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    OTOKO

    4.5 (169 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndJapanese, Sushi Bars, Seafood

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    Angelica K.

    We were running late due to traffic and I appreciate how accommodating they were. It started off really nicely. The first few dishes were delicious and the sushi was high quality and I thought the flavor profile was interesting. But it was unbearably cold to the point I couldn't enjoy my food and couldn't wait to leave. Dishes also tasted similar and became repetitive to me (sour & salty). Dessert was really good though

    Bday love (late post)
    Mike K.

    One of the best omakase spots in Austin, paired with some of the best cocktails and inventory of Japanese whisky at Watertrade (WT), makes this spot one of my favorite places in the city. My partner took me here for my birthday last year, so this is a late post, but one of my favorite ones! ---- Review Summary Pros: - Speakeasy-like bar (WT) - Separated spaces (WT/Otoko) - Full bar and incredible inventory - Fresh sushi - Validated parking (hotel) Side Notes: - Make reservations in advance - Closed Sun/Mon - 12 seater omakase What We Got: - 20 course omakase - Sake and wine pairing ---- Detail Review Design/Space: You walk upstairs from the SoCo Hotel's ground level and get to the entrance to Otoko/Watertrade. Once you enter the space, you are greeted by a speakeasy-like Japanese bar (WT) with every Japanese whisky you can think of, and Otoko is hidden away to keep both spaces separated but connected. When you walk into Otoko, it's bright enough, and the space has items from Japan that make you feel you are in a modern timewarp of something from back in the day, yet in a modern 12-seater space. Food/Drinks: They should have received a Michelin star at this location for what they offer the city. It ranks high against the other Michelin spots I've visited from SF to NYC. Drinks: Japanese-based old-fashioned cocktails are one of my faves, so we started with a Goma Fashioned and a Nine-Tailed Fox, both incredible. We then waited for the omakase to start and had the wine and sake pairing. Pace yourself because we got LIT, haha. There were pairings we never saw before, and I don't know if it was because we were getting tipsy, but everything felt balanced with the sweet to savory. Food: The fish wasn't overly sized as some spots in Austin, and the rice was perfect. Fresh sushi flew in, from the uni from Hokkaido to the tuna selections; every bite was delicious. I wish I remembered which was which, but I put my phone down after a moment to relish the moment. The presentation of each dish is gorgeous as well! Staff: Knowledgeable and friendly. I love that they knew different whisky histories, from Japan to where the fish was flown in. Engaging in the science of what they do so well perfectly enhanced the overall experience. Opportunities To Improve: There is not much to improve here, but they could use glassware for OF drinks at Watertrade that feels more "elevated," such as Crate & Barrels Double OF Natala (it feels fancier, haha). ---- Overall Summary Watertrade is one of the best spots in Austin. If you haven't been, go. If you need a place for incredible cocktails, reserve it. However, if you can experience the omakase and Watertrade at once, do that, too. It was one of the most memorable experiences we've had to date, and we will be back again in 2025!

    MADAI
    Paula T.

    I would not be surprised if this wins a Michelin in 2026. The attention to detail in every dish with the quality of service makes this an easy win. Tucked behind the South Congress Hotel, it almost feels like a speakeasy. What I love is how they invite you for a drink before, either a sparkling wine or sake, while you wait for your turn to be taken into the official dinner space. I loved the contrast from the bar to the restaurant. I loved how the chefs take their work very seriously but are also very playful. I can't stand a stuffy room and this was quite the opposite. This is a must try if you're ever in Austin!

    Janrai G.

    I've been to a few omakase places and this one is very unique from the rest.. it's fast paced but on everyone's speed limit.. the sake pairing was the best I've had! The bites were all unique .. less rice more flavor.. rock star staff.. you feel at home here.. the ambiance is like you're inside the mastermind chef Yoshi's mind! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

    James W.

    Unbelievable experience. Chef Yoshi is the man. Anyone who likes sushi needs to try this once in their life. Totally worth it. Every piece of sushi was packed with unique flavor and felt very intentional. The menu was pre selected. Ambiance was so cool. Definitely want to go back.

    Brian Q.

