First time here, my server Eric gave me the best experience. 10/10 will be coming back.

Evening was phenomenal, had Eric as my waiter and highly recommend him. His service was above and beyond and made my family and I's celebration that much more memorable. Can't stress this enough. 10/10 would diner again and would request Eric! read more

Soto has been on my list to try ever since I never got to try the original location in Austin. It has insanely good value with their daily happy hour menu from 5-6:30 pm. The ambiance is really nice with high ceilings and table lamps where you can change the setting with a tap (not on every table tho). Service is very attentive and quick in that your dirty dishes are cleared from the table instantly and your water is constantly filled but I personally don't feel like we saw a lot of our original waiter except to take the order and bring us the check. - We absolutely loved the chicken karaage - was perfectly fried on the outside and still so tender on the inside, and comes with a nice fish sauce dip. - The presentation of the soft shell crab tempura was gorgeous, it was perfectly crisp, and had a fried egg on top which really elevated it. - The meat on the hamachi kama was very tender and plentiful with some charred bits that were packed with flavor. This was one of my boyfriend's favorites. - The temaki handroll was entirely filled with the stuffing (we tried both the spicy salmon and the spicy toro) which is really rare and a nice surprise because usually at the bottom of the handroll is just rice. - Mini sushi tacos were a nice surprise - I really enjoyed the texture of the crispy nori shells and they did not skimp on the fillings. - All of the fish is extremely fresh and paired well with whatever sauce and finishings that come with it. The chili hamachi, madai crudo, salmon tiradito, and tuna w/ truffle are all stellar. The chef's choice includes 5 pieces of nigiri and we were given the tip to order it at different times throughout the meal because the second round will have 5 different types of fish than the first one. - I think the only disappointing dish was the pari hama maki - while we appreciated and were surprised by the starve size of the maki rolls, whatever greens were put inside overpowered the taste of the yellowtail. Really just tasted like a salad. Soto has easily become one of my favorite restaurants in Houston from just my first dining experience alone (I've been twice now since originally drafting this post) because you really cannot beat the value of their HH and the quality of the food. I've bragged about it to several people and will bring the rest of my family next. :) read more

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Great sushi spot. Been here twice in two weeks. Their rolls are amazing!!! Please get the mushroom risotto!! The service was great, explanations on anything you ask for! Great for date nights or chill girl dinners. Reservations maybe needed on weekends. Valet parking and free street parking available. read more

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Solid lunch special experience. The only down side is it's not that filling, you're still a little hungry after the lunch special set. Fish is fresh- particularly enjoyed their salmon, tuna, and sea bream Great ambiance Friendly service Dessert was Sapporo cheesecake beer flavored ice cream. Apart from small portion it was pleasant. read more

My husband and I had such an amazing dinner experience at Soto to celebrate his birthday. The vibes are very intimate/romantic and dimly lit. They have a very small parking lot but valet is complimentary. Our waiter Alex was very friendly, funny, and knowledgeable when it comes to sake and Japanese cuisine. He made our visit there such a memorable experience. We decided to splurge on the premium omakase and it was SO worth it. Food presentation was beautiful and the food was fresh and delicious. There were so many dishes I can't even pick a favorite. We were so full by the end of dinner. We will definitely be coming back with our family and friends. read more

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After several days of traditional Texan cuisine, I admit I needed a break. We happened upon this restaurant relatively late on a Monday evening around 8pm. Dimly lit and full of class, I was surprised at the number of patrons they had during the week. While omakase was a strong contender, there were so many items on the menu that caught our attention as well as a few that Kyle our server recommended, so we decided on a la carte First we ordered cocktails, the Skies on Fire and Shiso Lychee Margarita. I liked the refreshing punch the Skies on Fire gave, while the margarita had a lovely sweetness to it. Next we were served the Hamachi Carpaccio, tangy and buttery flavors, honestly one of the best versions of the dish I've had. We also split half a dozen raw oysters which were topped with a unique garnish and two green plums. The lobster tempura came right after and was presented as tall and thin skewer-like flowers adorned with a fried piece of lobster. Small, but made quite an impression. Afterwards we tried the uni toast and torched toro truffle, deliciously light bites that left us wanting something more. Finally, we caved and decided on the o-toro truffle risotto, richly garlicky and satisfying in every way. As far as fine dining goes, this place gets it right. read more

