TLDR: vibrant new high quality hand roll spot for small parties at a reasonable price [wait] Be prepared for a wait when you get there as it could be around 50min on a Saturday night. They told us we could wait next door at Paris Baguette since it's owned by the same owners. There are a few seats out in front, but not nearly enough space for everyone to wait. [venue] The venue is similar to other hand roll spots, where all the action is in the middle and it's surrounded by bar seating. The barstool seating allows you to watch the controlled chaos as they prepare your hand rolls, but it doesn't allow for large groups. Once you sit the ordering is and service is fast and efficient. [food] We each got the 5 hand roll set and the salmon and hamachi crudo to share. The hand rolls are the star of the show and what you came here for. The nori is crispy and the fish is fresh. The 5 hand roll set is clearly the best value and is a good amount of food although I could eat two sets because they are so good. I'm not sure who's going for the smaller sets unless it's your second round. At that point you can order several ala carte. I wouldn't mind a 6 or 7 hand rolls set. We also got the sauce flight which seemed like a good idea. Each sauce was good, but I ended up not using much as I didn't want to detract from or overpower the fish. The garlic aioli was the same sauce that came with the salmon crud and I liked the ponzu that came with the hamachi crudo better. [parking] There are a handful of spots in the front but there's a decent sized lot in the back. There's a rear entrance from the rear parking lot. read more

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I was so excited to hear that a new handroll spot was opening up in the Heights! Parking is not the best in the front, but there is a larger lot in the back. Just keep in mind that it is a shared lot. Unfortunately, this place does not take reservations, which I really hope they consider offering in the future! I ended up waiting about 45 minutes, but I can confidently say that the food and service were definitely worth the wait. I ordered the following: 1. 4 Piece Handroll Set: Each handroll was packed with flavor, and they were definitely not stingy with the portions. My favorites were probably the Spicy Tuna and Blue Crab. 2. Cucumber Salad: I would probably suggest skipping this one. It was mainly fresh cucumbers with a chili garlic garnish on top, but there was not much sauce or flavor going on. 3. Tuna Crudo: This was a little too salty for my liking, but the portion was surprisingly generous. 4. Sakani Crudo: I have never had a crudo like this before! It was so unique, with blue crab packed inside the salmon. Watching the chef prepare it right in front of us was also such a cool experience because you could see how much detail and care went into making it. Overall, the food here was amazingly delicious, and for the price point, you are definitely getting your bang for your buck. The portions were generous, the quality was great, and the service was incredible. read more

Koyo Hand Roll Bar - Tuna Crudo (top) & Sakani Crudo (bottom) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Another counter-style hand roll place with delicious crudos and hand rolls. Service was fast. We came for a quick lunch and it was just the right amount of food. Only downside is it's in a shopping strip with almost no parking and not really close to any street parking either. I parked in the parking lot behind but I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to park there. read more

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Brand new hand-roll spot in the heights, the hype is very much real everything we had was incredible and so full of flavor. Our favorite handroll was the yellowtail. Definitely order the cucumber salad also!!! Service was friendly and very quick. Can't wait to come back! read more

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Came here for a double date. The resteraunt does not take reservations and is first come first serve. It was a Saturday night so we waited for about a little over an hour but it was honestly worth the wait. We ordered the three handroll set and added a fatty tuna handroll. The favorite of the set of three was the yellow tuna handroll. It also came with a salmon and tuna handroll which were delicious and fresh. The waitress was very attentive and had great recommendations. The service was quick once we were seated and the environment was a fun handroll bar. Definitely will be back for more. read more

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I gave this place 7/10 and it's worth a try. The location in Houston is awesome since it is surrounded by snack and dessert shops, and being right next to Paris Baguette makes waiting the 20 minutes for a table without reservations super easy. We got parking in the front, though there appears to be more parking in the back. Inside, it has your basic hand-roll house setup. It is small, packed, loud, has uncomfortable chairs, and is freezing, you absolutely need a jacket even in the blistering Houston heat. There was a slight fishy smell right when we walked in, which was a bit off putting but luckily not a total dealbreaker. We ordered several rolls and two types of crudo, and while the food was good, the hand rolls tasted a bit plain and lacked that unique twist that makes my personal favorite. The crudos were winners for me. After trying some hand rolls places, currently Handies is 1st place, Koyo, sits in second place and Handos 3rd. My main complaint was the service, the staff was friendly, but we had to constantly flag them down for more food and the check, which is handled way more smoothly at the other two spots. read more

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We were so excited to stop by to try this new restaurant. We had 6 in our group which was too big considering that they had only been open two days and difficult to sit together for such a place. There is no waiting area so you're encouraged to visit the bakery next door. We were provided with a link to check on our wait time. After 1.5 hour wait, we were able to get seated. The U shaped bar seats 24 people. They utilize a paper set for the hand roll delivery. The cute little crab serves for your chopstick resting. We were presented with hand towels for cleaning, to begin our food service. A server came to take our orders, asked about food allergies. We ordered several crudos and almost everyone ordered a handroll set. Our hand rolls serving pace was off. I got my first hand roll before anyone else in my group, finished it before the first crudo arrived. I got my 2nd handroll before anyone in my party received their first one, despite some of us ordering the same set. We noted that this was due to us having different chefs prepare our handroll sets. I hope they will sort this out as they grow. Here's what we ordered: * Every crudos on the menu. We really enjoyed them all, presented beautifully and delicious! I would skip the sakani crudo. It was a salmon/blue crab mix, could really taste the crab stuffed inside the salmon. Perhaps the first salmon crude was just too good that it overshadowed the sakani one. My favorite crudo was the yellowtail, the slightly spicy sauce prepared was perfect for my palate. The scallop crudo was a close second favorite- very refreshing. * 5 hand roll set $25! I'm still blown away with the price, what a bargain for what you get! Salmon, fatty tuna, blue crab, spicy scallop, and truffle yellowtail. The nori wrap is crispy and that was my biggest worry. Not sure how they do it so well but I really appreciate the fresh, crunchy wrapper. Each roll is well seasoned, prepared fresh. I didn't even need to use the soy sauce that was provided. Every bite of each roll was thoroughly satisfying. My personal favorites were the blue crab and spicy scallop. My friends ordered the brown butter enoki hand roll and would not stop raving about how good it was - something to consider for next time. The hosts and waitstaff are friendly and very accommodating. We had hard time hearing the chefs explain the food once presented, as the noise level is very high. Parking in front is definitely challenging but they have a back lot to accommodate. I highly recommend making a stop here for some good hand rolls and hospitality. read more

