My top 4 favorite sushi restaurants in Houston
I used to hate sushi. I didn’t like the smell of seaweed and the thought of eating raw fish was gross. Whenever I would go to a sushi restaurant I would order a rice dish. Yes. I was that person. Finally one day, I was forced to try it. I guess I was curious and was trying to not be so resistant to my (at the time) new boyfriend. I hesitantly placed a piece of fish in my mouth and to my surprise, it wasn’t that bad. However, the thought of eating raw fish was still lingering on my mind. As months went on and I kept trying it, the thought started to go away and sushi is so good to me now. With that being said, I’ve been to a lot of sushi restaurants around Houston and here’s my top 4.
Kula $$
11161 Westheimer Rd
Ste B
Houston, TX 77042
Kula is a revolving sushi restaurant that just opened up in Houston. They have over 400 locations in Japan, US, and Taiwan. A lot of my peers have tried Kula before in California or other cities in Texas but my first time trying this restaurant was when it opened in late August. Their concept is very basic and also makes the dining experience unique and super fun. They have different dishes rotating around on a conveyer belt and you can just grab whatever you want. If it’s taking too long for what you want to come around or if it finally comes around and it’s all out, you can order straight from the screen in front of you and it comes on the top conveyer belt straight to your table. How awesome is that! You can also order rice dishes, udon, and ramen. They have hot appetizers such as tempuras, gyoza, edamame, and so much more. The great thing about this restaurant is that it is so cheap! All plates on the belt are $2.25 a plate and most rice, udon, and ramen bowls are $5-$6. Their appetizers and desserts ranges from $2.25-$3.50.
Must have dishes every time I go to Kula:
Umami oil salmon
Seared scallop with Japanese mayo
Seared beef with yakiniku sauce
Umami oil seared beef
Beef udon
Beef ojyu
Japanese style soy milk donuts
Kuu $$$
947 Gessner Rd
Ste A180
Houston, TX 77024
Kuu is an upscale modern Japanese restaurant. Chef Adison Lee oversees the kitchen to combine traditional Japanese taste with a modern feel. I love coming here for a spontaneous date night because the restaurant is usually not super packed and getting a table would be easy. The food is delicious, the ambiance is romantic and service is great. They have happy hour from 4:30-6:30pm, Monday-Friday at the bar and patio. My most favorite thing to get here is their sake toro. They add a little bit of Yuzu Kosho and it just makes the whole thing taste 100x better. Yuzu kosho is a citrus paste so it makes the fish taste super refreshing. I highly recommend trying that.
Must have dishes every time I go to Kuu:
Sake toro
Kanpaccio
Crispy duck
Seared sea scallop
Hamaccio
Oishii $
3764 Richmond Ave
Houston, TX 77046
Oishii is like your typical small Japanese restaurant. Wait here is always ridiculous but very well worth it. They have happy hour from 3-7pm. If you want a short wait, I suggest coming around 5 pm, otherwise, prepare to have about an hour wait or longer. I usually see people still coming in and waiting for a table until they close. Their sushi is super cheap and the quality is not bad either. Each nigiri is usually around $1-$2 a piece. During happy hour, they have a buy one get one free appetizer deal and each plate is $4. So basically you’re paying $2 per plate. A large hot sake is $3 and that’s about 8-9 shots per bottle. Beer is about $1.25-$1.75. My friends and I usually come here during happy hour, drink, eat a bunch of food and the bill would be less than $20 a person including tip and tax.
Must have dishes every time I go to Oishii:
Salmon nigiri
Chopped scallops
Baked mussels
French fries*
Pork egg roll*
Gyoza*
Ika tempura*
Agedashi tofu*
Kani salad*
Miso soup and salad combo*
*I order these only during happy hour
Uchi $$$$
904 Westheimer Rd
Houston, TX 77006
Uchi is another upscale sushi restaurant. It is usually pretty busy as soon as it opens at 5 pm. The great thing about Uchi is that you can still enjoy it and not break bank! They have social hour from 5-6:30 pm daily, throughout the whole restaurant and their menu is not bad at all! Sake during this time is $3 for a bottle that is about 9 little sake shots, seriously such a steal! Dishes on the social hour menu ranges from $5-$8 compared to their normal prices which ranges from $15-$20 a plate. I love sitting at the bar because I get to see the chefs work their magic and plus there’s great lighting. You have to get there early though because seats usually fill out by 5:30. I’d call ahead of time and ask about the wait or make a reservation.
Must have dishes every time I go to Uchi:
Machi Cure
Walu Walu
Brussels sprouts
Ham & Egg roll
Sake toro
Avocado nigiri
Fried milk
*These restaurants were listed in alphabetical order and not in rankings.
xoxo Catherine
