Loved the food here! The fish is super fresh and high quality and even the non-sushi menu items had…read moregreat flavors and were well executed. I got the pan daiquiri as my drink to start and my friend got the herbed lavender lemonade. For food we shared the hamachi crudo, the chutoro nigri, the kanpachi nigiri, the A5 tartare, the kani handroll, The kinoko yasaimono, and the hot scallop dish to share. The pan daiquiri was SO good. The smokiness from the mezcal hits you first and then the sweet and creamy after taste takes over. It was so well mixed and I would highly recommend trying this if you are a mezcal lover like me. (9/10) The herbed lavender lemonade was too tangy and sweet for my liking. The lavender flavor get lost in the drink. It tasted like a typical lemonade, nothing special. (5/10) The hamachi crudo was so fresh and I really enjoyed the sweet and tangy broth. I'm not sure I would call it tom kha broth but it tasted good regardless and paired well with the tomatoes. (7.5/10) The chutoro nigiri was SO buttery and melt in your mouth delicious. I would definitely get this again. (8.8/10) The kanpachi nigiri was fresh and I enjoyed the sauce paired with it. It was my first time trying amberjack and I liked it. (7/10) The A5 tartare was super unique and well seasoned. There was plenty of tartare compared to the amount of milk bread you are given to eat it with. The uni, caviar, pate and waygu all mixed together was a decadent combination full of flavor. My only note was the contrast in temperatures that I did not love, the tartare came cold while the milk bread was warm. Overall, a very luxurious and tasty dish. (8/10) The kani handroll surpassed my expectations. Typically I don't go for crab first, but I did enjoy the flavors paired with the crab and the hand roll was well filled. (7.8/10) The kinoko roll (king trumpet mushroom roll) really surprised me. I was weary about getting this roll because I normally don't opt for vegan options, but this king mushroom was so well prepared and the sauce was so delicious that dare I say that I enjoyed this more than some of the fish/meat sushi rolls I've had in the past. (8/10) The hot scallop dish was one of the best bites of the night. The scallop was perfectly charred and cooked and the creamy polenta base with the umami salmon roe, with the fried red cabbage to add texture was amazing. I would definitely order this again. (9/10) Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Aiko and the food surpassed my expectations. I loved everything I tried and do want to come back to try more. The service was quick and helpful with the menu. Parking can be a bit tricky, but there are some free street parking spots around the plaza. The ambiance is definitely upscale and classy. It's a great place for a date! My only complaint was that I made a reservation for 2 at least a week in advance and upon arrival, though they had plenty of open tables, we were seated at the opposite end of a table that was already occupied. We were close enough to hear their entire conversation throughout dinner, and I just thought it was an odd experience because that had never happened to me before. Though it did not hinder me from enjoying the food I would have preferred to be seated at our own table.

I thought Aiko delivered a really memorable meal. Overall I'm giving this place 5 stars -- the…read morequality of the fish and the execution were excellent -- though personally I did find the progression of courses a little rich toward the end. For context, Aiko is part of the same group as Doko (their sushi omakase concept) and Handies Douzo (their handroll-focused restaurant), and you can definitely see the overlap in technique and flavor profiles across the restaurants. We went for the Valentine's omakase menu. The meal started with the Oyster Duo. One had a yuzu granita and aguachile that was bright and refreshing, while the other had a roasted onion soubise with smoked trout roe that leaned richer and more savory. Nice contrast between the two. One of my favorite early dishes was the chilled zaru soba. The buckwheat noodles had a great chewy texture and the mentsuyu broth was light and refreshing with mirin, mushroom, and seaweed notes. It was a really nice palate reset. The smoked ocean trout sashimi (masu) was another standout. It had garlic aioli on top with oil and black pepper, and the tomato added a crunchy brightness that balanced the richness of the fish. It's a simple combination but worked surprisingly well. The temaki course was excellent. The snow crab handroll had this creamy mayo texture with chili and crunchy shallots, and you can tell they roast the seaweed sheets right before serving because the nori had an incredible crunch -- honestly some of the best texture I've had in a handroll. It reminded me a lot of the style they do at Handies. For the hirame crudo with pomegranate and shiso, the flavor was good but a bit more subtle. I think the pistachio really helps that dish; without enough of it the flavors felt a little muted. I know pomegranate and pistachio is a common flavor pairing for middle eastern cuisines. My partner has a tree nut allergy so they removed it for both of us. The wagyu fat rice was very indulgent. The first thing you taste is the wagyu fat, but the fried shallots and other crunchy elements help balance it out. The sauce reminded me a lot of something you'd get at Doko -- rich but very satisfying. Adding fried rice in between fish courses was an interesting choice from the chef, but I think Aiko aims to be more western fusion than a traditional Japanese omakase. The tuna trio was fantastic. The chutoro with negidare (garlic, sesame oil, scallion) was probably my favorite bite of the night -- super flavorful and perfectly balanced. The foie gras course leaned sweet and savory, almost like an eel sauce flavor with some crunch on top. Delicious, but by this point in the progression I was definitely feeling the richness of the meal. Dessert was a milk tea tiramisu that I thought was really interesting. The mascarpone layer had a tartness to it -- almost like there might be a little sour cream mixed in -- and one layer had a subtle salty note that balanced the sweetness. Overall, the food quality was excellent and the fish was clearly very fresh. My only minor critique is that the progression of courses skewed a bit rich for my personal preference, especially in the second half of the meal. That said, every dish was thoughtfully executed and there were some truly standout bites. If you enjoy creative omakase with some richer flavor profiles, Aiko is definitely worth trying.