    AMAZING experience! Made reservations for classic omakase on a Thursday evening. They contacted us frequently asking questions like names, allergies, and special occasions. Located in the South Congress Hotel, we first came to watertrade, a very cool Asian inspired bar where we got a toast of sake and tried some of the drinks from the menu. I recommend the Summer Samurai. We then went to the sushi bar Otoko which was super intimate and beautiful. Chefs carefully explained all courses and we got custom menus that described everything we got, from sushi to salads to tempura, everything was carefully and meticulously done to please us. Chefs were also super engaging in conversation and entertaining as well. Will definitely be back and well worth the price tag!

    Frances L.

    Otoko service was fantastic. The vibe was immaculate, decor, the music, personalized menus. Everything felt modern, a little alternative. We did miss the first course which I don't factor into our rating because that was on us for arriving late. Be sure to plan to arrive 15 minutes early to secure parking on the street or in a garage and find the restaurant which is in a courtyard and up a flight of stairs. The oyster and uni courses were the most memorable. The chef's special charred dish was a little too charcoal-y for our taste and the dessert was allergen friendly though that felt like it inhibited the texture. There were multiple pork/meat based dishes which was unique particularly the mushimono with fois gras and iberico ham. The salmon/leek soup shirumono was also a nice touch but a little sweet for my palette. The fish courses were all done well, but hard to name standout ones. It's clear that the menu is a brainchild of the chefs having done this creatively and in their personal style over many years. For the price point, we would likely opt for other omakases in Austin, but it was great to see this expression of art from Chef Yoshi and team

    Kelly D.

    My boyfriend surprised me with this dinner for my birthday and it was phenomenal! 10/10 experience on food and service. It's very small and intimate but would highly recommend. Definitely on the pricier side but for a special occasion it's worth it. They personalize the menus and let you keep them. The food was high quality and delicious!! I'm still thinking about the wagyu and toro

    Rob C.

    A decent attempt at omakase but falls short in a few areas. Perhaps I'm being a touch unfair, but I am comparing this to Michelin starred omakases I've had around the world. It makes an attempt but falls a bit short in the little things that make the difference. Generally the food was ok. Only stand out dish was the seared hamachi that uses the binchotan coal and sears the fish directly. However some feedback. Everything is too salty. Even the sushi is salted which is uncommon. Perhaps it's to suit local tastes. Sushi rice also was too loose and even though I was eating with my hands it felt like it was going to fall apart if I wasn't careful. The food comes too quickly as well. While that could be seen as good, I got the feel that it was pre-prepared too much. Would rather see it being made in front of me instead of having the next dish show up immediately after my prior dish was finished. The verbal presentations are also too rushed. It feels like they are rushing through their lines. Tough to catch it all and felt rushed. Refinements could be better. Mats wiped between dishes, making sure that the serving dish was always clean, little things lacked refinement. Location is beautiful as it looks like we are sitting in a light tunnel. Being located beside a cool bar is nice. Overall it's a reasonable attempt. But it could be done much better in my opinion.

    Wagyu
    Joy G.

    This was an amazing experience if you love Japanese food. I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and we were blown away by the attention to detail in both the food and service. We arrived 30 minutes before our reservation and were seated at the bar next door to enjoy a welcome drink, and then we ordered a couple cocktails while waiting. The counter seating at the dinner was very intimate, and it seems they stagger the seating times so the groups next to us were ahead by a few courses. One of the other guests went out of her way to recommend we get the uni add on - we took her advice and were very glad we did! All the dishes were very flavorful, and seemed to be a fusion of traditional and modern. I loved the smokiness of the hamachi, and flavor of the foie gras chawanmushi was so savory. The menu was personalized with a birthday message and it was helpful to have so we could refer back to it while we enjoyed the dishes. We also got to keep it as a 'souvenir' which was a nice touch. Overall the pacing was good, the dishes were very unique, and I think it was great value for the price (we did the kaiseki-ryori). Would highly recommend for a special occasion!

    Chelsea L.

    First Omakase and it was a great experience! My favorites are the nigiri with lemon/lime zest as well as the olive oil ice cream! So delicious!! Service is great-we have our chairs pulled out and the course ingredients are explained. They validate parking too! We start by toasting at the Watertrade bar (part of Otoko, but you may also come to just this separately), and then guided upstairs to enjoy 12 courses. Sushi shown in the Instagram reel in order @chelseatsushi: Escargot Lubina Kanpachi Jack's Point Oyster Hamachi Ocean trout Kamasu Hon maguro Madai White sea bass Hamachi Tofu Mushroom tempura Soy milk savory dish Olive oil ice cream

    One of my favorite dishes - SO good, and the prep was fun to watch!
    Stephanie W.

