Best Sushi in Houston's Chinatown: 9 Japanese Spots on Bellaire

The best sushi in Houston's Chinatown comes from three very different counters on Bellaire Blvd: Ichijiku for nigiri and omakase, NoriNori for handrolls built around fish from Japan, and Seven Sushi & Robata for all-you-can-eat sushi and grilled skewers. Around them sit six more Japanese spots worth the trip: an izakaya that pours until 2 a.m., two ramen counters, and three shabu-shabu rooms. All nine were confirmed open on their official sites in October 2026.

Here's the hook worth passing on: one handroll menu on Bellaire Blvd runs from a $5.50 avocado roll to a $25 handroll topped with toro, uni, caviar and gold flakes, and just down the boulevard, a Japanese ramen counter named a bowl after Apollo because Houston is known for NASA.

Where is Houston's Chinatown?

For this guide, Houston's Chinatown means Bellaire Blvd from Fondren Road west to Beltway 8, the side streets that feed it (Clarewood Drive and Ranchester Drive), and the blocks just west of the Beltway around Hong Kong City Mall. It's in southwest Houston, ZIP codes 77036 and 77072. It is not the City of Bellaire, a separate small city farther east on the same boulevard, so the sushi bars there aren't on this list. Our Chinatown and Asiatown guide covers the whole district.

How we chose

Every pick had to be a sushi bar or Japanese restaurant inside that boundary, with current hours on its own website. We favored places that do one thing distinctly well: a cheap omakase, a handroll menu, a late sashimi platter, a ramen bowl you can't get elsewhere. Hours and prices below are what each official site listed when we checked; they change, so check the official site before you go.

Which Chinatown sushi bars are best for nigiri and omakase?

Start with Ichijiku for nigiri and NoriNori for luxury handrolls; Seven Sushi & Robata is the pick when you want volume.

1. Ichijiku Sushi

9393 Bellaire Blvd, Suite C, Houston, TX 77036 · sushi bar and omakase · lunch and dinner

Ichijiku Sushi on Bellaire Blvd is our pick when you want a classic sushi bar with nigiri and an omakase option. The menu is posted as images on the official site, so check it there for current prices. Ichijiku also flags an all-you-can-eat policy on its site, so ask about it when you book; reservations are through OpenTable from the official site. Hours are typically noon to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday (10 p.m. Friday), noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Order: the omakase if you want the chef to steer, or a round of nigiri.

2. NoriNori

9938 Bellaire Blvd, Suite G, Houston, TX 77036 · handroll bar · dinner, plus weekend lunch

NoriNori bills itself as Houston Chinatown's premier destination for handrolls, and the menu backs up the swagger. It was founded by four friends, and head chef and partner Cong Nguyen brings more than 20 years as a sushi chef, including running his own Japanese bistro in Baton Rouge. The restaurant says its fish is delivered from Japan. Handrolls are sold one at a time (about $5.50 to $25) or in sets: a four-roll set for $32 and a five-roll set for $45. The $25 handroll stacks toro, uni, caviar and gold flakes. There's a full bar and a daily happy hour. It's typically closed Monday, open 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Reservations are through SevenRooms on the official site.

Order: the four-roll set (spicy bluefin tuna, spicy scallop, shrimp tempura, hamachi), then the scallop and foie gras handroll the menu calls the chef's favorite.

3. Seven Sushi & Robata

9889 Bellaire Blvd, Suite E209 (Dun Huang Plaza), Houston, TX 77036 · all-you-can-eat sushi and robata

Seven Sushi & Robata bills itself as premium all-you-can-eat sushi and robata in Chinatown. It comes from Grace and Leo Xia, the husband-and-wife restaurateurs behind Duck N Bao and Hongdae 33, and sits in Dun Huang Plaza. All-you-can-eat is the draw, and à la carte dining is available too. The official site doesn't post hours or all-you-can-eat prices, so check before you go; reservations are through Toast from the official site.

Order: go all-you-can-eat with a group and mix sushi with robata skewers off the grill.

Where to eat sashimi late at night in Chinatown

Toukei Izakaya is the late answer: it typically serves until 1 a.m., and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

4. Toukei Izakaya

9630 Clarewood Dr, Suite A-15, Houston, TX 77036 · izakaya · dinner and late night

Toukei Izakaya is a Japanese pub, not a sushi bar, but its raw menu is serious: sashimi by the piece, a 15-piece chef's-choice sashimi dinner, a 21-piece deluxe version and a chirashi bowl. The rest of the menu runs from yakitori to tori nanban (Miyazaki-style fried chicken) and ramen, and the bar leans on Japanese whisky, sake and shochu. It's typically closed Monday and open 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. the rest of the week, until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. More late-night pours are in our Chinatown bars guide and izakaya guide.

Order: the 15-piece sashimi dinner to share, garlic bintoro, and takowasa (raw octopus with wasabi) with a highball.

Which Chinatown ramen shops also serve sushi?

Mensho does, with nigiri and temaki on the side; Night Market Noodle is all noodles and izakaya snacks.

5. Mensho

9889 Bellaire Blvd, Suite C308 (Dun Huang Plaza), Houston, TX 77036 · ramen counter · lunch and dinner daily

Mensho is a Japanese ramen group, and its Houston counter is long and narrow, designed to feel like a Tokyo street. Because Houston is known for NASA, Mensho tells diners to try the Apollo, a soupless yuzu ramen it lists as an original item. The Houston store also recommends a Wagyu Texas BBQ Tantanmen, serves vegan bowls, and has a short sushi menu: four-piece premium nigiri, scallop (hotate) with caviar, and an A5 wagyu temaki. Hours are typically 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 10:30 p.m. daily. See our ramen guide for more bowls.

