Part of the duckstache hospitality group (which I can't not support because I love Handies duozo…read moreand you can find me at Handies every week) The nigiri and the chicken fat rice was great, just how I expected. However the maki here is pretty average, not what I expected of this group. Very casual location in a little food hall like area. Next to a fried chicken place and a pho place. Horrible parking nearby tbh since it's downtown Overall considering the experience, the food, the location, the parking, the price, I likely won't return

Used to love this place, my downtown staple for sushi. I can't recommend this place less…read more On their website and on Google it says they close at nine, understanding this and knowing I would have to order and eat fast, I showed up at 8:30 for a quick dinner downtown. Upon arrival, I was told that I could not sit at the sushi bar and eat. If I wanted to order I had to go sit in the common area of this dining hall. After this discussion, I said fine and asked for a menu. They then told me I had to get up and order at the register and view the menu glued to the counter. They took the order of a couple who sat down maybe 2 minutes before me in front of me. I will never come back to this place. They seem to be the last man standing in this dining hall, and with this kind of customer service, they won't last much longer. It's a shame because I love the food and I am a regular at handies and aiko as well. Won't be back to any of them.

Went to Aiko for dinner during Restaurant Week, and this was easily one of the best meals I've ever…read morehad. For $55, you get four courses, with the option to add dessert for another $10. The vibe was moody and lightly lit, and the restaurant was busy with people celebrating. I ordered the sunomono, maguro crudo, salmon and king crab hand roll, and signature nigiri. The hand rolls were probably the best thing I've ever had, I even ordered an additional spicy tuna hand roll because I wasn't ready for them to be over. My sister even ordered another flight of nigiri because it was so phenomenal. To finish, I ordered the ube sponge cake, which was the perfect little treat to end the night. Seriously, I'll be dreaming about this meal. If I'm back in Houston, I'll definitely be coming back!

Finally got a chance to try Aiko! They also offered $25 HRW 3-meal course w/ $6 add-on for a small…read moredessert bite for lunch. Service was excellent. Love the decor; super chic. There were lots of rubber ducks scattered everywhere lol. Ordered a carajillo and the drink tasted GREAT! On the other hand... I sipped from each of my friends' ube espresso martini (did not taste the same between both drinks, bartender might have poured too much alcohol; couldn't appreciate any ube flavor). Not a fan of that drink (2.5 stars or less). HRW order - 1st: sunomono (cucumber) - 2nd: hotate crudo (delicious scallops!!) - 3rd: spicy tuna & sake handrolls - dessert add-on: matcha mochi (ok, can skip this) Other foods ordered: - karaage: chicken was well made, lots of flavor - sashimi (3pc): saketoro, madai, & hotate - unagi nigiri: eel was really good - spicy scallop handroll Even if you don't need to use the restroom, you should still check out the bathroom. The walkway was a pretty bamboo forest haha. Aside from the ube espresso martini, everything else was delicious and good! I recommend Aiko and would dine here again.

GENERALIZED REVIEW:…read more Came here with a friend from theatre after a full run--he had this place recommended to him by another theatre friend, so we're just passing on the word. The plaza was a bit confusing to navigate, and I'm pretty sure if the place weren't full of Asian parents and their kids, it would've felt like the shadiest place ever because you have to enter from the back. Otherwise, the plaza had a lot of great-looking stores overall. My first go-to: I've loved drinking Kirin Light ever since I discovered it in Chicago. The flavor is literally so light, with a slight acidity that brightens up my meal. The sake here was frankly also delicious. I didn't order it, but my friend did, and they had it warmed. The flavor was soothing and subtle, almost like tea. It was exceptionally easy to drink, and the ocean-themed ceramicware was a beautiful touch. We ordered two rolls: the Shaggy Dog and the Truffalufagus (a fun tongue-twister). I personally chose the Truffalufagus (which is not fun to spell) because it seemed like the most unique dish on the menu, and I enjoyed it very much. What I liked most about it was that it was subtle yet impactful. I also loved the textures--from the internal crunch paired with the fresh jalapeño to the softness of the fish. I'm glad I gave this roll a shot, and I would be excited to try it again anytime. The Shaggy Dog was great, but it appealed less to my flavor profile. It was a little too rich and creamy for me. I recommended this place to my BF as a potential future date spot--I personally think he would like it... if he weren't the type to enjoy AYCE sushi so much. If they had more unique rolls, I would definitely come back just for those. I was tempted to order the Surf and Turf for this round, but I didn't want to seem like a glutton, hahaha.