    I got a recommendation to try this place from a friend at work. I've only been to one other Omakase place in Austin, but the friend who went here told me it was so good that if she only had one one meal left to have in Austin, she would come here. I made a reservation for the first Thursday of the month because that is the day that they do a discounted and shorter version of their traditional omakase so basically you get a 15 course meal,Including a "toast," or glass of wine or sake before the dinner starts for $200 (including tax and service charge). if you come on this Thursday. Otherwise I think it's a $200 before the tax and tip with a service charge for the regular 20 course menu. Overall, the vibes of this place are truly immaculate. I did go to the free toast before dinner which started at watertrade, the bar just outside of the restaurant itself. The low light vibes are very sultry and inviting, they also have some nice seating areas within the restaurant in addition to seating at the bar. The menu is fairly long, it also has a really cool seasonal theme to each of the cocktails, but you can order any cocktail at any time of year, regardless of whatever the seasonal theme was that inspired the cocktail. As for the service - it's really immaculate. I put in my reservation that I was celebrating the end of my second year residency, and literally every person on the staff went out of their way to wish me congratulations when I came for dinner, which I thought was such a nice touch. They also had personalized the menu to include a congratulations note on the back of it with my name and everything. The food itself was really phenomenal, there was a great variety and I certainly still left full even though it was a shorter course menu than the regular one. I also had a cocktail I ordered separately for $17, it was called the tongue cut sparrow, and it was always recommended to me by the bartender when I asked him for a drink that was a little bit sweet, but not too sweet. When we were back in the main area where the food is, there's only one single bathroom for use, but it's very clean and spacious. Overall, they do an excellent job with ambience here, you get exchange of your cutlery and plates in between courses, and you also get a warm damp towel to wipe your hands with in between some of the courses. I really appreciate the effort they made to provide a variety of different dishes, and of course, the effort that both the chef and the servers made to describe all the dishes and answer questions about it. I ended up meeting a guy at the bar who was really friendly and happened to order the sake flight add on, and he let me try his sake since I didn't buy it. The sake actually was really good despite the fact that I'm not a big fan of hard liquor - the third of three tastes a lot like Makgoli (Korean rice wine). Something to be aware of is that the parking is a little bit confusing; you should try to get into the hotel garage from Monroe Street as opposed to Milton Street. I had to circle after turning on to Milton and I was confused about it. You get validation on the ticket that you get from the garage entrance once you get inside in the restaurant. Basically they'll put a sticker on your receipt and when you're leaving, you scan the barcode on your original ticket and then scan the barcode sticker they give you to get out. In addition - the spots in the garage are pretty small. I parked in the farthest corner I could find and there was some old furniture there that was VERY difficult not to hit while getting into the spot... so that's not great but it's kinda the only option. One other thing is that the first Thursday of the month the other restaurant inside the South Congress hotel (Maie Day) hosts an event where people can come basically to drink and party with live music. Otoko had reached out to me by text telling me there was going to be an event, but I didn't realize it was going to be an event like that (it was QUITE crowded outside the restaurant). When I came out of Otoko from dinner, there were a lot of people dancing and partying kind of like in a club except it's outside in the courtyard of the hotel; it was quite loud throughout the whole time I was going in and out of the restaurant, but while you're inside the restaurant you actually don't notice it. They did have drinks outside at that event, but they were not for free so I didn't stick around. That said, the live did seem kind of nice. Overall, i had a really fantastic experience despite parking confusion and I would absolutely come here again if anybody invited me; however, I'll I won't be coming frequently just because of the price which is a little bit expensive. That said, for omakase it's really not that bad. Give it a try if you're in or around Austin!

    Chef Yoshi preparing our next course
    Laarni C.