Order: the Yuzu Apollo, plus the A5 wagyu takuan temaki.

6. Night Market Noodle

9630 Clarewood Dr, Suite A12, Houston, TX 77036 · ramen and Japanese snacks · lunch and dinner

Night Market Noodle builds its bowls on Hakata-style pork bone broth: tonkotsu, burnt garlic, curry tonkotsu and the Demon Ramen, which the menu describes as an extremely spicy, numbing miso pork broth. Tsukemen (dipping noodles) with yuzu zest, horse mackerel fry and takoyaki round it out, and you can ask for kaedama, an extra serving of noodles. It's typically closed Monday, with lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. (9:30 p.m. close Tuesday through Thursday, 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 p.m. Sunday).

Order: Hakata tonkotsu with kaedama, or the Demon Ramen if you're brave.

Where to get Japanese shabu-shabu in Chinatown

Three all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu rooms cover every budget: Shabu Zone, Shabu Squared and Mikiya. Compare them with the rest of the city in our hot pot guide.

7. Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House

9896 Bellaire Blvd, Suite A, Houston, TX 77036 · all-you-can-eat wagyu shabu-shabu

Mikiya is the celebration shabu: four all-you-can-eat sets (Basic, Silver, Gold and Diamond), wagyu up to A5, and broths like sukiyaki, spicy miso and Japanese tomato. Regulars can buy a $28-a-year membership for member pricing. Hours are typically 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., until midnight Friday and Saturday.

Order: the Gold set, which the restaurant calls its customer favorite, with sukiyaki broth.

8. Shabu Zone

11201 Bellaire Blvd, Suite 2, Houston, TX 77072 · all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu · individual pots

Shabu Zone has served all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu since 2018, and everyone gets an individual pot. At last check, weekday lunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) was $23.99 and dinner $33.99. Pick from nine broths, including dashi, tonkotsu, sukiyaki and a mala broth served on weekends only, then cook Akaushi wagyu, pork and lamb. Hours are typically 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Order: weekday lunch with the basic dashi broth, so the wagyu does the talking.

9. Shabu Squared

5840 W Sam Houston Pkwy, Houston, TX 77072 · all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu

Shabu Squared sits on the Beltway 8 frontage road at the western edge of our boundary. Its official menu lists three all-you-can-eat tiers: $29.99 (weekday lunch, noon to 4 p.m.), $39.99 and $47.99 (both served all day; the top tier adds Kuri wagyu and Akaushi flat iron). Dining is limited to 90 minutes, everyone at the table picks the same tier, and broth, rice, noodles and vegetables are included. Hours are typically noon to 9 p.m. daily.

Order: the top tier, so you can taste the Kuri wagyu against the Akaushi.

Save this: the two-stop Chinatown sushi crawl

Two pairs of picks share an address, so you can eat at both without moving the car.

1. Dun Huang Plaza, 9889 Bellaire Blvd: a Yuzu Apollo and a temaki at Mensho, then all-you-can-eat handrolls and robata at Seven Sushi & Robata.
2. 9630 Clarewood Dr: an early bowl at Night Market Noodle, then sashimi and whisky at Toukei Izakaya until late.
3. Handroll splurge: NoriNori's daily happy hour at the bar, then one $25 toro, uni, caviar and gold-flake handroll to finish.
4. Before you go: check each official site for hours, bring a group for the all-you-can-eat spots, and note that Toukei and Night Market Noodle are closed Mondays, and NoriNori is too.
5. Finish: a boba run down Bellaire from our boba guide.

Tips for eating sushi in Chinatown

Go early or book ahead: these are strip-center restaurants with limited seats.

• Plan on shared lots. Most picks are in shopping centers with shared lots, which can fill up on weekend nights, so go early.
• Read the all-you-can-eat rules. Shabu Squared posts a 90-minute limit and a $10-per-person excessive-waste fee, and Ichijiku flags its own all-you-can-eat policy on its site.
• Want a full chef's counter? Chinatown is about value and variety. For a long, reserved omakase, see our omakase guide and our citywide best sushi in Houston list.
• Make a morning of it. Pair a sushi dinner with weekend dim sum from our Chinatown brunch guide.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best sushi in Houston's Chinatown?

Ichijiku Sushi (9393 Bellaire Blvd) is our pick for nigiri and omakase, NoriNori (9938 Bellaire Blvd) for handrolls, and Seven Sushi & Robata (9889 Bellaire Blvd, Dun Huang Plaza) for all-you-can-eat sushi. All three were confirmed open on their official sites in October 2026.

Is there all-you-can-eat sushi in Houston's Chinatown?

Yes. Seven Sushi & Robata at 9889 Bellaire Blvd in Dun Huang Plaza serves all-you-can-eat sushi and robata, with à la carte also available. Ichijiku Sushi also flags an all-you-can-eat policy on its official site; check both sites for current prices.

What are Houston Chinatown's boundaries for this guide?

We define Houston's Chinatown as Bellaire Blvd from Fondren Road west to Beltway 8, its side streets such as Clarewood Drive, and the blocks just west of the Beltway around Hong Kong City Mall. The separate City of Bellaire, farther east, is not included.

Which Chinatown Houston Japanese restaurant is open latest?

Toukei Izakaya at 9630 Clarewood Dr is typically open until 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. It serves sashimi platters, yakitori and ramen.

Where can I get handrolls in Houston's Chinatown?

NoriNori at 9938 Bellaire Blvd, Suite G, specializes in handrolls, sold individually or in four- and five-roll sets. Mensho and Seven Sushi & Robata also serve temaki.

Is there a sushi happy hour in Houston's Chinatown?

Yes. NoriNori at 9938 Bellaire Blvd runs a daily happy hour with a full-service bar. Check the official site for current times and specials.