Visited Himari for HRW. Fantastic Food and impeccable service. Joanna, their general manager, was…read moreexceptional checking on us and making everything exceeded our expectations which it definitely did. Mabuhay Joanna! Looking forward to bring our other family members to try out Himari!

Amazing all around! Decor was refined and modern throughout the entire dining floor…read more Fish were all super fresh and delicious! Also had to highlight their house made soy sauce which was extremely umami, very unique and sets this place slightly apart from the many other sushi joints in its range Truffle crab chawanmushi was certainly a top highlight for me as well - rich truffle oil with the perfectly light steamed egg and sweet crab chunks, just an incredible dish and I could have easily eaten several of these The uni was also extremely fresh and buttery and was nice even for someone who doesn't usually like uni In the same class and range as places like Kata Robata and I would say it's a strong rival! Would come back again!

Started off with Toro Amaebi Tartar which was interesting the taro chips mixed with everything…read moretasted light and creamy with everything mixed together. The Chawanmushi was decent but it was a little different than I expected. It had a little bit more liquid at the top of the egg custard. The flavor was fine nothing overpowered and it was soft and had that gelatin mush to it. The carbonara udon pasta was creamy and tasted exactly how I imagined it would which was smooth and creamy with a little crispiness from the pieces of bacon. Just make sure you mix the egg into the pasta to give it that rich creaminess. The only dish I would say that was underwhelming was the crispy rice. I guess my expectation would be a little less rice and a balance of the crispy rice around it. It reminded me more so of a thick fried outer crust. However, I did like the fish and meat they used on top of the crispy rice. They all had their own flavors. The Handroll tasting is probably the most interesting dish I ordered. It seemed to have a good portion of fish and they try to keep the seaweed nice and crispy by leaving the plastic film over the seaweed. The flavors of the Handrolls were subtle. They did make a nice presentation. The salmon flight was pretty good you definitely could tell from the different cuts and fattiness of the salmon. My favorite was the aburi cheese the scorched cream cheese gave the salmon a melted coating of cheese and made it silky and smooth. The nigiri platter was almost like a flight of nigiri. In the order I ate them they got progressively better. My favorite was the scallop and tuna. The only roll I tried was the royal chutoro. The portion was a good ratio of rice to fish and the tobiko gave it a slight crunch. as service and parking. The parking costs $10 and it's only Valet. If you decide to park on the curb somewhere you will get a parking ticket (I saw a guy placing tickets on cars). The atmosphere was upscale and you can tell they try to emulate Japan with the decor(zen inspired). Overall, the fish was tasted fresh and the vibes were there. However, I do think everything was a bit overpriced compared to competitors.

Our favorite place for upscale sushi/Japanese food in Houston!…read morefood is amazing and their atmosphere makes you feel like you are in New York at a fine dining establishment. So far every dish that we've tried has been amazing, we cannot wait to come back and try all the other things on the menu. kudos for having an extensive menu & executing each dish. Perfection. & just wanted to give a shout out to Ben for always taking such good care of us whenever we visit. Thanks for making our experience that much better!!

Looking for a top tier sushi experience? Katami is the spot. All the way from the drinks, to the…read morefood, to the service, to the ambiance, to the experience. Curated to a perfection. There's not a piece of fish you'll have here that isn't made which such intention and flavor. To speak on the star of the show, the salmon crudo which was part of their daily special, was rich but subtle all at the same time. Intense flavors and quality fish. The chili crunch roll was a perfect touch of spice while the Texas hamachi roll had a hint of sweetness. To add, the service here was great. Our waiter was thorough and helpful throughout our entire experience tonight. He was well thought out and made great recommendations. Lastly, this restaurant was an overall vibe. We sat in the sunroom which was nice as the sun set throughout our meal. A sweet ambiance for date night!!

I eat here wayyy too often, and for the good reason. It's hands down one of my go-to handroll spots…read moreand a place I always recommend to family and friends. Be sure to book your reservation because they can get booked up pretty fast!

Located in a renovated house, the restaurant is setup around a U shaped sushi bar with seating for…read moreabout 15 people. Parking is limited, so you'll probably have better luck to find street parking nearby. The menu focuses on hand rolls, sashimi and crudos. They offers hand roll sets, but we went à la carte. While there isn't much knife work to judge with hand rolls, the ingredients were fresh and the fish tasted good quality. Most of what we ordered were solid, although there were a few misses for me. The A5 Wagyu in particular was pretty underwhelming. Overall it's a more casual spot to grab a meal, but probably not the best setup for larger groups.