    I can't do 3.5 but would have graded it as such Otoko Omakase has its highs and lows. The service was a lowlight this time, lacking the attentiveness / friendliness you'd expect, and we felt rushed from dish to dish as if they wanted to get us out early. However, some of the bites were highlights, showcasing their potential. A high point is the personalized menu with the date you dined and the names of the people in your reservation, which is a very nice touch. I remember coming here 6ish years ago, and that was a far superior experience compared to our last visit. I really wanted to love it since I had fond memories but we've tried several omakases in Austin that provided an overall better experience. The menu is divided into sections and clearly identified, which is very nicely described. They start with a Zensai (appetizer), move on to sushi, mukouzuke (palate cleanser), yakimono (grilled, fried, or broiled), mushimono (steamed dish), agemono (deep fried), sirumono (soup), and kanmi (sweets). I'm glad it was described in the written menu because we really didn't get the full experience of a well-explained dish during dinner. If you haven't been, it's worth a visit with a few tips in mind: Try their small omakase offered every first Thursday to avoid a big investment. Note that parking in the lot comes with a hefty charge, so street parking might be more economical. Don't miss the welcome drink - the vibes & ambiance in the welcome lounge is a good experience.

    Appetizers!

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    The service is always good and the food is great and they also have a very nice drink menu.

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    OTOKO Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - OTOKO

    Does this restaurant serve chicken tenders?

    They got chicken of the sea

    How many courses does the price Include? And is a drink included? Thanks!

    A welcome drink is included (choice of sparkling wine, sake, of NA)

    Does anyone know what the cancellation policy on buying pre-paid tickets for the Omakase is? I would be buying these for a surprise birthday celebration, but am unsure of his schedule. I would be able to cancel 10 days in advance. Thanks!

    You can find the answer to that at https://www.exploretock.com/otoko/faq along with a host of other commonly asked questions!

    I'd like to brine my Auntie to Otoko. Are the sushi bar chairs tall or standard chair height? (she can't handle tall bar chairs well.)

    I love a good brine on my Auntie. She wouldn't taste the same without it.

    The omakase menu price, does that include tip in price?

    No, the tip is calculated on the side of the price. $150/200 for the ticket, then a percentage from that for tip.

    Does anyone know the name of the table top grill they use at Otoko?

    From what I remember it's not supposed to be an indoor grill that they have. They used charcoal I believe and it's not the normal charcoal, it's like a wood charcoal I think. I believe it's traditional Japanese grill and they have vent to suck up… 

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    4.2(1.7k reviews)
    5.1 mi•North Loop
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    My husband and I got Kome for dinner on a friday around 6:50 pm without a reservation. We waited…read morefor a good 40 minutes before we got seated. We ordered their tuna poke appetizer, trio roll, austin FC roll, and the matcha maker drink. Matcha Maker was a whiskey drink, tasted pretty fruity and was actually delicious. The whiskey taste comes later. The tuna poke was good, it came with 5-6 chunks of raw tuna with some avocados, which sat on top of some seaweed salad, and had 5 pieces of tortilla chips to pair with. The trio roll and austin fc roll were both delicious. The trio roll had no flavor, as it had 3 different sashimis, but was perfect with soy sauce and wasabi. The austin fc roll came with eel sauce and their house sauce, it was good on it's own. We were starving by the time the food came, since it did take a while as it was crowded.....like every seat in the house was taken! Dinner is izakaya style which is basically tapas or smaller/shareable plates vs entree style dishes. Lunch menu has more options, including bento boxes which we'll have to try next time! Our server was attentive and nice. Overall, definitely recommend. It is more on the pricier side, but it is worth it. Only thing I would do different is bringing a jacket. We came when there was that odd storm and it was freezing inside the restaurant.

    Komé is good but could be great. The huge menu is a catch all of everything you could expect from…read moreJapanese cuisine. It's almost so much that there are too many options. Thankfully, most a very good choices! The fries are great. It's weird to start with that but they really are. Same goes for pretty much any sushi. You'll be able to taste the freshness of the fish. However, avoid the curry and katsu. My katsu can only be described as overdone. The breading tasted nearly burnt dry and banding in the meat (see my photo) shows how it was separating from being cooked too long. The curry is as disappointing as their sister restaurant. It's weak enough that I'd venture I could produce a better curry in bulk. Their menu also changes between lunch and dinner so it's possible other non sushi options are better. So do come here and enjoy the sushi, but don't venture into the other menu items. They'd really shine by focusing on a core menu with less accompanying dishes.

