This was my favorite meal of this Houston trip…read more Now yall-- we ordered damn near everything on the menu! And let me tell you this menu has a lot to offer-- from sushi, crudo, yakitori, small dishes, and appetizers you name it The food was tasty, and surprisingly beautifully prepared. This was a very affordable in compared to most sushi places I've been to. Definitely with a try, I've been talking about it since I left and when I return it'll be my first stop! (Get the tuna!)

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.

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.

I had a good experience at Aiko. Service was good, and the ambiance was nice…read more I stopped in for the lunch menu as part of Houston restaurant week. It was pretty good! The restaurant itself was pretty packed - there wasn't any parking (but they do have an overflow lot you can use). Inside the vibe was nice & upscale. It was surprisingly not intimate & was a little loud. The bathroom hallway was very cool (as the other reviews have said) I got the three course lunch w/ an added chutoro nigiri. The restaurant week lunch was fine, but the nigiri really stood out. I wish they would've had even just one nigiri on the restaurant week menu. The kombu salad was good & had nice flavor without being too overpowering. The hamachi crudo was awesome!! I'm a big crudo fan, but this one was above and beyond my expectations. All of the flavors played so well together & my yellowtail was so fresh and light and buttery. I loved the creaminess of the sauce & how it balanced the acidity of the tomatoes & onion so well. I savored every bite. Honestly the hand rolls left a lot to be desired. The kani hand role wasn't super great. The flavor was mid & the texture felt a bit off. I also thought sake hand roll was just ok.. My chutoro nigiri was also awesome. The cut was beautiful & the fish was super fresh and had an awesome texture. It just melted in my mouth. I'll definitely be back to try the lunch nigiri tasting menu. I'd recommend trying this place, just make sure to get the crudo or nigiri

The ambiance and the food were amazing. The service was also great but accent was hard to…read moreunderstand sometimes. Highly recommend getting the omakase set, highish price at first, but definitely felt the value throughout the course.

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.

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!

A great spot for sushi in the Montrose area. They have a small parking lot in the front otherwise…read moreyou can find street parking in the neighborhood behind the restaurant. Easy to make resy online. The inside had low lightings, giving an intimate ambience. It wasn't too crowded when we were there on a weekday night. Menu had a variety to your usuals between sashmi, nigiri, maki, or cold tasting items. They also have a chef's feature menu. We ordered a few items to share: - Carbonara udon - Uni pasta - Royal chutoro maki - Wagyu and mushroom tarts - Toyosu sashimi platter - Salmon flight My favorite of the night. I am usually not a huge udon fan but the udon noodles were super soft and melts in your mouth. Probably one of the best udons I have had. We had to try the uni pasta when we saw it on the menu. A good amount of uni and the sauce was perfect with the pasta. For sashmi option, the Toyosu sashimi platter was a great choice that offer a variety of the chef's curated imported fresh Japanese sashimi. We also got the salmon flight which had 6 pieces of the salmon and salmon belly. Service was friendly and quick. Overall, a good spot for sushi in the Montrose area.

Celebrating a family birthday with a group of 7... our second time at Katami ... Lovely as always !…read more Friendly extremely professional & knowledgeable staff, great food & cocktails. The table we were at was a bit stifled regarding airflow... we all became pretty warm which stole some of the enjoyment from the food/experience. August in Houston... and no option to move a table of 7 to somewhere with better circulation. We understand.

Definitely worth trying!…read more We came here for a birthday dinner and had an amazing time. We ate lots of nigiri and tried several of their crudos, and everything was excellent. The fish is definitely high quality and incredibly fresh, and the dessert was also unique and tasty. If you're looking for a great sushi spot, I highly recommend stopping by. Just make sure to book in advance since they get packed!

I eat here wayyy too often, and for the good reason. It's hands down one of my go-to handroll spots…read moreand a place I always recommend to family and friends. Be sure to book your reservation because they can get booked up pretty fast!

I wanted to try Handies Douzo because it reminded me of Nori Handroll Bar, which has become a…read morereally popular and affordable hand roll chain in Vancouver, BC, and Toronto, ON. Maybe my expectations were a little high, but I found the hand rolls here to be just average. That said, the pricing is very reasonable, so I didn't leave feeling disappointed--it just wasn't memorable enough for me to want to come back. One quick heads-up for any caviar lovers: I noticed they offer caviar bumps and add-ons at an incredibly low price. It would be nice if the menu specified that it's Bowfin caviar, just for the sake of transparency. Overall, it's a solid option if you're looking for affordable hand rolls, but it's not a spot I'd personally go out of my way to revisit.