How damn cute! They go over the top with their to go/delivery packaging…read more Sushi is good and travels well. The edamame was a great surprise - not your typical boiled and salt. It was that but also charred on a grill that added a little plus plus. We'll order from them again.

There's seating outdoors, inside at the sushi bar, tables, and more seating upstairs. I noticed…read morethat they used machines to give proportionate amount of rice for the nigiri and rolls. This is nice to have consistent amounts of rice for each dish. I do wonder if this would make service slow or not because it did take awhile to get our food. There were a lot of to go orders and the way they package the items looked top tier. I did see they had a reasonable price for omakase for 2 ($95). This alone I think is worth trying this place out. However, I was not hungry enough for their omakase. I don't know if the machine played a roll in it but the seaweed was a bit soft and got stuck onto the dish. This made the quality of the rolls disappointing. The fish tasted fresh but I think the flavors and ingredients overpowered the fish. I would have liked ingredients that would elevate the fish and make it stand out as the highlight of the rolls. However, I thought they did a good job with presentation in each dish. I tried the rainbow row and that was a bit hard to eat because the seaweed got stuck onto the wooden board. I also thought the menu didn't reflect all of the ingredients that were inside of the rolls. They list the main stuff but not everything else. For example, I noticed that there was asparagus inside of the rainbow row but it isn't listed. For that reason I'd give it 3 stars. I wouldn't order this again. The next item I tried was the yuzu kissed and this was my favorite out of everything I've tried. I do think that it was missing something that would balance out the citrusy flavor but nevertheless it was still tasty as long as you don't douse the fish in the sauce, 5 stars. I also tried the Wagyu pitchfork and I think something that would've made this taste better would be a sauce maybe like an eel sauce. This would also get 3 stars for me. The spicy tuna roll was 3 stars for me and it was more so of the texture of the tuna. The tuna felt like it was stuffed in the roll and was like a soggy texture. Some of the tuna fell out as I was eating it and it also made the seaweed wrap around it a bit moist. I think if you go here you definitely should get the sashimi that way you could actually taste the quality of the fish. I tried the medium tuna and fatty and these were actually what I would expect from a place like this. The quality was there but the other items didn't hit the mark for me. The other item I tried was the Japanese scallop and the scallop was tasty and had that smooth buttery texture. The seaweed again kind of ruined the scallop for me. It felt like the scallop was shoved into the roll and was all soft and squishy when I picked it up.

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.

We walked in and got seated at a bar. Limited parking, but there is a valet for 10$…read more I loved the food here, everything we had was an absolute hit. The star highlight was for sure the sashimi bowl. I felt like the food was absolutely worth it. Tab for two did come out a little pricey, about 120$ a person including drinks.