My absolute favorite sushi spot in Houston, and we also love the Austin location. I usually come for the lunch special, which is around $25-$28 and includes soup, salad, five piece nigiri, and maki. The restaurant is clean and inviting, with convenient parking along the side of the building. I always see the head chef working at the bar and creating beautifully presented dishes. It's easy to see why Soto earned a spot in the Houston Chronicle's top 100. The only thing to note is that during our last visit we asked for still water and were charged $9 for a glass bottle. I wasn't expecting that, and it would be nice if it were disclosed upfront. Nonetheless, I'll keep coming back. The staff is also incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and attentive. Highly recommend! read more

Soto - Lunch special - nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

One of my favorite sushi restaurants in Houston! Soto is perfect to gather with friends or go for a date night. My favorite thing to get is the lunch special Kaiseki Bento which has a great assortment of items for ~$28. From sashimi and nigiri, to crudo bites and appetizer items, I feel like the bento is well rounded. I feel that Soto does a good job of creating well crafted combinations of flavor with the fish and the toppings they select. The fish quality is always very good, and I've never had a bad experience at Soto. I love their crispy tuna rice! It's probably one of my all time favorites as the rice is prepared well and the tuna topping is excellent. The service is always good, and at least for lunch I have never had to make a reservation to eat here. They have parking available adjacent to the restaurant, but perhaps if you were coming with a large group you might want to consider carpooling. read more

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From the moment we arrived for Happy Hour (5-6:30 ) this Saturday evening , I tell you this was a fun time! From our interaction with our waiter Eric, to the restaurant manager Annalise, we were well taken care of and after telling them we were first timers, we were really made to feel like VIP's . Suggestions were shared but not pushed, and favorites were recommended , so it was on from there! We had at least five or six of the happy hour items and all were very very good, so I'm just gonna show a few of them here and let the pics speak for themselves.. I loved them all but my favorite honorable mentions were the spicy scallop handrolls, chilli hamachi yellowtail, chef's nigiri, and chicken kara-age!! read more

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This is our 3rd time going to Soto and we are impressed each time! We did the happy hour, sushi tacos, crudo, the Japan express whole fish where they cut into sashimi and fry the rest of the fish as chips, and the nigiri flight. Jesus was our server and he was great. He gave a us a complimentary dessert. Highly recommend a visit! read more

Soto - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Not the best sushi in Houston, not the worst. We may have had a fluke (no pun intended) experience because our only sushi roll came with a salad that was too salty to eat. The service is a bit slow. The server took our order right away, but did not make sure to follow up once we got our food and drinks. I would have flagged that our salad was inedibly salty, but I didn't get the chance to. The restaurant itself is pretty, not too ostentatious. A good place for a casual date or business meeting. read more

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We dropped in for happy hour at 5:15 PM on a Thursday. There were a couple of other tables there, not too packed. I've been here a few times for HH and dinner and have always had a nice time with great food and drinks. I love their dressed nigiri, especially on the happy hour menu where you get 5 pieces for $20! That's a steal, especially for the quality. On this visit, we ordered: * HH Chili Hamachi - good! * HH Madai Crudo, 3pc - hard to share3 pcs between two ppl, need one order per person but yum! * HH Mini Sushi Tacos - well priced, yummy * Parihama Maki - there was an herb in this roll that made my stomach turn, too overpowering * Chef's Choice 5 PC Nigiri: madai, hirame, inada, kanpachi, ora king salmon * HH Softshell Crab Tempura * Hotate (Nigiri) - doesn't even look like scallop but so fresh and good! * Bafun Uni Nigiri - so buttery and fresh * Foie Gras Nigiri - great finisher, can never go wrong ordering this here is you like foie gras * Mategai Ceviche - so good, fresh razor clam, can't even begin to describe the flavor, burst of flavor overload. The staff here is so friendly, always stopping by to check for drink refills and additional food order. When craving really good sushi, this is one of my top choices. My complaint would be table spacing. Halfway through our meal, the restaurant became busy. I could hear the entire conversation with the table next to us. It was so loud that I felt the need to talk over them. They weren't overly loud, it's just the tables are so closely seated. read more

