Let's Rank Houston Sushi Restaurants...
As a child I was a committed seafood hater (which didn’t go over well at the New England family clambakes and lobster boils). But gradually I worked my way from swordfish and salmon as a teenager through more traditional fish tastes, and once I got to Houston, even shrimp, crawfish, and crab. I’m still not a fan of mollusks at all, although I seldom hide them in my napkin any more. Raw fish came last…sushi rolls, then ngiri, sashimi and so on (along with poke and ceviche, but that's another post). Anyway, after another mouth-watering meal this week at one of Houston’s several top-notch expensive (although not by New York standards) sushi-and small-plate oriented Japanese restaurants, I thought I’d share my ranking and see what you have to add…
#1 Kata Robata – Freshest. Fish. Best. Flavors. Most. Creative. Menu. Just awesome! And I haven’t even splurged on chef Hori-san’s special Omakase dinner yet!
#2 Kuu – Our destination last night…and a close second on my favorites list. Addison Lee’s Kuu even tops Kata Robata in one respect, and that’s gorgeous presentations. The kunseitaro appetizer (stacks of smoked salmon, asian pear, and yuzu thyme on individual taro chips) is a contender for the best-composed bite in town.
#3 Izakaya – The name essentially means “tavern” in Japanese. This is a more casual Midtown gastropub-style sister establishment to Kata Robata. It has some really, really good food, but with more emphasis on drinks and a less classically Japanese tilt to the menu. Enjoyed it, but without the afterglow I get from Kata Robata or Kuu.
#4 MF Sushi – Honestly, MF was a little bit of a disappointment when we tried it after it reopened in 2016 in a new location (after closing due to a fire a while back, I believe). It’s very good food, but super-expensive and just not all that interesting in terms of the menu, the style, or anything.
#5 RA Sushi – This was the first “fancy” sushi place I tried in Houston. I thought it was really good then. Now I realize it’s pretty ordinary…you can do much better with locally owned places and even with less expensive "regular" sushi spots. Nevertheless, I’ve only been to 5, so it still gets the 5th spot…
There are other contenders (including the much-hyped and always-packed Austin import Uchi), but I haven’t tried them, so it will be up to you to make the case…Kanpai!