Service was superb. Knowledgeable staff and experience was outstanding. The server was friendly,…read moreattentive, and clearly experienced. The atmosphere was classy and peaceful. The whole dining experience was pleasant. The food even exceeded my expectations. There were so many options and everything I had was delicious. I tried a bunch of items on the menu. One of my favorite things that I tried was the nigiri and the sashimi bluefin flight. They arranged the bluefin tuna in the order of lean to fatty. The fish tasted so fresh and had a smooth texture that was buttery. It just melted in my mouth. My other favorite was the hotate crudo. It had a silky jiggly texture to it. I thought the foie gras with pbj on milk bread was unique. The flavors paired well with the foie gras and had a tender bite to it. The drinks here were also fantastic.

Food: Incredibly delicious! Best Japanese I have had in a long time. This is not the typical sushi…read moreeatery. 5 Stars Service: Friendly and warm. 5 Stars Ambiance. Very small and cozy. Lines quickly get long. 5 Stars Overall: Solid 5 Stars. Highly recommend!

Been to both the Heights and Montrose locations regularly and Handies is easily my favorite go-to…read morehandroll spot in the city. The selection is great across the board, I genuinely enjoy every hand roll I've had, and you really can't go wrong with any of the sets. The crudo is always a hit too. What I love most is how approachable it is - from the vibe inside to even the food itself. It works just as well for a quick but really good meal as it does for stopping in to grab a hand roll or two between errands or before heading somewhere else. Consistently high quality without feeling overly serious or complicated. Service is always on top of it, the experience is efficient without feeling rushed, and it's one of those spots that stays in regular rotation no matter how many new places pop up around the city.

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

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!

Crab rangoon - 9/10 Seaweed salad - 9.5/10…read moreShaggy dog - 9/10 Skinny girl roll - 9.5/10 Spicy salmon roll - 7/10 Alaska roll - 9/10 TNT roll - 10/10 Shrimp fried rice - 7.5/10 Yellowtail sashimi - 10/10 Tuna sashimi - 8.5/10 Crab meat sashimi - 10/10 Thai tea - 6/10 Raspberry iced tea - 9/10 Loved the TNT (cooked) and skinny girl (raw) rolls from this spot. Their AYCE lunch is $21.95 per person and AYCE dinner is $33.95 per person. They also have a karaoke space which i thought was cool. If youre in the area and craving sushi , check them out!

Kata Robata absolutely lived up to its reputation. The sushi was incredibly fresh, beautifully…read morepresented, and every bite was outstanding. The nigiri was one of the highlights of the meal. The seaweed salad was unlike any I've had before, it featured about eight different types of seaweed and was beautifully presented. While it wasn't quite my personal favorite, I appreciated the creativity and quality. The true star of the meal was the miso black cod. It was perfectly cooked, buttery, flavorful, and literally finger-licking good. I would come back just for that dish. Excellent food, elegant presentation, and a memorable dining experience. I will definitely be back!

Kata Robata used to be one of my favorite restaurants before I moved away from Houston. After…read morerecently moving back, I chose it for my birthday lunch with friend because I had such fond memories of dining there. Unfortunately, this visit was disappointing. I arrived about 20 minutes before opening and had to wait outside in Houston's summer heat 93'F. While there are a few benches, there is very little shade, and guests are not allowed to wait inside. When the restaurant opened, there was no clear system for seating guests. Even though I was first in line, several people rushed in ahead of me, making the process feel disorganized. The biggest issue involved a $300 gift card that my friend had received years ago. She simply asked the staff to check the balance. When the server returned, he told us the manager had cut the card in half and that the entire balance had to be used during that visit. What bothered me was the lack of communication. We were never informed of the policy before the card was invalidated. If that is the restaurant's policy, it should be explained clearly beforehand. As two ladies having lunch, spending $300 was difficult, so we ended up ordering far more food than we normally would. The sashimi was fresh but cut thinly than what I've had at comparable restaurants. The hamachi kama, chirashi, and lobster mac and cheese were good. The green tea soufflé cheesecake was the biggest disappointment. For $10, it consisted of three very small cubes and felt overpriced. The waitstaff were attentive, friendly and professional, which helped salvage the experience. However, between the uncomfortable wait outside, the chaotic seating process, and the poor handling of the gift card, this visit did not live up to my previous experiences. While I have many good memories of Kata Robata, I'm not sure I'll be returning anytime soon.