What a delightful find. Every course was amazing, but the conversations with Chef Sky and his wife…read morewere just as memorable as the food. With such limited seating, all at the bar, the entire evening feels intimate and personal rather than simply going out for dinner. They take the time to explain everything you're about to eat, and my advice is simple: trust the omakase process. Every course brought something different, and even the unexpected dishes--like the Malaysian curry--were incredible. Between the spectacular sushi, the conversation, and the copious amount of sake (a very pleasant surprise), this was easily one of the most memorable dining experiences we've had. TINS is an absolute must-try.

Intimate and unique omakase experience blending traditional omakase with Malaysian flavors +…read moreunlimited sake. Chef Sky was a great host and super fun to talk to (shoutout John as well). The courses started off with some fun sashimi, bridged with a Laksa noodle soup, and then finished off with various pieces of nigiri and then dessert. Everything was super tasty, but my favorite was the first dish of bluefin tuna with jalapeno sauce (the sauce won me over). We went for the 6pm seating, and Chef Sky said he normally wraps that up by around 7pm to prep for the 8pm seating so if you want to really take your time I'd recommend trying to get the 8pm seating. However I didn't feel rushed at all for the 6pm. The only reason the review is not 5 stars is because I didn't feel very full at the end of the dinner, which I suspect may be because not all the courses were nigiri where you have rice to help fill you up.

We found this place on a whim after our usual sushi spot closed down, and I'm so glad we did!…read more From the moment you walk in, the little cherry blossom trees are such a cute touch. The atmosphere is great--casual enough for lunch, but also really pretty and perfect for a date night. The staff is always friendly and attentive, and the sushi has been consistently fresh and delicious every time we've gone. Everything comes out quickly, too, which is always a plus. My son and I have been here several times now, and we've really enjoyed every visit. It has definitely become one of our new go-to sushi spots, and we'll absolutely be back!

This was a great place to go for lunch! The food comes out quick and pretty fresh compared to other…read moreall you can eat sushi places. We cleaned our plates. The place doesn't look like it can hold that many people so dinner plans with a large group might be an issue.

Plenty of parking spots for a Friday lunch with coworkers. We made reservations and glad we did…read morebecause it was still pretty busy even at 1:15pm. The waiter was super helpful and patient with questions. It was a moderate noise level but you could still hear from across the table. They have a few bento box options which was nice. We shared the chef sashimi for 2 and the miso cod bento box. Perfect amount of food for two people. I had never had raw shrimp. It was on the slimy side but I'm just glad I didn't get sick. It's not for me but maybe it's good for others. Great experience, good service and the food was fresh!

Birthday Dinner: Uni chawanmushi mkt$ 5/5…read moreUni, bluefin tuna, caviar $26 4/5 Soy spicy ramen $16. 4.5/5: gingery so tastes medicinal but still light Stuffed shishito peppers $21 3/5 - underwhelming. Appreciated the plating and the shiso leaf and nori Kobe beef skewers $24: 5/5- could've added more to the plating but for the beef itself, it's fantastic Lobster soba $40 4.5/5- the tomatoes in this are wild. so good. and how can you go wrong with these ingredients? For what it was though, could add a kick. King salmon $14 4/5 rice is ok Dessert mango Bingsu 5/5 -mountainous Crème brûlée 4/5- good Texas hamachi 5/5- surprisingly my favorite- balance is amazing in this roll Service was fantastic.

Omg our new favorite place. The food is amazing. The Kamatoro is literally the best bite I have…read moreever had! Service is phenomenal! ASK FOR ADRIANNA! She is the best waitress ever! Don't mess up and get stuck with anyone else!

One of our favorite date-night spots! We've been to Ume several times now and have loved it every…read moresingle time. The service is always wonderful, the ambiance is beautiful and intimate and the sushi is incredible. Some of our favorites have been the Truffle Aioli Salmon, Serrano Hamachi, King Salmon Nigiri, Madai, and the Weisman Roll. Everything is always fresh, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. Their drinks and desserts are also worth mentioning -- I've had the Lychee Martini, and it's such a good date-night drink. We always have a great experience here, and it's become one of our go-to spots when we want a nice night out.