reviews on sushi, I've become pretty bored with a lot of offerings. If everyone is buying the same quality fish from Japan, there is little dynamic range in the quality of other ingredients, such as the vinegar, rice, and other factors that can set apart an o-toro or freshly caught Scottish salmon. What Aiko does is again push the boundaries of what can be brought out, and really pushes the boundaries of sushi. The innovation and excitement that the chefs have here rival anything else I've had. The other thing too is, I don't think I've seen a better deal for omakase anywhere else with the same level of quality and execution. For $95 dollars, it's a must try when you're in town. Not only are you trying out nigiri sushi, but there are samples of new crudo's that use different ingredients that you might not think of in a highly traditional sushi restaurant. The progression of the meal is also very well thought out with contrasting textures, temperatures, and intensity of flavor. You might get hit with a tuna crudo with chili, which is perfectly balanced with pickled cucumber and herbs and then a nice subtly sweet amberjack and scallop that have been cut to enhance the texture to the max. Other highlights include the beef tongue nigiri, which I don't think I've had before as well as a salmon skin sushi with chutoro tuna. Even the more pedestrian offerings that you would think, such as a tuna hand roll were executed brilliantly. I normally don't like the "flex" and influencer culture that in some instances, you have to do to be successful in a restaurant, case in point is the overuse of caviar. But in this case, it was perfectly weaved into the tuna and gave the textural contrast between the fish and seaweed. Not too much, and not too little. There were maybe one or two misses I won't lie, but they were again showing the risk and innovation of the chefs. One was the salmon and green thai curry crudo, which I felt was a bit too much and I couldn't taste the fish as well. It wasn't bad, but it could still use some refining. Otherwise, if you can get a seat at the bar, the pacing might be better. Our server did his best, especially juggling multiple tables and getting the pacing right, but it can be difficult when you've got so many courses going on. Overall, I think if you have had your fair share of sushi and want to experience the offerings from young, bright chefs who are not afraid of trying new things, then definitely give it a try. read more

Came here for early happy hour yesterday. This is the second time I've been now and the first time was good this time was great. The service was excellent, very attentive. They came and cleaned areas of the table that had a little bit of sauce, attentive to our drinks but not obnoxious about it. The omakase was great, the chutoro was some of the best I've had in a long time. read more

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We did the $45 happy hour omakase and it was so good! There was a tuna sashimi, 5 nigiri that were on the smaller size, 2 hand rolls, edamame and ice cream. It was honestly pretty filling. The quality of the food was amazing and the service was great. For the price you can't beat it! read more

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Excellent service! Good food! Great drinks! An overall excellent time was had. Will certainly be back.

added some more pics! I love aiko and always love everything that I order. always delicious, amazing service and cozy ambiance. read more

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10000/10 service!! The staff there made us feel so at home and comfortable! It was literally laughs and smiles the whole night. Jesus and the crew were phenomenal! But to top things off not only was the service great the food was even better! Everything was so fresh and flavorful. I kid you not, one of the best dinning experience ever! Thank you guys so much!! :) y'all are awesome read more

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I was so excited to dine here on Sunday night, but unfortunately the service and almost everything else fell short. We arrived for our 7:00pm reservation and were not sat until 7:25pm. From there, the disappointment only grew. We sat at the table for almost 20 minutes before being greeted by our server. We ordered everything at once and it still took over TWO HOURS for everything to arrive. There were four of us and at no point did our handrolls or nigiri arrive at the same time. In fact, one of us received and ate four handrolls and two pieces of nigiri before the other two at the table got their first roll. Nothing was timed properly and, in my opinion, was not worth the wait. Our waiter did not come to check on our table once since he came to take the order. When we told him how disappointed we were at the end, he did not apologize or offer any remedy whatsoever. I hope they can work out these issues, but in the meantime will just go to Handies instead. The menu is almost the same. read more

