Japanese-People Approved Best Japanese Restaurants in Texas
Pecan trees, BBQ and Tex-mex. Those are some of the food items that many of us associate with Texas, but Japanese food isn’t the first thing… or second or thirty-third thing that enters our minds when you think about the Lone Star State. That doesn’t mean you can’t have great sushi in Dallas or tasty ramen in Austin, because the food climate there is changing rapidly, and it’s alright, alright, alright.
Sushi Photo Credit: http://www.yutakasushibistro.com/Since Yutaka Sushi Bistro opened in 2006, Chef Yutaka Yamato’s restaurant has appeared on numerous Best Sushi lists from Dallas Magazine to Travel and Leisure. But that is expected, thanks to Chef Yamato’s experiences at legendary Nobu New York and Dallas. Tucked in a strip mall, Yutaka won’t win an award for curbside appeal, but it makes up for it with fantastic food. Yamato prepares fish the same way as some of the finer sushi bars in Japan, with some fish even flown in from Japan that morning!
Photo Credit: http://www.yutakasushibistro.com/
What to order:
If you have been thinking of ordering omakase, but can’t decide where to go, Yutaka is the (if not, THE) place in Texas. There’s also the “Sushi Tour of Japan” on the menu at a more affordable price tag of $20, and you can try sashimi prepared various way to whet your appetite for the full Yutaka experience.
2. MF Sushi
Sushi Photo Credit: http://mfsushiusa.com/MF Sushi is stunning. The restaurant is so attractive that people may suspect that the food quality takes a backseat. Lucky for us, that is the furthest thing from the truth. Chef and co-owner Chris Kinjo serves equally stunning and meticulously prepared sushi. He does traditional sushi as well as some mouth-watering, creative rolls such as the king salmon roll topped with truffle mousse. What he prepares behind the sushi bar is so magical, it earned him the nickname, “Magic fingers.”
What to order:
Chef’s Special changes daily, and it comes with 6 pieces of nigiri sushi for $25. It’s a great way to start or end the meal.
3. Kura Revolving Sushi Bar
Sushi
OK, Kura doesn’t serve THE best sushi, but who can refuse $2.25/plate sushi that is better than strip mall sushi… WAY better sushi. As the name suggests, at Kura, you sit down in front of a revolving belt, and as sushi circles, you pick what you want. Sounds gimicky, but would you believe Kura actually serves high quality sushi? Kura uses rice and vegetables that are organically grown and all of their sauces, including ponzu, are made in-house without MSG. On top of that, their fish is delivered from same markets that bring seafood to the most luxurious sushi restaurants in America. Plus, isn’t it fun to see your food comes out like a bullet train?
What to order:
Lots of your favorite! (Remember, it’s $2.25 for TWO salmon belly sushi!!) None of the plates will be on the belt more than 30 minutes, so they are guaranteed fresh.
Pro move: Order gunkan sushi and hand rolls on the touch panel screen above you, so that your nori (seaweed) is fresh and crisp.
4. Uchi
Sushi Photo Credit: http://uchiaustin.com/Its beautiful dining room with bright red wall paper makes Uchi feel more like a neighborhood bistro in Paris than a sushi restaurant in Austin. Chef Tyson Cole opened a Japanese restaurant that offers both creative and authentic food in Austin, while expanding to both Houston and Dallas. Plus there is a sister restaurant, Uchiko, in Austin. At Uchi, the menu changes daily depending on what their impeccable chef receives from Japan. Although the instagram-worthy waiting area is a relaxingly cute, remember to make a reservation, as the word is out that Uchi serves some of the best Japanese food in Texas.
Photo Credit: http://uchiaustin.com/
What to order:
“Zero-sen” roll, which is yellowtail, avocado, shallot and cilantro wrapped with rice and seaweed. Since the menu changes daily, make sure to ask what’s available from the market!
5. Otoko
SushiKaiseki Photo Credit: http://otokoaustin.com/Otoko only opens 4 days a week, and only serves omakase. In addition, there are only 12 seats available at per seating. It’s a guaranteed intimate dining experience of sushi kaiseki, which is a luxurious 10 course meal that comes with sushi and variety of cooked small dishes including dessert. This is the dining experience that brings you a little bit of Kyoto. You can pair the meal with wine, sake or tea.