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The food was delicious and so fresh. The lunch special bento was absolutely worth it and included so many goodies. Service from Janie was wonderful as well. Would definitely recommend coming here whenever you want some good sushi with a nice ambiance. read more

Holy lunch deal. This was my first time at Soto and I was shocked at the value of their lunch deal. We got absolutely stellar pieces of sushi at an incredibly reasonably price. If I lived in houston, this probably would become a weekly lunch treat. Beautiful restaurant, great service, great food. read more

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I've been snoozing in Soto's HH for way too long. It was quite empty when we arrived on a Sunday evening, but did have a slow trickle as the evening went on. I think their happy hour menu is fantastic to sample lots of options from, mostly crudos. Everything was satisfying and I'll surely be back. Bonus was they have lots of veggies friendly options so if half your group needs alternatives like mine did, this worked out well AnD they were highly satisfied! Of course there is no real parking option except for valet. read more

A special sushi place here in Houston! Came here for a birthday dinner with a large group and they were very accommodating and the service was great as we all felt well taken care of. The fish felt fresh and the rolls were nicely packed. The rice was beautifully done as well which is a huge part!!! Our favorite was definitely the shima aji with the foam on top (what a fun piece!) and the Kanpachi which had a little chili on top. We ordered quite a bit and were gifted with a bottle of sake at the end of the night. Overall an AMAZING experience as I would highly suggest coming here for a special occasion to really be treated! read more

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This is a really nice under rated sushi restaurant. The service is always great. It's a very romantic ambiance, dimly lit. Usually is quiet most times I've been. The nigiri is phenomenal. I've had just about every type even the seasonal. The salmon over fire is a popular dish a must try. Also the Smoked Tuna Tataki is my favorite. read more

Come for happy hour and stay through dinner! I think I read that the head chef at least when Soto opened was from Uchi. You definitely see some influences - the Hama chili, gunkan sushi and the likes - Can't really go wrong. I think we ate 70% of the happy hour menu twice (yes, in the same visit). I was most impressed by the 5-piece nigiri but loved everything we had. The desserts are on the small side so you can definitely get one per person. Less impressed by the ice creams but enjoyed the cheesecake. The waiter unfortunately forgot us in the middle so our dinner ended up being 3 hrs long, but we clearly had lots to chat about. He also brought out a wrong dish and included that on the bill. So half star off for that but he was otherwise nice. Valet only or parking on side streets if you get there early. read more

Soto - Happy Hour menu - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This sushi spot is amazing, free valet, nice ambiance and high quality sushi/nigiri/sashimi. Went for mostly nigiri and their uni pasta. Their quality co pared to other omakase is pretty on pay with even very high end +$700 omakase and better in many cases depending on the fish. I'd say the only ones I was a little disappointed by was the abalone and eel. Every other piece I tried I was very impressed by, in particular the olive flounder fin and the uni pasta. I'm absolutely coming back next time I'm in Houston! read more

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We visited here for our wedding anniversary after getting a recommendation from a friend who mentioned they have a vegetarian menu. I have tried searching online and in yelp photos for the vegetarian menu but can't find it. The ambience was upscale and service was excellent. Our waiter suggested a few items to order from the vegetarian menu. We tried a few items: brussel sprouts, vegetable tempura, a couple of nigiri dishes (truffle, mushroom) and two makimono dishes. Everything was tasty. I unfortunately can't remember the names of the items without a photo of the vegetarian menu. I do think most of the items we tried were heavy on the avocado- not always a bad thing as it is more filling . We also got a complimentary dish for celebrating our anniversary. Know that the parking lot is valet only. You can always try to find street parking but the neighborhood behind in Montrose is always busy. read more

Every single dish we had was 12/10. The chili hamachi was so fresh and smooth and didn't have a fishy taste at all. The little seaweed and fried onion salad on top of it added an extra crunch that was needed! The wagyu gyoza melted in our mouths, and the sauce to go with it was to die for. Everything was cooked perfectly. The truffle risotto was the best because of how creamy the risotto was and how well it paired with the wagyu pieces on top. I would 100% come here again. Next time, I want to order some of the rolls and see how they compare to the hot and cold apps we got, but these were all amazing quality. It's really cozy and intimate inside with mood lighting and a warm atmosphere. While our server was great, the service did feel a little slow with the food taking a while to come out, but we were chit chatting, so it wasn't that big of a deal. read more

