Best Asian Restaurants in Memorial, Houston: 7 Verified Picks

The best Asian restaurants in Memorial, Houston, are Nirvana for Indian and Pakistani food, Izakaya Wa for a Japanese pub dinner, Ramen Tatsu-ya and Kuu for Japanese, The Rice Box and Cafe Chopstix for Chinese, and RA Sushi for a late night out. All seven sit inside Memorial, between Loop 610 West and State Highway 6, and every one was confirmed as operating on its own official website in November 2026.

Here's the line to remember: Memorial's best Asian food hides in strip centers and along the freeway frontage, and one of the biggest lunch spreads on Memorial Drive lets you bring your own bottle. Nirvana Indian Restaurant in west Memorial lists itself as BYOB and 100% halal, and its lunch buffet runs every day of the week.

What counts as Memorial in this guide?

We define Memorial as west Houston between Loop 610 West and State Highway 6, with Buffalo Bayou as the southern edge and the Katy Freeway (I-10) as the northern edge. We also count the Memorial City and CityCentre districts that sit just north of the freeway, because most people who live in Memorial eat there. That takes in the Memorial Villages, Hedwig Village, Town & Country and the long run of Memorial Drive out past Dairy Ashford.

It leaves out some well-known names. The Korean restaurants on Long Point Road are in Spring Branch, north of the freeway, and are covered in our Spring Branch restaurant guide. Duck N Bao's Memorial Drive location is inside Loop 610, so it isn't on this list. For the full dining picture in the area, start with our best restaurants in Memorial.

The quick list

• For biryani, a lunch buffet and a bottle from home: Nirvana on Memorial Drive.
• For a Japanese pub dinner of skewers and sake: Izakaya Wa in the Memorial Villages.
• For a bowl of ramen any day of the week: Ramen Tatsu-ya near Town & Country.
• For a special-occasion sushi dinner: Kuu at Memorial City.
• For fast Chinese-American takeout: The Rice Box in Hedwig Village.
• For a neighborhood Chinese lunch: Cafe Chopstix near Memorial City.
• For sushi after 10 pm: RA Sushi at CityCentre.

How we chose

We looked for Asian restaurants inside our Memorial boundary that are worth planning a meal around, then kept only places whose own website showed current hours, a current menu or live online ordering in November 2026. We wanted range: a white-tablecloth sushi dinner and a takeout counter, a halal Indian buffet and a Chinese lunch spot that has fed the same neighborhood for two decades.

We left out restaurants we could not confirm on an official site and places that appear to have closed. We could not verify a Thai, Vietnamese or Korean restaurant on its own official site inside these lines, so those cuisines have no pick. For them, see our best Thai food in Houston, best Vietnamese restaurants in Houston and best Korean BBQ in Houston guides.

Hours, prices and menus change. Treat every time below as typical, and check the restaurant's own site before you go.

Indian on Memorial Drive

Nirvana Indian Restaurant

West Memorial, Memorial Dr · Indian and Pakistani · 100% halal · BYOB

Nirvana on Memorial Drive has been serving Houston since 2013, according to its website, and traces its cooking to the royal kitchens of Hyderabad. The menu is Indian and Pakistani and fully halal. Look for the chicken biryani, chicken reshmi kebab, and butter chicken, with fresh naan on the side.

Good to know: Nirvana runs a lunch buffet every day with more than 20 rotating dishes, plus a dinner buffet on Mondays and Tuesdays. The rest of the week, dinner is à la carte. The site lists it as BYOB, and reservations and online ordering are on the official site.

Best for: a big group or a long weekend lunch.

Japanese: izakaya, ramen and sushi

Izakaya Wa

Memorial Villages, 12665 Memorial Dr · Japanese izakaya · closed Mondays

Izakaya Wa on Memorial Drive is a Japanese pub, the kind of place built for small plates and drinks with friends. Its website says it is Japanese owned and operated, and explains the name: “Wa” represents Japan and also means harmony. The dinner menu is organized into starters, skewers, sushi and rice dishes, with a sake and beer list and a wine list.

Good to know: lunch is typically served Tuesday to Saturday and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. The Memorial location doesn't serve lunch on Sundays. The site lists a phone number rather than online booking, so call ahead for a bigger group. Hours are on the official site.

Best for: a relaxed weeknight dinner of skewers, sushi and sake.

Ramen Tatsu-ya

Town & Country, 600 W Sam Houston Pkwy N · ramen · open daily

Ramen Tatsu-ya opened its first shop in 2012, and its founder says on its website that he was craving the good ramen he grew up with in Japan. The Memorial City shop sits near Town & Country Village. Order The OG, a tonkotsu ramen made with a pork bone broth that the menu says simmers for more than 60 hours, or the spicy Mi-So-Hot. The Nu Skool is a vegan bowl made with an almond milk broth.

Good to know: the menu has add-on “bombs” of extra flavor, from spicy to yuzu kosho, so you can tune your bowl. Ramen Tatsu-ya is typically open 11 am to 10 pm daily. Online ordering is on the official site.