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My new favorite go to spot for hand rolls! The value can't be beat, 5 premium hand rolls for only $25. I pray they never super upcharge it. I always get a side of garlic aioli and the chili garlic to pair. I also loved the crab wrapped in salmon crudo. Chef's kiss! Only improvement is I wish they took reservations although their service is so fast and tables turn quickly. read more

I'd round up to 3.5 stars! I went during off hours to avoid the wait and crowds. I ordered the 5 piece hand roll set. The crab was definitely my favorite. I also ordered the lobster roll separately to try that one. I enjoyed the lobster hand roll as well. I ordered the scallop crudo and I thought it was ok. Overall, it was an average experience. I prefer Handies or Kira over Koyo! read more

Koyo Hand Roll Bar - Scallop crudo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I got the 5 set handroll and the yellowtail crudo. The crudo is simple with tamarind ponzu and jalapeños. The jalapeños were so finely chopped that you barely taste any heat from them. The yellowtail itself was very refreshing with a bit of a tangy taste due to the ponzu. The 5 handroll set includes salmon, fatty tuna, blue crab, spicy scallop, and truffle yellowtail. They give you complimentary wasabi and ginger and provide more if you ask. My favorite was the spicy scallop handroll. They even gave me an extra truffle yellowtail handroll on the house. This is one of the better value spots and I easily got full after my meal read more

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Did the Heights -- or Houston -- need another hand roll spot? I recognize this location has been open for a little over a week, so I'm sure they're still working through some opening-day kinks. I genuinely hope they improve because the prices are solid. Koyo Hand Roll Bar opened up on Shepherd and 19th, in the same shopping center as The Waffle Bus and Paris Baguette. Parking is slim. There was a wait so the hostess told me I could wait at Paris Baguette if I wanted. I thought that was odd but they're owned by the same hospitality group, so it wouldn't be that odd to wait in another restaurant. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the smell. The entire restaurant had a damp, mildewy odor.. almost like a wet towel or wet dog. It wasn't isolated to the restroom or one area; it was noticeable throughout the space. The restaurant is also very loud, although that's somewhat expected with a small, 26-seat hand roll bar. The pricing is actually one of the highlights. You can choose three hand rolls for $15, four for $20, or five for $25, which is a pretty reasonable value. I went with the four roll option since the five roll set included scallops, and I'm super particular about how scallops are cooked. I started with the cucumber salad shareable. Cute presentation with the chili oil crunch a top of each bite. Unfortunately, the fish quality was the biggest disappointment. The salmon tasted noticeably fishy, and the blue crab had an odd crunchy texture. I didn't ask what was mixed with the blue crab for fear they may say mayonnaise and I usually have a visceral reaction to anything with mayonnaise. Not my jam. The spicy tuna had zero spice whatsoever. The only hand roll I enjoyed was the truffle yellowtail. For now, though, I don't see myself returning. If I'm craving hand rolls in this area, I'd probably stick with some of the more established spots in the Heights or Montrose. read more

The 5 rolls/$25 is such a good deal so I had to stop by! Staff were super friendly and the restaurant is modern and bright. The crab chopstick holders and expanding water towel were really fun! Salmon - 3/5 it's just personal preference, I prefer salmon with more chewable chunks Fatty tuna - 2/5 kind of fishy Blue crab - 4/5 Really enjoyed the crunch Spicy scallop - 5/5 Most refreshing and flavorful! Truffle yellowtail - 4/5 thankful for the garlic crisp bc everything seems mushy by the end of the meal Really enjoyed the modern take on hand rolls and seaweed is crisp! The place has a lot of seating which might explain why but I've gotten used to being spoiled by Hando where once I finish a roll, another one magically appears in front of me instantly haha read more

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Koyo has a clean, modern interior with thoughtful touches like the cute crab chopstick holders and eco-friendly napkins. The salmon and yellowtail crudos and the salmon and scallop hand rolls were our favorites. Service was attentive and friendly throughout. The only downside was that it was a bit loud inside, but overall it was a great experience. read more

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The hand rolls were great, and the causes were great! The staff were very friendly and helpful. The layout of the restaurant is not the best, the staff feel like they are fighting for space and ways to reach every customer. read more

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Lowkey over hyped went here looking for an average experience. I'm a traditional type of guy this threw me off, didn't like the vibe nor the food. Seaweed was also pretty bad. Service was fine. read more

Pretty average experience here. The staff was nice and service was good. I really liked the space inside. The hand-rolls were ok but just that, salmon was my favorite. The tuna hand roll was lacking in flavor and the scallop one had a weird texture. I got the set of 5 and at one point I did feel rushed, they would give me the next roll before I finished with my previous one, which led to the nori being soggy and not crisp read more