Soto - Chili hamachi, wagyu gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Soto never disappoints. One of my favorite things about dining here is the way Chef Andy creates such unique combinations that elevate the fish without ever overpowering it. We opted for the omakase to fully experience the variety of fish flown in from the Toyosu fish market, and every single bite was a delightful surprise--thoughtful, balanced, and full of flavor. Alex, our server, made the experience even more special with his expert knowledge of sake and his detailed explanations of each dish. Despite not sitting at the sushi bar, the service felt incredibly personal and immersive. An exceptional dining experience from start to finish. read more

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Soto's probably one of my new favorite sushi spots now. Everyone was so welcoming as soon as we came in. Our waiter was checked on us often and was so patient with our many orders lol. We had so many nigiri's, I can't remember them all. The uni pasta was one of the best I've had. The sushi was so fresh and rich. Every piece was delicious. Highly recommend if you're looking for a spot for girl's night or date night read more

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Two words: Uni Toast. I literally daydream about this dish. The flavors and textures are unforgettable - pure perfection. Ugh, *drool* Soto delivers every time. The ambiance is warm and intimate, the service is impeccable, and the food is undeniably amazing. After my first visit, I figured out what I loved most, and sticking to those dishes made this visit even better than the last time. Every single plate hit its mark. Flavor, presentation, quality -it's all there. Do you like truffle? What about uni? Foie gras? Do you you love sushi with creative ingredient pairings (not just your standard sashimi or nigiri)? If you answer YES to any of these questions YOU NEED TO EAT HERE. I can appreciate all of these ingrediants and can tell you that the team here does a phenominal job incorporating them into their dishes. Our favorite items had to be the Uni Toast, Truffle Risotto, Chocolate Foie Gras w Sake, Tuna Foie Gras, and Hamachi Carpaccio. Soto is a must-visit for anyone who truly appreciates elevated sushi. read more

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Soto Your miso soup was so-so Thankfully the rest of your menu was oh so delightful The night just started and I already didn't want it to end though From your heavenly buttered toast topped with toro and smoked trout roe To your special hamachi, taro chips, and citrusy pineapple Melt in your mouth kabayaki unagi nigiri with Thai basil Oyster shooter dressed with caviar, ponzu and tobasco The white tiger strikes at you with tuna, lemon aioli, and tobiko Salmon belly on housemade paper thin potato chip and micro cilantro The Soto 2.0 akami, crispy ginger, and can't forget the jalapeño Lobster tempura reminiscent of walnut shrimp, IFYKYK If I could, I would rewind and eat everything again in slo-mo And how can we forget the salmon coming out on literal fire, hats off to a delicious dinner Soto Can't wait to come back, I'm eyeing that truffle risotto -Sailor out read more

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I love soto, the vibes of this place are nice and clean. It can get quite loud and hard to hear your partner. But I had some issues with the check and the manager took care of us so nicely! Highly recommend! Food was amazing, the chef's choice of sashimi was amazing. read more

Soto - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

we did the Premium Omakase for my birthday and sat at the sushi bar and had the best experience! chef andy took care of us and gave us the best dishes. we'll let the pictures speak for itself! we even got caviar and uni bumps topped with gold flakes !!! i'm still dreaming about it. there was not a single dish I did not like on the premium omakase. they boys went heavyyyyy on the japanese liquor so that drove our tab up but for the food, it's definitely worth the price. read more

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This review is for their happy hour. I came here with a couple of friends for happy hour, and we all left, thinking this was such an amazing idea and would definitely come back here for happy hour again. The quality of everything that we had was so amazing. These are the items we ordered: -soft shell crab tempura -chili hamachi -madai crudo -tuna w/truffle -spicy tuna temaki -king mushroom nigiri Our favorites that we ordered twice of were the tuna with truffle and the spicy tuna temaki. The spicy tuna temaki was probably the best temaki that I've ever had in my life. There was fish filled all the way down to the bottom of the cone, which I feel like is usually rare because it's usually just rice by the time you get to the end of it. I also like the crispy texture within it too, which I think is fried garlic? I can genuinely say that I would order any of these items again. Everything was so high quality and flavorful. I would also like to come back for dinner to try other menu items or even the omakase. read more