Best for: a quick, filling lunch, and the one vegan in your group.

Kuu Restaurant

Memorial City, 947 Gessner Rd · modern Japanese and sushi

Kuu, at Gateway Memorial City behind the Westin hotel, is the special-occasion pick. Its name, according to the restaurant, translates to “the art of eating,” and its chef trained under Nobu Matsuhisa. The menu includes a Toyosu selection of fish that Kuu says is sent by next-day air from Tokyo's Toyosu fish market. Order the signature Kuu roll with bluefin tuna and lobster claw, the miso black cod and the ube soufflé.

Good to know: Kuu serves lunch on weekdays, dinner every night and a Sunday brunch, and it has a social hour menu. It is typically closed for lunch on Saturdays. Reservations are on the official site.

Best for: an anniversary, a client dinner or a birthday.

RA Sushi CityCentre

CityCentre, 799 Town and Country Blvd · sushi and Japanese-inspired dishes · open daily

RA Sushi at CityCentre is a chain, and it is on this list for one practical reason: its kitchen and bar are typically open until midnight every day, which is rare in Memorial. It has a covered patio and a playful menu of rolls and Japanese-inspired dishes, from yellowtail crispy rice and bang bang shrimp to hibachi burritos.

Good to know: happy hour typically runs all day on Mondays and Tuesdays. Times are on the official site.

Best for: sushi after a movie or a late dinner at CityCentre.

Chinese: takeout and a neighborhood lunch

The Rice Box

Hedwig Village, 9201 Katy Fwy · American Chinese takeout · open late on weekends

The Rice Box calls itself American Chinese takeout. According to its website, it took its food trucks off the street in 2017 with the launch of its Heights location. The Hedwig Village shop is one of five Rice Box locations listed on its site. The favorites are the Chongqing wings, salt and pepper wings, orange peeled beef, house fried rice, chow fun and garlic green beans.

Good to know: the Hedwig Village location typically stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Order ahead on the official site or its app.

Best for: takeout on the way home along the Katy Freeway.

Cafe Chopstix

Memorial City, 9930 Katy Fwy · Chinese · closed Sundays

Cafe Chopstix on the Katy Freeway has been in the Memorial City area for more than 20 years, according to its website. It's a neighborhood Chinese restaurant with a lunch crowd, and its popular dishes include triple spicy shrimp, jalapeño chicken, shrimp lo mein and beef with broccoli.

Good to know: Cafe Chopstix is typically open Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays. The site says that's “so we can all go to church.” Online ordering is on the official site.

Best for: a weekday lunch near Memorial City Mall.

Save this: a Memorial Asian food checklist

• Bring a bottle to Nirvana. It lists itself as BYOB.
• Don't plan on Monday dinner at Izakaya Wa. It is typically closed Mondays.
• Don't plan on Sunday lunch at Cafe Chopstix (closed Sundays) or Izakaya Wa (dinner only on Sundays).
• Need food after 10 pm? RA Sushi typically serves until midnight daily, and The Rice Box in Hedwig Village until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Feeding a vegan? Ramen Tatsu-ya's Nu Skool bowl is vegan.
• Going to the buffet? Nirvana's lunch buffet runs daily; its dinner buffet is Mondays and Tuesdays only.
• Booking a big night? Kuu takes reservations online. Izakaya Wa is call-ahead only.

More to eat and do in Memorial

Make a day of it with our guide to things to do in Memorial or a visit to Memorial City Mall. Going further for sushi or ramen? Our citywide guides to the best ramen in Houston and the best sushi in Houston have the rest of the city covered.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best Asian restaurants in Memorial, Houston?

Our picks are Nirvana (Indian and Pakistani), Izakaya Wa (Japanese izakaya), Ramen Tatsu-ya, Kuu (modern Japanese and sushi), The Rice Box and Cafe Chopstix (Chinese) and RA Sushi at CityCentre. Each was confirmed open on its official website in November 2026.

Is there a BYOB Asian restaurant in Memorial?

Yes. Nirvana Indian Restaurant on Memorial Drive in west Memorial lists itself as BYOB on its official website.

Where can I get ramen in Memorial, Houston?

Ramen Tatsu-ya has a Memorial City location at 600 W Sam Houston Pkwy N, near Town & Country Village. It serves tonkotsu, miso and vegan ramen and is typically open 11 am to 10 pm daily.

Is there a halal Indian restaurant in Memorial?

Yes. Nirvana Indian Restaurant on Memorial Drive says its food is 100% halal. It serves Indian and Pakistani dishes and runs a daily lunch buffet.

Which Asian restaurant in Memorial is open late?

RA Sushi at CityCentre typically serves food until midnight every day. The Rice Box in Hedwig Village typically stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Where is Korean food near Memorial, Houston?

Most of the Korean restaurants near Memorial are on Long Point Road in Spring Branch, just north of the Katy Freeway. We could not verify a Korean restaurant inside our Memorial boundary.