Aiko - Salmon crudo - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is Bomb dot com. Heard of this place from Handies Duozo a while back. This was first saturday it was open. And let me tell you - the food is on point !!!!! Unbelievable nigiri. We ordered the omakese for $55 - came with a crudo, edamame, and several nigiri pieces ( forgot number) and hand roll. We LOVED the madai, engawa, and trumpet mushroom. Each piece was buttery and perfect. Melted in our mouth. Just every item was exquisite. Price is reasonable. We will be back very soon ! Very highly recommend. The vibe is so cool inside and path to bathrooms is incredible! Service was fantastic toO!! read more

Aiko - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Little last minute dinner planned with some friends and definitely did not disappoint! Donald was our server and had great energy to be around. read more

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The ambiance was just right for the tornado that blew in downtown this May. My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary and it couldn't have been a better experience. The service was great, as we were trapped in the restaurant during the storm, they were very accommodating and gave us some free nigiri. Sushi was bomb, blue fin tuna crudo is a must. read more

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Was excited to finally get to try this place but left a bit disappointment. The one piece I really only liked was the foie gras bc you can't ever go wrong with foie! Do not get the miso duck nigiri. It was extremely dry and tough to chew luckily our waiter didn't charge us for it. My friend had the wagyu as well but she said it was ok since it was also a bit tough to chew. The hamachi crudo had good flavor with the tom kha sauce but was missing a tad bit of salt. Also make sure you double check your receipt. We were accidentally charged for a bottle of sake that I noticed after we paid so had to get our waiter to do a refund for us. read more

---Dearest Reader, A-last, your culinary narrator has returned. It has been a long (but not perilous) journey. My latest destination AIKO "eye-ko" (for proper pronunciation). Opening Night (5/3): -Service: Considering the place was packed, it was above exceptional -Fish: honestly an 11/10, yea, that good. The Omakase thoroughly impressed me. (Which is hard to do - @Uchi still has a hard time getting the job done). The nigiri was hands down the best I have had in the last 2 years. Every piece was buttery, sweet, salty and savory - everything you wish for from a flavor standpoint. ---until next time, I'll be back. read more

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Hi Houston, I recently went to Aiko, a new sushi place in Washington avenue. It is the child of Kokoro and Handies. Their fish was fresh and you're actually able to see how the chefs prepare the sushi. Their yellowtail is from Hokkaido and ugh you can taste the freshness. My favorites were the A5 wagyu tartare & foie gras. I will definitely be going back just for those two. Ambiance 8/10 Service 10/10 Food 8.5/10 Price 6/10 read more

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This place is so cute inside. Delish food and drink. Customer service was wonderful - attentive servers and bar.

Food was amazing! Their crudo was so delicious they put me on my crudo game. Service was quick and very friendly. Restaurant is set up very cute. Love the curtains they have that separates the dining area from the wait. And the path to their restroom is picture worthy. read more

Happy hour menu 11am - 6 pm with a $45 omakase, closed form 3-5. Incredible service, food and drinks.

Best sushi experience in Houston! Everything I ate was fresh and AMAZING! Do yourself a favor and make reservations to Aiko right now! Pro tip: sit at the sushi bar! Love Chef Patrick Pham and will forever support him and all of his restaurants! read more

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Aiko is associated with the Hando's franchise so if you've ever tried Hando you know to expect fresh AF cuts of fish. This does not disappoint. The great part is they have variable prize Omakase to fit your budget and your appetite. The service is really great (helpful and have solid recs), nigiri is really good, and ambiance is great for a nice date night. Not a place I would go on a super regular basis for sushi (it's not super filling) but good for an occasional elevated sushi experience. read more

Aiko was only a bit confusing to find, but just know it is right next to Taco Deli. The place is very cute and extremely similar to Handies Douzo, but it's much more accommodating for groups :) I took someone here that is extremely picky about raw fish and wasn't fully sold on trying the restaurant because of that. I assured them that everything they'll eat here will not have that issue at all, and I was right! Aiko nailed it, as does Handies Douzo. Our absolute favorite is the Spicy Tuna hand roll. The flavor combinations are just exquisite. Simple, yet profound. Our other hand rolls which were also excellent include the following: Yellowtail, Avocado (they have this at Handies Douzo but not on the menu at Aiko, but they were able to make it for us! So good) Crab, Salmon For Nigiris, we got Salmon, Yellowtail, Tuna, and Mushroom (all amazing, especially the mushroom! If you go to Uchi and order the mushroom nigiri, you will love this too!) We also got a couple of apps like the Oyster Shooter and edamame. Edamame was great, but the oyster shooter was a bit too gulf tasting for my liking. That's my only complaint, otherwise everything was outstanding! Finally, an interesting selection was the Matcha Beer. It's even green, and really has a great flavor that compliments the meal. Thanks for a great experience, Aiko, will definitely be coming back :) read more