Photo Credit: http://otokoaustin.com/
What to order:
Omakase only, and it starts at $150
6. Teppo Yakitori and Sushi Bar
YakitoriSushi
When you think about food in Dallas, Texas, Japanese food is probably not the first thing comes to your mind. Not to stereotype, but meat and potatoes are a way of life in the Lone Star State. From this, it is a bit surprising that there is always a wait at Teppo restaurant, but Texans don’t seem to mind, as this authentic yakitori house has been delighting patrons for over two decades. Even after new Chef/Owner Masayuki Otaka took over Teppo in 2008, the restaurant has remained true to Japanese tradition. Yakitori is cooked crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and the sushi is always fresh. After a visit to Teppo, maybe Japanese food WILL be the first thing you think about when you think “Dallas.”
What to order:
Texans love Teppo’s Chicken meatballs with quail egg yolk for dipping.
7. Ramen Tatsu-ya
Ramen Photo Credit: http://ramen-tatsuya.com/Tatsu-ya brought the true ramen experience to Austin. With great house made broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and a fun energy filled restaurant where people greet you “irasshaimase!” (welcome to the restaurant.), there’s no doubt you’ll have a great time at Ramen Tatsu-ya. What separates Tatsu-ya from the other ramen shops are the flavor bombs you can add to your ramen. It literally looks like a tennis ball in your ramen, but as you dissolve the bomb into your soup, you can customize the flavor according to your preference.
Photo Credit: http://ramen-tatsuya.com/
What to order:
Tonkotsu original with your favorite bomb, but when you want something light, the Ol’ Skool with chicken shoyu broth is perfect.
8. AGU Ramen
Ramen Photo Credit: http://www.aguramen.com/Chef/Owner Hisashi Uehara isn’t new to the ramen scene as he already runs five popular AGU locations in Hawaii, so when his first Houston location opened in late 2016, the standard for ramen in Texas went up a couple of notches, as the AGU name began to appear on the must lists of every food media. What makes AGU stand out from the rest is their signature tonkotsu, pork broth, which is simmered for 24 hours, and took Uehara over 15 years to perfect. With five locations already in operation and a couple of more to open soon, Texans will be enjoying good ramen for years to come.
Photo Credit: http://www.aguramen.com/
What to order:
Tonkotsu, pork based broth, is the rich savory signature, and comes with shoyu, shio (salt) or miso flavors. If you like to go light, the chicken and vegetarian soups are equally flavorful. You can also go spicy or crazy hot spicy.
9. Kemuri Tatsu-ya
Izakaya Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/kemuritatsuya/Kemuri means “Smoke” in Japanese, and there’s plenty of kemuri at this izakaya style Japanese restaurant. There’s a robata grill where you can savor juicy yakitori with perfectly charred crispy skin. There’s also a BBQ boat on the menu, as in Texas BBQ, which means fatty smoked delicious brisket and succulent duck. Want some fish? Kamuri offers some smoked fish as well as fresh catch of the day sashimi, which is not really caught in Texas, but rather flown in from Japan, that day. Some say it’s not authentic, but who cares? If you are looking for geishas and tempura, of course it’s just not happening. But the food tastes good, the atmosphere is fun, and it feels like you are in some kitschy bar in Tokyo! Maybe that’s the new ‘authentic’ Japanese experience. If the restaurant’s name sounds familiar, it’s no accident, as Kamuri was opened by same passionate gentlemen who run Ramen Tatsu-ya.
Start light with some sashimi, but you must get their signature smoked meat, and “Hot Pocketz” of gouda and brisket. Speaking of brisket, you’ll think twice about tonkotsu after having their beef broth and brisket Texas Ramen.
10. Izakaya WA
Izakaya Photo Credit: http://izakayawa.com/Izakaya WA claims to be Houston’s first and only Japanese owned and operated izakaya and it shows in many of the dishes that they create. A lot of Japanese favorites are on the menu that probably aren’t familiar to most of us. Japanese curry with pork cutlet is a mildly spicy comfort food to Japanese people, and you can have good version of it at WA. You can also have a subtle kaiseki-like experience with “Matsutake Dobin Mushi” which is a Japanese seasonal favorite of fragrant mushroom matsutake steamed in light dashi which allows you to enjoy not only the flavor and texture of the mushroom, but also the earthy aroma.
Photo Credit: http://izakayawa.com/
What to order:
Yakitori, grilled chicken on skewers, and kushiage, meat and veggies deep fried on sticks, are both great starters and fun to share with your friends and family!
*All prices, numbers and menu descriptions mentioned in the article are from the time of this article’s publishing. So keep in mind, they may have changed since then.
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