Best Sushi in Houston: Omakase Counters to Neighborhood Rolls

Here's a fact worth repeating at your next sushi dinner: before he became one of Houston's most celebrated sushi chefs, Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi moved here in 2000 as the private chef at the Japanese Consulate, recruited by the Consul General. He stayed, and today he runs two of the city's best sushi rooms. (His very first cooking job, back in Japan at 16, was in the retirement home where his mother was the chef.)

That's Houston sushi in a nutshell. The top end is world-class, with fish flown in from Tokyo's Toyosu Market and chef's counters you book two weeks out. But the city also has strip-mall sushi bars that have been feeding regulars since the 1970s and 1980s. This guide covers both, plus a short lesson in how to order omakase without feeling lost.

The quick list

• The one to book first: Katami, Chef Hori's sushi, wagyu and sake restaurant on West Dallas.
• The hardest seat in town: Hidden Omakase, an 18-seat chef's counter with two seatings a night.
• The best-value omakase: the happy-hour omakase in Oheya, the 12-seat room inside Uchi.
• The sushi-and-sake institution: Kata Robata in Upper Kirby, open since 2009.
• The famous name: Nobu, for black cod miso and yellowtail jalapeño.
• The casual crowd-pleaser: Handies Douzo, for nori-wrapped hand rolls in the Heights or Montrose.
• The old-school regulars' spots: Miyako (since 1978) and Sasaki (since 1982).
• Out in the suburbs: Tobiuo in Katy, with fish from Toyosu Market.

How we chose

We picked restaurants where sushi is the point, not a side menu, and covered the full range: special-occasion omakase, polished sushi-and-small-plates rooms, and neighborhood places where a spicy tuna roll is exactly the right order. Every restaurant on this list was confirmed open on its own official website in October 2026, with current hours or reservations posted. A few well-known names were left out only because we couldn't confirm them on an official site this time.

Prices, menus and omakase formats change often, and fish changes daily. Treat anything below as "typically," and check the restaurant's site before you book.

How to order omakase (and enjoy it)

Omakase means you leave the menu to the chef. Katami translates it simply as "trust the chef." Instead of ordering, you sit at the counter and the chef serves a progression of courses, usually cold dishes and sashimi first, then nigiri, then something sweet. Here's how to do it well:

1. Book the counter, not a table. Omakase is usually served only at the sushi bar, and seats are limited. At Katami, omakase openings appear on Resy labeled "Omakase"; Google bookings won't show them.
2. Share allergies when you book. Most counters ask in advance. Katami sends a survey after you reserve; Hidden Omakase handles everything through Resy.
3. Be on time. Seatings start together. Hidden Omakase charges the full price for no-shows and late cancellations within three days.
4. Eat each piece when it's served. The chef has already seasoned it, so taste before reaching for soy sauce.
5. Read the fine print on the bill. Katami, for example, adds a 20% gratuity to omakase.
6. Ask questions. Where's the fish from, what's in season, what does the chef like right now. At a small counter, that conversation is half the fun.

Omakase splurges

Katami

Montrose, 2701 W Dallas St · sushi, wagyu and sake · dinner nightly

Katami is Chef Hori's newest restaurant, opened with partners Yun Cheng and Ryan Snyder, and its name translates as "gift" or "keepsake." The omakase is a 17-course progression of cold dishes, kaiseki-inspired hot courses and nigiri, built around ingredients from Toyosu Market. It runs about two hours, and its site lists it from about $200 per person. A sake pairing of allocated and competition-grade sakes is available.

Order this: the omakase, at the sushi bar, with the sake pairing if it's a celebration.

Why it's here: a five-time James Beard Award nominee cooking at the top of his game. Dinner is typically served from 5pm every night.

Hidden Omakase

Near Uptown · 18-seat chef's counter · Tuesday to Saturday

Hidden Omakase is, in our view, the hardest sushi reservation in town: two seatings a night, typically at 6 and 8pm, at an 18-person counter led by Chef Marcos Juarez, a Lubbock native who previously cooked with the Uchi group. Its site displays Michelin Guide "Selected" badges for 2024 and 2025.

