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Papa Yu

4.3 (332 reviews)
Open • 10:30 am - 10:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago
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PAPA YU ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Papa Yu

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Reviews With Photos

Menu
Heather W.

Staff was friendly and got me my order on time. They had plenty of seating. I was the only one in there at the moment. It was around 1130am on a Tuesday so a little before lunch rush. I got a watermelon fruit drink. So good! And a make your own regular poke bowl - brown rice, cucumber, carrots, edamame, onion, seaweed salad plus extra, avocado and double salmon. With sauce and spicy mayo on the side. Tasted great. I got a regular bowl but it was pretty big! Tasted great. I'd go back again. I ordered online and it was super easy.

Tonkotsu Ramen and Spicy Salmon Roll (8Pc)
Angela A.

Papa Yu still serving up good sushi and tea! They now have ramen and rice bowls as well. AND they have a good ole happy hour (3-6pm weekdays and all day on Saturday and Sundays - dine in only). I tried their tonkotsu ramen for the first time and it did not disappoint at all. Savory, well balanced flavors. The broth was so good! I also ordered the spicy salmon sushi, always fresh and good. Service is always nice and helpful. It's a small, well maintained space. Depending on what time you go, it's either very quiet or busy with customer traffic.

Sushi Menu
David P.

Nut Allergy friendly: I don't think they use nuts in anything! I didn't even ask. Order - to - Food: 14 minutes I came for lunch on a Friday afternoon and it was consistently busy while I was there, both with people dining in and with take-out orders. You order at the counter and then they'll either bring your bowl out or call your name for a to-go. I got a custom poke bowl with organic greens and it was perfect. The fish was of the expected quality, no fishy taste or scent. Portions were great at a very reasonable price. The service here is also top notch! They brought out a high chair for someone carrying a baby without being asked. Overall, lovely spot for poke that might be one of the best in Houston for this price range.

Super crunchy roll and tiger eye roll
Catherine C.

Brought my sister who was craving sushi to try this place out. I've lived here so many years and gone to 99 without setting foot in this little establishment that can be hard to miss because of all the surrounding restaurants. Needless to say the happy hour prices were great (M-F 3-6pm) and my sister was thoroughly satisfied with the food. I especially enjoyed the Tiger Eye roll and the Super Crunchy roll was also a solid choice. It was very quiet at 4pm on a weekday but the staff working was very nice. I'd come again for a quick casual sushi fix!

Spicy Scallop Roll (8 Pieces)
Amie N.

My mom and I were pleasantly surprised! For the price, everything tasted fairly fresh and quality. I think this place gets crowded during the weekday lunches and commutes, so Sat-Sun there is an all day "happy hour" pricing and my spicy scallop roll was only $4.50. This is a great place to stop by for a quick and casual snack or lunch.

Dragon Roll (8 Pieces)
Eugene P.

General Description: A fast sushi/ poke/ ramen restaurant. The good: - Rolls taste as good as a higher end restaurant. - Ramen was decent. - Smaller sitting area. - Fast service. The bad: - You can't expect first grade quality sushi, but I'd wish the Tuna was a bit fresh-er. Overall: Not bad for fast sushi spot.

Regular Poke Bowl
Kasey Z.

This was a decently priced sushi/poke spot (with other menu items like ramen, bento boxes, etc that I didn't try), but I was not super impressed with the food. The spicy scallop roll was not what I expected (I was expecting the scallops to be raw/chopped and marinated or combined with spicy mayo), but it was just a piece of small (probably frozen) bay scallop drizzled with spicy mayo on top. The monkey roll was pretty good, but only came with 5 pieces for $10.50. I think I would just still with getting poke bowls from here, because the poke bowl also starts at 10.50 and was decently packed with the various fish/toppings! I enjoyed my poke bowl, but wish I had a bit more sauce in it. Unlike other poke places where you can go down a line and pick ingredients/watch them make it, you order at the counter and they make it after, so it's hard to tell whether or not it has enough sauce for your liking. I would still come back and get poke/maybe try out other foods!

Spam Musubi
Jennifer J.

Papa Yu was a great, quick weeknight dinner. The food was good. The spam musubi was so good with the crab mix. The service was great! She was attentive and kind. Ambiance was very casual and cozy. We will be back!

Papa Milk Tea
Lisa H.

Yummy poke & milk tea! Definitely coming back to try other things. They have good service & good seating inside.

Keisha R.

Service was fast and friendly. The menu is great. A lot of mix and matching and food combos and free boba so I liked that. I got the mango slush and it could have been blended better. I was chewing a lot of chunks of ice, which made it harder to eat but it was tasty and fresh. Inside was clean, no issues there.

Ann L.

Great spot to grab boba and food at the same time. I like to get the poke bowl here, easy to customize or you can select from their poke selection. You can call to order ahead to save time but usually they're pretty quick with the order. There's also small appetizers on the menu such as calamari, sushi rolls, etc. Overall, they have a pretty wide variety of food in their menu which are quick and easy. Services are always friendly.

The torn dollar that was slipped in among my change by the unethical little cheat that works there.

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Kokoro Sushi and Yakitori

Kokoro Sushi and Yakitori

4.5(398 reviews)
9.7 mi•Downtown, Fourth Ward
•$$
Locally owned & operated
Speaks Spanish

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.

Photos
Kokoro Sushi and Yakitori - Front stall pic

Front stall pic

Kokoro Sushi and Yakitori - Wagyu toast

Wagyu toast

Kokoro Sushi and Yakitori - Wagyu Toast

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Aiko - Mochi Dessert

Aiko

4.5(358 reviews)
8.8 mi•Sixth Ward
Locally owned & operated
Free parking

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.

Photos
Aiko
Aiko - Cucumber tomato salad

Cucumber tomato salad

Aiko - Salmon toro w. truffle & caviar

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Himari

Himari

4.3(128 reviews)
6.4 mi•Oak Forest/Garden Oaks
•$$

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!

Photos
Himari - Interior

Interior

Himari - Salmon roll

Salmon roll

Himari - Shima Aji nigiri

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Koi - Tuns tower $21

Koi

4.5(289 reviews)
8.7 mi•Midtown, Montrose, Fourth Ward
•$$$

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.

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Koi - Aburi roll, el Diablo roll

Aburi roll, el Diablo roll

Koi - Crispy rice

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Tins

Tins

4.9(58 reviews)
6.7 mi•The Heights

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.

Photos
Tins - Omikase  style - fish with perfect flavors!    Outstanding food and a terrific experience.

Omikase style - fish with perfect flavors! Outstanding food and a terrific experience.

Tins - Unlimited sake

Unlimited sake

Tins - Yellowtail (sweet garlic sauce)

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Yellowtail (sweet garlic sauce)

Papa Yu - poke - Updated October 2026

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