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Soto is one of my favorite sushi places in Houston. All of their fish is very fresh and creative. I would highly recommend their potato chip salmon sushi- I would never imagine that those ingredients pairs well together but it is incredible! The owner was incredibly nice as well! She knew it was my birthday so she brought over sake to share with my family! It was such a wonderful birthday celebration read more

Soto - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Me and my husband decided to go here for our wedding anniversary! And I'm so glad I picked this spot. With my recent interest in vegan and vegetarian sushi I checked Yelp for recommendations and found out Soto has their own vegetarian menu. I made a reservation for 6pm Saturday however I knew I'd be late so I gave them a call and they were super flexible said I can move my reservation to 6:30. When we arrived either you do self parking on a street or valet, it just seemed easier to do valet for us. We entered and were quickly seated. The second we entered I loved the ambiance! It was dim lit, intimate and service was amazing. We were given the menus and learned happy hour on the weekends ends at 6:30 and we got there 15 mins early so we quickly picked what we wanted. I was a bit sad to learn there were only two vegetarian options on the happy hour menu however I knew I needed to try both- Naspura Maki - eggplant King mushroom nigiri For the drinks we picked the daily cold sake. My husband ordered literally only off the happy hour menu since it was so cheap and they had so many options! Before the food even came out, we were given hot towels to wash our hands with! After reviewing the vegetarian menu and the regular drink menu, I decided to order the : Brussel sprouts Avacado Yum yum roll Nasupara roll Chilli Yasai I looked on their drink menu and didn't see any cocktails that peeked my interest- I like more carbonated fizzy drinks. I asked what suggestions they had and the waitress recommended a few things but I settled on a lychee martini, virgin since I don't like gin. My husband got a Japanese old fashion. One by one our food started coming out, they explained everything to use including what ingredients were in each dish when serving. Here's my review for each dish- Brussel sprouts- so crispy! Tangy, flavored so well, had garlic butter melted in your mouth. I don't typically like brussel sprouts but I had a feeling they knew how to flavor it so well it was delicious!!! Avacado - good, creamy because the avacado, wouldn't say very memorable but still flavored well!! Yum yum roll - I've never tried a sweet potatoe roll before this was my first time and it was good, for some reason I was expecting it to be cold but the sweet potato portion was warm! Nasupara roll - eggplant same thing, warmer than expected, also good! not my favorite since I don't like eggplant too much King mushroom nigiri - for someone who doesn't like mushroom the waitress recommended this one to give a chance and I was so glad I did, the mushroom was so flavorful, didnt taste bland, chewy in the perfect texture way. Really good for someone who doesn't like mushrooms Chilli Yasai - my favorite!!! So delicious, the presentation was beautiful, crispy on the top ( not even sure what it was topped with) but had chili and the chili was not overpowering with spicy, literally on the milder side which I loved! Flavored so well for vegetarian sushi. I was very surprised. Lycee martini- I normally order lycee sake at Japanese places but they seem overpoweringly sweet, this lycee virgin martini was different, you can tell it was all fresh! No syrup no fake flavoring. Japanese Old fashion - woah! I really don't like whiskey but tried a sip of my husbands old fashion, so GOOD! It was tasted cinnamony to me, kind of spicy in a way but didn't burn when going down, the whiskey was so smooth. I think had to be the best old fashion me and my husband have ever had. Very good! Cold sake- came in two shot glasses, tasted super smooth, we've never had sake that was so good. Honestly hits you in the face in 30 mins. Turns out it was really strong but did not taste like it at all. My husband did have multiple items I didn't review on here since I didn't try them but he thought every single one was delicious! Overall, we loved this place! The staff is so knowledgeable and the chefs are very talented. Highly recommend for anyone who loves sushi!!! Our bill came out to be around $150 but for the amount of food we ordered was a really decent price. Really recommend coming before 6:30- for happy hour, I think it might of saved us atleast $85-100. So so good!!!! read more