Insider tip: reservations are released on Resy two weeks in advance at midnight, and they can't be made by phone or email. Set an alarm. The site lists the current price as $225 per person, charged in full for no-shows.

Why it's here: the chefs talk you through every course, and regulars end up on a first-name basis with them.

Uchi and Oheya

Montrose, 904 Westheimer Rd · modern sushi and omakase · dinner nightly

Uchi, from James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole, brings its playful, nontraditional take on Japanese food to Westheimer, with complimentary valet across the street. Happy hour typically runs daily from 4 to 6pm.

The insider move: behind a discreetly marked door is Oheya, meaning "the room," a 12-seat bar serving a chef-curated omakase whose menu changes every two months. Uchi's site lists a ten-course happy-hour omakase in Oheya for $50, typically Wednesday to Sunday at the 5 and 6:15pm seatings. It's the most affordable way we know to try a true omakase in Houston.

Order this: at Uchi, local favorites include the madai crudo (sea bream with ground cherries) and the kinoko nigiri with mushroom and brown butter.

Nobu Houston

Galleria · Nobu signatures and omakase · dinner nightly

Yes, it's a global brand, but Nobu still delivers the dishes that made it famous: yellowtail jalapeño, black cod miso and rock shrimp tempura. The chef's advice for first-timers is to start with two or three cold dishes, move to hot ones, and finish with sushi and dessert.

Insider tip: "At the Sushi Bar," Nobu's omakase, is typically offered only Thursday and Friday at 7pm for a handful of guests, so book early. For a lower-cost visit, try Tanoshi hours, typically 5 to 8pm daily.

5Kinokawa

The Heights, 3119 White Oak Dr · reservation-only omakase · Thursday to Sunday

5Kinokawa is a small, reservation-only omakase from Chef Billy Kin, with ingredients flown in weekly from markets including Toyosu. Dinners are typically Thursday to Saturday evenings, plus an early Sunday seating. Reservations are by phone.

Why it's here: it's an intimate counter meal on the Heights side of town, and a fine alternative when the Uptown counters are booked.

Sushi-and-sake classics

Kata Robata

Upper Kirby, 3600 Kirby Dr · sushi, robata grill and sake · lunch and dinner daily

Kata Robata is where Chef Hori made his name. He opened it in 2009 after eight years at Kubo's Sushi Bar, and the restaurant says its fish is flown in from Japan multiple times a week. The other draw is the robata, the charcoal grill the restaurant is named after, plus a long list of sake and Japanese whisky.

Order this: the daily specials and something from the robata. For the full experience, book the omakase.

Why it's here: it's open for lunch on weekdays and Saturdays and all day Sunday, which makes it the easiest top-tier sushi meal in town to fit in.

Kuu

Memorial City, 947 Gessner Rd (behind the Westin) · modern Japanese

Chef Adison Lee trained under Nobu Matsuhisa and later worked at Nobu in New York and London before settling in Houston. Kuu, which translates as "the art of eating," shows that background in its plating and its sake list.

Why it's here: it's the polished sushi dinner on the west side, handy if you live or stay near Memorial City.

Azumi

River Oaks District, 4444 Westheimer Rd · contemporary Japanese

Azumi sits at the entrance to River Oaks District and leans glamorous: seafood flown in daily from Tokyo, wagyu raised in Miyazaki, and what it calls one of the region's largest sake lists. Happy hour typically runs 3 to 6pm daily at the bar and on the patio.

Why it's here: a lively room for a pre-shopping lunch or a big-night-out dinner.

Neighborhood sushi and rolls

Handies Douzo

The Heights, 3510 White Oak Dr, and Montrose, 4005 Montrose Blvd · hand rolls

Handies Douzo focuses on nori-wrapped hand rolls, the crisp seaweed cone you eat right away, before the nori softens. Chefs Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee started out with a series of omakase pop-up dinners called Secret Taste. It typically opens at 11am daily and accepts walk-ins.