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    Kemuri Tatsu-ya - Pickle Plate

    Kemuri Tatsu-ya

    4.0(1.1k reviews)
    2.3 mi•Holly, East Austin
    •$$$

    Kemuri Tatsu Ya is my husband's favorite restaurant, and I love this place too, so it was the…read moreperfect place for his birthday celebration with friends. I specifically requested my most favorite server, Yoshi as our waiter, but sadly they couldn't make that happen because he was working the outside dining area. He still managed to swing by and check on us a few times, and that was enough to make the night better. Yoshi is just THAT guy. He makes dining here ridiculously fun and somehow makes an already great experience even better. The music and drinks were on point. The Puff Puff Pass was the cocktail winner of the night, followed by some really good whiskey. Then came the food, and damn... Kemuri does not mess around. We shared everything and ordered in waves, starting with Bluefin Tuna Carpaccio, Charred Edamame and Taiyaki Cornbread. Next up was the Chili Cheese Takoyaki, Wagyu Short Rib Skewer and Hot Pocketz. Every single thing was delicious, and flavorful. Somehow we still found room for the delicious banana pudding. Great food, great drinks, great friends and Yoshi popping in to keep the party going. Pretty hard to beat a night like that. Kemuri Tatsu Ya continues to be our favorite!

    Been here twice now and it never disappoints! Be open to trying things that don't always sound out…read moreof the box because they are done so well here! Don't miss the cornbread or the wagyu skewers! And if you're at a loss as to what to get ask the staff, they know what's up!

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    TenTen

    TenTen

    4.3(581 reviews)
    1.5 mi•Warehouse District, Market District, Downtown
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    We had a fantastic night and savored every dish that was served. To our lucky surprise we came…read moreduring happy hour, so we ordered many things off of the happy hour menu. Both of the sandos were perfect. The wagyu beef sando had a little bit more flavor but it was slight and both are worth trying. Every roll was enjoyable and I felt like each had a little twist that really made the flavors explosive, like a shaved onion or a crispy puff on the side of the roll. The service was stellar and they were easy to book on OpenTable I also tried the green tea mocktail and found it to be light and refreshing and I was happy that it wasn't super sweet My two favorite items were: 1. The Edamame - which were charred in a way that I feel like I've never experienced it before and had such great flavor. 2. The scallop roll had a thinly sliced shaved truffle on top that made the roll simple yet out of this world. Shout out to the manager who came by just to check in. I always think that is such a sweet gesture.

    Stunning Japanese restaurant in downtown Austin, perfect for date night! Romantic, moody atmosphere…read moreand $10 drinks on Thursday night. We indulged in some delicious lychee martinis topped with a lychee foam. Yum! For food, we ordered: 1. Hamachi Carpaccio - light, fresh and melt in your mouth good. I enjoyed the flavors on this one. 2. Chicken Karaage - breading was so delicious! We enjoyed a generous portion, served atop a tasty aioli for dipping. 3. Scallop roll - this was bursting with flavor. The truffle was such a unique addition! 4. Hamachi sashimi - I enjoyed this very much and particularly appreciated the thick sliced pieces of fish. Phenomenal flavors when paired with a little soy sauce. I will say this place is expensive and definitely more for a special occasion date night! Look forward to dining here again in the future.