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Soto is just an overall amazing experience, it's not one that you should dine and dash for but actually sit there and be present with your table and server. We were brought in because of their omakase and was not disappointed. We had nothing but time and we didn't even realize that 2+ hours had passed as we enjoyed each plate and display presented to us. Everything just MELTS in your mouth and was really beautifully done. The ambiance is dressy casual - you don't need a fancy dress or coat but definitely dress like it's your first date lol read more

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Soto is the best. I'm a regular for dinner, and certainly splurge. I'd love to be a regular for lunch, but If I pound Nigiri like I do at dinner time it would break the bank for a lunch meal. But ... They've added a great new lunch "Kaiseki Bento" that is like a Bento Box, but more. You get 4 pieces of sashimi, 2 premium Nigiri, Rock Shrimp and Shumai hot bites, a sushi roll, and two composed sashimi bites along with a salad and their awesome Miso Soup. I talked them into turning my sashimi pieces into nigiri as I prefer nigiri. Everything was awesome just like what Soto puts out every day, and the lunch was only $28 bucks. Seems like a bargain to me!! Now I'll visit more often for lunch. read more

Soto - Kaiseki Bento Lunch Special - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

We were a party of 3 on Friday and had an amazing sushi dinner with several courses of nigiri, specialty rolls, drinks and desserts. Soto is a high-end restaurant and the dinner was worth every bit of the $600 we spent. HOWEVER - After taking one bite of my tiramisu, I noticed something moving on the top (see video). There was an odd shaped worm on top. We were told that the worm was "from the mint garden". It was such a non event for them and so quickly dismissed - we were shocked. We were given a 15% discount on our bill. I'm not sure that we will be returning even with the excellent sushi and our server was amazing. In my opinion, manager did not handle this situation properly in order to retain the patrons they are seeking. It might have been a simple "worm from their garden" to them, but it was a MUCH bigger deal to us. They did not restore my confidence in the quality of what we ate at all. read more

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Came in for happy hour on a Friday for date night. From the moment we walked in we were greeted with smiling faces, making us feel welcome. We sat at the sushi bar and our server, Erik, was amazing with his recommendations, his service and our overall experience. We've been looking for a local sushi place to call our regular spot and we have found it! read more

Easily the best sushi in Houston! We've explored many places, and the imported fish from Japan here is unbelievably fresh. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering the quality. We ordered several items from the menu, and our waitress recommended the nigiri. We tried the toro nigiri, and we were so glad we did--absolutely the best we've ever had. The chefs clearly specialize in nigiri, and it shows in every bite. The ambiance is contemporary with a sleek, modern Japanese style. The staff was professional, friendly, and made the experience even better. Loved it! Can't wait to go back. read more

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Great happy hour! Great service and very nice ambiance! Highly recommend the chef's choice 5 piece nigiri! Each piece is dressed exquisitely. And every chef's choice is different unless you request the same thing. read more

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My wife and her mom did the omakase for her mom's birthday, and it was the best omakase they have had, and the best overall dining experience my wife has had in a long time! Went for lunch on a Sunday, and the service was impeccable (they were also essentially the only customers at that time - lunch is a great time to go). Turns out the sushi chef, Andy, was the owner. He was *incredibly* nice and hospitable, explaining all the dishes to my mother-in-law in their shared native language, and interesting to converse with. The omakase was decadent, from fresh wasabi to caviar and the fattiest tuna and Japanese muskmelon... Both my wife and her mom enjoyed the experience immensely. Would definitely go back for omakase. read more

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Love Soto for lunch on Saturday. Bento Lunch Special is one of my favorites. Never unhappy with the generous spread. Yummy delicacies that enhance one's palate. Must try! read more

Soto - Kaiseki Bento with Shrimp Tempura. - Japanese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Fun party vibes along with good quality fish. Open for lunch and the staff is super friendly and accommodating. Chef Andy has a great sense of humor and I would love to come back for dinner when the lights are dim and the music turns up. My date recommended the Brussels sprouts and they were amazing. Ask for the fresh fish of the day, you won't be disappointed :) read more

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