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Service was great. I enjoyed the omakase offerings and the multiple price tiers. However, the food didn't wow me, it wouldn't be my top choice. read more

Aiko - Oyster shooters - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I couldn't wait to try this place!! Even though they are brand new, they have a good thing going! I went two nights in a row (GNO and date night with the hubs)!! The fish is delish!! So beautifully presented and well done! Words don't do this place justice! Thé Omakase options are great and informal compared to others I've been to (Mako in Chi-town) as well!! Get your reservations fast! Arron D was our waiter and did a spectacular job presenting each dish!! He was so knowledgeable and very personable as well. read more

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We came for HH but ended up ordering everything other than our Kirin Light from the original menu. The nigiri and hand rolls were great! I will say the hand rolls were really similar to Handies Douzo, almost too similar... -Nigiri: Sametoro Aburi, Engawa, Kanpachi, Hirami, Chutoro, A5 Wagyu, Chutoro -Rolls: BGB Salmon, Spicy Tuna read more

Aiko is the spot for that special date night or just to catch up with friends over drinks! Ambience is very modern, trendy, and comfortable, hallway to bathroom was like walking through a bamboo forest. The service was good and attentive. Parking was easy, they have complimentary valet in the side parking lot (just bring cash for tip). The food was delicious! My favorites were the Saketoro Aburi (seared salmon belly), Kani Handroll, Kinoko (king trumpet mushroom), and A5 Wagyu Tartare- all 10/10! My friends also loved the Spicy Tuna Handroll and the Foie Gras. I normally don't prefer raw seafood (nigiri/sashimi), but Aiko for sure changed my perception of it. Glad I was able to try new, surprising things and enjoy it all! Make sure to order some sake too, you'll definitely have an impressive, wonderful dinner here! read more

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The food here is fantastic priced well for what you get in the omakase - it should have a 5 star rating! The nigiri pieces and the hand rolls are all melt in your mouth delicious. It's our new fave! Ambiance is kind of casual but the food is definitely very gourmet - on par with Kata Robata, MF Sushi etc but with a better price tag. read more

The nigiri here are so good! Fresh and yummy. Go during happy hour and get the omakase set. I didn't get to take a picture of my omakase because my mouth was faster than my phone... Definitely will come back and take a picture next time. To be full: $90/person read more

Aiko - Yellowtail handroll - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Nico was an amazing chef. His service and professionalism is top notch have been here like 7-8 times already and never disappoints!!!

Treat yourself to a lux omakase experience for only $45 during happy hour everyday 5p - 6:30p at Aiko in the Heights! Sit at the sushi bar and witness the artistry firsthand as the chefs craft each bite of deliciousness. ‍ Bonus points: $10 lychee martinis (because a lil liquor makes everything better) Friendly & attentive service (you'll feel like you're private dining) Fresh, mouthwatering sushi (truly chef's kiss) read more

Decent sushi spot, had better at a lower price point and then I had better at a higher price point. I'm just not sure where they stand in the sushi market. Omakase HH - small pieces, good taste. The fish was sliced fairly thin. Hand rolls were good! HH raw bar - Oysters - skip. It was missing acid taste Wagyu tartare - the seasoning overwhelmed the beef flavor. Scallops - super super thin but good flavor Yellowtail roll - overly smoked and couldn't taste the yellowtail. Spicy tuna roll - tasted sooooo good, the highlight of the evening. Overall - 3.5 stars but rounded up cuz the service was great! I feel like there are other sushi joints I would pick over this and very willing to pay for it too. read more