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

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!

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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!

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.