Order this: a set of hand rolls at the counter, one at a time, as they're made.

Izakaya Wa

Memorial, 12665 Memorial Dr, and River Oaks · Japanese izakaya

Izakaya Wa is a Japanese-owned izakaya, a casual pub-style restaurant. Sushi shares the table with small plates and drinks. The name's wa stands for Japan and also means "harmony." The Memorial location is typically closed Mondays.

Why it's here: for an easy weeknight meal that feels like a neighborhood place in Japan.

Miyako

Westheimer near the Galleria, 6345 Westheimer Rd, and Washington Ave, 4601 Washington Ave · rolls and sushi

Miyako has been serving Houston sushi since 1978, which makes it one of the city's long-running sushi bars. Both locations typically stay open until 11pm, and the Washington Avenue one stays open later on Friday and Saturday.

Why it's here: a dependable, unfussy roll dinner, especially late.

Sasaki

West Houston, 8979 Westheimer Rd · traditional sushi

Sasaki opened in 1982 and still serves traditional sushi, sashimi and omakase from an unassuming strip-mall spot on Westheimer. It's the kind of place that runs on regulars.

Why it's here: for anyone who prefers a quiet, traditional sushi bar to a scene.

Uptown Sushi

Uptown Park, 1131 Uptown Park Blvd · signature rolls

Uptown Sushi is where you go for creative signature rolls, at the corner of Loop 610 and Post Oak. It typically stays open until 11pm Monday to Saturday.

Why it's here: it's a reliable pick near the Galleria for a group that wants rolls, not a tasting menu.

Tobiuo Sushi & Bar

Katy, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch · sushi and omakase

Tobiuo brings Toyosu Market fish to Katy. Its omakase rotates weekly; you book it by sending a message through the restaurant's contact form. Weekday social hour typically runs 2 to 5pm.

Order this: a cold tasting like the yellowtail with ponzu and serrano, then let the chef pick your nigiri.

Save this: the Houston sushi ladder

Work your way up, one rung a month:

1. Hand rolls at Handies Douzo, walk-in, any day.
2. Rolls and a beer at Miyako or Uptown Sushi.
3. A happy-hour omakase in Oheya at Uchi.
4. A long sushi-and-sake lunch at Kata Robata.
5. A big-night omakase at Katami or Nobu.
6. The final boss: set a midnight alarm for a Hidden Omakase reservation two weeks out.

More places to eat in Houston

Building a whole night around dinner? See our date night restaurants in Houston and the best happy hours in town. For more fish, try our best seafood restaurants in Houston. Several picks above cluster in a few neighborhoods, so our Montrose, Heights, Galleria and Uptown and Katy restaurant guides will fill in the rest. For the big picture, start with our best restaurants in Houston guide.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What does omakase mean?

Omakase means leaving the menu to the chef. You sit at the sushi bar and the chef serves a progression of courses, typically cold dishes, then nigiri, then dessert.

How do I get a reservation at Hidden Omakase?

Reservations are released on Resy two weeks in advance at midnight. The restaurant doesn't take reservations by phone or email, and it charges the full price for no-shows and cancellations within three days.

Where can I try omakase in Houston without spending a fortune?

Uchi's Oheya room offers a ten-course happy-hour omakase, typically Wednesday to Sunday at the 5 and 6:15pm seatings. Check Uchi's site for the current price.

Who is Chef Hori?

Manabu Horiuchi is a five-time James Beard Award nominee who came to Houston in 2000 as the Japanese Consulate's private chef. He opened Kata Robata in 2009 and later Katami on West Dallas.

What is the oldest sushi restaurant on this list?

Miyako, which says it has served Houston since 1978. Sasaki on Westheimer opened in 1982.

Is there good sushi in Katy?

Yes. Tobiuo Sushi & Bar at LaCenterra in Cinco Ranch serves sushi with fish from Toyosu Market in Japan and a weekly-rotating omakase.