I had been eyeing Tins for a while and finally took the plunge - and I'm glad I did. It's a very…read moreunique "not sushi" omikase, with a very good character as the mastermind by the name of Chef Sky. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more: the food or the service but it was hands down one of my favorite omikase experiences I've ever had (and I've done this in Japan). There were very thoughtful dishes centering your staples like high quality tuna, salmon, scallops, and oysters. One thing that resonated with me was the laksa, which is a Malaysian style curry. Such a fun and unique experience, you'll definitely enjoy your time with chef Sky!

We went to TINS on Friday for my birthday. We love going to an Omakase, but this is more. This is…read morean experience. Chef Sky puts all of his passion into this 14 course adventure. Each bite is elevated and delicious. We wanted to eat slow and enjoy each bite, but each was better than the last and so hard to eat slow! We were anticipating each piece! We loved the addition of laksa and his Malaysian influence. It was so hard to pick a favorite. The sake FLOWS! It's truly unlimited. We had so much fun. The interior is vibe in itself. If you go for the 8 o'clock seating, they do karaoke after and I can only imagine how fun that it since Chef Sky is so fun. He shared so much knowledge and was just so much fun to talk to as well. We finished our meal and stayed another 40 minutes talk to Chef and enjoying the sake. It really is more than just sushi. You will not find wasabi and soy sauce anywhere. Each of the sauces elevates each bite you take and compliments it so well. Here's what we enjoyed: 1.Madai (jalapeño dressing ) 2.Hickory smoke sichimi salmon ( crunchy garlic and sweet & sour sauce ) 3.Scallop with sesame oil , truffle salt , fried garlic , ponzu and mint leaf ) 4.Malaysian curry laksa 5.Tuna (Spain ) mango salsa make with tom yum sauce 6.Kanpachi (Hawaii ) truffle oil , Himalayan salt & lemon zest 7.King salmon (New Zealand ) seared with yuzu miso and Malaysian crunchy fried anchovy 8. Santa Barbara uni shooter 9. Founder (repulic of Korea) homemade pepper sauce 10. Seared escolar with pork floss 11. Toro with creamy cilantro lime sauce with kizami wasabi 12 . Hamachi with Malaysian style sweet garlic sauce 13. Unagi with old granny spice and yuzu salt 14. mango crepes cake

This was a great place to go for lunch! The food comes out quick and pretty fresh compared to other…read moreall you can eat sushi places. We cleaned our plates. The place doesn't look like it can hold that many people so dinner plans with a large group might be an issue.

5.2.26 We come here often for family birthday celebrations…read more It is always great to do an AYCE so everyone gets what they like. Dont forget to order some red bean ice cream. It's delicious. The food is always great!

A frequent diner. Satisfied every time. Food quality is excellent. Service is excellent. Yes, you…read morepay a premium, but it's worth it.

Birthday lunch today and they gave us a great table. It's loud here. Casual ambiance…read more Pluses 1. Bento boxes are great we liked the fish and beef ones - we also upgraded to the crab roll instead of the chicken teriyaki 2. Eel roll is good 3. Seaweed salad had many types Areas to improve 1. Ladies bathroom door is very heavy 2. We got the birthday acknowledgment today but we didn't get anything. Usually most places give the birthday person something. Good place to eat, $106 with tax and tip for two, no alcohol. Highly recommended!

Really good sushi. We went on a Sunday night and it was pretty empty. Maybe one or two other…read morediners. The good news it was quiet. The bad news is that things come out too fast, other than the cocktails we ordered first, which showed up after the first course did. I find that a bit irritating. I guess maybe their bar/drinks person went home. But still, a great place in the Heights area. Great fresh sushi, imaginative cocktails and pleasant staff. Will go back when we are in the area

We decided to sit at the bar on a Saturday night. This may be where we went wrong. The bartenders…read morewere so busy making drinks that at times we had to flag them down to get things. Probably wouldn't recommend sitting at the bar. Food: -Spicy Edamame (4/5): Flavor is a literal different so took a minute for us to get into it, spice sneaks up on you (at first it's kind of sweet). - MF Box (5/5): My personal favorite. The taste and texture are perfect. Very light but flavorful. -Tokyo Roll (5/5): Very good as well. -Hamachi Serrano (3/5): Okay. Not my favorite but wanted to try it out. Texture wasn't for me and could of had a little more flavor. -Baked Lobster Tempura (4/5): Good appetizer option. Sauce was very good, but just a lot. -Shisito (3/5): very few in the portion, average. Drinks: -Spicy Margarita (2/5): Not on the menu just ordered it. Tasted pretty watery. -Oishii (5/5): Wanted to try this drink which is made with Japense Whisky. I would describe it as a piña colada cousin. Was very good, could of been a bit bigger (haha). Worth a try if you like sweet drinks. Overall definitely recommend this place for sushi lovers or those trying to be adventurous. Staff was very nice. Valet parking available. Will definitely be back.