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    Miyo Yakitori & Sushi

    Miyo Yakitori & Sushi

    4.4(350 reviews)
    15.3 mi
    •$$

    I must have driven by this restaurant whenever I was on Parmer for like 15 years ... and never got…read morearound to going in. When I finally did, I discovered one of the best Japanese restaurants in Austin. Okay ... if you are going to pay $600 for an omikase then the omikase place is better. The tasting menu at Uchi is better. But if you just want Japanese without paying a gold brick and taking out a second mortgage on your house, Miyo Yakitori and Sushi is pretty damm fine. * * * a) Japanese curry is a utility dish in most Japanese restaurants ... and when you get down to it, in most Japanese homes. It is often what you serve on "cheap" night. Airport hotels offer it as the "free dinner" for tired travellers. The curry sauce itself here is standard issue. But they serve it with a Pork Katsu the size of Williamson county. And it is a very good Pork Katsu. That Katsu was good from Liberty Hill to Thrall and from Hester's Crossing to Jarrell. b) My carnivorous partner's Fireball Udon with Shellfish blew him away. Temperature wise and aesthetic pleasure wise. He raved about how good his udon was all the way home. c) Service was instantaneous. I think there was some sort of event horizon distortion of the space time continuum that allowed them to prepare the food and then go back in time and deliver it within a minute of it being ordered. Both of us were impressed. d) The service staff was as nice as any human beings could possibly be. * * * Great food. Great service. The folks who live in the apartment complex that Miyo is in are very lucky people indeed. Either the apartments are lovely and they get Miyo on top of that. Or the apartments are terrible, but they can still spend all their time in Miyo to compensate. Seems like a fair trade. **************** If you read the other reviews, There seems to be some controversy about this establishment. Miyo has fans and Miyo has haters. * * * Here is my read on the conflicting opinions: a) Earlier in the restaurant's history - Say about 2016, 17, or 18, The restaurant was not very good at all. I think at that time it had another name. b) There was a name change and quality went up. Sometimes when this happens there is an ownership change (or there is an owner who swaps out the management and cooking team to put in new blood.) However, things got fixed, they got fixed. c) Miyo's yakitori is apparently still not where it needs to be. I am not a huge Yakitori fan. If your broiled meat on a stick is not $80 an ounce Wagyu, Or amazing organ meats grilled in the Caucasus Barded with lamb fat and with farm fresh vegetables On another skewer for serious taste contrast ... If you are not at that high level, I don't want to pay for meat on a skewer. There are people who DO like Yakitori. They do NOT like the Miyo versions of that. * * * Yakitori is less than 20% of Miyo's menu. The rest is sushi or wonderful cooked dishes. Lay off the skewer food and you can do well here.

    My daughter and I had lunch at Miyo on a recent weekday. The restaurant is located with a small…read moregroup of stores in front of an apartment complex along Parmer Lane. Parking for the stores is a quick right turn after driving into the complex. Seating is available both indoors and outside on a shady deck. This is not a large restaurant, but the menu is extensive. Many items are a la carte, but there are also full meals with several included sides. A 2-page lunch menu is at the back of the main menu. We opted for edamame to start, a few skewers of yakitori, and 2 lunch special bento boxes. We were amazed by the amount of food in the lunch bento boxes. On top of that, everything tasted fresh and was obviously freshly prepared. My salmon was way overcooked but the tasty teriyaki sauce made up for it. My daughter's pork looked fabulous and she was very pleased with her choice. I thought that pricing was very reasonable given the quality and portion size. We ended up taking food home. We thoroughly enjoyed our extended lunch and would not hesitate to return.

    Photos
    Miyo Yakitori & Sushi
    Miyo Yakitori & Sushi
    Miyo Yakitori & Sushi - Yakitori

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    Yakitori

    Uchi Austin - Asked for soy, sent it back! Everything is perfection, no intervention required.

    Uchi Austin

    4.4(3.2k reviews)
    0.9 mi•Bouldin Creek, South Lamar District, 78704 (South Austin)
    •$$$$

    We always enjoy eating at Uchi Denver and wanted to try out the OG while visiting Austin…read more Reservations were tough to find during the weekend but we were able to lock in Sunday 4pm and were happy to see a happy hour menu with so many choices! The place was already full by the time we arrived, buzzing with staff and customers. Our server Jennifer was attentive and helpful with descriptions and recommendations. There were so many servers bringing different plates. One was even so thoughtful to notice and bring my mom a new napkin when hers had slipped onto the floor. We were very impressed with everyone we interacted with, even those who waited to allow us to pass as we walked to the back of the restaurant. You just felt the pride and courtesy extended by everyone working there. Well done by creating this ambiance and culture. Beautiful place and wallpaper, attentive servers, and fresh seafood made this visit a memorable one for us. Plates we loved: Blue fin nigiri (we ordered it many times) Hama chili (bring me a spoon!) All the hand rolls Gyudon Wagyu beef, crispy beef and broccoli (my mom doesn't like raw sushi) Shag roll Tasmanian ocean trout Sake Tom kha So many great flavors. We found it very consistent with Denver and can't wait to come back!

    The food quality at Uchi has gone seriously downhill over the past 10 years, while the prices have…read moresomehow gotten even higher. The sushi used to be fresh, creative, and consistently excellent. Now, some of the dishes taste more like experimental creations that don't quite work. For the price, I expected a much higher level of quality. The dessert was honestly one of the worst desserts I've ever had, completely disappointing. The waitstaff were the highlight of the experience and really the only thing that made the visit somewhat enjoyable. Overall, extremely overpriced for the quality of food being served. I was still hungry when I left and bank account smaller.

