Isabelle K.

Very small restaurant. Hard to book a reservation. Just put yourself to waiting list. The food quality is better than Michelin one Star. My favorite is fatty tuna, ribeye, amber jack and uni. 17 dishes.

Angelica L.

Rating: 4.8/5 Toshokan is a speakeasy-style omakase spot hidden behind a bookshelf inside the Holey Moley Golf Club. Chef and owner Saine Wong designed the experience to be highly personal and intimate, with only two seatings per night and a maximum of six guests per seating. It's quite difficult to get a reservation, as they're snatched up quickly once released. We were super lucky that someone canceled their spot for the 8:30 PM seating the day after my husband's birthday. They start promptly, so plan to arrive early to allow time for parking. Each guest receives a custom coaster with their name on it to help find their seat--such a thoughtful touch. They also do an icebreaker so everyone, including the staff, can get to know one another a bit more. Before dining begins, you get to choose your own chopsticks and chopstick rest, which adds to the fun and personalized feel. Chef Saine is joined by two team members: one handles the drinks, and the other assists with food prep. The service is impeccable--after each course, they even wipe your plate clean if you spill soy sauce. We opted to split the sake/cocktail pairing ($115), and the bar manager (I believe her name was Maddie) kindly split each drink for us. Every cocktail was thoughtfully crafted to complement the sushi. I'm usually not a fan of sake, but the one they served was surprisingly good! They also offer individual drinks, so there's something for everyone. There's a lot of conversation and interaction throughout the meal, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Toward the end, Chef Saine offered additional add-ons before serenading us with a few songs on the guitar. He sang happy birthday to my husband and happy anniversary to the couple next to us, which was such a sweet gesture. We even had a mini karaoke session before wrapping up around 11 PM. The 14-course omakase costs $170 per person, and I truly believe it's worth it for the unique, immersive experience. Food Breakdown: The blue fin bird's nest-looking starter was delicious--one of my favorites. I loved the contrasting textures. I don't normally eat oysters, but I gave it a try. Can't say I loved it, but it wasn't bad. The salmon was from New Zealand. It was good, though I've had better. This was a deconstructed nigiri, and you could really taste the house-made rice and soy sauce. The tuna belly was solid, but nothing particularly unique. I don't usually eat sea bream, but this one was excellent! The hamachi was seasoned to taste like a spicy margarita and ended up being my favorite of the night. I'm not a fan of amberjack's texture, so this one was just okay for me. The spot prawn was good, but not as sweet as I expected. The scallop was plated on a green sauce that I absolutely loved--I could've licked the plate clean. I don't recall the exact market special, but I think it involved crab. The wagyu was, as expected, amazing. Chef even showed the certification of authenticity. The unagi was one of the best I've had. The bone marrow was served on toast. It was good but didn't stand out. The dessert was a rice-based ice cream that had subtle flavors and level of sweetness. It was just okay for me. I enjoyed the wasabi on top and think they should infuse it in the ice cream.

Danielle D.

We love omakase and knew we had to try this speakeasy style spot as soon as we could get a reservation (this is definitely difficult to achieve)! First, the great things - the staff/chef. They're incredible and truly make the experience a little gathering of strangers-turned friends. They're great at engaging the 6 people who are gathered in conversation while presenting gorgeously assembled bites and sips. The chef is also a super swiftie having attended 13 of the global eras tour events who brings out his guitar at the end to do a little Taylor tribute - he even did my missed surprise song DBATC and I loved him for it! We chose to split the sake/cocktail pairing. We've never asked to do this (split the pours between two) and we were so glad they were able to accommodate. We aren't drinkers but love to do a pairing so splitting the pours was absolutely perfect. The pairings were incredible - highlights for me were the cocktails - the welcome cocktail (that's included with the meal) was perfection, the adult apple-tini was delicious, and the waygu fat washed old fashioned was sublime! I also really enjoyed the final dessert sake and dessert pairing! I kept going back bite and sip it was so good. The space/decor itself is meticulously curated and the little take home personalized coaster is fab. The line up and composition of bites was also fantastic. While some argue here with 4* because the bites are "basic" I found them to be classic selections of favored fish (expect an oyster, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, scallop- the sushi standards) meticulously assembled and dressed beautifully. We also said the dessert was our favorite omakase dessert to date. Absolutely fabulous and the additional melted Belgium chocolate on top chef's kiss. The ONLY meh moment for me was when we didn't get seated promptly at 6pm - we were the first of the 6 to arrive but we weren't that early. Of course austin traffic is terrible but if the invite says arrive by 6 or you'll miss the fun then plan accordingly. We didn't end up getting seated until after 6:15 so for people who make it a point to arrive early and given the warning that the fun will begin on time regardless, this was the only bummer of the evening. This is another great omakase spot in Austin and if you can get a reservation, definitely go! I purposefully never snap every plate for these experiences because you really have to be in the moment and just enjoy!

My friend and I celebrated our birthdays there last night, and it was one of my favorite birthday dinners to date! Every detail was immaculate and well thought out. Favorite dishes included Sea Bream, Tuna Belly and Bone Marrow. Highly recommend adding on the three additional dishes at the end. Those were all outstanding. From the custom happy birthday wood plaques with our names on them to singing happy birthday and all of the dishes in between, the team went above and beyond for it to be special. Thank you!!

Jamie E.