    Photos
    Uchi Austin
    Uchi Austin - Salmon handroll

    Salmon handroll

    Uchi Austin - Pork belly and kabocha

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    Pork belly and kabocha

    Lucky Robot Restaurant - Voltron Roll

    Lucky Robot Restaurant

    4.1(1.8k reviews)
    0.2 mi•SoCo (S. Congress Ave.), 78704 (South Austin)
    •$$

    Def would recommend this place. Nice fusion restaurant and the inside is quaint and cozy. They have…read morea few seats that are swing benches and if I had a plus one would have totally snagged one. Sat at the sushi bar and for a Thursday night was pretty quiet. There were four chefs and sitting at the sushi bar you got to see the goodies as they were made. Austyn was the person who took care of me and they were wonderful. Very polite and provided great recommendations for the night. Got the sake flight and all three I'd get again. Started with the Barbacoa dumplings....ummmm amazing, soooo flavorful. Next up was the Brussels sprouts and y'all those left with the bowl empty. The only rec I gave Austyn was to tell peeps to stir them to get all the sauce goodness mixed in. Didn't realize there was a sauce until the end soooo that would have probably made me lick the bowl! Also got the Toro fig and I'm not gonna lie I was shocked. Never thought pairing fig with tuna would be good, again rec I gave was to give a spoon so you could sip all that sauce goodness!!! Last on my dining journey was the Prime Market Nigiri Moriawase. This was the chefs choice of five nigiri pieces and they again were delicious. The downside was the omakase was for 2 people, portion size sooo I need to find a plus one, any takers?! I'd go back to try other items and get a few of the same.

    Food: My partner and I shared some Brussels Sprouts, a Robot Ramen, and a Pork Chashu Fried Rice…read more The Brussels Sprouts were fine--the marinade was nice, but would have preferred the sprouts to be a bit crispier. The Robot Ramen was light, yet rich, the meat was succulent (and not too thin, at the risk of being dry) and the noodles were al dente--both were cooked nicely. Lastly, the Pork Chashu Fried Rice was a burst of umami flavor, from the shoyu glazed pork rib to the shiitake mushroom lying underneath. Solid dish--no notes! Service: No complaints! We had a reservation and were seated immediately upon walking in. Our waiter was attentive. Ambiance: Casual, modern. A vibrant experience, to say the least, from the flora draping from the ceiling, to the warm colors permeating throughout. Parking: Street parking available. Pay note of parking signs!

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    Lucky Robot Restaurant - Dining Area

    Dining Area

    Lucky Robot Restaurant - Bees knees

    Bees knees

    Lucky Robot Restaurant - Interior seating

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    Interior seating

    Sushi Roku - Fluke kumquat

    Sushi Roku

    4.5(249 reviews)
    1.4 mi•Warehouse District, Downtown
    •$$$

    Loved it!! Came in not that hungry but everything was great so ended up over eating. We ordered:…read moreHamachi Serrano (ended up getting a second order) Rokus fish fry Yellowtail hanabi Wagyu hanabi Organic garden salad Gensai roll Waterloo ichi roll Chocolate lava cake All soo good!!!

    We came in for Restaurant Week and really wanted to have a great experience, especially because I…read morelove that the restaurant is participating and supporting such a great community event. Unfortunately, the service was pretty disorganized. Throughout dinner, food meant for the table next to us was brought to our table multiple times. At one point, the table next to us was accidentally given two edamame appetizers. When they pointed out the mistake, they gave the extra one to our table, which we thought was a nice gesture considering all of the mix-ups. Then our bill came and we had been charged for the edamame we never ordered and were specifically given because of their mistake. We had to point it out and ask for the charge to be removed. Mistakes happen, especially during a busy event like Restaurant Week, and I completely understand that. But charging a table for an item they didn't order after your staff specifically gave it to them because of an ordering mistake was pretty frustrating. Overall, the experience just felt much more disorganized than it should have been and took away from the tasty sushi.

    Photos
    Sushi Roku
    Sushi Roku - Assorted nigiri

    Assorted nigiri

    Sushi Roku - Sapporo

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    Sapporo

    OTOKO - japanese - Updated October 2026

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