We've managed to eat here twice in the past few years and by no stretch of imagine was it easy to get reservations, was a concerted group effort both times that required luck as much as anything else. Starting out, it's not cheap, and if you include drinks, assume you're basically spending a solid amount of money on a single meal, no sugar coating that. For us, this is a very rare, super special occasion type meal since dropping a decent portion of a mortgage payment on a dinner for 2 or 3 is not in our typical financial playbook. Beyond that though, we're foodie people, we plan vacations around food even. I cannot overstate how impressed we've been with toshokan both times we've been there both in the food and the staff and overall experience. I won't exaggerate, the first time we went was the best meal we've ever had, full stop. The intimacy of the restaurant, quality of the food and care and preparation, and the staff, are honestly something rarely seen anywhere. Every single dish was like the best version of anything like it we'd ever had. It such an awesome experience and both times we've left more or less speechless. It really is that good. Pictures are from both of our visits, I'll just stop it here, toshokan speaks for itself and if it's within your ability to try it, it's worth it.

Isaiah E.

One of the best meals I've ever had in my life. I'm a somewhat awkward nerd, went alone, and the "chat with the chef and fellow patrons" experience made me anxious but actually went by so smoothly. They host an incredibly enjoyable space.

Chelsea L.

Cute omakase hidden behind a bookshelf inside Holey Moley, the golf course! Love the bookshelf idea since toshokan means library in Japanese. I heard that it was hard to get a reservation here and was actually on the waitlist. Luckily, I was able to snag a reservation. I had high expectations since it was listed as a recommended restaurant by Michelin and I'm a huge fan of sushi! That being said, I have tried many sushi places before and expected to be blown away. They have six seatings right in front of the chef and assistant so it is a very intimate atmosphere. It started off well, I really like the crunchy tuna dish. However, all the dishes following didn't really wow me. They are definitely great dishes but I felt that I can easily buy these from an ordinary sushi restaurant. Service was great and the chef engaged us in conversations. It's cool how he is a Swiftie and has a map showing all the concerts he's been to. He also pulled out his guitar, sang a Taylor Swift song, and sang the birthday song for me, which was super nice! I do want to note that we noticed the assistant dropping things a few times, so there was a lack of detail. There is an opportunity to add more dishes before dessert, which we are not obligated to do, but we still had to wait for others to finish eating, which I felt was unnecessary. I was underwhelmed with the mint ice cream. On the plus side, the wooden coasters in front are super cute. They have our names engraved on them, and we can take them home! It was a good experience but I feel like creativity in the dishes was lacking.

Eddie K.

Meh. Toshokan is hidden behind a bookshelf inside Holey Moley, a golf course. I love the entrance that is hidden behind a bookshelf as toshokan in Japanese means library. The food is not bad, but there is nothing special. I don't think the price can be justified, for an omakase. Hospitality/service is great, however, the assistant dropped dishes a few times and it was a bit unprofessional. They gave us custom coasters with our names on them for us to take away. My favorite is the first dish. It was crunchy and fresh. The other 13 courses were ok. I was still hungry after the 14-course meal. The mint ice dessert was ok, you could probably get the ice cream from the grocery store. (I'm normally not a fan of mint). It was a good experience but probably wouldn't return. I think there are better omakases in Austin.

Gina F.

I have been trying to get in here for years and it was definitely worth the wait and the price. A 6 person Omakase is such a fun intimate experience! And wow the food is definitely going to deliver. These were some of the best bites I've had. I loved being able to ask questions about all the things. And to top this all off, I had a delicious Sake cocktail made my Nadia and we had ice cream with chocolate "raclette style." Thank you Chef, Nadia and team for a fantastic anniversary dinner!

Amanda G.

Doesn't get better than this. This was my second time at Toshokan but first at the new location. The food is absolutely incredible for starters that I wish it was easier to get a reservation...I would splurge on this meal at least once a month. The fact he doesn't have a Michelin star is beyond me. C'Mon Michelin folks! I love how he walks through where your fish was sourced and why. I had the cocktail pairing this time. I rarely get cocktails because they are typically too sugary. I mentioned that to the mixologist and she crafted my cocktails as I wished! The 8 person intimate setting is like no other experience I've had. Ugh, I love this place.

Jojuane P.

Saine Wong, is the Executive Chef and Owner. Originally hails from Los Angeles and moved here during the pandemic. He curates the meal by talking you the journey of the ingredients and menu. He has a map with pins that highlight where what places he's been and another color of where the evenings omakase ingredients are from. The restaurant accommodates six people for an intimate experience. There's a sake pairing and/or sake & cocktail pairing you can add one. Chef Wong, interacts with everyone and it really was a fun experience. So glad I FINALLY got reservations. When they release openings, act fast as they fill up quickly! P.S. Bring your wallet, because you'll need it. Oh, he's a BIG Taylor Swift fan and travels to see her. You just might see him pull out a guitar and sing a song for you or with you.

Irisa D.

Such a fantastic dining experience. In a post-Covid world where I have anxiety being in crowded places, this was the perfect, intimate dining experience to enjoy superb sushi and unwind after a hectic week at work. The service was incredible and the staff and chef really make you feel like you're having dinner with close friends. I loved the cocktail and sake pairings. The sushi itself was delicious and a great variety of fish and flavors. I've been waiting to get a reservation here for over a year, so happy to finally get that experience. Would definitely return again and again.

justine h.

Really amazing experience! We came here for my birthday for an omakase. I loved that it was kind of like a speakeasy vibe since the space is hidden behind a bookcase. The chef was extremely personable. I've been to a couple omakases in Austin and this felt the most welcoming. He spent a lot of time chatting with us in addition to telling us stories about where each food item came from and how he came up with some of the recipes. Everything was really delicious and fresh. Had a great time and we were lucky to snag a reservation.